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Genesis 49:2-4
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Genesis 49:2-4
Holman Christian Standard Bible
2 Come together and listen, sons of Jacob;
listen to your father Israel:
3 Reuben, you are my firstborn,(A)
my strength and the firstfruits of my virility,(B)
excelling in prominence, excelling in power.
4 Turbulent as water, you will no longer excel,
because you got into your father’s bed(C)
and you defiled it—he[a] got into my bed.
Footnotes
- Genesis 49:4 LXX, Syr, Tg read you
Genesis 49:2-4
New International Version
Genesis 49:2-4
New International Version
Genesis 49:2-4
New King James Version
Genesis 49:2-4
New King James Version
2 “Gather together and hear, you sons of Jacob,
And listen to Israel your father.
3 “Reuben, you are (A)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 (B)went up to your father’s bed;
Then you defiled it—
He went up to my couch.
Genesis 49:2-4
King James Version
Genesis 49:2-4
King James Version
2 Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father.
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.
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Genesis 49:2-4
English Standard Version
Genesis 49:2-4
English Standard Version
2 “Assemble and listen, O sons of Jacob,
listen to Israel your father.
3 “Reuben, you are (A)my firstborn,
my might, and the (B)firstfruits of my strength,
preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power.
4 Unstable as water, you shall not have preeminence,
because you (C)went up to your father's bed;
then you defiled it—he went up to my couch!
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.