Leahconceivedand borea sonand namedhim Reuben,for she said,"Becausethe LORDhas seenmy affliction;surelynowmy husbandwill loveme."
The angelof the LORDsaidto her further, "Behold,you are with child,And you will beara son;And you shall callhis nameIshmael,Becausethe LORDhas givenheedto your affliction.
Now the LORDsawthat Leahwas unloved,and He openedher womb,but Rachelwas barren.
"Ifthe Godof my father,the Godof Abraham,and the fearof Isaac,hadnot beenfor me, surelynowyou would have sentme awayempty-handed.Godhas seenmy afflictionand the toilof my hands,so He renderedjudgmentlastnight."
It cameabout while Israelwas dwellingin that land,that Reubenwentand laywith Bilhahhis father'sconcubine,and Israelheard[of it]. The Sons of IsraelNow there were twelve
The Sons of Israel
Now there were twelve
the sonsof Leah:Reuben,Jacob'sfirstborn,then Simeonand Leviand Judahand Issacharand Zebulun;
Now Reubenreturnedto the pit,and behold,Josephwas not in the pit;so he torehis garments.
Reubenansweredthem, saying,"Did I not tellyou, 'Do not sinagainst the boy;and you would not listen?Nowcomesthe reckoningfor his blood."
As one[of them] openedhis sackto givehis donkeyfodderat the lodgingplace,he sawhis money;and behold,it was in the mouthof his sack.
"Perhapsthe LORDwill lookon my afflictionand returngoodto me insteadof his cursingthisday."
Now the sonsof Reubenthe firstbornof Israel(for he was the firstborn,but because he defiledhis father'sbed,his birthrightwas givento the sonsof Josephthe sonof Israel;so that he is not enrolledin the genealogyaccording to the birthright.
Nevertheless He lookedupon their distressWhen He heardtheir cry;
Lookupon my afflictionand my trouble,And forgiveallmy sins.
The LORDsaid,"I have surelyseenthe afflictionof My peoplewhoare in Egypt,and have givenheedto their crybecauseof their taskmasters,for I am awareof their sufferings.
So the peoplebelieved;and when they heardthat the LORDwas concernedabout the sonsof Israeland that He had seentheir affliction,then they bowedlowand worshiped.
"Besidethe borderof Ephraim,from the eastsideto the westside,Reuben,one[portion].
"Thesethen are the namesof the menwhoshall standwith you: of Reuben,Elizurthe sonof Shedeur;
"This is the waythe Lordhas dealtwith me in the dayswhenHe looked[with favor] upon [me], to take awaymy disgraceamongmen."
Then we criedto the LORD,the Godof our fathers,and the LORDheardour voiceand sawour afflictionand our toiland our oppression;
"For the curse,theseshall standon MountEbal:Reuben,Gad,Asher,Zebulun,Dan,and Naphtali.
She madea vowand said,"O LORDof hosts,ifYou will indeedlookon the afflictionof Your maidservantand rememberme, and not forgetYour maidservant,but will giveYour maidservanta son,then I will givehim to the LORDallthe daysof his life,and a razorshall nevercomeon his head."
It cameabout in duetime,after Hannahhad conceived,that she gavebirthto a son;and she namedhim Samuel,[saying], "BecauseI have askedhim of the LORD."
