Thematic Bible




Thematic Bible



Reuben, you [are] my firstborn, my strength, and the firstfruit of my vigor, excelling in rank and excelling in power. 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!

The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel (for he was the firstborn, but when he defiled the couch of his father, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel, so that he was not enrolled in the genealogy as the firstborn,

Judah, [as for] you, your brothers shall praise you. Your hand [shall be] on the neck of your enemies. The sons of your father shall bow down to you.


Judah, [as for] you, your brothers shall praise you. Your hand [shall be] on the neck of your enemies. The sons of your father shall bow down to you. Judah [is] a lion's cub. From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bowed down; he crouched like a lion and as a lioness. Who shall rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff between his feet, until Shiloh comes. And to him shall be the obedience of nations. read more.
Binding his donkey to the vine and his donkey's colt to the choice vine, he washes his clothing in the wine and his garment in the blood of grapes. The eyes [are] darker than wine, and the teeth whiter than milk.


And it happened [that] at that time Judah went down from his brothers and pitched his tent near a certain Adullamite, whose name [was] Hirah.

The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan). And the sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.

The sons of Judah: Er and Onan; but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.

Judah, [as for] you, your brothers shall praise you. Your hand [shall be] on the neck of your enemies. The sons of your father shall bow down to you.

He had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to appear before him in Goshen. And they came to the land of Goshen.

Then Judah said to his brothers, "What profit [is there] if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?

And she conceived again and gave birth to a son. And she said, "This time I will praise Yahweh." Therefore she called his name Judah. And she ceased bearing children.

The sons of Leah: The firstborn of Jacob [was] Reuben. Then Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.

Then Judah said to him, "The man solemnly admonished us, saying, 'You shall not see my face unless your brother [is] with you.'

And Judah and his brothers came to the house of Joseph--now he [was] still there--they fell before him to the ground.


Judah, [as for] you, your brothers shall praise you. Your hand [shall be] on the neck of your enemies. The sons of your father shall bow down to you. Judah [is] a lion's cub. From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bowed down; he crouched like a lion and as a lioness. Who shall rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff between his feet, until Shiloh comes. And to him shall be the obedience of nations. read more.
Binding his donkey to the vine and his donkey's colt to the choice vine, he washes his clothing in the wine and his garment in the blood of grapes. The eyes [are] darker than wine, and the teeth whiter than milk.


Judah, [as for] you, your brothers shall praise you. Your hand [shall be] on the neck of your enemies. The sons of your father shall bow down to you. Judah [is] a lion's cub. From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bowed down; he crouched like a lion and as a lioness. Who shall rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff between his feet, until Shiloh comes. And to him shall be the obedience of nations. read more.
Binding his donkey to the vine and his donkey's colt to the choice vine, he washes his clothing in the wine and his garment in the blood of grapes. The eyes [are] darker than wine, and the teeth whiter than milk.

{And he said this of Judah}, "Hear, O Yahweh, the voice of Judah, and bring him to his people; his own hands strive for him, and may you be a help {against} his foes."


And he blessed Joseph and said, "The God before whom my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, walked, The God who shepherded me {all my life} unto this day, The angel who redeemed me from all evil, may he bless the boys. And through them let my name be perpetuated, and the name of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac. And let them multiply into many in the midst of the earth. When Joseph saw that his father put his right hand on the head of Ephraim, he was displeased. And he took hold of his father's hand to remove it from the head of Ephraim [over] to the head of Manasseh. read more.
And Joseph said to his father, "Not so, my father; because this one [is] the firstborn. Put your right [hand] upon his head." But his father refused and said, "I know, my son; I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great, but his younger brother shall be greater than him, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations." So he blessed them that day, saying, Through you Israel shall pronounce blessing, saying, 'May God make you like Ephraim and like Manasseh.'" So he put Ephraim before Manasseh.

Then Jacob called his sons and said, "Gather together so that I can tell you what will happen with you in {days to come}. Assemble and hear, O sons of Jacob! Listen to Israel your father! Reuben, you [are] my firstborn, my strength, and the firstfruit of my vigor, excelling in rank and excelling in power. read more.
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! Simeon and Levi [are] brothers; weapons of violence [are] their swords. Let me not come into their council. Let not my person be joined to their company. For in their anger they killed men, and at their pleasure they hamstrung cattle. 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. Judah, [as for] you, your brothers shall praise you. Your hand [shall be] on the neck of your enemies. The sons of your father shall bow down to you. Judah [is] a lion's cub. From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bowed down; he crouched like a lion and as a lioness. Who shall rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff between his feet, until Shiloh comes. And to him shall be the obedience of nations. Binding his donkey to the vine and his donkey's colt to the choice vine, he washes his clothing in the wine and his garment in the blood of grapes. The eyes [are] darker than wine, and the teeth whiter than milk. Zebulun shall settle by the shore of the sea. He [shall become] a haven for ships, and his border [shall be] at Sidon. Issachar [is] a strong donkey, crouching between the sheepfolds. He saw a resting place that [was] good, and land that [was] pleasant. So he bowed his shoulder to the burden and became a servant of forced labor. Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan shall be a serpent on the way, a viper on the road that bites the heels of a horse, so that its rider falls backward. I wait for your salvation, O Yahweh. Bandits shall attack Gad, but he shall attack [their] heels. Asher's food [is] delicious, and he shall provide from the king's delicacies. Naphtali [is] a doe running free that puts forth beautiful words. Joseph [is] the bough of a fruitful vine, a fruitful bough by a spring. His branches climb over the wall. {The archers} fiercely attacked him. They shot arrows [at him] and were hostile to him. But his bow remained in a steady position; {his arms} were made agile by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob. From there [is] the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel. Because of the God of your father he will help you and [by] Shaddai he will bless you with the blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that crouches beneath, blessings of the breasts and the womb. The blessings of your father are superior to the blessings of my ancestors, to the bounty of the everlasting hills. May they be on the head of Joseph, and on the forehead of the prince of his brothers. Benjamin [is] a devouring wolf, devouring the prey in the morning, and dividing the plunder in the evening. All these [are] the twelve tribes of Israel, and this [is] what their father said to them when he blessed them, each according to their blessing.


And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, three men were standing near him. And he saw [them] and ran from the doorway of the tent to meet them. And he bowed down to the ground.

When Abigail saw David, she hurried and got down from the donkey and fell on her face before {David's anger}, and she bowed down to the ground.

And one of the rulers of the synagogue came--Jairus by name--and [when he] saw him, he fell down at his feet.

And they said, "Your servant our father [is] well; he is still alive." And they knelt and bowed down.


And he had him ride in his second chariot. And they cried out before him, "Kneel!" And Pharaoh set him over all the land of Egypt.

Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you; Be lord of your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. Cursed be those cursing you, and blessed be those blessing you."

And Esther again spoke before the king, and she fell before his feet and wept, pleading for his grace to avert Haman the Agagite's evil [plan] and the plot that he devised against the Jews.

Judah, [as for] you, your brothers shall praise you. Your hand [shall be] on the neck of your enemies. The sons of your father shall bow down to you.

And Abraham rose up and bowed to the people of the land, to the Hittites.

Bathsheba knelt and bowed down before the king, and the king asked, "{What do you want}?"

And when Joseph came into the house they brought the gift that [was] in their hand into the house to him, and they bowed down before him to the ground.

And the two angels came to Sodom in the evening. And Lot was sitting in the gateway of Sodom. Then Lot saw [them] and stood up to meet them. And he bowed down [with his] face to the ground. And he said, "Behold, my lords, please turn aside into the house of your servant and spend the night and wash your feet. Then you can rise early and go on your way." And they said, "No, but we will spend the night in the square."

And he himself passed on before them and bowed down to the ground seven times until he came to his brother.

And he told [it] to his father and to his brothers. And his father rebuked him and said to him, "What [is] this dream that you have dreamed? Will I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the ground to you?"

Then Ahimaaz called and said to the king, "Peace." He bowed down to the king with his face to the ground, and he said, "May Yahweh your God be blessed, who has delivered the men who raised their hand against my lord the king."


Reuben, you [are] my firstborn, my strength, and the firstfruit of my vigor, excelling in rank and excelling in power. 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! Simeon and Levi [are] brothers; weapons of violence [are] their swords. Let me not come into their council. read more.
Let not my person be joined to their company. For in their anger they killed men, and at their pleasure they hamstrung cattle. 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. Judah, [as for] you, your brothers shall praise you. Your hand [shall be] on the neck of your enemies. The sons of your father shall bow down to you. Judah [is] a lion's cub. From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bowed down; he crouched like a lion and as a lioness. Who shall rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff between his feet, until Shiloh comes. And to him shall be the obedience of nations. Binding his donkey to the vine and his donkey's colt to the choice vine, he washes his clothing in the wine and his garment in the blood of grapes. The eyes [are] darker than wine, and the teeth whiter than milk. Zebulun shall settle by the shore of the sea. He [shall become] a haven for ships, and his border [shall be] at Sidon. Issachar [is] a strong donkey, crouching between the sheepfolds. He saw a resting place that [was] good, and land that [was] pleasant. So he bowed his shoulder to the burden and became a servant of forced labor. Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan shall be a serpent on the way, a viper on the road that bites the heels of a horse, so that its rider falls backward. I wait for your salvation, O Yahweh. Bandits shall attack Gad, but he shall attack [their] heels. Asher's food [is] delicious, and he shall provide from the king's delicacies. Naphtali [is] a doe running free that puts forth beautiful words. Joseph [is] the bough of a fruitful vine, a fruitful bough by a spring. His branches climb over the wall. {The archers} fiercely attacked him. They shot arrows [at him] and were hostile to him. But his bow remained in a steady position; {his arms} were made agile by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob. From there [is] the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel. Because of the God of your father he will help you and [by] Shaddai he will bless you with the blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that crouches beneath, blessings of the breasts and the womb. The blessings of your father are superior to the blessings of my ancestors, to the bounty of the everlasting hills. May they be on the head of Joseph, and on the forehead of the prince of his brothers. Benjamin [is] a devouring wolf, devouring the prey in the morning, and dividing the plunder in the evening.

"May Reuben live, and may he not die, {and let his number not be few}." {And he said this of Judah}, "Hear, O Yahweh, the voice of Judah, and bring him to his people; his own hands strive for him, and may you be a help {against} his foes." And of Levi he said, "Your Thummim and your Urim [are] for {your faithful one}, {whom you tested at Massah}; you contended [with] him at the waters of Meribah. read more.
The [one] saying of his father and of his mother, 'I have not regarded them,' and his brothers he [did] not acknowledge, and his children [he did] not know, but [rather] they observed your word, and your covenant they kept. They taught your regulations to Jacob, and your law to Israel; they placed incense smoke {before you}, and whole burnt offerings on your altar. Bless, O Yahweh, his substance, and with the work of his hands you must be pleased; smite the loins of those who attack him, and those hating him, {so that they cannot arise}." Of Benjamin he said, "The beloved of Yahweh dwells {securely}, the Most High shields [all] around him, all the day, and between his shoulders he dwells." And of Joseph he said, "Blessed by Yahweh [is] his land, with the choice things of heaven, with dew, and with the deep lying down beneath, and with [the] choice things of [the] fruits of the [the] sun, and with the choice things of [the] yield of [the] {seasons}, and with the finest things of [the] ancient mountains, and with [the] choice things of [the] {eternal hills}, and with the choice things of [the] earth and its fullness, and the favor of [the one] {who dwelt} in [the] bush. Let them come to the head of Joseph, and to the crown of the prince among his brothers. [As] the firstborn of his ox, majesty {belongs to him}, and his horns [are] [the] horns of a wild ox; with them he drives people together, and they [are] the myriads of Ephraim, and they [are] the thousands of Manasseh." And of Zebulun he said, "Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out, and [rejoice], Issachar, in your tents; They summon people [to the] mountains; there they sacrifice the sacrifices of righteousness, because the affluence of [the] seas they suck [out], and {the most hidden treasures of the sand}." And of Gad he said, "Blessed [be] {the one who enlarges Gad}; like a lion he dwells, and he tears an arm as well as a scalp. And he selected [the] best [part] for himself, for there [the] portion of a ruler [is] included, and he came [with the] heads of [the] people; he did the righteousness of Yahweh, and his regulations for Israel." And of Dan he said, "Dan [is] a cub of lion; he leaps from Bashan." And of Naphtali, he said, "Oh, Naphtali, sated of favor, and full of the blessing of Yahweh; take possession of [the] lake, and [the land to the] south." And of Asher he said, "Blessed {more than sons} [is] Asher; {may he be the favorite} of his brothers, {dipping his feet in the oil}. Your bars [are] iron and bronze, and as your days, [so is] your strength." "There is no [one] like God, O, Jeshurun, who rides [through] the heavens to your help, and with his majesty [through the] skies. The God of {ancient time} [is] a hiding place, and underneath [are] [the] arms of eternity, and he drove out {from before} you your enemy, and he said, 'Destroy [them]!' So Israel dwells alone [and] carefree, the spring of Jacob in a land of grain and wine; his heavens even drip dew. Blessed [are] you, O Israel. Who is like you, a people who [is] saved by Yahweh, the shield of your help, and who [is] the sword of your triumph, and your enemies, they shall fawn before you, and you shall tread on their backs."


Judah, [as for] you, your brothers shall praise you. Your hand [shall be] on the neck of your enemies. The sons of your father shall bow down to you.

Binding his donkey to the vine and his donkey's colt to the choice vine, he washes his clothing in the wine and his garment in the blood of grapes. The eyes [are] darker than wine, and the teeth whiter than milk.