Parallel Verses

New American Standard Bible

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

King James Version

Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:

Holman Bible

Reuben, you are my firstborn,
my strength and the firstfruits of my virility,
excelling in prominence, excelling in power.

International Standard Version

"Reuben, you're my firstborn, my strength, and the first fruit of my vitality. You excel in rank and excel in power.

A Conservative Version

Reuben, thou are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the pre-eminence of dignity, and the pre-eminence of power.

American Standard Version

Reuben, thou art my first-born, my might, and the beginning of my strength; The pre-eminence of dignity, and the pre-eminence of power.

Amplified


“Reuben, you are my firstborn;
My might, the beginning of my strength and vigor,
Preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power [that should have been your birthright].

Bible in Basic English

Reuben, you are my oldest son, the first-fruit of my strength, first in pride and first in power:

Darby Translation

Reuben, thou art my firstborn, My might, and the firstfruits of my vigour: Excellency of dignity, and excellency of strength.

Julia Smith Translation

Reuben, my first-born, thou my strength, and the beginning of my strength, the abundance of elevation, and the abundance of might

King James 2000

Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:

Lexham Expanded Bible

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

Modern King James verseion

Reuben, you are my first-born, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity and the excellency of power.

Modern Spelling Tyndale-Coverdale

"Reuben, thou art mine eldest son, my might and the beginning of my strength, chief in receiving and chief in power.

NET Bible

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

New Heart English Bible

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

The Emphasized Bible

Reuben, my first-born, thou, My vigour, and the first-fruit of my strength, - Pre-eminence of elevation and pre-eminence of power:

Webster

Reuben, thou art my first-born, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellence of dignity, and the excellence of power:

World English Bible

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

Youngs Literal Translation

Reuben! my first-born thou, My power, and beginning of my strength, The abundance of exaltation, And the abundance of strength;

Interlinear

English(KJV)
Strong's
Root Form
Definition
Usage
ראוּבן 
R@'uwben 
Usage: 72

thou art my firstborn
בּכור 
B@kowr 
Usage: 117

my might
כּוח כּח 
Koach 
Usage: 126

and the beginning
ראשׁית 
Re'shiyth 
Usage: 51

of my strength
און 
'own 
Usage: 12

of dignity
שׂאת 
S@'eth 
Usage: 14

Context Readings

Jacob Blesses His Twelve Sons

2 Gather yourselves together and hear, ye sons of Jacob, and hearken unto Israel your father. 3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn;
My might and the beginning of my strength,
Preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power.
4 Unstable as water, thou shalt not be principal because thou didst go up to thy father's bed; then thou became defiled, going up to my couch.

Cross References

Deuteronomy 21:17

but he shall acknowledge the son of the hated as the firstborn by giving him a double portion of all that he has; for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.

Genesis 29:32

And Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she called his name Reuben; for she said, Surely the LORD has looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me.

Psalm 78:51

and smote all the firstborn in Egypt, the firstfruits of their strength in the tents of Ham:

Psalm 105:36

He smote also all the firstborn in their land, the chief of all their strength.

Genesis 46:8

And these are the names of the sons of Israel, who came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn.

Genesis 48:18

And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head.

Numbers 1:20

And the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, by their generations, after their families, by the houses of their fathers, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

Numbers 26:5

Reuben, firstborn of Israel; the sons of Reuben: Enoch, of whom was the family of the Enochites; of Pallu, the family of the Palluites;

1 Chronicles 2:1

These are the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun,

1 Chronicles 5:1

Now the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, (for he was the firstborn, but because he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel; and he was not counted as the firstborn.

1 Chronicles 5:3

The sons, therefore, of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, were Enoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

King James Version Public Domain

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers.

International Standard Version Copyright © 1996-2008 by the ISV Foundation.

New American Standard Bible Copyright ©1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org

American Standard Version Public Domain

NET Bible copyright © 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. NetBible

Basic English, produced by Mr C. K. Ogden of the Orthological Institute - public domain