\v 11 God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation: plants yielding seed and fruit trees bearing fruit whose seed is in the fruit, each according to its own kind.” It was so.
\v 12 The earth produced vegetation, plants producing seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit whose seed was in it, after their kind. God saw that it was good.
\v 13 This was evening and morning, the third day.
\v 21 God created the great sea creatures, as well as every living creature after its kind, creatures that move and which fill the waters everywhere, and every winged bird after its kind. God saw that it was good.
\v 24 God said, “Let the earth produce living creatures, each according to its own kind, livestock, creeping things, and beasts of the earth, each according to its own kind.” It was so.
\v 25 God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, the livestock after their kinds, and everything that creeps upon the ground after its kind. He saw that it was good.
\v 26 God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the sky, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” \f + \ft Some ancient manuscripts have \fqa …Over the livestock, over all the animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth \fqa* . \f*
\v 28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful, and multiply. Fill the earth, and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.”
\v 29 God said, “See, I have given you every plant yielding seed which is upon the surface of all the earth, and every tree with fruit which has seed in it. They will be food to you.
\v 30 To every beast of the earth, to every bird of the heavens, and to everything that creeps upon the earth, and to every creature that has the breath of life I have given every green plant for food.” It was so.
\v 31 God saw everything that he had made. Behold, it was very good. This was evening and morning, the sixth day.
\s5
\c 2
\p
\v 1 Then the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the living things that filled them.
\v 2 On the seventh day God came to the end of his work which he had done, and so he rested on the seventh day from all his work.
\v 3 God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it he rested from all his work which he had done in his creation.
\s5
\p
\v 4 These were the events concerning the heavens and the earth, when they were created, on the day that Yahweh God made the earth and the heavens.
\v 5 No bush of the field was yet in the earth, and no plant of the field had yet sprouted, for Yahweh God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground.
\v 6 But a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground.
\s5
\v 7 Yahweh God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being.
\v 8 Yahweh God planted a garden eastward, in Eden, and there he put the man whom he had formed.
\s5
\v 9 Out of the ground Yahweh God made every tree to grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. This included the tree of life that was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
\v 10 A river went out of Eden to water the garden. From there it divided and became four rivers.
\s5
\v 11 The name of the first is Pishon. It is the one which flows throughout the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold.
\v 12 The gold of that land is good. There are also bdellium and the onyx stone.
\s5
\v 13 The name of the second river is Gihon. This one flows throughout the whole land of Cush.
\v 14 The name of the third river is Tigris, which flows east of Ashur. The fourth river is the Euphrates.
\s5
\v 15 Yahweh God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to work it and to maintain it.
\v 19 Out of the ground Yahweh God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the sky. Then he brought them to the man to see what he would call them. Whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name.
\v 20 The man gave names to all the livestock, to all the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field. But for the man himself there was found no helper suitable for him.
\s5
\v 21 Yahweh God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, so the man slept. Yahweh God took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh where he took the rib.
\v 22 With the rib that Yahweh God had taken from the man, he made a woman and brought her to the man.
\v 1 Now the serpent was more shrewd than any other beast of the field which Yahweh God had made. He said to the woman, “Has God really said, ‘You must not eat from any tree of the garden’?”
\v 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit from the trees of the garden,
\v 3 but concerning the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God said, ‘You may not eat it, nor may you touch it, or you will die.’”
\v 6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate it. Then she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate it.
\s5
\v 7 The eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked. They sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
\v 8 They heard the sound of Yahweh God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, so the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Yahweh God among the trees of the garden.
\v 22 Yahweh God said, “Now the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. So now he must not be allowed to reach out with his hand, take from the tree of life, eat it, and live forever.”
\v 23 Therefore Yahweh God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he had been taken.
\v 24 So God drove the man out of the garden, and he placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword that turned every way, in order to guard the way to the tree of life.
\v 6 Yahweh said to Cain, “Why are you angry and why are you scowling?
\v 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin crouches at the door and desires to control you, but you must rule over it.”
\v 8 Cain spoke to Abel his brother. It came about that while they were in the fields, Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. \f + \ft The best ancient manuscripts have this text. However, some versions have \fqa Cain said to Abel his brother, “Let us go into the fields.” It came about that while they were in the fields, Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him \fqa* . \f*
\v 13 Cain said to Yahweh, “My punishment is greater than I can bear.
\v 14 Indeed, you have driven me out this day from this ground, and I will be hidden from your face. I will be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”
\v 15 Yahweh said to him, “If anyone kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.” Then Yahweh put a mark on Cain, so that if anyone found him, that person would not attack him.
\v 25 Adam knew his wife again, and she bore another son. She called his name Seth and said, “God has given me another son in the place of Abel, for Cain killed him.”
\v 29 He called his name Noah, saying, “This one will give us rest from our work and from the painful labor of our hands, which we must do because of the ground that Yahweh has cursed.”
\v 4 Giants were on the earth in those days, and also afterward. This happened when the sons of God married daughters of men, and they had children with them. These were the mighty men of old, men of renown.
\s5
\p
\v 5 Yahweh saw that the wickedness of mankind was great in the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually.
\v 6 Yahweh regretted that he had made mankind on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.
\v 7 So Yahweh said, “I will wipe away mankind whom I have created from the surface of the earth; both mankind and the larger animals, and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.”
\v 13 God said to Noah, “I can see that it is time to put an end to all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Indeed, I will destroy them with the earth.
\v 14 Make for yourself an ark of cypress wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it with pitch within and without.
\v 15 This is how you will make it: The length of the ark is to be three hundred cubits; the breadth of it is to be fifty cubits, and the height of it is to be thirty cubits.
\v 16 Make a roof for the ark, and finish it at a cubit from the top of the side. Place a door in the side of the ark and make a lower, a second, and a third deck.
\v 17 Listen, I am about to bring the flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh that has in it the breath of life from under heaven. Everything that is on the earth will die.
\v 20 Of the birds after their kind, and of the larger animals after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, two of every sort will come to you, to keep them alive.
\v 2 Of every clean animal you will bring with you seven males and seven females. From the animals that are not clean, of them bring two, the male and his mate.
\v 3 Also of the birds of the sky, bring seven males and seven females, to preserve their offspring upon the surface of all the earth.
\v 4 For in seven days I will cause it to rain upon the earth for forty days and forty nights. I will destroy from off the surface of the ground every living thing that I have made.”
\v 11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day, all the fountains of the great deep burst open, and the windows of heaven were opened.
\v 13 On that very same day Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and Noah’s wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, entered into the ark.
\v 14 They entered along with each wild animal according to its kind, and each sort of livestock according to its kind, and each creeping thing that creeps upon the earth according to its kind, and every sort of bird according to its kind, each kind of creature with wings.
\v 15 Two of all flesh in which was the breath of life came to Noah and entered into the ark.
\v 16 The animals that went in were male and female of all flesh; they entered in just as God had commanded him. Then Yahweh shut the door after them.
\s5
\v 17 Then the flood came upon the earth for forty days, and the water increased and lifted the ark and raised it above the earth.
\v 18 The waters completely covered over the earth, and the ark floated upon the surface of the water.
\s5
\v 19 The waters rose greatly on the earth so that all the high mountains that were under the entire sky were covered.
\v 20 The waters rose fifteen cubits above the tops of the mountains.
\s5
\v 21 All living beings that moved upon the earth died—birds, livestock, wild animals, all the living creatures that lived in great numbers upon the earth, and all mankind.
\v 22 All living creatures who lived on the land, who breathed the breath of life through their noses, died.
\s5
\v 23 So every living thing that was on the surface of the earth was wiped out, from mankind to the larger animals, to creeping things, and to birds of the sky. They were all destroyed from the earth. Only Noah and those with him in the ark were left.
\v 24 The waters stayed upon the earth for a hundred and fifty days.
\v 1 God considered Noah, all the wild animals, and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters started going down.
\v 2 The fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven were closed, and it stopped raining.
\v 3 The flood waters went down slowly from the earth, and after the end of a hundred and fifty days the waters had gone down.
\v 4 The ark came to rest in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.
\v 5 The waters continued to go down until the tenth month. On the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains appeared.
\s5
\p
\v 6 It came about after forty days that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made.
\v 7 He sent out a raven and it flew back and forth until the waters were dried up from the earth.
\s5
\v 8 Then he sent out a dove to see if the waters had gone down from the surface of the earth,
\v 9 but the dove found no place to rest her foot, and she returned to him in the ark, for the waters were still covering the whole earth. He reached out with his hand, and took and brought her into the ark with him.
\s5
\v 10 He waited another seven days and again he sent out the dove from the ark.
\v 11 The dove returned to him in the evening. Look! In her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters had gone down from the earth.
\v 12 He waited another seven days, and sent out the dove again. She did not return again to him.
\s5
\p
\v 13 It came about in the six hundred and first year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, that the waters were dried up from off the earth. Noah removed the covering of the ark, looked out, and saw that, behold, the surface of the ground was dry.
\v 14 In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dry.
\v 16 “Go out of the ark, you, your wife, your sons, and your sons’ wives with you.
\v 17 Take out with you every living creature of all flesh that is with you—the birds, the animals, and every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth—so that they may increase greatly on the earth, that they may be fruitful and multiply upon the earth.”
\v 21 Yahweh smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart, “I will not again curse the ground because of mankind, even though the intentions of their hearts is evil from childhood. Nor will I again destroy everything living, as I have done.
\v 2 The fear of you and the dread of you will be upon every living animal on the earth, upon every bird of the sky, upon everything that goes low on the ground, and upon all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hand.
\s5
\v 3 Every moving thing that lives will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.
\v 4 But you must not eat meat with its life—that is its blood—in it.
\s5
\v 5 But for your blood, the life that is in your blood, I will require payment. From the hand of every animal I will require it. From the hand of any man, that is, from the hand of one who has murdered his brother, I will require an accounting for the life of that man.
\v 10 and with every living creature that is with you, with the birds, the livestock, and every creature of the earth with you, from all that came out of the ark, to every living creature on the earth.
\v 11 I hereby confirm my covenant with you, that never again will all flesh be destroyed by the waters of a flood. Never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”
\v 12 God said, “This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations:
\v 13 I have set my rainbow in the cloud, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.
\s5
\v 14 It will come about when I bring a cloud over the earth and the rainbow is seen in the cloud,
\v 15 then I will call to mind my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. The waters will never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.
\v 16 The rainbow will be in the clouds and I will see it, in order to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.”
\v 23 So Shem and Japheth took a robe and laid it upon both their shoulders, and walked backwards and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned the other way, so they did not see their father’s nakedness.
\v 28 After the flood, Noah lived three hundred fifty years.
\v 29 All the days of Noah were nine hundred fifty years, and then he died.
\s5
\c 10
\p
\v 1 These were the descendants of the sons of Noah, that is, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born to them after the flood.
\s5
\p
\v 2 The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.
\v 3 The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.
\v 4 The sons of Javan were Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.
\v 5 From these the coastland peoples separated and went into their lands, every one with its own language, according to their clans, by their nations.
\s5
\p
\v 6 The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.
\v 7 The sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteka. The sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan.
\s5
\v 8 Cush became the father of Nimrod, who was the first conqueror on the earth.
\v 10 The first centers of his kingdom were Babel, Erech, Akkad, and Kalneh, in the land of Shinar.
\s5
\v 11 Out of that land he went to Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah,
\v 12 and Resen, which was between Nineveh and Calah. It was a large city.
\p
\v 13 Mizraim became the father of the Ludites, the Anamites, the Lehabites, the Naphtuhites,
\v 14 the Pathrusites, the Kasluhites (from whom the Philistines came), and the Caphtorites.
\s5
\p
\v 15 Canaan became the father of Sidon, his firstborn, and of Heth,
\v 16 also of the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites,
\v 17 the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites,
\v 18 the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Afterward the clans of the Canaanites spread out.
\s5
\v 19 The border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, in the direction of Gerar, as far as Gaza, and as one goes toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboyim, as far as Lasha.
\v 20 These were the sons of Ham, by their clans, by their languages, in their lands, and in their nations.
\s5
\p
\v 21 Sons also were born to Shem, the older brother of Japheth. Shem was also the ancestor of all the people of Eber.
\v 22 The sons of Shem were Elam, Ashur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram.
\v 23 The sons of Aram were Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech.
\s5
\v 24 Arphaxad became the father of Shelah, and Shelah became the father of Eber.
\v 26 Joktan became the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah,
\v 27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah,
\v 28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba,
\v 29 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan.
\s5
\v 30 Their territory was from Mesha, all the way to Sephar, the mountain of the east.
\v 31 These were the sons of Shem, according to their clans and their languages, in their lands, according to their nations.
\s5
\p
\v 32 These were the clans of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, by their nations. From these the nations separated and went over the earth after the flood.
\s5
\c 11
\p
\v 1 Now the whole earth used one language and had the same words.
\v 2 As they journeyed in the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and they settled there.
\v 3 They said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They had brick instead of stone and tar as mortar.
\v 4 They said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower whose top will reach to the sky, and let us make a name for ourselves. If we do not, we will be scattered across the surface of the whole earth.”
\v 6 Yahweh said, “Look, they are one people with the same language, and they are beginning to do this! Soon nothing that they intend to do will be impossible for them.
\v 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language there, so that they may not understand each other.”
\v 8 So Yahweh scattered them from there across the surface of all the earth and they stopped building the city.
\v 9 Therefore, its name was called Babel, because there Yahweh confused the language of the whole earth and from there Yahweh scattered them abroad over the surface of all the earth.
\s5
\p
\v 10 These were the descendants of Shem. Shem was a hundred years old, and he became the father of Arphaxad two years after the flood.
\v 11 Shem lived five hundred years after he became the father of Arphaxad. He also became the father of other sons and daughters.
\s5
\p
\v 12 When Arphaxad had lived thirty-five years, he became the father of Shelah.
\v 13 Arphaxad lived 403 years after he became the father of Shelah. He also became the father of other sons and daughters.
\s5
\p
\v 14 When Shelah had lived thirty years, he became the father of Eber.
\v 15 Shelah lived 403 years after he became the father of Eber. He also became the father of other sons and daughters.
\s5
\p
\v 16 When Eber had lived thirty-four years, he became the father of Peleg.
\v 17 Eber lived 430 years after he became the father of Peleg. He also became the father of other sons and daughters.
\s5
\p
\v 18 When Peleg had lived thirty years, he became the father of Reu.
\v 19 Peleg lived 209 years after he became the father of Reu. He also became the father of other sons and daughters.
\s5
\p
\v 20 When Reu had lived thirty-two years, he became the father of Serug.
\v 21 Reu lived 207 years after he became the father of Serug. He also became the father of other sons and daughters.
\s5
\p
\v 22 When Serug had lived thirty years, he became the father of Nahor.
\v 23 Serug lived two hundred years after he became the father of Nahor. He also became the father of other sons and daughters.
\s5
\p
\v 24 When Nahor had live twenty-nine years, he became the father of Terah.
\v 25 Nahor lived 119 years after he became the father of Terah. He also became the father of other sons and daughters.
\p
\v 26 After Terah had lived seventy years, he became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
\s5
\p
\v 27 Now these were the descendants of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran, and Haran became the father of Lot.
\v 28 Haran died in the presence of his father Terah in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldeans.
\v 29 Abram and Nahor took wives. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milkah, a daughter of Haran, who was the father of Milkah and Iskah.
\v 31 Terah took Abram his son, Lot the son of his son Haran, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife, and together they left Ur of the Chaldeans, to go into the land of Canaan. But they came to Haran and stayed there.
\v 5 Abram took Sarai, his wife, Lot, his brother’s son, all their possessions that they had accumulated, and the people that they had acquired in Haran. They left to go into the land of Canaan, and came to the land of Canaan.
\v 7 Yahweh appeared to Abram, and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” So there Abram built an altar to Yahweh, who had appeared to him.
\v 8 From there he moved to the hill country to the east of Bethel, where he pitched his tent, with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. There he built an altar to Yahweh and called on the name of Yahweh.
\v 9 Then Abram continued journeying, going toward the Negev.
\s5
\p
\v 10 There was a famine in the land, so Abram went down into Egypt to stay, for the famine was severe in the land.
\v 7 Also, there was a dispute between the herdsmen of Abram’s animals and the herdsmen of Lot’s animals. The Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land at that time.
\v 8 So Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen; after all, we are family.
\v 9 Is not the whole land before you? Go ahead and separate yourself from me. If you go to the left, then I will go to the right. Or if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.”
\v 10 So Lot looked around, and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan was well watered everywhere all the way to Zoar, like the garden of Yahweh, like the land of Egypt. This was before Yahweh destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.
\v 11 So Lot chose for himself all the plain of the Jordan and traveled east, and the relatives separated from each other.
\s5
\v 12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, and Lot lived among the cities of the plain. He set up his tents as far away as Sodom.
\v 13 Now the men of Sodom were very wicked sinners against Yahweh.
\v 15 All this land which you see, I will give to you and to your descendants forever.
\s5
\v 16 I will make your descendants as abundant as the dust of the earth, so that if a man could count the dust of the earth, then your descendants could also be counted.
\v 18 So Abram picked up his tent, and came and lived by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and there built an altar to Yahweh.
\s5
\c 14
\p
\v 1 It came about in the days of Amraphel, king of Shinar, Arioch, king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer, king of Elam, and Tidal, king of Goiim,
\v 2 that they made war against Bera, king of Sodom, Birsha, king of Gomorrah, Shinab, king of Admah, Shemeber, king of Zeboyim, and the king of Bela (also called Zoar).
\s5
\v 3 These latter five kings joined together in the Valley of Siddim (also called the Salt Sea).
\v 4 Twelve years they had served Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
\v 5 Then in the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came and attacked the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim,
\v 6 and the Horites in their hill country of Seir, as far as El Paran, which is near the desert.
\s5
\v 7 Then they turned and came to En Mishpat (also called Kadesh), and defeated all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who lived in Hazezon Tamar.
\p
\v 8 Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboyim, and the king of Bela (also called Zoar) went out and prepared for battle in the Valley of Siddim
\v 9 against Kedorlaomer, king of Elam, Tidal, king of Goiim, Amraphel, king of Shinar, Arioch, king of Ellasar; four kings against the five.
\s5
\v 10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, they fell in there. Those who were left fled to the mountains.
\v 11 So the kings took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their provisions, and went their way.
\v 13 One who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew. He was living by the oaks that belonged to Mamre, the Amorite, who was the brother of Eshkol and Aner, who were all allies of Abram.
\v 14 Now when Abram heard that enemies had captured his relative, he led out his 318 trained men who had been born in his house, and he pursued them as far as Dan.
\s5
\v 15 He divided his men against them at night and attacked them, and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus.
\v 16 Then he brought back all the possessions, and also brought back his relative Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the other people.
\v 17 After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (also called the King’s Valley).
\v 21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people, and take the goods for yourself.”
\v 22 Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted up my hand to Yahweh, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth,
\v 23 that I will not take a thread, a sandal strap, or anything that is yours, so that you can never say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’
\v 24 I will take nothing except what the young men have eaten and the share of the men that went with me. Let Aner, Eshkol, and Mamre take their portion.”
\v 4 Then, behold, the word of Yahweh came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir; but rather the one who will come from your own body will be your heir.”
\v 5 Then he brought him outside, and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So will your descendants be.”
\v 13 Then Yahweh said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will be enslaved and oppressed for four hundred years.
\v 18 On that day Yahweh made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I hereby give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates—
\v 1 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not borne any children for him, but she had a female servant, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.
\v 2 So Sarai said to Abram, “See, Yahweh has kept me from having children. Go sleep with my servant. It may be that I will have children by her.” Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.
\v 3 It was after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan that Sarai, Abram’s wife, gave Hagar, her Egyptian servant, to her husband as a wife.
\v 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “This wrong on me is because of you. I gave my servant woman into your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes. Let Yahweh judge between me and you.”
\v 6 But Abram said to Sarai, “See here, your servant woman is in your power, do to her what you think best.” So Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her.
\v 13 Then she gave this name to Yahweh who spoke to her, “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “Do I really continue to see, even after he has seen me?”
\v 5 No longer will your name be Abram, but your name will be Abraham—for I appoint you to be the father of a multitude of nations.
\v 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings will descend from you.
\s5
\v 7 I will establish my covenant between me and you and your descendants after you, throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you.
\v 8 I will give to you, and to your descendants after you, the land where you have been living, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.”
\v 12 Every male among you that is eight days old must be circumcised, throughout your people’s generations. This includes him who is born into your household and him who is bought with money from any foreigner who is not one of your descendants.
\v 13 He who is born into your household and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised. Thus my covenant will be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
\v 15 God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, do not call her Sarai any more. Instead, her name will be Sarah.
\v 16 I will bless her, and I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she will become the mother of nations. Kings of peoples will come from her.”
\v 17 Then Abraham bowed low with his face to the ground, and laughed, and said in his heart, “Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? How can Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a son?”
\v 18 Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!”
\v 19 God said, “No, but Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you must name him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant with his descendants after him.
\v 20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and will multiply him abundantly. He will be the father of twelve princes, and I will make him become a great nation.
\v 23 Then Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all those who were born into his household, and all those who were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s household, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in that same day, as God had said to him.
\v 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
\v 25 Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
\v 26 On the very same day Abraham and Ishmael his son were both circumcised.
\v 27 All the men of his household were circumcised with him, including those born into the household and those bought with money from a foreigner.
\s5
\c 18
\p
\v 1 Yahweh appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent doorway in the heat of the day.
\v 2 He looked up and, behold, he saw three men standing across from him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door and bowed low to the ground.
\v 5 Let me bring a little food, so that you may refresh yourselves. Afterwards you can go your way, since you have come to your servant.” They replied, “Do as you have said.”
\v 9 They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” He replied, “There, in the tent.”
\v 10 He said, “I will certainly return to you in the springtime, and see, Sarah your wife will have a son.” Sarah was listening in the tent doorway, which was behind him.
\v 13 Yahweh said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really bear a child, when I am old’?
\v 14 Is anything too hard for Yahweh? At the time appointed by me, in the spring, I will return to you. About this time next year Sarah will have a son.”
\v 15 Then Sarah denied it and said, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He replied, “No, you did laugh.”
\v 19 For I have chosen him so that he may instruct his children and his household after him to keep the way of Yahweh, to do righteousness and justice, so that Yahweh may bring upon Abraham what he has said to him.”
\v 24 Perhaps there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous that are there?
\v 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, killing the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be treated the same as the wicked. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?”
\v 26 Yahweh said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
\v 27 Abraham answered and said, “Look, I have undertaken to speak to my Lord, even though I am only dust and ashes!
\v 28 What if there are five less than fifty righteous? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” Then he said, “I will not destroy it, if I find there forty-five.”
\v 29 He spoke to him yet again, and said, “What if there are forty found there?” He replied, “I will not do it for the forty’s sake.”
\v 30 He said, “Please do not be angry, Lord, so I may speak. Perhaps thirty will be found there.” He replied, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.”
\v 31 He said, “Look, I have undertaken to speak to my Lord! Perhaps twenty will be found there.” He replied, “I will not destroy it for the twenty’s sake.”
\v 32 He said, “Please do not be angry, Lord, and I will speak this one last time. Perhaps ten will be found there.” Then he said, “I will not destroy it for the ten’s sake.”
\v 33 Yahweh went on his way as soon as he had finished talking with Abraham, and Abraham returned home.
\s5
\c 19
\p
\v 1 The two angels came to Sodom in the evening, while Lot was sitting at the gate of Sodom. Lot saw them, arose to meet them, and bowed down with his face to the ground.
\v 2 He said, “Please my masters, I urge you to turn aside into your servant’s house, stay for the night, and wash your feet. Then you can rise up early and go on your way.” They replied, “No, we will spend the night in the town square.”
\v 3 But he urged them strongly, so they went with him, and entered into his house. He prepared a meal and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.
\s5
\v 4 But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the men from every part of the city.
\v 7 He said, “I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly.
\v 8 Look, I have two daughters who have not known any man. Let me, I beg you, bring them out to you, and you do to them whatever is good in your eyes. Only do nothing to these men, because they have come under the shadow of my roof.”
\v 9 They said, “Stand back!” They also said, “This one came here to live as a foreigner, and now he has become our judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them.” They pressed hard against the man, against Lot, and came near to break down the door.
\v 11 Then Lot’s visitors struck with blindness the men who were outside the door of the house, both young and old, so that they became exhausted when they were trying to find the door.
\v 12 Then the men said to Lot, “Do you have anyone else here? Any sons-in-law, your sons and your daughters, and whoever you have in the city, get them out of here.
\v 13 For we are about to destroy this place, because the accusations against it before Yahweh have become so loud that he has sent us to destroy it.”
\v 14 Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, the men who had promised to marry his daughters, and said, “Quick, get out of this place, for Yahweh is about to destroy the city.” But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking.
\v 15 When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Get going, take your wife and your two daughters that are here, so you are not swept away in the punishment of the city.”
\v 16 But he lingered. So the men grabbed his hand, and the hand of his wife, and the hands of his two daughters, because Yahweh was merciful to him. They brought them out, and set them outside the city.
\v 17 When they had brought them out, one of the men said, “Run for your lives! Do not look back, or stay anywhere on the plain. Escape to the mountains so you are not swept away.”
\v 19 Your servant has found favor in your eyes, and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life, but I cannot escape to the mountains, because the disaster will overtake me, and I will die.
\v 20 Look, that city over there is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Please, let me escape there (is it not a little one?), and my life will be saved.”
\v 27 Abraham got up early in the morning and went to the place where he had stood before Yahweh.
\v 28 He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the plain. He looked and behold, smoke was rising from the land like the smoke of a furnace.
\s5
\p
\v 29 So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, God called Abraham to mind. He sent Lot out of the midst of the destruction when he destroyed the cities in which Lot had lived.
\s5
\p
\v 30 But Lot went up from Zoar to live in the mountains with his two daughters, because he was afraid to live in Zoar. So he lived in a cave, he and his two daughters.
\v 33 So they made their father drink wine that night. Then the firstborn went in and lay with her father; he did not know when she lay down, nor when she got up.
\v 34 The next day the firstborn said to the younger, “Listen, here I lay last night with my father. Let us make him drink wine tonight also, and you should go in and lie with him, so that we may extend our father’s line.”
\v 35 So they made their father drink wine that night also, and the younger went and lay with him. He did not know when she lay down or when she got up.
\v 2 Abraham said concerning Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her.
\v 3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream in the night, and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.”
\v 4 Now Abimelech had not come near her and he said, “Lord, would you kill even a righteous nation?
\v 5 Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister?’ Even she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this in the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands.”
\v 6 Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I also know that in the integrity of your heart you did this, and I also kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not allow you to touch her.
\v 7 Therefore, return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet. He will pray for you, and you will live. But if you do not restore her, know that you and all who are yours will surely die.”
\v 9 Then Abimelech called for Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me that which ought not to be done.”
\v 13 When God caused me to leave my father’s house and travel from place to place, I said to her, ‘You must show me this faithfulness as my wife: At every place where we go, say about me, “He is my brother.”’”
\v 14 Then Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and male and female slaves, and gave them to Abraham. Then he returned Sarah, Abraham’s wife, to him.
\v 15 Abimelech said, “Look, my land is before you. Settle wherever it pleases you.”
\v 16 To Sarah he said, “Look, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. It is to cover any offense against you in the eyes of all who are with you, and before everyone, you are completely made right.”
\v 12 But God said to Abraham, “Do not be grieved because of the lad, and because of your servant woman. Listen to her words in all she says to you about this matter, because it is through Isaac that your descendants will be named.
\v 13 I will also make the son of the servant woman into a nation, because he is your descendant.”
\v 14 Abraham rose up early in the morning, took bread and a skin of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder. He gave her the boy and sent her away. She departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.
\v 15 When the water in the waterskin was gone, she abandoned the child under one of the bushes.
\v 16 Then she went, and sat down a short distance from him, about the distance of a bowshot away, for she said, “Let me not look upon the death of the child.” As she sat there across from him, she lifted up her voice and wept.
\v 17 God heard the voice of the lad, and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Do not be afraid, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is.
\v 18 Get up, raise up the lad, and encourage him; for I will make him into a great nation.”
\v 22 It came about at that time that Abimelech and Phicol the captain of his army spoke to Abraham, saying, “God is with you in all that you do.
\v 23 Now therefore swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me, nor with my offspring, nor with my descendants. Show to me and to the land in which you have been staying the same covenant faithfulness that I have shown to you.”
\v 1 It came about after these things that God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” Abraham said, “Here I am.”
\v 2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains there, which I will tell you about.”
\v 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, along with Isaac his son. He cut the wood for the burnt offering, then set out on his journey to the place that God had told him about.
\s5
\v 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place afar off.
\v 6 Then Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and put it on Isaac his son. He took in his own hand the fire and the knife; and they went both of them together.
\v 7 Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father,” and he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “See, here is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
\v 8 Abraham said, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” So they went on, both of them together.
\v 9 When they came to the place that God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood on it. Then he bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.
\v 10 Abraham reached out with his hand and took up the knife to kill his son.
\v 11 Then the angel of Yahweh called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” and he said, “Here I am.”
\v 12 He said, “Do not lay your hand upon the lad, nor do anything to harm him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing that you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”
\v 13 Abraham looked up and behold, behind him was a ram caught in the bushes by his horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up as a burnt offering instead of his son.
\v 16 and said—this is Yahweh’s declaration—by myself I have sworn that because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son,
\v 17 I will surely bless you and I will greatly multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is upon the seashore; and your descendants will possess the gate of their enemies.
\v 6 “Listen to us, my master. You are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb, so that you may bury your dead.”
\v 8 He spoke to them, saying, “If you agree that I should bury my dead, then hear me and plead with Ephron son of Zohar, for me.
\v 9 Ask him to sell me the cave of Machpelah, which he owns, which is at the end of his field. For the full price let him sell it to me publicly as a property for a burial place.”
\v 10 Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth, and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the sons of Heth, of all those who had come into the gate of his city, saying,
\v 11 “No, my master, hear me. I give you the field, and the cave that is in it. I give it to you in the presence of the sons of my people. I give it to you to bury your dead.”
\v 13 He spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, “But if you are willing, please hear me. I will pay for the field. Take the money from me, and I will bury my dead there.”
\v 16 Abraham listened to Ephron and Abraham weighed out to Ephron the amount of silver that he had spoken in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the standard measurement of the merchants.
\s5
\p
\v 17 So the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was next to Mamre, that is, the field, the cave that was in it, and all the trees that were in the field and all around its border, passed
\v 18 to Abraham by purchase in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all those who had come into the gate of his city.
\s5
\v 19 After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which is next to Mamre, that is, Hebron, in the land of Canaan.
\v 20 So the field and the cave in it passed to Abraham as a property for a burial place from the sons of Heth.
\s5
\c 24
\p
\v 1 Now Abraham was very old and Yahweh had blessed Abraham in all things.
\v 3 and I will make you swear by Yahweh, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I make my home.
\v 5 The servant said to him, “What if the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land? Must I take your son back to the land from which you came?”
\v 6 Abraham said to him, “Make sure that you do not take my son back there!
\v 7 Yahweh, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my relatives, and who promised me with a solemn oath saying, ‘To your offspring I will give this land,’ he will send his angel before you, and you will get a wife for my son from there.
\v 10 The servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed. He also took with him all kinds of gifts from his master. He departed and went to the region of Aram Naharaim, to the city of Nahor.
\v 14 Let it happen like this. When I say to a young woman, ‘Please lower your pitcher so that I may drink,’ and she says to me, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels too,’ then let her be the one that you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown covenant faithfulness to my master.”
\v 15 It came about that even before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah came out with her water pitcher on her shoulder. Rebekah was born to Bethuel son of Milkah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother.
\v 20 So she hurried and emptied her pitcher into the trough, then ran again to the well to draw water, and drew water for all his camels.
\s5
\v 21 The man watched her in silence to see whether Yahweh had prospered his journey or not.
\v 22 As the camels finished drinking, the man brought out a gold nose ring weighing half a shekel, and two gold bracelets for her arms weighing ten shekels,
\v 27 He said, “Blessed be Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his covenant faithfulness and his trustworthiness toward my master. As for me, Yahweh has led me directly to the house of my master’s relatives.”
\v 30 When he had seen the nose ring and the bracelets on his sister’s arms, and when he had heard the words of Rebekah his sister, “This is what the man said to me,” he went to the man, and, behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring.
\v 32 So the man came to the house and he unloaded the camels. The camels were given straw and feed, and water was provided to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.
\v 35 Yahweh has blessed my master very much and he has become great. He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male servants and female servants, and camels and donkeys.
\v 39 I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’
\v 40 But he said to me, ‘Yahweh, before whom I walk, will send his angel with you and he will prosper your way, so that you will get a wife for my son from among my relatives and from my father’s family line.
\v 41 But you will be free from my oath if you come to my relatives and they will not give her to you. Then you will be free from my oath.’
\v 42 So I arrived today at the spring, and said, ‘O Yahweh, God of my master Abraham, please, if you do indeed intend to make my journey successful—
\v 43 here I am, standing by the spring of water—let the young woman who comes out to draw water, the woman to whom I say, “Please give me a little water from your pitcher to drink,”
\v 44 the woman who says to me, “Drink, and I will also draw water for your camels”—let her be the woman whom you, Yahweh, have chosen for my master’s son.’
\v 45 Even before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her pitcher on her shoulder and she went down to the spring and drew water. So I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’
\v 46 She quickly lowered her pitcher from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I will give your camels water also.’ So I drank, and she watered the camels also.
\v 47 I asked her and said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milkah bore to him.’ Then I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her arms.
\v 48 Then I bowed down and worshiped Yahweh, and blessed Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me by the right way to find the daughter of my master’s relative for his son.
\v 49 Now therefore, if you are prepared to show covenant faithfulness and trustworthiness to my master, tell me. But if not, tell me, so that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.”
\v 53 The servant brought out articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave precious gifts to her brother and to her mother.
\v 54 Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank. They stayed there overnight, and when they arose in the morning, he said, “Send me away to my master.”
\v 55 Her brother and her mother said, “Let the young woman stay with us for a few more days, at least ten. After that she may go.”
\v 65 She said to the servant, “Who is that man who is walking in the field to meet us?” The servant said, “It is my master.” So she took her veil, and covered herself.
\v 67 Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.
\v 34 Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils. He ate and drank, then got up and went on his way. In this manner Esau despised his birthright.
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\c 26
\p
\v 1 Now a famine happened in the land, besides the first famine that had been in the days of Abraham. Isaac went to Abimelech, king of the Philistines at Gerar.
\v 3 Stay in this very land, and I will be with you and will bless you; for to you and to your descendants, I will give all these lands, and I will fulfill the oath that I swore to Abraham your father.
\v 4 I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and will give to your descendants all these lands. Through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed.
\v 7 When the men of the place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister.” He feared to say, “She is my wife,” because he thought, “The men of this place will kill me to get Rebekah, because she is so beautiful.”
\v 8 After Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines happened to look out of a window. He saw, behold, Isaac was caressing Rebekah, his wife.
\v 9 Abimelech called Isaac to him and said, “Look, certainly she is your wife. Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac said to him, “Because I thought someone might kill me to get her.”
\v 10 Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.”
\v 11 So Abimelech warned all the people and said, “Whoever touches this man or his wife will surely be put to death.”
\v 15 Now all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines stopped them up by filling them with earth.
\v 16 Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.”
\v 18 Once again Isaac dug out the wells of water, which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father. The Philistines had stopped them up after Abraham’s death. Isaac called the wells by the same names that his father had called them.
\v 19 When Isaac’s servants dug in the valley, they found there a well of flowing water.
\v 20 The herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen, and said, “This water is ours.” So Isaac called that well “Esek,” because they had quarreled with him.
\v 21 Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that, too, so he gave it the name of “Sitnah.”
\v 22 He left there and dug yet another well, but they did not quarrel over that one. So he called it Rehoboth, and he said, “Now Yahweh has made room for us, and we will prosper in the land.”
\v 24 Yahweh appeared to him that same night and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father. Do not fear, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your descendants, for my servant Abraham’s sake.”
\v 28 Then they said, “We have clearly seen that Yahweh has been with you. So we decided that there should be an oath between us, yes, between us and you. So let us make a covenant with you,
\v 29 that you will do us no harm, just as we have not harmed you, and as we have treated you well and have sent you away in peace. Indeed, you are blessed by Yahweh.”
\v 1 When Isaac was old and his eyes were dim so that he could not see, he called Esau, his older son, and said to him, “My son.” Esau said to him, “Here I am,”
\v 2 and Isaac said, “See here, I am old. I do not know the day of my death.
\v 24 He said, “Are you really my son Esau?” He replied, “I am.”
\v 25 Isaac said, “Bring the food to me, and I will eat of your game, so that I may bless you.” Jacob brought the food to him. Isaac ate, and Jacob brought him wine, and he drank.
\v 30 As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had scarcely gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, Esau his brother came in from his hunting.
\v 31 He also made delicious food and brought it to his father. He said to his father, “Father, get up and eat some of your son’s game, so that you may bless me.”
\v 32 Isaac his father said to him, “Who are you?” He said, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.”
\v 33 Isaac trembled very much and said, “Who was it that hunted this game and brought it to me? I ate it all before you came, and I have blessed him. Indeed, he will be blessed.”
\v 36 Esau said, “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has cheated me these two times. He took away my birthright, and, see, now he has taken away my blessing.” Then he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?”
\v 37 Isaac answered and said to Esau, “Look, I have made him your master, and I have given to him all his brothers as servants, and I have given him grain and new wine. What more can I do for you, my son?”
\v 41 Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing that his father had given him. Esau said in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father are near; after that I will kill my brother Jacob.”
\v 42 The words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah. So she sent and called Jacob her younger son and said to him, “See, your brother Esau is consoling himself about you by planning to kill you.
\v 44 Stay with him for a while, until your brother’s fury subsides,
\v 45 until your brother’s anger turns away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him. Then I will send and bring you back from there. Why should I lose you both in one day?
\v 46 Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am weary of life because of the daughters of Heth. If Jacob takes one of the daughters of Heth as a wife, like these women, some of the daughters of the land, what good will my life be to me?”
\v 1 Isaac called Jacob, blessed him, and commanded him, “You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women.
\v 2 Arise, go to Paddan Aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father, and take a wife from there, one of the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother.
\v 4 May he give you the blessing of Abraham, to you, and to your descendants after you, that you may inherit the land where you have been living, which God gave to Abraham.”
\v 6 Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan Aram, to take a wife from there. He also saw that Isaac had blessed him and given him a command, saying, “You must not take a wife from the women of Canaan.”
\v 9 So he went to Ishmael, and took, besides the wives that he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth, to be his wife.
\v 11 He came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. He took one of the stones in that place, put it under his head, and lay down in that place to sleep.
\s5
\v 12 He dreamed and saw a stairway set up on the earth. Its top reached to heaven and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
\v 13 Behold, Yahweh stood above it and said, “I am Yahweh, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. The land on which you are lying, I will give to you and to your descendants.
\v 14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread far out to the west, to the east, to the north, and to the south. Through you and through your descendants will all the families of the earth be blessed.
\v 15 Behold, I am with you, and I will keep you wherever you go. I will bring you into this land again; for I will not leave you. I will do all that I have promised to you.”
\v 20 Jacob vowed a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will protect me on this road on which I am walking, and will give me bread to eat, and clothes to wear,
\v 21 so that I return safely to my father’s house, then Yahweh will be my God.
\v 22 Then this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be a sacred stone. From everything that you give me, I will surely give a tenth back to you.”
\v 2 As he looked, he saw a well in the field, and, behold, three flocks of sheep were lying there by it. For out of that well they would water the flocks, and the stone over the well’s mouth was large.
\v 3 When all the flocks had gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone from the well’s mouth and water the sheep, and then put the stone again over the well’s mouth, back in its place.
\v 7 Jacob said, “See, it is the middle of the day. It is not the time for the flocks to be gathered together. You should water the sheep and then go and let them graze.”
\v 8 They said, “We cannot water them until all the flocks are gathered together. The men will then roll the stone from the well’s mouth, and we will water the sheep.”
\v 9 While Jacob was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was tending them.
\v 10 When Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban, his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban, his mother’s brother, Jacob came over, rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the flock of Laban, his mother’s brother.
\v 13 When Laban heard the news about Jacob his sister’s son, he ran to meet him, embraced him, kissed him, and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban all these things.
\v 14 Laban said to him, “You are indeed my bone and my flesh.” Then Jacob stayed with him for about one month.
\v 25 In the morning, behold, it was Leah! Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve you for Rachel? Why then have you tricked me?”
\v 32 Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben. For she said, “Because Yahweh has looked upon my affliction; surely now my husband will love me.”
\v 33 Then she conceived again and bore a son. She said, “Because Yahweh has heard that I am unloved, he has therefore given me this son also,” and she called his name Simeon.
\v 34 Then she conceived again and bore a son. She said, “Now this time will my husband be attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore his name was called Levi.
\v 35 She conceived again and bore a son. She said, “This time I will praise Yahweh.” Therefore she called his name Judah; then she stopped having children.
\v 14 Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest and found mandrakes in the field. He brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, “Give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”
\v 15 Leah said to her, “Is it a small matter to you, that you have taken away my husband? Do you now want to take away my son’s mandrakes, too?” Rachel said, “Then he will lie with you tonight, in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.”
\v 16 Jacob came from the field in the evening. Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must come in to me, for I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So Jacob lay with Leah that night.
\v 27 Laban said to him, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, wait, because I have learned by using divination that Yahweh has blessed me for your sake.”
\v 28 Then he said, “Name your wages, and I will pay them.”
\v 29 Jacob said to him, “You know how I have served you, and how your livestock have fared with me.
\v 30 For you had little before I came, and it has increased abundantly. Yahweh has blessed you wherever I worked. Now when will I provide for my own household also?”
\v 31 So Laban said, “What will I pay you?” Jacob said, “You will not give me anything. If you will do this thing for me, I will again feed your flock and keep it.
\v 32 Let me walk through all your flock today, removing from it every speckled and spotted sheep, and every black one among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats. These will be my wages.
\v 33 My integrity will testify for me later on, when you come to check on my wages. Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and black among the sheep, if any are found with me, will be considered to be stolen.”
\v 34 Laban said, “Agreed. Let it be according to your word.”
\v 35 That day Laban removed the male goats that were striped and spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white in it, and all the black ones among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons.
\v 37 Jacob took fresh cut branches of fresh poplar, and of the almond and of the plane tree, and peeled white streaks in them, and made the white inner wood appear that was in the sticks.
\v 38 Then he set the sticks that he had peeled in front of the flocks, in front of the watering troughs where they came to drink. They conceived when they came to drink.
\s5
\v 39 The flocks bred in front of the sticks; and the flocks produced striped, speckled, and spotted young.
\v 40 Jacob separated out these lambs, but made the rest of them face toward the striped animals and all the black sheep in the flock of Laban. Then he separated out his flocks for himself alone and did not put them together with Laban’s flocks.
\v 41 Whenever the stronger sheep in the flock were breeding, then Jacob would lay the sticks in the watering troughs before the eyes of the flock, so that they might conceive among the sticks.
\v 42 But when the feebler animals in the flock came, he did not put the sticks in front of them. So the feebler animals were Laban’s, and the stronger were Jacob’s.
\v 1 Now Jacob heard the words of Laban’s sons, that they said, “Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s, and it is from our father’s possessions that he has gotten all this wealth.”
\v 2 Jacob saw the look on Laban’s face. He saw that his attitude toward him had changed.
\v 3 Then Yahweh said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you.”
\v 8 If he said, ‘The speckled animals will be your wages,’ then all the flock bore speckled young. If he said, ‘The striped will be your wages,’ then the whole flock bore striped young.
\v 9 In this way God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me.
\s5
\v 10 Once at the time of breeding season, I saw in a dream the male goats that were mating with the flock. The male goats were striped, speckled, and spotted.
\v 12 He said, ‘Lift up your eyes and see all the male goats that are breeding with the flock. They are striped, speckled, and spotted, for I have seen everything that Laban is doing to you.
\v 13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you made a vow to me. Now rise up and leave this land and return to the land of your birth.’”
\v 17 Then Jacob arose and placed his sons and his wives upon the camels.
\v 18 He drove all his livestock ahead of him, along with all his property, including the livestock he had acquired in Paddan Aram. Then he set out to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan.
\v 25 Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country. Laban also camped with his relatives in the hill country of Gilead. \f + \ft Some modern versions have \fqa Laban also camped in the hill country of Gilead \fqa* . \f*
\v 27 Why did you flee secretly and trick me and did not tell me? I would have sent you away with celebration and with songs, with tambourine and with harps.
\v 28 You did not allow me to kiss my grandsons and my daughters good bye. Now you have done foolishly.
\v 29 It is in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night and said, ‘Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.’
\v 30 Now you have gone away because you longed to return to your father’s house. But why did you steal my gods?”
\v 31 Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid and thought that you would take your daughters from me by force I left secretly.
\v 32 Whoever has stolen your gods will not continue to live. In the presence of our relatives, identify whatever with me is yours and take it.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.
\v 33 Laban went into Jacob’s tent, into Leah’s tent, and into the tent of the two female servants, but he did not find them. He went out of Leah’s tent and entered into Rachel’s tent.
\v 34 Now Rachel had taken the household gods, put them in a camel’s saddle, and sat upon them. Laban searched the whole tent, but did not find them.
\v 35 She said to her father, “Do not be angry, my master, that I cannot stand up before you, for I am having my period.” So he searched but did not find his household gods.
\v 37 For you have searched all my possessions. What have you found of all your household goods? Set them here before our relatives, so that they may judge between us two.
\s5
\v 38 For twenty years I have been with you. Your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten any rams from your flocks.
\v 39 What was torn by beasts I did not bring to you. Instead, I bore the loss of it. You always made me pay for every missing animal, whether stolen by day or stolen by night.
\v 40 There I was; in the day the heat consumed me, and the frost by night; and I went without sleep.
\s5
\v 41 These twenty years I have been in your household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock. You have changed my wages ten times.
\v 42 Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the one Isaac fears, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God has seen my oppression and how hard I worked, and he rebuked you last night.”
\v 43 Laban answered and said to Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters, the grandchildren are my grandchildren, and the flocks are my flocks. All that you see is mine. But what can I do today to these my daughters, or to their children whom they have borne?
\v 44 So now, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it be for a witness between you and me.”
\v 48 Laban said, “This pile is a witness between me and you today.” Therefore its name was called Galeed.
\v 49 It is also called Mizpah, because Laban said, “May Yahweh watch between you and me, when we are out of sight one from another.
\v 50 If you mistreat my daughters, or if you take any wives besides my daughters, although no one else is with us, see, God is witness between you and me.”
\v 52 This pile is a witness, and the pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond this pile to you, and that you will not pass beyond this pile and this pillar to me, to do harm.
\v 4 He commanded them, saying, “This is what you will say to my master Esau: This is what your servant Jacob says: ‘I have been staying with Laban, and have delayed my return until now.
\v 5 I have oxen, donkeys, and flocks, male servants, and female servants. I have sent this message to my master, so that I may find favor in your eyes.’”
\v 9 Jacob said, “God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, Yahweh, who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your kindred, and I will prosper you,’
\v 10 I am not worthy of all your acts of covenant faithfulness and of all the trustworthiness that you have done for your servant. For with only my staff I passed over this Jordan, and now I have become two camps.
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\v 11 Please rescue me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I am afraid of him, that he will come and attack me and the mothers with the children.
\v 12 But you said, ‘I will certainly make you prosper. I will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for their number.’”
\v 16 These he gave into the hand of his servants, every herd by itself. He said to his servants, “Go on ahead of me and put a space between each of the herds.”
\v 17 He instructed the first servant, saying, “When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, saying, ‘To whom do you belong? Where are you going? Whose animals are these that are in front of you?’
\v 18 Then you will say, ‘They are your servant Jacob’s. They are a gift sent to my master Esau. See, he is also coming after us.’”
\v 19 Jacob also gave instructions to the second group, the third, and all the men who followed the herds. He said, “You will say the same thing to Esau when you meet him.
\v 20 You must also say, ‘Your servant Jacob is coming after us.’” For he thought, “I will appease him with the gifts that I am sending ahead of me. Then later, when I will see him, perhaps he will receive me.”
\v 22 Jacob got up during the night, and he took his two wives, his two women servants, and his eleven sons. He sent them across the ford of the Jabbok.
\v 32 That is why to this day the people of Israel do not eat the ligaments of the hip which are at the hip joint, because the man injured those ligaments while dislocating Jacob’s hip.
\v 1 Jacob looked up and, behold, Esau was coming, and with him were four hundred men. Jacob divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two female servants.
\v 2 Then he put the female servants and their children in front, followed by Leah and her children, and followed by Rachel and Joseph last of all.
\v 3 He himself went on ahead of them. He bowed toward the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
\s5
\v 4 Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, hugged his neck, and kissed him. Then they wept.
\v 5 When Esau looked up, he saw the women and the children. He said, “Who are these people with you?” Jacob said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.”
\v 9 Esau said, “I have enough, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself.”
\v 10 Jacob said, “No, please, if I have found favor in your eyes, then accept my gift from my hand, for indeed, I have seen your face, and it is like seeing the face of God, and you have accepted me.
\v 11 Please accept my gift that was brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” Thus Jacob urged him, and Esau accepted it.
\v 12 Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way. I will go before you.”
\v 13 Jacob said to him, “My master knows that the children are young, and that the sheep and the cattle are nursing their young. If they are driven hard even one day, all the animals will die.
\v 14 Please let my master go on ahead of his servant. I will travel more slowly, at the pace of the livestock that are before me, and at the pace of the children, until I come to my master in Seir.”
\v 7 The sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard of the matter. The men were offended. They were very angry because he had disgraced Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter, for such a thing should not have been done.
\v 19 The young man did not delay to do what they said, because he delighted in Jacob’s daughter, and because he was the most honored person in all his father’s household.
\v 21 “These men are at peace with us, so let them live in the land and trade in it for, really, the land is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters as wives, and let us give them our daughters.
\v 25 On the third day, when they were still in pain, two of the sons of Jacob (Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers), each took his sword and they attacked the city that was certain of its security, and they killed all the males.
\v 26 They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the edge of the sword. They took Dinah from Shechem’s house and went away.
\v 30 Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me, to make me stink to the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites and the Perizzites. I am few in number. If they gather themselves together against me and attack me, then I will be destroyed, I and my household.”
\v 31 But Simeon and Levi said, “Should Shechem have dealt with our sister as with a prostitute?”
\v 1 God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel, and stay there. Build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from Esau your brother.”
\v 2 Then Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your clothes.
\v 3 Then let us depart and go up to Bethel. I will build an altar there to God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and has been with me wherever I have gone.”
\v 4 So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods that were in their hand, and the rings that were in their ears. Jacob buried them under the oak that was near Shechem.
\v 5 As they traveled, God made panic to fall on the cities that were around them, so those people did not pursue the sons of Jacob.
\s5
\v 6 So Jacob arrived at Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him.
\v 7 He built an altar there and called the place El Bethel, because there God had revealed himself to him, when he was fleeing from his brother.
\v 11 God said to him, “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants.
\v 12 The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give to you. To your descendants after you I also give the land.”
\v 27 Jacob came to Isaac, his father, in Mamre in Kiriath Arba (the same as Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had lived.
\s5
\p
\v 28 Isaac lived for one hundred eighty years.
\v 29 Isaac breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his ancestors, an old man full of days. Esau and Jacob, his sons, buried him.
\s5
\c 36
\p
\v 1 These were the descendants of Esau (also called Edom).
\v 2 Esau took his wives from the Canaanites. These were his wives: Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite; Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, the granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite;
\v 4 Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, and Basemath bore Reuel.
\v 5 Oholibamah bore Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These were the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan.
\s5
\v 6 Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the members of his household, his livestock—all his animals, and all his possessions, which he had gathered in the land of Canaan, and went into a land away from his brother Jacob.
\v 7 He did this because their possessions were too many for them to stay together. The land where they had settled could not support them because of their livestock.
\v 8 So Esau, also known as Edom, settled in the hill country of Seir.
\s5
\p
\v 9 These were the descendants of Esau, the ancestor of the Edomites in the hill country of Seir.
\v 13 These were the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These were the grandsons of Basemath, Esau’s wife.
\v 14 These were the sons of Oholibamah, Esau’s wife, who was the daughter of Anah and the granddaughter of Zibeon. She bore to Esau Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.
\v 17 These were the clans from Reuel, Esau’s son: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, Mizzah. These were the clans descended from Reuel in the land of Edom. They were the grandsons of Basemath, Esau’s wife.
\v 18 These were the clans of Oholibamah, Esau’s wife: Jeush, Jalam, Korah. These are the clans that descended from Esau’s wife Oholibamah, daughter of Anah.
\v 23 These were the sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam.
\v 24 These were the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah. This is Anah who found the hot springs in the wilderness, as he was pasturing donkeys of Zibeon his father.
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\v 25 These were the children of Anah: Dishon and Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah.
\v 26 These were the sons of Dishon: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Keran.
\v 27 These were the sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan.
\v 28 These were the sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran.
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\v 29 These were the clans of the Horites: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, and Anah,
\v 30 Dishon, Ezer, Dishan: These were clans of the Horites, according to their clan lists in the land of Seir.
\s5
\p
\v 31 These were the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the Israelites:
\v 32 Bela son of Beor, reigned in Edom, and the name of his city was Dinhabah.
\v 33 When Bela died, then Jobab son of Zerah of Bozrah, reigned in his place.
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\v 34 When Jobab died, Husham who was of the land of the Temanites, reigned in his place.
\v 35 When Husham died, Hadad son of Bedad who defeated the Midianites in the land of Moab, reigned in his place. The name of his city was Avith.
\v 36 When Hadad died, then Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his place.
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\v 37 When Samlah died, then Shaul of Rehoboth by the river reigned in his place.
\v 38 When Shaul died, then Baal-Hanan son of Akbor reigned in his place.
\v 39 When Baal-Hanan son of Akbor, died, then Hadar reigned in his place. The name of his city was Pau. His wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the granddaughter of Me Zahab.
\v 40 These were the names of the heads of clans from Esau’s descendants, according to their clans and their regions, by their names: Timna, Alvah, Jetheth,
\v 43 Magdiel, and Iram. These were the clan heads of Edom, according to their settlements in the land they possessed. This was Esau, the father of the Edomites.
\s5
\c 37
\p
\v 1 Jacob lived in the land where his father was staying, in the land of Canaan.
\v 2 These were the events concerning Jacob. Joseph, who was a young man seventeen years old, was guarding the flock with his brothers. He was with the sons of Bilhah and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives. Joseph brought an unfavorable report about them to their father.
\v 7 Behold, we were tying bundles of grain in the field and behold, my bundle rose and stood upright, and behold, your bundles came around and bowed down to my bundle.”
\v 8 His brothers said to him, “Will you really reign over us? Will you actually rule over us?” They hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.
\v 9 He dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers. He said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream: The sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed down to me.”
\v 10 He told it to his father just as to his brothers, and his father rebuked him. He said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come to bow down to the ground to you?”
\v 12 His brothers went to tend their father’s flock in Shechem.
\v 13 Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers tending the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them.” Joseph said to him, “I am ready.”
\v 14 He said to him, “Go now, see whether it is well with your brothers and well with the flock, and bring me word.” So Jacob sent him out of the Valley of Hebron, and Joseph went to Shechem.
\v 19 His brothers said to one another, “Look, this dreamer is approaching.
\v 20 Come now, therefore, let us kill him and cast him into one of the pits. We will say, ‘A wild animal has devoured him.’ We will see what will become of his dreams.”
\v 21 Reuben heard it and rescued him from their hand. He said, “Let us not take his life.”
\v 22 Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but lay no hand upon him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand to bring him back to his father.
\v 23 It came about that when Joseph reached his brothers, they stripped him of his beautiful garment.
\v 24 They took him and threw him into the pit. The pit was empty with no water in it.
\s5
\p
\v 25 They sat down to eat bread. They lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing spices and balm and myrrh. They were traveling to carry them down to Egypt.
\v 28 The Midianite merchants passed by. His brothers drew Joseph up and lifted him up out of the pit. They sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The Ishmaelites carried Joseph into Egypt.
\s5
\p
\v 29 Reuben returned to the pit, and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit. He tore his clothes.
\v 35 All his sons and daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. He said, “Indeed I will go down to Sheol mourning for my son.” His father wept for him.
\v 8 Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife. Do the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up a child for your brother.”
\v 9 Onan knew that the child would not be his. Whenever he went in to his brother’s wife, he spilled the semen on the ground so he would not have a child for his brother.
\v 11 Then Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father’s house until Shelah, my son, grows up.” For he feared, “He might also die, just like his brothers.” Tamar left and lived in her father’s house.
\v 12 After a long time, Shua’s daughter, the wife of Judah, died. Judah was comforted and went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.
\v 13 Tamar was told, “Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.”
\v 14 She took off the clothing of her widowhood and covered herself with her veil and wrapped herself. She sat in the gate of Enaim, which is by the road to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah had grown up but she had not been given to him as a wife.
\s5
\v 15 When Judah saw her he thought that she was a prostitute because she had covered her face.
\v 16 He went to her by the road and said, “Come, please let me lie with you”—for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law—and she said, “What will you give me so you can lie with me?”
\v 17 He said, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.” She said, “Will you give me a pledge until you send it?”
\v 18 He said, “What pledge can I give you?” She replied, “Your seal and cord, and the staff that is in your hand.” He gave them to her and he went in to her, and she became pregnant by him.
\v 20 Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite in order that he might receive the pledge back from the woman’s hand, but he did not find her.
\v 21 Then the Adullamite asked the men of the place, “Where is the cultic prostitute who was at Enaim by the road?” They said, “There has not been a cultic prostitute here.”
\v 22 He returned to Judah and said, “I did not find her. Also, the men of the place said, ‘There has not been a cultic prostitute here.’”
\v 23 Judah said, “Let her keep the things, that we not be put to shame. Indeed, I sent this young goat, but you did not find her.”
\v 24 It came about after about three months that it was told to Judah, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has committed prostitution, and indeed, she is pregnant by it.” Judah said, “Bring her here and let her be burned.”
\v 25 When she was brought out, she sent to her father-in-law a message, “By the man who owns these I am pregnant.” She said, “Determine please whose these are, the seal and cords and staff.”
\v 26 Judah recognized them and said, “She is more righteous than I am, since I did not give her as a wife to Shelah, my son.” He did not lie with her again.
\v 28 It came about as she was giving birth one put out a hand, and the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his hand and said, “This one came out first.”
\v 30 Then his brother came out, who had the scarlet thread upon his hand, and he was named Zerah.
\s5
\c 39
\p
\v 1 Joseph was brought down to Egypt. Potiphar, an official of Pharaoh who was captain of the guard and an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites, who had brought him down there.
\v 2 Yahweh was with Joseph and he became a prosperous man. He lived in the house of his Egyptian master.
\s5
\v 3 His master saw that Yahweh was with him and that Yahweh prospered everything that he did.
\v 4 Joseph found favor in his sight. He served Potiphar. Potiphar made Joseph manager over his house, and everything that he possessed, he put under his care.
\v 5 It came about from the time that he made him manager over his house and over everything he possessed, that Yahweh blessed the Egyptian’s house because of Joseph. The blessing of Yahweh was on everything that Potiphar had in the house and in the field.
\v 6 Potiphar put everything that he had under Joseph’s care. He did not have to think about anything except the food that he ate. Now Joseph was handsome and attractive.
\v 7 It came about after this that his master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.”
\v 8 But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not pay attention to what I do in the house, and he has put everything that he owns under my care.
\v 9 No one is greater in this house than I am. He has not kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?”
\v 14 that she called to the men of her house and told them, “See, Potiphar has brought in a Hebrew to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I screamed.
\v 15 It came about when he heard me scream, that he left his clothing with me, fled, and went outside.”
\v 2 Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, the chief of the cupbearers and the chief of the bakers.
\v 3 He put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the same prison where Joseph was confined.
\s5
\v 4 The captain of the guard assigned Joseph to them, and he served them. They remained in custody for some time.
\v 5 Both of them dreamed a dream—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt who were confined in the prison—each man had his own dream in the same night, and each dream had its own interpretation.
\s5
\v 6 Joseph came to them in the morning and saw them. Behold, they were sad.
\v 7 He asked Pharaoh’s officials who were with him in custody in his master’s house, saying, “Why do you look so sad today?”
\v 8 They said to him, “We have both dreamed a dream and no one can interpret it.” Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me, please.”
\v 12 Joseph said to him, “This is the interpretation of it. The three branches are three days.
\v 13 Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office. You will put Pharaoh’s cup into his hand, just as when you were his cupbearer.
\v 16 When the chief of the bakers saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph, “I also had a dream, and, behold, three baskets of bread were on my head.
\v 17 In the top basket there were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds ate them out of the basket on my head.”
\v 20 It came about on the third day that it was Pharaoh’s birthday. He made a feast for all his servants. He lifted up the head of the chief of the cupbearers and the head of the chief of the bakers, among his servants.
\v 21 He restored the chief of the cupbearers to his responsibility, and he put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand again.
\v 22 But he hanged the chief of the bakers, just as Joseph had interpreted to them.
\v 23 Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot about him.
\s5
\c 41
\p
\v 1 It came about at the end of two full years that Pharaoh had a dream. Behold, he stood by the Nile.
\v 2 Behold, seven cows came up out of the Nile, desirable and fat, and they grazed in the reeds.
\v 3 Behold, seven other cows came up after them out of the Nile, undesirable and thin. They stood by the other cows on the bank of the river.
\s5
\v 4 Then the undesirable and thin cows ate the seven desirable and fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.
\v 5 Then he slept and dreamed a second time. Behold, seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, wholesome and good.
\v 6 Behold, seven heads, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them.
\s5
\v 7 The thin heads swallowed up the seven wholesome and full heads. Pharaoh woke up, and, behold, it was a dream.
\v 8 It came about in the morning that his spirit was troubled. He sent and called for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh.
\v 10 Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, the chief baker and me.
\v 11 We dreamed a dream the same night, he and I. We dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.
\s5
\v 12 There was with us there a young Hebrew man, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him and he interpreted for us our dreams. He interpreted for each of us according to his dream.
\v 14 Then Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph. They quickly took him out of the dungeon. He shaved himself, changed his clothes, and came in to Pharaoh.
\v 15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, but there is no interpreter for it. But I have heard about you, that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”
\v 16 Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me. God will answer Pharaoh with favor.”
\v 18 Behold, seven cows came up out of the Nile, fat and desirable, and they grazed among the reeds.
\s5
\v 19 Behold, seven other cows came up after them, weak, very undesirable, and thin. I never saw in all the land of Egypt such undesirableness like them.
\v 20 The thin and undesirable cows ate up the first seven fat cows.
\v 21 When they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them, for they were still as undesirable as before. Then I awoke.
\s5
\v 22 I looked in my dream, and, behold, seven heads came up upon one stalk, full and good.
\v 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads are seven years. The dreams are the same.
\s5
\v 27 The seven thin and undesirable cows that came up after them are seven years, and also the seven thin heads scorched by the east wind will be seven years of famine.
\v 28 That is the thing which I spoke to Pharaoh. What God is about to do he has revealed to Pharaoh.
\v 29 Look, seven years of great abundance will come throughout all the land of Egypt.
\s5
\v 30 Seven years of famine will come after them, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will devastate the land.
\v 31 The abundance will not be remembered in the land because of the famine that will follow, for it will be very severe.
\v 32 That the dream was repeated to Pharaoh is because the matter has been established by God, and God will soon do it.
\s5
\v 33 Now let Pharaoh look for a man discerning and wise, and put him over the land of Egypt.
\v 34 Let Pharaoh appoint officials over the land, and let them take a fifth of the crops of Egypt in the seven abundant years.
\s5
\v 35 Let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh, for food to be used in the cities. They should preserve it.
\v 36 The food will be a supply for the land for the seven years of famine which will be in the land of Egypt. In this way the land will not be devastated by the famine.”
\v 42 Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand and put it upon Joseph’s hand. He clothed him with clothes of fine linen, and put a gold chain on his neck.
\v 43 He had him ride in the second chariot which he possessed. Men shouted before him, “Bend the knee.” Pharaoh put him over all the land of Egypt.
\v 44 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and apart from you, no man will lift his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt.”
\v 45 Pharaoh called Joseph’s name “Zaphenath-Paneah.” He gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, as a wife. Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.
\v 46 Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.
\v 47 In the seven bountiful years the land produced abundantly.
\s5
\v 48 He gathered up all the food of the seven years that was in the land of Egypt and put the food in the cities. He put into each city the food from the fields that surrounded it.
\v 49 Joseph stored up grain like the sand of the sea, so much that he stopped counting, because it was beyond counting.
\s5
\v 50 Joseph had two sons before the years of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore to him.
\v 55 When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people loudly called on Pharaoh for food. Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph and do what he says.”
\v 56 The famine was over all the face of the whole land. Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians. The famine was severe in the land of Egypt.
\v 57 All the earth was coming to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe in all the earth.
\v 6 Now Joseph was the governor over the land. He was the one who sold to all the people of the land. Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down to him with their faces to the ground.
\v 7 Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he disguised himself to them and spoke harshly with them. He said to them, “Where have you come from?” They said, “From the land of Canaan to buy food.”
\v 9 Then Joseph remembered the dreams he had dreamed about them, and he said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see the undefended parts of the land.”
\v 10 They said to him, “No, my master. Your servants have come to buy food.
\v 11 We are all one man’s sons. We are honest men. Your servants are not spies.”
\v 12 He said to them, “No, you have come to see the undefended parts of the land.”
\v 13 They said, “We your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. See, the youngest is this day with our father, and one brother is no longer alive.”
\v 16 Send one of yourselves and let him get your brother. You will remain in prison, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you. Or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies.”
\v 21 They said to one another, “We are truly guilty concerning our brother in that we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us and we would not listen. Therefore this distress has come upon us.”
\v 22 Reuben answered them, “Did I not tell you, ‘Do not sin against the boy,’ but you would not listen? Now, see, his blood is required of us.”
\v 25 Then Joseph commanded his servants to fill his brothers’ bags with grain, and to put every man’s money back into his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. It was done for them.
\v 28 He said to his brothers, “My money has been put back. Look at it; it is in my sack.” Their hearts sank and they turned trembling to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?”
\v 33 The man, the lord of the land, said to us, ‘By this I will know that you are honest men. Leave one of your brothers with me, take grain for the famine in your houses, and go your way.
\v 34 Bring your youngest brother to me. Then I will know that you are not spies, but that you are honest men. Then I will release your brother to you, and you will trade in the land.’”
\v 35 It came about as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man’s bag of silver was in his sack. When they and their father saw their bags of silver, they were afraid.
\v 36 Jacob their father said to them, “You have bereaved me of my children. Joseph is no longer alive, Simeon is gone, and you will take Benjamin away. All these things are against me.”
\v 37 Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “You may kill my two sons if I do not bring Benjamin back to you. Put him in my hands, and I will bring him to you again.”
\v 38 Jacob said, “My son will not go down with you. For his brother is dead and he alone is left. If harm comes to him on the road in which you go, then you will bring down my gray hair with sorrow to Sheol.”
\v 6 Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly by telling the man that you had another brother?”
\v 7 They said, “The man asked details about us and our family. He said, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ We answered him according to these questions. How could we have known that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down?’”
\v 9 I will be a guarantee for him. You will hold me responsible. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever.
\v 11 Their father Israel said to them, “If it be so, now do this. Take some of the best products of the land in your bags. Carry down to the man a gift—some balm and honey, spices and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds.
\v 14 May God Almighty give you mercy before the man, so that he may release to you your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.”
\v 15 The men took this gift, and in their hand they took double the amount of money, along with Benjamin. They got up and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.
\v 16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Bring the men into the house, slaughter an animal and prepare it, for the men will eat with me at noon.”
\v 17 The steward did as Joseph said. He brought the men to Joseph’s house.
\v 18 The men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph’s house. They said, “It is because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time we were brought in, that he may seek an opportunity against us. He might arrest us and take us as slaves, and take our donkeys.”
\v 19 They approached the steward of Joseph’s house, and they spoke to him at the door of the house,
\v 20 saying, “My master, we came down the first time to buy food.
\v 21 It came about, when we reached the lodging place, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man’s money was in the opening of his sack, our money in full weight. We have brought it back in our hands.
\v 22 Other money we have also brought down in our hand to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.”
\v 23 The steward said, “Peace be to you, do not fear. Your God and the God of your father must have put your money in your sacks. I received your money.” The steward then brought Simeon out to them.
\v 28 They said, “Your servant our father is well. He is still alive.” They prostrated themselves and bowed down.
\v 29 When he lifted up his eyes he saw Benjamin his brother, his mother’s son, and he said, “Is this your youngest brother of whom you spoke to me?” Then he said, “May God be gracious to you, my son.”
\v 30 Joseph hurried to go out of the room, for he was deeply moved about his brother. He sought somewhere to weep. He went to his room and wept there.
\v 32 The servants served Joseph by himself and the brothers by themselves. The Egyptians there ate with him by themselves because the Egyptians could not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is detestable to the Egyptians.
\v 33 The brothers sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth. The men were astonished together.
\v 34 Joseph sent portions to them from the food in front of him. But Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of his brothers. They drank and were merry with him.
\v 1 Joseph commanded the steward of his house, saying, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man’s money in his sack’s opening.
\v 2 Put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s opening of the youngest, and also his money for the grain.” The steward did as Joseph had said.
\v 4 When they were out of the city but were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, “Get up, follow after the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you returned evil for good?
\v 5 Is this not the cup from which my master drinks, and the cup that he uses for divination? You have done evil, this thing that you have done.’”
\v 8 Look, the money that we found in our sacks’ openings, we brought again to you out of the land of Canaan. How then could we steal out of your master’s house silver or gold?
\v 9 With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my master’s slaves.”
\v 10 The steward said, “Now also let it be according to your words. He with whom the cup is found will be my slave, and you others will be innocent.”
\v 16 Judah said, “What can we say to my master? What can we speak? Or how can we justify ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants. Look, we are my master’s slaves, both we and he also in whose hand the cup was found.”
\v 17 Joseph said, “Far be it from me that I should do so. The man in whose hand the cup was found, that person will be my slave, but as for you others, go up in peace to your father.”
\v 18 Then Judah came near to him and said, “My master, please let your servant speak a word in my master’s ears, and do not let your anger burn against your servant, for you are just like Pharaoh.
\v 19 My master asked his servants, saying, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’
\v 20 We said to my master, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one. But his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loves him.’
\v 21 Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me that I may see him.’
\v 22 After that, we said to my master, ‘The boy cannot leave his father. For if he should leave his father his father would die.’
\v 25 Our father said, ‘Go again, buy us some food.’
\v 26 Then we said, ‘We cannot go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then will we go down, for we will not be able to see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’
\v 31 it will come about, when he sees the boy is not with us, he will die. Your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father with sorrow to Sheol.
\v 32 For your servant became a guarantee for the boy to my father and said, ‘If I do not bring him to you, then I will bear the guilt to my father forever.’
\v 1 Then Joseph could not control himself before all the servants who stood by him. He said loudly, “Everyone must leave me.” So no servant stood by him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers.
\v 5 Do not be grieved or angry with yourselves that you sold me here, for God sent me ahead of you to preserve life.
\v 6 For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest.
\s5
\v 7 God sent me ahead of you to preserve you as a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.
\v 8 So now it was not you who sent me here but God, and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, master of all his house, and ruler of all the land of Egypt.
\v 9 Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says, “God has made me master of all Egypt. Come down to me, do not delay.
\v 10 You will live in the land of Goshen, and you will be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, and your flocks and your herds, and all that you have.
\v 11 I will provide for you there, for there are still five years of famine, so that you do not come to poverty, you, your household, and all that you have.”’
\v 21 The sons of Israel did so. Joseph gave them carts, according to the command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey.
\v 22 To all of them he gave each man changes of clothing, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of clothing.
\v 23 For his father he sent this: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt; and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and other supplies for his father for the journey.
\v 26 They told him saying “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” His heart was astonished, for he could not believe what they told him.
\v 27 They told him all the words of Joseph that he had said to them. When Jacob saw the carts that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived.
\v 5 Jacob rose up from Beersheba. The sons of Israel transported Jacob their father, their children, and their wives, in the carts that Pharaoh had sent to carry him.
\v 6 They took their livestock and their possessions that they had accumulated in the land of Canaan. They came into Egypt, Jacob and all his descendants with him.
\v 9 the sons of Reuben, Hanok, Pallu, Hezron, and Karmi;
\v 10 the sons of Simeon, Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman;
\v 11 and the sons of Levi, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
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\v 12 The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah, (but Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.
\v 13 The sons of Issachar were Tola, Puah, Lob, and Shimron;
\v 14 The sons of Zebulun were Sered, Elon, and Jahleel
\v 15 These were the sons of Leah whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram, along with his daughter Dinah. His sons and his daughters numbered thirty-three.
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\v 16 The sons of Gad were Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.
\v 17 The sons of Asher were Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah; and Serah was their sister. The sons of Beriah were Heber and Malkiel
\v 18 These were the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban had given to Leah his daughter. These sons she bore to Jacob—sixteen in all.
\v 31 Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s house, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh, saying, ‘My brothers and my father’s house, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me.
\v 32 The men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock. They have brought their flocks, their herds, and all that they have.’
\v 33 It will come about, when Pharaoh calls you and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’
\v 34 that you should say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth until now, both we, and our forefathers.’ Do this so that you may live in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.”
\v 1 Then Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, “My father and my brothers, their flocks, their herds, and all that they own, have arrived from the land of Canaan. See, they are in the land of Goshen.”
\v 3 Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?” They said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, as our ancestors.”
\v 4 Then they said to Pharaoh, “We come as temporary residents in the land. There is no pasture for your servants’ flocks, because the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. So now, please let your servants live in the land of Goshen.”
\v 5 Then Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, “Your father and your brothers have come to you.
\v 6 The land of Egypt is before you. Settle your father and your brothers in the best region, the land of Goshen. If you know any capable men among them, put them in charge of my livestock.”
\v 8 Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How long have you lived?”
\v 9 Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The years of my travels are a hundred and thirty. The years of my life have been few and painful. They have not been as long as those of my ancestors.”
\v 10 Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from his presence.
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\v 11 Then Joseph settled his father and his brothers. He gave them a territory in the land of Egypt, the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded.
\v 14 Joseph gathered all the money that was in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, by selling grain to the inhabitants. Then Joseph brought the money to Pharaoh’s palace.
\v 15 When all the money of the lands of Egypt and Canaan was spent, all the Egyptians came to Joseph saying, “Give us food! Why should we die in your presence because our money is gone?”
\v 16 Joseph said, “If your money is gone, bring your livestock and I will give you food in exchange for your livestock.”
\v 17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph. Joseph gave them food in exchange for the horses, for the flocks, for the herds, and for the donkeys. He fed them with bread in exchange for all their livestock that year.
\v 18 When that year was ended, they came to him the next year and said to him, “We will not hide from my master that our money is all gone, and the herds of cattle are my master’s. There is nothing left in the sight of my master, except our bodies and our land.
\v 19 Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we and our land will be servants to Pharaoh. Give us seed that we may live and not die, and that the land may not become desolate.”
\v 20 So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh. For every Egyptian sold his field, because the famine was very severe. In this way, the land became Pharaoh’s.
\v 21 As for the people, he made them slaves from one end of Egypt’s border to the other end.
\v 22 It was only the land of the priests that Joseph did not buy, because the priests were given an allowance. They ate from the allotment which Pharaoh gave them. Therefore they did not sell their land.
\v 23 Then Joseph said to the people, “See, I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh. Now here is seed for you, and you will plant the land.
\v 24 At the harvest, you must give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four parts will be your own, for seed of the field and for food for your households and your children.”
\v 25 They said, “You have saved our lives. May we find favor in your eyes. We will be Pharaoh’s servants.”
\v 26 So Joseph made it a statute which is in effect in the land of Egypt to this day, that one-fifth belongs to Pharaoh. Only the land of the priests did not become Pharaoh’s.
\v 29 When the time approached for Israel to die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh, and show me faithfulness and trustworthiness. Please do not bury me in Egypt.
\v 30 When I sleep with my fathers, you will carry me out of Egypt and bury me in my forefathers’ burial place.” Joseph said, “I will do as you have said.”
\v 31 Israel said, “Swear to me,” and Joseph swore to him. Then Israel bowed down at the head of his bed.
\v 3 Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan. He blessed me
\v 4 and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful, and multiply you. I will make of you an assembly of nations. I will give this land to your descendants as an everlasting possession.’
\v 5 Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you into Egypt, they are mine. Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine.
\v 6 The children you have after them will be yours; they will be listed under the names of their brothers in their inheritance.
\v 7 But as for me, when I came from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died in the land of Canaan on the way, while there was still some distance to go to Ephrath. I buried her there on the way to Ephrath” (that is, Bethlehem).
\v 8 When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Whose are these?”
\v 9 Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” Israel said, “Bring them to me, that I may bless them.”
\v 10 Now Israel’s eyes were failing because of his age, so he could not see. So Joseph brought them near to him, and he kissed them and embraced them.
\v 11 Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again, but God has even allowed me to see your children.”
\v 12 Joseph brought them out from between Israel’s knees, and then he bowed with his face to the earth.
\v 13 Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them close to him.
\v 14 Israel reached out with his right hand and laid it upon Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh’s head. He crossed his hands, for Manasseh was the firstborn.
\v 17 When Joseph saw his father place his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him. He took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head.
\v 18 Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father; for this is the firstborn. Put your right hand upon his head.”
\v 19 His father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also will become a people, and he also will be great. Yet his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a multitude of nations.”
\v 28 These are the twelve tribes of Israel. This is what their father said to them when he blessed them. Each one he blessed with an appropriate blessing.
\v 29 Then he instructed them and said to them, “I am about to go to my people. Bury me with my forefathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,
\v 30 in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is near Mamre in the land of Canaan, the field that Abraham bought for a burial place from Ephron the Hittite.
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\v 31 There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah.
\v 4 When the days of weeping were over, Joseph spoke to the house of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak to Pharaoh, saying,
\v 5 ‘My father made me swear, saying, “See, I am about to die. Bury me in my tomb that I dug for myself in the land of Canaan. There you will bury me.” Now let me go up and bury my father, and then I will return.’”
\v 6 Pharaoh answered, “Go and bury your father, as he made you swear.”
\v 7 Joseph went up to bury his father. All the officials of Pharaoh went with him—the elders of his household, all the senior officials of the land of Egypt,
\v 8 with all Joseph’s household and his brothers, and his father’s household. But their children, their flocks, and their herds were left in the land of Goshen.
\v 9 Chariots and horsemen also went with him. It was a very large group of people.
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\v 10 When they came to the threshing floor of Atad on the other side of the Jordan, they mourned with very great and grievous sorrow. There Joseph made a seven-day mourning for his father.
\v 11 When the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning in the floor of Atad, they said, “This is a very sad occasion for the Egyptians.” That is why the place was called Abel Mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan.
\v 12 So his sons did for Jacob just as he had instructed them.
\v 13 His sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre. Abraham had bought the cave with the field for a burial place. He had bought it from Ephron the Hittite.
\v 14 After he had buried his father, Joseph returned into Egypt, he, along with his brothers, and all who had accompanied him to bury his father.
\v 15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds on to anger against us and wants to repay us in full for all the evil we did to him?”
\v 16 So they commanded the presence of Joseph, saying, “Your father gave instructions before he died, saying,
\v 17 ‘Tell Joseph this, “Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin when they did evil to you.”’ Now please forgive the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him.
\v 22 Joseph lived in Egypt, together with his father’s family. He lived one hundred ten years.
\v 23 Joseph saw Ephraim’s children to the third generation. He also saw the children of Machir son of Manasseh, who were placed on the knees of Joseph.
\v 24 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die; but God will surely come to you and lead you up out of this land to the land which he swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.”
\v 25 Then Joseph made the people of Israel swear an oath. He said, “God will surely come to you. At that time you must carry up my bones from here.”
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