GENESIS

 

Chapter  1

 

1 In the beginning God made the heaven and the earth.

 

2 And the earth was invisible and unformed, and darkness was over the abyss, and a spirit of God was borne over the water.

 

3 And God said, "Let light come into being." And light came into being.

 

4 And God saw the light, that it was good. And God separated between the light and between the darkness.

 

5 And God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there came to be evening and there came to be morning, one day.

 

6 And God said, "Let a firmament come into being in the midst of the water, and let it be a divider between water and water." And it became so.

 

7 And God made the firmament, and God separated between the water that was beneath the firmament and between the water that was above the firmament.

 

8 And God called the firmament "heaven." And God saw that it was good. And there came to be evening and there came to be morning, a second day.

 

9 And God said, "Let the water beneath the heaven be gathered into one gathering, and let the dry land appear." And it became so. And the water beneath the heaven was gathered into their gatherings, and the dry land appeared.

 

10 And God called the dry land "earth," and the collections of the waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good.

 

11 And God said, "Let the earth sprout forth herbage of grass, sowing seed according to kind and according to likeness, and fruit-bearing tree producing fruit, whose seed is in it according to kind upon the earth." And it became so.

 

12 And the earth brought forth herbage of grass, sowing seed according to kind and according to likeness, and fruit-bearing tree producing fruit, whose seed is in it according to kind upon the earth. And God saw that it was good.

 

13 And there came to be evening and there came to be morning, a third day.

 

14 And God said, "Let luminaries come into being in the firmament of the heaven for illumination of the earth, to separate between the day and between the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and for years,

 

15 and let them be for illumination in the firmament of the heaven so as to shine upon the earth." And it became so.

 

16 And God made the two great luminaries, the great luminary for rule of the day and the lesser luminary for rule of the night, and the stars.

 

17 And God placed them in the firmament of the heaven so as to shine upon the earth

 

18 and to rule the day and the night and to separate between the light and between the darkness. And God saw that it was good.

 

19 And there came to be evening and there came to be morning, a fourth day.

 

20 And God said, "Let the waters bring forth creeping things of living souls, and winged things flying over the earth along the firmament of the heaven." And it became so.

 

21 And God made the great sea-monsters and every soul of living creeping creatures, which the waters brought forth according to their kinds, and every winged flying thing according to kind. And God saw that they were good.

 

22 And God blessed them, saying, "Increase and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let the winged things multiply upon the earth."

 

23 And there came to be evening and there came to be morning, a fifth day.

 

24 And God said, "Let the earth bring forth living soul according to kind: four-footed things and creeping things and wild beasts of the earth according to kind." And it became so.

 

25 And God made the wild beasts of the earth according to kind and the cattle according to kind and all the creeping things of the earth according to their kind. And God saw that they were good.

 

26 And God said, "Let us make man according to our image and according to likeness, and let them rule the fish of the sea and the winged things of the heaven and the cattle and all the earth and all the creeping things that creep upon the earth."

 

27 And God made man; according to the image of God he made him; male and female he made them.

 

28 And God blessed them, saying, "Increase and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and rule the fish of the sea and the winged things of the heaven and all the cattle and all the earth and all the creeping things that creep upon the earth."

 

29 And God said, "Behold, I have given you every sowable grass, sowing seed, which is upon all the earth, and every tree that has in itself fruit of sowable seed — it shall be to you for food

 

30 and to all the wild beasts of the earth and to all the winged things of the heaven and to every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth, which has in itself a soul of life, every green grass for food." And it became so.

 

31 And God saw all things, as many as he had made, and behold, they were exceedingly good. And there came to be evening and there came to be morning, a sixth day.

 

Chapter  2

 

1 And the heaven and the earth were finished, and all their adornment.

 

2 And on the sixth day God finished his works which he had made, and he rested on the seventh day from all his works which he had made.

 

3 And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because on it he rested from all his works which God had begun to make.

 

4 This is the book of the origin of heaven and earth, when they came to be, on the day when God made the heaven and the earth,

 

5 and every green plant of the field before it came to be upon the earth, and all the grass of the field before it sprang up; for God had not sent rain upon the earth, and there was no man to work the earth,

 

6 but a spring rose up from the earth and watered the whole face of the earth.

 

7 And God formed the man, dust from the earth, and breathed into his face the breath of life, and the man became a living soul.

 

8 And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden toward the east, and there he placed the man whom he had formed.

 

9 And God made to spring up further from the earth every tree beautiful to the sight and good for food, and the tree of life in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowing what is knowable of good and evil.

 

10 And a river goes out of Eden to water the garden; from there it is divided into four heads.

 

11 The name of the one is Phison; this is the one that encircles all the land of Evilat, there where the gold is;

 

12 and the gold of that land is good; and there is the carbuncle and the green stone.

 

13 And the name of the second river is Geon; this is the one that encircles all the land of Ethiopia.

 

14 And the third river is the Tigris; this is the one that goes over against the Assyrians. And the fourth river, this is the Euphrates.

 

15 And the Lord God took the man whom he had formed and placed him in the garden to work it and to keep it.

 

16 And the Lord God commanded Adam, saying, From every tree that is in the garden you may eat for food,

 

17 but from the tree of knowing good and evil, you shall not eat of it; on whatever day you eat of it, you shall die by death.

 

18 And the Lord God said, It is not good for the man to be alone; let us make for him a helper suited to him.

 

19 And God formed further from the earth all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the heaven, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them; and whatever Adam called each living soul, that was its name.

 

20 And Adam gave names to all the cattle and to all the birds of the heaven and to all the beasts of the field; but for Adam no helper like himself was found.

 

21 And God cast a trance upon Adam, and he slept; and he took one of his ribs and filled up flesh in its place.

 

22 And the Lord God built the rib which he had taken from Adam into a woman, and he brought her to Adam.

 

23 And Adam said, This now is bone from my bones and flesh from my flesh; she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of her husband.

 

24 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall cleave to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.

 

25 And the two were naked, both Adam and his wife, and they were not ashamed.

 

Chapter  3

 

1 Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the beasts upon the earth which the Lord God had made. And the serpent said to the woman, "Why is it that God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree in the garden'?"

 

2 And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat from the fruit of the trees of the garden,

 

3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God said, 'You shall not eat from it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.'"

 

4 And the serpent said to the woman, "You shall not surely die by death;

 

5 for God knew that on the day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like gods, knowing good and evil."

 

6 And the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was pleasing to the eyes to behold and beautiful to contemplate, and taking of its fruit she ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and they ate.

 

7 And the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves girdles.

 

8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the face of the Lord God in the midst of the trees of the garden.

 

9 And the Lord God called Adam and said to him, "Adam, where are you?"

 

10 And he said to him, "I heard your voice as you walked in the garden, and I was afraid, because I am naked, and I hid myself."

 

11 And he said to him, "Who told you that you are naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which alone I commanded you not to eat?"

 

12 And Adam said, "The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate."

 

13 And the Lord God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

 

14 And the Lord God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you above all the cattle and above all the beasts of the earth; upon your breast and belly you shall go, and you shall eat earth all the days of your life.

 

15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall watch for your head, and you shall watch for his heel."

 

16 And to the woman he said, "I will greatly multiply your pains and your groaning; in pain you shall bear children; and your turning shall be to your husband, and he shall rule over you."

 

17 And to Adam he said, "Because you listened to the voice of your wife and ate from the tree of which alone I commanded you not to eat, cursed is the ground in your labors; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;

 

18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the grass of the field.

 

19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat your bread until you return to the earth from which you were taken; for earth you are, and to earth you shall return."

 

20 And Adam called the name of his wife Life, because she was the mother of all the living.

 

21 And the Lord God made for Adam and his wife garments of skin and clothed them.  

 

22 And God said, "Behold, Adam has become like one of us, knowing good and evil; and now, lest he stretch out his hand and take of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—"

 

23 And the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of delight, to till the earth from which he was taken.

 

24 And he cast out Adam and settled him opposite the garden of delight, and he stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword that turns, to guard the way of the tree of life.

 

Chapter  4

 

1 And Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, "I have acquired a man through God."

 

2 And she went on to bear his brother Abel. And Abel became a shepherd of sheep, but Cain was tilling the earth.

 

3 And it came to pass after some days that Cain brought a sacrifice to the Lord from the fruits of the earth,

 

4 and Abel also brought some of the firstborn of his sheep and of their fat portions. And God looked upon Abel and upon his gifts,

 

5 but to Cain and to his sacrifices he paid no regard. And it grieved Cain exceedingly, and his countenance fell.

 

6 And the Lord God said to Cain, "Why have you become deeply grieved, and why has your countenance fallen?

 

7 If you offered rightly but did not divide rightly, have you not sinned? Be still; his turning is toward you, and you shall rule over him."

 

8 And Cain said to Abel his brother, "Let us go out into the field." And it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.

 

9 And God said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" And he said, "I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?"

 

10 And God said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries to me from the earth.

 

11 And now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.

 

12 When you till the earth, it shall not continue to yield its strength to you; groaning and trembling you shall be upon the earth."

 

13 And Cain said to the Lord, "My guilt is too great for me to be forgiven.

 

14 If you cast me out today from the face of the earth, and I shall be hidden from your face, and I shall be groaning and trembling upon the earth, then everyone who finds me will kill me."

 

15 And the Lord God said to him, "Not so; anyone who kills Cain shall pay sevenfold in vengeance." And the Lord God set a sign upon Cain, so that no one who found him should kill him.

 

16 And Cain went out from the face of God and dwelt in the land of Naid, opposite Eden.

 

17 And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch; and he was building a city, and he named the city after the name of his son Enoch.

 

18 And to Enoch was born Gaidad, and Gaidad begot Maiel, and Maiel begot Mathousala, and Mathousala begot Lamech.

 

19 And Lamech took for himself two wives: the name of the one was Ada, and the name of the second was Sella.

 

20 And Ada bore Jobel; he was the father of those who dwell in tents, keepers of cattle.

 

21 And the name of his brother was Jubal; he was the one who invented the psaltery and the harp.

 

22 And Sella also bore Thobel, and he was a hammer-smith, a forger of bronze and iron; and the sister of Thobel was Noema.

 

23 And Lamech said to his wives: "Ada and Sella, hear my voice; wives of Lamech, give ear to my words: for I have killed a man for a wound to myself, and a young man for a bruise to myself;

 

24 for sevenfold vengeance has been exacted for Cain, but for Lamech seventy times seven."

 

25 And Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Seth, saying, "For God has raised up for me another seed in place of Abel, whom Cain killed."

 

26 And to Seth a son was born, and he called his name Enos; he hoped to call upon the name of the Lord God.

 

Chapter  5

 

1 This is the book of the generation of men. In the day that God made Adam, in the image of God he made him;

 

2 male and female he made them, and he blessed them. And he called their name Adam, in the day that he made them.

 

3 And Adam lived two hundred and thirty years, and begot a son after his own form and after his own image, and called his name Seth.

 

4 And the days of Adam after he begot Seth were seven hundred years, and he begot sons and daughters.

 

5 And all the days of Adam which he lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died.

 

6 And Seth lived two hundred and five years, and begot Enos.

 

7 And Seth lived after he begot Enos seven hundred and seven years, and begot sons and daughters.

 

8 And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years, and he died.

 

9 And Enos lived one hundred and ninety years, and begot Cainan.

 

10 And Enos lived after he begot Cainan seven hundred and fifteen years, and begot sons and daughters.

 

11 And all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years, and he died.

 

12 And Cainan lived one hundred and seventy years, and begot Maleleel.

 

13 And Cainan lived after he begot Maleleel seven hundred and forty years, and begot sons and daughters.

 

14 And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years, and he died.

 

15 And Maleleel lived one hundred and sixty-five years, and begot Jared.

 

16 And Maleleel lived after he begot Jared seven hundred and thirty years, and begot sons and daughters.

 

17 And all the days of Maleleel were eight hundred and ninety-five years, and he died.

 

18 And Jared lived one hundred and sixty-two years, and begot Enoch.

 

19 And Jared lived after he begot Enoch eight hundred years, and begot sons and daughters.

 

20 And all the days of Jared were nine hundred and sixty-two years, and he died.

 

21 And Enoch lived one hundred and sixty-five years, and begot Mathusala.

 

22 And Enoch was well-pleasing to God after he begot Mathusala two hundred years, and begot sons and daughters.

 

23 And all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years.

 

24 And Enoch was well-pleasing to God, and he was not found, because God translated him.

 

25 And Mathusala lived one hundred and sixty-seven years, and begot Lamech.

 

26 And Mathusala lived after he begot Lamech eight hundred and two years, and begot sons and daughters.

 

27 And all the days of Mathusala which he lived were nine hundred and sixty-nine years, and he died.

 

28 And Lamech lived one hundred and eighty-eight years, and begot a son,

 

29 and he called his name Noah, saying, This one shall give us rest from our works and from the sorrows of our hands, and from the earth which the Lord God has cursed.

 

30 And Lamech lived after he begot Noah five hundred and sixty-five years, and begot sons and daughters.

 

31 And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred and fifty-three years, and he died.

 

32 And Noah was five hundred years old, and Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

 

Chapter  6

 

1 And it came to pass, when men began to become many upon the earth, that daughters were born to them.

 

2 And the sons of God, seeing that the daughters of men were beautiful, took wives for themselves from all whom they chose.

 

3 And the Lord God said, "My spirit shall by no means remain in these men forever, because they are flesh; but their days shall be one hundred and twenty years."

 

4 Now the giants were upon the earth in those days, and after that, when the sons of God went in to the daughters of men and begot children by them; those were the giants of old, the men of renown.

 

5 And the Lord God, seeing that the wickednesses of men were multiplied upon the earth, and that every one in his heart was intently devising evil things all the days,

 

6 God pondered that he had made man upon the earth, and he reflected.

 

7 And God said, "I will wipe out man, whom I made, from the face of the earth, from man to beast, and from creeping things to the birds of heaven, for I am angry that I made them."

 

8 But Noah found favor before the Lord God.

 

9 Now these are the generations of Noah: Noah was a righteous man, being perfect in his generation; Noah was well-pleasing to God.

 

10 And Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

 

11 But the earth was corrupted before God, and the earth was filled with unrighteousness.

 

12 And the Lord God saw the earth, and it was corrupted, because all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth.

 

13 And God said to Noah, "The time of every man has come before me, because the earth has been filled with unrighteousness by them; and behold, I am destroying them and the earth.

 

14 Therefore make for yourself an ark of squared timbers; you shall make the ark with compartments, and you shall coat it inside and outside with pitch.

 

15 And thus shall you make the ark: three hundred cubits the length of the ark, and fifty cubits the width, and thirty cubits its height.

 

16 You shall make the ark narrowing as you build, and you shall finish it to a cubit at the top; and you shall make the door of the ark in the side; you shall make it with lower, second, and third stories.

 

17 And behold, I am bringing the flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven; and whatever is upon the earth shall die.

 

18 And I will establish my covenant with you; and you shall enter into the ark, you and your sons and your wife and the wives of your sons with you.

 

19 And from all the cattle, and from all the creeping things, and from all the wild beasts, and from all flesh, two by two from all you shall bring into the ark, that you may keep them alive with yourself; they shall be male and female.

 

20 From all the winged birds according to kind, and from all the cattle according to kind, and from all the creeping things that creep upon the earth according to their kind, two by two from all shall come in to you, to be kept alive with you, male and female.

 

21 And you shall take for yourself from all the foods that you eat, and you shall gather them to yourself, and it shall be food for you and for them."

 

22 And Noah did all things, whatever the Lord God commanded him; so he did.

 

Chapter  7

 

1 And the Lord God said to Noah, "Enter, you and all your house, into the ark, for I have seen you righteous before me in this generation.

 

2 And from the clean animals bring in to yourself seven by seven, male and female, and from the animals that are not clean two by two, male and female,

 

3 and from the clean birds of the sky seven by seven, male and female, and from the birds that are not clean two by two, male and female, to preserve seed upon all the earth.

 

4 For in yet seven days I will bring rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe out every living thing that I have made from the face of the earth."

 

5 And Noah did everything that the Lord God commanded him.

 

6 Now Noah was six hundred years old, and the flood of water came upon the earth.

 

7 And Noah went in, and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him, into the ark because of the water of the flood.

 

8 And from the birds and from the clean animals and from the animals that are not clean and from all the creeping things upon the earth,

 

9 two by two they went in to Noah into the ark, male and female, as God had commanded him.

 

10 And it came to pass after the seven days that the water of the flood came upon the earth.

 

11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, on this day all the fountains of the deep burst forth, and the floodgates of heaven were opened,

 

12 and the rain came upon the earth forty days and forty nights.

 

13 On this day Noah entered, and Shem, Ham, Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife and the three wives of his sons with him, into the ark.

 

14 And all the wild beasts according to kind, and all the cattle according to kind, and every creeping thing that moves upon the earth according to kind, and every bird according to kind,

 

15 went in to Noah into the ark, two by two from all flesh in which is the breath of life.

 

16 And those that entered went in male and female from all flesh, as God had commanded Noah. And the Lord God shut the ark from outside him.

 

17 And the flood came forty days and forty nights upon the earth, and the water increased and lifted up the ark, and it was raised above the earth.

 

18 And the water prevailed and increased exceedingly upon the earth, and the ark was borne along above the water.

 

19 And the water prevailed exceedingly greatly upon the earth and covered all the high mountains that were under heaven;

 

20 fifteen cubits above them was the water raised, and it covered all the high mountains.

 

21 And all flesh that moved upon the earth died, of the birds and the cattle and the wild beasts, and every creeping thing that moves upon the earth, and every human being.

 

22 And everything that has the breath of life, and everyone who was on the dry land, died.

 

23 And he wiped out every living thing that was upon the face of all the earth, from man to beast and creeping things and the birds of the sky, and they were wiped out from the earth; and Noah alone was left, and those with him in the ark.

 

24 And the water was raised upon the earth one hundred fifty days.

 

Chapter  8

 

1 And God remembered Noah and all the wild beasts and all the cattle and all the birds and all the creeping things that were with him in the ark, and God brought a wind upon the earth, and the water abated,

 

2 and the fountains of the deep and the floodgates of heaven were covered over, and the rain from heaven was restrained.

 

3 And the water receded, going back from the earth; it receded and was diminished after one hundred and fifty days.

 

4 And the ark came to rest in the seventh month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.

 

5 And the water kept receding until the tenth month; and in the eleventh month, on the first of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen.

 

6 And it came to pass after forty days that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made,

 

7 and he sent forth the raven to see whether the water had abated; and having gone out, it did not return until the water was dried up from the earth.

 

8 And he sent forth the dove after it, to see whether the water had abated from the face of the earth;

 

9 and the dove, finding no rest for her feet, returned to him into the ark, because water was upon all the face of the whole earth; and stretching out his hand he took her and brought her in to himself into the ark.

 

10 And having waited yet seven more days, he again sent forth the dove from the ark;

 

11 and the dove returned to him toward evening, and she had an olive leaf, a twig, in her mouth; and Noah knew that the water had abated from the earth.

 

12 And having waited yet seven more days, he again sent forth the dove, and she did not return to him again anymore.

 

13 And it came to pass in the six hundred and first year of Noah's life, in the first month, on the first of the month, the water failed from the earth; and Noah uncovered the roof of the ark which he had made, and he saw that the water had failed from the face of the earth.

 

14 And in the second month, on the twenty-seventh of the month, the earth was dried.

 

15 And the Lord God spoke to Noah, saying,

 

16 Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and your sons' wives with you,

 

17 and all the wild beasts that are with you, and all flesh, from birds to cattle, and every creeping thing that moves upon the earth, bring out with yourself; and increase and multiply upon the earth.

 

18 And Noah came out, and his wife and his sons and his sons' wives with him,

 

19 and all the wild beasts and all the cattle and every bird and every creeping thing that moves upon the earth, according to their kind, came out of the ark.

 

20 And Noah built an altar to God, and took of all the clean cattle and of all the clean birds and offered whole burnt offerings upon the altar.

 

21 And the Lord God smelled an odor of sweet savor, and the Lord God said, having considered: I will never again curse the earth because of the works of men, for the mind of man is intently set upon evil things from his youth; therefore I will never again smite all living flesh, as I have done.

 

22 All the days of the earth, seed and harvest, cold and heat, summer and spring, day and night, shall not cease.

 

Chapter  9

 

1 And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, "Increase and multiply and fill the earth and have dominion over it.

 

2 And the trembling and fear of you shall be upon all the wild animals of the earth and upon all the birds of the sky and upon all things that move upon the earth and upon all the fish of the sea; I have given them into your hands.

 

3 And every creeping thing that is alive shall be food for you; like the green plants of grass I have given you all things.

 

4 But flesh with the blood of life you shall not eat.

 

5 For indeed I will require your blood, the blood of your lives; from the hand of all the wild animals I will require it, and from the hand of a man, his brother, I will require the life of the man.

 

6 Whoever sheds a man's blood, in exchange for his blood shall his own be shed, for in the image of God I made man.

 

7 But you, increase and multiply and fill the earth and multiply upon it."

 

8 And God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying,

 

9 "Behold, I am establishing my covenant with you and with your seed after you,

 

10 and with every living soul that is with you, of birds and of cattle, and with all the wild animals of the earth that are with you, of all that came out of the ark.

 

11 And I will establish my covenant with you, and all flesh shall not die anymore by the water of the flood, and there shall no longer be a flood of water to destroy all the earth."

 

12 And the Lord God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant which I give between me and you and every living soul that is with you, for everlasting generations:

 

13 I set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.

 

14 And it shall be, when I gather clouds over the earth, my bow shall be seen in the cloud,

 

15 and I will remember my covenant which is between me and you and every living soul in all flesh, and the water shall no longer become a flood so as to wipe out all flesh.

 

16 And my bow shall be in the cloud, and I will look upon it to remember the everlasting covenant between me and every living soul in all flesh that is upon the earth."

 

17 And God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant which I have made between me and all flesh that is upon the earth."

 

18 Now the sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth; Ham was the father of Canaan.

 

19 These three are the sons of Noah; from these they were scattered over all the earth.

 

20 And Noah began to be a farmer of the land, and he planted a vineyard.

 

21 And he drank of the wine and became drunk and was uncovered in his house.

 

22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and going out he told his two brothers outside.

 

23 And Shem and Japheth took the garment and laid it upon their two backs and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were turned backward, and they did not see the nakedness of their father.

 

24 And Noah sobered up from the wine and knew what his younger son had done to him,

 

25 and he said, "Cursed be Canaan; a household slave shall he be to his brothers."

 

26 And he said, "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem, and Canaan shall be his servant.

 

27 May God enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the houses of Shem, and let Canaan become their servant."

 

28 And Noah lived after the flood three hundred fifty years.

 

29 And all the days of Noah were nine hundred fifty years, and he died.

 

Chapter  10

 

1 These are the generations of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth; and sons were born to them after the flood.

 

2 The sons of Japheth: Gomer and Magog and Madai and Javan and Elisha and Tubal and Meshech and Tiras.

 

3 And the sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz and Riphath and Togarmah.

 

4 And the sons of Javan: Elisha and Tarshish, the Kitians, the Rhodians.

 

5 From these were separated the islands of the nations in their land, each according to language, in their tribes and in their nations.

 

6 And the sons of Ham: Cush and Mizraim, Put and Canaan.

 

7 And the sons of Cush: Seba and Havilah and Sabtah and Raamah and Sabteca. And the sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan.

 

8 And Cush begot Nimrod. He began to be a giant upon the earth;

 

9 he was a giant hunter before the Lord God; therefore they say, "Like Nimrod, a giant hunter before the Lord."

 

10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babylon and Erech and Accad and Calneh in the land of Shinar.

 

11 From that land went forth Asshur and built Nineveh and the city Rehoboth and Calah,

 

12 and Resen between Nineveh and Calah; this is the great city.  

 

13 And Mizraim begot the Ludim and the Anamim and the Lehabim and the Naphtuhim

 

14 and the Pathrusim and the Casluhim, whence came forth the Philistines, and the Caphtorim.

 

15 And Canaan begot Sidon his firstborn, and the Hittite

 

16 and the Jebusite and the Amorite and the Girgashite

 

17 and the Hivite and the Arkite and the Sinite

 

18 and the Arvadite and the Zemarite and the Hamathite. And after this the tribes of the Canaanites were scattered abroad,

 

19 and the borders of the Canaanites were from Sidon until one comes to Gerar and Gaza, until one comes to Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha.

 

20 These are the sons of Ham, in their tribes, according to their languages, in their lands and in their nations.

 

21 And to Shem also, the father of all the sons of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder, children were born.

 

22 The sons of Shem: Elam and Asshur and Arpachshad and Lud and Aram and Cainan.

 

23 And the sons of Aram: Uz and Hul and Gether and Mash.

 

24 And Arpachshad begot Cainan, and Cainan begot Shelah, and Shelah begot Eber.

 

25 And to Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg, because in his days the earth was divided, and his brother's name was Joktan.

 

26 And Joktan begot Almodad and Sheleph and Hazarmaveth and Jerah

 

27 and Hadoram and Uzal and Diklah

 

28 and Abimael and Sheba

 

29 and Ophir and Havilah and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan.

 

30 And their dwelling was from Mesha until one comes to Sephar, a mountain of the east.

 

31 These are the sons of Shem, in their tribes, according to their languages, in their lands and in their nations.

 

32 These are the tribes of the sons of Noah, according to their generations, according to their nations; from these the islands of the nations were scattered upon the earth after the flood.

 

Chapter  11

 

1 And the whole earth was one lip, and there was one voice for all.

 

2 And it came to pass as they moved from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and dwelt there.

 

3 And a man said to his neighbor, "Come, let us make bricks and bake them with fire." And the brick became stone for them, and their mortar was bitumen.

 

4 And they said, "Come, let us build for ourselves a city and a tower whose top shall reach to heaven, and let us make a name for ourselves before we are scattered abroad upon the face of all the earth."

 

5 And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built.

 

6 And the Lord said, "Behold, there is one race and one lip of all, and this they have begun to do, and now nothing will fail them of all that they undertake to do.

 

7 Come, and let us go down and confound their tongue there, so that they may not each understand the voice of his neighbor."

 

8 And the Lord scattered them from there upon the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city and the tower.

 

9 Therefore its name was called Confusion, because there the Lord confounded the lips of all the earth, and from there the Lord God scattered them upon the face of all the earth.

 

10 And these are the generations of Shem: Shem was a son of a hundred years when he begot Arphaxad, in the second year after the flood.

 

11 And Shem lived after he begot Arphaxad five hundred years, and begot sons and daughters, and died.

 

12 And Arphaxad lived a hundred thirty-five years and begot Cainan.

 

13 And Arphaxad lived after he begot Cainan four hundred thirty years, and begot sons and daughters, and died. And Cainan lived a hundred thirty years and begot Sala. And Cainan lived after he begot Sala three hundred thirty years, and begot sons and daughters, and died.

 

14 And Sala lived a hundred thirty years and begot Eber.

 

15 And Sala lived after he begot Eber three hundred thirty years, and begot sons and daughters, and died.

 

16 And Eber lived a hundred thirty-four years and begot Peleg.

 

17 And Eber lived after he begot Peleg three hundred seventy years, and begot sons and daughters, and died.

 

18 And Peleg lived a hundred thirty years and begot Reu.

 

19 And Peleg lived after he begot Reu two hundred nine years, and begot sons and daughters, and died.

 

20 And Reu lived a hundred thirty-two years and begot Serug.

 

21 And Reu lived after he begot Serug two hundred seven years, and begot sons and daughters, and died.

 

22 And Serug lived a hundred thirty years and begot Nahor.

 

23 And Serug lived after he begot Nahor two hundred years, and begot sons and daughters, and died.

 

24 And Nahor lived seventy-nine years and begot Terah.

 

25 And Nahor lived after he begot Terah a hundred twenty-nine years, and begot sons and daughters, and died.

 

26 And Terah lived seventy years and begot Abram and Nahor and Haran.

 

27 Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begot Abram and Nahor and Haran, and Haran begot Lot.

 

28 And Haran died before Terah his father in the land where he was born, in the country of the Chaldeans.

 

29 And Abram and Nahor took wives for themselves: the name of Abram's wife was Sarah, and the name of Nahor's wife was Milcah, daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah and the father of Iscah.

 

30 And Sarah was barren and bore no children.

 

31 And Terah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran, his son's son, and Sarah his daughter-in-law, the wife of Abram his son, and led them out of the country of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan; and he came as far as Haran and dwelt there.

 

32 And the days of Terah in Haran were two hundred five years, and Terah died in Haran.

 

Chapter  12

 

1 And the Lord said to Abram, "Go forth from your land and from your kindred and from the house of your father to the land that I will show you.

 

2 And I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, and you shall be blessed.

 

3 And I will bless those who bless you, and those who curse you I will curse; and in you all the tribes of the earth shall be blessed."

 

4 And Abram went, just as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Harran.

 

5 And Abram took Sara his wife and Lot his brother's son and all their possessions that they had acquired, and every soul that they had acquired in Harran, and they went out to journey into the land of Chanaan, and they came into the land of Chanaan.

 

6 And Abram passed through the land in its length as far as the place of Sychem, to the lofty oak; and the Chananites were then dwelling in the land.

 

7 And the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, "To your seed I will give this land." And Abram built there an altar to the Lord who had appeared to him.

 

8 And he departed from there to the mountain east of Baithel and pitched his tent there, with Baithel toward the sea and Angai toward the east; and he built there an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord.

 

9 And Abram set out, and going on he encamped in the wilderness.

 

10 And there came a famine upon the land, and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there, because the famine had grown strong upon the land.

 

11 And it came to pass, when Abram drew near to enter into Egypt, Abram said to Sara his wife, "I know that you are a woman fair of face;

 

12 it shall be, then, when the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife,' and they will kill me, but you they will keep alive.

 

13 Say therefore, 'I am his sister,' so that it may go well with me because of you, and my soul shall live on account of you."

 

14 And it came to pass, when Abram entered into Egypt, the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful,

 

15 and the princes of Pharao saw her and praised her to Pharao, and they brought her into the house of Pharao.

 

16 And they treated Abram well because of her, and he came to have sheep and calves and asses, male and female servants, mules and camels.

 

17 And God afflicted Pharao and his house with great and grievous afflictions on account of Sara, the wife of Abram. 18 And Pharao, calling Abram, said, "What is this you have done to me, that you did not tell me that she is your wife?

 

19 Why did you say, 'She is my sister'? And I took her to myself as a wife. And now, behold, your wife is before you; take her and depart."

 

20 And Pharao gave orders to men concerning Abram, to escort him on his way, with his wife and all that was his, and Lot with him.

 

Chapter  13

 

1 And Abram went up out of Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the wilderness.

 

2 Now Abram was very rich in cattle and in silver and in gold.

 

3 And he went whence he had come, into the wilderness as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at first, between Bethel and Aggai,

 

4 to the place of the altar which he had made there at the beginning; and there Abram called on the name of the Lord.

 

5 And Lot, who went with Abram, had sheep and oxen and tents.

 

6 And the land could not contain them to dwell together, because their possessions were many, and they were not able to dwell together.

 

7 And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's cattle and the herdsmen of Lot's cattle; and the Canaanites and the Perizzites then dwelt in the land.

 

8 And Abram said to Lot, Let there be no strife between me and you, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are men who are brothers.

 

9 Behold, is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me: if you go to the left, I will go to the right; and if you go to the right, I will go to the left.

 

10 And Lot, lifting up his eyes, saw all the region round about the Jordan, that it was all watered, before God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of God and like the land of Egypt, until you come to Zogora.

 

11 And Lot chose for himself all the region round about the Jordan, and Lot departed from the east, and they were separated, each from his brother.

 

12 And Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, but Lot dwelt in a city of the surrounding region, and pitched his tent in Sodom.

 

13 But the men of Sodom were wicked and exceedingly sinful before God.

 

14 And God said to Abram, after Lot was separated from him, Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you now are, to the north and the south and the east and the sea;

 

15 for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your seed forever.

 

16 And I will make your seed like the sand of the earth: if anyone can number the sand of the earth, then shall your seed be numbered.

 

17 Arise, walk through the land, both in its length and in its breadth, for I will give it to you.

 

18 And Abram, removing his tent, came and dwelt by the oak of Mamre, which was in Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord.

 

Chapter  14

 

1 And it came to pass in the reign of Amarphal king of Sennaar, that Arioch king of Ellasar and Chodollogomor king of Ailam and Thargal king of nations

 

2 made war with Balla king of Sodom and with Barsa king of Gomorrah and Sennaar king of Adama and Symobor king of Seboim and the king of Balak.

 

3 All these joined together at the salt ravine.

 

4 Twelve years they served Chodollogomor, but in the thirteenth year they revolted.

 

5 And in the fourteenth year Chodollogomor came, and the kings with him, and they cut down the giants who were in Astaroth Karnain, and mighty nations along with them, and the Ommaeans who were in the city Saue,

 

6 and the Chorraeans who were in the mountains of Seir, as far as the terebinth of Pharan, which is in the wilderness.

 

7 And turning back they came to the spring of judgment and cut down all the rulers of Amalek and the Amorites who dwelt in Asasanthamar.

 

8 And the king of Sodom went out, and the king of Gomorrah and the king of Adama and the king of Seboim and the king of Balak, and they drew up against them for battle in the salt valley,

 

9 against Chodollogomor king of Ailam and Thargal king of nations and Amarphal king of Sennaar and Arioch king of Ellasar — the four kings against the five.

 

10 Now the salt valley was pits upon pits of bitumen; and the king of Sodom fled, and the king of Gomorrah, and they fell in there, and those who were left fled to the hill country.

 

11 And they took all the cavalry of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their provisions and departed.

 

12 And they took also Lot, the son of Abram's brother, and his baggage, and went off; for he was dwelling in Sodom.

 

13 And one of those who escaped came and reported to Abram the emigrant; and he was dwelling by the oak of Mambre the Amorite, brother of Eschol and brother of Aunan, who were confederates of Abram.

 

14 And when Abram heard that his brother Lot had been taken captive, he numbered his own house-born servants, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued after them as far as Dan.

 

15 And he fell upon them by night, he and his servants, and struck them and pursued them as far as Choba, which is on the left of Damascus.

 

16 And he brought back all the cavalry of Sodom, and Lot his brother he brought back, and his possessions and the women and the people.

 

17 And the king of Sodom went out to meet him — after his return from the slaughter of Chodollogomor and the kings with him, into the valley of Saue.

 

18 And Melchisedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; and he was priest of God Most High.

 

19 And he blessed Abram and said, Blessed be Abram by God Most High, who created heaven and earth,

 

20 and blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hands. And he gave him a tenth of everything.

 

21 And the king of Sodom said to Abram, Give me the men, but take the cavalry for yourself.

 

22 And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I will stretch out my hand to God Most High, who created heaven and earth,

 

23 that I will take nothing of all that is yours, from a thread to a sandal-strap, lest you say, I have made Abram rich;

 

24 except what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me, Eschol, Aunan, Mambre, these shall take a share.

 

Chapter  15

 

1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not fear, Abram; I am shielding you; your reward shall be exceedingly great."

 

2 And Abram said, "Master, what will you give me? For I am departing childless; and the son of Masek, my home-born servant—this is Damascus Eliezer."

 

3 And Abram said, "Since you have given me no offspring, my home-born servant will be my heir."

 

4 And immediately the voice of the Lord came to him, saying, "This one shall not be your heir, but he who shall come forth from you, he shall be your heir."

 

5 And he led him outside and said to him, "Look up now to heaven and count the stars, if you are able to number them." And he said, "So shall your offspring be."

 

6 And Abram believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.

 

7 And he said to him, "I am the God who brought you out of the land of the Chaldeans, so as to give you this land to inherit."

 

8 And he said, "Master, Lord, by what shall I know that I shall inherit it?"

 

9 And he said to him, "Take for me a heifer three years old, and a she-goat three years old, and a ram three years old, and a turtledove and a pigeon."

 

10 And he took all these for him and divided them in the middle and set them facing one another; but the birds he did not divide.

 

11 And birds came down upon the carcasses, upon their divided pieces, and Abram sat down among them.

 

12 And about the setting of the sun a trance fell upon Abram, and behold, a great dark fear fell upon him.

 

13 And it was said to Abram, "Know surely that your offspring shall be a sojourner in a land not their own, and they shall enslave them and afflict them and humble them four hundred years.

 

14 But the nation which they shall serve I will judge; and after these things they shall come out here with much property.

 

15 But you shall depart to your fathers in peace, buried in a good old age.

 

16 And in the fourth generation they shall return here; for the sins of the Amorites are not yet filled up until now."

 

17 And when the sun was near setting, a flame arose, and behold, a smoking furnace and torches of fire, which passed through between these divided pieces.

 

18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your offspring I will give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates:

 

19 the Kenites and the Kenizzites and the Kadmonites

 

20 and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Rephaim

 

21 and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Hivites and the Girgashites and the Jebusites."

 

Chapter  16

 

1 Now Sarah, Abram's wife, bore him no children. But she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar.

 

2 And Sarah said to Abram, "Behold, the Lord has shut me up so that I do not bear children; go in, then, to my maidservant, that you may have children by her." And Abram listened to the voice of Sarah.

 

3 And Sarah, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her own maidservant — after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan — and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife for him.

 

4 And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived; and she saw that she was with child, and her mistress was dishonored in her eyes.

 

5 And Sarah said to Abram, "I am wronged because of you. I gave my maidservant into your bosom, but when she saw that she was with child, I was dishonored before her. May God judge between me and you."

 

6 And Abram said to Sarah, "Behold, your maidservant is in your hands; deal with her as may be pleasing to you." And Sarah mistreated her, and she fled from her presence.

 

7 And an angel of the Lord found her by the spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the road to Shur.

 

8 And the angel of the Lord said to her, "Hagar, maidservant of Sarah, where have you come from and where are you going?" And she said, "I am fleeing from the presence of Sarah my mistress."

 

9 And the angel of the Lord said to her, "Return to your mistress and humble yourself under her hands."

 

10 And the angel of the Lord said to her, "I will greatly multiply your seed, and it shall not be counted for multitude."

 

11 And the angel of the Lord said to her, "Behold, you are with child and shall bear a son, and you shall call his name Ishmael, because the Lord has heard your humiliation.

 

12 He shall be a rustic man; his hands shall be against all, and the hands of all against him, and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brothers."

 

13 And Hagar called the name of the Lord who was speaking to her, "You are the God who looked upon me," for she said, "For indeed I have seen face to face him who appeared to me."

 

14 Therefore she called the well "The Well of him whom I saw face to face"; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

 

15 And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore to him, Ishmael.

 

16 And Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

 

Chapter  17

 

1 And Abram was ninety-nine years old, and the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am your God; be well-pleasing before me and be blameless,

 

2 and I will establish my covenant between me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly."

 

3 And Abram fell upon his face, and God spoke to him, saying,

 

4 "And as for me, behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations.

 

5 And your name shall no longer be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of many nations.

 

6 And I will increase you exceedingly, exceedingly, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come forth from you.

 

7 And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your seed after you throughout their generations as an everlasting covenant, to be your God and the God of your seed after you.

 

8 And I will give to you and to your seed after you the land in which you sojourn, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession, and I will be their God."

 

9 And God said to Abraham, "And you shall keep my covenant, you and your seed after you throughout their generations.

 

10 And this is the covenant which you shall keep, between me and you and your seed after you throughout their generations: every male among you shall be circumcised,

 

11 and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be for a sign of the covenant between me and you.

 

12 And a child of eight days shall be circumcised among you—every male throughout your generations, the one born in your house and the one bought with money from any foreigner's son who is not of your seed.

 

13 The one born in your house and the one bought with money shall surely be circumcised, and my covenant shall be upon your flesh as an everlasting covenant.

 

14 And the uncircumcised male who shall not be circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin on the eighth day—that soul shall be utterly destroyed from its kindred, because he has broken my covenant."

 

15 And God said to Abraham, "Sara your wife—her name shall not be called Sara, but Sarra shall be her name.

 

16 And I will bless her and will give you a child by her; and I will bless him, and he shall become nations, and kings of nations shall come from him."

 

17 And Abraham fell upon his face and laughed, and said in his mind, saying, "Shall a child be born to a man a hundred years old, and shall Sarra, being ninety years old, bear?"

 

18 And Abraham said to God, "Let this Ismael live before you."

 

19 And God said to Abraham, "Yes; behold, Sarra your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac, and I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

 

20 And concerning Ismael, behold, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him, and I will increase him and multiply him exceedingly; he shall beget twelve nations, and I will make him into a great nation.

 

21 But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarra shall bear to you at this season in the next year."

 

22 And he finished speaking with him, and God went up from Abraham.

 

23 And Abraham took Ismael his son and all those born in his house and all those bought with money and every male among the men in the house of Abraham, and he circumcised their foreskins in the time of that very day, just as God had spoken to him.

 

24 And Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin;

 

25 and Ismael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

 

26 In the time of that very day Abraham was circumcised, and Ismael his son;

 

27 and all the men of his house, both those born in the house and those bought with money from foreign nations, he circumcised them.

 

Chapter  18

 

1 And God appeared to him by the oak of Mamre, as he was sitting at the door of his tent at midday.

 

2 And lifting up his eyes he looked, and behold, three men stood before him; and seeing them, he ran from the door of his tent to meet them and bowed down to the ground

 

3 and said, "Lord, if indeed I have found favor before you, do not pass by your servant.

 

4 Let water now be brought, and let them wash your feet, and cool yourselves under the tree.

 

5 And I will bring bread, and you shall eat, and after that you shall go on your way—for this is why you have turned aside to your servant." And they said, "Do so, as you have said."

 

6 And Abraam hastened to the tent to Sarra and said to her, "Hurry and knead three measures of fine flour and make loaves baked in the ashes."

 

7 And Abraam ran to the cattle and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, and he hastened to prepare it.

 

8 And he took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set them before them, and they ate; and he himself stood by them under the tree.

 

9 And he said to him, "Where is Sarra your wife?" And he answered and said, "Behold, in the tent."

 

10 And he said, "I will return and come to you at this season next year, and Sarra your wife shall have a son." And Sarra heard at the door of the tent, being behind him.

 

11 Now Abraam and Sarra were old, advanced in days, and it had ceased to be with Sarra after the manner of women.

 

12 And Sarra laughed within herself, saying, "It has not yet happened to me until now, and my lord is old."

 

13 And the Lord said to Abraam, "Why is it that Sarra laughed within herself, saying, 'Shall I then truly bear a child? But I have grown old.'

 

14 Is anything impossible with God? At this season I will return to you next year, and Sarra shall have a son."

 

15 But Sarra denied it, saying, "I did not laugh," for she was afraid. And he said, "No, but you did laugh."

 

16 And rising up from there, the men looked down upon the face of Sodom and Gomorra, and Abraam went with them, escorting them on their way.

 

17 And the Lord said, "Shall I hide from Abraam my servant what I am doing?

 

18 For Abraam shall surely become a great and numerous nation, and in him all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.

 

19 For I know that he will command his sons and his house after him, and they will keep the ways of the Lord, to do righteousness and judgment, so that the Lord may bring upon Abraam all that he has spoken to him."

 

20 And the Lord said, "The outcry of Sodom and Gomorra has been multiplied, and their sins are very great.

 

21 I will therefore go down and see whether they are acting according to their outcry that comes to me; and if not, that I may know."

 

22 And the men turned away from there and went to Sodom, but Abraam was still standing before the Lord.

 

23 And Abraam drew near and said, "Would you destroy the righteous with the ungodly, so that the righteous shall be as the ungodly?

 

24 If there are fifty righteous in the city, will you destroy them? Will you not spare the whole place for the sake of the fifty righteous, if they are in it?

 

25 By no means will you do such a thing as this, to kill the righteous with the ungodly, so that the righteous shall be as the ungodly. By no means! Shall not you who judge all the earth do justice?"

 

26 And the Lord said, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake."

 

27 And Abraam answered and said, "Now I have begun to speak to the Lord, though I am earth and ashes.

 

28 But if the fifty righteous should be lacking by five, will you destroy the whole city because of the five?" And he said, "I will not destroy it, if I find there forty-five."

 

29 And he continued to speak to him again and said, "But if forty are found there?" And he said, "I will not destroy it for the sake of the forty."

 

30 And he said, "Let it be nothing, Lord, if I speak: but if thirty are found there?" And he said, "I will not destroy it, if I find thirty there."

 

31 And he said, "Since I am able to speak to the Lord: but if twenty are found there?" And he said, "I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty."

 

32 And he said, "Let it be nothing, Lord, if I speak yet once more: but if ten are found there?" And he said, "I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten."

 

33 And the Lord departed, when he had ceased speaking with Abraam, and Abraam returned to his place.

 

Chapter  19

 

1 And the two angels came to Sodom in the evening; and Lot was sitting by the gate of Sodom. And when Lot saw them, he rose up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground,

 

2 and said, "Behold, lords, turn aside into the house of your servant and lodge there and wash your feet, and rising early you shall go on your way." But they said, "No, we will lodge in the street."

 

3 And he pressed them earnestly, and they turned aside to him and entered into his house. And he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread for them, and they ate.

 

4 But before they lay down to sleep, the men of the city, the Sodomites, surrounded the house, from young man to elder, all the people together,

 

5 and they called out Lot and said to him, "Where are the men who came in to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may have intercourse with them."

 

6 And Lot went out to them at the doorway, and shut the door behind him.

 

7 And he said to them, "By no means, brothers, do not act wickedly.

 

8 I have two daughters who have not known a man; I will bring them out to you, and use them as it may please you; only do no wrong to these men, since they have come under the shelter of my roof-beams."

 

9 But they said, "Stand back there. You came as one man to sojourn; must you also judge judgment? Now therefore we will harm you more than them." And they pressed hard upon the man Lot, and drew near to break down the door.

 

10 But the men stretched out their hands and drew Lot in to themselves into the house, and shut the door of the house.

 

11 And the men who were at the door of the house they struck with blindness, from small to great, and they were exhausted searching for the door.

 

12 And the men said to Lot, "Have you anyone here—sons-in-law or sons or daughters? Or if you have anyone else in the city, bring them out of this place;

 

13 for we are destroying this place, because their outcry has risen up before the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to wipe it out."

 

14 So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had taken his daughters, and said, "Rise up and go out of this place, for the Lord is destroying the city." But he seemed to be jesting in the eyes of his sons-in-law.

 

15 And when dawn was breaking, the angels urged Lot on, saying, "Rise, take your wife and your two daughters whom you have, and go out, lest you also perish with the iniquities of the city."

 

16 And they were troubled; and the angels took hold of his hand and the hand of his wife and the hands of his two daughters, because the Lord spared him.

 

17 And it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that they said, "Save your own life; do not look back, nor stop anywhere in all the surrounding country; escape to the mountain, lest you be caught up with them."

 

18 But Lot said to them, "I beg you, lord;

 

19 since your servant has found mercy before you, and you have magnified your righteousness which you show toward me, in preserving my life, but I shall not be able to escape to the mountain, lest the evils overtake me and I die

 

20  behold, this city is near enough for me to flee there, and it is small; there I shall be saved. Is it not small? And my life shall live."

 

21 And he said to him, "Behold, I have regarded your face also in this matter, so as not to overthrow the city of which you have spoken;

 

22 hasten therefore to escape there, for I shall not be able to do anything until you have entered there." Therefore he called the name of that city Zoar.

 

23 The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar,

 

24 and the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven,

 

25 and he overthrew these cities and all the surrounding region and all the inhabitants of the cities and everything that grew out of the ground.

 

26 And his wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

 

27 And Abraham rose early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord,

 

28 and he looked out over the face of Sodom and Gomorrah and over the face of the land of the surrounding country, and he saw, and behold, a flame went up from the earth like the vapor of a furnace.

 

29 And it came to pass, when the Lord wiped out all the cities of the region, God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out from the midst of the overthrow, when the Lord overthrew the cities in which Lot dwelt.

 

30 And Lot went up out of Zoar and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he was afraid to dwell in Zoar. And he lived in the cave, he and his two daughters with him.

 

31 And the elder said to the younger, "Our father is old, and there is no one on the earth who will come in to us, as is the way of all the earth;

 

32 come, let us give our father wine to drink and lie with him, and let us raise up offspring from our father."

 

33 So they gave their father wine to drink that night, and the elder went in and lay with her father that night, and he did not know when she lay down and when she rose.

 

34 And it came to pass on the next day that the elder said to the younger, "Behold, I lay yesterday with our father; let us give him wine to drink this night also, and go in and lie with him, and let us raise up offspring from our father."

 

35 So they gave their father wine to drink that night also, and the younger went in and lay with her father, and he did not know when she lay down and when she rose.

 

36 And the two daughters of Lot conceived by their father.

 

37 And the elder bore a son and called his name Moab, saying, "He is from my father"; he is the father of the Moabites to this day.

 

38 And the younger also bore a son and called his name Amman, "son of my kin"; he is the father of the Ammonites to this day.

 

Chapter  20

 

1 And Abraham moved from there into the land toward the south, and dwelt between Kades and Sur, and sojourned in Gerara.

 

 2 And Abraham said concerning Sarra his wife, "She is my sister"; for he was afraid to say, "She is my wife," lest the men of the city should kill him because of her. And Abimelech, king of Gerara, sent and took Sarra.

 

3 And God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said, "Behold, you are dying because of the woman whom you took, for she has lived with a husband."

 

4 But Abimelech had not touched her, and he said, "Lord, will you destroy a nation that is ignorant and righteous?

 

5 Did he not himself say to me, 'She is my sister'? And she herself said to me, 'He is my brother.' With a pure heart and with righteousness of hands I did this."

 

6 And God said to him in the dream, "I too knew that with a pure heart you did this, and I spared you so that you should not sin against me; therefore I did not allow you to touch her.

 

7 But now return the woman to the man, for he is a prophet and will pray for you, and you shall live; but if you do not return her, know that you shall die, you and all that is yours."

 

8 And Abimelech rose early in the morning and called all his servants and spoke all these words in their ears, and all the men were greatly afraid.

 

9 And Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, "What is this you have done to us? Have we sinned against you in any way, that you have brought upon me and upon my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me a deed that no one would do."

 

10 And Abimelech said to Abraham, "What did you see, that you did this?"

 

11 And Abraham said, "For I said, 'Surely there is no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.'

 

12 And indeed she is truly my sister by my father, but not by my mother; and she became my wife.

 

13 And it came to pass, when God brought me out of my father's house, that I said to her, 'This kindness you shall do for me: in every place where we enter, say of me, He is my brother.'"

 

14 And Abimelech took a thousand didrachmas, sheep and calves and male and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and returned to him Sarra his wife.

 

15 And Abimelech said to Abraham, "Behold, my land is before you; dwell wherever it pleases you."

 

16 And to Sarra he said, "Behold, I have given a thousand didrachmas to your brother; these shall be for you as an honor for your face and for all the women with you; and speak the truth in all things."

 

17 And Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his female servants, and they bore children;

 

18 for the Lord had utterly closed up from without every womb in the house of Abimelech because of Sarra, Abraham's wife.

 

Chapter  21

 

1 And the Lord visited Sarah, as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as he had spoken,

 

2 and Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time, as the Lord had spoken to him.

 

3 And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac.

 

4 And Abraham circumcised Isaac on the eighth day, as God had commanded him.

 

5 Now Abraham was a hundred years old when Isaac his son was born to him.

 

6 And Sarah said, "The Lord has made laughter for me; for whoever hears will rejoice with me."

 

7 And she said, "Who will tell Abraham that Sarah is nursing a child? For I have borne a son in my old age."

 

8 And the child grew and was weaned, and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac his son was weaned.

 

9 But Sarah, seeing the son of Hagar the Egyptian, who was born to Abraham, playing with Isaac her son,

 

10 said to Abraham, "Cast out this slave woman and her son; for the son of this slave woman shall not inherit with my son Isaac."

 

11 But the matter appeared very harsh in the sight of Abraham concerning his son.

 

12 And God said to Abraham, "Let not the matter be harsh in your sight concerning the child and concerning the slave woman; in all that Sarah says to you, listen to her voice, for in Isaac shall your offspring be called.

 

13 And as for the son of this slave woman, I will make him into a great nation, because he is your offspring."

 

14 And Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar, and put them on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered in the wilderness by the well of the oath.

 

15 And the water from the skin was spent, and she cast the child under a fir tree;

 

16 and she went and sat opposite him at a distance, about a bowshot away; for she said, "Let me not see the death of my child." And she sat opposite him, and the child cried out and wept.

 

17 And God heard the voice of the child from the place where he was, and an angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, "What is it, Hagar? Do not fear; for God has heard the voice of your child from the place where he is.

 

18 Arise, take the child and hold him fast with your hand; for I will make him into a great nation."

 

19 And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of living water; and she went and filled the skin with water and gave the child a drink.

 

20 And God was with the child, and he grew. And he dwelt in the wilderness and became an archer.

 

21 And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

 

22 And it came to pass at that time that Abimelech, and Ahuzzath his friend, and Phicol the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham, saying, "God is with you in all that you do.

 

23 Now therefore swear to me by God that you will not wrong me, nor my offspring, nor my name, but according to the righteousness that I have done with you, you will deal with me and with the land in which you have sojourned."

 

24 And Abraham said, "I will swear."

 

25 And Abraham reproved Abimelech concerning the wells of water which the servants of Abimelech had seized.

 

26 And Abimelech said to him, "I do not know who did this thing; neither did you tell me, nor have I heard of it until today."

 

27 And Abraham took sheep and calves and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant.

 

28 And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.

 

29 And Abimelech said to Abraham, "What are these seven ewe lambs of the flock which you have set by themselves?"

 

30 And Abraham said, "You shall take these seven ewe lambs from me, that they may be a witness for me that I dug this well."

 

31 Therefore he named that place the Well of the Oath, because there they both swore.

 

32 And they made a covenant at the well of the oath. And Abimelech arose, and Ahuzzath his friend, and Phicol the commander of his army, and they returned to the land of the Philistines.

 

33 And Abraham planted a field by the well of the oath, and there he called upon the name of the Lord, the everlasting God.

 

34 And Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines many days.

 

Chapter  22

 

1 And it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham, Abraham." And he said, "Here I am."

 

2 And he said, "Take your beloved son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the high land, and offer him up there as a whole burnt offering on one of the mountains that I will tell you of."

 

3 And Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey; and he took with him two servants and Isaac his son, and having split wood for the whole burnt offering, he rose and went and came to the place of which God had spoken to him.

 

4 On the third day Abraham, lifting up his eyes, saw the place from afar.

 

5 And Abraham said to his servants, "Sit here with the donkey, and I and the boy will go over yonder, and after we have worshiped we will return to you."

 

6 And Abraham took the wood of the whole burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took also the fire in his hand and the knife, and the two went together.

 

7 And Isaac spoke to Abraham his father, saying, "Father." And he said, "What is it, child?" He said, "Behold the fire and the wood; where is the sheep for the whole burnt offering?"

 

8 And Abraham said, "God will provide for himself a sheep for the whole burnt offering, child." And going on together, both of them,

 

9 they came to the place of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham built an altar there and laid on the wood, and having bound Isaac his son, he laid him on the altar upon the wood.

 

10 And Abraham stretched out his hand to take the knife to slay his son.

 

11 And an angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said to him, "Abraham, Abraham." And he said, "Here I am."

 

12 And he said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy, nor do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, and you have not spared your beloved son for my sake."

 

13 And Abraham, lifting up his eyes, looked, and behold, a ram caught by its horns in a sabek plant; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a whole burnt offering in place of Isaac his son.

 

14 And Abraham called the name of that place "The Lord has seen," so that they say today, "On the mountain the Lord was seen."

 

15 And an angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven,

 

16 saying, "By myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing and have not spared your beloved son for my sake,

 

17 surely I will bless you with blessing, and multiplying I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is by the shore of the sea, and your seed shall inherit the cities of their enemies;

 

18 and in your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you obeyed my voice."

 

19 And Abraham returned to his servants, and they rose and went together to the Well of the Oath. And Abraham dwelt at the Well of the Oath.

 

20 And it came to pass after these things that it was reported to Abraham, saying, "Behold, Milcah too has borne sons to Nahor your brother:

 

21 Uz the firstborn, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of the Syrians,

 

22 and Chesed and Hazo and Pildash and Jidlaph and Bethuel."

 

23 And Bethuel begot Rebekah. These are the eight sons whom Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother.

 

24 And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, she also bore Tebah and Gaham and Tahash and Maacah.

 

Chapter  23

 

1 And the life of Sarah was one hundred and twenty-seven years.

 

2 And Sarah died in the city of Arbok, which is in the valley (this is Hebron), in the land of Canaan. And Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to lament.

 

3 And Abraham rose up from before his dead and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying,

 

4 "I am a stranger and a sojourner among you; give me therefore a possession of a burial place among you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight."

 

5 And the sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying,

 

6 "No, lord; but hear us. You are a king from God among us; bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs, for none of us will withhold his tomb from you, to prevent you from burying your dead there."

 

7 And Abraham rose and bowed down to the people of the land, to the sons of Heth,

 

8 and Abraham spoke to them, saying, "If it is in your soul that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me and speak on my behalf to Ephron the son of Zohar,

 

9 and let him give me the double cave, which is his, which is in a part of his field; for the full price in silver let him give it to me among you as a possession for a tomb."

 

10 Now Ephron was sitting in the midst of the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham, in the hearing of the sons of Heth and of all who entered the city, saying,

 

11 "Attend to me, lord, and hear me. The field and the cave that is in it I give to you; before all my fellow citizens I have given it to you; bury your dead."

 

12 And Abraham bowed down before the people of the land,

 

13 and said to Ephron in the ears of the people of the land, "Since you are on my side, hear me: take the price of the field from me, and I will bury my dead there."

 

14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying,

 

15 "No, lord; I have heard. A piece of land worth four hundred didrachmas of silver, between me and you, what is that? So bury your dead."

 

16 And Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham paid to Ephron the silver, which he had spoken in the ears of the sons of Heth, four hundred didrachmas of silver approved among merchants.

 

17 And the field of Ephron, which was at the double cave, which is facing Mamre—the field and the cave which was in it, and every tree which was in the field, which is within its borders round about

 

18 was confirmed to Abraham as a possession before the sons of Heth and all who entered the city.

 

19 After this Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the double cave of the field, which is opposite Mamre, in the land of Canaan.

 

20 And the field and the cave that was in it were ratified to Abraham as a possession for a burial place from the sons of Heth.

 

Chapter  24

 

1 And Abraham was old, advanced in days, and the Lord blessed Abraham in all things.

 

2 And Abraham said to his servant, the eldest of his house, the ruler over all that was his: Put your hand under my thigh,

 

3 and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son Isaac from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell,

 

4 but you shall go to my land, where I was born, and to my tribe, and take a wife for my son Isaac from there.

 

5 And the servant said to him: Perhaps the woman will not be willing to go back with me to this land; shall I return your son to the land from which you came out?

 

6 And Abraham said to him: Take heed to yourself, that you do not return my son there.

 

7 The Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, who took me from my father's house and from the land where I was born, who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, To you I will give this land and to your seed, he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son Isaac from there.

 

8 But if the woman is not willing to go with you to this land, you shall be clear from this oath; only do not return my son there.

 

9 And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter.

 

10 And the servant took ten camels from the camels of his master, and from all the goods of his master with him, and rising up he went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor.

 

11 And he made the camels lie down outside the city by the well of water toward evening, when the women who draw water come out.

 

12 And he said: O Lord, God of my master Abraham, prosper my way before me today, and show mercy to my master Abraham.

 

13 Behold, I stand by the spring of water, and the daughters of the inhabitants of the city are coming out to draw water;

 

14 and it shall be that the maiden to whom I say, Tilt your pitcher that I may drink, and she says to me, Drink, and I will water your camels until they have finished drinking—her you have prepared for your servant Isaac, and by this I shall know that you have shown mercy to my master Abraham.

 

15 And it came to pass, before he had finished speaking in his mind, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, carrying her pitcher on her shoulders.

 

16 And the maiden was very beautiful in appearance; she was a virgin, no man had known her. And going down to the spring she filled her pitcher and came up.

 

17 And the servant ran to meet her and said: Give me a little water to drink from your pitcher.

 

18 And she said: Drink, sir. And she hastened and lowered the pitcher onto her arm and gave him to drink,

 

19 until he had finished drinking. And she said: I will also draw water for your camels, until they have all drunk.

 

20 And she hastened and emptied the pitcher into the trough, and ran again to the well to draw, and drew water for all the camels.

 

21 And the man observed her closely, and kept silent, to know whether the Lord had prospered his way or not.

 

22 And it came to pass, when all the camels had finished drinking, the man took gold earrings, of a drachma's weight each, and two bracelets for her hands, ten gold pieces their weight.

 

23 And he asked her and said: Whose daughter are you? Tell me. Is there room at your father's house for us to lodge?

 

24 And she said to him: I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.

 

25 And she said to him: There is both straw and much fodder with us, and a place to lodge.

 

26 And the man, well pleased, worshipped the Lord

 

27 and said: Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his righteousness and his truth toward my master; the Lord has prospered me to the house of the brother of my master.

 

28 And the girl ran and reported to her mother's house according to these words.

 

29 Now Rebekah had a brother, whose name was Laban; and Laban ran to the man outside, to the spring.

 

30 And it came to pass, when he saw the earrings and the bracelets on his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, Thus the man spoke to me, he came to the man as he stood by the camels at the spring,

 

31 and said to him: Come, enter in; blessed be the Lord. Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.

 

32 And the man entered the house, and unloaded the camels. And he gave straw and fodder to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men with him.

 

33 And he set bread before them to eat. And he said: I will not eat until I have spoken my words. And they said: Speak.

 

34 And he said: I am Abraham's servant.

 

35 And the Lord has blessed my master greatly, and he has been exalted; and he has given him sheep and calves, silver and gold, menservants and maidservants, camels and donkeys.

 

36 And Sarah, my master's wife, bore one son to my master after he had grown old, and he has given him all that was his.

 

37 And my master made me swear, saying: You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I sojourn in their land,

 

38 but you shall go to my father's house and to my tribe, and take a wife for my son from there.

 

39 And I said to my master: Perhaps the woman will not go with me.

 

40 And he said to me: The Lord, before whom I have been well-pleasing, he will send his angel with you and prosper your way, and you shall take a wife for my son from my tribe and from my father's house.

 

41 Then you shall be free from my curse; for when you come to my tribe and they do not give her to you, then you shall be free from my oath.

 

42 And coming today to the spring, I said: O Lord, God of my master Abraham, if you are prospering the way on which I now go,

 

43 behold, I stand by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city will come out to draw water, and it shall be that the maiden to whom I say, Give me a little water to drink from your pitcher,

 

44 and she says to me, Drink, and I will also draw water for your camels, she is the woman whom the Lord has prepared for his own servant Isaac, and by this I shall know that you have shown mercy to my master Abraham.

 

45 And it came to pass, before I had finished speaking in my mind, straightway Rebekah came out with her pitcher on her shoulders, and she went down to the spring and drew water. And I said to her: Give me to drink.

 

46 And hastening she lowered her pitcher from herself and said: Drink, and I will water your camels. And I drank, and she watered my camels.

 

47 And I asked her and said: Whose daughter are you? And she said: I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to him. And I put the earrings on her, and the bracelets about her hands;

 

48 and being well pleased, I worshipped the Lord and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who prospered me in the way of truth, to take the daughter of my master's brother for his son.

 

49 If, then, you will show mercy and righteousness toward my master, tell me; but if not, tell me, so that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.

 

50 And Laban and Bathuel answered and said, "This command has come forth from the Lord; therefore we cannot answer you bad or good.

 

51 Behold, Rebekah is before you; take her and go, and let her be wife to the son of your master, as the Lord has spoken."

 

52 And it came to pass, when Abraham's servant heard these words, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord.

 

53 And the servant brought out vessels of silver and gold and clothing and gave them to Rebekah, and he gave gifts to her brother and to her mother.

 

54 And they ate and drank, he and the men who were with him, and lay down to sleep. And rising in the morning he said, "Send me away, that I may go to my master."

 

55 But her brothers and her mother said, "Let the maiden remain with us about ten days, and after that she shall go."

 

56 But he said to them, "Do not detain me, for the Lord has prospered my journey; send me away, that I may go to my master."

 

57 And they said, "Let us call the girl and ask her from her own mouth."

 

58 And they called Rebekah and said to her, "Will you go with this man?" And she said, "I will go."

 

59 And they sent away Rebekah their sister and her possessions and Abraham's servant and those with him.

 

60 And they blessed Rebekah their sister and said to her, "You are our sister; become thousands of ten thousands, and may your seed inherit the cities of their adversaries."

 

61 And Rebekah rose up, with her maidservants, and they mounted the camels and went with the man; and the servant, taking Rebekah, departed.

 

62 Now Isaac was journeying through the wilderness by the well of the vision, and he himself dwelt in the land toward the south.

 

63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening, and lifting up his eyes he saw camels coming.

 

64 And Rebekah, lifting up her eyes, saw Isaac and leapt down from the camel,

 

65 and said to the servant, "Who is that man walking in the field to meet us?" And the servant said, "This is my master." And she took her veil and covered herself.

 

66 And the servant related to Isaac all the things that he had done.

 

67 And Isaac went into the house of his mother and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted concerning Sarah his mother.

 

Chapter  25

 

1 And Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah.  

 

2 And she bore him Zimran and Jokshan and Medan and Midian and Ishbak and Shuah.

 

3 And Jokshan begot Sheba and Teman and Dedan; and the sons of Dedan were Raguel and Nabdeel and the Asshurim and the Letushim and the Leummim.

 

4 And the sons of Midian: Ephah and Epher and Enoch and Abida and Eldaah. All these were sons of Keturah.

 

5 And Abraham gave all his possessions to Isaac his son,

 

6 and to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, and while he was still living he sent them away from Isaac his son, eastward to the land of the east.

 

7 Now these are the years of the days of Abraham's life, which he lived: one hundred seventy-five years.

 

8 And Abraham failed and died in a good old age, an old man and full of days, and he was added to his people.

 

9 And Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the double cave in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is opposite Mamre,

 

10 the field and the cave which Abraham acquired from the sons of Heth; there they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife.

 

11 And it came to pass after Abraham died that God blessed Isaac his son; and Isaac dwelt by the well of the vision.

 

12 Now these are the generations of Ishmael the son of Abraham, whom Hagar the maidservant of Sarah bore to Abraham,

 

13 and these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by name according to his generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth, and Kedar and Nabdeel and Mibsam

 

14 and Mishma and Dumah and Massa

 

15 and Hadad and Tema and Jetur and Naphish and Kedemah.

 

16 These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names in their tents and in their encampments: twelve princes according to their nations.

 

17 And these are the years of the life of Ishmael: one hundred thirty-seven years; and he failed and died and was added to his kindred.

 

18 And he dwelt from Havilah as far as Shur, which faces Egypt, as far as one comes toward the Assyrians; he dwelt in the presence of all his brothers.

 

19 And these are the generations of Isaac the son of Abraham: Abraham begot Isaac.

 

20 And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel the Syrian from Mesopotamia, sister of Laban the Syrian, as a wife for himself.

 

21 And Isaac prayed to the Lord concerning Rebekah his wife, because she was barren; and God heard him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.

 

22 And the children leaped within her; and she said, "If it is to be thus with me, why is this happening to me?" And she went to inquire of the Lord,

 

23 and the Lord said to her, "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples shall be divided from your belly; and one people shall prevail over the other, and the greater shall serve the lesser."

 

24 And the days for her to give birth were fulfilled, and behold, there were twins in her womb.

 

25 And the firstborn son came out ruddy, all hairy like a hide; and she named him Esau.

 

26 And after this his brother came out, and his hand had taken hold of Esau's heel; and she called his name Jacob. Now Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah bore them.

 

27 And the young men grew up, and Esau was a man skilled in hunting, a man of the field, but Jacob was a simple man, dwelling in a house.

 

28 And Isaac loved Esau, because his game was food for him; but Rebekah loved Jacob.

 

29 And Jacob boiled a stew; and Esau came in from the field, faint,

 

30 and Esau said to Jacob, "Let me taste some of this red stew, for I am faint." Therefore his name was called Edom.

 

31 And Jacob said to Esau, "Sell me your birthright today."

 

32 And Esau said, "Behold, I am about to die, and of what use is this birthright to me?"

 

33 And Jacob said to him, "Swear to me today." And he swore to him; and Esau sold his birthright to Jacob.

 

34 And Jacob gave Esau bread and a stew of lentils, and he ate and drank and rose up and went away; and Esau despised his birthright.

 

Chapter  26

 

1 Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine which occurred in the time of Abraham; and Isaac went to Abimelech, king of the Philistines, to Gerara.

 

2 And the Lord appeared to him and said, "Do not go down into Egypt, but dwell in the land which I shall tell you.

 

3 And sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you; for to you and to your seed I will give all this land, and I will establish my oath which I swore to Abraham your father.

 

4 And I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and I will give to your seed all this land, and in your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed,

 

5 because Abraham your father obeyed my voice and kept my ordinances and my commandments and my judgments and my statutes."

 

6 And Isaac dwelt in Gerara.

 

7 And the men of the place asked about Rebecca his wife, and he said, "She is my sister"; for he was afraid to say, "She is my wife," lest the men of the place should kill him on account of Rebecca, because she was beautiful in appearance.

 

8 And he remained there a long time; and Abimelech the king of Gerara, leaning through the window, saw Isaac playing with Rebecca his wife.

 

9 And Abimelech called Isaac and said to him, "So then she is your wife! Why did you say, 'She is my sister'?" And Isaac said to him, "Because I said, 'Lest I die on account of her.'"

 

10 And Abimelech said to him, "Why have you done this to us? One of my kindred nearly lay with your wife, and you would have brought a sin of ignorance upon us."

 

11 And Abimelech commanded all his people, saying, "Everyone who touches this man or his wife shall be liable to death."

 

12 And Isaac sowed in that land, and found in that year barley yielding a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him.

 

13 And the man was exalted, and advancing he became greater, until he became very great;

 

14 and he had flocks of sheep and herds of cattle and many tilled fields. And the Philistines envied him,

 

15 and all the wells which the servants of his father had dug in the time of his father, the Philistines stopped them up and filled them with earth.

 

16 And Abimelech said to Isaac, "Depart from us, for you have become far mightier than we."

 

17 And Isaac departed from there and lodged in the valley of Gerara and dwelt there.

 

18 And Isaac dug again the wells of water which the servants of Abraham his father had dug and which the Philistines had stopped up after the death of Abraham his father, and he gave them names according to the names which Abraham his father had given them.

 

19 And the servants of Isaac dug in the valley of Gerara and found there a well of living water.

 

20 And the shepherds of Gerara quarreled with the shepherds of Isaac, claiming that the water was theirs; and he called the name of the well Injustice, for they had wronged him.

 

21 And departing from there, Isaac dug another well, and they disputed also about that one; and he called its name Enmity.

 

22 And departing from there, he dug another well, and they did not quarrel about it; and he called its name Broad Place, saying, "Because now the Lord has made room for us and increased us upon the earth."

 

23 And he went up from there to the Well of the Oath.

 

24 And the Lord appeared to him in that night and said, "I am the God of Abraham your father; do not fear, for I am with you, and I have blessed you and will multiply your seed for the sake of Abraham your father."

 

25 And he built an altar there and called upon the name of the Lord, and pitched his tent there; and the servants of Isaac dug a well there.

 

26 And Abimelech came to him from Gerara, and Ochozath his friend, and Phichol the commander-in-chief of his army.

 

27 And Isaac said to them, "Why have you come to me? For you hated me and sent me away from you."

 

28 And they said, "We have surely seen that the Lord was with you, and we said, 'Let there be an oath between us and you, and let us make a covenant with you,

 

29 that you will do us no harm, just as we did not abhor you, and just as we treated you well and sent you away in peace; and now you are blessed by the Lord.'"

 

30 And he made a feast for them, and they ate and drank;

 

31 and rising in the morning, each man swore to his neighbor, and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in safety.

 

32 And it came to pass on that day that the servants of Isaac came and told him about the well which they had dug, and they said, "We have not found water."

 

33 And he called it Oath; therefore the name of the city is Well of the Oath to this day.

 

34 And Esau was forty years old, and he took as wife Judith the daughter of Beer the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hivite.

 

35 And they were at strife with Isaac and Rebecca.

 

Chapter  27

 

1 And it came to pass after Isaac had grown old, that his eyes were dimmed so that he could not see, and he called Esau his elder son and said to him, "My son." And he said, "Here I am."

 

2 And he said, "Behold, I have grown old, and I do not know the day of my death.

 

3 Now therefore take your gear, both your quiver and your bow, and go out into the field and hunt game for me,

 

4 and make me dishes such as I love, and bring them to me, that I may eat, so that my soul may bless you before I die."

 

5 Now Rebekah heard Isaac speaking to Esau his son. And Esau went into the field to hunt game for his father.

 

6 And Rebekah said to Jacob her younger son, "Behold, I heard your father speaking to Esau your brother, saying,

 

7 'Bring me game and make me dishes, and when I have eaten I will bless you before the Lord before I die.'

 

8 Now therefore, my son, listen to me, according as I command you,

 

9 and go to the flock and take for me from there two kids, tender and good, and I will make them into dishes for your father, such as he loves,

 

10 and you shall bring them in to your father, and he shall eat, so that your father may bless you before he dies."

 

11 But Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, "Esau my brother is a hairy man, but I am a smooth man;

 

12 perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall be before him as one mocking, and I shall bring upon myself a curse and not a blessing."

 

13 And his mother said to him, "Upon me be your curse, child; only obey my voice, and go and bring them to me."

 

14 So he went and took them and brought them to his mother, and his mother made dishes, such as his father loved.

 

15 And Rebekah took the fine garment of Esau her elder son, which was with her in the house, and put it on Jacob her younger son,

 

16 and she put the skins of the kids on his arms and on the bare parts of his neck,

 

17 and she gave the dishes and the loaves which she had made into the hands of Jacob her son.

 

18 And he brought them in to his father. And he said, "Father." And he said, "Here I am; who are you, child?"

 

19 And Jacob said to his father, "I am Esau your firstborn; I have done as you told me; arise, sit up and eat of my game, so that your soul may bless me."

 

20 And Isaac said to his son, "What is this that you have found so quickly, O child?" And he said, "That which the Lord your God delivered before me."

 

21 And Isaac said to Jacob, "Come near to me, and I will feel you, child, whether you are my son Esau or not."

 

22 And Jacob came near to Isaac his father, and he felt him and said, "The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau."

 

23 And he did not recognize him, for his hands were hairy like the hands of Esau his brother; and he blessed him.

 

24 And he said, "Are you my son Esau?" And he said, "I am."

 

25 And he said, "Bring it near to me, and I will eat of your game, child, that my soul may bless you." And he brought it near to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank.

 

26 And Isaac his father said to him, "Come near to me and kiss me, child."

 

 27 And he came near and kissed him, and he smelled the smell of his garments and blessed him and said, "Behold, the smell of my son is like the smell of a full field which the Lord has blessed.

 

28 And may God give you of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earth, and abundance of grain and wine.

 

29 And let nations serve you, and rulers shall bow down to you; and become lord over your brother, and the sons of your father shall bow down to you. Cursed be he who curses you, and blessed be he who blesses you."

 

30 And it came to pass, after Isaac had ceased blessing Jacob his son, and it came to pass as Jacob went out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from the hunt.

 

31 And he also made dishes and brought them to his father, and he said to his father, "Let my father arise and eat of his son's game, so that your soul may bless me."

 

32 And Isaac his father said to him, "Who are you?" And he said, "I am your firstborn son, Esau."

 

33 And Isaac was astonished with an exceedingly great astonishment and said, "Who then is he who hunted game for me and brought it in to me? And I ate of it all before you came, and I blessed him and blessed let him be."

 

34 And it came to pass, when Esau heard the words of Isaac his father, he cried out with a great and exceedingly bitter voice and said, "Bless me too, father."

 

35 And he said to him, "Your brother came with deceit and took your blessing."

 

36 And he said, "Rightly was his name called Jacob, for he has now supplanted me this second time: he took my birthright, and now he has taken my blessing." And Esau said to his father, "Have you not left a blessing for me, father?"

 

37 And Isaac answered and said to Esau, "If I have made him lord over you, and have made all his brothers his servants, and have sustained him with grain and wine, what then shall I do for you, child?"

 

38 And Esau said to his father, "Have you but one blessing, father? Bless me too, father." And when Isaac was pierced to the heart, Esau cried out with a loud voice and wept.

 

39 And Isaac his father answered and said to him, "Behold, of the fatness of the earth shall be your dwelling, and of the dew of heaven from above;

 

40 and by your sword you shall live, and you shall serve your brother; but it shall be, whenever you throw it off, that you shall loosen his yoke from your neck."

 

41 And Esau bore a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him; and Esau said in his mind, "Let the days of mourning for my father draw near, so that I may kill Jacob my brother."

 

42 But the words of Esau her elder son were reported to Rebekah, and she sent and called Jacob her younger son and said to him, "Behold, Esau your brother threatens to kill you.

 

43 Now therefore, child, listen to my voice, and arise and flee to Mesopotamia, to Laban my brother, to Haran,

 

44 and dwell with him some days, until your brother's wrath

 

45 and anger turn away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him; then I will send and fetch you from there, lest I be bereaved of you both in one day."

 

46 And Rebekah said to Isaac, "I am weary of my life because of the daughters of the sons of Heth. If Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of this land, why should I live?"

 

Chapter  28

 

1 And Isaac called Jacob and blessed him, and commanded him, saying, "You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.

 

2 Arise and flee to Mesopotamia, to the house of Bathuel, your mother's father, and take for yourself from there a wife from the daughters of Laban, your mother's brother.

 

3 And may my God bless you and increase you and multiply you, and may you become gatherings of nations.

 

4 And may he give you the blessing of Abraham my father, to you and to your seed after you, to inherit the land of your sojourning, which God gave to Abraham."

 

5 And Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Mesopotamia, to Laban the son of Bathuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.

 

6 Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and that he had gone away to Mesopotamia of Syria to take for himself a wife from there, and that when he blessed him he commanded him, saying, "You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan,"

 

7 and that Jacob had obeyed his father and his mother and had gone to Mesopotamia of Syria;

 

8 and Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan were evil in the sight of Isaac his father.

 

9 And Esau went to Ishmael and took Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael, the son of Abraham, the sister of Nebaioth, as a wife in addition to his wives.

 

10 And Jacob departed from the Well of the Oath and went toward Haran.

 

11 And he came upon a place and slept there, for the sun had set; and he took one of the stones of the place and put it under his head, and he slept in that place.

 

12 And he dreamed, and behold, a ladder set firmly on the earth, whose top reached to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending upon it.

 

13 And the Lord was standing firmly upon it, and he said, "I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; do not fear. The land on which you are lying, to you I will give it, and to your seed.

 

14 And your seed shall be like the sand of the earth, and it shall spread abroad to the sea and to the south and to the north and to the east, and in you shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed, and in your seed.

 

15 And behold, I am with you, keeping you in every way wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land, for I will not forsake you until I have done all that I have spoken to you."

 

16 And Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "The Lord is in this place, and I did not know it."

 

17 And he was afraid and said, "How fearful is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."

 

18 And Jacob rose in the morning and took the stone that he had placed there under his head, and he set it up as a pillar and poured oil on the top of it.

 

19 And Jacob called the name of that place House of God; and Oulamlous was the name of the city formerly.

 

20 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, "If the Lord God will be with me and keep me on this way on which I am going, and give me bread to eat and a garment to put on,

 

21 and bring me back in safety to my father's house, then the Lord shall be my God,

 

22 and this stone which I have set up as a pillar shall be for me a house of God, and of all that you give me, I will tithe a tenth of it to you."

 

Chapter  29

 

1 And Jacob lifted up his feet and went to the land of the east, to Laban the son of Bathuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah the mother of Jacob and Esau.

 

2 And he looked, and behold, a well in the plain, and there were three flocks of sheep resting by it; for from that well they watered the flocks, and a great stone was upon the mouth of the well.

 

3 And all the flocks were gathered there, and they would roll away the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep, and put the stone back upon the mouth of the well in its place.

 

4 And Jacob said to them, "Brothers, where are you from?" And they said, "We are from Haran."

 

5 And he said to them, "Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?" And they said, "We know him."

 

6 And he said to them, "Is he well?" And they said, "He is well." And behold, Rachel his daughter was coming with the sheep.

 

7 And Jacob said, "There is still much day left; it is not yet time for the cattle to be gathered. Water the sheep, and go away and pasture them."

 

8 But they said, "We cannot, until all the shepherds are gathered and they roll away the stone from the mouth of the well; then we will water the sheep."

 

9 While he was still speaking to them, Rachel the daughter of Laban was coming with her father's sheep, for she pastured her father's sheep.

 

10 And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, that Jacob came near and rolled away the stone from the mouth of the well and watered the sheep of Laban his mother's brother.

 

11 And Jacob kissed Rachel, and crying out with his voice he wept.

 

12 And he told Rachel that he was her father's kinsman, and that he was the son of Rebekah; and she ran and told her father according to these words.

 

13 And it came to pass, when Laban heard the name of Jacob the son of his sister, he ran to meet him, and embracing him he kissed him, and brought him into his house. And he recounted to Laban all these words.

 

14 And Laban said to him, "You are of my bones and of my flesh." And he was with him a month of days.

 

15 And Laban said to Jacob, "Because you are my kinsman, you shall not serve me for nothing; tell me what your wages shall be."

 

16 Now Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger Rachel.

 

17 And Leah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and lovely in appearance.

 

18 And Jacob loved Rachel, and said, "I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter."

 

19 And Laban said to him, "It is better that I give her to you than that I give her to another man; dwell with me."

 

20 And Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they were in his eyes as a few days because he loved her.

 

21 And Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her."

 

22 And Laban gathered all the men of the place and made a wedding feast.

 

23 And it was evening, and Laban took Leah his daughter and brought her in to Jacob, and Jacob went in to her.

 

24 And Laban gave to Leah his daughter Zilpah his maidservant, to be her maidservant.

 

25 And it came to pass in the morning, and behold, it was Leah. And Jacob said to Laban, "What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve you for Rachel? Why have you deceived me?"

 

26 And Laban said, "It is not so in our place, to give the younger before the elder.

 

27 Complete, then, this one's week, and I will give you this one also, in return for the labor which you shall work for me yet another seven years."

 

28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week; and Laban gave him Rachel his daughter as his wife.

 

29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his maidservant, to be her maidservant.

 

30 And he went in to Rachel; and he loved Rachel more than Leah; and he served him another seven years.

 

31 And when the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.

 

32 And Leah conceived and bore a son to Jacob; and she called his name Reuben, saying, "Because the Lord has seen my humiliation; now my husband will love me."

 

33 And Leah conceived again and bore a second son to Jacob, and said, "Because the Lord has heard that I am hated, he has given me this one also"; and she called his name Simeon.

 

34 And she conceived yet again and bore a son, and said, "Now at this time my husband will be with me, for I have borne him three sons"; therefore she called his name Levi.

 

35 And conceiving yet again she bore a son, and said, "Now yet again I will give thanks to the Lord"; therefore she called his name Judah. And she ceased bearing.

 

Chapter  30

 

1 And when Rachel saw that she had not borne children to Jacob, Rachel envied her sister and said to Jacob, "Give me children; and if not, I will die."

 

2 And Jacob was angry with Rachel and said to her, "Am I in the place of God, who has deprived you of the fruit of the womb?"

 

3 And Rachel said to Jacob, "Behold my maidservant Bilhah; go in to her, and she shall bear upon my knees, and I too shall have children through her."

 

4 And she gave him Bilhah her maidservant as a wife for him; and Jacob went in to her.

 

5 And Bilhah, Rachel's maidservant, conceived and bore Jacob a son.

 

6 And Rachel said, "God has judged me and has heard my voice and has given me a son"; therefore she called his name Dan.

 

7 And Bilhah, Rachel's maidservant, conceived again and bore Jacob a second son.

 

8 And Rachel said, "God has helped me, and I have wrestled with my sister and have prevailed"; and she called his name Naphtali.

 

9 And Leah saw that she had ceased bearing, and she took Zilpah her maidservant and gave her to Jacob as a wife.

 

10 And Jacob went in to her, and Zilpah, Leah's maidservant, conceived and bore Jacob a son.

 

11 And Leah said, "With good fortune!"; and she named his name Gad.

 

12 And Zilpah, Leah's maidservant, conceived and bore Jacob yet a second son.

 

13 And Leah said, "Blessed am I, for the women call me blessed"; and she called his name Asher.

 

14 And Reuben went out in the days of the wheat harvest and found mandrake apples in the field and brought them to Leah his mother. And Rachel said to Leah, "Give me some of your son's mandrakes."

 

15 And Leah said, "Is it not enough for you that you have taken my husband? Will you also take my son's mandrakes?" And Rachel said, "Not so; let him lie with you this night in exchange for your son's mandrakes."

 

16 And Jacob came in from the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him and said, "You shall come in to me today, for I have hired you in exchange for my son's mandrakes." And he lay with her that night.

 

17 And God heard Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son.

 

18 And Leah said, "God has given me my wages because I gave my maidservant to my husband"; and she called his name Issachar, which means Wages.

 

19 And Leah conceived again and bore a sixth son to Jacob.

 

20 And Leah said, "God has given me a good gift; now my husband will choose me, for I have borne him six sons"; and she called his name Zebulun.

 

21 And after this she bore a daughter and called her name Dinah.

 

22 And God remembered Rachel, and God heard her and opened her womb,

 

23 and she conceived and bore Jacob a son. And Rachel said, "God has taken away my reproach";

 

24 and she called his name Joseph, saying, "May God add to me another son."

 

25 And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, "Send me away, that I may go to my own place and to my own land.

 

26 Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served you, that I may depart; for you know the service that I have rendered you."

 

27 And Laban said to him, "If I have found favor before you—I have learned by divination that God has blessed me at your coming. 28 Name your wages to me, and I will give them."

 

29 And Jacob said to him, "You know how I have served you and how many of your livestock were with me;

 

30 for what you had before me was little, and it has increased into a multitude, and the Lord has blessed you at my footstep. Now therefore, when shall I too provide for my own house?"

 

31 And Laban said to him, "What shall I give you?" And Jacob said to him, "You shall give me nothing; if you will do this thing for me, I will again shepherd your flocks and keep them.

 

32 Let all your flocks pass by today, and separate from there every gray sheep among the lambs and every white-spotted and speckled one among the goats; that shall be my wages.

 

33 And my righteousness will answer for me on the morrow, because my wages are before you: everything that is not speckled and white-spotted among the goats and gray among the lambs shall be counted as stolen with me."

 

34 And Laban said to him, "Let it be according to your word."

 

35 And on that day he separated the he-goats that were speckled and white-spotted and all the she-goats that were speckled and white-spotted, and everything that was white among them, and everything that was gray among the lambs, and gave them into the hand of his sons.

 

36 And he set a distance of a three days' journey between them and Jacob; and Jacob was shepherding the flocks of Laban that remained.

 

37 And Jacob took for himself a fresh rod of storax, and of walnut, and of plane tree, and Jacob peeled them in white strips, stripping away the green; and the white that he had peeled appeared on the rods, variegated.

 

38 And he placed the rods that he had peeled in the troughs of the watering channels, so that whenever the flocks came to drink before the rods, when they came to drink,

 

39 the flocks might conceive at the rods; and the flocks bore white-spotted and variegated and ash-colored speckled young.

 

40 And Jacob separated the lambs, and he set before the flocks a white-spotted ram and everything variegated among the lambs; and he separated flocks for himself by themselves and did not mix them with Laban's flocks.

 

41 And it came to pass, at the time when the flocks conceived, becoming pregnant, that Jacob placed the rods before the flocks in the troughs, that they might conceive by the rods;

 

42 but whenever the flocks gave birth, he did not place them; and the unmarked ones became Laban's, and the marked ones Jacob's.

 

43 And the man became exceedingly, exceedingly rich, and he had much livestock, and oxen, and male and female servants, and camels, and donkeys.

 

Chapter  31

 

1 And Jacob heard the words of the sons of Laban, saying, "Jacob has taken all that was our father's, and from what was our father's he has made all this glory."

 

2 And Jacob saw the face of Laban, and behold, it was not toward him as yesterday and the day before.

 

3 And the Lord said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your father and to your kindred, and I will be with you."

 

4 And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the plain where the flocks were,

 

5 and said to them, "I see your father's face, that it is not toward me as yesterday and the day before; but the God of my father has been with me.

 

6 And you yourselves know that with all my strength I have served your father.

 

7 But your father has deceived me and changed my wages of the ten lambs, yet God did not allow him to harm me.

 

8 If he said thus, 'The speckled shall be your wages,' then all the sheep bore speckled; and if he said, 'The white shall be your wages,' then all the sheep bore white.

 

9 So God has taken away all the livestock of your father and given them to me.

 

10 And it came to pass, when the sheep were conceiving, that I saw them with my eyes in a dream, and behold, the he-goats and the rams that were mounting the sheep and the goats were white-spotted and speckled and ash-colored and spotted.

 

11 And the angel of God said to me in a dream, 'Jacob'; and I said, 'What is it?'

 

12 And he said, 'Lift up your eyes and see the he-goats and the rams mounting the sheep and the goats, white-spotted and speckled and ash-colored and spotted; for I have seen all that Laban does to you.

 

13 I am the God who appeared to you in the place of God, where you anointed a pillar to me there and vowed a vow to me there. Now therefore arise and go out from this land and depart to the land of your birth, and I will be with you.'"

 

14 And Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, "Is there still for us a portion or inheritance in our father's house?

 

15 Are we not counted as foreigners by him? For he has sold us and has utterly devoured our money.

 

16 All the wealth and the glory which God has taken from our father shall be ours and our children's. Now therefore, whatever God has said to you, do."

 

17 And Jacob arose and set his wives and his children upon the camels,

 

18 and he led away all his possessions and all his goods, which he had acquired in Mesopotamia, and all that was his, to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.

 

19 Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole her father's idols.

 

20 And Jacob concealed the matter from Laban the Syrian, not telling him that he was fleeing,

 

21 and he fled, he and all that was his, and crossed the river and hastened toward the mountain of Gilead.

 

22 And it was reported to Laban the Syrian on the third day that Jacob had fled,

 

23 and taking all his kinsmen with him, he pursued after him a journey of seven days, and overtook him at the mountain of Gilead.

 

24 And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream at night and said to him, "Take heed to yourself, lest you speak evil things with Jacob."

 

25 And Laban overtook Jacob; now Jacob had pitched his tent on the mountain, and Laban stationed his kinsmen on the mountain of Gilead.

 

26 And Laban said to Jacob, "What have you done? Why did you flee secretly and rob me and carry off my daughters as captives taken by the sword?

 

27 And if you had told me, I would have sent you away with joy and with music, with drums and lyre.

 

28 I was not deemed worthy to kiss my children and my daughters. Now you have acted foolishly.

 

29 And now my hand has power to harm you; but the God of your father spoke to me yesterday, saying, 'Take heed to yourself, lest you speak evil things with Jacob.'

 

30 Now then, you have gone away, for you longed exceedingly to depart to your father's house; why did you steal my gods?"

 

31 And Jacob answered and said to Laban, "Because I said, 'Lest you take your daughters from me, and all that is mine.'

 

32 Identify what of yours is with me, and take it." And he identified nothing with him. And Jacob said to him, "With whomever you find your gods, he shall not live in the presence of our kinsmen." Now Jacob did not know that Rachel his wife had stolen them.

 

33 And Laban went in and searched in Leah's house and did not find them; and going out of Leah's house he searched Jacob's house and the house of the two maidservants and did not find them. And he went also into Rachel's house.

 

34 Now Rachel had taken the idols and put them in the camel's saddlebags and sat on them,

 

35 and she said to her father, "Do not take it grievously, lord; I cannot rise before you, for the custom of women is upon me." And Laban searched in the whole house and did not find the idols.

 

36 And Jacob was angry and contended with Laban; and Jacob answered and said to Laban, "What is my wrong, and what is my sin, that you have pursued after me,

 

37 and that you have searched all my goods? What have you found of all the goods of your house? Set it here before my kinsmen and your kinsmen, and let them decide between the two of us.

 

38 These twenty years I have been with you; your sheep and your goats have not miscarried; the rams of your sheep I have not eaten.

 

39 What was torn by beasts I have not brought to you; I myself made good from my own what was stolen by day and stolen by night.

 

40 By day I was scorched by the heat, and by the frost of night, and sleep departed from my eyes.

 

41 These twenty years I have been in your house; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years among your sheep, and you cheated me of my wages by ten lambs.

 

42 If the God of my father Abraham and the fear of Isaac had not been with me, you would now have sent me away empty; God saw my humiliation and the toil of my hands, and rebuked you yesterday."

 

43 And Laban answered and said to Jacob, "The daughters are my daughters, and the sons are my sons, and the livestock are my livestock, and all that you see is mine and my daughters'. What shall I do to these today, or to their children whom they have borne?

 

44 Now therefore come, let us make a covenant, I and you, and it shall be for a witness between me and you." And he said to him, "Behold, there is no one with us; see, God is witness between me and you."

 

45 And Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.

 

46 And Jacob said to his kinsmen, "Gather stones." And they gathered stones and made a mound, and they ate and drank there upon the mound. And Laban said to him, "This mound is a witness between me and you today."

 

47 And Laban called it "Mound of Witness," but Jacob called it "Mound, a Witness."

 

48 And Laban said to Jacob, "Behold this mound and this pillar, which I have set up between me and you: this mound is a witness, and this pillar is a witness; therefore its name was called 'The Mound bears witness,'

 

49 and 'The Vision,' of which he said, 'May God watch between me and you, for we shall depart one from the other.

 

50 If you humble my daughters, if you take wives in addition to my daughters, see, there is no one with us.

 

52 For if I do not cross over to you, nor you cross over to me, past this mound and this pillar, for evil,

 

53 the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor shall judge between us.'" And Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac.

 

54 And Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and called his kinsmen, and they ate and drank and slept on the mountain.

 

Chapter  32

 

1 And Laban rose up in the morning and kissed his sons and his daughters and blessed them, and Laban turned back and departed to his own place.

 

2 And Jacob went on his own way. And looking up he saw a camp of God encamped, and the angels of God met him.

 

3 And Jacob said, when he saw them, "This is a camp of God"; and he called the name of that place Camps.

 

4 And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother, to the land of Seir, to the country of Edom,

 

5 and he commanded them, saying, "Thus shall you say to my lord Esau: Thus says your servant Jacob: I have sojourned with Laban and tarried until now,

 

6 and I have come to have oxen and donkeys and sheep and menservants and maidservants, and I have sent to tell my lord Esau, that your servant may find favor before you."

 

7 And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, "We came to your brother Esau, and behold, he himself is coming to meet you, and four hundred men with him."

 

8 And Jacob was greatly afraid and was perplexed. And he divided the people that were with him, and the oxen and the sheep, into two camps,

 

9 and Jacob said, "If Esau comes to one camp and destroys it, the second camp will be there to be saved."

 

10 And Jacob said, "O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Lord, you who said to me, 'Return to the land of your birth and I will do you good,'

 

11 I am satisfied with all the righteousness and all the truth which you have done for your servant; for with my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps.

 

12 Deliver me from the hand of my brother Esau, for I fear him, lest he come and strike me, and mother with children.

 

13 But you said, 'I will surely do you good, and I will make your seed like the sand of the sea, which shall not be numbered for multitude.'"

 

14 And he slept there that night. And he took of what he was carrying gifts, and sent them to Esau his brother:

 

15 two hundred she-goats, twenty he-goats, two hundred sheep, twenty rams,

 

16 thirty nursing camels with their young, forty cows, ten bulls, twenty donkeys, and ten foals.

 

17 And he gave them by hand to his servants, each flock separately. And he said to his servants, "Go on before me, and put a space between flock and flock."

 

18 And he commanded the first, saying, "If Esau my brother meets you and asks you, saying, 'Whose are you, and where are you going, and whose are these that go before you?'

 

19 you shall say, 'Your servant Jacob's; he has sent gifts to my lord Esau, and behold, he himself is behind us.'"

 

20 And he commanded the first and the second and the third and all who went along behind these flocks, saying, "According to this word shall you speak to Esau when you find him,

 

21 and you shall say, 'Behold, your servant Jacob is coming behind us.'" For he said, "I will appease his face with the gifts that go before him, and after that I will see his face; for perhaps he will accept my face."

 

22 And the gifts passed on before him, but he himself slept that night in the camp.

 

23 And he rose up that night and took the two wives and the two maidservants and his eleven children and crossed the ford of the Jabbok;

 

24 and he took them and crossed the torrent, and brought over all that was his.

 

25 And Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until morning.

 

26 And he saw that he could not prevail against him, and he touched the broad part of his thigh, and the broad part of Jacob's thigh grew numb as he wrestled with him.

 

27 And he said to him, "Let me go, for the dawn has come up." But he said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."

 

28 And he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob."

 

29 And he said to him, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name, for you have prevailed with God and are mighty with men."

 

30 And Jacob asked and said, "Tell me your name." And he said, "Why is it that you ask my name?" And he blessed him there.

 

31 And Jacob called the name of that place Form of God; "For I have seen God face to face, and my life has been saved."

 

32 And the sun rose upon him when he passed the Form of God; but he limped on his thigh.

 

33 Therefore the sons of Israel do not eat the sinew that grew numb, which is on the broad part of the thigh, to this day, because he touched the broad part of Jacob's thigh, the sinew, and it grew numb.

 

Chapter  33

 

1 And Jacob, lifting up his eyes, looked, and behold, Esau his brother was coming, and four hundred men with him. And Jacob divided the children between Leah and Rachel and the two maidservants,

 

2 and he put the two maidservants and their sons first, and Leah and her children behind, and Rachel and Joseph last.

 

3 And he himself went on ahead of them and bowed down to the ground seven times, until he drew near to his brother.

 

4 And Esau ran to meet him, and embracing him he kissed him, and fell upon his neck, and they both wept.

 

5 And looking up he saw the women and the children, and said, "What are these to you?" And he said, "The children with whom God has shown mercy to your servant."

 

6 And the maidservants drew near with their children and bowed down,

 

7 and Leah drew near with her children and they bowed down, and after these Rachel and Joseph drew near and bowed down.

 

8 And he said, "What are these to you, all these companies which I have met?" And he said, "That your servant might find favor before you, my lord."

 

9 But Esau said, "I have much, my brother; let what is yours be yours."

 

10 But Jacob said, "If I have found favor before you, receive the gifts from my hands; for on account of this I have seen your face, as one might see the face of God, and you will be pleased with me.

 

11 Take my blessings, which I have brought to you, because God has shown mercy to me, and I have everything." And he urged him, and he took them.

 

12 And he said, "Let us set out and go straight on."

 

13 But he said to him, "My lord knows that the children are tender, and the sheep and cattle with me are giving birth; if then I drive them hard for one day, all the livestock will die.

 

14 Let my lord go on ahead of his servant, and I will gain strength on the way, at the leisurely pace of the journey before me and at the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir."

 

15 And Esau said, "Let me leave with you some of the people who are with me." But he said, "Why this? It is enough that I have found favor before you, my lord."

 

16 So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir.

 

17 And Jacob set out to Tents; and he made houses for himself there, and for his livestock he made tents; therefore he called the name of that place Tents.

 

18 And Jacob came to Salem, a city of the Shechemites, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Mesopotamia of Syria, and he encamped before the city.

 

19 And he acquired the portion of the field where he pitched his tent there, from Hamor the father of Shechem, for a hundred lambs,

 

20 and he set up an altar there and called upon the God of Israel.

 

Chapter  34

 

1 Now Dinah, the daughter of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob, went out to observe the daughters of the inhabitants of the land.

 

2 And Shechem the son of Hamor the Horite, the ruler of the land, saw her, and taking her he lay with her and humbled her.

 

3 And he was attached in soul to Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the maiden, and he spoke to her according to the mind of the maiden.

 

4 And Shechem spoke to Hamor his father, saying, "Get me this girl for a wife."

 

5 Now Jacob heard that the son of Hamor had defiled Dinah his daughter; but his sons were with his cattle in the plain, and Jacob kept silent until they came.

 

6 And Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him.

 

7 And the sons of Jacob came from the field; and when they heard, the men were cut to the heart, and it was very grievous to them, because he had done a disgraceful thing in Israel by lying with the daughter of Jacob—and it shall not be so.

 

8 And Hamor spoke to them, saying, "Shechem my son has chosen your daughter in his soul; give her therefore to him as a wife.

 

9 And intermarry with us: give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for your sons.

 

10 And dwell among us; and behold, the land is broad before you: dwell and trade in it, and get possessions in it."

 

11 And Shechem said to her father and to her brothers, "May I find favor before you, and whatever you say, we will give.

 

12 Increase the dowry greatly, and I will give according as you tell me, and you shall give me this girl for a wife."

 

13 But the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father with deceit, and spoke to them, because they had defiled Dinah their sister;

 

14 and Simeon and Levi, the brothers of Dinah, sons of Leah, said to them, "We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to a man who is uncircumcised, for it is a reproach to us.

 

15 Only in this will we be like you and dwell among you: if you also become as we are, in that every male of yours be circumcised.

 

16 Then we will give our daughters to you, and from your daughters we will take wives for ourselves, and we will dwell with you, and we will be as one people.

 

17 But if you do not listen to us so as to be circumcised, we will take our daughters and depart."

 

18 And the words were pleasing before Hamor and before Shechem the son of Hamor.

 

19 And the young man did not delay to do this thing, for he was devoted to the daughter of Jacob; and he was the most honored of all in his father's house.

 

20 And Hamor and Shechem his son came to the gate of their city and spoke to the men of their city, saying,

 

21 "These men are peaceable with us; let them dwell in the land and trade in it, and behold, the land is broad before them. We will take their daughters as wives for ourselves, and we will give them our daughters.

 

22 Only on this condition will the men be like us, so as to dwell with us and be one people: that every male of ours be circumcised, just as they also are circumcised.

 

23 And shall not their cattle and their possessions and their four-footed beasts be ours? Only in this let us be like them, and they will dwell with us."

 

24 And all who went out of the gate of their city listened to Hamor and Shechem his son, and every male was circumcised in the flesh of their foreskin.

 

25 And it came to pass on the third day, when they were in pain, the two sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, the brothers of Dinah, each took his sword and entered the city securely and killed every male.

 

26 And they killed Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and they took Dinah out of the house of Shechem and went out.

 

27 And the sons of Jacob came upon the slain and plundered the city in which they had defiled Dinah their sister;

 

28 and they took their sheep and their oxen and their donkeys, both what was in the city and what was in the field.

 

29 And they took captive all their persons and all their goods and their wives, and plundered whatever was in the city and whatever was in the houses.

 

30 And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You have made me hateful, so that I am evil to all who dwell in the land, among both the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and I am few in number, and they will gather against me and cut me down, and I shall be destroyed, I and my house."

 

31 But they said, "Shall they treat our sister as a harlot?"

 

Chapter  35

 

1 And God said to Jacob, "Arise, go up to the place Bethel and dwell there, and make there an altar to the God who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother."

 

2 And Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, "Put away the foreign gods that are among you from your midst, and purify yourselves, and change your garments,

 

3 and let us arise and go up to Bethel, and let us make there an altar to the God who heard me in the day of distress, who was with me and preserved me on the way by which I went."

 

4 And they gave to Jacob the foreign gods that were in their hands, and the earrings that were in their ears, and Jacob hid them under the terebinth that is in Shechem, and destroyed them, unto this day.

 

5 And Israel departed from Shechem, and a fear of God came upon the cities round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Israel.

 

6 And Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, which is Bethel, he and all the people who were with him.

 

7 And he built there an altar and called the name of the place Bethel; for there God appeared to him when he fled from the face of Esau his brother.

 

8 And Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died below Bethel under the oak, and Jacob called its name the Oak of Mourning.

 

9 And God appeared to Jacob again at Luz, when he came from Mesopotamia of Syria, and God blessed him.

 

10 And God said to him, "Your name is Jacob; you shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name."

 

11 And God said to him, "I am your God; increase and multiply; nations and assemblies of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come forth from your loins.

 

12 And the land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I have given it to you; it shall be yours, and to your seed after you I will give this land."

 

13 And God went up from him, from the place where he spoke with him.

 

14 And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he spoke with him, a pillar of stone, and he poured out a drink offering upon it and poured oil upon it.

 

15 And Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him there, Bethel.

 

16 And Jacob departed from Bethel and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Gader. And it came to pass, when he drew near to Chabratha, to come to the land of Ephrath, Rachel gave birth, and had hard labor in her delivery.

 

17 And it came to pass, as she was in hard labor, the midwife said to her, "Take courage, for this one also is a son for you."

 

18 And it came to pass, as she was giving up her soul, for she was dying, she called his name Son of My Pain; but his father called him Benjamin.

 

19 And Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (this is Bethlehem).

 

20 And Jacob set up a pillar over her tomb; this is the pillar of Rachel's tomb unto this day.

 *and it appeared evil to him*

22 And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah, his father's concubine; and Israel heard of it, and it appeared evil in his sight. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve.

 

23 The sons of Leah: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun.

 

24 And the sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.

 

25 And the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's maidservant: Dan and Naphtali.

 

26 And the sons of Zilpah, Leah's maidservant: Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Mesopotamia of Syria.

 

27 And Jacob came to Isaac his father at Mamre, to the city of the plain in the land of Canaan, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned.

 

28 And the days of Isaac which he lived were one hundred eighty years;

 

29 and failing, he died and was gathered to his kindred, old and full of days, and Esau and Jacob his sons buried him.

 

Chapter  36

 

1 Now these are the generations of Esau.

 

2 Esau took wives for himself from the daughters of the Canaanites: Ada, daughter of Ailon the Hittite, and Elibema, daughter of Ana the son of Sebegon the Hivite,

 

3 and Basemmath, daughter of Ishmael, sister of Nabaioth.

 

4 And Ada bore to Esau Eliphas, and Basemmath bore Raguel,

 

5 and Elibema bore Ieous and Ieglom and Kore; these are the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan.

 

6 And Esau took his wives and his sons and his daughters and all the persons of his household and all his possessions and all his cattle and all that he had acquired and all that he had gained in the land of Canaan, and he went from the land of Canaan away from the face of Jacob his brother;

 

7 for their possessions were too many for them to dwell together, and the land of their sojourning could not bear them because of the abundance of their possessions.

 

8 And Esau dwelt in Mount Seir.

 

9 Now these are the generations of Esau, the father of Edom, in Mount Seir,

 

10 and these are the names of the sons of Esau: Eliphas, son of Ada the wife of Esau, and Raguel, son of Basemmath the wife of Esau.

 

11 And the sons of Eliphas were: Thaiman, Omar, Sophar, Gothom, and Kenez.

 

12 And Thamna was a concubine of Eliphas the son of Esau, and she bore to Eliphas Amalek; these are the sons of Ada the wife of Esau.

 

13 And these are the sons of Raguel: Nachoth, Zare, Some, and Moze; these were the sons of Basemmath the wife of Esau.

 

14 And these were the sons of Elibema, daughter of Ana the son of Sebegon, the wife of Esau; and she bore to Esau Ieous and Ieglom and Kore.

 

15 These are the chiefs, sons of Esau: the sons of Eliphas the firstborn of Esau: chief Thaiman, chief Omar, chief Sophar, chief Kenez,

 

16 chief Kore, chief Gothom, chief Amalek; these are the chiefs of Eliphas in the land of Idumea; these are the sons of Ada.

 

17 And these are the sons of Raguel the son of Esau: chief Nachoth, chief Zare, chief Some, chief Moze; these are the chiefs of Raguel in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Basemmath the wife of Esau.

 

18 And these are the sons of Elibema the wife of Esau: chief Ieous, chief Ieglom, chief Kore; these are the chiefs of Elibema.

 

19 These are the sons of Esau, and these are their chiefs. These are the sons of Edom.

 

20 Now these are the sons of Seir the Horite, who inhabited the land: Lotan, Sobal, Sebegon, Ana,

 

21 and Deson and Asar and Rison; these are the chiefs of the Horite, the son of Seir, in the land of Edom.

 

22 And the sons of Lotan were: Chorri and Aiman; and Lotan's sister was Thamna.

 

23 And these are the sons of Sobal: Golon and Manachath and Gaibel, Soph and Oman.

 

24 And these are the sons of Sebegon: Aie and Onan; this is the Onas who found Iamin in the wilderness, when he was pasturing the beasts of burden of Sebegon his father.

 

25 And these are the sons of Ana: Deson; and Elibema was the daughter of Ana.

 

26 And these are the sons of Deson: Amada and Asban and Iethran and Charran.

 

27 And these are the sons of Asar: Balaan and Zoukam and Ioukam and Oukan.

 

28 And these are the sons of Rison: Os and Aram.

 

29 These are the chiefs of Chorri: chief Lotan, chief Sobal, chief Sebegon, chief Ana,

 

 

30 chief Deson, chief Asar, chief Rison. These are the chiefs of Chorri in their chiefdoms in the land of Edom.

 

31 And these are the kings who reigned in Edom before any king reigned in Israel.

 

32 And Balak son of Beor reigned in Edom, and the name of his city was Dennaba.

 

33 And Balak died, and Iobab son of Zara from Bosorra reigned in his stead.

 

34 And Iobab died, and Asom from the land of the Thaimanites reigned in his stead.

 

35 And Asom died, and Adad son of Barad, who cut down Midian in the plain of Moab, reigned in his stead, and the name of his city was Geththaim.

 

36 And Adad died, and Samala from Masekka reigned in his stead.

 

37 And Samala died, and Saul from Roōboth by the river reigned in his stead.

 

38 And Saul died, and Balaennon son of Achobor reigned in his stead.

 

39 And Balaennon son of Achobor died, and Arad son of Barad reigned in his stead, and the name of his city was Phogor, and the name of his wife was Maitebeel, daughter of Matraith son of Maizoob.

 

40 These are the names of the chiefs of Esau in their tribes, according to their place, in their regions and among their nations: chief Thamna, chief Gola, chief Iether,

 

41 chief Elibemas, chief Elas, chief Phinon,

 

42 chief Kenez, chief Thaiman, chief Mazar,

 

43 chief Megediel, chief Zaphoim. These are the chiefs of Edom in their built-up dwellings in the land of their possession. This is Esau, the father of Edom.

 

Chapter  37

 

1 Now Jacob dwelt in the land where his father sojourned, in the land of Canaan.

 

2 These are the generations of Jacob: Joseph was seventeen years old, shepherding the sheep with his brothers, being young, with the sons of Bilhah and with the sons of Zilpah, the wives of his father; and Joseph brought an evil report against them to Israel their father.

 

3 Now Jacob loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a coat of many colors.

 

4 But his brothers, seeing that his father loved him more than all his sons, hated him and could not speak anything peaceable to him.

 

5 And Joseph dreamed a dream and reported it to his brothers,

 

6 and said to them, "Hear this dream which I have dreamed:

 

7 I thought we were binding sheaves in the middle of the field, and my sheaf arose and stood upright, and your sheaves turned around and bowed down to my sheaf."

 

8 And his brothers said to him, "Shall you indeed reign over us, or shall you indeed lord it over us?" And they hated him still more because of his dreams and because of his words.

 

9 And he saw another dream and recounted it to his father and to his brothers, and said, "Behold, I have dreamed another dream: as it were, the sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me."

 

10 And his father rebuked him and said to him, "What is this dream which you have dreamed? Shall we indeed come, I and your mother and your brothers, to bow down to you upon the ground?"

 

11 And his brothers envied him, but his father kept the saying.

 

12 Now his brothers went to feed their father's sheep at Shechem.

 

13 And Israel said to Joseph, "Are not your brothers shepherding at Shechem? Come, let me send you to them." And he said to him, "Here I am."

 

14 And Israel said to him, "Go, see whether your brothers and the sheep are well, and bring me word." And he sent him from the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

 

15 And a man found him wandering in the field; and the man asked him, saying, "What are you seeking?"

 

16 And he said, "I am seeking my brothers; tell me where they are pasturing."

 

17 And the man said to him, "They have departed from here, for I heard them saying, 'Let us go to Dothan.'" And Joseph went after his brothers and found them in Dothan.

 

18 But they saw him from afar, before he drew near to them, and they plotted to kill him.

 

19 And each said to his brother, "Behold, that dreamer is coming.

 

20 Now therefore come, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits, and we will say, 'An evil beast has devoured him'; and we shall see what will become of his dreams."

 

21 But Reuben, hearing it, delivered him out of their hands and said, "Let us not strike him to take his life."

 

22 And 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 deliver him out of their hands and restore him to his father.

 

23 And it came to pass, when Joseph came to his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of the coat of many colors that was on him,

 

24 and they took him and threw him into the pit; and the pit was empty; it had no water.

 

25 And they sat down to eat bread; and lifting up their eyes they looked, and behold, Ishmaelite travelers were coming from Gilead, and their camels were laden with spices and resin and myrrh; and they were going to carry them down to Egypt.

 

26 And Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?

 

27 Come, let us sell him to these Ishmaelites, but let not our hands be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh." And his brothers listened.

 

28 And the men, the Midianite merchants, passed by, and they drew out and brought Joseph up out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of gold; and they brought Joseph down to Egypt.

 

29 And Reuben returned to the pit, and he did not see Joseph in the pit; and he tore his garments.

 

30 And he returned to his brothers and said, "The boy is not there; and I—where shall I go now?"

 

31 And taking Joseph's coat, they slaughtered a kid of the goats and stained the coat with the blood.

 

32 And they sent the coat of many colors and brought it in to their father and said, "This we have found; discern whether it is your son's coat or not."

 

33 And he recognized it and said, "It is my son's coat; an evil beast has devoured him; a beast has seized Joseph."

 

34 And Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days.

 

35 And all his sons and daughters gathered together and came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted, saying, "I will go down to my son mourning, into Hades." And his father wept for him.

 

36 Now the Midianites sold Joseph into Egypt to Potiphar, the eunuch of Pharaoh, the chief cook.

 

Chapter  38

 

1 And it came to pass at that time that Judah went down from his brothers and came to a certain Adullamite man, whose name was Hirah.

 

2 And there Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite man, whose name was Shua, and he took her and went in to her.

 

3 And she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er.

 

4 And she conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan.

 

5 And she went on and bore yet another son, and she called his name Shelah. Now she was in Chezib when she bore them.

 

6 And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar.

 

7 But Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked before the Lord, and God killed him.

 

8 Then Judah said to Onan, "Go in to your brother's wife and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother."

 

9 But Onan, knowing that the offspring would not be his, whenever he went in to his brother's wife, would spill it on the ground, so as not to give offspring to his brother.

 

10 And what he did appeared evil before God, and he put him to death also.

 

11 Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, "Sit as a widow in your father's house until Shelah my son grows up," for he said, "Lest he too die like his brothers." So Tamar went away and sat in her father's house.

 

12 And the days were multiplied, and Shua, Judah's wife, died; and when Judah had been comforted, he went up to those shearing his sheep, he and Hirah his shepherd the Adullamite, to Timnah.

 

13 And it was reported to Tamar his daughter-in-law, saying, "Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep."

 

14 And she removed the garments of her widowhood from herself, and put on a veil and adorned herself, and sat by the gates of Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah had grown up, but he had not given her to him as a wife.

 

15 And when Judah saw her, he thought her to be a harlot; for she had covered her face, and he did not recognize her.

 

16 And he turned aside to her on the road and said to her, "Let me come in to you"—for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, "What will you give me, if you come in to me?"

 

17 And he said, "I will send you a kid of the goats from the flock." And she said, "If you give a pledge until you send it."

 

18 And he said, "What pledge shall I give you?" And she said, "Your ring and the cord and the staff that is in your hand." And he gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him.

 

19 And she arose and went away, and removed the veil from herself and put on the garments of her widowhood.

 

20 And Judah sent the kid of the goats by the hand of his shepherd the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman, but he did not find her.

 

21 And he asked the men of the place, "Where is the harlot who was at Enaim by the road?" And they said, "There was no harlot here."

 

22 And he returned to Judah and said, "I did not find her, and the men of the place say there is no harlot here."

 

23 And Judah said, "Let her keep them, only let us not be laughed at; I indeed sent this kid, but you have not found her."

 

24 And it came to pass after three months that it was reported to Judah, saying, "Tamar your daughter-in-law has played the harlot, and behold, she is with child by harlotry." And Judah said, "Bring her out, and let her be burned."

 

25 But as she was being led out, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, "By the man to whom these things belong I am with child." And she said, "Recognize whose ring and cord and staff these are."

 

26 And Judah recognized them and said, "Tamar is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to Shelah my son." And he did not know her again.

 

27 And it came to pass when she was giving birth, that there were twins in her womb.

 

28 And it came to pass as she was giving birth, one put out his hand first; and the midwife took it and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, "This one will come out first."

 

29 But when he drew back his hand, immediately his brother came out. And she said, "Why has a breach been made because of you?" And she called his name Perez.

 

30 And after this his brother came out, on whose hand was the scarlet thread; and she called his name Zerah.

 

Chapter  39

 

1 Now Joseph was brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, the eunuch of Pharaoh, the chief cook, an Egyptian man, purchased him from the hand of the Ishmaelites, who had brought him down there.

 

2 And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man, and he was in the house with his Egyptian master.

 

3 And his master knew that the Lord was with him, and that whatever he did, the Lord made prosper in his hands.

 

4 And Joseph found favor before his master, and he pleased him, and he set him over his house, and all that he had he gave into the hand of Joseph.

 

5 And it came to pass after he was set over his house and over all that he had, that the Lord blessed the house of the Egyptian because of Joseph, and the blessing of the Lord was upon all his possessions in the house and in the field.

 

6 And he entrusted all that he had into the hands of Joseph, and he knew nothing of his own affairs except the bread which he himself ate. And Joseph was handsome in form and very beautiful in appearance.

 

7 And it came to pass after these things that the wife of his master cast her eyes upon Joseph and said, "Lie with me."

 

8 But he was unwilling, and said to the wife of his master, "If my master knows nothing in his house because of me, and has given all that he has into my hands,

 

9 and nothing in this house is above me, nor has anything been withheld from me except you, because you are his wife—how then shall I do this wicked thing and sin before God?"

 

10 And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he did not consent to her, to sleep with her, to be with her.

 

11 But it came to pass on a certain such day that Joseph went into the house to do his work, and no one of those in the house was inside,

 

12 and she caught hold of him by his garments, saying, "Lie with me." And leaving his garments in her hands, he fled and went outside.

 

13 And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garments in her hands and had fled and gone outside,

 

14 that she called those who were in the house and spoke to them, saying, "See, he has brought in to us a Hebrew servant to mock us. He came in to me saying, 'Lie with me,' and I cried out with a loud voice.

 

15 And when he heard that I raised my voice and cried out, leaving his garments with me, he fled and went outside."

 

16 And she kept the garments by her until the master came to his house.

 

17 And she spoke to him according to these words, saying, "The Hebrew servant, whom you brought in to us, came in to me to mock me, and said to me, 'I will lie with you.'

 

18 But when he heard that I raised my voice and cried out, he left his garments with me and fled and went outside."

 

19 And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, all that she spoke to him, saying, "Thus did your servant do to me," that he was enraged with anger.

 

20 And his master took Joseph and cast him into the fortress, into the place where the prisoners of the king are held, there in the fortress.

 

21 And the Lord was with Joseph and poured out mercy upon him, and gave him favor before the chief jailer.

 

22 And the chief jailer gave the prison into the hand of Joseph, and all the prisoners who were in the prison, and all that they did there.

 

23 The chief jailer of the prison knew nothing on his account, for all things were in the hand of Joseph, because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made prosper in his hands.

 

Chapter  40

 

1 And it came to pass after these things that the chief cupbearer of the king of Egypt and the chief baker sinned against their lord, the king of Egypt.

 

2 And Pharaoh was angry with his two eunuchs, with the chief cupbearer and with the chief baker,

 

3 and he put them in custody with the keeper of the prison, in the prison, in the place where Joseph had been led away.

 

4 And the chief jailer committed them to Joseph, and he attended them; and they were some days in the prison.

 

5 And they both saw a dream, each a dream, in one night, the vision of his dream, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, who belonged to the king of Egypt, who were in the prison.

 

6 And Joseph came in to them in the morning and saw them, and they were troubled.

 

7 And he asked the eunuchs of Pharaoh, who were with him in custody with his master, saying, Why are your faces downcast today?

 

8 And they said to him, We have seen a dream, and there is no one to interpret it. And Joseph said to them, Is not the interpretation of them through God? Tell them, then, to me.

 

9 And the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph and said, In my sleep there was a vine before me;

 

10 and on the vine were three stems, and it was flourishing, having brought forth shoots; the clusters of grapes were ripe.

 

11 And Pharaoh's cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes and pressed them into the cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hands.

 

12 And Joseph said to him, This is its interpretation: the three stems are three days;

 

13 yet three days, and Pharaoh will remember your office and restore you to your chief cupbearership, and you will give Pharaoh's cup into his hand according to your former office, as you were his cupbearer.

 

14 But remember me by yourself, when it goes well with you, and you shall show mercy to me and shall make mention of me to Pharaoh and bring me out of this stronghold;

 

15 for I was indeed stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews, and here I have done nothing, yet they cast me into this pit.

 

16 And the chief baker saw that he had interpreted rightly, and he said to Joseph, I also saw a dream, and I thought I was carrying three baskets of fine bread on my head;

 

17 and in the topmost basket were some of all the kinds that King Pharaoh eats, the work of a baker; and the birds of the sky were devouring them out of the basket above my head.

 

18 And Joseph answered and said to him, This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days;

 

19 yet three days, and Pharaoh will take your head from off you and hang you on a tree, and the birds of the sky will eat your flesh from off you.

 

20 And it came to pass on the third day, it was Pharaoh's birthday, and he made a feast for all his servants. And he remembered the office of the chief cupbearer and the office of the chief baker in the midst of his servants,

 

21 and he restored the chief cupbearer to his office, and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand;

 

22 but the chief baker he hanged, just as Joseph had interpreted to them.

 

23 But the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.

 

Chapter  41

 

1 And it came to pass after two years of days that Pharaoh saw a dream. He thought he was standing by the river,

 

2 and behold, as it were out of the river there came up seven cows, beautiful in appearance and choice in flesh, and they fed in the sedge.

 

3 And seven other cows came up after them out of the river, ugly in appearance and thin in flesh, and they grazed beside the cows on the bank of the river.

 

4 And the seven ugly cows, thin in flesh, devoured the seven cows beautiful in appearance and choice. And Pharaoh awoke.

 

5 And he dreamed a second time, and behold, seven ears of grain came up on one stalk, choice and beautiful.

 

6 And seven other ears, thin and blasted by the wind, sprang up after them.

 

7 And the seven thin, wind-blasted ears swallowed up the seven choice and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and it was a dream.

 

8 And it came to pass in the morning that his soul was troubled, and he sent and called all the interpreters of Egypt and all her wise men, and Pharaoh recounted the dream to them, but there was no one who could explain it to Pharaoh.

 

9 And the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, "I remember my sin today.

 

10 Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put us in prison in the house of the chief cook, both me and the chief baker.

 

11 And we saw a dream in one night, both I and he; we each saw according to his own dream.

 

12 And there was there with us a young man, a Hebrew servant of the chief cook, and we recounted them to him, and he interpreted them for us.

 

13 And it happened just as he interpreted for us, so it also came to pass: I was restored to my office, and he was hanged."

 

14 And Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him out of the stronghold, and shaved him, and changed his robe, and he came to Pharaoh.

 

15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I have seen a dream, and there is no one to interpret it; but I have heard it said of you that when you hear dreams you interpret them."

 

16 And Joseph answered Pharaoh and said, "Without God, Pharaoh's welfare shall not be answered."

 

17 And Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, "In my sleep I thought I was standing by the bank of the river,

 

18 and as it were out of the river there came up seven cows, beautiful in appearance and choice in flesh, and they grazed in the sedge.

 

19 And behold, seven other cows came up after them out of the river, wretched and ugly in appearance and thin in flesh — uglier than any such I have seen in all the land of Egypt.

 

20 And the seven ugly and thin cows devoured the first seven cows, the beautiful and choice ones,

 

21 and they entered into their bellies, and it was not apparent that they had entered into their bellies, and their appearance was ugly as at the beginning. And having awakened, I slept again,

 

22 and I saw again in my sleep, and as it were seven ears came up on one stalk, full and beautiful.

 

23 And seven other ears, thin and blasted by the wind, sprang up close to them.

 

24 And the seven thin, wind-blasted ears swallowed the seven beautiful and full ears. So I told the interpreters, and there was no one who could explain it to me."

 

25 And Joseph said to Pharaoh, "Pharaoh's dream is one: what God is doing, he has shown to Pharaoh.

 

26 The seven beautiful cows are seven years, and the seven beautiful ears are seven years; Pharaoh's dream is one.

 

27 And the seven thin cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven thin and wind-blasted ears shall be seven years of famine.

 

28 And as for the word which I have spoken to Pharaoh, what God is doing, he has shown to Pharaoh

 

29 behold, seven years are coming of great abundance in all the land of Egypt.

 

30 But seven years of famine shall come after these, and they shall forget the plenty in all the land of Egypt, and the famine shall consume the land,

 

31 and the abundance shall not be known in the land because of the famine that shall come afterward, for it shall be very severe.

 

32 And as for Pharaoh's dream being repeated twice, it is because the word from God shall be true, and God will hasten to do it.

 

33 Now therefore look out a man prudent and understanding, and set him over the land of Egypt.

 

34 And let Pharaoh act and appoint overseers over the land, and let them take a fifth of all the produce of the land of Egypt of the seven years of abundance,

 

35 and let them gather all the food of these seven good years that are coming, and let the grain be gathered under the hand of Pharaoh; let food be kept in the cities.

 

36 And the food shall be kept for the land for the seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt, and the land shall not be destroyed by the famine."

 

37 And the words pleased Pharaoh and all his servants,

 

38 and Pharaoh said to all his servants, "Shall we find such a man, who has the spirit of God in him?"

 

39 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has shown you all these things, there is no man more prudent and understanding than you.

 

40 You shall be over my house, and at your mouth all my people shall obey; only in the throne will I be greater than you."

 

41 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Behold, I set you today over all the land of Egypt."

 

42 And Pharaoh took off the ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's hand, and clothed him in a robe of fine linen, and put a golden collar around his neck.

 

43 And he mounted him upon the second of his chariots, and a herald proclaimed before him; and he set him over the whole land of Egypt.

 

44 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I am Pharaoh; without you no one shall lift up his hand in all the land of Egypt."

 

45 And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Psonthomphanech, and he gave him Asenneth, daughter of Petephres, priest of Heliopolis, as his wife.

 

46 And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and passed through all the land of Egypt.

 

47 And the land in the seven years of abundance produced sheaves.

 

48 And he gathered all the food of the seven years in which there was abundance in the land of Egypt, and he stored the food in the cities; the food of the fields of a city that were around it he stored in it.

 

49 And Joseph gathered grain like the sand of the sea, very much, until they could not count it, for there was no number.

 

50 And to Joseph were born two sons before the seven years of famine came, whom Asenneth, daughter of Petephres, priest of Heliopolis, bore to him.

 

51 And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh, "For God has made me forget all my toils and all those of my father."

 

52 And the name of the second he called Ephraim, "For God has made me increase in the land of my humiliation."

 

53 And the seven years of abundance which came in the land of Egypt passed by,

 

54 and the seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph had said. And there was famine in all the land, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.

 

55 And all the land of Egypt hungered, and the people cried out to Pharaoh for bread; and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph, and whatever he says to you, do."

 

56 And the famine was upon the face of all the land; and Joseph opened all the granaries and sold to all the Egyptians.

 

57 And all the countries came to Egypt to buy from Joseph, for the famine prevailed in all the land.

 

Chapter  42

 

1 Now when Jacob saw that there was grain for sale in Egypt, he said to his sons, "Why are you idle?"

 

2 "Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy us a little food, that we may live and not die."

 

3 So the ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain from Egypt;

 

4 but Benjamin, Joseph's brother, he did not send with his brothers, for he said, "Lest some harm befall him."

 

5 So the sons of Israel came to buy along with those who were coming, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

 

6 Now Joseph was ruler of the land; it was he who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brothers came and bowed down to him with their faces to the ground.

 

7 And when Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but made himself a stranger to them and spoke harshly to them, and said to them, "Where have you come from?" And they said, "From the land of Canaan, to buy food."

 

8 Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him.

 

9 And Joseph remembered the dreams which he himself had seen, and said to them, "You are spies; you have come to observe the tracks of the country."

 

10 But they said, "No, lord; we your servants have come to buy food.

 

11 We are all sons of one man; we are peaceable men; your servants are not spies."

 

12 But he said to them, "No; rather you have come to see the tracks of the land."

 

13 And they said, "We your servants are twelve brothers in the land of Canaan, and behold, the youngest is with our father today, and the other is no more."

 

14 But Joseph said to them, "This is what I said to you, saying, 'You are spies.'

 

15 By this you shall be proved: by the health of Pharaoh, you shall not go out from here unless your youngest brother comes here.

 

16 Send one of you and bring your brother, but you shall be kept in custody until your words are made clear, whether you speak the truth or not; and if not, by the health of Pharaoh, surely you are spies."

 

17 And he put them in prison for three days.

 

18 And on the third day he said to them, "Do this and you shall live for I fear God:

 

19 if you are peaceable, let one of your brothers be detained in prison, but go yourselves and carry away the grain you have bought for your ration,

 

20 and bring your youngest brother to me, and your words will be believed; but if not, you shall die." And they did so.

 

21 And each said to his brother, "Yes, for we are in sin concerning our brother, because we disregarded the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we did not listen to him; because of this, this distress has come upon us."

 

22 And Reuben answered and said to them, "Did I not speak to you, saying, 'Do not wrong the boy'? And you did not listen to me; and behold, his blood is required."

 

23 But they did not know that Joseph understood, for the interpreter was between them.

 

24 And Joseph turned away from them and wept. Then he came back to them and spoke to them, and he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.

 

25 And Joseph gave orders to fill their vessels with grain, and to return each man's money into his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. And it was done for them so.

 

26 And having loaded the grain on their donkeys, they departed from there.

 

27 But when one of them opened his sack to give fodder to his donkeys at the place where they lodged, he saw the bundle of his money, and it was on top of the mouth of the sack.

 

28 And he said to his brothers, "My money has been returned to me, and behold, here it is in my sack." And their hearts failed them, and they were troubled, saying to one another, "What is this that God has done to us?"

 

29 And they came to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan, and reported to him all that had happened to them, saying,

 

30 "The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly to us, and put us in prison as spying out the land.

 

31 But we said to him, 'We are peaceable men; we are not spies.

 

32 We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no more, and the youngest is with our father today in the land of Canaan.'

 

33 And the man, the lord of the land, said to us, 'By this I shall know that you are peaceable: leave one brother here with me, and take the grain purchased for your household and go,

 

34 and bring your youngest brother to me, and I shall know that you are not spies, but that you are peaceable men; and I will restore your brother to you, and you may trade in the land.'"

 

35 And it came to pass, as they emptied their sacks, behold, each man's bundle of money was in his sack; and they saw the bundles of their money, they and their father, and they were afraid.

 

36 And Jacob their father said to them, "You have made me childless: Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you would take Benjamin. All these things have come upon me."

 

37 And Reuben spoke to his father, saying, "Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you; give him into my hand, and I will bring him back to you."

 

38 But he said, "My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left; and it will happen that he suffers harm on the way you go, and you will bring down my old age with sorrow to Hades."

 

 

Chapter  43

 

1 Now the famine grew severe upon the land.

 

2 And it came to pass, when they had finished eating the grain which they had brought out of Egypt, that their father said to them, "Go again and buy us a little food."

 

3 But Judah spoke to him, saying, "The man solemnly warned us, saying, 'You shall not see my face unless your younger brother is with you.'

 

4 If, then, you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food;

 

5 but if you do not send our brother with us, we will not go; for the man said to us, 'You shall not see my face unless your younger brother is with you.'"

 

6 And Israel said, "Why did you do me harm by telling the man that you have a brother?"

 

7 And they said, "The man questioned us closely about ourselves and our kindred, saying, 'Is your father still alive? Have you a brother?' And we answered him according to this questioning. Could we know that he would say to us, 'Bring your brother'?"

 

8 And Judah said to Israel his father, "Send the boy with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you and our households.

 

9 I will be surety for him; from my hand require him. If I do not bring him to you and set him before you, I shall be guilty before you all my days.

 

10 For if we had not delayed, we would already have returned twice."

 

11 And Israel their father said to them, "If it must be so, do this: take of the fruits of the land in your vessels and carry down gifts to the man—some resin and honey, incense and myrrh oil, and terebinth nuts and walnuts.

 

12 And take double money in your hands; the money that was returned in your sacks carry back with you; perhaps it was a mistake.

 

13 And take your brother, and arise, go down to the man.

 

14 And may my God grant you favor before the man, and may he send back your other brother and Benjamin; for as for me, if I am bereaved of children, I am bereaved."

 

15 So the men took these gifts, and they took double money in their hands, and Benjamin, and arose and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.

 

16 And Joseph saw them and Benjamin his brother, born of the same mother, and he said to the steward of his house, "Bring the men into the house, and slaughter animals and make ready; for the men shall eat bread with me at noon."

 

17 And the man did as Joseph said, and brought the men into Joseph's house.

 

18 But when the men saw that they were brought into Joseph's house, they said, "It is because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time that we are being brought in—to bring a false charge against us and fall upon us, to take us as slaves, and our donkeys."

 

19 So they came near to the man who was over Joseph's house and spoke to him at the gateway of the house,

 

20 saying, "We beg you, lord: we came down the first time to buy food;

 

21 and it came to pass, when we came to the lodging place and opened our sacks, behold, each man's money was in his sack. Our money in full weight we have now brought back in our hands,

 

22 and we have brought other money with us to buy food. We do not know who put the money into our sacks."

 

23 And he said to them, "Peace be to you; do not fear. Your God, and the God of your fathers, has given you treasure in your sacks; your money I received in good order." And he brought Simeon out to them,

 

 

24 and brought water to wash their feet, and gave fodder to their donkeys.

 

25 And they made ready the gifts until Joseph should come at noon, for they heard that he was to dine there.

 

26 And Joseph entered the house, and they brought him the gifts which they had in their hands into the house, and they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground.

 

27 And he asked them, "How are you?" And he said to them, "Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?"

 

28 And they said, "Your servant our father is well; he is still alive." And he said, "Blessed be that man to God." And bowing down, they did him obeisance.

 

29 And lifting up his eyes, Joseph saw Benjamin his brother, born of the same mother, and said, "Is this your younger brother, whom you said you would bring to me?" And he said, "God be gracious to you, my child."

 

30 And Joseph was troubled—for his inward parts were stirred over his brother and he sought to weep; and going into his chamber, he wept there.

 

31 And having washed his face, he came out and restrained himself, and said, "Set out bread."

 

32 And they set it for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians who dined with him by themselves; for the Egyptians could not eat bread with the Hebrews, for it is an abomination to the Egyptians.

 

33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his seniority and the youngest according to his youth; and the men looked in amazement, each at his brother.

 

34 And portions were carried to them from him; and Benjamin's portion was made five times greater than the portions of all the others. And they drank and were merry with him.

 

Chapter  44

 

1 And Joseph commanded the one who was over his house, saying, "Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man's silver in the mouth of his sack,

 

2 and put my silver cup into the sack of the youngest, along with the price of his grain." And it was done according to the word of Joseph, just as he said.

 

3 The morning dawned, and the men were sent away, they and their donkeys.

 

4 When they had gone out of the city (they had not gone far), Joseph said to the one over his house, "Rise up, pursue after the men, and you shall overtake them and say to them, 'Why have you repaid evil for good?

 

5 Why have you stolen my silver cup? Is this not that from which my lord drinks? And he practices divination with it. You have done evil in what you have done.'"

 

6 And when he found them, he spoke to them according to these words.

 

7 And they said to him, "Why does the lord speak according to these words? Far be it from your servants to do according to this word.

 

8 If we brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver which we found in our sacks, how then would we steal silver or gold from the house of your lord?

 

9 With whomever of your servants the cup is found, let him die; and we ourselves will be servants to our lord."

 

10 And he said, "Now also let it be as you say: the man with whom the cup is found, he shall be my servant, but you shall be innocent."

 

11 And they hastened, and each man lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack.

 

12 And he searched, beginning from the eldest until he came to the youngest, and he found the cup in Benjamin's sack.

 

13 And they tore their garments, and each man put his sack upon his donkey, and they returned to the city.

 

14 And Judah and his brothers went in to Joseph, while he was still there, and they fell before him upon the ground.

 

15 And Joseph said to them, "What is this deed that you have done? Do you not know that a man such as I practices divination?"

 

16 And Judah said, "What shall we answer the lord, or what shall we say, or how shall we be justified? God has found out the iniquity of your servants. Behold, we are slaves to our lord, both we and the one with whom the cup was found."

 

17 And Joseph said, "Far be it from me to do this thing. The man with whom the cup was found, he shall be my servant; but you, go up in peace to your father."

 

18 And Judah drew near to him and said, "I beg you, lord, let your servant speak a word before you, and do not be angry with your servant, for you are next to Pharaoh.

 

19 Lord, you asked your servants, saying, 'Have you a father or a brother?'

 

20 And we said to the lord, 'We have an aged father, and a young child of his old age; and his brother died, and he alone was left to his mother, and his father loved him.'

 

21 And you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me, and I will take care of him.'

 

22 And we said to the lord, 'The child cannot leave his father; and if he leaves his father, he will die.'

 

23 But you said to your servants, 'Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall not see my face again.'

 

24 And it came to pass, when we went up to your servant our father, we reported to him the words of the lord.

 

25 And our father said to us, 'Go again, buy us a little food.'

 

26 But we said, 'We cannot go down; but if our youngest brother goes down with us, we will go down; for we cannot see the face of the man, if our youngest brother is not with us.'

 

27 And your servant our father said to us, 'You know that my wife bore me two sons;

 

28 and one went out from me, and you said that he had been devoured by beasts, and I have not seen him even until now.

 

29 If then you take this one also from my presence, and harm befalls him on the way, then you will bring down my old age with sorrow to Hades.'

 

30 Now therefore, if I go in to your servant our father and the boy is not with us — and his soul is bound up with this one's soul

 

31 then it will come to pass, when he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die; and your servants will bring down the old age of your servant our father with grief to Hades.

 

32 For your servant received the child from the father as a pledge, saying, 'If I do not bring him to you and set him before you, I shall have sinned against my father all my days.'

 

33 Now therefore, I will remain with you as a servant in place of the child, a slave of the lord; and let the child go up with his brothers.

 

34 For how shall I go up to my father, if the child is not with us? Lest I see the evils that will befall my father."

 

Chapter  45

 

1 And Joseph could not restrain himself before all those standing by him, but said, "Send everyone away from me." And no one stood by Joseph any longer when he made himself known to his brothers.

 

2 And he let out a voice with weeping; and all the Egyptians heard, and it became known in the house of Pharaoh.

 

3 And Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph; is my father still alive?" And his brothers could not answer him, for they were troubled.

 

4 And Joseph said to his brothers, "Come near to me." And they came near. And he said, "I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt.

 

5 Now therefore do not be grieved, nor let it seem harsh to you that you sold me here; for God sent me before you for life.

 

6 For this is the second year of famine upon the land, and there remain yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest.

 

7 For God sent me before you, to preserve for you a remnant upon the earth and to nourish a great remnant of you.

 

8 Now therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God, and he has made me as a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and ruler of all the land of Egypt.

 

9 Hasten therefore and go up to my father and say to him, 'Thus says your son Joseph: God has made me lord of all the land of Egypt; come down therefore to me and do not delay.

 

10 And you shall dwell in the land of Gesem of Arabia, and you shall be near me, you and your sons and your sons' sons, your sheep and your cattle and all that you have.

 

11 And I will nourish you there, for there are yet five years of famine lest you be destroyed, you and your sons and all your possessions.'

 

12 Behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaks to you.

 

13 Report therefore to my father all my glory in Egypt and all that you have seen, and make haste and bring my father down here."

 

14 And falling upon the neck of his brother Benjamin, he wept over him, and Benjamin wept upon his neck.

 

15 And kissing all his brothers, he wept over them, and after this his brothers spoke with him.

 

16 And the report was noised abroad in the house of Pharaoh, saying, "Joseph's brothers have come." And Pharaoh rejoiced, and his household.

 

17 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Say to your brothers, 'Do this: load your carriages and go to the land of Canaan,

 

18 and take your father and your possessions and come to me, and I will give you of all the good things of Egypt, and you shall eat the marrow of the land.'

 

19 And you, command this: to take for them wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and your wives, and take up your father and come.

 

20 And do not spare your eyes over your belongings, for all the good things of Egypt shall be yours."

 

21 And the sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them wagons according to what had been said by Pharaoh the king, and he gave them provisions for the journey.

 

22 And to all he gave two sets of garments, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred gold pieces and five changes of garments.

 

23 And to his father he sent likewise, and ten donkeys carrying of all the good things of Egypt, and ten mules carrying bread for his father for the journey.

 

24 And he sent his brothers away, and they departed; and he said to them, "Do not be angry on the way."

 

25 And they went up out of Egypt and came to the land of Canaan, to Jacob their father,

 

26 and they reported to him, saying, "Your son Joseph is alive, and he rules all the land of Egypt." And the mind of Jacob was astounded, for he did not believe them.

 

27 But they told him all the things spoken by Joseph, whatever he had said to them. And when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived.

 

28 And Israel said, "It is a great thing for me if my son Joseph is still alive; I will go and see him before I die."

 

Chapter  46

 

1 And Israel set out, he and all that was his, and came to the Well of the Oath, and offered a sacrifice to the God of his father Isaac.

 

2 And God spoke to Israel in a vision of the night, saying, "Jacob, Jacob." And he said, "What is it?"

 

3 And he said, "I am the God of your fathers; do not be afraid to go down into Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there,

 

4 and I will go down with you into Egypt, and I will bring you up at the end, and Joseph shall lay his hands upon your eyes."

 

5 And Jacob rose up from the Well of the Oath, and the sons of Israel took up their father and the baggage and their wives on the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him,

 

6 and taking up their possessions and all the property which they had acquired in the land of Canaan, they entered into Egypt, Jacob and all his seed with him,

 

7 sons and his sons' sons with him, daughters and his sons' daughters; and he brought all his seed into Egypt.

 

8 Now these are the names of the sons of Israel who entered into Egypt: Jacob and his sons. The firstborn of Jacob: Reuben.

 

9 And the sons of Reuben: Enoch and Phallus, Asron and Charmi.

 

10 And the sons of Simeon: Jemuel and Jamin and Aod and Jachin and Saar and Saul, the son of the Canaanite woman.

 

11 And the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

 

12 And the sons of Judah: Er and Onan and Shelom and Perez and Zerah; but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Perez were Asron and Jemuel.

 

13 And the sons of Issachar: Tola and Phua and Jasub and Zambram.

 

14 And the sons of Zebulun: Sered and Allon and Aloel.

 

15 These are the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Mesopotamia of Syria, together with Dinah his daughter; all the souls, sons and daughters, were thirty-three.

 

16 And the sons of Gad: Saphon and Angis and Saunis and Thasoban and Aedis and Aroedis and Aroelis.

 

17 And the sons of Asher: Jemna and Jesua and Jeul and Beriah, and Sarah their sister. And the sons of Beriah: Chobor and Melchiel.

 

18 These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter, who bore these to Jacob, sixteen souls.

 

19 And the sons of Rachel, Jacob's wife: Joseph and Benjamin.

 

20 And sons were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt, whom Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis, bore to him: Manasseh and Ephraim. And sons were born to Manasseh, whom his Syrian concubine bore to him: Machir; and Machir begot Gilead. And the sons of Ephraim, Manasseh's brother: Sutalaam and Taam. And the sons of Sutalaam: Edem.

 

21 And the sons of Benjamin: Bela and Chobor and Asbel. And the sons of Bela were Gera and Noeman and Anchis and Ros and Mamphin and Ophimin; and Gera begot Arad.

 

22 These are the sons of Rachel, whom she bore to Jacob; all the souls were eighteen.

 

23 And the sons of Dan: Asom.

 

24 And the sons of Naphtali: Asiel and Gouni and Issaar and Syllem.

 

25 These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter, who bore these to Jacob; all the souls were seven.

 

26 And all the souls that entered with Jacob into Egypt, those who came forth from his loins, apart from the wives of Jacob's sons, were in all sixty-six souls.

 

27 And the sons of Joseph who were born to him in the land of Egypt were nine souls. All the souls of the house of Jacob who entered into Egypt were seventy-five.

 

28 And he sent Judah before him to Joseph, to meet him at Heroonpolis, into the land of Rameses.

 

29 And Joseph, having yoked his chariots, went up to meet Israel his father at Heroonpolis, and appearing to him he fell upon his neck and wept with much weeping.

 

30 And Israel said to Joseph, "Now I may die, since I have seen your face; for you are still alive."

 

31 And Joseph said to his brothers, "I will go up and tell Pharaoh, and I will say to him, 'My brothers and my father's house, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me.

 

32 And the men are shepherds—for they were keepers of livestock and they have brought their livestock and their oxen and all that is theirs.'

 

33 So if Pharaoh calls you and says to you, 'What is your occupation?'

 

34 you shall say, 'Your servants are keepers of livestock from childhood until now, both we and our fathers,' so that you may dwell in the land of Goshen of Arabia; for every shepherd of sheep is an abomination to the Egyptians."

 

Chapter  47

 

1 And Joseph came and told Pharaoh, saying, "My father and my brothers and their cattle and their oxen and all that is theirs have come out of the land of Canaan, and behold, they are in the land of Gesem."

 

2 And from among his brothers he took five men and set them before Pharaoh.

 

3 And Pharaoh said to Joseph's brothers, "What is your occupation?" And they said to Pharaoh, "Your servants are shepherds of sheep, both we and our fathers."

 

4 And they said to Pharaoh, "We have come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for the cattle of your servants, for the famine has grown strong in the land of Canaan; now therefore let your servants dwell in the land of Gesem."

 

5 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Let them dwell in the land of Gesem; and if you know that there are capable men among them, appoint them rulers over my cattle." Now Jacob and his sons came into Egypt to Joseph, and Pharaoh king of Egypt heard of it. And Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, "Your father and your brothers have come to you;

 

6 behold, the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best land."

 

7 And Joseph brought in Jacob his father and set him before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.

 

8 And Pharaoh said to Jacob, "How many are the years of the days of your life?"

 

9 And Jacob said to Pharaoh, "The days of the years of my life, in which I sojourn, are one hundred thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life; they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers, the days in which they sojourned."

 

10 And Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from him.

 

11 And Joseph settled his father and his brothers and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best land, in the land of Ramesses, as Pharaoh had commanded.

 

12 And Joseph provided grain for his father and his brothers and all his father's household, grain according to their persons.

 

13 Now there was no grain in all the land, for the famine grew very strong; and the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan failed because of the famine.

 

14 And Joseph gathered all the money found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan for the grain which they bought, and he measured out grain to them; and Joseph brought all the money into Pharaoh's house.

 

15 And all the money failed from the land of Egypt and from the land of Canaan. And all the Egyptians came to Joseph, saying, "Give us bread; and why should we die before you? For our money has failed."

 

16 And Joseph said to them, "Bring your cattle, and I will give you bread in exchange for your cattle, if the money has failed."

 

17 And they brought their cattle to Joseph, and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for the horses and the sheep and the oxen and the donkeys; and he sustained them with bread in exchange for all their cattle in that year.

 

18 And that year passed, and they came to him in the second year and said to him, "Lest we be destroyed from before our lord: for if the money has failed, and our possessions and our cattle have gone to you our lord, there remains nothing to us before our lord except our own bodies and our land.

 

19 Therefore, that we may not die before you and the land be made desolate, buy us and our land in exchange for bread, and we and our land will be servants to Pharaoh; give seed, that we may sow and live and not die, and the land will not be made desolate."

 

20 And Joseph acquired all the land of the Egyptians for Pharaoh, for the Egyptians sold their land to Pharaoh, since the famine had prevailed over them; and the land became Pharaoh's,

 

21 and he brought the people into bondage to him as servants, from the farthest borders of Egypt to the farthest borders,

 

22 except the land of the priests only; this Joseph did not acquire, for Pharaoh gave a gift as an allowance to the priests, and they ate the allowance which Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their land.

 

23 And Joseph said to all the Egyptians, "Behold, I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh; take seed for yourselves and sow the land,

 

24 and it shall be that of its produce you shall give the fifth part to Pharaoh, and the four parts shall be your own, for seed for the land and for food for you and for all who are in your houses."

 

25 And they said, "You have saved us; we have found favor before our lord, and we will be servants to Pharaoh."

 

26 And Joseph made it an ordinance for them until this day over the land of Egypt, to give a fifth to Pharaoh, except the land of the priests only; it did not belong to Pharaoh.

 

27 And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the land of Gesem, and they gained possessions in it and grew and multiplied exceedingly.

 

28 And Jacob lived on in the land of Egypt seventeen years; and the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were one hundred forty-seven years.

 

29 And the days of Israel drew near for him to die, and he called his son Joseph and said to him, "If I have found favor before you, put your hand under my thigh, and you shall show me mercy and truth, not to bury me in Egypt,

 

30 but I shall lie down with my fathers, and you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their tomb." And he said, "I will do according to your word."

 

31 And he said, "Swear to me." And he swore to him. And Israel bowed in worship upon the top of his staff.

 

Chapter  48

 

1 And it came to pass after these things that it was reported to Joseph, "Your father is ill." And taking his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, he came to Jacob.

 

2 And it was reported to Jacob, saying, "Behold, your son Joseph is coming to you." And Israel strengthened himself and sat up on the bed.

 

3 And Jacob said to Joseph, "My God appeared to me at Luza in the land of Canaan and blessed me,

 

4 and said to me, 'Behold, I will increase you and multiply you and make you into assemblies of nations, and I will give this land to you and to your seed after you for an everlasting possession.'

 

5 Now therefore your two sons who were born to you in Egypt before I came to you into Egypt are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be to me as Reuben and Simeon.

 

6 But the offspring whom you may beget after these shall be yours; they shall be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritances.

 

7 Now as for me, when I was coming from Mesopotamia of Syria, Rachel your mother died in the land of Canaan, as I drew near by the hippodrome of Chabratha of the land, on the way to Ephratha, and I buried her on the road of the hippodrome (this is Bethlehem)."

 

8 And when Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he said, "Who are these to you?"

 

9 And Joseph said to his father, "They are my sons, whom God gave me here." And Jacob said, "Bring them to me, that I may bless them."

 

10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim from old age, and he could not see; and he brought them near to him, and he kissed them and embraced them.

 

11 And Israel said to Joseph, "Behold, I have not been deprived of your face, and behold, God has shown me also your seed."

 

12 And Joseph brought them out from his knees, and they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground.

 

13 And Joseph took his two sons, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right, and brought them near to him.

 

14 And Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, now he was the younger and his left on the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands.

 

15 And he blessed them and said, "The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac were well-pleasing, the God who has nourished me from my youth until this day,

 

16 the angel who delivers me from all evils, bless these children; and let my name be named upon them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and may they be multiplied into a great multitude upon the earth."

 

17 But when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it seemed grievous to him, and Joseph took hold of his father's hand to remove it from the head of Ephraim onto the head of Manasseh.

 

18 And Joseph said to his father, "Not so, father; for this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head."

 

19 But he would not, and said, "I know, child, I know; he also shall become a people, and he also shall be exalted; but his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations."

 

20 And he blessed them on that day, saying, "In you shall Israel be blessed, saying, 'May God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh'"; and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.

 

21 And Israel said to Joseph, "Behold, I am dying, and God will be with you and will bring you back to the land of your fathers. 22And I give you Shechem as a choice portion above your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and bow."

 

Chapter  49

 

1 And Jacob called his sons and said, "Gather together, that I may tell you what will befall you in the last days.

 

2 Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob; listen to Israel your father.

 

3 Reuben, you are my firstborn, my strength and the beginning of my children, hard to bear with and hard in self-will.

 

4 You ran riot like water, do not boil over; for you went up onto your father's bed; then you defiled the couch where you went up.

 

5 Simeon and Levi are brothers; they accomplished injustice by their own choice.

 

6 May my soul not come into their counsel, and may my inward parts not lean upon their conspiracy, for in their anger they killed men, and in their desire they hamstrung a bull.

 

7 Cursed be their anger, for it is self-willed, and their wrath, for it was hardened; I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.

 

8 Judah, may your brothers praise you; your hands shall be on the back of your enemies; the sons of your father shall bow down to you.

 

9 Judah is a lion's whelp; from a shoot, my son, you went up; lying down you slept like a lion and like a whelp, who will rouse him?

 

10 A ruler shall not fail from Judah, nor a leader from his thighs, until there come the things stored up for him; and he is the expectation of nations.

 

11 Binding his colt to the vine, and the colt of his donkey to the tendril, he will wash his robe in wine and his garment in the blood of the grape;

 

12 his eyes are gladdening from wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.

 

13 Zebulun shall dwell by the sea, and he by a haven of ships, and shall extend as far as Sidon.

 

14 Issachar desired what is good, resting among the allotments;

 

15 and seeing that the rest was good and that the land was rich, he set his shoulder to toil and became a man of husbandry.

 

16 Dan shall judge his own people, as also one tribe in Israel.

 

17 And let Dan become a serpent on the way, lying in wait on the path, biting the horse's heel, and the rider shall fall backward.

 

18 I wait for the salvation of the Lord.

 

19 Gad—a raiding band shall raid him, but he shall raid them at their heels.

 

20 Asher—his bread is rich, and he shall give delicacies to rulers.

 

21 Naphtali is a spreading trunk, bestowing beauty in its fruit.

 

22 Joseph is a son increased, an envied son increased, my youngest son—return to me.

 

23 Against him they plotted and reviled, and masters of archery pressed upon him;

 

24 and their bows were shattered with might, and the sinews of the arms of their hands were loosened, through the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, from there is he who strengthened Israel

 

25 from the God of your father; and my God helped you and blessed you with the blessing of heaven above and the blessing of the earth that holds all things, because of the blessing of breasts and womb,

 

26 blessings of your father and your mother; he prevailed above the blessings of the enduring mountains and the blessings of the everlasting hills; they shall be upon the head of Joseph and upon the crown of the head of the brothers whom he led.

 

27 Benjamin is a ravening wolf; in the morning he shall still eat, and toward evening he shall distribute food."

 

28 All these are the twelve sons of Jacob, and these things their father spoke to them; and he blessed them, each according to his blessing he blessed them.

 

29 And he said to them, "I am being gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,

 

30 in the double cave that is opposite Mamre in the land of Canaan, the cave that Abraham acquired from Ephron the Hittite as a possession for a tomb;

 

31 there they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife, there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah,

 

32 in the possession of the field and of the cave that is in it, from the sons of Heth."

 

33 And Jacob ceased giving orders to his sons, and lifting up his feet onto the bed he expired and was gathered to his people.

 

Chapter  50

 

1 And Joseph fell upon his father's face and wept over him and kissed him.

 

2 And Joseph commanded his servants the embalmers to embalm his father, and the embalmers embalmed Israel.

 

3 And they fulfilled forty days for him; for thus are the days of burial numbered. And Egypt mourned him seventy days.

 

4 And when the days of mourning had passed, Joseph spoke to the officials of Pharaoh, saying, "If I have found favor before you, speak concerning me in the ears of Pharaoh, saying,

 

5 'My father made me swear, saying: In the tomb which I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me. Now therefore let me go up and bury my father, and I will return.'"

 

6 And Pharaoh said, "Go up, bury your father, as he made you swear."

 

7 And Joseph went up to bury his father, and there went up with him all the servants of Pharaoh and the elders of his house and all the elders of the land of Egypt,

 

8 and all the household of Joseph and his brothers and all his father's house; but their kindred and the sheep and the oxen they left behind in the land of Gesem.

 

9 And there went up with him also chariots and horsemen, and the camp was very great.

 

10 And they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, and they mourned him with a great and very strong lamentation; and he made mourning for his father seven days.

 

11 And the inhabitants of the land of Canaan saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad and said, "This is a great mourning for the Egyptians." Therefore he called its name Mourning of Egypt, which is beyond the Jordan.

 

12 And his sons did thus for him and buried him there.

 

13 And his sons carried him up into the land of Canaan and buried him in the double cave, the cave which Abraham acquired as a possession for a tomb from Ephron the Hittite, opposite Mambre.

 

14 And Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers and those who had gone up with him to bury his father.

 

15 But when Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "Perhaps Joseph will bear a grudge against us and repay us in full for all the evils which we showed him."

 

16 And they came to Joseph, saying, "Your father made us swear before he died, saying,

 

17 'Thus shall you say to Joseph: Forgive them their injustice and their sin, for they showed you evil things.' And now accept the injustice of the servants of the God of your father." And Joseph wept while they spoke to him.

 

18 And they came to him and said, "Behold, we are your servants."

 

19 And Joseph said to them, "Do not fear, for I belong to God.

 

20 You planned evil against me, but God planned concerning me for good, so that it might come about as it is today, that a numerous people might be sustained.

 

21 And he said to them, "Do not fear; I will sustain you and your households." And he comforted them and spoke to their heart.

 

22 And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he and his brothers and all his father's household. And Joseph lived a hundred and ten years.

 

23 And Joseph saw the children of Ephraim to the third generation, and the sons of Machir the son of Manasseh were born upon Joseph's knees.

 

24 And Joseph said to his brothers, saying, "I am dying; but God will surely visit you and bring you up out of this land into the land which God swore to our fathers, Abraham and Isaac and Jacob."

 

25 And Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, "In the visitation with which God shall visit you, you shall also carry up my bones from here with you."

 

26 And Joseph died at a hundred and ten years; and they buried him and placed him in the coffin in Egypt.