1:1 When God began to create the heavens and the earth, 2 the earth being a desolate waste, with darkness covering the abyss and the spirit of God hovering over the waters, 3 then God said,

"Let there be light!"

And there was light; 4 and God saw that the light was good. God then separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light day, and the darkness night. Evening came, and morning, the first day.

6 Then God said,

"Let there be a firmament in the middle of the waters to divide the waters in two!"

And so it was. 7 God made the firmament, dividing the waters that were below the firmament from those that were above it; 8 and God called the firmament sky. Evening came, and morning, the second day.

9 Then God said,

"Let the waters below the sky be gathered into one place so that the dry land may appear!"

And so it was. 10 God called the dry land earth, and the gathered waters seas. God saw that it was good.

11 Then God said,

"Let the earth produce vegetation, seed-bearing plants and the various kinds of fruit-trees that bear fruit containing their seed! "

And so it was. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation, the various kinds of seed-bearing plants and the various kinds of trees that bear fruit containing their seed. God saw that it was good. 13 Evening came, and morning, the third day.

14 Then God said,

"Let there be luminaries in the firmament of the sky to separate day from night; let them serve as signs and as indicators of times, days, and years; 15 and let them serve as luminaries in the firmament of the sky to shed light on the earth!"

And so it was. 16 God made the two great luminaries, the greater luminary to rule the day and the smaller one to rule the night — and the stars also. 17 God set them in the firmament of the sky to shed light on the earth, 18 to rule by day and by night, and to separate the light from the darkness. God saw that it was good. 19 Evening came, and morning, the fourth day.

20 Then God said,

"Let the waters teem with shoals of living creatures, and let birds fly over the earth across the firmament of the sky! "

And so it was. 21 God created the great sea-monsters and all the various kinds of living, gliding creatures with which the waters teem, and all the various kinds of winged birds. God saw that it was good, 22 and God blessed them, saying,

"Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the waters in the seas; and let the birds multiply on the earth!"

23 Evening came, and morning, the fifth day.

24 Then God said,

"Let the earth bring forth the various kinds of living creatures, the various kinds of domestic animals, reptiles, and wild beasts!"

And so it was. 25 God made the various kinds of wild beasts, the various kinds of domestic animals, and all the various kinds of land reptiles; and God saw that it was good.

26 Then God said,

"Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let him have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the domestic animals, the wild beasts, and all the land reptiles!"

27 So God created man in his own image; in the image of God he created him; he created both male and female. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them,

"Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the domestic animals, and all the living things that crawl on the earth!"

29 Further, God said,

"See, I give you all the seed-bearing plants that are found all over the earth, and all the trees which have seed-bearing fruit; it shall be yours to eat. 30 To all the wild beasts of the earth, to all the birds of the air, and to all the land reptiles, in which there is a living spirit, I give all the green plants for food."

And so it was. 31 God saw that all that he had made was very good. Evening came, and morning, the sixth day.

2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their host. 2 On the seventh day God brought his work to an end on which he had been engaged, desisting on the seventh day from all the work in which he had been engaged. 3 So God blessed the seventh day, and consecrated it, because on it he had desisted from all his work, in doing which God had brought about creation.

4 The following are the origins of the heavens and the earth in their creation.

At the time when the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, 5 there were as yet no field shrubs on the earth, and no field plants had as yet sprung up; for the LORD God had sent no rain on the earth, and there was no man to till the soil — 6 although a mist used to rise from the earth and water all the surface of the ground. 7 Then the LORD God molded man out of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, so that man became a living being. 8 Then the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, to the east, and put there the man whom he had molded. 9 Out of the ground the LORD God made all sorts of trees grow that were pleasant to the sight and good for food, as well as the tree of life in the middle of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

10 There was a river flowing out of Eden to water the garden, and leaving there it divided into four branches; 11 the name of the first being Pishon (the one which encircles all the land of Havilah, where there is gold — 12 the gold of that land is fine — and bdellium and onyx stone); 13 the name of the second river, Gihon (the one which encircles all the land of Cush); 14 the name of the third river, the Tigris (the one which flows east of Ashur); and the name of the fourth river, the Euphrates.

15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and look after it; 16 and the LORD God laid this command upon the man:

"From any tree in the garden you are free to eat; 17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you must not eat; for the day that you eat of it you shall certainly die."

18 Then the LORD God said,

"It is not good for the man to be alone; I must make a helper for him who is like him."

19 So the LORD God molded out of the ground all the wild beasts and all the birds of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the domestic animals, the birds of the air, and all the wild beasts; but for man himself no helper was found who was like him. 21 Then the LORD God had a trance fall upon the man ; and when he had gone to sleep, he took one of his ribs, closing up its place with flesh. 22 The rib which he took from the man the LORD God built up into a woman, and brought her to the man, 23 whereupon the man said,

"This at last is bone of my bone, And flesh of my flesh ; She shall be called woman, For from man was she taken."

24 (That is why a man leaves his father and mother, and clings to his wife, so that they form one flesh.)

25 Both of them were naked, the man and his wife, but they felt no shame.

3:1 Now the serpent was the most clever of all the wild beasts that the LORD God had made.

"And so God has said that you are not to eat from any tree in the garden?" he said to the woman.

2 "From the fruit of the trees in the garden we may eat," the woman said to the serpent; 3 "it is only concerning the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden that God has said, 'You may not eat any of it, nor touch it, lest you die.' "

4 But the serpent said to the woman,

"You would not die at all; 5 for God knows that the very day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like gods who know good from evil."

6 So when the woman realized that the tree was good for food and attractive to the eye, and further, that the tree was desirable for its gift of wisdom, she took some of its fruit, and ate it; she also gave some to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig-leaves together, and made themselves girdles. 8 But when they heard the sound of the LORD God taking a walk in the garden for his daily airing, the man and his wife hid themselves from the LORD God among the trees in the garden. 9 The LORD God called to the man.

"Where are you?" he said to him.

10 "I heard the sound of you in the garden," he replied, "and I was afraid, because I was naked; so I hid myself."

11 "Who told you that you were naked?" he said. "Have you eaten from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat?"

12 The man said,

"The woman whom you set at my side, it was she who gave me fruit from the tree; so I ate it."

13 Then the LORD God said to the woman,

"What ever have you done?"

The woman said,

"It was the serpent that misled me, and so I ate it."

14 So the LORD God said to the serpent,

"Because you have done this,

The most cursed of all animals shall you be, And of all wild beasts. On your belly you shall crawl, and eat dust, As long as you live. 15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, And between your posterity and hers; They shall attack you in the head, And you shall attack them in the heel."

16 To the woman he said,

"I will make your pain at child-birth very great; In pain shall you bear children; And yet you shall be devoted to your husband, While he shall rule over you."

17 And to the man he said,

"Because you followed your wife's suggestions, and ate from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat,

Cursed shall be the ground through you, In suffering shall you gain your living from it as long as you live ; 18 Thorns and thistles shall it produce for you, So that you will have to eat wild plants. 19 By the sweat of your brow shall you earn your living, Until you return to the ground, Since it was from it that you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you must return."

20 The man called his wife's name Eve [life], because she was the mother of all living beings.

21 The LORD God made skin tunics for the man and his wife, and clothed them.

22 Then the LORD God said,

"See, the man has become like one of us, in knowing good from evil; and now, suppose he were to reach out his hand and take the fruit of the tree of life also, and eating it, live forever! "

23 So the LORD God expelled him from the garden of Eden, to till 24 the ground from which he had been taken; he drove the man out, and stationed the cherubs east of the garden of Eden, with the flaming, whirling sword to guard the way to the tree of life.

4:1 The man had intercourse with his wife Eve; so she conceived and bore Cain. Then she said,

"I have won back my husband; the LORD is with me!"

2 Later she bore his brother, Abel. Abel was a shepherd, while Cain was a farmer.

3 In the course of time Cain brought some produce of the soil as an offering to the LORD, 4 while Abel on his part brought some firstlings from his flock, that is, some fat pieces from them. The LORD took notice of Abel and his offering; 5 but of Cain and his offering he took no notice. So Cain became very angry and downcast. 6 Then the LORD said to Cain,

"Why are you angry, and why are you downcast? 7 If you have been doing right, should you not be happy? But if you have not, sin will be lurking at the door. And yet he is devoted to you, while you rule over him."

8 Then Cain said to his brother Abel,

"Let us go off into the country."

When they were out in the country, Cain attacked his brother Abel, and murdered him.

9 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?"

"I do not know," he said. "Am I my brother's keeper? "

10 Whereupon he said,

"What have you done? Hark, your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground! 11 And now, cursed shall you be in banishment from the soil which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. 12 Though you were to till the soil, never again would it yield you its full produce ; a vagrant and a vagabond shall you be on the earth."

13 Cain said to the LORD,

"My punishment is too great to bear. 14 Seeing that thou hast today driven me off the soil, I must remain hidden from thee; I must be a vagrant and a vagabond in the earth, and then anyone who comes across me will kill me."

15 So the LORD said to him,

"In that case, sevenfold vengeance shall be taken on anyone who kills Cain."

Then the LORD prescribed a mark for Cain, to prevent anyone who came across him from hurting him. 16 So Cain left the presence of the LORD, and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

17 Cain had intercourse with his wife; so she conceived and bore Enoch. Then he became the builder of a city, and named the city after his son, Enoch. 18 To Enoch was born Irad; and Irad was the father of Mehujael. Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael of Lamech. 19 Lamech married two wives, the name of one being Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. 20 Adah bore Jabal, who was the ancestor of those who live in tents as shepherds; 21 his brother's name was Jubal, who was the ancestor of all who play the lyre and pipe. 22 Zillah in turn bore Tubal-cain, the forger of bronze and iron utensils; and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.

23 Lamech said to his wives,

"Adah and Zillah, hear my voice, You wives of Lamech, give ear to my words: I kill a man for wounding me, And a boy for striking me. 24 If Cain is to be avenged sevenfold, Then Lamech seventy and sevenfold!"

25 Adam again had intercourse with his wife, who bore a son, and called his name Seth, saying,

"God has given me another child in place of Abel; since Cain slew him."

26 Seth in turn had a son born to him, and called his name Enosh. It was then that men began to call upon the name of the LORD.

5:1 The following is the list of Adam's descendants.

When God created man, it was in the likeness of God that he made him; 2 both male and female he created; he blessed them, and at the time of their creation he called them man.

3 After living one hundred and thirty years Adam had a child born to him in his own likeness, resembling himself, and he called his name Seth. 4 Adam lived eight hundred years after the birth of Seth, and was the father of other sons and daughters. 5 Thus Adam lived altogether nine hundred and thirty years; and then he died.

6 After living one hundred and five years Seth became the father of Enosh; 7 Seth lived eight hundred and seven years after the birth of Enosh, and was the father of other sons and daughters. 8 Thus Seth lived altogether nine hundred and twelve years; and then he died.

9 After living ninety years Enosh became the father of Kenan; 10 Enosh lived eight hundred and fifteen years after the birth of Kenan, and was the father of other sons and daughters. 11 Thus Enosh lived altogether nine hundred and five years; and then he died.

12 After living seventy years Kenan became the father of Mahalalel; 13 Kenan lived eight hundred and forty years after the birth of Mahalalel, and was the father of other sons and daughters. 14 Thus Kenan lived altogether nine hundred and ten years; and then he died.

15 After living sixty-five years Mahalalel became the father of Jared ; 16 Mahalalel lived eight hundred and thirty years after the birth of Jared, and was the father of other sons and daughters. 17 Thus Mahalalel lived altogether eight hundred and ninety-five years; and then he died.

18 After living one hundred and sixty-two years Jared became the father of Enoch; 19 Jared lived eight hundred years after the birth of Enoch, and was the father of other sons and daughters. 20 Thus Jared lived altogether nine hundred and sixty-two years; and then he died.

21 After living sixty-five years Enoch became the father of Methuselah; 22 Enoch walked with God for three hundred years after the birth of Methuselah, and was the father of other sons and daughters. 23 Thus Enoch lived altogether three hundred and sixty-five years. 24 Enoch walked with God, and then he disappeared; for God took him away.

25 After living one hundred and eighty-seven years Methuselah became the father of Lamech; 26 Methuselah lived seven hundred and eighty-two years after the birth of Lamech, and was the father of other sons and daughters. 27 Thus Methuselah lived altogether nine hundred and sixty-nine years; and then he died.

28 After living one hundred and eighty-two years Lamech had a son born to him, 29 and called his name Noah, saying,

"This is the one, after our work and the labor of our hands, to bring us consolation from the very soil which the LORD cursed."

30 Lamech lived five hundred and ninety-five years after the birth of Noah, and was the father of other sons and daughters. 31 Thus Lamech lived altogether seven hundred and seventy-seven years; and then he died.

32 After Noah had become five hundred years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

6:1 Presently when men began to grow numerous over the earth, and had daughters born to them, 2 the gods noticed that the daughters of men were attractive; so they married those whom they liked best. 3 Then the LORD said,

"My spirit must not remain in man indefinitely, because it too will become flesh. Accordingly, his lifetime shall be one hundred and twenty years."

4 In those days, as well as afterwards, there were giants in the earth, who were born to the gods whenever they had intercourse with the daughters of men; these were the heroes who were men of note in days of old.

5 When the LORD saw that the wickedness of man on the earth was great, and that the whole character of his thoughts was never anything but evil, 6 the LORD regretted that he had ever made man on the earth, and he was grieved to the heart. 7 So the LORD said,

"I will blot the men that I have created off the face of the ground, both men and animals, reptiles, and birds of the air; for I regret that I ever made them."

8 Noah, however, had found favor with the LORD.

9 The following are the descendants of Noah. Noah alone among his contemporaries was a pious and exceedingly good man; Noah walked with God. 10 Noah had three sons born to him, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 11 Now in God's sight, the earth was corrupt; the earth was full of wrong-doing; 12 God saw that the earth was corrupt; for every mortal on the earth had corrupted his life. 13 So God said to Noah,

"I have resolved on the extermination of all mortals; for the earth is full of wrong-doing through them; I am going to exterminate them from the earth. 14 Make yourself an ark of oleander wood; make the ark with cabins, and smear it with bitumen inside and out. 15 This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark is to be three hundred cubits, its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits; 16 you are to make a roof for the ark, finishing it off on top to the width of a cubit; and the doorway of the ark you are to put in its side ; you are to make it with lower, second, and third decks. 17 I on my part am about to bring a flood upon the earth, to destroy every mortal from under the heavens, who has the breath of life in him; everything that is on the earth shall perish. 18 But with you I will make a covenant; you shall enter the ark, accompanied by your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives. 19 Also, of all living creatures, of all animals, you must have two of every kind enter the ark, to keep them alive with you; they are to be a male and a female. 20 Of the various kinds of birds, the various kinds of animals, and all the various kinds of reptiles, two of every kind are to join you, that you may keep them alive. 21 Take also some of every kind of edible food, and store it by you, to be food for yourself and them."

22 Noah did so; he did just as the LORD had commanded him.

7:1 The LORD said to Noah,

"Enter the ark, with all your household; for you alone of the present age have I found righteous. 2 Of all clean animals, you are to take seven pairs, a male with its mate; but of the animals that are not clean a pair, a male with its mate; 3 likewise, of the birds of the air seven pairs, a male and a female — to keep their kind alive all over the earth. 4 For in seven days' time I am going to make it rain for forty days and nights on the earth, to blot off the face of the earth every living thing that I have made."

5 Noah did just as the LORD commanded him.

6 Noah was six hundred years old when the flood came on the earth.

7 Noah, with his sons, his wife, and his sons' wives, went into the ark to escape the waters of the flood. 8 Of the clean animals and of those that were not clean, of the birds, and of all the reptiles, 9 a pair of each, a male and a female, joined Noah in the ark, as God had commanded Noah. 10 Then, at the end of the seven days the waters of the flood came on the earth.

11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, on the seventeenth day of the second month, on that very day the fountains of the great abyss were all broken open, and the windows of the heavens were opened. 12 (The rain fell on the earth for forty days and nights.) 13 That same day Noah, with Shem, Ham, and Japheth, Noah's sons, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons accompanying them, went into the ark, 14 together with all the various kinds of wild beasts, all the various kinds of domestic animals, all the various kinds of land reptiles, and all the various kinds of birds, everything with feathers and wings; 15 of all creatures in which there was the breath of life, a pair of each joined Noah in the ark. 16 Those that entered were a male and a female of every kind of animal, as God had commanded him. Then the LORD shut him in.

17 The flood continued for forty days upon the earth. The waters mounted, and lifted the ark so that it rose above the earth. 18 The waters rose and increased greatly on the earth, so that the ark floated on the surface of the waters. 19 The waters rose higher and higher on the earth, until the highest mountains everywhere under the heavens were all covered. 20 Fifteen cubits above them the waters rose, so that the mountains were covered. 21 Every creature that moved on the earth perished, including birds, domestic animals, wild beasts, all the land reptiles, and all mankind. 22 Of all that was on the land, everything in whose nostrils was the breath of life died; 23 every living thing was blotted off the face of the earth, both men and animals and reptiles and birds; they were blotted off the earth, so that Noah alone was left, and those that were with him in the ark. 24 The waters rose on the earth for one hundred and fifty days.

8:1 Then God remembered Noah, and all the wild and domestic animals that were with him in the ark; so God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided. 2 Likewise, the fountains of the abyss and the windows of the heavens were closed. The rain from the heavens ceased, 3 and the waters abated steadily from the earth. At the end of one hundred and fifty days the waters subsided, 4 so that on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark grounded on the mountains of Ararat. 5 The waters subsided steadily until the tenth month; and on the first day of the tenth month the tops of the mountains became visible.

6 At the end of forty days Noah opened the window that he had made in the ark, 7 and released a raven, which went flying back and forth until the waters had dried off the earth. 8 Then he released a dove, to see whether the waters had subsided from the surface of the land; 9 but the dove could find no resting-place for the sole of her foot, so she came back to him into the ark; for there was water all over the earth. He put out his hand, and catching her, drew her into the ark with him. 10 After waiting another seven days, he again released the dove from the ark; 11 in the evening the dove came back to him, and there, in her beak, was a freshly picked olive leaf! So Noah knew that the waters had subsided off the earth. 12 After waiting another seven days, he released the dove, but she never came back to him. 13 By the first day of the first month of the six hundred and first year of Noah's life the waters had dried off the earth. So Noah removed the covering of the ark to look out, and found that the surface of the ground was quite dry. 14 By the twenty-seventh day of the second month the earth was dry.

15 Then God said to Noah,

16 "Come out of the ark, your wife, your sons, and your sons' wives accompanying you; 17 bring out with you every animal of every sort that is with you, birds, quadrupeds, and all land reptiles, that they may breed freely on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth."

18 So Noah came out, his sons, his wife, and his sons' wives accom-panying him. 19 Every animal, every reptile, and every bird, everything that moves on the earth came out of the ark by their species.

20 Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and taking some clean animals and birds of every kind, he offered them as burnt-offerings on the altar. 21 When the LORD smelled the soothing odor, the LORD said to himself,

"I will never again curse the soil because of man; for the character of man's mind from his very youth is evil ; nor will I ever again destroy all life, as I have just done. 22 As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall never cease."

9:1 God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them,

"Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth. 2 The fear and dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth and on every bird of the air; as in the case of all the reptiles on the ground and all the fish of the sea, they have been delivered into your power. 3 Everything that moves, that is alive, is to be food for you ; as I once gave you the green plants, I now give you everything. 4 Only, you must never eat flesh with the life (that is, the blood) in it. 5 For your own life-blood, however, I will require an account; I will hold every animal accountable for it, and I will hold men accountable for one another's lives; 6 whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for God made man in his own image. 7 As for you then, be fruitful, and multiply; be prolific in the earth and multiply in it."

8 God then said to Noah and to his sons with him,

9 "As for me, I do hereby establish my covenant with you and your descendants, 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and all the wild beasts with you, as many of them as came out of the ark; I establish my covenant with you, 11 that never again shall all flesh be destroyed by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to ravage the earth."

12 Further, God said,

"This shall be the symbol of the covenant which I am making between myself and you and every living creature that is with you, to endless generations: 13 I will put my rainbow in the clouds, and it shall be a symbol of the covenant between myself and the world. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth, the rainbow will appear in the clouds, 15 and then I will remember my covenant, which obtains between myself and you and every living creature of every sort, and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 When the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it, and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of every sort that is on the earth."

17 God said to Noah,

"This shall be the symbol of the covenant which I am making between myself and all flesh that is on the earth."

18 The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth; and Ham was the father of Canaan. 19 These three were the sons of Noah, and from them sprang the whole world. 20 Now Noah was the first farmer to plant a vineyard. 21 Having drunk some of the wine, he became intoxicated, and lay uncovered in his tent. 22 When Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father lying naked, he told his two brothers outside; 23 whereupon Shem and Japheth took a robe, which they put on their shoulders, and walking backward, they covered up their father's nakedness, their faces being turned away so that they could not see their father's nakedness. 24 When Noah awoke from his wine, and learned what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said,

"Cursed be Canaan! The meanest of slaves shall he be to his brothers."

26 Also he said,

"Blessed of the LORD my God may Shem be; And let Canaan be his slave! 27 May God expand Japheth, and dwell in the tents of Shem; But let Canaan be his slave!"

28 Noah lived three hundred and fifty years after the flood; thus Noah lived altogether nine hundred and fifty years, and then he died.

10:1 The following are the descendants of Noah's sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, who were born to them after the flood.

2 The descendants of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshcch, and Tiras. 3 The descendants of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. 4 The descendants of Javan were Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Rodanim. 5 It was from these that the islands of the nations were populated, country by country, each with its respective language, according to the various clans, nation by nation.

6 The descendants of Ham were Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. 7 The descendants of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The descendants of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan. 9 Cush was the father of Nimrod, who was the first person on the earth to be a despot. 9 He was a mighty hunter in the sight of the LORD; hence the saying, "As mighty a hunter in the sight of the LORD as Nimrod." 10 The nucleus of his kingdom was Babylon, Erech, Accad, and Calneh in the land of Shinar; 11 from that region he pushed out into Assyria, and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-ir, Calah, 12 and Resen, the large city lying between Nineveh and Calah. 13 Egypt was the father of Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, 14 Pathrusim, Casluhim, and Caphtorim, from whom the Philistines sprang. 15 Canaan was the father of Sidon, his first-born, and then of Heth — 16 also the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, 17 the Hivvites, the Arkites, the Sinites, 18 the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Later the Canaanite clans scattered, 19 until the territory of the Canaanites extended from Sidon in the direction of Gerar, as far as Gaza, and in the direction of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. 20 These were the descendants of Ham, by clans and languages, country by country, nation by nation.

21 Children were also born to Shem, the ancestor of all the Hebrews, and the older brother of Japheth. 22 The sons of Shem were Elam, Assyria, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. 23 The sons of Aram were Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. 24 Arpachshad was the father of Shelah, and Shelah of Eber. 25 To Eber were born two sons, the name of the one being Peleg [division] (for in his time the world was divided), and the name of his brother Joktan. 26 Joktan was the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab — all these were sons of Joktan, 30 and the region inhabited by them extended from Mesha in the direction of Sephar, to the mountains of the East. 31 These were the descendants of Shem, by clans and languages, country by country, nation by nation.

32 These were the clans descended from Noah, arranged according to their descendants by nationalities; and from these the nations of the earth were populated after the flood.

11:1 Now the whole earth used only one language, with few words. 2 On the occasion of a migration from the east, men discovered a plain in the land of Shinar, and settled there. 3 Then they said to one another,

"Come, let us make bricks, burning them well."

So they used bricks for stone, and bitumen for mortar. 4 Then they said,

"Come, let us build ourselves a city with a tower whose top shall reach the heavens (thus making a name for ourselves), so that we may not be scattered all over the earth."

5 Then the LORD came down to look at the city and tower which human beings had built. 6 The LORD said,

"They are just one people, and they all have the same language. If this is what they can do as a beginning, then nothing that they resolve to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down, and there make such a babble of their language that they will not understand one another's speech."

8 Thus the LORD dispersed them from there all over the earth, so that they had to stop building the city. 9 That was why its name was called Babel, because it was there that the LORD made a babble of the language of the whole earth, and it was from there that the LORD dispersed them all over the earth.

10 The following are the descendants of Shem.

When Shem was one hundred years old, he became the father of Arpachshad, two years after the flood. 11 Shem lived five hundred years after the birth of Arpachshad, and was the father of other sons and daughters.

12 After living thirty-five years Arpachshad became the father of Shelah. 13 Arpachshad lived four hundred and three years after the birth of Shelah, and was the father of other sons and daughters. 14 After living thirty years Shelah became the father of Eber. 15 Shelah lived four hundred and three years after the birth of Eber, and was the father of other sons and daughters.

16 After living thirty-four years Eber became the father of Peleg. 17 Eber lived four hundred and thirty years after the birth of Peleg, and was the father of other sons and daughters.

18 After living thirty years Peleg became the father of Reu. 19 Peleg lived two hundred and nine years after the birth of Reu, and was the father of other sons and daughters.

20 After living thirty-two years Reu became the father of Serug. 21 Reu lived two hundred and seven years after the birth of Serug, and was the father of other sons and daughters.

22 After living thirty years Serug became the father of Nahor. 23 Serug lived two hundred years after the birth of Nahor, and was the father of other sons and daughters.

24 After living twenty-nine years Nahor became the father of Terah. 25 Nahor lived one hundred and nineteen years after the birth of Terah, and was the father of other sons and daughters.

26 After living seventy years Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

27 The following are the descendants of Terah.

Terah was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran, and Haran of Lot. 28 Haran died during the lifetime of his father Terah in the land of his birth, the Chaldean city of Ur. 29 Abram and Nahor both married, the name of Abram's wife being Sarai, and that of Nahor's Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah and Jiscah. 30 Sarai was barren ; she had no children.

31 Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and emigrated with them from the Chaldean city of Ur, to go to the land of Canaan. But when they reached Haran, they settled there. 32 The lifetime of Terah was two hundred and five years; then Terah died in Haran.

12:1 The LORD said to Abram,

"Leave your land, your relatives, and your father's home, for the land that I will show you; 2 and I will make a great nation of you; I will bless you, and make your name so great that it will be used for blessings. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and anyone who curses you I will curse; through you shall all the families of the earth invoke blessings on one another."

4 So Abram departed, as the LORD had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. 5 Abram took his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot, with all the property that they had accumulated, and the persons that they had acquired in Haran, and they started out for the land of Canaan; and to the land of Canaan they came.

6 Abram travelled through the land as far as the sanctuary of Shechem at the terebinth of Moreh, the Canaanites being then in the land. 7 Then the LORD appeared to Abram, and said,

"To your descendants I am going to give this land."

So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him. 8 From there he moved on to the hills east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD. 9 Then Abram set out, continuing on his way to the Negeb.

10 Now there came a famine in the land; and because the famine was so severe in the land, Abram went down to Egypt to reside there. 11 When he was on the point of entering Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai,

12 "See now, I know that you are such a beautiful woman, that when the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife,' and then they will kill me in order to keep you. 13 Please say that you are my sister, so that I may be well treated for your sake, and my life spared through you."

14 When Abram arrived in Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. 15 Pharaoh's courtiers also saw her, and praised her so highly to Pharaoh that the woman was taken into Pharaoh's household. 16 Abram, too, was well treated for her sake, and was the recipient of sheep, cattle, he-asses, male and female slaves, she-asses, and camels.

17 The LORD, however, struck Pharaoh and his household with severe diseases because of Abram's wife, Sarai. 18 So Pharaoh summoned Abram, and said,

"What a way for you to treat me ! Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? 19 Why did you say, 'She is my sister,' and let me marry her? Well, there is your wife; take her and begone!"

20 Then Pharaoh ordered an escort for him, to see him off, with his wife and all that belonged to him.

13:1 So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negeb, accompanied by his wife and all that belonged to him, and Lot. 2 Abram was now very rich in cattle, silver, and gold. 3 From the Negeb he journeyed by stages as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had previously been, between Bethel and Ai, 4 to the site of the altar which he had previously erected there, and where he had called upon the name of the LORD.

5 Lot, who accompanied Abram, also had flocks and herds, as well as tents. 6 The land could not support them both; for their possessions were so great that they could not live together. 7 Trouble arose accordingly between the herdsmen of Abram's stock and those of Lot's. (The Canaanites and Perizzites were living in the land at that time.)

8 "There simply must be no quarrel between you and me," Abram said to Lot, "nor between your herdsmen and mine ; for we are kinsmen. 9 The whole land is open to you, is it not? Please part from me then. If you go to the left, I will go to the right; or if you go to the right, I will go to the left."

10 Then Lot looked out, and saw that the whole basin of the Jordan was well watered everywhere (this was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the LORD's own garden, like the land of Egypt in the vicinity of Zoar. 11 So Lot chose the whole Jordan basin. Lot set off eastward, and thus they parted from each other. 12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled in the cities of the basin, extending his tents as far as Sodom. 13 (Now the men of Sodom were wicked, being great sinners against the LORD.)

14 After Lot had parted from him, the LORD said to Abram,

"Raise your eyes now, and look out from the place where you are, north, south, east, and west; 15 for all the land that you see, I am going to give to you and your descendants for all time. 16 I am going to make your descendants like the dust of the earth, so that it will be as possible to count the dust of the earth as to count your descendants. 17 Go and travel the length and breadth of the land; for I am giving it to you."

18 So Abram moved his tent, and went to live beside the terebinth of Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar to the LORD.

14:1 It was in the time of Amraphel, king of Shinar, Arioch, king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, and Tidal, king of Goiim, 2 that war was made by them with Bera, king of Sodom, Birsha, king of Gomorrah, Shinab, king of Admah, Shemeber, king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar), 3 all of whom had gathered in alliance at the valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea). 4 For twelve years they had been subject to Chedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they revolted. 5 So in the fourteenth year there came Chedorlaomer and his confederate kings. They crushed the Rephaim at Ashteroth and Karnaim, then the Zuzim at Ham, the Emim at Shaveh and Kirjathaim, 6 and the Horites in the highlands of Seir, penetrating as far as El-paran, which is close to the desert. 7 Retracing their steps, they reached En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and ravaged all the country of the Amalekites, and likewise that of the Amorites who were living at Hazazon-tamar. 8 Thereupon the king of Sodom marched forth, along with the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). They drew up in battle array against them in the valley of Siddim, 9 against Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, Tidal, king of Goiim, Amrnphel, king of Shinar, and Arioch, king of Ellasar — four kings against the five. 10 The valley of Siddim was so full of bitumen wells that on the flight of the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah some fell into them, but the survivors fled to the hills. 11 The victors captured all the goods and provisions of Sodom and Gomorrah, and then made off. 12 They also carried off Lot, the nephew of Abram, and his goods, since he was living in Sodom.

13 A fugitive came and told Abram, the Hebrew, who was living beside the terebinth of Mamre, the Amorite, a kinsman of Eshcol and Aner, who were allies of Abram. 14 When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken prisoner, he called out his retainers, his household slaves, to the number of three hundred and eighteen, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 15 With his slaves he fell upon them at night, and defeated them. After pursuing them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus, he recovered all the goods; 16 he also recovered his kinsman Lot and his goods, together with the women and the rest of the people.

17 On his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and his confederate kings, the king of Sodom came out to the valley of Shaveh (that is, the king's valley) to meet him, 18 while Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine, and as priest of God Most High, 19 blessed him, saying,

"Blessed be Abram by God Most High, The creator of the heavens and the earth! 20 And blessed be God Most High, Who delivered your foes into your power!"

Thereupon he gave him a portion of everything.

21 The king of Sodom said to Abram,

"Give me the people, but keep the goods yourself."

22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom,

"I have sworn by uplifted hand to the LORD, God Most High, the creator of the heavens and the earth, 23 that I would not take anything that belongs to you, not even so much as a thread or a sandal-lace, lest you should say, 'It was I who made Abram rich.' 24 Apart from what my servants have eaten, let the men who accompanied me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre, take their share."

15:1 After these events the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision,

"Do not be afraid, Abram; I am your shield; your reward shall be very great."

2 But Abram said,

"O Lord GOD, what canst thou give me, seeing that I am childless, and that my heir is a Damascene, Eliezer."

3 "Since you have given me no posterity, my household slave will be my heir," said Abram.

4 But there came to him this message from the LORD,

"No such person is to be your heir, but one born of your own body is to be your heir."

5 Then he took him outside, and said,

"Now look at the sky, and count the stars if you can." "So shall be your descendants," he said to him.

6 And he trusted the LORD, who counted it to his credit, 7 and said to him,

"I am the LORD, who brought you out of the Chaldean city of Ur to give you possession of this land."

8 But he said,

"O Lord GOD, how am I to know that I shall possess it."

9 So he said to him,

"Procure a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old she-goat, a three-year-old he-goat, a dove, and a young pigeon."

10 Procuring all these, he cut them in two — but not the birds — and placed the pieces opposite each other. 11 The birds of prey swooped down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them off. 12 Then, as the sun was going down, a trance fell on Abram; indeed a great and awful gloom fell upon him. 13 Then the LORD said to Abram,

"Know of a surety that your descendants shall be immigrants in a land not their own, where they shall be slaves, and be oppressed for four hundred years; 14 but I will in turn bring judgment upon the nation that made slaves of them, after which they shall escape with great wealth. 15 (As for yourself, you shall join your fathers in peace, and be buried at a ripe old age.) 16 It will only be in the fourth generation, however, that they will return here; for the guilt of the Amorites is not yet complete."

17 When the sun had set and it was quite dark, there appeared a smoking fi re-pot and a blazing torch that passed between the pieces. 18 That day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying,

"To your descendants I give this land, from the River of Egypt as far as the Great River, the river Euphrates — 19 that of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaim, 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites."

16:1 Abram's wife Sarai had borne him no children, but she had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar. 2 So Sarai said to Abram,

"Seeing now that the LORD has prevented me from having children, suppose you marry my maid; I might perhaps build up a family through her."

Abram agreed to the suggestion of Sarai; 3 so Abram's wife Sarai took Hagar, her Egyptian maid (it was after Abram had been living in the land of Canaan for ten years), and gave her in marriage to her husband Abram. 4 He had intercourse with Hagar, and she conceived. When she found that she had conceived, she looked with disdain upon her mistress. 5 So Sarai said to Abram,

"May the wrong done me fall on you! It was I who put my maid in your arms, but when she found that she had conceived, she looked with disdain upon me. May the LORD judge between you and me !"

6 "Your maid is in your power," Abram said to Sarai ; "do what you like with her."

Then Sarai treated her so cruelly that she ran away from her. 7 But the angel of the LORD came upon her beside a spring in the desert (the spring on the road to Shur), 8 and said,

"Hagar, maid of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?"

"I am running away from my mistress Sarai," she said.

9 The angel of the LORD said to her,

"Return to your mistress, and submit to her authority."

10 Further, the angel of the LORD said to her,

"I will make your descendants so numerous that they will be too many to count."

11 The angel of the LORD also said to her,

"You are with child, and are going to bear a son ; you are to call his name Ishmael [God hears], because the LORD has heard of your ill- treatment. 12 He will be a wild-ass of a man, with his hand against everyone, and everyone's hand against him; he will live on the outskirts of all his kindred."

13 So she named the LORD who spoke to her El-roi [a God who can be seen],

"For," said she, "I have actually seen God, and am still alive after seeing him."

14 That was how the spring came to be called Beer-lahai-roi [the spring where one saw (God) and still lived] ; it is between Kadesh and Bered.

15 So Hagar bore a son to Abram, and Abram gave the name of Ishmael to his son, whom Hagar bore. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him.

17:1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said to him,

"I am God Almighty; conduct yourself before me so as to be blameless, 2 and then I will establish my covenant between you and me, and will make you grow more and more numerous."

3 Thereupon Abram fell on his face; and God said to him,

4 "This is my covenant with you: you shall be the ancestor of a company of nations. 5 Accordingly, your name shall no longer be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I am making you the ancestor of a company of nations. 6 I will make you more and more prolific, and will make nations of you, and kings shall spring from you. 7 Between myself and you and your descendants, for generation after generation in perpetuity, I am establishing my covenant, to be God to you and your descendants. 8 I will give you and your descendants the land in which you are now only an immigrant, the whole of the land of Canaan, as a possession for all time, and I will be their God."

9 Further, God said to Abraham,

"You on your part must keep my covenant, and likewise your descendants from generation to generation. 10 The covenant between myself and you and your descendants which you are to keep is this: everyone of your males must be circumcised; 11 you are to be circumcised in your foreskin, and this shall be the symbol of the covenant between you and me. 12 At the age of eight days, every male among you, from generation to generation, must be circumcised, as well as the slaves born in the house or purchased from any foreigner who is not of your race — 13 slaves, whether born in your house or purchased by you, are to be circumcised. Thus shall my covenant stand imprinted on your flesh as a perpetual covenant. 14 If there is an uncircumcised male, one who has not been circumcised in the foreskin, that person must be cut off from his people, in view of the fact that he has broken my covenant."

15 God also said to Abraham,

"As for your wife Sarai, you are not to call her Sarai, but Sarah. 16 I will bless her, and furthermore, I will give you a son by her; I will bless her, so that she shall become the mother of nations, with kings of peoples coming from her."

17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, saying to himself,

"Can he who is one hundred years old become a father, or can Sarah at the age of ninety bear a child?"

18 So Abraham said to God,

"May Ishmael live in thy favor!"

19 But God said,

"No, it is a fact; your wife Sarah is to bear you a son, and you are to call his name Isaac [laughter]; I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants. 20 With reference to Ishmael, I have heard you, and will indeed bless him; I will make him prolific, and will make him grow more and more numerous; he shall be the ancestor of twelve princes; I will make a great nation of him. 21 I will likewise establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year."

22 Having finished speaking with him, God left Abraham.

23 Then Abraham took his son Ishmael and all the slaves born in his house and all those purchased by him — every male in Abraham's household — and circumcised them in the foreskin that very same day, as God had commanded him. 24 Abraham himself was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the foreskin, 25 while his son Ishmael was thirteen when he was circumcised. 26 That very day was Abraham circumcised, as well as his son Ishmael; 27 and all the men of his household, the slaves born in the house and those purchased from foreigners, were circumcised with him.

18:1 The LORD appeared to him at the terebinth of Mamre, as he was sitting at the doorway of his tent in the heat of the day. 2 Raising his eyes, he saw three men standing near him. On seeing them, he ran from the door of his tent to meet them, and bowing to the earth, 3 said,

"O sirs, if perchance I find favor with you, please do not pass by without stopping with your servant. 4 Let a little water be brought to wash your feet, and stretch yourselves out under the tree, 5 while I fetch a bit of food that you may refresh yourselves before going on your way, since you are passing by your servant."

"Do as you propose," they said.

6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said,

"Quick, three seahs of the best flour! Knead it, and make it into cakes."

7 Abraham then ran to the herd, and picked out a bullock, tender and plump, which he gave to a servant, who quickly prepared it. 8 Then, taking curds and milk and the bullock that he had prepared, he set them before them, and as he waited on them under the tree, they ate.

9 "Where is your wife Sarah?" they said to him.

"Inside the tent there," said he.

10 Then he said,

I will come back to you at the time for life to appear, when your wife Sarah shall have a son."

Now Sarah was behind the door of the tent listening. 11 Since both Abraham and Sarah were old, being well advanced in life, and woman's periods had ceased with Sarah, 12 Sarah laughed to herself, saying,

"Now that I am worn out and my husband old, can there be marriage pleasure for me?"

13 The LORD said to Abraham,

"Why is it that Sarah laughs, saying, 'Can I really bear a child when I am so old?' 14 Is anything too wonderful for the LORD? I will come back to you at the appointed time, at the time for life to appear, and Sarah shall have a son."

15 Because she was afraid, Sarah denied it, saying,

"I did not laugh."

"No, but you did laugh," he said.

16 Setting out from there, the men directed their steps toward Sodom, while Abraham went with them to see them off. 17 Then the LORD thought,

18 "Shall I hide what I am about to do from Abraham, seeing that Abraham is bound to become a great and powerful nation, and through him all the nations of the earth will invoke blessings on one another? 19 No, I will make it known to him, in order that he may give instructions to his sons and his family after him to keep to the way of the LORD by doing what is good and right, so that the LORD may fulfil for Abraham what he promised him."

20 So the LORD said,

"Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great, and their sin so very grave, 21 I am going down to see whether or not their conduct entirely answers to the outcry that has reached me; I wish to know."

22 So the men departed from there, and went off to Sodom, while the LORD remained standing before Abraham. 23 Abraham then went up to him, and said,

"Thou wilt surely not sweep away good and bad alike? 24 Suppose there are fifty good men in the city, wilt thou really sweep it away, and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty good men that are in it? 25 Far be it from thee to do such a thing as this, to make the good perish with the bad, so that good and bad fare alike ! Far be it from thee! Shall not the judge of the whole earth himself act justly?"

26 So the LORD said,

"If I find fifty good men in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake."

27 Abraham rejoined,

"Here I am venturing to speak to the LORD, and I mere dust and ashes! 28 Suppose there are five short of the fifty good men; wouldst thou destroy the whole city by reason of the five?"

"I will not destroy it, if I find forty-five there," he replied.

29 Once more he said to him,

"Suppose only forty are to be found there?"

"I will not do it for the sake of the forty," he replied.

30 Then he said,

"Pray, let not my Lord be angry if I should say: suppose only thirty are to be found there?"

"I will not do it, if I find thirty there," he said.

31 "Here I am venturing to speak to the Lord; suppose only twenty are to be found there?" he said.

"I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty," he said.

32 Then he said,

"Pray, let not my Lord.be angry if I should speak just once more; suppose only ten are to be found there?"

"I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten," he said.

33 As soon as he finished speaking to Abraham, the LORD went away, while Abraham returned home.

19:1 The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening while Lot was sitting at the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to greet them, bowing his face to the ground, 2 and saying,

"If you please sirs, come over to your servant's house to pass the night and wash your feet; in the morning you may rise early, and go on your way."

But they said,

"No, we will pass the night in the open."

3 He pressed them so strongly, however, that they went over to his home and entered his house, where he prepared a feast for them, and baked unleavened cakes for them to eat. 4 Before they lay down, the townsmen, the men of Sodom, from the youngest to the oldest, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house, 5 and shouted to Lot,

"Where are the men who came to your house tonight? Bring them out to us that we may have intercourse with them."

6 Then Lot went out to the doorway to them, and shutting the door after him, 7 said,

"Please, my friends, do not be so depraved. 8 See, I have two daughters who have never had intercourse with a man; let me bring them out to you to do what you like with them; only do nothing to these men, inasmuch as they have come under the shelter of my roof."

9 But they said,

"Get out of the way!"

"This fellow came in as an immigrant," they said, "and now he would make himself a judge! Here, we will treat you worse than them!"

Then they pressed hard against the man, Lot, and tried to reach the door to break it in; 10 but the men reached out their hands, and pulling Lot into the house with them, shut the door; 11 while those who were at the entrance to the house, from the least to the greatest, they struck with blindness, so that they searched in vain for the entrance. 12 Then the men said to Lot,

"If there is anyone else belonging to you here, sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone at all that belongs to you in the city, take them out of the place; 13 for we are about to destroy this place, because the outcry against them that has come to the LORD is so great that the LORD has sent us to destroy it."

14 So Lot went out, and said to his sons-in-law who had married his daughters,

"Leave this place at once ; for the LORD is about to destroy the city."

But his sons-in-law thought that he was jesting.

15 When dawn appeared, the angels urged Lot on, saying,

"Bestir yourself; take away your wife and the two daughters that are at hand, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city."

16 When he hesitated, the men, because of the LORD'S pity on him, seized his hand and those of his wife and two daughters, and bringing him out, they left him outside the city. 17 After they had brought them outside, they said,

"Fly for your life; do not look behind you, nor stop anywhere in the valley; fly to the hills, lest you be swept away."

18 Lot said to them,

"O no, sirs! 19 Your servant has indeed found favor with you, and great is the kindness that you have done me in saving my life, but I cannot possibly fly to the hills, lest the disaster overtake me and I perish. 20 Here is this town near enough to fly to, and quite small; pray, let me fly there (is it not small? ) to save my life."

21 The LORD said to him,

"See, I grant you this request as well, in that I will not overthrow the town of which you speak. 22 Hurry and fly there ; for I can do nothing until you reach there."

Thus the name of the town came to be called Zoar [small].

23 Just as the sun rose over the earth and Lot entered Zoar, 24 the LORD rained sulphur and fire from the sky on Sodom and Gomorrah, 25 devastating those cities and all the valley, with all the inhabitants of the cities and the vegetation on the land. 26 And Lot's wife had looked back, and had become a pillar of salt.

27 Next morning when Abraham went early to the place where he had stood before the LORD, 28 he gazed toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and all the region of the valley, and saw smoke from the land rising like smoke from a kiln.

29 Thus it was that God remembered Abraham when he destroyed the cities of the valley, by sending Lot away from the catastrophe when he devastated the cities where Lot lived.

30 Accompanied by his two daughters, Lot left Zoar to go up and live in the hills; for he was afraid to live in Zoar; and he lived in a cave with his two daughters. 31 The older one said to the younger,

"Since our father is old, and there is no one in the land to marry us, as is customary for all the earth, 32 come, let us make our father drunk with wine, and then lie with him, and so preserve our race through our father."

33 So that night they made their father drunk with wine, and the older one went in and lay with her father, but he was unaware of her lying down or getting up. 34 Next morning the older said to the younger,

"I lay with my father last night; let us make him drunk with wine again tonight, and then you go in and lie with him, so that we may preserve our race through our father."

35 So that night too they made their father drunk with wine, and the younger went and lay with him, but he was unaware of her lying down or getting up. 36 Thus the two daughters of Lot were with child by their father. 37 The older bore a son, and called his name Moab (he is the ancestor of the present-day Moabites). 38 The younger also bore a son, and called his name Ben-ammi (he is the ancestor of the present-day Ammonites).

20:1 From there Abraham set out for the region of the Negeb, and settling between Kadesh and Shur, he established himself as an immigrant at Gerar. 2 Since Abraham had said of his wife Sarah, "She is my sister," Abimelech, king of Gerar, had sent and taken Sarah; 3 but God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him,

"You are going to die because of the woman whom you have taken, since she is married."

4 Now Abimelech had not approached her, so he said,

"O Lord, wilt thou slay one who is clearly innocent? 5 Did he not himself say to me, 'She is my sister,' while she herself said, 'He is my brother.' In purity of heart and innocence of hand have I done this."

6 Then God said to him in the dream,

"I do indeed know that it was in purity of heart that you did this; and furthermore, it was I who kept you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her. 7 Now then, restore the man's wife, and so save your life ; for he is a prophet, and will intercede for you. But if you do not restore her, be assured that you and all who belong to you shall die."

8 So next morning Abimelech rose early, and summoning all his slaves, he recounted all these words to them, so that the men were much terrified. 9 Abimelech then summoned Abraham, and said to him,

"What have you done to us? What harm have I done to you that you should bring such a great sin on me and my kingdom? You have done to me things that should not be done."

10 "What ever possessed you to do this?" Abimelech said to Abraham!

11 Abraham said,

"I simply thought that, since there was no reverence for God in this place, I should be slain for the sake of my wife. 12 Besides, she really was my sister when I married her, being the daughter of my father, but not of my mother. 13 Accordingly, when God sent me wandering from my father's home, I said to her, 'This is the kindness that you must do me: at all the places to which we come, say of me, "He is my brother."'"

14 Thereupon Abimelech took sheep, oxen, and male and female slaves, and gave them to Abraham, and restored his wife Sarah to him.

15 "My country is at your disposal," said Abimelech ; "settle wherever you like."

16 To Sarah he said,

"See, I have given your brother a thousand shekels of silver; it shall compensate you for all that has befallen you, and you yourself shall be completely exonerated."

17 Then Abraham prayed to God, and God cured Abimelech, as well as his wife and female slaves, so that they could bear children; 18 for the LORD had completely closed the wombs of all in Abimelech's household on account of Sarah, Abraham's wife.

21:1 The LORD dealt with Sarah, as he had said; the LORD did to Sarah as he had promised. 2 Sarah conceived, and at the time that God had indicated she bore Abraham a son in his old age. 3 Abraham gave the name of Isaac to his son that had been born to him, whom Sarah bore him; and as God had commanded him, 4 Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, 5 Abraham himself being one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

6 "God has made me a laughing-stock; everyone that hears of it will laugh at me," Sarah said. 7 "Who ever would have ventured to tell Abraham," she added, "that Sarah would be giving suck to children? And yet I have borne him a son in his old age!"

8 So the child grew and was weaned; and on the day that Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast. 9 But Sarah noticed the son of Hagar, the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, playing with her son Isaac; 10 so she said to Abraham,

"Get rid of this slave-girl and her son; for this slave-girl's son must not share the inheritance with my son Isaac."

11 The proposal, however, was very displeasing to Abraham, for his son's sake; 12 but God said to Abraham,

"Do not be distressed for the boy and your slave; follow Sarah's bidding in all that she tells you; for it is through Isaac that you are to have descendants bearing your name. 13 As for the slave-girl's son, I will make a nation of him too, because he is your child."

14 So next morning Abraham rose early, and taking some bread and a skin of water, he gave them to Hagar, along with her son, and putting them on her shoulder, he sent her away. So she departed, and wandered about in the desert of Beersheba. 15 Then the water in the skin became exhausted, and throwing the child under one of the bushes, 16 she went and sat down about a bowshot away; "For," said she, "I cannot bear to see the child die!" So she sat down some way off, and lifted up her voice in weeping.

17 God, however, heard the boy's cry, and the angel of God called from the heavens to Hagar, and said to her,

"What is the matter with you, Hagar? Fear not; for God has heard the boy's cry, even here where he is. 18 Come, pick up the boy, and hold fast to him; for I am going to make a great nation of him."

19 Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water, whereupon she went and filled the skin with water, and gave the boy a drink. 20 So God was with the boy, and he grew up. He lived in the desert, and became expert with the bow. 21 He settled in the desert of Paran, and his mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

22 It was at that time that Abimelech and the general of his army, Phicol, said to Abraham,

"God is with you in all that you do; 23 swear to me, then, by God here that you will never be false to me, nor to my children, nor to my descendants, but that you will treat me and the land in which you have settled as an immigrant as kindly as I have treated you."

24 "I swear it," said Abraham.

27 So Abraham took some sheep and oxen, which he gave to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant. 31 Hence that place came to be called Beersheba [well of the oath], because it was there that the two took the oath.

25 Abraham kept making complaints to Abimelech about a well which the slaves of Abimelech had seized; 26 but Abimelech said,

"I do not know who did this. Neither have you informed me of it, nor have I heard of it, until today."

28 Then Abraham set seven ewe lambs apart by themselves, 29 whereupon Abimelech said to Abraham,

"What is the significance of these seven ewe lambs which you have set apart?"

30 "You will accept the seven ewe lambs from my hand," he said, "to serve as witness for me that I dug this well."

32 After they had made the covenant at Beersheba, Abimelech and the general of his army, Phicol, went and returned to the land of the Philistines, 33 while Abraham planted a tamarisk at Beersheba, and there called upon the name of the LORD, the eternal God. 34 Abraham resided for a long time in the land of the Philistines.

22:1 Some time after this God put Abraham to the test.

"Abraham ! " he said to him.

"Here am I," he said.

2 "Take your son," he said, "your only son Isaac, whom you love so well, and go to the land of Moriah, and there offer him as a burnt-offering on one of the hills which I shall designate to you."

3 So next morning Abraham rose early, and harnessing his ass, he took two of his servants with him and his son Isaac, and having cut wood for the burnt-offering, he started off for the place which God had designated to him. 4 On the third day, when Abraham raised his eyes, he saw the place in the distance. 5 So Abraham said to his servants,

"Stay here with the ass, while I and the boy go yonder to perform our devotions, after which we shall return to you."

6 So Abraham took the wood for the burnt-offering and put it on the back of his son Isaac, while he carried in his own hand the fire and the knife. So the two of them went off together.

7 "Father!" said Isaac to his father Abraham.

"Yes, my son," he responded.

"Here are the fire and the wood," he said, "but where is the sheep for a burnt-offering?"

8 "God will provide himself with the sheep for a burnt-offering, my son," said Abraham.

Thereupon the two of them proceeded on their way together.

9 When they arrived at the place which God had designated to him, Abraham built the altar there, arranged the wood, and binding his son Isaac, laid him on the altar on top of the wood. 10 But as Abraham put out his hand to grasp the knife to slay his son, 11 the angel of the LORD called to him from the heavens,

"Abraham, Abraham!"

"Here am I," he replied.

12 "Do not lay hands on the boy," he said, "do nothing of the sort to him; for I know now that you revere God, in that you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me."

13 When Abraham looked up, there behind him was a ram caught in the brushwood by its horns! So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up as a burnt-offering in place of his son. 14 Then Abraham called the name of that place Yahweh-jireh, which is today interpreted as "At the hill of the LORD provision is made."

15 A second time the angel of the LORD called to Abraham from the heavens,

16 "I swear by myself" — it is the oracle of the LORD — "that since you have done this, and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will indeed bless you, and will surely make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, or the sands on the seashore, so that your descendants shall take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your descendants all the nations of the earth shall invoke blessings on one another — just because you heeded my injunction."

19 Abraham then returned to his servants, and together they started off for Beersheba; and in Beersheba Abraham made his home.

20 Some time after this word came to Abraham as follows: "Milcah, too, has borne children to your brother Nahor: 21 Uz, the first-born, Buz, his brother, Kemuel (the ancestor of the Arameans), 22 Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel" — 23 which Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. These eight did Milcah bear to Nahor, Abraham's brother. 24 Moreover, his concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.

23:1 The length of Sarah's life was one hundred and twenty-seven years. 2 Sarah died at Kirjath-arba (that is, Hebron), in the land of Canaan, and Abraham proceeded to wail and weep for Sarah. 3 Rising from the side of his dead, Abraham said to the Hittites,

4 "I am an immigrant, but one who has become your serf; so give me some property with you as a burial-ground, that I may inter my dead."

5 The Hittites answered Abraham,

6 "Listen, sir; you are a prince from God among us; bury your dead in the choicest of our sepulchres; none of us will deny you his sepulchre for the burial of your dead."

7 Abraham rose, and bowing to the Hittites, the natives of the land, 8 he said to them, .

"If your consent to the burial of my dead is assured, listen to me; approach Ephron, the son of Zohar, on my behalf, 9 that he may give me the cave of Machpelah which belongs to him, on the edge of his field. Let him sell it to me in your presence for its full value, as a burial-ground of my own."

10 Now Ephron was sitting among the Hittites. So Ephron, the Hittite, answered Abraham in the hearing of the Hittites, namely all those accustomed to enter the gates of his city,

11 "Not at all, sir; listen to me; I make you a present of the field; I make you a present of the cave as well; in the presence of my fellow-countrymen I present it to you; bury your dead in it."

12 Bowing to the natives of the land, 13 Abraham said to Ephron in the hearing of the natives of the land,

"If really you are so obliging, please listen to me; I offer you money for the field; accept it from me, that I may bury my dead there."

14 Ephron answered Abraham,

15 "Sir, listen to me; a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver — what is that between us; bury your dead in it."

16 So Abraham accepted Ephron's terms, and Abraham paid over to Ephron the sum which he had named in the hearing of the Hittites, four hundred shekels of silver of commercial standard.

17 Thus the field of Ephron at Machpelah, which faces Mamre, the field together with the cave in it and all the trees that were in the field, throughout its whole area, was conveyed 18 in the presence of the Hittites, namely all those accustomed to enter the gates of his city, to Abraham as his property. 19 Following that Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah, facing Mamre (that is Hebron), in the land of Canaan. 20 Thus the field with the cave that was in it passed from the possession of the Hittites to that of Abraham for use as a burial-ground.

24:1 Now that Abraham was old and well advanced in life, having been blessed by the LORD in all things, 2 Abraham said to the oldest slave of his household, who had charge of everything that belonged to him,

"Put your hand under my thigh, 3 while I make you swear by the LORD, the God of the heavens and the earth, that you will not marry my son to a daughter of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, 4 but that you will go to my own land and kindred to get a wife for my son Isaac."

5 The slave said to him,

"Suppose the woman is unwilling to follow me to this land; am I to take your son back to the land that you left? "

6 Abraham said to him,

"See to it that you do not take my son back there ! 7 It was the LORD, the God of the heavens, who took me from my father's home and the land of my birth, who spoke to me and made me this promise, 'It is to your descendants that I am going to give this land' — it is he who will send his angel ahead of you, so that you shall get a wife for my son there. 8 But if the woman should be unwilling to follow you, then you will be absolved from this oath to me; only you must never take my son back there."

9 So the slave put his hand under the thigh of his master, Abraham, and swore to him to this effect.

10 The slave took ten of his master's camels, and set out on his journey, taking with him all kinds of valuables from his master; he started off, and eventually arrived at Aram-naharaim, the city of Nahor. 11 Toward evening, at the time that the women came out to draw water, he made the camels kneel by the well outside the city.

12 "O LORD, the God of my master Abraham," he said, "pray give me success today, and so be gracious to my master Abraham. 13 Here I am taking my stand beside the spring, as the daughters of the townsmen come out to draw water. 14 Let the girl, then, to whom I say, 'Will you please let down your pitcher for me to drink?' and who says, 'Drink, and let me water your camels as well' — let her be the one whom thou hast allotted to thy servant Isaac. By this I shall be assured that thou wilt really be gracious to my master."

15 Before he had finished speaking, out came Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, the wife of Abraham's brother Nahor, with her pitcher on her shoulder. 16 The girl was very beautiful, a virgin with whom no man had ever had intercourse. She went down to the spring to fill her pitcher, and when she came up, 17 the slave ran to her and said,

"Will you please let me drink a little water from your pitcher?"

18 "Drink, sir," she said; and quickly lowering the pitcher to her hand, she gave him a drink. 19 When she had finished giving him a drink, she said,

"For your camels too, I will draw water, until they finish drinking."

20 So she quickly emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran back to the well to draw more water. Thus she drew water for all his camels, 21 while the man gazed after her, eager to learn whether the LORD had brought his errand to a successful issue or not. 22 Accordingly, as soon as the camels finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing half a shekel, and put it in her nose, as well as two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels on her wrists. 23 Then he said,

"Whose daughter are you? Pray tell me. Is there room in your father's house for us to spend the night?"

24 "I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor," she replied. 25 "We have plenty of both straw and fodder," she added, "and there is also room to spend the night."

26 Thereupon the man bowed in homage to the LORD, 27 and said,

"Blessed be the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not failed to be gracious and true to my master. I am on the right road; the LORD has led me to the home of my master's kinsfolk."

28 Then the girl ran, and gave an account of these things to her mother's household. 29 Now Rebekah had a brother, whose name was Laban. 30 So Laben ran out to the man at the spring, when he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister's wrists and heard his sister Rebekah saying, "This is what the man said to me." When he reached the man, there he was, standing beside the camels near the spring.

31 "Come in," he said; "the LORD's blessings on you! Why do you stand outside, when I have the house ready, as well as a place for the camels?"

32 So he brought the man into the house, and unharnessed the camels. He brought straw and fodder for the camels, and water for him and the men that were with him to wash their feet. 33 Food was then set before him to eat, but he said,

"I will not eat until I have told my story."

"Say on," he said.

34 So he said,

"I am Abraham's slave. 35 The LORD has richly blessed my master, so that he is a great man; he has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female slaves, camels and asses. 36 Now Sarah, my master's wife, after she was quite old, bore a son to my master, and to him he is leaving everything that belongs to him. 37 My master made me take this oath: 'You must not marry my son to any daughter of the Canaanites in whose land I am living; 38 but you must go to my father's home and my own kindred to get a wife for my son.' 39 I said to my master, 'Suppose the woman will not follow me?' 40 He said to me, 'The LORD, in whose favor I have lived, will send his angel along with you, and will bring your errand to a successful issue, so that you shall get a wife for my son from my own kindred and my father's home. 41 Then you shall be absolved from the oath to me; when you come to my kindred, if they refuse you, you shall be absolved from the oath to me.' 42 So today when I came to the spring, I said, 'O LORD, God of my master Abraham, if thou wouldst really bring success to this errand in which I am engaged, 43 grant that, as I stand beside the spring, the girl who comes out to draw water, and to whom I say, "Will you please give me a little water to drink out of your pitcher?" 44 and who says to me, "Not only drink yourself, but let me draw water for your camels as well" — let that woman be the one whom the LORD has allotted to my master's son.' 45 Before I could finish my meditations, out came Rebekah, with her pitcher on her shoulder, and went down to the spring to draw water. So I said to her, 'Will you please give me a drink?' 46 whereupon she quickly lowered her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, 'Drink, and let me water your camels as well.' So I drank, and she gave the camels a drink too. 47 Then I asked her, 'Whose daughter are you?' and she said, 'The daughter of Bethuel, the son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to Kim.' Then I put the ring in her nose, and the bracelets on her wrists; 48 and I bowed in homage to the LORD, blessing the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me by the right road to get the daughter of my master's kinsman for his son. 49 Now then, tell me whether you are ready to treat my master kindly and honorably or not, so that I may turn one way or the other."

50 Laban and Bethuel answered,

"This is the LORD's doing; we dare not answer you adversely or favorably. 51 Here is Rebekah for you; take her and go; let her become the wife of your master's son, as the LORD has signified."

52 As soon as the slave of Abraham heard their words, he bowed to the earth before the LORD. 53 The slave then brought out articles of silver and gold, and clothing, which he gave to Rebekah; he also gave costly presents to her brother and mother. 54 Then he and the men that were with him had something to eat and drink, and retired for the night.

When they rose next morning, he said,

"Let me go to my master."

55 But her brother and mother said,

"Let the girl stay with us a while longer, or at least ten days, after which she may go."

56 "Do not hinder me," he said to them; "since the LORD has brought my errand to such a successful issue, let me go that I may return to my master."

57 "We will call the girl, and consult her wishes," they said.

58 So they called Rebekah, and said to her,

"Will you go with this man?"

"I will," said she.

59 So they let their sister Rebekah go, and her nurse, and Abraham's slave and his men. 60 They blessed Rebekah, saying to her,

"May you, our sister, become a thousand myriads! And may your descendants conquer the cities of their foes!"

61 Then Rebekah started off with her maids, and riding on the camels, they followed the man. Thus the slave took Rebekah and departed.

62 Now Isaac had moved from the neighborhood of Beer-lahai-roi, and was living in the land of the Negeb. 63 One evening Isaac went out to stroll in the fields, and raising his eyes, he saw camels coming. 64 Rebekah too raised her eyes, and seeing Isaac, she dismounted from her camel, 65 saying to the slave,

"Who is the man yonder that is walking through the field toward us?"

"He is my master," said the slave.

Then she took her veil, and covered herself.

66 The slave told Isaac all that he had done; so Isaac brought her into his tent. He married Rcbekah and she became his wife; and in loving her, Isaac found consolation for the death of his mother.

25:1 Abraham married another wife whose name was Keturah, 2 who bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3 Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. The descendants of Dedan were the Ashurim, the Letushim, and the Leummim, 4 while the descendants of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. 5 All these were Keturah's children. To Isaac Abraham gave everything that he had, 6 while to the children that Abraham had by concubines, while he was still alive, Abraham gave presents, and sent them away eastward to the land of Kedem, so that they might not interfere with his son Isaac.

7 This was the total length of Abraham's life — one hundred and seventy-five years. 8 So Abraham came to his death, dying at a ripe old age, an old man, satisfied with life; and he was gathered to his fathers. 9 His sons, Isaac and Ishmael, buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron, the son of Zohar, the Hittite, which faces Mamre, 10 the field which Abraham had bought from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried, along with his wife Sarah. 11 After the death of Abraham, God blessed his son Isaac, who made his home close to Beer-lahai-roi.

12 The following are the descendants of Ishmael, the son of Abraham, whom Hagar, the Egyptian, Sarah's maid, bore to Abraham; 13 the following are the names of the sons of Ishmael, named in the order of their birth: Nebaioth, Ishmael's first-born, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 15 These were the sons of Ishmael; these were their names as arranged by villages and encampments — twelve princes arranged by peoples.

17 This was the length of Ishmael's life — one hundred and thirty-seven years. So he came to his death; he died, and was gathered to his fathers. 18 He inhabited the region from Havilah as far as Shur, which is on the border of Egypt, in the vicinity of Ashur, having settled on the outskirts of all his kindred.

19 The following are the descendants of Isaac, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel, the Aramean of Paddan-aram, and the sister of Laban, the Aramean. 21 Isaac besought the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; so the LORD yielded to his entreaty, and his wife Rebekah conceived. 22 While in her womb, the children jostled each other, so that she said,

"If it is to be thus, on whose side am I to be? "

So she went off to consult the LORD, 23 and the LORD said to her,

"Two nations are in your womb, And the two peoples have been hostile ever since conception in you; The one people shall master the other, And the older shall serve the younger."

24 When the time of her delivery came, there were indeed twins in her womb. 25 The first one was born red, his whole body like a hairy garment; so his name was called Esau [hairy (? )\ ]. 26 Then his brother was born, with his hand gripping Esau's heel; so his name was called Jacob [heel-gripper]. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

27 The boys grew up. Esau became a skilful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob became a man of peaceful pursuits, making his home in tents. 28 Isaac favored Esau, because he was fond of game, while Rebekah favored Jacob.

29 Once when Jacob was making a stew, Esau came in from the fields famishing; 30 whereupon Esau said to Jacob,

"Let me have a swallow of that red stuff there; for I am famishing."

(That was how his name came to be called Edom [red].)

31 "First sell me your birthright," said Jacob.

32 So Esau said,

"Here I am at the point of death; so of what use is a birthright to me?"

33 "First give me your oath," said Jacob.

34 So he gave him his oath, and sold his birthright to Jacob. Jacob then gave Esau bread and stewed lentils. He ate and drank; then rose and went away. Thus lightly did Esau value his birthright.

26:1 A famine occurred in the land — a different one from the first famine which occurred in the time of Abraham — so Isaac went to Gerar, to Abimclech, king of the Philistines. 2 The LORD then appeared to him, and said,

"Do not go down to Egypt; settle in the land that I shall designate to you. 3 If you establish yourself as an immigrant in this land, I will be with you, and bless you; for to you and your descendants I am going to give this whole country, and so fulfill the oath which I made to your father Abraham. 4 I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give your descendants this whole country, so that all the nations of the earth will invoke blessings on one another through your descendants — 5 just because Abraham heeded my instructions and kept my charge, my commands, statutes, and laws."

6 So Isaac settled at Gerar. 7 When the men of the place asked him about his wife, he said,

"She is my sister."

For he was afraid to say, "She is my wife," lest the men of the place should slay him for the sake of Rebekah, since she was so good looking.

8 After he had been there quite a long time, Abimclech, king of the Philistines, looked out of his window, and saw Isaac fondling his wife Rebekah. 9 So Abimelech summoned Isaac, and said,

"So she really is your wife; then why did you say, 'She is my sister?'"

"I said so, that I might not lose my life through her," Isaac said to him.

10 "What a way to treat us!" said Abimelech. "One of my people might easily have lain with your wife, and then you would have brought guilt on us."

11 So Abimelech warned all his people,

"Anyone laying hands on this man or his wife shall be put to death."

12 Isaac sowed a crop in that country, using that year one hundred measures of barley, and the LORD blessed him. 13 The man grew rich, and kept on growing richer and richer, until he became very rich indeed; 14 he had flocks of sheep and herds of cattle, and so many work-animals that the Philistines vented their spite on him. 15 All the wells which his father's slaves had dug in the time of his' father Abraham, the Philistines stopped up and filled with dirt. 16 Accordingly, when Abimelech said to Isaac, "Leave our midst; for you are much too powerful for us," 17 Isaac left there, and camping in the valley of Gerar, he settled there. 18 Isaac then re-opened the wells which had been dug in the time of his father Abraham, but which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham's death; and he gave them the same names as his father had given them. 19 But when Isaac's slaves dug in the valley, and found a well of running water, 20 the shepherds of Gerar got into a dispute with Isaac's shepherds, saying, "The water is ours." Hence the name of the well came to be called Esek [trouble], because they got into trouble with him. 21 Then they dug another well, but they got into a dispute over that too; so its name came to be called Sitnah [hostility]. 22 Moving from there, he dug another well, and there was no dispute over this; so he called its name Rehoboth [room], saying, "At last the LORD has made room for us, so that we shall become numerous in the land."

23 From there he went up to Beersheba; 24 and that very night the LORD appeared to him, saying,

"I am the God of your father Abraham; do not be afraid; for I am with you. I will bless you and make your descendants numerous, for the sake of my servant Abraham."

25 So Isaac built an altar there, and called upon the name of the LORD. He pitched his tent there, and there also his slaves dug a well.

26 Then Abimelech came to him from Gerar, with Ahuzzath, one of his ministers, and Phicol, the general of his army. 27 Isaac said to them,

"Why have you come to me, seeing that you hate me, and drove me from your midst?"

28 They said,

"We see very clearly that the LORD is with you, so we make this proposal: 'Let there be an oath between us — between ourselves and you; let us reach an agreement with you 29 that you will do us no harm, since we did not hurt you, but only did you good, and let you go amicably.' And now, the LORD'S blessings on you!"

30 Thereupon he made a feast for them, at which they ate and drank. 31 Rising early next morning, they took oath with each other, and then Isaac let them go, and they departed from him on friendly terms. 32 It was that same day that Isaac's slaves came and told him about the well that they had dug; "We have found water," they told him. 33 So he called it Shibah [oath]. That is why the name of the city is Beersheba [the well of the oath] to this day.

34 When Esau was forty years old, he married Judith, the daughter of Beeri, the Hittite, and Basemath, the daughter of Elon, the Hittite; and they were a source of distress to Isaac and Rebekah.

27:1 One day, after Isaac had become old and his eyes so dim that he could not see, he called his older son Esau.

"My son! " he said to him.

"Here I am," he replied.

2 He said,

"Here I am .an old man, not knowing what day I may die. 3 Get your weapons, then, your quiver and bow, and go out into the fields, and hunt some game for me. 4 Then make me a tasty dish, such as I like, and bring it to me to eat, that I may give you my blessing before I die."

5 Now Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to his son Esau; so when Esau went off to the fields to hunt game for his father, 6 Rebekah said to her son Jacob, "I have just heard your father say to your brother Esau, 7 'Bring me some game, and make me a tasty dish to eat, that I may bless you before the LORD before I die.' 8 Now then, my son, obey me in the charge that I am giving you. 9 Go to the flock and get two fat kids for me there, that I may make them into a tasty dish for your father, 10 such as he likes. Then you shall take it to your father to eat, that he may bless you before he dies."

11 But Jacob said to his mother Rebekah,

"Ah, but my brother Esau is a hairy man, while I am smooth. 12 Suppose my father were to feel me? I should look like an impious person to him, and bring a curse on myself, and not a blessing."

13 "Let any curse for you, my son, fall on me!" his mother replied. "Only obey me, and go and get them for me."

14 So he went and got them, and brought them to his mother. His mother then made a tasty dish, such as his father liked; 15 and taking the best clothes of her older son Esau, which she had in the house, Rebekah dressed her younger son Jacob in them; 16 she put the skins of the kids on his hands and on the smooth parts of his neck, 17 and committed the tasty dish and bread which she had made into the hands of her son Jacob. 18 Then he went in to his father, and said,

"Father!"

"Yes," he said. "Who are you, my son?"

19 Jacob said to his father,

"I am Esau, your first-born; I have done as you told me; now sit up and eat once more of my game, that you may give me your blessing."

20 But Isaac said to his son,

"How ever did you come to find it so quickly, my son?"

"Because the LORD your God brought it in my path," he said.

21 Isaac then said to Jacob,

"Come up close that I may feel you, my son, to see whether you really are my son Esau or not."

22 So Jacob went up to his father Isaac, who felt him, and said, "The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are those of Esau."

23 Hence he did not detect him, because his hands were hairy, like those of his brother Esau; so he blessed him.

24 "Are you really my son Esau? " he said.

"I am," he replied.

25 So he said,

"Bring me some of your game to eat, my son, that I may give you my blessing."

So he brought it to him, and he ate; he also brought him wine, and he drank. 26 Then his father Isaac said to him,

"Come here and kiss me, my son."

27 So he went up and kissed him; and when he smelt his clothes, he blessed him, saying,

"Ah, my son's smell is like that of a field that the LORD has blessed.

28 May God give you of the heavens' dew, Of earth's fatness, with plenty of grain and wine! 29 Nations shall serve you, And peoples bow down to you. Be master of your brothers, And let your mother's sons bow down to you! Cursed be they who curse you, And blessed be they who bless you!"

30 No sooner had Isaac finished blessing Jacob, indeed Jacob had just left the presence of his father Isaac, when his brother Esau came in from his hunt. 31 He too made a tasty dish, and brought it to his father.

"Let my father sit up," he said to his father, "and eat some of his son's game, that you may give me your blessing."

32 "Who are you?" his father Isaac said to him.

"I am your son," he said, "your first-born, Esau."

33 Thereupon Isaac was very greatly agitated, and said,

"Who was it then who got some game and brought it to me? I ate heartily of it before you came, and blessed him, so that he is indeed blessed."

34 On hearing his father's words, Esau cried loud and bitterly, and said to his father,

"Bless me also, my father!"

35 But he said,

"Your brother came under false colors, and stole your blessing."

36 "Is it because he is named Jacob that he has twice now got the better of me?" he said. "He stole my birthright, and now he has stolen my blessing!" "Have you not kept a blessing for me?" he added.

37 But Isaac in reply said to Esau,

"Since I have made him master over you, and have made all his brothers his slaves, and have provided grain and wine for his sustenance, what then is there that I can do for you, my son?"

38 Esau said to his father,

"Have you only one blessing, my father? Bless me too, my father."

39 Whereupon Esau lifted up his voice in weeping. So his father Isaac complied, and said to him,

"Away from the fat of the earth shall your dwelling be, Away from the dew of the heavens on high. 40 By your sword you shall live, And your brother you shall serve; But when you become restive, You shall break his yoke off your neck."

41 So Esau had a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing which his father had bestowed on him.

"It will soon be time to mourn for my father," Esau said to himself, "and then I will slay my brother Jacob."

42 But Rebekah was informed of the designs of her older son Esau, so she sent for her younger son Jacob, and said to him,

"Here is your brother Esau threatening to take revenge on you by murdering you! 43 Now my son, listen to me; flee at once to my brother Laban at Haran, 44 and stay awhile with him, until your brother's anger subsides — 45 until your brother's wrath against you relents, and he forgets what you have done to him; then I will send and fetch you from there. Why should I be bereft of both of you on the same day?"

46 So Rebekah said to Isaac,

"I am tired to death of the Hittite women. If Jacob marries a Hittite woman like these, one of the natives of the land, what good will life be to me?"

28:1 So Isaac called Jacob, and blessing him, gave him this charge:

"You must not marry any Canaanite woman; 2 go at once to Paddan-aram, to the home of Bethuel, your mother's father, and procure a wife there from the daughters of Laban, your mother's brother. 3 May God Almighty bless you, and make you prolific, and so numerous that you become a company of peoples! 4 May he bestow the blessing vouchsafed to Abraham on you, and likewise on your descendants, that you may take possession of the land in which you are now only an immigrant, which God gave to Abraham."

5 So Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Paddan-aram, to Laban, the son of Bethuel, the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.

6 When Esau discovered that Isaac had blessed Jacob, and had sent him off to Paddan-aram to procure a wife there, and on blessing him, had charged him not to marry any Canaanite woman, 7 and that Jacob had obeyed his father and mother, and had gone to Paddan-aram, 8 Esau realized that his father Isaac disliked Canaanite women, 9 so he went to Ishmael, and married Mahalath, the daughter of Abraham's son Ishmael, the sister of Nebaioth, in addition to the wives that he had.

10 Leaving Beersheba, Jacob set out for Haran. 11 Reaching a certain place, he spent the night there; for the sun had set. He took one of the stones in the place, and using it for a pillow, he lay down in that place. 12 He had a dream in which he saw a ladder set up on the earth, with its top reaching the sky, and angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 Then the LORD stood over him, and said,

"I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and of Isaac. The land on which you are lying, I am going to give to you and your descendants. 14 Your descendants shall be like the dust on the ground; you shall spread to the west, to the east, to the north, and to the south, so that all races in the earth will invoke blessings on one another through you and your descendants. 15 I will be with you, and guard you wherever you go, until I bring you back to this land; for I will never forsake you, until I have done what I have promised you."

16 When Jacob woke from his sleep, he said,

"The LORD must surely be in this place — and I did not know it!"

19 Accordingly, he called the name of that place Bethel [house of God], whereas the earlier name of the city had been Luz.

17 He was awe-struck, and said,

"What an awesome place this is! This can be nothing other than the house of God, and that the gate of the sky."

18 So when Jacob rose in the morning, he took the stone which he had used as a pillow, and setting it up as a sacred pillar, he poured oil on its top. 20 Jacob then made this vow:

"If God will go with me, and watch over me on this journey that I am making, and give me food to eat and clothes to wear, 21 so that I come home safely to my father's house, then the LORD shall be my God, 22 and this stone which I have set up as a sacred pillar shall be God's house, and I will give to thee a portion of everything that thou givest me."

29:1 Jacob then continued his journey, and came to the land of the Kedemites. 2 Looking round, he saw a well in the open, with three flocks of sheep lying beside it; for it was from this well that the flocks were watered, but the stone over the mouth of the well was so large 3 that it was only after all the shepherds had collected there that they could roll the stone off the mouth of the well, and water the sheep, after which they would replace the stone over the mouth of the well.

4 "My friends, where do you come from?" Jacob said to them.

"We come from Haran," they said.

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

"We do," said they.

6 "Is he well?" he said to them.

"He is," they said, "and here is his daughter Rachel coming with his sheep!"

7 "Why," said he, "the day has still long to run! It is not yet time for the live stock to be gathered in; water the sheep, and go on pasturing them."

8 But they said,

"We cannot until all the shepherds assemble, and roll the stone off the mouth of the well so that we can water the sheep."

9 While he was still talking with them, Rachel arrived with her father's flock; for she was a shepherdess. 10 As soon as Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, with the flock of Laban, his mother's brother, Jacob went up, and rolling the stone off the mouth of the well, watered the flock of Laban, his mother's brother. 11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice in weeping.

12 When Jacob told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and the son of Rebekah, she ran and told her father. 13 As soon as Laban heard about Jacob, his sister's son, he ran to meet him, embraced him, kissed him, and brought him home. Jacob then told Laban his whole story, 14 whereupon Laban said to him,

"You are my very own flesh and blood ! "

So he stayed with him for a whole month.

15 Then Laban said to Jacob,

"Should you, just because you are a relative of mine, work for me for nothing? Let me know what your wages should be."

16 Now Laban had two daughters, the name of the older being Leah, and that of the younger Rachel; 17 Leah had weak eyes, while Rachel was beautiful and lovely. 18 Jacob had fallen in love with Rachel, so he said,

"I will work seven years for you in return for Rachel, your younger daughter."

19 Whereupon Laban said,

"It is better for me to give her to you than to anyone else; stay with me."

20 So Jacob worked seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days, because he loved her. 21 Then Jacob said to Laban,

"Give me my wife; for my time is up, and I want to marry her."

22 So Laban gathered all the men of the place, and held a feast; 23 but in the course of the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, who married her. 24 Laban gave his slave Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her maid.

25 Next morning, however, Jacob discovered that it was Leah! So he said to Laban,

"What a way for you to treat me! Did I not work with you for Rachel? Why then have you cheated me?"

26 "It is not customary in our country to marry the younger daughter before the older," Laban said. 27 "Finish the week's festivities for this one, and then I will give you the other also, in return for another seven years' service with me."

28 Jacob did so; he finished her week's festivities, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel in marriage; 29 and to his daughter Rachel he gave his slave Bilhah as her maid. 30 So he married Rachel also, and besides, he loved Rachel more than Leah. Thus he had to work with Laban another seven years.

31 When the LORD saw that Leah was slighted, he made her pregnant, while Rachel remained barren. 31 So Leah conceived and bore a son, whom she named Reuben [behold a son] ; "For," said she, "the LORD has taken note of my distress; now my husband will love me."

33 Again she conceived and bore a son; so she said, "Because the LORD heard that I was slighted, he has given me this one also."

Hence she called his name Simeon [hearing].

34 Again she conceived and bore a son; "This time," she said, "my husband will surely become attached to me, seeing that I have borne him three sons."

That was how he came to be called Levi [attachment].

35 Once more she conceived and bore a son, whereupon she said, "Now do I praise the LORD!"

That was why she called his name Judah [praise].

Then she stopped bearing children.

30:1 When Rachel realized that she was not bearing children to Jacob, she became jealous of her sister, and said to Jacob,

"Give me children, or else I die!"

2 Jacob blazed with anger against Rachel, and said,

"Can I take the place of God, who has kept you from having children?"

3 Then she said,

"Here is my slave Bilhah ; have intercourse with her, that she may bear children for my knees, and that I too may build up a family through her."

4 So she gave him her maid Bilhah in marriage, and Jacob had intercourse with her. 5 Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son, 6 whereupon Rachel said,

"God brought judgment upon me, but now he has heeded my cry and given me a son."

That was why she called his name Dan [he brought judgment].

7 Again Rachel's maid, Bilhah, conceived and bore Jacob a second son. 8 Then Rachel said,

"It was a clever trick that I played my sister, and I succeeded too!"

So she called his name Naphtali [trick].

9 When Leah discovered that she had stopped bearing children, she took her maid Zilpah and gave her to Jacob in marriage. 10 Zilpah, Leah's maid, bore Jacob a son, 11 whereupon Leah said,

"How lucky!"

So she called his name Gad [luck].

12 Zilpah, Leah's maid, bore Jacob another son. So Leah said,

"How fortunate I am; for women will certainly call me fortunate!"

So she called his name Asher [fortune],

14 At the time of the wheat-harvest Reuben went out into the fields, where he found some mandrakes which he brought home to his mother Leah.

"Please give me some of your son's mandrakes," Rachel said to Leah.

15 But she said to her,

"Is the fact that you took away my husband such a trifle that you should want to take my son's mandrakes as well?"

"Well then," said Rachel, "he may lie with you tonight in exchange for your son's mandrakes."

16 So when Jacob came home from the fields in the evening, Leah went out to meet him, and said,

"You must come home with me; for I have hired you with my son's mandrakes."

So he lay with her that night.

17 God gave heed to Leah, so that she conceived and bore a fifth son to Jacob, 18 whereupon Leah said,

"God has given me my reward for giving my maid to my husband."

So she called his name Issachar [reward].

19 Again Leah conceived and bore a sixth son to Jacob. 20 Then Leah said,

"God has made me a magnificent present; my husband will surely stay with me now; for I have borne him six sons."

So she called his name Zebulun [abode].

21 She afterwards bore a daughter, whom she named Dinah.

22 God also remembered Rachel; God gave heed to her, and made her pregnant, 23 so that she conceived and bore a son, whereupon she said,

"God has taken away my reproach."

24 So she called his name Joseph [may he add], saying,

"May the LORD give me another son!"

25 It was after Rachel had given birth to Joseph that Jacob said to Laban,

"Let me go, that I may depart for my own home and country. 26 Give me my wives and children, for whom I have worked for you, that I may go; for you know how well I have worked for you."

27 But Laban said to him,

"If I may have your permission to say so, I have learned from the omens that the LORD has blessed me because of you." 28 "Name me your wage," he added, "and I will pay it."

29 But he said to him,

"You know yourself how I have worked for you, and what your stock has become under my care; 30 for it was little that you had before I came, whereas now it has expanded into a great deal, since the LORD blessed you upon my arrival. But when am I to make provision for my own household?"

31 "What should I give you?" he said.

"Give me nothing of the sort," said Jacob. "I will go on pasturing and tending your flock, if you will do this for me: 32 go through all the flock today, and remove from it every speckled and spotted sheep, every one of the lambs that is black, and any of the goats that is spotted and speckled; such shall be my pay. 33 At some future time, whenever you may come, my honesty toward you will answer for me in the matter of my hire; if there is any one among the goats that is not speckled and spotted, or among the lambs that is not black, it came into my possession by theft."

34 "Good," said Laban, "let it be as you say."

35 So that same day he removed the striped and spotted he-goats, all the speckled and spotted she-goats, every one with white on it, and all of the lambs that were black; and handing them over to his sons 36 he put a distance of three days' journey between himself and Jacob, while Jacob remained in charge of the rest of Laban's flock.

37 Then Jacob procured some fresh boughs of poplar, almond, and plane, and peeled white stripes in them, thus laying bare the white on the boughs. 38 He then placed the boughs which he had peeled in front of the sheep in the troughs, that is, the water-troughs, where the sheep came to drink. 39 Since they bred when they came to drink, the sheep bred among the boughs, and so had lambs that were striped, speckled, and spotted. 40 Jacob set the lambs apart, and so added the best sheep in Laban's flock to those that were striped and all black. He put his own flock off by themselves, and did not add them to Laban's flock. 41 Whenever the hardier ewes were breeding, Jacob used to put the boughs in the troughs in front of the flock so that they might breed among the boughs, 42 but not in the case of the weaker ones. Thus the weaker ones fell to Laban, and the hardier to Jacob. 43 The man, accordingly, grew richer and richer, and had large flocks, as well as male and female slaves, camels and asses.

31:1 Now Jacob heard Laban's sons saying, "Jacob has taken all that our father had; it is out of what our father had that he has acquired all this wealth." 2 Jacob saw too that the attitude of Laban toward him was not what it used to be; 3 so the LORD said to Jacob,

"Return to the land of your fathers and to your relatives; I will be with you."

4 So Jacob sent for Rachel and Leah to come to his flock in the fields, 5 and said to them,

"I see that your father's attitude toward me is not what it used to be. However, the God of my father is with me. 6 You know yourselves that I have worked for your father to the best of my ability, 7 whereas your father has cheated me, and has changed my wages ten times. But God has not allowed him to do me any harm. 8 Whenever he said, 'The speckled animals are to be your wage,' then all the sheep had speckled lambs; and whenever he said, 'The striped animals are to be your wage,' all the sheep had striped lambs. 9 Thus God has taken away your father's stock, and given it to me.

10 "Once when the sheep were breeding, I had a dream, and raising my eyes, I saw that the rams that were leaping on the goats were striped, speckled, and mottled. 11 Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, 'Jacob!' 'Here I am,' said I. 12 Whereupon he said, 'Raise your eyes, and look; all the rams that are leaping on the goats are striped, speckled, and mottled — for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you. 13 I am the God who appeared to you at Bethel, where you anointed a sacred pillar and made a vow to me. Come then, leave this land, and return to the land of your birth.' "

14 In response Rachel and Leah said to him,

"Is there any share or heritage left to us in our father's house? 15 Are we not considered foreigners by him? For he sold us; and should he also use up all the proceeds from us himself? 16 All the property which God has taken from our father really belongs to us and our children; so do just what God has told you to do."

17 So Jacob proceeded to mount his sons and wives on camels, 18 and drove off all his stock, all the live stock which he had acquired, his accumulated stock, which he had acquired in Paddan-aram, to go home to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan.

19 When Laban was away shearing his sheep, Rachel stole the household gods that belonged to her father; 20 and Jacob outwitted Laban, the Aramean, by not telling him that he was going to flee. 21 So he fled, with all that belonged to him; starting forth, he crossed the River, and set his face toward the highlands of Gilead.

22 Three days later Laban was told that Jacob had fled; 23 so he took his fellow-tribesmen with him, and pursued him for seven days, overtaking him in the highlands of Gilead. 24 But God had come to Laban, the Aramean, in a dream one night, and had said to him, "Take care to say nothing to Jacob, either good or bad." 25 So when Laban came up with Jacob, Jacob having pitched his tent on Mount Mizpah, and Laban having encamped with his fellow-tribesmen on Mount Gilead, 26 Laban said to Jacob,

"What do you mean by outwitting me, and carrying off my daughters like prisoners of war? 27 Why did you flee in secret without telling me, and rob me? I would have sent you off with mirth and songs, with tambourine and lyre. 28 You did not even allow me to kiss my grandsons and daughters goodbye! How foolishly you have acted! 29 I had it in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father said to me the other night, 'Take care to say nothing to Jacob, either good or bad.' 30 So now you are off, because of course you longed for your father's home! But why did you steal my gods? "

31 In reply Jacob said to Laban,

"I was afraid; for I thought that you would take your daughters from me by force. 32 The one in whose possession you find your gods shall not live; in the presence of our tribesmen identify whatever is yours among my belongings, and take it."

(But Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.)

33 So Laban went into the tent of Jacob, the tent of Leah, and that of the two maids, but found nothing. Leaving Leah's tent, he went into Rachel's. 34 Now Rachel had taken the household gods, and putting them in the camel's saddle, had sat down on them. So when Laban had felt all over the tent without finding anything, 35 she said to her father,

"Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise in your presence; for the ailment common to women is on me."

So he searched thoroughly, but did not find the household gods.

36 Then Jacob grew angry, and took Laban to task; Jacob spoke up, and said to Laban,

"What is my offense; what is my misdeed, that you should have come raging after me, 37 and have felt all through my goods? Whatever goods you have found belonging to your house, set out here in the sight of my tribesmen and yours, that they may 'decide the issue between us two. 38 For the past twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and she-goats have never miscarried; and I have never eaten the rams of your flock. 39 I never reported to you the animals torn by wild beasts — I bore the loss myself. You held me responsible for anything stolen by day or night. 40 It was my lot to have the heat wear me out in the daytime, and the cold at night, and to lose my sleep. 41 For twenty years now I have been a member of your household; I worked fourteen years for you for your two daughters, and six years for your sheep. Ten times you changed my wages; 42 and if the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Awe of Isaac, had not been on my side, you would now have sent me away empty-handed. God saw my suffering and the fruits of my toil, and he has just recently set it right."

43 In reply Laban said to Jacob,

"The girls are my daughters, the children are my grandchildren, the flocks are my flocks — indeed everything that you see is mine ; but what can I do now about these daughters of mine, or the children that they have borne? 44 Come then, let us make a covenant, you and me, and let the LORD be witness between us."

45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a sacred pillar.

46 Jacob said to his men,

"Gather stones."

So they procured stones, and made a cairn. Then they had a meal there beside the cairn. 47 Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha [Aramaic for "cairn of witness"], while Jacob called it Galeed [Hebrew for "cairn of witness"].

48 "This cairn," said Laban, "is a witness between you and me today."

That was how it came to be named Galeed. 49 Of the sacred pillar he said,

"May the LORD keep watch between you and me when we are out of one another's sight. 50 If you ill treat my daughters, or marry other wives beside my daughters, although there may be no man to watch us, remember that God is witness between you and me."

51 Further, Laban said to Jacob,

"See, this cairn and the sacred pillar which I have erected stand between you and me. 52 This cairn is a witness, and the sacred pillar a witness that I will not pass this cairn to harm you, and that you will not pass this cairn and sacred pillar to harm me. 53 May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor (the gods of their ancestors) be judge between us!"

So Jacob swore to it by the Awe of his father Isaac. 54 Jacob then offered a sacrifice on the hill, and invited his relatives to partake of the meal. They did so, and then spent the night on the hill.

55 Next morning Laban rose early, and after kissing his grandchildren and his daughters, and giving them his blessing, he left and went home, 32:1 while Jacob resumed his journey. Then the angels of God encountered him; 2 and as soon as he saw them, Jacob said, "This is God's camp," and so called the name of that place Mahanaim [camps].

3 Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom, 4 commanding them as follows:

"Thus shall you speak to my lord Esau: 'Thus says your servant Jacob: "I have been residing with Laban, and having stayed right up to now, 5 I have oxen, asses, flocks, male and female slaves; so I am sending to tell my lord in the hope of finding favor with you." ' "

6 The messengers returned to Jacob, saying,

"We came to your brother Esau as he was on his way to meet you, accompanied by four hundred men."

7 Very much terrified and distressed, Jacob divided the people that were with him into two companies, as well as the flocks, herds, and 8 camels. "If Esau comes on one company and destroys it," he thought, "then the remaining company can escape."

9 Then Jacob said,

"O LORD, God of my father Abraham and my father Isaac, who didst say to me, 'Return to your country and your kindred, and I will make you prosperous,' 10 I do not deserve all the acts of kindness and fidelity that thou hast shown thy servant; for with nothing but my staff I crossed the Jordan here, but now I have become two companies. 11 Save me, I beseech thee, from the power of my brother Esau; for I am afraid that he will come and slay me, as well as the mothers and children. 12 But thou didst say, 'I will be sure to make you prosperous, and I will make your descendants like the sands of the sea, which are too numerous to count.'"

13 So Jacob stayed there that night.

From what he had at hand he selected a present for his brother Esau: 14 two hundred she-goats and twenty he-goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15 thirty milch camels with their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty she-asses and ten he-asses. 16 Putting them in charge of his slaves, with each drove by itself, he said to his slaves,

"Proceed ahead of me, and leave a space between one drove and another."

17 To the leader he gave this order,

"When my brother Esau meets you, and asks you, 'To whom do you belong; where are you going; and to whom do these animals belong that you are driving?' 18 say, 'To your servant Jacob; they are a present, sent to my lord Esau, while he himself is just behind us.'"

19 He gave the same orders to the second, and the third, and to all the others who were driving the droves, saying,

"Give this same message to Esau, when you meet him. 20 Also be sure to say, 'Your servant 'Jacob is just behind us.'"

"For," thought he, "I may appease him with the present that precedes me, and then when he does see me, he may perhaps receive me kindly."

21 So the present went on ahead of him, while he himself spent that night in the camp.

22 That same night he rose, and taking his two wives, his two female slaves, and his eleven children, he sent them across the ford of the Jabbok. 23 He took them, and sent them across the stream, and sent everything that belonged to him across. 24 Jacob himself was left behind all alone. Then a man wrestled with him until daybreak, 25 and when he found that he could not master him, he touched the socket of his thigh, so that the socket of Jacob's thigh was dislocated as he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said,

"Let me go; for the dawn is breaking."

But he replied,

"I will not let you go, unless you bless me."

27 "What is your name?" he said to him.

"Jacob," he replied.

28 Then he said,

"Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel [wrestler with God], because you have wrestled with God and man, and have been the victor."

29 "Please tell me your name," requested Jacob.

"Why is it that you ask for my name?" he replied; nevertheless he blessed him there.

30 So Jacob called the name of that place Peniel [face of God]; "For," said he, "I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been spared."

31 The sun rose on him just as he passed Penuel, limping because of his thigh. 32 That is why to this day the Israelites do not eat the hip muscle which is on the socket of the thigh; for the socket of Jacob's thigh was touched on the hip muscle.

33:1 Raising his eyes, Jacob saw Esau coming, accompanied by four hundred men; so he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maids, 2 and put the maids with their children in front, then Leah with her children, and finally Rachel and Joseph in the rear, 3 while he himself went on ahead of them, bowing seven times to the earth until he reached his brother. 4 Then Esau ran to meet him, and embracing him, fell on his neck, and kissed him, so that they wept. 5 When he raised his eyes, he saw the women and children, and said,

"What relation are these to you?"

"The children whom God has graciously bestowed on your servant," he replied.

6 Whereupon the maids came up with their children and bowed; 7 and likewise Leah with her children came up and bowed; and then Joseph and Rachel came up and bowed.

8 "What do you mean by all this company that I met?" he said.

"To win my lord's favor," he replied.

9 "I have plenty, my brother," said Esau; "keep what you have."

10 But Jacob said,

"Not at all; if perchance I find favor with you, accept my present from me, since it is like seeing the face of God for me to see your 11 face, and you have received me favorably. Please accept my gift of greeting that has been brought to you; for God has been good to me, and I have all I need."

12 Thus he urged him until he took it, whereupon he said,

"Let us set out on our way; I will go alongside you."

13 But he replied,

"My lord can see for himself that the children are frail, and that the sheep and cattle giving suck are a care to me; if they were to be over-driven a single day, the whole flock would die. 14 Pray let my lord go on ahead of his servant, and I will proceed leisurely, at the pace of the stock that I am driving, and at the pace of the children, until I join my lord at Seir."

15 "At least," said Esau, "let me leave with you some of the troops accompanying me."

"How can I thank my lord?" he said.

16 So Esau started back that day on his way to Seir, 17 while Jacob set out for Succoth, where he built a house for himself, and constructed sheds for his cattle. That was how the place came to be named Succoth [sheds].

18 In the course of his journey from Paddan-aram, Jacob arrived safely at the city of Shechcm, which is in the land of Canaan, and camped in front of the city. 19 For one hundred kesitas he bought the piece of ground on which he had pitched his tent from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem. 20 There he erected an altar, which he called El-elohe-Israel [El, the God of Israel].

34:1 Now Dinah, the daughter that Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the women of the district. 2 When Shechem, the son of Hamor, the Hivvite, the prince of the district, saw her, he seized her, and lay with her, and ravished her. 3 He had a passionate longing for Dinah, the daughter of Jacob; he loved the girl, and spoke endearingly to her. 4 So Shechem said to his father Hamor,

"Get this girl for me in marriage."

5 Jacob heard that his daughter Dinah had been violated, but since his sons were out in the country with the stock, Jacob took no action until their return.

6 Hamor, the father of Shechem, went to Jacob to speak with him. 7 The sons of Jacob had come in from the country as soon as they heard the news, and the men were distressed and very angry that such a shameless act had been committed in Israel as the violation of Jacob's daughter — which thing ought not to be done. 8 But Hamor said to them,

"My son Shechem has set his heart on your daughter; pray give her to him in marriage. 9 Intermarry with us, giving us your daughters in marriage, and marrying ours. 10 If you will make your home with us, the land will be at your disposal; settle down, engage in trade, and acquire property in it."

11 Shechem said to her father and brothers,

"If I may find favor with you, I will pay anything that you demand of me. Ask me ever so much in the way of marriage-price and presents, and I will pay you just what you demand of me; only give me the girl in marriage."

13 But the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and his father Hamor craftily; they whose sister Dinah had been violated spoke up, and 14 said to them,

"We cannot do such a thing as to give our sister to a man that is uncircumcised; for that would be a disgrace to us. 15 Only on this condition will we accede to your request, that you become like us, every male among you becoming circumcised. 16 Then we will give you our daughters in marriage, and marry yours; we will make our home with you, and become a single people. 17 If you will not agree to our pro- posal to become circumcised, we will take our daughters and go away."

18 The proposal was agreeable to Hamor, and to Shechem, the son of Hamor.

19 The young man made no delay in carrying the matter through; for he was in love with Jacob's daughter, and he himself was the most important member in his father's family.

20 So Hamor and his son Shechem came to their city gate, and said to their fellow-citizens,

21 "These men are well disposed towards us; let them make their home in the land, and engage in trade in it, since the land is quite spacious enough for them; let us marry their daughters, and give them our daughters in marriage. 22 It is only on this condition, however, that the men will agree to make their home with us, and form a single people, — that all the males among us become circumcised as they are. 23 Will not their live stock and possessions and all their cattle be to our advantage? If we will but agree to their proposal, they will make their home with us."

24 All those accustomed to go out through the gates of his city agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem, and all the males were circumcised, namely all those accustomed to go out through the gates of his city.

25 On the third day, when they were sore, the two sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, each took his sword, and advancing boldly against the city, they slew every male. 26 Hamor and his son Shechem they put to the sword, and taking Dinah from the house of Shechem, they made off. 27 Coming upon the slain, the sons of Jacob sacked the city that had violated their sister, 28 taking its flocks, herds, 29 and asses, what was in the city and in the fields; all its wealth, and all its women and children they captured, and took as spoil everything that was in the houses.

30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi,

"You have brought trouble on me by bringing me into bad odor with the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites and Perizzites. My numbers are small, and if they combine against me and attack me, I shall be destroyed, both I and my family."

31 But they replied,

"Could our sister be treated like a harlot?"

35:1 Then God said to Jacob,

"Rise, go up to Bethel to live, and construct an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau."

2 So Jacob said to his household and all who were with him,

"Get rid of the foreign gods that are in your midst, purify yourselves, and change your garments. 3 Then we can set out and go up to Bethel, where I am to construct an altar to the God who answered me at the time of my distress, and has accompanied me wherever I have gone."

4 So they handed over to Jacob all the foreign gods that they had, as well as the rings that were in their ears, and Jacob buried them at the foot of the terebinth near Shechem. 5 Then they set out, and so great was the terror of God on the cities around them that they did not pursue the sons of Jacob. 6 So Jacob and all the people that were with him reached Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, 7 and there he built an altar, calling the sanctuary El-Bethel, because it was there that God had revealed himself to him when he fled from his brother.

8 When Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died, she was buried below Bethel, at the foot of the oak; so it came to be named the Oak of Weeping.

9 On his journey from Paddan-aram, God again appeared to Jacob, and blessed him. 10 God said to him,

"Your name has been Jacob; you shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel is to be your name."

So he came to be named Israel.

11 Further, God said to him,

"I am God Almighty; be fruitful and multiply; a nation, or rather a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall spring from you. 12 The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give to you, and to your descendants after you I will give it."

13 God then left him at the place where he spoke with him, 14 whereupon Jacob erected a sacred pillar at the place where he spoke with him, a pillar of stone, poured a libation on it, and anointed it with oil. 15 So Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him Bethel.

16 They then set out from Bethel, and while it was still some little distance to the vicinity of Ephath, Rachel gave birth to a child, with terrible labor. 17 In the midst of her labor, the midwife said to her,

"Do not be afraid; for here is another son for you."

18 Just as her spirit left her (for she died), she called his name Ben-oni, but his father called him Benjamin. 19 Thus Rachel died, and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). 20 At her grave Jacob set up a sacred pillar; it remains to this day as the Pillar of Rachel's Grave.

21 Israel then moved on, and pitched his tent on the further side of Migdal-eder. 22 It was while Israel was living in that land that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah, his father's concubine; and Israel heard of it.

The sons of Jacob were twelve in number: 23 the sons of Leah: Reuben, Jacob's first-born, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun; 24 the sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin; 25 the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's maid: Dan and Naphtali; 26 and the sons of Zilpah, Leah's maid: Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob that were born to him in Paddan-aram.

27 Then Jacob joined his father Isaac at Mamre or Kirjath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had settled as immigrants. 28 The length of Isaac's life was one hundred and eighty years; then 29 Isaac came to his death; he died and was gathered to his fathers, an old man, satisfied with life; and his sons, Esau and Jacob, buried him.

36:1 The following are the descendants of Esau (that is, Edom). 2 Esau married Canaanite women: Adah, the daughter of Elon, the Hittite, Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah, the son of Zibeon, the Hivvite, 3 and Base math, the daughter of Ishmael, the sister of Nebaioth. 4 Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, Basemath bore Reuel, 5 and Oholibamah bore Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These were the sons of Esau that were born to him in the land of Canaan.

6 Then Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, all the members of his household, his flocks, all his cattle, and all the property that he had acquired in the land of Canaan, and went away to another land out of the way of his brother Jacob; 7 for their possessions were too great for them to live together, and the land in which they were living as immigrants could not support them because of their live stock. 8 So Esau made his home in the highlands of Seir (Esau being Edom).

9 The following are the descendants of Esau, the ancestor of Edom in the highlands of Seir; 10 the following are the names of the sons of Esau: Eliphaz, the son of Esau's wife Adah, and Reuel, the son of Esau's wife Basemath. 11 The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz; 12 while Timna was a concubine of Esau's son Eliphaz, and bore Amalek to Eliphaz. These were the descendants of Esau's wife Adah.

13 The following are the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These were the descendants of Esau's wife Basemath.

14 The following are the sons of Esau's wife Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah, the son of Zibeon: she bore Jeush, Jalam, and Korah to Esau.

15 The following are the chieftains of the Esauites. The sons of Eliphaz, the first-born of Esau: the chieftains of Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz, 16 Korah, Gatam, and Amalek. These were the chieftains of Eliphaz in the land of Edom, the same being the descendants of Adah.

17 The following are the sons of Esau's son Reuel: the chieftains of Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These were the chieftains of Reuel in the land of Edom, the same being the descendants of Esau's wife Basemath.

18 The following are the sons of Esau's wife Oholibamah: the chieftains of Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These were the chieftains of Esau's wife Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah.

19 These were the sons of Esau (that is, Edom), and these their chieftains.

20 The following are the sons of Seir, the Horite, the inhabitants of the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, 21 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These were the chieftains of the Horites, the descendants of Seir in the land of Edom. 22 The sons of Lotan were Hori and Hemam, while Lotan's sister was Timna. 23 The following are the sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam. 24 The following are the sons of Zibcon: Aiah and Anah (he is the Anah who found the hot springs in the desert while he was pasturing the asses of his father Zibeon). 25 The following are the sons of Anah: Dishon and Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah. 26 The following are the sons of Dishon: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran. 27 The following are the sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan. 28 The following are the sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran.

29 The following are the chieftains of the Horites: the chieftains of Lotan, Shobal, Zibcon, Anah, 30 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These were the chieftains of the Horites in the land of Seir, chieftain by chieftain.

31 The following are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before the Israelites had a king. 32 Bela, he son of Beor, reigned in Edom, the name of his capital being Dinhabah. 33 After the death of Bela, Jobab, the son of Zerah of Bozrah, succeeded to the throne. 34 After the death of Jobab, Husham from the land of the Temanites succeeded to the throne. 35 After the death of Husham, Hadad, the son of Bedad, who defeated the Midianites in the country of Moah, succeeded to the throne, the name of his capital being Avith. 36 After the death of Hadad, Samlah of Masrekah succeeded to the throne. 37 After the death of Samlah, Shaul of Rehoboth-nahar succeeded to the throne. 38 After the death of Shaul, Baal-hanan, the son of Achbor, succeeded to the throne. 39 After the death of Baal-hanan, the son of Achbor, Hadar succeeded to the throne, the name of his capital being Peor, and his wife's name Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the son of Me-zahab.

40 The following are the names of the chieftains of Esau, arranged according to their clans and places of residence, in the order of their names: the chieftains of Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, 41 Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, 42 Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, 43 Magdiel, and Iram. These were the chieftains of Edom (that is Esau, the ancestor of Edom), arranged according to their places of residence in the regions that they held.

37:1 Jacob, however, made his home in the land where his father had lived as an immigrant, the land of Canaan.

THE STORY OF JOSEPH, 37:2—48:22

2 The following are the descendants of Jacob.

At the age of seventeen Joseph used to accompany his brothers in looking after the flocks, being a mere lad alongside the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wives; and Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father.

3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he was the son of his old age; so he made a long cloak for him.

4 When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of his brothers, they hated him, and could not say a good word about him. 5 Joseph had a dream, which he told to his brothers, so that they hated him all the more. 6 He said to them,

"Listen to this dream that I have had. 7 While we were binding sheaves in the field, my sheaf rose up and remained standing, while your sheaves gathered round it, and made obeisance to my sheaf!"

8 His brothers said to him,

"Are you indeed to be king over us; would you actually rule us?"

So they hated him still more because of his dream and his telling it.

9 Then he had another dream which he recounted to his brothers. "I have just had another dream," he said, "and the sun, moon, and eleven stars made obeisance to me!"

10 When he recounted it to his father and brothers, his father reproved him, saying to him,

"What is this dream that you have had? Am I actually to come with your mother and brothers, and make obeisance to the earth to you?"

11 But while his brothers became jealous of him, his father kept the matter in mind.

12 After his brothers had gone off to pasture their father's flocks at Shechem, 13 Israel said to Joseph,

"Are not your brothers pasturing the flocks at Shechem? Come, let me send you to them."

"I am ready," he replied.

14 So he said to him,

"Go and see how your brothers are, and the flocks; and bring me back word."

So he despatched him from the valley of Hebron; and he arrived at Shechem. 15 But a man found him wandering about the country; so the man asked him,

"What are you looking for? "

16 "I am looking for my brothers," he said; "do tell me where they are pasturing the flocks."

17 The man said,

"They have moved from here; for I heard them say, 'Let us go to Dothan.' "

So Joseph followed his brothers, and found them at Dothan. 18 But they saw him in the distance, and before he could reach them, they plotted to kill him.

19 "There comes the dreamer yonder!" they said to one another. 20 "Come now, let us kill him, and throw him into one of the pits. We can say that a wild beast devoured him. Then we shall see what his dreams will come to."

21 But when Reuben heard this, he tried to save him from their hands; so he said,

"Let us not take his life."

22 "Do not shed any blood," Reuben said to them ; "throw him into the pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay hands on him;" (his idea being to save him from their hands, and restore him to his father).

23 As soon as Joseph reached his brothers, they stripped him of his cloak (the long cloak that he was wearing), 14 and seizing him, they threw him into the pit. The pit, however, was empty, with no water in it.

25 Then they sat down to eat a meal; but raising their eyes, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels carrying gum, balm, and laudanum, which they were engaged in taking down to Egypt. 26 Thereupon Judah said to his brothers,

"What is the good of killing our brother and covering up his blood? 27 Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and not lay hands on him; for after all he is our brother, our own flesh."

His brothers agreed. 28 Some Midianite traders passed by, so pulling Joseph up, they lifted him out of the pit. They sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver; and they took him to Egypt.

29 So when Reuben went back to the pit, there was no Joseph in the pit! Then he tore his clothes, 31 and returning to his brothers, said,

"The boy is gone! And I, how can I go home?"

31 Then they took Joseph's cloak, and killing a goat, they dipped the cloak in the blood. 32 So they soiled the long cloak, and then they brought it to their father, saying,

"We found this; see whether it is your son's cloak or not."

33 Examining it, he said, "It is my son's cloak! Some wild beast has devoured him; Joseph must be torn to pieces."

34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, and girded himself with sackcloth, and mourned for his son for a long time. 35 His sons and daughters all tried to console him, but he would not be consoled.

"No," he said, "I will go down mourning to my son to Sheol."

Thus did his father weep for him.

36 Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, his head steward.

38:1 It was at that time that Judah separated from his family, and joined an Adullamite whose name was Hirah. 2 There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite whose name was Shua. Marrying her, he had intercourse with her, 3 and she conceived and bore a son, whom he named Er. 4 Again she conceived and bore a son, whom she named Onan. 5 She bore still another son whom she named Shelah. It was at Chezib that she bore him.

6 For Er, his first-born, Judah chose a wife whose name was Tamar; 7 but Er, Judah's first-born, was so displeasing to the LORD that the LORD killed him. 8 Then Judah said to Onan,

"Marry your brother's widow; do the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and rear a family for your brother."

9 But Onan, knowing that the family would not be his, took preventive measures whenever he had intercourse with his brother's widow, so as not to give' his brother a family. 10 What he did was so displeasing to the LORD that he killed him too. 11 So Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, .

"Remain a widow in your father's house until my son Shelah grows up." "Lest," thought he, "he too should perish like his brothers."

So Tamar went away, and lived in her father's house.

12 In the course of time Judah's wife, the daughter of Shua, died. After completing the mourning ceremonies, Judah went up to Timnah with his friend Hirah, the Adullamite, to look after the shearing of his sheep; 13 and news of it was brought to Tamar, "Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep." 14 So she took off her widow's dress, and covered herself with a veil; and thus veiled, she sat down at the gate-way of Enaim, which was on the road to Timnah; for she realized that although Shelah had grown up she would not be given to him in marriage. 15 When Judah saw her, he took her for a harlot, because she had veiled her face. 16 So he stepped over to her at the road-side, and said,

"Here, let me have intercourse with you" (for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law).

"What will you give me," she said, "for having intercourse with me?"

17 "I will send you a kid from the flock," he said.

"Will you give me a pledge until you send it?" she asked.

18 "What pledge would you have of me?" he said.

"Your signet-ring," she said, "your cord for it, and the staff that is in your hand."

So he gave them to her, and then had intercourse with her, and she conceived by him. 19 Then she rose and went away, and taking off her veil, she put on her widow's dress.

20 When Judah sent the kid by his friend, the Adullamite, to recover the pledge from the woman, he could not find her. 21 So he asked the men of the place,

"Where is the temple-prostitute who was by the roadside at Enaim?"

"No temple-prostitute has been here," they said.

22 He then went back to Judah, and said,

"I cannot find her, and further, the men of the place say, 'No temple-prostitute has been here.'"

23 So Judah said,

"Let her keep the things, lest we incur a scandal; anyway I sent the kid, but you could not find her."

24 It was some three months later that Judah was told, "Tamar, your daughter-in-law, has played the harlot, and further, she is with child as a result of the harlotry."

"Bring her out, and let her be burned," said Judah.

25 But as she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law,

"By the man to whom these things belong, I am with child." "Please note whose they are," she said, "this signet-ring and cord and staff."

26 Judah acknowledged them, and said,

"She is more in the right than I, inasmuch as I did not marry her to my son Shelah."

But never again did he have intercourse with her.

27 When the time of her delivery came, there were twins in her womb! 28 In the course of her delivery one put out his hand, whereupon the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his hand, saying,

"This one should be born first."

29 But just as he drew back his hand, his brother was born.

"How you have forged your way through!" she said.

So he was named Perez [a forging through].

30 Afterwards his brother was born, who had the scarlet thread on his hand; so he was named Zerah [scarlet].

39:1 When Joseph was taken down to Egypt, Potiphar, an Egyptian, an officer of Pharaoh, his head steward, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there. 2 The LORD was with Joseph, so that he became prosperous. He lived in the house of his master, the Egyptian; 3 and his master noticed that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made everything prosper with him that he undertook; 4 so Joseph found favor with him, and was made his personal attendant; then he made him superintendent of his household, and put him in charge of all his property. 5 From the time that he made him superintendent of his household and all his property, the LORD blessed the house of the Egyptian for Joseph's sake, the LORD's blessing resting on everything that belonged to him, both indoors and outdoors. 6 So he left everything that he had to Joseph's charge, and having him, gave no concern to anything, except the food that he ate.

7 Now Joseph was so handsome and good-looking that some time later the wife of his master took a fancy to Joseph, and said,

"Lie with me."

8 But he refused, saying to his master's wife,

"Having me, my master is giving no concern to anything in the house, but has committed all his property to my charge; 9 there is no one in this house greater than I; he has kept nothing from me except yourself, and that because you are his wife. How then can I commit this great crime, and sin against God?"

10 Though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her solicitations to lie with her, or be with her. 11 One day, however, when he went into the house to do his work, none of the household servants being anywhere in the house, 12 she caught hold of his coat, saying,

"Lie with me."

But he fled, leaving the coat in her hands, and went outdoors. 13 When she saw that he had fled outdoors, leaving his coat in her hands, 14 she called her household servants, and said to them,

"See how he has brought this Hebrew fellow into our house to violate us! He came into my room to lie with me, but I screamed; 15 and as soon as he heard me scream and call, he fled, leaving his coat beside me, and went outdoors."

16 So she left the coat beside her until his master came home, 17 and then told him this same story,

"The Hebrew slave whom you brought into our house came into my room to violate me, 18 but as soon as I screamed and called, he fled outdoors, leaving his coat beside me."

19 When Joseph's master heard the statements of his wife who said to him, "This is the way your slave treated me," his anger blazed, 20 and Joseph's master took him and threw him into the prison where state prisoners were confined. So he lay there in prison.

21 The LORD, however, was with Joseph and was kind to him, and got him into the good graces of the jailer, 22 so that the jailer put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the jail, and he looked after everything that was done there. 23 The jailer exercised no oversight over anything in his charge, because the LORD was with him, and the LORD made whatever he undertook prosper.

40:1 Some time after these events the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their lord, the king of Egypt, 2 so that Pharaoh became angry with his two officers, the chief butler and the chief baker, 3 and put them in custody in the head steward's house, in the prison where Joseph was confined. 4 The head steward entrusted Joseph with them, and he waited on them. After they had been in custody some time, 5 they both had dreams on the same night, each having a dream of different meaning — the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt who were confined in the prison. 6 When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were worried, 7 so he asked Pharaoh's officers who were in custody with him in his master's house,

"Why do you look so gloomy today?"

8 "We have had dreams," they replied, "and there is no one to interpret them."

Joseph said to them,

"Does not dream interpretation belong to God? Pray recount them to me."

9 So the chief butler recounted his dream to Joseph.

"In my dream," he said to him, "there was a vine in front of me, 10 and on the vine were three branches. As soon as it budded, its blossoms shot up, its clusters ripened into grapes. 11 With Pharaoh's cup in my hand, I took the grapes, and squeezing them into Pharaoh's cup, I placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand."

12 Joseph said to him,

"This is the interpretation: the three branches represent three days; 13 within three days Pharaoh will release you, and restore you to your position, so that you shall place Pharaoh's cup in his hand as you used to do when you were his butler; 14 so, if you will be good enough to keep me in mind when prosperity comes to you, do me the kindness of mentioning me to Pharaoh, and so liberate me from this house; 15 for I was really kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and further, I have done nothing here that I should be put into a dungeon."

16 When the chief baker found that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph,

"I too had a dream; in mine there were three open-work baskets on my head, 17 and in the top basket was some of every kind of baked food for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating it out of the basket on my head."

18 Joseph answered,

"This is the interpretation: the three baskets represent three days; 19 within three days Pharaoh will release you, and hang you on a tree, and the birds shall eat the flesh off you."

20 On the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, he held a feast for all his officials; and amongst his officials he released the chief butler and the chief baker. 21 The chief butler he restored to his duties, so that he again placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand; 22 but the chief baker he hanged, as Joseph had told them in his interpretation. 23 The chief butler, however, did not keep Joseph in mind, but forgot him.

41:1 Two whole years later Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing beside the Nile, 2 when seven beautiful fat cows came up out of the Nile, and browsed in the sedge. 3 After them seven other cows came up out of the Nile, ugly and thin, and stood beside the other cows on the bank of the Nile. 4 Then the thin, ugly cows ate up the seven beautiful, fat cows, whereupon Pharaoh awoke. 5 When he fell asleep again, he had a second dream: there were seven ears of grain growing on a single stalk, fine and plump, 6 and after them there sprouted seven other ears, thin and blasted by the east wind. 7 Then the thin ears swallowed up the seven fine, full ears, whereupon Pharaoh awoke, only to find it a dream!

8 Next morning he was so perturbed that he sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. To them Pharaoh recounted his dreams, but no one could interpret them for Pharaoh. 9 Then the chief butler said to Pharaoh,

"I would today recall my offence, 10 how Pharaoh became angry with his servants, and put them in custody in the house of the head steward, myself and the chief baker. 11 One night we had dreams, he and I, each of us having a dream of different meaning. 12 With us there was a Hebrew youth, a slave belonging to the head steward, and when we recounted our dreams to him, he interpreted them for us, giving each the proper interpretation of his dream. 13 And it fell out just as he had indicated in the interpretation; I was restored to my position, while the other was hanged."

14 Thereupon Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was brought hurriedly from the dungeon. After he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came into Pharaoh's presence.

15 "I have had a dream," Pharaoh said to Joseph, "but there is no one to interpret it. However, I have heard it said of you that you know how to interpret dreams."

16 "Apart from God can Pharaoh be given a favorable response?"

Joseph answered Pharaoh.

17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph,

"I dreamed that I was standing on the bank of the Nile, 18 when seven fat and beautiful cows came up out of the Nile, and browsed in the sedge. 19 After them there came up seven other cows, thin and very ugly and lean — I have never seen such poor cows in all the land of Egypt. 20 Then, the lean, ugly cows ate up the first seven fat cows; 21 they passed right into them, but no one would have known that they had done so — they looked just as bad as before. Then I awoke.

22 "In another dream I saw seven ears of grain growing on a single stalk, full and plump, 23 and after them there sprouted seven other ears, withered, thin, and blasted by the east wind. 24 Then the thin ears swallowed up the seven plump ears. I told this to the magicians, but there was no one to explain it to me."

25 Joseph said to Pharaoh,

"Pharaoh's dream is simple; God would reveal to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26 The seven fat cows represent seven years, and the seven plump ears represent seven years — it is a single dream. 27 The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them represent seven years, and so do the seven empty ears blasted by the east wind; there are to be seven years of famine. 28 It is as I told Pharaoh, God would show Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29 Seven years of great plenty are coming throughout all the land of Egypt, 30 but following them there will be seven years of famine, so that the plenty will all be forgotten in the land of Egypt; the famine will devastate the land, 31 and the plenty will become quite unknown in the land because of that famine which is to follow; for it will be very severe. 32 The fact that the dream was sent twice to Pharaoh in two forms means that the matter is absolutely settled by God, and that God will soon bring it about. 33 Now then, let Pharaoh find a shrewd and prudent man, and put him in control of the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint officials over the land to forearm the land of Egypt during the seven years of plenty; 35 let them collect all the food of these good years that are coming, and under the authority of Pharaoh store up grain for food in the cities, and hold it there. 36 The food shall serve as a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that are to befall the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish from the famine."

37 The proposal commended itself to Pharaoh and all his courtiers, 38 and Pharaoh said to his courtiers,

"Can we find a man with the spirit of God in him like this one?"

39 So Pharaoh said to Joseph,

"Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so shrewd and prudent as you; 40 you shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people shall be obedient to your commands; it is only in the matter of the throne itself that I shall be your superior."

41 Thereupon Pharaoh said to Joseph,

"I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt."

42 And taking the signet ring from his finger, Pharaoh put it on Joseph's finger; he dressed him in linen robes, put a gold chain round his neck, 43 and had him ride in the second of his chariots, with people shouting "Bow down!" before him, thus putting him in charge of the whole land of Egypt.

44 "Although I continue as Pharaoh," said Pharaoh to Joseph, "yet without your consent shall no one stir hand or foot in all the land of Egypt."

45 Then Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphenath-paneah, and married him to Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On; and Joseph's fame spread throughout the land of Egypt.

46 Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh, king of Egypt.

After leaving the presence of Pharaoh, Joseph made a tour through the whole land of Egypt. 47 During the seven years of plenty the land produced abundant crops; 48 so he collected all the food of the seven years when there was plenty in the land of Egypt, and thus stored food in the cities, storing in each city the food from the fields around it. 49 Joseph stored up grain like the sands of the sea, in great quantities, until he ceased to keep account of it; for it was past measuring.

50 Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. 51 Joseph called the name of the first-born Manasseh [forgetfulness]; "For," said he, "God has made me forget all about my hardships and my father's home." 52 The name of the second he called Ephraim [fruitfulness]; "For God has made me fruitful in the land of my misfortune."

53 When the seven years of plenty that had prevailed in the land of Egypt came to an end, 54 the seven years of famine set in, as Joseph had said.

There was famine in all lands, but throughout all the land of Egypt there was food.

55 When the land of Egypt became quite famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for food; so Pharaoh announced to all Egypt,

"Go to Joseph, and do what he tells you."

56 The famine spread all over the land, so Joseph threw open all that he had locked up, and sold grain to the Egyptians, since the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. 57 People from all lands came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain; for the famine was severe all over the earth.

42:1 When Jacob learned that there was grain to be had in Egypt, he said to his sons,

"Why do you stare at one another?" 2 "I have just heard," he said, "that there is grain to be had in Egypt; go down there, and buy some for us there, that we may live and not die."

3 So ten of Joseph's brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt, 4 since Jacob would not let Joseph's brother Benjamin go with his other brothers; "Lest," thought he, "harm should befall him." 5 Thus the Israelites came with the rest to buy grain; for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

6 Now Joseph was the vizier of the land; it was he who sold the grain to all the people of the land. So Joseph's brothers came and prostrated themselves before him, with their faces to the ground.

7 When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them as if he were a stranger, and spoke harshly to them.

"Where have you come from ? " he said to them.

"From the land of Canaan to buy food," they said.

8 Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. 9 Remembering the dreams that he had had about them, Joseph said to them,

"You are spies; you have come to find out the condition of the land!"

10 "No, my lord," they said to him, "your servants have come to buy food. 11 We are all sons of one man; we are honest men; your servants are not spies."

12 "Not so," he said to them; "but you have come to find out the condition of the land."

13 But they said,

"Your servants are brothers, twelve in all; we are sons of a certain man in the land of Canaan; the youngest is at present with our father, while the other is no more."

14 But Joseph said to them,

"It is as I told you; you are spies. 15 By this you shall be put to the proof: as Pharaoh lives, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 16 Send one of your number to fetch your brother, while the rest of you remain in custody. Thus shall your statements be put to the proof as to whether you are truthful or not. As Pharaoh lives, you are spies!"

17 So he bundled them off to prison for three days, 18 but on the third day Joseph said to them,

"Since I am one who fears God, you may save your lives, if you do this: 19 if you are honest men, let one of you brothers remain confined in the prison where you are, and then the rest of you, go and take grain home to your starving households; 20 but you must bring me your youngest brother. Thus shall your words be verified, and you shall not die."

They proceeded to do so, 21 saying to one another, "Unfortunately, we were to blame about our brother, upon whose distress, when he pleaded with us for mercy, we gazed unmoved; that is why this distress has come to us."

22 Then Reuben spoke up and said to them,

"Did I not say to you, 'Do not sin against the lad'? But you paid no attention; so now comes a reckoning for his blood!"

23 They did not know that Joseph heard them; for the intermediary was between them. 24 He turned from them, and wept. On coming back to them, he spoke to them, took Simeon from them, and imprisoned him in their presence. 25 Joseph then ordered their receptacles to be filled with grain, the money of each of them to be replaced in his sack, and provisions to be given them for the journey. This was done for them. 26 Then they loaded their asses with their grain, and departed.

27 At the camping-place for the night one of them opened his sack to give his ass some fodder, and there he saw his money in the mouth of his sack!

28 "My money has been put back! It is right here inside my sack! " he said to his brothers.

Thereupon their hearts sank, and they turned to one another in fear, saying,

"What is this that God has done to us?"

29 On reaching their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had befallen them:

30 "The man who is lord of the land talked harshly to us, making us out to be spies of the land. 31 But we said to him, 'We are honest men; we are not spies. 32 We are brothers on our father's side, twelve in all; one is no more, and the youngest is at present with our father in the land of Canaan.' 33 Then the man who is lord of the land said to us, 'By this I shall find out whether you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me, and taking something for your famishing households, be off; 34 and then bring me your youngest brother. Thus shall I know that you are not spies, but honest men. I will restore your brother to you, and you will be free to trade in the land.' "

35 When they came to empty their sacks, there was the money-packet of each in his sack! On seeing their money-packets, both they and their father were dismayed, 36 and their father Jacob said to them,

"It is I that you bereave. Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and now you would take Benjamin! It is on me that all this falls."

37 Reuben said to his father,

"You may kill my two sons if I do not bring him home to you! Put him in my charge, 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. If any harm were to befall him on the journey that you make, you would bring my gray hairs down to Sheol in sorrow."

43:1 The famine continued severe in the land, 2 so when they had finished eating all the grain which they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them,

"Go again, and buy us a little food."

3 But Judah said to him,

"The man strictly warned us: 'You cannot have audience with me unless your, brother is with you.' 4 If you are ready to let our brother go with us, we will go down and buy food for you; 5 but if you are not ready to let him go, we cannot go down; for the man said to us, 'You cannot have audience with me unless your brother is with you.'"

6 "Why did you bring this trouble on me," said Israel, "by telling the man that you had another brother?"

7 They said,

"The man persisted in asking about ourselves and our family — 'Is your father still living? Have you another brother?' We only gave him the information demanded by these questions of his. How could we possibly know that he would say, 'Bring your brother down'?"

8 "Let the lad go with me," said Judah to his father Israel; "but we must go at once, if we would save our lives and not die, both we, you, and our dependants. 9 I will be surety for him; you may hold me responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, you may blame me for it all my life; 10 in fact if we had not wasted so much time, we could have made a second trip by now."

11 Then their father Israel said to them,

"If it must be so, then do this: take some of the country's best in your receptacles, and take it down to the man as a present — a little balm, a little honey, gum, laudanum, pistachio nuts, and almonds. 12 Also take double the money with you, and so take back with you the money that was replaced in the mouths of your sacks — perhaps there was a mistake. 13 Take your brother too, and go, return to the man. 14 May God Almighty grant you such kindness with the man that he will release your other brother for you, as well as Benjamin. As for me, as I have already suffered bereavement, I may have to do so again."

15 So the men took this present, and taking double the money with them, as well as Benjamin, they started off, went down to Egypt, and stood in the presence of Joseph. 16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to his house-steward,

"Take the men home, kill an animal, and get it ready; for the men are to dine with me at noon."

17 The man did as Joseph told him, and brought the men to Joseph's house. 18 On being brought to Joseph's house the men became frightened, saying,

"It is because of the money which reappeared in our sacks the first time that we are being brought into the house, in order that he may devise some pretext against us, and falling upon us, take us into slavery, together with our asses."

19 So they went up to Joseph's house-steward, and spoke to him at the doorway of the house.

20 "If you please sir," they said, "we came down the first time specially to buy food, 21 but when we reached the camping-place for the night, and opened our sacks, there was each man's money in the mouth of his sack — our money in full. Accordingly we have brought it back with us, 22 and we have brought other money down with us to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks."

23 "Be at ease," he said, "do not be afraid! It must have been your God, the God of your fathers, who put treasure in your sacks for you. I received your money."

Then he brought Simeon out to them.

24 After bringing the men into Joseph's house, the man gave them water to wash their feet, and he gave them fodder for their asses. 25 Then they set out the present in anticipation of Joseph's arrival at noon; for they had heard that they were to dine there. 26 When Joseph came home, they brought him the present that they had carried into the house, and bowed to the ground before him. 27 He asked after their health.

"Is your father well," he said, "the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still living?"

28 "Your servant, our father, is well; he is still living," they said, bowing in homage to him.

29 Raising his eyes, he saw his brother Benjamin, the son of his own mother, and said,

"Is this your youngest brother, of whom you told me?"

"May God be gracious to you, my son!" he said.

30 Thereupon Joseph hastily sought a place to weep; for his heart was deeply stirred at sight of his brother; he retired to his room, and wept there. 31 Then he bathed his face, and came out, and controlling himself, said,

"Serve the meal."

32 The meal was served, separately for him, for them, and for the Egyptians that were dining with him; for the Egyptians could not eat with the Hebrews, because that would be abhorrent to the Egyptians. 33 They were seated in his presence in order of age, from the oldest to the youngest, so that the men stared at one another in amazement. 34 He carried portions from his own table to them, but Benjamin's portion was five times as much as any other's. So they feasted, and drank with him.

44:1 He then gave orders to his house-steward,

"Fill the men's sacks as full as they will hold with food, and put each man's money in the mouth of his sack; 2 in the mouth of the sack belonging to the youngest put my cup, the silver cup, along with his money for the grain."

He followed the instructions which Joseph gave.

3 With the dawn of morning the men with their asses were sent on their way. 4 Although they had left the city, they had not gone far, when Joseph said to his house-steward,

"Run at once after the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, 'Why have you returned evil for good? Why have you stolen my silver cup? 5 Is not this the one from which my lord drinks, which in fact he uses for divination? It is a wicked thing that you have done.'"

6 So he overtook them, and addressed these words to them; 7 but they said to him,

"Why should my lord speak like this? Your servants would never think of doing such a thing! 8 Why, we even brought you back from the land of Canaan the money that we found in the mouths of our sacks. How then could we steal silver or gold from your master's house? 9 That one of your servants in whose possession it is found shall die, and the rest of us will become slaves to my lord."

10 "Although it may indeed be just as you say," he said, "yet the one in whose possession it is found shall become my slave, but the rest of you shall be held blameless."

11 Then each of them quickly lowered his sack to the ground, and opened it, 12 and search being made, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest, the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. 13 Thereupon they tore their clothes, and each having reloaded his ass, they returned to the city.

14 Judah and his brothers arrived at the house of Joseph, while he was still there, so they flung themselves on the ground before him.

15 "What is this that you have done?" Joseph said to them. "Did you not know that a man like me would be sure to use divination?"

16 Judah said,

"What can we say to my lord? What can we urge? How can we prove our innocence? God has discovered the crime of your servants; here we are, the slaves of my lord, both we and he in whose possession the cup has been found."

17 "I could not think of doing such a thing," he said; "only the man in whose possession the cup has been found shall be my slave; the rest of you are free to go back to your father."

18 Then Judah went up to him, and said,

"If you please my lord, let your servant speak a word in the ear of my lord, and your anger not blaze against your servant; for you are the equal of Pharaoh himself. 19 My lord asked his servants, 'Have you a father or a brother?' 20 And we said to my lord, We have an aged father, and a young brother, the child of his old age; his brother is dead, so that he alone is left of his mother's children, and his father loves him.' 21 Then you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me that I may see him.' 22 But we told my lord, 'The boy cannot leave his father; his father would die if he were to leave him.' 23 Whereupon you said to your servants, 'Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you cannot have audience with me again.'

24 "When we went back to your servant, my father, we reported to him the words of my lord. 25 Then our father said, 'Go again and buy a little food for us.' 26 But we said, 'We cannot go down ; if our youngest brother accompanies us, we can go down; for we shall not be allowed to have audience with the man unless our youngest brother is with us.' 27 Then your servant, my father, said to us, 'You know that my wife bore me only two children; 28 then one of them left me, and I think he must surely have been torn to pieces; for I have never seen him since. 29 If then you take this one from me too, and harm befall him, you will bring down my gray hairs to Sheol in trouble.'

30 "And now, when I rejoin your servant, my father, and the boy not with us, his life is so bound up with the boy's 31 that he will die when he sees that there is no boy, and your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant, our father, to Sheol in sorrow; 32 for your servant went surety for the boy to my father, saying, 'If I do not bring him back to you, you may blame me for it all my life.' 33 Now then, pray let your servant remain in the boy's place as my lord's slave, but let the boy go back with his brothers; 34 for how can I go back to my father unless the boy is with me, and witness the agony that would come to my father?"

45:1 Joseph could no longer control himself before all the bystanders, so he cried out,

"Have everyone withdraw from me."

So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers; 2 but he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and Pharaoh's household heard it. 3 Joseph said to his brothers,

"I am Joseph. Is my father still living?"

But his brothers could not answer him, because they were so dismayed at being in his presence. 4 So Joseph said to his brothers,

"Come nearer to me."

When they came nearer, he said,

"I am your brother Joseph whom you sold into Egypt. 5 Now do not be distressed nor angry with yourselves that you sold me here; for it was to save life that God sent me ahead of you; 6 for it is two years now that the famine has prevailed in the land, but there are still five years in which there will be no ploughing or reaping. 7 God sent me ahead of you to insure you a remnant in the earth, and to be the means of a remarkable escape for you. 8 So then it was not you, but God who sent me here, and made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of all his house, and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 9 Hurry back to my father and say to him, 'Thus speaks your son Joseph : "Since God has made me lord of all Egypt, come down to me without delay. 10 You shall live in the land of Goshen, and be near me, you, your sons, your 'grandsons, your flocks, your herds, and all that belong to you; 11 and there I will provide for you, lest you, your household and all that belong to you come to want; for there are still five years of famine to come."' 12 You can see for yourselves and my brother Benjamin for himself that it is I who speak to you. 13 You must tell my father all about my splendor in Egypt, and all that you have seen; hurry and bring my father here."

14 Then he fell on the neck of his brother Benjamin and wept, while Benjamin wept on his neck. 15 He kissed all his brothers, and wept on their shoulders, after which his brothers talked with him.

16 When the news was received at Pharaoh's palace that Joseph's brothers had arrived, Pharaoh was delighted, as were also his courtiers. 17 Pharaoh said to Joseph,

"Say to your brothers, Do this: load your animals, go back to the land of Canaan, 18 and taking your father and your households, come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, so that you shall eat the fat of the land. 19 Also, carry out this order: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and your wives; convey your father in them, and come back. 20 Never mind your goods; for the best of the whole land of Egypt will be yours.'"

21 The sons of Israel did so. Joseph gave them wagons in accord with the command of Pharaoh, and he also gave them provisions for the journey. 22 To each of them he gave a festal garment, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five festal garments. 23 To his father he sent likewise ten asses loaded with the best products of Egypt, and ten she-asses loaded with grain, bread, and provisions for his father on the journey. 24 Then he sent his brothers away; and as they left, he said to them,

"Do not get too excited on the way."

25 So they went up from Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan, to their father Jacob.

26 "Joseph is still living, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt," they told him.

But he was so stunned that he would not believe them. 27 However, when they told him all that Joseph had said to them, and he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to convey him, their father Jacob recovered.

28 "Enough!" said Israel; "my son Joseph is still living; I will go and see him before I die."

46:1 So Israel set out with all that belonged to him. On reaching Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2 In a vision by night God spoke to Israel.

"Jacob! Jacob! "he said.

"Here I am," he said.

3 "I am El, the God of your father," he said; "do not be afraid to go down to Egypt; for there I will make you a great nation. 4 I will myself go down to Egypt with you — yes, and I will bring you up again, when Joseph's hand shall close your eyes."

5 Then Jacob set out from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel conveyed their father Jacob, with their little ones and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to convey him. 6 Taking their live stock and the property which they had acquired in the land of Canaan, Jacob and all his descendants migrated to Egypt; 7 his sons and his grandsons accompanied him, as well as his daughters and his granddaughters; he brought all his descendants with him into Egypt.

8 The following are the names of the Israelites, Jacob and his children, who migrated to Egypt: Reuben, Jacob's first-born, 9 and the sons of Reuben, Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi; 10 the sons of Simeon, Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman; 11 the sons of Levi, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari; 12 the sons of Judah, Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah, of whom Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan, and the sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul; 13 the sons of Issachar, Tola, Puvvah, Job, and Shimron; 14 the sons of Zebulun, Sered, Elon, and Jahleel (these were the sons which Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan-aram, together with his daughter Dinah, the total number of his sons and daughters being thirty-three); 16 the sons of Gad, Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli; 17 the sons of Asher, Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah, with their sister Serah, and the sons of Beriah, Heber and Malchiel 18 (these were the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah; these she bore to Jacob — sixteen persons); 19 the sons of Jacob's wife Rachel, Joseph and Benjamin, 20 and to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, bore to him; 21 the sons of Benjamin, Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard 22 (these were the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob — a total of fourteen persons); 23 the son of Dan, Hushim; the sons of Naphtali, Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem 25 (these were the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel; these she bore to Jacob — a total of seven persons). 26 The total number of per- sons belonging to Jacob who came to Egypt, his direct descendants, excluding the wives of his sons, was sixty-six; 27 but the sons of Joseph that were born to him in Egypt were two, the total number of persons belonging to Jacob's household who migrated to Egypt being seventy.

28 Israel sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph in Goshen, to appear before him. On their arrival in the land of Goshen 29 Joseph hitched up his chariot, and went up to meet his father Israel in Goshen. When he presented himself to him, he fell on his neck, weeping again and again on his neck.

30 "Now at last I can die," Israel said to Joseph, "now that I have seen from your very self that you are still alive."

31 Then Joseph said to his brothers and his father's household,

"I will go and tell Pharaoh, and say to him, 'My brothers and my father's household who used to live in the land of Canaan have come to me. 32 Since the men are shepherds, having to do with live stock, they have brought their flocks and herds and everything that they own.' 33 Accordingly, when Pharaoh summons you, and says to you, 'What is your occupation?' 34 you must say, 'Your servants have been concerned with live stock from our youth until now, both we and our fathers' — in order that you may settle in the land of Goshen; for shepherds are all abhorrent to the Egyptians."

47:1 So Joseph came and told Pharaoh.

"My father and brothers," he said, "together with their flocks and herds and everything that they own, have come from the land of Canaan, and are now in the land of Goshen."

2 Taking five of the ablest of his brothers, he presented them to Pharaoh.

3 "What is your occupation?" Pharaoh said to his brothers.

"Your servants are shepherds," they said to Pharaoh, "both we and our fathers." 4 "We have come to settle as immigrants in the land," they said to Pharaoh; "for there is no pasture for the flocks belonging to your servants, because the famine is so severe in the land of Canaan. Pray let your servants settle, then, in the land of Goshen."

5 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph,

6 "Now that your father and brothers have joined you, the land of Egypt is at your disposal; settle your father and brothers in the best part of the land; let them settle in the land of Goshen, and if you know of any competent men among them, put them in charge of my own live stock."

7 Then Joseph brought his father Jacob and presented him to Pharaoh, and Jacob paid his respects to Pharaoh.

8 "How old are you?" Pharaoh said to Jacob.

9 "The length of my life as an immigrant has been one hundred and thirty years," Jacob said to Pharaoh; "few and hard have been the years of my life; they have not equaled the number of years that my fathers lived in their lifetime as immigrants."

10 After paying his respects to Pharaoh, Jacob withdrew from the presence of Pharaoh.

11 So Joseph settled his father and brothers, giving them property in the land of Egypt in the very best part of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. 12 Joseph provided his father and brothers and all his father's household with food sufficient for the needs of the dependants.

13 There was now no food anywhere in the land; for the famine was very severe, so that the lands of Egypt and Canaan were languishing because of the famine. 14 Joseph had gathered up all the money that was to be found in the lands of Egypt and Canaan in payment for the grain which was bought, and had brought the money to Pharaoh's palace. 15 So when the money was exhausted in the lands of Egypt and Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph, saying,

"Give us food ; why should we die right under your eyes, just because our money is gone?"

16 "Give me your live stock," said Joseph; "I will give you food in exchange for your live stock, if your money is gone."

17 So they brought their live stock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them food in exchange for horses, sheep, cattle, and asses; thus he supported them with food that year in exchange for all their live stock.

18 When that year was over, they came to him the next year, and said to him,

"We would hide nothing from my lord; but our money is gone, and our live stock has come into the possession of my lord; there is nothing left for my lord except our persons and our lands. 19 Why should we perish before your very eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we and our land shall become feudatory to Pharaoh; but give us seed that we may live and not die, and the land not become a waste."

20 So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for everyone of the Egyptians sold his field, because the famine was so severe on them. 21 Thus the land passed into Pharaoh's possession, and the people themselves he reduced to slavery from one end of Egypt to the other. 22 It was only the priests' land that he did not buy; for the priests had a subvention from Pharaoh, and lived off the subvention which Pharaoh gave them; that was why they did not have to sell their land.

23 "Observe," said Joseph to the people, "that I have today bought you and your land for Pharaoh. Here is seed for you to sow the land; 24 one fifth of the crop you shall give to Pharaoh, and four-fifths shall go to yourselves as seed for the fields, and as food for yourselves and your households, and as food for your little ones."

25 "You have saved our lives," they said; "we would thank my lord; and we will become slaves to Pharaoh."

26 So Joseph made it a statute for the land in Egypt, which continues to this day, that a fifth of the produce should go to Pharaoh, the land of the priests alone being exempt from Pharaoh's claims.

27 So the Israelites settled in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen, where they acquired property, were prolific, and became very numerous.

28 Jacob lived in the land of Egypt for seventeen years, so that the length of Jacob's life was one hundred and forty -seven years.

29 When the time approached for Israel to die, he summoned his son Joseph, and said to him,

"If I have found favor with you, pray put your hand under my thigh and swear that you will deal kindly and faithfully by me; 30 please do not bury me in Egypt, but let me sleep with my fathers; take me out of Egypt, and bury me in their burial-place."

"I will do as you say," he said.

31 "Give me your oath," he said.

So he gave him his oath, whereupon Israel settled back on the head of his bed.

48:1 Some time after this word was brought to Joseph,

"Your father is ill."

So he took his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, with him, and came to see Jacob. 2 Then Jacob was told,

"Your son Joseph has just come to see you."

Collecting his strength, Israel sat up in bed.

3 "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me," Jacob said to Joseph; 4 "he said to me, 'I will make you prolific and numerous, I will make you a company of peoples, and I will give this land to your descendants as a possession for all time.' 5 I do therefore adopt your two sons that were born to you in the land of Egypt before I joined you in Egypt; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be as much mine as Reuben and Simeon. 6 But the children that were born to you after them are to be counted to you; upon receiving their heritage they shall be called by the names of their brothers. 7 It was when I was coming from Paddan that Rachel to my sorrow died in the land of Canaan, some little distance from the vicinity of Ephrath, and I buried her there on the road to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem)."

8 When Israel saw Joseph's sons, he said,

"Who are these?"

9 Joseph said to his father,

"They are my sons, whom God has given me here."

"Bring them to me," he said, "that I may bless them."

10 (Now Israel's eyes were so dim with age that he could not see.)

So Joseph brought them up to him, and he kissed them, and embraced them.

11 "I never expected to see even you," Israel said to Joseph, "and here God has let me see your children as well!"

12 Then Joseph removed them from his knees, and bowed on his face to the ground.

13 Joseph took the two of them, Ephraim in his right hand at Israel's left, and Manasseh in his left hand at Israel's right, and he brought 14 them up to him. But Israel stretched out his right hand and put in on the head of Ephraim, although he was the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, confusing his hands, because Manasseh was the first-born.

15 He blessed Joseph, saying,

"May the God in whose favor my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, lived, the God who has been my shepherd all my life long until this 16 day, the angel who has delivered me from all harm -- may he bless the lads, so that my name may be carried on through them, together with the names of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac; may they grow into multitudes in the earth."

17 When Joseph saw that his father was putting his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it distressed him; so he seized his father's hand in order to remove it from the head of Ephraim to that of Manasseh.

18 "Not so, my father," Joseph said to his father; "for this one is the first-born; put your right hand on his head."

19 But his father refused, saying,

"I know, my son, I know; he too shall become a people, and he too shall be great, but his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall fill the world."

20 So he blessed them that day, saying,

"The Israelites will invoke blessings on one another through you, saying, 'May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!'" -- thus putting Ephraim before Manasseh.

21 Then Israel said to Joseph,

"I am about to die, but God will be with you, and will bring you back to the land of your fathers. 22 As the one above your brothers I hereby give you Shechem, which I captured from the Amorites with my sword and bow."

49:1 Then Jacob summoned his sons, and said,

"Come together that I may tell you what is to befall you in days to come:

2 Gather round and listen, you sons of Jacob; Listen to Israel, your father.

3 Reuben, you are my first-born, My strength and the first issue of my manly vigor; Excessively proud and excessively fierce, 4 Turbulent as water--you shall no longer excel; For you went up to your father's bed; So I degraded him who went up to my couch.

5 Simeon and Levi are brothers; Ruthless weapons are their daggers. 6 I will never enter their circle; I will never join in their assembly; For in their anger they slay men, And in their normal mood they hamstring oxen. 7 Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, And their wrath, for it is cruel! I will disperse them throughout Jacob, And scatter them throughout Israel.

8 Your brothers shall praise you, O Judah; With your hand on the necks of your foes, Your father's sons shall bow down to you. 9 A lion's whelp is Judah; On prey you have grown up, my son. He crouches, he couches as a lion, As an old lion; who dare disturb him? 10 The sceptre shall never depart from Judah, Nor the staff from between his feet, Until his ruler comes, To whom the peoples shall be obedient. 11 He tethers his ass to the vine,

THE BOOK OF GENESIS 49:12-24

And his ass's colt to the choicest vine ; He washes his garments in wine, -And his robes in the blood of grapes; 12 His eyes are darker than wine, And his teeth whiter than milk.

13 Zebulun shall dwell by the seashore; He shall be a haven for ships, With his flank at Sidon.

14 Issachar is a sturdy ass, Lounging among the ravines; 15 He saw that settled life was good, And that the land was pleasant; So he offered his shoulder to bear burdens, And became a gang-slave.

16 Dan shall judge his people, As any other of the tribes of Israel. 17 May Dan be a serpent by the roadside, A viper beside the path, That bites the horse's hoofs, So that its rider tumbles backward.

18 For succor from thee, O LORD, I wait!

19 As for Gad, raiders shall raid him, But he shall raid their rear.

20 As for Asher, his food shall be rich, And he shall yield royal dainties.

21 Naphtali is a free-ranging deer, That bears beautiful fawns.

22 Joseph is a young bull, A young bull at a spring, A wild-ass at Shur. 23 Shooting at him in enmity, The archers fiercely assailed him; 24 But their bow was broken by the Eternal, And their arms and hands trembled, At the might of the Mighty One of Jacob, At the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, 25 At your father's God, who helps you, And God Almighty, who blesses you With the blessings of the heavens above, The blessings of the abyss couching below; The blessings of breast and of womb, 26 The blessings of fatherhood, yea of man and child; The blessings of the ancient mountains, The dainties of the eternal hills — May these rest on the head of Joseph, And on the brow of him who was cursed by his brothers!

27 Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; Devouring prey in the morning, And dividing spoil at evening."

28 All these constituted the twelve tribes of Israel, and this was what their father said to them. He blessed them, bestowing on each the blessing suited to him.

29 He then gave them a charge.

"I am about to be- gathered to my fathers," he said to them; "bury me with my fathers in the cave which is in the field of Ephron, the Hittite, 30 the cave in the field at Machpelah, which faces Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which along with the field Abraham bought from Ephron, the Hittite, for use as a burial-ground of his own. 31 It was there that Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried; it was there that Isaac and his wife Rcbekah were buried; and it was there that I buried Leah — 32 the field with the cave in it having been purchased from the Hittites."

33 After Jacob had finished giving his instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last, and was gathered to his fathers.

50:1 Joseph fell on his father's face, weeping over him, and kissing him. 2 He then ordered the physicians among his slaves to embalm his father. 3 So the physicians embalmed Israel, spending forty days at it; for that is the time that it takes to embalm. There was weeping for him in Egypt for seventy days.

4 After the days of weeping for him were over, Joseph said to Pharaoh's household,

"If perchance I find favor with you, please tell Pharaoh this: 5 'My father exacted an oath of me, saying, "Here am I at the point of death; you must bury me in the sepulchre that I dug for myself in the land of Canaan." Now then, let me go up and bury my father, after which I will return.'"

6 Whereupon Pharaoh said,

"Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear."

7 So Joseph went up to bury his father, and with him went all of Pharaoh's courtiers, the elders of his household, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, 8 as well as all of Joseph's own household, his brothers, and his father's household, leaving only their children and their flocks and herds in the land of Goshen. 9 Both chariotry and cavalry went up with him, so that there was a very large caravan.

10 Arriving at Goren-Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they held a very great and sorrowful lamentation there; and Joseph observed a seven day period of mourning for his father. 11 When the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at Goren-Atad, they said,

"This is a sorrowful mourning that the Egyptians are observing."

That is how its name came to be called Abel-Mizraim [mourning of the Egyptians], which is beyond the Jordan.

12 Jacob's sons did with him just as he had commanded them; 13 his sons carried him to the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave in the field at Machpelah, which faces Mamre, which field Abraham had bought for use as a burial-ground of his own from Ephron, the Hittite. 14 After burying his father, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.

15 Realizing that their father was dead, Joseph's brothers said,

"Suppose Joseph should take an aversion to us, and pay us back for all the harm that we did him!"

16 So they sent a message to Joseph, saying,

"Before his death your father gave this command: 17 'Thus shall you say to Joseph: "Pray forgive the crime and sin of your brothers in doing you harm."' So now, please forgive the crime of the servants of your father's God."

18 Joseph wept when they spoke to him, and his brothers themselves went and fell down before him, saying,

"Here we are, your slaves!"

19 But Joseph said to them,

"Do not be afraid; for can I take God's place? 20 You meant to do me harm, but God accounted it good, in order to do as he has done today, saving the lives of many people. 21 So now, do not be afraid; I myself will provide for you and your dependants."

Thus he reassured them, speaking kindly to them.

22 So Joseph and his father's household lived in Egypt. Joseph lived one hundred and ten years, 23 living to see the third generation of Ephraim's children; the sons, too, of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were born on the knees of Joseph.

24 Then Joseph said to his brothers,

"I am about to die; but God will be sure to take note of you, and take you up out of this land to the land which he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."

25 Joseph then made the sons of Israel swear,

"When God does indeed take note of you, you must take my bones up with you from here."

26 So Joseph died at the age of one hundred and ten years; and he was embalmed, and placed in a coffin in Egypt.