GENESIS

CHAPTER 1

Creation: The First Day
1 In the beginning, Elohim created the heavens and the earth. 2 And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of Elohim was hovering upon the face of the waters. 3 And Elohim said, "Let there be light," and there was light. 4 And Elohim saw the light, that the light was great; and Elohim separated between the light and between the darkness. 5 And Elohim called the light "Day," and the darkness he called "Night." And there was evening, and there was morning—day one.

Creation: The Second Day
6 And Elohim said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let the expanse be separating between waters and waters." 7 And Elohim made the expanse, and he separated between the waters which were beneath the expanse and between the waters which were above the expanse; and this was so. 8 And Elohim called the expanse "Heavens." And there was evening, and there was morning—a second day.

Creation: The Third Day
9 And Elohim said, "Let the waters beneath the heavens be gathered unto one place, and let the dry ground appear"; and this was so. 10 And Elohim called the dry ground "Earth," and the gathering of the waters he called "Seas." And Elohim saw that this was great. 11 And Elohim said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation: seed-bearing plants, fruit trees making fruit according to their kind, whose seed is in them, upon the earth"; and this was so. 12 And the earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed according to their kind, and trees making fruit, whose seed is in them, according to their kind. And Elohim saw that this was great. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning—a third day.

Creation: The Fourth Day
14 And Elohim said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate between the day and between the night; and let them be for signs, and for appointed times, and for days, and for years. 15 And let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth"; and this was so. 16 And Elohim made the two great lights: the greater light for the ruling of the day, and the lesser light for the ruling of the night—and the stars. 17 And Elohim set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth, 18 and to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate between the light and between the darkness. And Elohim saw that this was great. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning—a fourth day.

Creation: The Fifth Day
20 And Elohim said, "Let the waters swarm with swarms of living souls, and let birds fly above the earth, upon the face of the expanse of the heavens." 21 And Elohim created the great sea creatures, and every living soul that moves, with which the waters swarmed, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to their kind. And Elohim saw that this was great. 22 And Elohim blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas; and let the birds multiply on the earth." 23 And there was evening, and there was morning—a fifth day.

Creation: The Sixth Day
24 And Elohim said, "Let the earth bring forth living souls according to their kind: livestock, and creeping things, and beasts of the earth according to their kind"; and it was so. 25 And Elohim made the beasts of the earth according to their kind, and the livestock according to their kind, and every creeping thing of the ground according to their kind. And Elohim saw that this was great. 26 And Elohim said, "Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth." 27 And Elohim created the man in his image; in the image of Elohim he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And Elohim blessed them, and Elohim said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue the earth; and rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth." 29 And Elohim said, "Behold, I have given to you every plant yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed—to you they shall be for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the heavens, and to every thing that creeps upon the earth, in which is a living soul, every green plant for food"; and this was so. 31 And Elohim saw all that he had made, and behold, everything was excellent. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

CHAPTER 2

The Seventh Day, Elohim Rests
1 And the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their host. 2 And Elohim finished on the seventh day his work which he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done. 3 And Elohim blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all his work which Elohim had created to make.

The Creation of Man and Woman
4 These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that YHWH Elohim made earth and heavens. 5 And every shrub of the field was not yet on the earth, and every plant of the field had not yet sprouted, for YHWH Elohim had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no man to work the ground. 6 And a mist was going up from the earth and was watering the whole face of the ground. 7 And YHWH Elohim formed the man of dust from the ground, and he breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living soul. 8 And YHWH Elohim planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 And YHWH Elohim caused to sprout from the ground every tree that is pleasant to the sight and great for food, and the tree of life in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of righteous and unrighteous. 10 And a river was going out from Eden to water the garden; and from there it was divided and became four heads. 11 The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one surrounding the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 And the gold of that land is great; bdellium and the onyx stone are there. 13 And the name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one surrounding the whole land of Cush. 14 And the name of the third river is Tigris; it is the one going east of Asshur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. 15 And YHWH Elohim took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and to keep it. 16 And YHWH Elohim commanded the man, saying, "From every tree of the garden you may surely eat; 17 but from the tree of the knowledge of righteous and unrighteous, you shall not eat from it, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die." 18 And YHWH Elohim said, "It is not great that the man should be alone; I will make for him a helper corresponding to him." 19 And YHWH Elohim formed from the ground every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens, and he brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living soul, that was its name. 20 And the man gave names to all livestock, and to the birds of the heavens, and to every beast of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper corresponding to him. 21 And YHWH Elohim caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; and he took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh in its place. 22 And YHWH Elohim built the rib which he had taken from the man into a woman, and he brought her to the man. 23 And the man said, "This one, this time, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called Woman, for from Man this one was taken." 24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall cling to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 25 And the two of them were naked, the man and his wife, and they were not ashamed.

CHAPTER 3

The Fall
1 And the serpent was more crafty than every beast of the field which YHWH Elohim had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has Elohim said, 'You shall not eat from every tree of the garden'?" 2 And the woman said to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, Elohim has said, 'You shall not eat from it, and you shall not touch it, lest you die.'" 4 And the serpent said to the woman, "You shall not surely die. 5 For Elohim knows that in the day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like Elohim, knowing righteous and unrighteous." 6 And the woman saw that the tree was great for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise; and she took from its fruit and ate, and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 And the eyes of the two of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made for themselves loincloths. 8 And they heard the sound of YHWH Elohim walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the face of YHWH Elohim in the midst of the trees of the garden. 9 And YHWH Elohim called to the man and said to him, "Where are you?" 10 And he said, "I heard your sound in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, and I hid myself." 11 And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" 12 And the man said, "The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave to me from the tree, and I ate." 13 And YHWH Elohim said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." 14 And YHWH Elohim said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above every beast of the field; upon your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. 15 And I will put enmity between you and between the woman, and between your seed and between her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel." 16 To the woman he said, "I will greatly multiply your pain and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children. And your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you." 17 And to the man he said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat from it,' cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life. 18 And thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, until you return to the ground, for from it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return." 20 And the man called the name of his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all living. 21 And YHWH Elohim made for the man and for his wife garments of skin and clothed them. 22 And YHWH Elohim said, "Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing righteous and unrighteous. And now, lest he stretch out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat and live forever—" 23 And YHWH Elohim sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. 24 And he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden the cherubim, and the flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

CHAPTER 4

Cain and Abel
1 And the man knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and she said, "I have acquired a man with YHWH." 2 And she again bore his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain was a worker of the ground. 3 And it came to pass at the end of days that Cain brought from the fruit of the ground an offering to YHWH. 4 And Abel, he also brought from the firstborn of his flock and from their fat. And YHWH looked to Abel and to his offering, 5 but to Cain and to his offering he did not look. And Cain was very angry, and his face fell. 6 And YHWH said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 Is it not so that if you do well, there is lifting up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must rule over it." 8 And Cain said to Abel his brother, "Let us go into the field." And it came to pass when they were in the field that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. 9 And YHWH said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" And he said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?" 10 And he said, "What have you done? The voice of the blood of your brother is crying to me from the ground. 11 And now, cursed are you from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive the blood of your brother from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it shall not again give its strength to you. A wanderer and a fugitive you shall be on the earth." 13 And Cain said to YHWH, "My punishment is greater than I can bear. 14 Behold, you have driven me out today from the face of the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden; and I shall be a wanderer and a fugitive on the earth, and it shall be that anyone who finds me will kill me." 15 And YHWH said to him, "Therefore, anyone who kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold." And YHWH set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should smite him. 16 And Cain went out from the presence of YHWH and dwelt in the land of Nod, east of Eden. 17 And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. And he was building a city, and he called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch. 18 And to Enoch was born Irad, and Irad fathered Mehujael, and Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech. 19 And Lamech took for himself two wives; the name of the first was Adah, and the name of the second was Zillah. 20 And Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. 21 And the name of his brother was Jubal; he was the father of all who handle the harp and pipe. 22 And Zillah, she also bore Tubal-cain, a forger of every instrument of bronze and iron. And the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah. 23 And Lamech said to his wives, "Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; wives of Lamech, listen to my speech. For I have killed a man for wounding me, and a young man for smiting me. 24 If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold." 25 And the man knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, "Elohim has appointed for me another seed in place of Abel, for Cain killed him." 26 And to Seth, to him also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. Then it was begun to call upon the name of YHWH.

CHAPTER 5

Adam's Descendants to Noah
1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that Elohim created man, in the likeness of Elohim he made him. 2 Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and called their name "Man" in the day they were created. 3 And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and he fathered a son in his likeness, according to his image, and he called his name Seth. 4 And the days of Adam after he fathered Seth were eight hundred years, and he fathered sons and daughters. 5 And all the days of Adam which he lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died. 6 And Seth lived one hundred and five years, and he fathered Enosh. 7 And Seth lived after he fathered Enosh eight hundred and seven years, and he fathered sons and daughters. 8 And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years, and he died. 9 And Enosh lived ninety years, and he fathered Kenan. 10 And Enosh lived after he fathered Kenan eight hundred and fifteen years, and he fathered sons and daughters. 11 And all the days of Enosh were nine hundred and five years, and he died. 12 And Kenan lived seventy years, and he fathered Mahalalel. 13 And Kenan lived after he fathered Mahalalel eight hundred and forty years, and he fathered sons and daughters. 14 And all the days of Kenan were nine hundred and ten years, and he died. 15 And Mahalalel lived sixty-five years, and he fathered Jared. 16 And Mahalalel lived after he fathered Jared eight hundred and thirty years, and he fathered sons and daughters. 17 And all the days of Mahalalel were eight hundred and ninety-five years, and he died. 18 And Jared lived one hundred and sixty-two years, and he fathered Enoch. 19 And Jared lived after he fathered Enoch eight hundred years, and he fathered sons and daughters. 20 And all the days of Jared were nine hundred and sixty-two years, and he died. 21 And Enoch lived sixty-five years, and he fathered Methuselah. 22 And Enoch walked with the Elohim after he fathered Methuselah three hundred years, and he fathered sons and daughters. 23 And all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. 24 And Enoch walked with the Elohim, and he was not, for Elohim took him. 25 And Methuselah lived one hundred and eighty-seven years, and he fathered Lamech. 26 And Methuselah lived after he fathered Lamech seven hundred and eighty-two years, and he fathered sons and daughters. 27 And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred and sixty-nine years, and he died. 28 And Lamech lived one hundred and eighty-two years, and he fathered a son. 29 And he called his name Noah, saying, "This one shall comfort us from our work and from the pain of our hands, from the ground which YHWH has cursed." 30 And Lamech lived after he fathered Noah five hundred and ninety-five years, and he fathered sons and daughters. 31 And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred and seventy-seven years, and he died. 32 And Noah was five hundred years old, and Noah fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

CHAPTER 6

1 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the ground, and daughters were born unto them, 2 that the sons of Elohim saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful. And they took for themselves wives from all whom they chose. 3 And YHWH said, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years." 4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of Elohim came in unto the daughters of men, and they bore children unto them. These were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

5 And YHWH saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was solely malevolent continually. 6 And YHWH was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and he was grieved in his heart. 7 And YHWH said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the ground, from man unto livestock unto creeping things unto birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them." 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of YHWH.

9 These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with Elohim. 10 And Noah fathered three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

11 Now the earth was corrupt before Elohim, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And Elohim saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. 13 And Elohim said unto Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before me, for the earth is filled with violence through them. And behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14 Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood. You shall make rooms in the ark, and you shall cover it inside and outside with pitch. 15 And this is how you shall make it: the length of the ark three hundred cubits, its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. 16 You shall make a roof for the ark, and you shall finish it unto a cubit from the top. And you shall set the door of the ark in its side. You shall make it with lower, second, and third decks. 17 And behold, I am bringing a flood of waters upon the earth in order to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life from under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall perish. 18 But I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark—you, and your sons, and your wife, and your sons' wives with you. 19 And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every kind into the ark so that they may be kept alive with you. They shall be male and female. 20 Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the livestock according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground according to its kind, two of every kind shall come unto you so that they may be kept alive. 21 And you, take for yourself of all food that is eaten, and gather it unto yourself, and it shall be for food for you and for them." 22 And Noah did this; according to all that Elohim commanded him, thus he did.

CHAPTER 7

1 And YHWH said unto Noah, "Come, you and all your homestead, into the ark, for I have seen you righteous before me in this generation. 2 Of every clean animal you shall take with you seven pairs, male and his female, and of the animals that are not clean, two, male and his female, 3 and of the birds of the heavens also, seven pairs, male and female, in order to keep offspring alive on the face of all the earth. 4 For in seven days I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will blot out every living thing that I have made from the face of the ground." 5 And Noah did according to all that YHWH commanded him.

6 Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came upon the earth. 7 And Noah went into the ark, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, because of the waters of the flood. 8 Of clean animals, and of animals that are not clean, and of birds, and of everything that creeps on the ground, 9 two by two they went unto Noah into the ark, male and female, as Elohim had commanded Noah. 10 And after seven days the waters of the flood came upon the earth.

11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. 12 And the rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights. 13 On that same day Noah and Shem and Ham and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark, 14 they and every beast according to its kind, and all the livestock according to their kinds, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth according to its kind, and every bird according to its kind, every winged creature. 15 They went unto Noah into the ark, two by two of all flesh in which was the breath of life. 16 And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as Elohim had commanded him. And YHWH shut him in.

17 The flood continued forty days on the earth. And the waters increased and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. 18 And the waters prevailed and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the face of the waters. 19 And the waters prevailed exceedingly on the earth, and all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered. 20 The waters prevailed above the mountains, covering them fifteen cubits deep. 21 And all flesh perished that moved on the earth, birds, livestock, beasts, all swarming creatures that swarm on the earth, and all mankind. 22 Everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life perished. 23 He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, from man unto livestock unto creeping things unto birds of the heavens. They were blotted out from the earth. Solely Noah remained, and those who were with him in the ark. 24 And the waters prevailed on the earth for one hundred and fifty days.

CHAPTER 8

1 And Elohim remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. And Elohim made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided. 2 The fountains of the deep and the windows of the heavens were closed, and the rain from the heavens was restrained. 3 And the waters receded from the earth continually. At the end of one hundred and fifty days the waters had abated, 4 and in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. 5 And the waters continued to abate until the tenth month; in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen.

6 And at the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made 7 and sent forth a raven. It went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth. 8 Then he sent forth a dove from him, in order to see whether the waters had subsided from the face of the ground. 9 But the dove found no resting place for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. And he put out his hand and took her and brought her into the ark with him. 10 He waited another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark. 11 And the dove came unto him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. Thus Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth. 12 Then he waited another seven days and sent forth the dove, and she did not return unto him anymore.

13 In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, the waters were dried from off the earth. And Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry. 14 In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dry.

15 Then Elohim spoke unto Noah, saying, 16 "Go out from the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons' wives with you. 17 Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh—birds and livestock and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth—so that they may swarm on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth." 18 And Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him. 19 Every beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves on the earth, went out by families from the ark.

20 Then Noah built an altar unto YHWH and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 And YHWH smelled the pleasing aroma, and YHWH said in his heart, "I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man's heart is malevolent from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. 22 While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease."

CHAPTER 9

1 And Elohim blessed Noah and his sons and said unto them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. 2 The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered. 3 Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. 4 But flesh with its life, that is, its blood, you shall not eat. 5 And surely your lifeblood I will require. From every beast I will require it, and from man. From each man for his brother I will require the life of man.

6 "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for Elohim made man in his own image.

7 And you, be fruitful and multiply, increase greatly on the earth and multiply in it."

8 Then Elohim said unto Noah and unto his sons with him, 9 "Behold, I establish my covenant with you and with your offspring after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark—every beast of the earth. 11 I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth." 12 And Elohim said, "This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between Elohim and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth." 17 Elohim said unto Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth."

18 The sons of Noah who went forth from the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham was the father of Canaan. 19 These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the whole earth was populated.

20 Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard. 21 He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent. 22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside. 23 Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned backward, and they did not see their father's nakedness. 24 When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done unto him, 25 he said,

"Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brothers."

26 He also said,

"Blessed be YHWH, the Elohim of Shem; and let Canaan be his servant. 27 May Elohim enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem, and let Canaan be his servant."

28 After the flood Noah lived three hundred and fifty years. 29 All the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years, and he died.

CHAPTER 10

1 These are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born unto them after the flood.

2 The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. 3 The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. 4 The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. 5 From these the coastland peoples spread in their lands, each with his own language, by their clans, in their nations.

6 The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. 7 The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. 8 Cush fathered Nimrod; he was the first on earth to be a mighty one. 9 He was a mighty hunter before YHWH. Thus it is said, "Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before YHWH." 10 The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11 From that land he went into Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, 12 and Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city. 13 Egypt fathered Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, 14 Pathrusim, Casluhim (from whom the Philistines came), and Caphtorim.

15 Canaan fathered Sidon his firstborn and Heth, 16 and the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, 17 the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, 18 the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Afterward the clans of the Canaanites dispersed. 19 And 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 are the sons of Ham, by their clans, their languages, their lands, and their nations.

21 Unto Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the elder brother of Japheth, children were born. 22 The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. 23 The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. 24 Arpachshad fathered Shelah; and Shelah fathered Eber. 25 Unto Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided, and his brother's name was Joktan. 26 Joktan fathered Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan. 30 The territory in which they lived extended from Mesha in the direction of Sephar unto the hill country of the east. 31 These are the sons of Shem, by their clans, their languages, their lands, and their nations.

32 These are the clans of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, in their nations, and from these the nations spread abroad on the earth after the flood.

CHAPTER 11

1 Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2 And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 And they said unto one another, "Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly." And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. 4 Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth." 5 And YHWH came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. 6 And YHWH said, "Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is merely the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another's speech." 8 Thus YHWH dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. 9 Thus its name was called Babel, because there YHWH confused the language of all the earth. And from there YHWH dispersed them over the face of all the earth.

10 These are the generations of Shem. When Shem was one hundred years old, he fathered Arpachshad two years after the flood. 11 And Shem lived after he fathered Arpachshad five hundred years and fathered sons and daughters.

12 When Arpachshad had lived thirty-five years, he fathered Shelah. 13 And Arpachshad lived after he fathered Shelah four hundred and three years and fathered sons and daughters.

14 When Shelah had lived thirty years, he fathered Eber. 15 And Shelah lived after he fathered Eber four hundred and three years and fathered sons and daughters.

16 When Eber had lived thirty-four years, he fathered Peleg. 17 And Eber lived after he fathered Peleg four hundred and thirty years and fathered sons and daughters.

18 When Peleg had lived thirty years, he fathered Reu. 19 And Peleg lived after he fathered Reu two hundred and nine years and fathered sons and daughters.

20 When Reu had lived thirty-two years, he fathered Serug. 21 And Reu lived after he fathered Serug two hundred and seven years and fathered sons and daughters.

22 When Serug had lived thirty years, he fathered Nahor. 23 And Serug lived after he fathered Nahor two hundred years and fathered sons and daughters.

24 When Nahor had lived twenty-nine years, he fathered Terah. 25 And Nahor lived after he fathered Terah one hundred and nineteen years and fathered sons and daughters.

26 When Terah had lived seventy years, he fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

27 Now these are the generations of Terah. Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran fathered Lot. 28 Haran died in the presence of his father Terah in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldeans. 29 And Abram and Nahor took wives. The name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and Iscah. 30 Now Sarai was barren; she had no child.

31 Terah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife, and they went forth together from Ur of the Chaldeans in order to go into the land of Canaan, but when they came unto Haran, they settled there. 32 The days of Terah were two hundred and five years, and Terah died in Haran.

CHAPTER 12

1 Now YHWH said unto Abram, "Go from your land and from your kindred and from your father's homestead unto the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

4 Thus Abram went, as YHWH had spoken unto him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out in order to go unto the land of Canaan. When they came unto the land of Canaan, 6 Abram passed through the land unto the place at Shechem, unto the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 Then YHWH appeared unto Abram and said, "Unto your offspring I will give this land." Thus he built there an altar unto YHWH, who had appeared unto him. 8 From there he moved unto the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar unto YHWH and called upon the name of YHWH. 9 And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb.

10 Now there was a famine in the land. Thus Abram went down unto Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. 11 When he was about to enter Egypt, he said unto Sarai his wife, "Behold, I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance, 12 and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife.' Then they will kill me, but they will let you live. 13 Say you are my sister, so that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake." 14 When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was remarkably beautiful. 15 And when the princes of Pharaoh saw her, they praised her unto Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh's homestead. 16 And for her sake he dealt well with Abram; and he obtained sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.

17 But YHWH afflicted Pharaoh and his homestead with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife. 18 Thus Pharaoh called Abram and said, "What is this you have done unto me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? 19 Why did you say, 'She is my sister,' so that I took her for my wife? Now then, here is your wife; take her, and go." 20 And Pharaoh gave men orders concerning him, and they sent him away with his wife and all that he had.

CHAPTER 13

1 Thus Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the Negeb.

2 Now Abram was remarkably rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. 3 And he journeyed on from the Negeb as far as Bethel unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4 unto the place where he had made an altar at the first. And there Abram called upon the name of YHWH. 5 And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, 6 so that the land could not support both of them dwelling together; for their possessions were remarkably great, so that they could not dwell together, 7 and there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were dwelling in the land.

8 Then Abram said unto Lot, "Let there be no strife between me and you, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go unto the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go unto the left." 10 And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of YHWH, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before YHWH destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 Thus Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other. 12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. 13 Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great transgressors against YHWH.

14 YHWH said unto Abram, after Lot had separated from him, "Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, 15 for all the land that you see I will give unto you and unto your offspring forever. 16 I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. 17 Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it unto you." 18 Thus Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar unto YHWH.

CHAPTER 14

1 In the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, 2 these kings made war 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 And all these joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea). 4 Twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled. 5 In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim, 6 and the Horites in their hill country of Seir as far as El-paran on the border of the wilderness. 7 Then they turned back and came unto En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh) and defeated all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who were dwelling in Hazazon-tamar.

8 Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out, and they joined battle in the Valley of Siddim 9 with Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar, four kings against five. 10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of bitumen pits, and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some fell into them, and the rest fled unto the hill country. 11 Thus the enemy took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way. 12 They also took Lot, the son of Abram's brother, who was dwelling in Sodom, and his possessions, and went their way.

13 Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, who was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and of Aner. These were allies of Abram. 14 When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his homestead, three hundred and eighteen of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 15 And he divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them and pursued them unto Hobah, north of Damascus. 16 Then he brought back all the possessions, and also brought back his kinsman Lot with his possessions, and the women and the people.

17 After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley). 18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of El Elyon. 19 And he blessed him and said,

"Blessed be Abram by El Elyon, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 and blessed be El Elyon, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!"

And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. 21 And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, "Give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself." 22 But Abram said unto the king of Sodom, "I have lifted my hand unto YHWH, El Elyon, Possessor of heaven and earth, 23 that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, 'I have made Abram rich.' 24 I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me. Let Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre take their share."

CHAPTER 15

1 After these things the word of YHWH came unto Abram in a vision: "Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be remarkably great." 2 But Abram said, "O Lord YHWH, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my homestead is Eliezer of Damascus?" 3 And Abram said, "Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my homestead will be my heir." 4 And behold, the word of YHWH came unto him: "This man shall not be your heir; your own son shall be your heir." 5 And he brought him outside and said, "Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them." Then he said unto him, "Thus shall your offspring be." 6 And he believed YHWH, and he counted it unto him as righteousness.

7 And he said unto him, "I am YHWH who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans in order to give you this land to possess." 8 But he said, "O Lord YHWH, how am I to know that I shall possess it?" 9 He said unto him, "Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon." 10 And he brought him all these, cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other. But he did not cut the birds in half. 11 And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.

12 As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him. 13 Then YHWH said unto Abram, "Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. 14 But I will also judge the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15 As for you, you shall go unto your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a favorable old age. 16 And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete."

17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. 18 On that day YHWH made a covenant with Abram, saying, "Unto your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates, 19 the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites."

CHAPTER 16

1 Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar. 2 And Sarai said unto Abram, "Behold now, YHWH has prevented me from bearing children. Go in unto my servant; perhaps I shall obtain children by her." And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai. 3 Thus, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her unto Abram her husband as a wife. 4 And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress. 5 And Sarai said unto Abram, "May the wrong done unto me be on you! I gave my servant unto your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May YHWH judge between me and you!" 6 But Abram said unto Sarai, "Behold, your servant is in your power; do unto her as you please." Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her.

7 The angel of YHWH found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. 8 And he said, "Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?" She said, "I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai." 9 The angel of YHWH said unto her, "Return unto your mistress and submit unto her." 10 The angel of YHWH also said unto her, "I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude." 11 And the angel of YHWH said unto her,

"Behold, you are pregnant and shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because YHWH has heeded your affliction. 12 He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen."

13 Thus she called the name of YHWH who spoke unto her, "You are El Roi," for she said, "Truly here I have seen him who looks after me." 14 Thus the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; it lies between Kadesh and Bered.

15 And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael unto Abram.

CHAPTER 17

1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old YHWH appeared unto Abram and said unto him, "I am El Shaddai; walk before me, and be blameless, 2 that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly." 3 Then Abram fell on his face. And Elohim spoke unto him, saying, 4 "Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. 7 And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be Elohim unto you and unto your offspring after you. 8 And I will give unto you and unto your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their Elohim."

9 And Elohim said unto Abraham, "As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. 10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your homestead or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, 13 both he who is born in your homestead and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. Thus shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant."

15 And Elohim said unto Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16 I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her." 17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said in his heart, "Shall a child be born unto a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?" 18 And Abraham said unto Elohim, "Oh that Ishmael might live before you!" 19 Elohim said, "No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. 20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation. 21 But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear unto you at this time next year."

22 When he had finished speaking with him, Elohim went up from Abraham. 23 Then Abraham took Ishmael his son and all those born in his homestead or bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's homestead, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that same day, as Elohim had said unto him. 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 26 That same day Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised. 27 And all the men of his homestead, those born in the homestead and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.

CHAPTER 18

1 And YHWH appeared unto him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. 2 He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself unto the earth 3 and said, "O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. 4 Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, 5 while I bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come unto your servant." Thus they said, "Do as you have said." 6 And Abraham went quickly into the tent unto Sarah and said, "Quick! Three seahs of fine flour! Knead it, and make cakes." 7 And Abraham ran unto the herd and took a calf, tender and favorable, and gave it unto a young man, who prepared it quickly. 8 Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them. And he stood by them under the tree while they ate.

9 They said unto him, "Where is Sarah your wife?" And he said, "She is in the tent." 10 YHWH said, "I will surely return unto you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son." And Sarah was hearing at the tent door behind him. 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. 12 Thus Sarah laughed to herself, saying, "After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?" 13 YHWH said unto Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?' 14 Is anything too hard for YHWH? At the appointed time I will return unto you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son." 15 But Sarah denied it, saying, "I did not laugh," for she was afraid. He said, "No, but you did laugh."

16 Then the men set out from there, and they looked down toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them in order to set them on their way. 17 YHWH said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, 18 seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his homestead after him to keep the way of YHWH by doing righteousness and justice, so that YHWH may bring unto Abraham what he has promised him." 20 Then YHWH said, "Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their transgression is exceedingly grave, 21 I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come unto me. And if not, I will know."

22 Thus the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before YHWH. 23 Then Abraham drew near and said, "Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put to death the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?" 26 And YHWH said, "If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake."

27 Abraham answered and said, "Behold, I have undertaken to speak unto the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?" And he said, "I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there." 29 Again he spoke unto him and said, "Suppose forty are found there." He answered, "For the sake of forty I will not do it." 30 Then he said, "Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there." He answered, "I will not do it, if I find thirty there." 31 He said, "Behold, I have undertaken to speak unto the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there." He answered, "For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it." 32 Then he said, "Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there." He answered, "For the sake of ten I will not destroy it." 33 And YHWH went his way, when he had finished speaking unto Abraham, and Abraham returned unto his place.

CHAPTER 19

1 The two angels came unto Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed himself with his face unto the earth 2 and said, "My lords, please turn aside unto your servant's homestead and spend the night and wash your feet. Then you may rise up early and go on your way." They said, "No; we will spend the night in the town square." 3 But he pressed them strongly; thus they turned aside unto him and entered his homestead. And he made them a feast and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.

4 But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people unto the last man, surrounded the homestead. 5 And they called unto Lot, "Where are the men who came unto you tonight? Bring them out unto us, that we may know them." 6 Lot went out unto them at the entrance, shut the door after him, 7 and said, "I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. 8 Behold, I have two daughters who have not known any man. Let me bring them out unto you, and do unto them as you please. Solely do nothing unto these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof." 9 But they said, "Stand back!" And they said, "This fellow came to sojourn, and he has become the judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them." Then they pressed hard against the man Lot, and drew near in order to break the door down. 10 But the men reached out their hands and brought Lot into the homestead with them and shut the door. 11 And they struck with blindness the men who were at the entrance of the homestead, both small and great, so that they wore themselves out groping for the door.

12 Then the men said unto Lot, "Have you anyone else here? Sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone you have in the city, bring them out of the place. 13 For we are about to destroy this place, because the outcry against its people has become great before YHWH, and YHWH has sent us to destroy it." 14 Thus Lot went out and spoke unto his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, "Up! Get out of this place, for YHWH is about to destroy the city." But he seemed unto his sons-in-law to be jesting.

15 As morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city." 16 But he lingered. Thus the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, YHWH being merciful unto him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. 17 And as they brought them out, one said, "Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape unto the hills, lest you be swept away." 18 And Lot said unto them, "Oh, no, my lords. 19 Behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life. But I cannot escape unto the hills, lest the disaster overtake me and I die. 20 Behold, this city is near enough to flee unto, and it is a little one. Let me escape there—is it not a little one?—and my life will be saved!" 21 He said unto him, "Behold, I grant you this favor also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken. 22 Escape there quickly, for I can do nothing until you arrive there." Thus the name of the city was called Zoar.

23 The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came unto Zoar. 24 Then YHWH rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from YHWH out of heaven. 25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. 26 But Lot's wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

27 And Abraham went early in the morning unto the place where he had stood before YHWH. 28 And he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the valley, and he looked and, behold, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace.

29 Thus it was that, when Elohim destroyed the cities of the valley, Elohim remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when he overthrew the cities in which Lot had lived.

30 Now Lot went up out of Zoar and lived in the hills with his two daughters, for he was afraid to live in Zoar. Thus he lived in a cave with his two daughters. 31 And the firstborn said unto the younger, "Our father is old, and there is not a man on earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth. 32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, so that we may preserve offspring from our father." 33 Thus they made their father drink wine that night. And the firstborn went in and lay with her father. He did not know when she lay down or when she arose.

34 The next day, the firstborn said unto the younger, "Behold, I lay last night with my father. Let us make him drink wine tonight also. Then you go in and lie with him, so that we may preserve offspring from our father." 35 Thus they made their father drink wine that night also. And the younger arose and lay with him, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. 36 Thus both the daughters of Lot became pregnant by their father. 37 The firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab. He is the father of the Moabites unto this day. 38 The younger also bore a son and called his name Ben-ammi. He is the father of the Ammonites unto this day.

CHAPTER 20

1 From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb and lived between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar. 2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, "She is my sister." And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. 3 But Elohim came unto Abimelech in a dream by night and said unto him, "Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man's wife." 4 Now Abimelech had not approached her. Thus he said, "Lord, will you kill an innocent people? 5 Did he not himself say unto me, 'She is my sister'? And she herself said, 'He is my brother.' In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this." 6 Then Elohim said unto him in the dream, "Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from transgressing against me. Thus I did not let you touch her. 7 Now then, return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours."

8 Thus Abimelech rose early in the morning and called all his servants and told them all these things. And the men were remarkably afraid. 9 Then Abimelech called Abraham and said unto him, "What have you done unto us? And how have I transgressed against you, that you have brought on me and my kingdom a great transgression? You have done unto me things that ought not to be done." 10 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, "What did you see, that you did this thing?" 11 Abraham said, "I reckoned, 'There is no fear of Elohim at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.' 12 Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. 13 And when Elohim caused me to wander from my father's homestead, I said unto her, 'This is the kindness you must do me: at every place unto which we come, say of me, "He is my brother."'"

14 Then Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and male servants and female servants, and gave them unto Abraham, and returned Sarah his wife unto him. 15 And Abimelech said, "Behold, my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you." 16 Unto Sarah he said, "Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. It is a sign of your innocence in the eyes of all who are with you, and before everyone you are vindicated." 17 Then Abraham prayed unto Elohim, and Elohim healed Abimelech, and also healed his wife and female servants so that they bore children. 18 For YHWH had closed all the wombs of the homestead of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.

CHAPTER 21

1 YHWH visited Sarah as he had said, and YHWH did unto Sarah as he had promised. 2 And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which Elohim had spoken unto him. 3 Abraham called the name of his son who was born unto him, whom Sarah bore unto him, Isaac. 4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as Elohim had commanded him. 5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born unto him. 6 And Sarah said, "Elohim has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me." 7 And she said, "Who would have said unto Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age."

8 And the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. 9 But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne unto Abraham, laughing. 10 Thus she said unto Abraham, "Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac." 11 And the thing was remarkably displeasing unto Abraham on account of his son. 12 But Elohim said unto Abraham, "Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says unto you, heed her voice, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named. 13 And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring." 14 Thus Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.

15 When the water in the skin was gone, she cast the child under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went and sat down opposite him a bowshot away, for she said, "Let me not look on the death of the child." And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. 17 And Elohim heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of Elohim called unto Hagar from heaven and said unto her, "What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for Elohim has heard the voice of the boy where he is. 18 Up! Lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation." 19 Then Elohim opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.

20 And Elohim was with the boy, and he grew up. He lived in the wilderness and became an expert with the bow. 21 He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

22 At that time Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army said unto Abraham, "Elohim is with you in all that you do. 23 Now therefore swear unto me here by Elohim that you will not deal falsely with me or with my descendants or with my posterity, but as I have dealt kindly with you, so you will deal with me and with the land where you have sojourned." 24 And Abraham said, "I will swear."

25 When Abraham reproved Abimelech about a well of water that Abimelech's servants had seized, 26 Abimelech said, "I do not know who has done this thing; you did not tell me, and I have not heard of it until today." 27 Thus Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them unto Abimelech, and the two men made a covenant. 28 Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock apart. 29 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, "What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs that you have set apart?" 30 He said, "These seven ewe lambs you will take from my hand, so that this may be a witness for me that I dug this well." 31 Thus that place was called Beersheba, because there both of them swore an oath. 32 Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba. Then Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army rose up and returned unto the land of the Philistines. 33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and called there on the name of YHWH, the Everlasting El. 34 And Abraham sojourned many days in the land of the Philistines.

CHAPTER 22

1 After these things Elohim tested Abraham and said unto him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." 2 He said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go unto the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." 3 Thus Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went unto the place of which Elohim had told him. 4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. 5 Then Abraham said unto his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again unto you." 6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. Thus they went both of them together. 7 And Isaac said unto his father Abraham, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." He said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" 8 Abraham said, "Elohim will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." Thus they went both of them together.

9 When they came unto the place of which Elohim had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife in order to slaughter his son. 11 But the angel of YHWH called unto him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." 12 He said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything unto him, for now I know that you fear Elohim, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me." 13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 Thus Abraham called the name of that place, "YHWH will provide"; as it is said unto this day, "On the mount of YHWH it shall be provided."

15 And the angel of YHWH called unto Abraham a second time from heaven 16 and said, "By myself I have sworn, declares YHWH, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, 18 and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have heeded my voice." 19 Thus Abraham returned unto his young men, and they arose and went together unto Beersheba. And Abraham lived at Beersheba.

20 Now after these things it was told unto Abraham, "Behold, Milcah also has borne children unto your brother Nahor: 21 Uz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram, 22 Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel." 23 (Bethuel fathered Rebekah.) These eight Milcah bore unto Nahor, Abraham's brother. 24 Moreover, his concubine, whose name was Reumah, bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.

CHAPTER 23

1 Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. 2 And Sarah died at Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. 3 And Abraham rose up from before his dead and spoke unto the Hittites, saying, 4 "I am a sojourner and foreigner among you; give me property among you for a burying place, so that I may bury my dead out of my sight." 5 The Hittites answered Abraham, 6 "Hear us, my lord; you are a prince of Elohim among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will withhold from you his tomb to hinder you from burying your dead." 7 Abraham rose and bowed unto the Hittites, the people of the land. 8 And he spoke unto them, saying, "If you are willing that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me and entreat for me Ephron the son of Zohar, 9 that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he owns; it is at the end of his field. For the full price let him give it unto me in your presence as property for a burying place."

10 Now Ephron was sitting among the Hittites, and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the Hittites, of all who went in at the gate of his city, 11 "No, my lord, hear me: I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the sight of the sons of my people I give it unto you. Bury your dead." 12 Then Abraham bowed down before the people of the land. 13 And he spoke unto Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, "But if you will, hear me: I give the price of the field. Accept it from me, that I may bury my dead there." 14 Ephron answered Abraham, 15 "My lord, heed me: a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between me and you? Bury your dead." 16 Abraham heeded Ephron, and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver that he had named in the hearing of the Hittites, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weights current among the merchants.

17 Thus the field of Ephron in Machpelah, which was to the east of Mamre, the field with the cave that was in it and all the trees that were in the field, throughout its whole area, was made over 18 unto Abraham as a possession in the presence of the Hittites, before all who went in at the gate of his city. 19 After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah east of Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 20 The field and the cave that is in it were made over unto Abraham as property for a burying place by the Hittites.

CHAPTER 24

1 Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years. And YHWH had blessed Abraham in all things. 2 And Abraham said unto his servant, the oldest of his homestead, who had charge of all that he had, "Put your hand under my thigh, 3 that I may make you swear by YHWH, the Elohim of heaven and Elohim of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell, 4 but will go unto my country and unto my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac." 5 The servant said unto him, "Perhaps the woman may not be willing to follow me unto this land. Must I then take your son back unto the land from which you came?" 6 Abraham said unto him, "See to it that you do not take my son back there. 7 YHWH, the Elohim of heaven, who took me from my father's homestead and from the land of my kindred, and who spoke unto me and swore unto me, 'Unto your offspring I will give this land,' he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. 8 But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this oath of mine; solely you must not take my son back there." 9 Thus the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore unto him concerning this matter.

10 Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and departed, taking all sorts of favorable things from his master with him. He arose and went unto Mesopotamia unto the city of Nahor. 11 And he made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time when women go out to draw water. 12 And he said, "O YHWH, Elohim of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show kindness unto my master Abraham. 13 Behold, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 14 Let the young woman unto whom I shall say, 'Please let down your jar that I may drink,' and who shall say, 'Drink, and I will water your camels'—let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I shall know that you have shown kindness unto my master."

15 Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah, who was born unto Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, came out with her water jar on her shoulder. 16 The young woman was remarkably attractive in appearance, a virgin, whom no man had known. She went down unto the spring and filled her jar and came up. 17 Then the servant ran to meet her and said, "Please give me a little water to drink from your jar." 18 She said, "Drink, my lord." And she quickly let down her jar upon her hand and gave him a drink. 19 When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, "I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking." 20 Thus she quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran again unto the well to draw water, and she drew for all his camels. 21 The man gazed at her in silence in order to learn whether YHWH had prospered his journey or not.

22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing a half shekel, and two bracelets for her arms weighing ten gold shekels, 23 and said, "Please tell me whose daughter you are. Is there room in your father's homestead for us to spend the night?" 24 She said unto him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore unto Nahor." 25 She added, "We have plenty of both straw and fodder, and room in which to spend the night." 26 The man bowed his head and worshiped YHWH 27 and said, "Blessed be YHWH, the Elohim of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his kindness and his faithfulness toward my master. As for me, YHWH has led me in the way unto the homestead of my master's kinsmen."

28 Then the young woman ran and told her mother's homestead about these things. 29 Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban. Laban ran out toward the man, unto the spring. 30 As soon as he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister's arms, and heard the words of Rebekah his sister, "Thus the man spoke unto me," he went unto the man. And behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring. 31 He said, "Come in, O blessed of YHWH. Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the homestead and a place for the camels." 32 Thus the man came unto the homestead and unharnessed the camels, and gave straw and fodder unto the camels, and there was water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 33 Then food was set before him to eat. But he said, "I will not eat until I have said what I have to say." He said, "Speak on."

34 Thus he said, "I am Abraham's servant. 35 YHWH has greatly blessed my master, and he has become great. He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male servants and female servants, camels and donkeys. 36 And Sarah my master's wife bore a son unto my master when she was old, and unto him he has given all that he has. 37 My master made me swear, saying, 'You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell, 38 but you shall go unto my father's homestead and unto my clan and take a wife for my son.' 39 I said unto my master, 'Perhaps the woman will not follow me.' 40 But he said unto me, 'YHWH, before whom I have walked, will send his angel with you and prosper your way. You shall take a wife for my son from my clan and from my father's homestead. 41 Then you will be free from my oath, when you come unto my clan. And if they will not give her unto you, you will be free from my oath.'

42 "I came today unto the spring and said, 'O YHWH, the Elohim of my master Abraham, if now you are prospering the way that I go, 43 behold, I am standing by the spring of water. Let the virgin who comes out to draw water, unto whom I shall say, "Please give me a little water from your jar to drink," 44 and who will say unto me, "Drink, and I will draw for your camels also," let her be the woman whom YHWH has appointed for my master's son.'

45 "Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her water jar on her shoulder, and she went down unto the spring and drew water. I said unto her, 'Please let me drink.' 46 She quickly let down her jar from her shoulder and said, 'Drink, and I will water your camels also.' Thus I drank, and she watered the camels also. 47 Then I asked her, 'Whose daughter are you?' She said, 'The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore unto him.' Thus I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her arms. 48 Then I bowed my head and worshiped YHWH and blessed YHWH, the Elohim of my master Abraham, who had led me by the true way to take the daughter of my master's kinsman for his son. 49 Now then, if you are going to show kindness and faithfulness unto my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, that I may turn unto the right hand or unto the left."

50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, "The thing has come from YHWH; we cannot speak unto you bad or favorable. 51 Behold, Rebekah is before you; take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master's son, as YHWH has spoken."

52 When Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed himself unto the earth before YHWH. 53 And the servant brought out jewelry of silver and of gold, and garments, and gave them unto Rebekah. He also gave unto her brother and unto her mother costly ornaments. 54 And he and the men who were with him ate and drank, and they spent the night there. When they arose in the morning, he said, "Send me away unto my master." 55 Her brother and her mother said, "Let the young woman remain with us a while, at least ten days; after that she may go." 56 But he said unto them, "Do not delay me, since YHWH has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go unto my master." 57 They said, "Let us call the young woman and ask her." 58 And they called Rebekah and said unto her, "Will you go with this man?" She said, "I will go." 59 Thus they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham's servant and his men. 60 And they blessed Rebekah and said unto her,

"Our sister, may you become thousands of ten thousands, and may your offspring possess the gate of those who hate him!"

61 Then Rebekah and her young women arose and rode on the camels and followed the man. Thus the servant took Rebekah and went his way.

62 Now Isaac had returned from Beer-lahai-roi and was dwelling in the Negeb. 63 And Isaac went out in order to meditate in the field toward evening. And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, there were camels coming. 64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel 65 and said unto the servant, "Who is that man, walking in the field to meet us?" The servant said, "It is my master." Thus she took her veil and covered herself. 66 And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. 67 Then Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. Thus Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.

CHAPTER 25

1 Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. 2 She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3 Jokshan fathered Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. 4 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah. 5 Abraham gave all he had unto Isaac. 6 But unto the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, and while he was still living he sent them away from his son Isaac, eastward unto the east country.

7 These are the days of the years of Abraham's life, one hundred and seventy-five years. 8 Abraham breathed his last and died in a favorable old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered unto his people. 9 Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, east of Mamre, 10 the field that Abraham purchased from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried, with Sarah his wife. 11 After the death of Abraham, Elohim blessed Isaac his son. And Isaac settled at Beer-lahai-roi.

12 These are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's servant, bore unto Abraham. 13 These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, named in the order of their birth: Nebaioth, the firstborn of Ishmael; and Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16 These are the sons of Ishmael and these are their names, by their villages and by their encampments, twelve princes according to their tribes. 17 (These are the years of the life of Ishmael: one hundred and thirty-seven years. He breathed his last and died, and was gathered unto his people.) 18 They settled from Havilah unto Shur, which is opposite Egypt in the direction of Assyria. He settled over against all his kinsmen.

19 These are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham fathered Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. 21 And Isaac prayed unto YHWH for his wife, because she was barren. And YHWH granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 The children struggled together within her, and she said, "If it is thus, why is this happening unto me?" Thus she went to inquire of YHWH. 23 And YHWH said unto her,

"Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger."

24 When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25 The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau. 26 Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding Esau's heel, so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

27 When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents. 28 Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

29 Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. 30 And Esau said unto Jacob, "Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!" (Thus his name was called Edom.) 31 Jacob said, "Sell me your birthright now." 32 Esau said, "I am about to die; of what use is a birthright unto me?" 33 Jacob said, "Swear unto me now." Thus he swore unto him and sold his birthright unto Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

CHAPTER 26

1 Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Gerar unto Abimelech king of the Philistines. 2 And YHWH appeared unto him and said, "Do not go down unto Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you. 3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for unto you and unto your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore unto Abraham your father. 4 I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give unto your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, 5 because Abraham heeded my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws."

6 Thus Isaac settled in 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, "My wife," reckoning, "lest the men of the place should kill me because of Rebekah," because she was attractive in appearance. 8 When he had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out of a window and saw Isaac laughing with Rebekah his wife. 9 Thus Abimelech called Isaac and said, "Behold, she is your wife. How then could you say, 'She is my sister'?" Isaac said unto him, "Because I reckoned, 'Lest I die because of her.'" 10 Abimelech said, "What is this you have done unto us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us." 11 Thus Abimelech warned all the people, saying, "Whoever touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death."

12 And Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. YHWH blessed him, 13 and the man became rich, and gained more and more until he became remarkably wealthy. 14 He had possessions of flocks and herds and many servants, so that the Philistines envied him. 15 (Now the Philistines had stopped and filled with earth all the wells that his father's servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father.) 16 And Abimelech said unto Isaac, "Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we."

17 Thus Isaac departed from there and encamped in the Valley of Gerar and settled there. 18 And Isaac dug again the wells of water that had been dug in the days of Abraham his father, which the Philistines had stopped after the death of Abraham. And he gave them the names that his father had given them. 19 But when Isaac's servants dug in the valley and found there a well of spring water, 20 the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac's herdsmen, saying, "The water is ours." Thus he called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him. 21 Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that also, so he called its name Sitnah. 22 And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. Thus he called its name Rehoboth, saying, "For now YHWH has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land."

23 From there he went up unto Beersheba. 24 And YHWH appeared unto him the same night and said, "I am the Elohim of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham's sake." 25 Thus he built an altar there and called upon the name of YHWH and pitched his tent there. And there Isaac's servants dug a well.

26 When Abimelech went unto him from Gerar with Ahuzzath his adviser and Phicol the commander of his army, 27 Isaac said unto them, "Why have you come unto me, seeing that you hate me and have sent me away from you?" 28 They said, "We see plainly that YHWH has been with you. Thus we said, let there be a sworn pact between us, between you and us, and let us make a covenant with you, 29 that you will do us no harm, just as we have not touched you and have done unto you nothing but favorable, and have sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed of YHWH." 30 Thus he made them a feast, and they ate and drank. 31 In the morning they rose early and exchanged oaths. And Isaac sent them on their way, and they departed from him in peace. 32 That same day Isaac's servants came and told him about the well that they had dug and said unto him, "We have found water." 33 He called it Shibah; thus the name of the city is Beersheba unto this day.

34 When Esau was forty years old, he took Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite to be his wife, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite, 35 and they made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah.

CHAPTER 27

1 When Isaac was old and his eyes were dim so that he could not see, he called Esau his older son and said unto him, "My son"; and he answered, "Here I am." 2 He said, "Behold, I am old; I do not know the day of my death. 3 Now then, take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out unto the field and hunt game for me, 4 and prepare for me delicious food, such as I love, and bring it unto me so that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before I die."

5 Now Rebekah was hearing when Isaac spoke unto his son Esau. Thus, when Esau went unto the field to hunt for game and bring it, 6 Rebekah said unto her son Jacob, "I heard your father speak unto your brother Esau, 7 'Bring me game and prepare for me delicious food, that I may eat it and bless you before YHWH before my death.' 8 Now therefore, my son, heed my voice as I command you. 9 Go unto the flock and bring me two favorable young goats, so that I may prepare from them delicious food for your father, such as he loves. 10 And you shall bring it unto your father to eat, so that he may bless you before his death." 11 But Jacob said unto Rebekah his mother, "Behold, my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. 12 Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall seem to be mocking him and bring a curse upon myself and not a blessing." 13 His mother said unto him, "Let your curse be on me, my son; solely heed my voice, and go, bring them unto me."

14 Thus he went and took them and brought them unto his mother, and his mother prepared delicious food, such as his father loved. 15 Then Rebekah took the best garments of Esau her older son, which were with her in the homestead, and put them on Jacob her younger son. 16 And the skins of the young goats she put on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. 17 And she put the delicious food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.

18 Thus he went in unto his father and said, "My father." And he said, "Here I am. Who are you, my son?" 19 Jacob said unto his father, "I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me; now sit up and eat of my game, that your soul may bless me." 20 But Isaac said unto his son, "How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?" He answered, "Because YHWH your Elohim granted me success." 21 Then Isaac said unto Jacob, "Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, to know whether you are truly my son Esau or not." 22 Thus Jacob went near unto Isaac his father, who felt him and said, "The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau." 23 And he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau's hands. Thus he blessed him. 24 He said, "Are you truly my son Esau?" He answered, "I am." 25 Then he said, "Bring it near unto me, that I may eat of my son's game and bless you." Thus he brought it near unto him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank.

26 Then his father Isaac said unto him, "Come near and kiss me, my son." 27 Thus he came near and kissed him. And Isaac smelled the smell of his garments and blessed him and said,

"See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field that YHWH has blessed! 28 May Elohim give you of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earth and plenty of grain and wine. 29 Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down unto you. Be lord over your brothers, and may your mother's sons bow down unto you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you!"

30 As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, when Jacob had scarcely gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, Esau his brother came in from his hunting. 31 He also prepared delicious food and brought it unto his father. And he said unto his father, "Let my father arise and eat of his son's game, that you may bless me." 32 His father Isaac said unto him, "Who are you?" He answered, "I am your son, your firstborn, Esau." 33 Then Isaac trembled remarkably violently and said, "Who was it then that hunted game and brought it unto me, and I ate it all before you came, and I have blessed him? Yes, and he shall be blessed." 34 As soon as Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry and said unto his father, "Bless me, even me also, O my father!" 35 But he said, "Your brother came deceitfully, and he has taken away your blessing." 36 Esau said, "Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has cheated me these two times. He took away my birthright, and behold, now he has taken away my blessing." Then he said, "Have you not reserved a blessing for me?" 37 Isaac answered and said unto Esau, "Behold, I have made him lord over you, and all his brothers I have given unto him for servants, and with grain and wine I have sustained him. What then can I do for you, my son?" 38 Esau said unto his father, "Have you but one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father." And Esau lifted up his voice and wept.

39 Then Isaac his father answered and said unto him:

"Behold, away from the fatness of the earth shall your dwelling be, and away from the dew of heaven on high. 40 By your sword you shall live, and you shall serve your brother; but when you grow restless you shall break his yoke from your neck."

41 Now Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him, and Esau said in his heart, "The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob." 42 But the words of Esau her older son were told unto Rebekah. Thus she sent and called Jacob her younger son and said unto him, "Behold, your brother Esau comforts himself about you by planning to kill you. 43 Now therefore, my son, heed my voice. Arise, flee unto Laban my brother in Haran 44 and stay with him a while, until your brother's fury turns away— 45 until your brother's anger turns away from you, and he forgets what you have done unto him. Then I will send and bring you from there. Why should I be bereft of you both in one day?"

46 Then Rebekah said unto Isaac, "I loathe my life because of the Hittite women. If Jacob marries one of the Hittite women like these, one of the women of the land, what favorable would my life be unto me?"

CHAPTER 28

1 Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and directed him, "You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women. 2 Arise, go unto Paddan-aram unto the homestead of Bethuel your mother's father, and take as your wife from there one of the daughters of Laban your mother's brother. 3 El Shaddai bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples. 4 May he give the blessing of Abraham unto you and unto your offspring with you, that you may take possession of the land of your sojournings that Elohim gave unto Abraham!" 5 Thus Isaac sent Jacob away. And he went unto Paddan-aram unto Laban, the son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob's and Esau's mother.

6 Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away unto Paddan-aram to take a wife from there, and that as he blessed him he directed him, "You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women," 7 and that Jacob had heeded his father and his mother and gone unto Paddan-aram. 8 Thus Esau saw that the Canaanite women did not please Isaac his father. 9 Thus Esau went unto Ishmael and took as his wife, besides the wives he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son, the sister of Nebaioth.

10 Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. 11 And he came unto a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. 12 And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached unto heaven. And behold, the angels of Elohim were ascending and descending on it! 13 And behold, YHWH stood above it and said, "I am YHWH, the Elohim of Abraham your father and the Elohim of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give unto you and unto your offspring. 14 Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad unto the west and unto the east and unto the north and unto the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back unto this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." 16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely YHWH is in this place, and I did not know it." 17 And he was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the homestead of Elohim, and this is the gate of heaven."

18 Thus Jacob rose early in the morning and took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. 19 He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first. 20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If Elohim will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, 21 so that I come again unto my father's homestead in peace, then YHWH shall be my Elohim, 22 and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be Elohim's homestead. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth unto you."

CHAPTER 29

1 Then Jacob went on his journey and came unto the land of the people of the east. 2 As he looked, he saw a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep lying beside it, for out of that well the flocks were watered. The stone on the well's mouth was large, 3 and when all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place over the mouth of the well.

4 Jacob said unto them, "My brothers, where do you come from?" They said, "We are from Haran." 5 He said unto them, "Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?" They said, "We know him." 6 He said unto them, "Is it well with him?" They said, "It is well; and see, Rachel his daughter is coming with the sheep!" 7 He said, "Behold, it is still high day; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered together. Water the sheep and go, pasture them." 8 But they said, "We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together and the stone is rolled from the mouth of the well; then we water the sheep."

9 While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess. 10 Now as soon as Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, Jacob came near and rolled the stone from the well's mouth and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother. 11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud. 12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's kinsman, and that he was Rebekah's son, and she ran and told her father.

13 As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister's son, he ran to meet him and embraced him and kissed him and brought him unto his homestead. Jacob told Laban all these things, 14 and Laban said unto him, "Surely you are my bone and my flesh!" And he stayed with him a month.

15 Then Laban said unto Jacob, "Because you are my kinsman, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?" 16 Now Laban had two daughters. The name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance. 18 Jacob loved Rachel. And he said, "I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter." 19 Laban said, "It is better that I give her unto you than that I should give her unto any other man; stay with me." 20 Thus Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed unto him but a few days because of the love he had for her.

21 Then Jacob said unto Laban, "Give me my wife that I may go in unto her, for my time is completed." 22 Thus Laban gathered together all the people of the place and made a feast. 23 But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her unto Jacob, and he went in unto her. 24 (Laban gave his female servant Zilpah unto his daughter Leah to be her servant.) 25 And in the morning, behold, it was Leah! And Jacob said unto Laban, "What is this you have done unto me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?" 26 Laban said, "It is not so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. 27 Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years." 28 Jacob did so, and completed her week. Then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. 29 (Laban gave his female servant Bilhah unto his daughter Rachel to be her servant.) 30 Thus he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served Laban for another seven years.

31 When YHWH saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. 32 And Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben, for she said, "Because YHWH has looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me." 33 She conceived again and bore a son, and said, "Because YHWH has heard that I am hated, he has given me this son also." And she called his name Simeon. 34 Again she conceived and bore a son, and said, "Now this time my husband will be attached unto me, because I have borne him three sons." Thus his name was called Levi. 35 And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, "This time I will praise YHWH." Thus she called his name Judah. Then she ceased bearing.

CHAPTER 30

1 When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister. She said unto Jacob, "Give me children, or I shall die!" 2 Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, "Am I in the place of Elohim, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?" 3 Then she said, "Here is my servant Bilhah; go in unto her, so that she may give birth on my behalf, that even I may have children through her." 4 Thus she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob went in unto her. 5 And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. 6 Then Rachel said, "Elohim has judged me, and has also heard my voice and given me a son." Thus she called his name Dan. 7 Rachel's servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. 8 Then Rachel said, "With mighty wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister and have prevailed." Thus she called his name Naphtali.

9 When Leah saw that she had ceased bearing children, she took her servant Zilpah and gave her unto Jacob as a wife. 10 Then Leah's servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son. 11 And Leah said, "Favorable fortune has come!" Thus she called his name Gad. 12 Leah's servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. 13 And Leah said, "I am esteemed! For women have called me blessed." Thus she called his name Asher.

14 In the days of wheat harvest Reuben went and found mandrakes in the field and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said unto Leah, "Please give me some of your son's mandrakes." 15 But she said unto her, "Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son's mandrakes also?" Rachel said, "Then he may lie with you tonight in exchange for your son's mandrakes." 16 When Jacob came from the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, "You must come in unto me, for I have hired you with my son's mandrakes." Thus he lay with her that night. 17 And Elohim heeded Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. 18 Leah said, "Elohim has given me my wages because I gave my servant unto my husband." Thus she called his name Issachar.

19 And Leah conceived again, and she bore Jacob a sixth son. 20 Then Leah said, "Elohim has endowed me with a favorable endowment; now my husband will honor me, because I have borne him six sons." Thus she called his name Zebulun. 21 Afterward she bore a daughter and called her name Dinah.

22 Then Elohim remembered Rachel, and Elohim heeded her and opened her womb. 23 She conceived and bore a son and said, "Elohim has taken away my reproach." 24 And she called his name Joseph, saying, "May YHWH add unto me another son!"

25 As soon as Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said unto Laban, "Send me away, that I may go unto my own place and country. 26 Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, that I may go, for you know the service that I have given you." 27 But Laban said unto him, "If I have found favor in your eyes, I have learned by divination that YHWH has blessed me because of you. 28 Name me your wages, and I will give it." 29 Jacob said unto him, "You yourself know how I have served you, and how your livestock has fared with me. 30 For you had little before I came, and it has increased abundantly, and YHWH has blessed you wherever I turned. But now when shall I provide for my own homestead also?" 31 He said, "What shall I give you?" Jacob said, "You shall not give me anything. If you will do this for me, I will again pasture your flock and keep it: 32 let me pass through all your flock today, removing from it every speckled and spotted sheep and every black lamb, and the spotted and speckled among the goats, and they shall be my wages. 33 Thus my righteousness will answer for me later, when you come to look into my wages with you. Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats and black among the lambs, if found with me, shall be counted stolen." 34 Laban said, "Favorable! Let it be as you have said." 35 But that day Laban removed the male goats that were striped and spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white on it, and every lamb that was black, and put them in the charge of his sons. 36 And he set a distance of three days' journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob pastured the rest of Laban's flock.

37 Then Jacob took fresh sticks of poplar and almond and plane trees, and peeled white streaks in them, exposing the white of the sticks. 38 He set the sticks that he had peeled in front of the flocks in the troughs, that is, the watering places, where the flocks came to drink. And since they bred when they came to drink, 39 the flocks bred in front of the sticks and so the flocks brought forth striped, speckled, and spotted. 40 And Jacob separated the lambs and set the faces of the flocks toward the striped and all the black in the flock of Laban. He put his own droves apart and did not put them with Laban's flock. 41 Whenever the stronger of the flock were breeding, Jacob would lay the sticks in the troughs before the eyes of the flock, that they might breed among the sticks, 42 but for the feebler of the flock he would not lay them there. Thus the feebler would be Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's. 43 Thus the man increased greatly and had large flocks, female servants and male servants, and camels and donkeys.

CHAPTER 31

1 Now Jacob heard that the sons of Laban were saying, "Jacob has taken all that was our father's, and from what was our father's he has gained all this wealth." 2 And Jacob saw that Laban did not regard him with favor as before. 3 Then YHWH said unto Jacob, "Return unto the land of your fathers and unto your kindred, and I will be with you."

4 Thus Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah into the field where his flock was 5 and said unto them, "I see that your father does not regard me with favor as he did before. But the Elohim of my father has been with me. 6 You know that I have served your father with all my strength, 7 yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times. But Elohim did not permit him to harm me. 8 If he said, 'The speckled shall be your wages,' then all the flock bore speckled; and if he said, 'The striped shall be your wages,' then all the flock bore striped. 9 Thus Elohim has taken away the livestock of your father and given them unto me. 10 In the breeding season of the flock I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream that the goats that mated with the flock were striped, speckled, and spotted. 11 Then the angel of Elohim said unto me in the dream, 'Jacob,' and I said, 'Here I am!' 12 And he said, 'Lift up your eyes and see, all the goats that mate with the flock are striped, speckled, and spotted, for I have seen all that Laban is doing unto you. 13 I am the El of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and made a vow unto me. Now arise, go out from this land and return unto the land of your kindred.'" 14 Then Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, "Is there any portion or inheritance left unto us in our father's homestead? 15 Are we not regarded by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and he has indeed devoured our money. 16 All the riches that Elohim has taken away from our father belong unto us and unto our children. Now then, whatever Elohim has said unto you, do."

17 Thus Jacob arose and set his sons and his wives on camels. 18 He drove away all his livestock, all his property that he had gained, the livestock in his possession that he had acquired in Paddan-aram, in order to go unto the land of Canaan unto his father Isaac. 19 Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole her father's household idols. 20 And Jacob tricked Laban the Aramean, by not telling him that he intended to flee. 21 He fled with all that he had and arose and crossed the Euphrates, and set his face toward the hill country of Gilead.

22 When it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled, 23 he took his kinsmen with him and pursued him for seven days and followed close after him into the hill country of Gilead. 24 But Elohim came unto Laban the Aramean in a dream by night and said unto him, "Be careful not to say anything unto Jacob, either favorable or wicked."

25 And Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban with his kinsmen pitched in the hill country of Gilead. 26 And Laban said unto Jacob, "What have you done, that you have tricked me and driven away my daughters like captives of the sword? 27 Why did you flee secretly and trick me, and did not tell me, so that I might have sent you away with mirth and songs, with tambourine and lyre? 28 And why did you not permit me to kiss my sons and my daughters farewell? Now you have done foolishly. 29 It is in my power to do you harm. But the Elohim of your father spoke unto me last night, saying, 'Be careful not to say anything unto Jacob, either favorable or wicked.' 30 And now you have gone away because you longed greatly for your father's homestead, but why did you steal my deities?" 31 Jacob answered and said unto Laban, "Because I was afraid, for I reckoned that you would take your daughters from me by force. 32 Anyone with whom you find your deities shall not live. In the presence of our kinsmen point out what I have that is yours, and take it." Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.

33 Thus Laban went into Jacob's tent and into Leah's tent and into the tent of the two female servants, but he did not find them. And he went out of Leah's tent and entered Rachel's. 34 Now Rachel had taken the household idols and put them in the camel's saddle and sat on them. Laban felt all about the tent, but did not find them. 35 And she said unto her father, "Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise before you, for the way of women is upon me." Thus he searched but did not find the household idols.

36 Then Jacob became angry and berated Laban. Jacob said unto Laban, "What is my trespass? What is my transgression, that you have hotly pursued me? 37 For you have felt through all my goods; what have you found of all your homestead goods? Set it here before my kinsmen and your kinsmen, that they may decide between us two. 38 These twenty years I have been with you. Your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, and I have not eaten the rams of your flocks. 39 What was torn by wild beasts I did not bring unto you. I bore the loss of it myself. From my hand you required it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night. 40 There I was: by day the heat consumed me, and the cold by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes. 41 These twenty years I have been in your homestead. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times. 42 If the Elohim of my father, the Elohim of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been on my side, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. Elohim saw my affliction and the labor of my hands and rebuked you last night."

43 Then Laban answered and said unto Jacob, "The daughters are my daughters, the children are my children, the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine. But what can I do this day unto these my daughters or unto their children whom they have borne? 44 Come now, let us make a covenant, you and I. And let it be a witness between you and me." 45 Thus Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar. 46 And Jacob said unto his kinsmen, "Gather stones." And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there by the heap. 47 Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed. 48 Laban said, "This heap is a witness between you and me today." Thus he called its name Galeed, 49 and Mizpah, for he said, "YHWH watch between you and me, when we are out of one another's sight. 50 If you oppress my daughters, or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one is with us, see, Elohim is witness between you and me."

51 Then Laban said unto Jacob, "See this heap and the pillar, which I have set between you and me. 52 This heap is a witness, and the pillar is a witness, that I will not pass over this heap unto you, and you will not pass over this heap and this pillar unto me, to do harm. 53 The Elohim of Abraham and the Elohim of Nahor, the Elohim of their father, judge between us." Thus Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac, 54 and Jacob offered a sacrifice in the hill country and called his kinsmen to eat bread. They ate bread and spent the night in the hill country.

55 Early in the morning Laban arose and kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned unto his place.

CHAPTER 32

1 Jacob went on his way, and the angels of Elohim met him. 2 And when Jacob saw them he said, "This is Elohim's camp!" Thus he called the name of that place Mahanaim.

3 And Jacob sent messengers before him unto Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom, 4 instructing them, "Thus you shall say unto my lord Esau: Thus says your servant Jacob, 'I have sojourned with Laban and stayed until now. 5 I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male servants, and female servants. I have sent to tell my lord, in order that I may find favor in your sight.'"

6 And the messengers returned unto Jacob, saying, "We came unto your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and there are four hundred men with him." 7 Then Jacob was exceedingly afraid and distressed. He divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two camps, 8 reckoning, "If Esau comes unto the one camp and attacks it, then the camp that is left will escape."

9 And Jacob said, "O Elohim of my father Abraham and Elohim of my father Isaac, O YHWH who said unto me, 'Return unto your country and unto your kindred, that I may do you favorable,' 10 I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of kindness and all the faithfulness that you have shown unto your servant, for with merely my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps. 11 Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I am afraid of him, that he may come and attack me, the mothers with the children. 12 But you said, 'I will surely do you favorable, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.'"

13 Thus he stayed there that night, and from what he had with him he took a present for his brother Esau, 14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15 thirty milking camels and their calves, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 16 These he handed over unto his servants, every drove by itself, and said unto his servants, "Pass on ahead of me and put a space between drove and drove." 17 He instructed the first, "When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, 'Unto whom do you belong? Where are you going? And whose are these ahead of you?' 18 then you shall say, 'They belong unto your servant Jacob. They are a present sent unto my lord Esau. And moreover, he is behind us.'" 19 He likewise instructed the second and the third and all who followed the droves, "You shall say the same thing unto Esau when you find him, 20 and you shall say, 'Moreover, your servant Jacob is behind us.'" For he reckoned, "I may appease him with the present that goes ahead of me, and afterward I shall see his face. Perhaps he will accept me." 21 Thus the present passed on ahead of him, and he himself stayed that night in the camp.

22 The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 He took them and sent them across the stream, and everything else that he had. 24 And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. 25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said, "Let me go, for the day has broken." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." 27 And he said unto him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob." 28 Then he said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with Elohim and with men, and have prevailed." 29 Then Jacob asked him, "Please tell me your name." But he said, "Why is it that you ask my name?" And there he blessed him. 30 Thus Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, "For I have seen Elohim face unto face, and yet my life has been delivered." 31 The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip. 32 Thus unto this day the people of Israel do not eat the sinew of the thigh that is on the hip socket, because he touched the socket of Jacob's hip on the sinew of the thigh.

CHAPTER 33

1 And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. Thus he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two female servants. 2 And he put the servants with their children in front, then Leah with her children, and Rachel and Joseph last of all. 3 He himself went on before them, bowing himself unto the ground seven times, until he came near unto his brother.

4 But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. 5 And when Esau lifted up his eyes and saw the women and children, he said, "Who are these with you?" Jacob said, "The children whom Elohim has graciously given your servant." 6 Then the servants drew near, they and their children, and bowed down. 7 Leah likewise and her children drew near and bowed down. And last Joseph and Rachel drew near, and they bowed down. 8 Esau said, "What do you mean by all this company that I met?" Jacob answered, "To find favor in the sight of my lord." 9 But Esau said, "I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself." 10 Jacob said, "No, please, if I have found favor in your sight, then accept my present from my hand. For I have seen your face, which is like seeing the face of Elohim, and you have accepted me. 11 Please accept my blessing that is brought unto you, because Elohim has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough." Thus he urged him, and he took it.

12 Then Esau said, "Let us journey on our way, and I will go ahead of you." 13 But Jacob said unto him, "My lord knows that the children are frail, and that the nursing flocks and herds are a care unto me. If they are driven hard for one day, all the flocks will die. 14 Let my lord pass on ahead of his servant, and I will lead on slowly, at the pace of the livestock that are ahead of me and at the pace of the children, until I come unto my lord in Seir."

15 Thus Esau said, "Let me leave with you some of the people who are with me." But he said, "What need is there? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord." 16 Thus Esau returned that day on his way unto Seir. 17 But Jacob journeyed unto Succoth, and built himself a homestead and made booths for his livestock. Thus the name of the place is called Succoth.

18 And Jacob came safely unto the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, on his way from Paddan-aram, and he camped before the city. 19 And from the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, he bought for a hundred pieces of money the piece of land on which he had pitched his tent. 20 There he erected an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.

CHAPTER 34

1 Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne unto Jacob, went out to see the women of the land. 2 And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, he seized her and lay with her and humiliated her. 3 And his soul was drawn unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob. He loved the young woman and spoke tenderly unto her. 4 Thus Shechem spoke unto his father Hamor, saying, "Obtain this girl for me as my wife."

5 Now Jacob heard that he had defiled his daughter Dinah. But his sons were with his livestock in the field, so Jacob held his peace until they came. 6 And Hamor the father of Shechem went out unto Jacob to speak with him. 7 The sons of Jacob had come in from the field as soon as they heard of it, and the men were indignant and remarkably angry, because he had done an outrageous thing in Israel by lying with Jacob's daughter, for such a thing must not be done.

8 But Hamor spoke with them, saying, "The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her unto him to be his wife. 9 Make marriages with us. Give your daughters unto us, and take our daughters for yourselves. 10 You shall dwell with us, and the land shall be open unto you. Dwell and trade in it, and acquire property in it." 11 Shechem also said unto her father and unto her brothers, "Let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever you say unto me I will give. 12 Ask me for as great a bride-price and gift as you will, and I will give whatever you say unto me. Solely give me the young woman to be my wife."

13 The sons of Jacob answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceitfully, because he had defiled their sister Dinah. 14 They said unto them, "We cannot do this thing, to give our sister unto one who is uncircumcised, for that would be a disgrace unto us. 15 Solely on this condition will we consent unto you—that you will become as we are by every male among you being circumcised. 16 Then we will give our daughters unto you, and we will take your daughters unto ourselves, and we will dwell with you and become one people. 17 But if you will not heed us and be circumcised, then we will take our daughter, and we will be gone."

18 Their words pleased Hamor and Hamor's son Shechem. 19 And the young man did not delay to do the thing, because he delighted in Jacob's daughter. Now he was the most honored of all his father's homestead. 20 Thus Hamor and his son Shechem came unto the gate of their city and spoke unto the men of their city, saying, 21 "These men are at peace with us; let them dwell in the land and trade in it, for behold, the land is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters as wives, and let us give them our daughters. 22 Solely on this condition will the men concur with us to dwell with us to become one people—when every male among us is circumcised as they are circumcised. 23 Will not their livestock, their property and all their beasts be ours? Solely let us concur with them, and they will dwell with us." 24 And all who went out of the gate of his city heeded Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city.

25 On the third day, when they were sore, two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, took their swords and came against the city while it felt secure and killed all the males. 26 They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the sword and took Dinah out of Shechem's homestead and went away. 27 The sons of Jacob came upon the slain and plundered the city, because they had defiled their sister. 28 They took their flocks and their herds, their donkeys, and whatever was in the city and in the field. 29 All their wealth, all their little ones and their wives, all that was in the homesteads, they captured and plundered.

30 Then Jacob said unto Simeon and Levi, "You have brought trouble on me by making me stink unto the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites and the Perizzites. My numbers are few, and if they gather themselves against me and attack me, I shall be destroyed, both I and my homestead." 31 But they said, "Should he treat our sister like a prostitute?"

CHAPTER 35

1 Elohim said unto Jacob, "Arise, go up unto Bethel and dwell there. Make an altar there unto El who appeared unto you when you fled from your brother Esau." 2 Thus Jacob said unto his homestead and unto all who were with him, "Put away the foreign deities that are among you and purify yourselves and transform your garments. 3 Then let us arise and go up unto Bethel, so that I may make there an altar unto El who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone." 4 Thus they gave unto Jacob all the foreign deities that they had, and the rings that were in their ears. Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree that was near Shechem.

5 And as they journeyed, a terror from Elohim fell upon the cities that were around them, so that they did not pursue the sons of Jacob. 6 And Jacob came unto Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him, 7 and there he built an altar and called the place El-bethel, because there Elohim had revealed himself unto him when he fled from his brother. 8 And Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died, and she was buried under an oak below Bethel. Thus he called its name Allon-bacuth.

9 Elohim appeared unto Jacob again, when he came from Paddan-aram, and blessed him. 10 And Elohim said unto him, "Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name." Thus he called his name Israel. 11 And Elohim said unto him, "I am El Shaddai: be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body. 12 The land that I gave unto Abraham and Isaac I will give unto you, and I will give the land unto your offspring after you." 13 Then Elohim went up from him in the place where he had spoken with him. 14 And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he had spoken with him, a pillar of stone. He poured out a drink offering on it and poured oil on it. 15 Thus Jacob called the name of the place where Elohim had spoken with him Bethel.

16 Then they journeyed from Bethel. When they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel went into labor, and she had hard labor. 17 And when her labor was at its hardest, the midwife said unto her, "Do not fear, for you have another son." 18 And as her soul was departing (for she was dying), she called his name Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin. 19 Thus Rachel died, and she was buried on the way unto Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem), 20 and Jacob set up a pillar over her tomb. It is the pillar of Rachel's tomb, which is there unto this day. 21 Israel journeyed on and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder.

22 While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine. And Israel heard of it.

Now the sons of Jacob were twelve. 23 The sons of Leah: Reuben (Jacob's firstborn), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. 24 The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. 25 The sons of Bilhah, Rachel's servant: Dan and Naphtali. 26 The sons of Zilpah, Leah's servant: Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born unto him in Paddan-aram.

27 And Jacob came unto his father Isaac at Mamre, or Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had sojourned. 28 Now the days of Isaac were one hundred and eighty years. 29 And Isaac breathed his last, and he died and was gathered unto his people, old and full of days. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

CHAPTER 36

1 These are the generations of Esau (that is, Edom). 2 Esau took his wives from the Canaanites: Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, Oholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite, 3 and Basemath, Ishmael's daughter, the sister of Nebaioth.

4 And Adah bore unto Esau, Eliphaz; Basemath bore Reuel; 5 and Oholibamah bore Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These are the sons of Esau who were born unto him in the land of Canaan.

6 Then Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the members of his homestead, his livestock, all his beasts, and all his property that he had acquired in the land of Canaan. He went into a land away from his brother Jacob. 7 For their possessions were too great for them to dwell together. The land of their sojournings could not support them because of their livestock. 8 Thus Esau settled in the hill country of Seir. (Esau is Edom.)

9 These are the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in the hill country of Seir. 10 These are the names of Esau's sons: Eliphaz the son of Adah the wife of Esau, Reuel the son of Basemath the wife of Esau. 11 The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz. 12 (Timna was a concubine of Eliphaz, Esau's son; she bore Amalek unto Eliphaz.) These are the sons of Adah, Esau's wife. 13 These are the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These are the sons of Basemath, Esau's wife. 14 These are the sons of Oholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon, Esau's wife: she bore unto Esau Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.

15 These are the chiefs of the sons of Esau. The sons of Eliphaz the firstborn of Esau: the chiefs Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz, 16 Korah, Gatam, and Amalek; these are the chiefs of Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Adah. 17 These are the sons of Reuel, Esau's son: the chiefs Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah; these are the chiefs of Reuel in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Basemath, Esau's wife. 18 These are the sons of Oholibamah, Esau's wife: the chiefs Jeush, Jalam, and Korah; these are the chiefs born of Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, Esau's wife. 19 These are the sons of Esau (that is, Edom), and these are their chiefs.

20 These are the sons of Seir the Horite, the inhabitants of the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, 21 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan; these are the chiefs of the Horites, the sons of Seir in the land of Edom. 22 The sons of Lotan were Hori and Hemam; and Lotan's sister was Timna. 23 These are the sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam. 24 These are the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah; he is the Anah who found the hot springs in the wilderness, as he pastured the donkeys of Zibeon his father. 25 These are the children of Anah: Dishon and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah. 26 These are the sons of Dishon: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran. 27 These are the sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan. 28 These are the sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran. 29 These are the chiefs of the Horites: the chiefs Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, 30 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan; these are the chiefs of the Horites, chief by chief in the land of Seir.

31 These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom, before any king reigned over the people of Israel. 32 Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom, the name of his city being Dinhabah. 33 Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his place. 34 Jobab died, and Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his place. 35 Husham died, and Hadad the son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the country of Moab, reigned in his place, the name of his city being Avith. 36 Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his place. 37 Samlah died, and Shaul of Rehoboth on the Euphrates reigned in his place. 38 Shaul died, and Baal-hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his place. 39 Baal-hanan the son of Achbor died, and Hadar reigned in his place, the name of his city being Pau; his wife's name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, daughter of Mezahab.

40 These are the names of the chiefs of Esau, according to their clans and their dwelling places, by their names: the chiefs Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, 41 Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, 42 Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, 43 Magdiel, and Iram; these are the chiefs of Edom (that is, Esau, the father of Edom), according to their dwelling places in the land of their possession.

CHAPTER 37

1 Jacob lived in the land of his father's sojournings, in the land of Canaan.

2 These are the generations of Jacob.

Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wives. And Joseph brought a wicked report of them unto their father. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors. 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably unto him.

5 Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it unto his brothers they hated him even more. 6 He said unto them, "Hear this dream that I have dreamed: 7 Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down unto my sheaf." 8 His brothers said unto him, "Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?" Thus they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.

9 Then he dreamed another dream and told it unto his brothers and said, "Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down unto me." 10 But when he told it unto his father and unto his brothers, his father rebuked him and said unto him, "What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves unto the ground before you?" 11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.

12 Now his brothers went to pasture their father's flock near Shechem. 13 And Israel said unto Joseph, "Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you unto them." And he said unto him, "Here I am." 14 Thus he said unto him, "Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock, and bring me word." Thus he sent him from the Valley of Hebron, and he came unto Shechem. 15 And a man found him wandering in the fields. And the man asked him, "What are you seeking?" 16 "I am seeking my brothers," he said. "Tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock." 17 And the man said, "They have gone away, for I heard them say, 'Let us go unto Dothan.'" Thus Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.

18 They saw him from afar, and before he came near unto them they conspired against him in order to kill him. 19 They said unto one another, "Here comes this dreamer. 20 Come now, let us kill him and cast him into one of the pits. Then we will say that a wicked beast has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams." 21 But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, "Let us not take his life." 22 And Reuben said unto them, "Shed no blood; cast him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him"—that he might rescue him out of their hand in order to restore him unto his father. 23 Thus when Joseph came unto his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. 24 And they took him and cast him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.

25 Then they sat down to eat. And looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down unto Egypt. 26 Then Judah said unto his brothers, "What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27 Come, let us sell him unto the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh." And his brothers heeded him. 28 Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him unto the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph unto Egypt.

29 When Reuben returned unto the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes 30 and returned unto his brothers and said, "The boy is gone, and I, where shall I go?" 31 Then they took Joseph's robe and slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. 32 And they sent the robe of many colors and brought it unto their father and said, "This we have found; please identify whether it is your son's robe or not." 33 And he identified it and said, "It is my son's robe. A wicked beast has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces." 34 Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. 35 All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, "No, I shall go down unto Sheol unto my son, mourning." Thus his father wept for him. 36 Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard.

CHAPTER 38

1 It happened at that time that Judah went down from his brothers and turned aside unto a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. 2 There Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua. He took her and went in unto her, 3 and she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er. 4 She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan. 5 Yet again she bore a son, and she called his name Shelah. Judah was in Chezib when she bore him.

6 And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7 But Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of YHWH, and YHWH put him to death. 8 Then Judah said unto Onan, "Go in unto your brother's wife and fulfill your duty as a brother-in-law unto her, and raise up offspring for your brother." 9 But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his. Thus whenever he went in unto his brother's wife he would waste the semen on the ground, so as not to give offspring unto his brother. 10 And what he did was wicked in the sight of YHWH, and he put him to death also. 11 Then Judah said unto Tamar his daughter-in-law, "Remain a widow in your father's homestead, till Shelah my son grows up"—for he feared that he would die, like his brothers. Thus Tamar went and remained in her father's homestead.

12 In the course of time the wife of Judah, Shua's daughter, died. When Judah was comforted, he went up unto Timnah unto his sheepshearers, he and his companion Hirah the Adullamite. 13 And when Tamar was told, "Your father-in-law is going up unto Timnah to shear his sheep," 14 she took off her widow's garments and covered herself with a veil, wrapping herself up, and sat at the entrance unto Enaim, which is on the road unto Timnah. For she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she had not been given unto him as a wife. 15 When Judah saw her, he reckoned her to be a prostitute, for she had covered her face. 16 He turned unto her at the roadside and said, "Come, let me come in unto you," for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, "What will you give me, that you may come in unto me?" 17 He answered, "I will send you a young goat from the flock." And she said, "If you give me a pledge, until you send it—" 18 He said, "What pledge shall I give you?" She replied, "Your signet and your cord and your staff that is in your hand." Thus he gave them unto her and went in unto her, and she conceived by him. 19 Then she arose and went away, and taking off her veil she put on the garments of her widowhood.

20 When Judah sent the young goat by his companion the Adullamite in order to take back the pledge from the woman's hand, he did not find her. 21 And he asked the men of the place, "Where is the cult prostitute who was at Enaim at the roadside?" And they said, "No cult prostitute has been here." 22 Thus he returned unto Judah and said, "I have not found her. Also, the men of the place said, 'No cult prostitute has been here.'" 23 And Judah replied, "Let her keep the things as her own, lest we be laughed at. You see, I sent this young goat, and you did not find her."

24 About three months later Judah was told, "Tamar your daughter-in-law has been immoral. Moreover, she is pregnant by immorality." And Judah said, "Bring her out, and let her be burned." 25 As she was being brought out, she sent word unto her father-in-law, "By the man unto whom these belong, I am pregnant." And she said, "Please identify whose these are, the signet and the cord and the staff." 26 Then Judah identified them and said, "She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her unto my son Shelah." And he did not know her again.

27 When the time of her labor came, there were twins in her womb. 28 And when she was in labor, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, "This one came out first." 29 But as he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out. And she said, "What a breach you have made for yourself!" Thus his name was called Perez. 30 Afterward his brother came out with the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called Zerah.

CHAPTER 39

1 Now Joseph had been brought down unto Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, had bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. 2 YHWH was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the homestead of his Egyptian master. 3 His master saw that YHWH was with him and that YHWH caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. 4 Thus Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his homestead and put him in charge of all that he had. 5 From the time that he made him overseer in his homestead and over all that he had, YHWH blessed the Egyptian's homestead for Joseph's sake; the blessing of YHWH was on all that he had, in homestead and field. 6 Thus he left all that he had in Joseph's charge, and because of him he had no concern about anything but the food he ate.

Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. 7 And after a time his master's wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, "Lie with me." 8 But he refused and said unto his master's wife, "Behold, because of me my master has no concern about anything in the homestead, and he has put everything that he has in my charge. 9 He is not greater in this homestead than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and transgress against Elohim?" 10 And as she spoke unto Joseph day after day, he would not heed her, to lie beside her or to be with her.

11 But one day, when he went into the homestead in order to do his labor and none of the men of the homestead was there in the homestead, 12 she caught him by his garment, saying, "Lie with me." But he left his garment in her hand and fled and went out of the homestead. 13 And as soon as she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled out of the homestead, 14 she called unto the men of her homestead and said unto them, "See, he has brought among us a Hebrew to laugh at us. He came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. 15 And as soon as he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me and fled and went out of the homestead." 16 Then she laid up his garment by her until his master came homestead, 17 and she told him the same story, saying, "The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in unto me to laugh at me. 18 But as soon as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment beside me and fled out of the homestead."

19 As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke unto him, "This is the way your servant treated me," his anger was kindled. 20 And Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king's prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison. 21 But YHWH was with Joseph and showed him kindness and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. 23 The keeper of the prison paid no attention unto anything that was in Joseph's charge, because YHWH was with him. And whatever he did, YHWH made it succeed.

CHAPTER 40

1 Some time after this, the cupbearer of the king of Egypt and his baker committed an offense against their lord the king of Egypt. 2 And Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, 3 and he put them in custody in the homestead of the captain of the guard, in the prison where Joseph was confined. 4 The captain of the guard appointed Joseph to be with them, and he attended them. They continued for some time in custody.

5 And one night they both dreamed—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison—each his own dream, and each dream with its own interpretation. 6 When Joseph came unto them in the morning, he saw that they were troubled. 7 Thus he asked Pharaoh's officers who were with him in custody in his master's homestead, "Why are your faces downcast today?" 8 They said unto him, "We have had dreams, and there is no one to interpret them." And Joseph said unto them, "Do not interpretations belong unto Elohim? Please tell them unto me."

9 Thus the chief cupbearer told his dream unto Joseph and said unto him, "In my dream there was a vine before me, 10 and on the vine there were three branches. As soon as it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and the clusters ripened into grapes. 11 Pharaoh's cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup and placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand." 12 Then Joseph said unto him, "This is its interpretation: the three branches are three days. 13 In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you unto your office, and you shall place Pharaoh's cup in his hand as formerly, when you were his cupbearer. 14 Solely remember me, when it is well with you, and please do me the kindness to mention me unto Pharaoh, and thus bring me out of this homestead. 15 For I was indeed stolen out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they should put me into the pit."

16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said unto Joseph, "I also had a dream: there were three cake baskets on my head, 17 and in the uppermost basket there were all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating it out of the basket on my head." 18 And Joseph answered and said, "This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days. 19 In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head—from you!—and hang you on a tree. And the birds will eat the flesh from you."

20 On the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, he made a feast for all his servants and lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. 21 He restored the chief cupbearer unto his position, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand. 22 But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted unto them. 23 Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.

CHAPTER 41

CHAPTER 42

CHAPTER 43

CHAPTER 44

CHAPTER 45

CHAPTER 46

CHAPTER 47

CHAPTER 48

CHAPTER 49

CHAPTER 50