Fuquay Bible | Genesis

Chapter 1

¹In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. ²And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved on the face of the waters.

³And God said, “Let there be light;” and there was light. ⁴And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided between the light and between the darkness. ⁵And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening, and there was morning, the first day.

⁶And God said, “Let there be a firmament^a in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” ⁷And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so. ⁸And God called the firmament Heaven. And there was evening, and there was morning, the second day.

⁹And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear;” and it was so. ¹⁰And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters he called Seas; and God saw that it was good. ¹¹And God said, “Let the earth bring forth tender grass, the herb seeding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth;” and it was so. ¹²And the earth brought forth tender grass, and herb seeding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind; and God saw that it was good. ¹³And there was evening, and there was morning, the third day.

¹⁴And God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide between the day and between the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years; ¹⁵And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth;” and it was so. ¹⁶And God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night; he made the stars also. ¹⁷And God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, ¹⁸and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. ¹⁹And there was evening, and there was morning, the fourth day.

²⁰And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living^b creatures, and birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.” ²¹And God created great sea creatures, and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed, after their kind, and every winged bird after his kind; and God saw that it was good. ²²And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply in the earth.” ²³And there was evening, and there was morning, the fifth day.

²⁴And God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, livestock, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind;” and it was so. ²⁵And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and livestock after their kind, and every thing that creeps on the earth after his kind; and God saw that it was good.

²⁶And God said, “Let us make man as our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” ²⁷So God created man as his own image, as the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. ²⁸And God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that creeps on the earth.”

²⁹And God said, “Behold, I have given you every herb seeding seed, which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree seeding seed; to you it shall be for food. ³⁰And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to every thing that creeps on the earth, in which there is life,^c I have given every green herb for food;” and it was so. ³¹And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning, the sixth day.

Chapter 2

¹Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. ²And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. ³And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it, because in it he had rested from all his work which God created^d and made.

⁴These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that Yahweh God made the earth and the heavens, ⁵and every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for Yahweh God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to tend the ground. ⁶But springs arose from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. ⁷And Yahweh God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

⁸And Yahweh God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there he put the man whom he had formed. ⁹And out of the ground Yahweh God made grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food: the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. ¹⁰And a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it parted and became four riverheads. ¹¹The name of the first is Pishon: it is that which encircles the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold, ¹²and the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone. ¹³And the name of the second river is Gihon: it is that which encircles the whole land of Cush. ¹⁴And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: it is that which goes toward the east of Assyria.^e And the fourth river is Euphrates.

¹⁵And Yahweh God took the man,^f and put him into the garden of Eden to tend it and to keep it. ¹⁶And Yahweh God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden, eating you shall eat; ¹⁷but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat: for in the day that you eat of it, dying you shall die.”

¹⁸And Yahweh God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper corresponding to him.” ¹⁹And out of the ground Yahweh God formed every beast of the field, and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam^g to see what he would call them; and whatever Adam^h called every living creature, that was its name. ²⁰And Adam called the names of all livestock, and of the birds of the air, and of every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found a helper corresponding to him.

²¹And Yahweh God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept. And he took one from his side, and closed up the flesh in its place. ²²And the side which Yahweh God had taken from man, he built into a woman, and brought her to the man. ²³And Adam said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman,ⁱ because she was taken out of Man.”^{j 24}Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall hold fast to his wife; and they shall be one flesh. ²⁵And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Chapter 3

¹Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which Yahweh God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” ²And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; ³but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” ⁴And the serpent said to the woman, “No: dying you shall not die; ⁵for God knows that in the day you eat of it, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”

⁶And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant^k to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of the fruit, and ate, and gave also to her husband with her; and he ate. ⁷And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves coverings. ⁸And they heard the voice of Yahweh God walking in the garden in the wind of the day; and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the face of Yahweh God among the trees of the garden.

⁹And Yahweh God called to Adam, and said to him, “Where are you?” ¹⁰And he said, “I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.”

¹¹And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree, of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” ¹²And the man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” ¹³And Yahweh God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

¹⁴And Yahweh God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed above all livestock, and above every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. ¹⁵And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” ¹⁶To the woman he said, “Multiplying I will multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children; and your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.”

¹⁷And to Adam he said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree, of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it:’ cursed is the ground for your sake; in sorrow you shall eat of it all the days of your life. ¹⁸And thorns and thistles it shall bud for you; and you shall eat the herb of the field. ¹⁹In the sweat of your nostrils you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it were you taken: for dust you are, and to dust you shall return.” ²⁰And Adam called his wife’s name Eve,^l because she was the mother of all living. ²¹And Yahweh God made for Adam and his wife tunics of skins, and clothed them.

²²And Yahweh God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— ²³Therefore Yahweh God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to tend the ground from which he was taken. ²⁴So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

Chapter 4

¹And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bore Cain,^m and said, “I have acquired a man from Yahweh”. ²And she again bore his brother Abel.ⁿ And Abel was a keeper^o of sheep, but Cain tended the ground.

³And at the end of days it happened that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground a tribute to Yahweh. ⁴And Abel, he also brought of the firstborn of his flock^p and of their fat. And Yahweh respected Abel and his tribute, ⁵but to Cain and his tribute he had no respect. And Cain was very angry, and his face fell.

⁶And Yahweh said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your face fallen? ⁷If you do well, shall you not be accepted?^q And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And to you shall be its desire,^r and you shall rule over it.” ⁸And Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it happened, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.

⁹And Yahweh said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know; Am I my brother’s keeper?” ¹⁰And he said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries to me from the ground. ¹¹And now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened her mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. ¹²When you tend the ground, it shall no longer yield to you her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth.”

¹³And Cain said to Yahweh, “My punishment is greater than I can bear.^{s 14}Behold, you have driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from your face shall I be hidden; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one who finds me shall kill me.” ¹⁵And Yahweh said to him, “Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And Yahweh set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him.

¹⁶And Cain went out from the face of Yahweh and dwelled in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. ¹⁷And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived, and bore Enoch.^t And he built a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son: Enoch. ¹⁸And to Enoch was born Irad, and Irad fathered Mehujael, and Mehujael fathered Methusael, and Methusael fathered Lamech.^u

¹⁹And Lamech took for himself two wives; the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. ²⁰And Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have cattle. ²¹And his brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of those who play the harp and flute. ²²And Zillah, she also bore Tubal–Cain, an instructor^v of every craftsman in bronze and iron; and the sister of Tubal–Cain was Naamah.

²³And 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,^w and a young man for hurting me.^{x 24}If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy–sevenfold.”

²⁵And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son, and called his name Seth,^y “For God has appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain killed.” ²⁶And to Seth, to him also was born a son, and he called his name Enosh; then men began to call on the name of Yahweh.^z

Chapter 5

¹This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created mankind,^a in the likeness of God he made him. ²Male and female he created them, and blessed them, and called their name mankind,^b in the day they were created.

³And Adam lived one hundred thirty years, and fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and called his name Seth. ⁴And the days of Adam after he had fathered Seth were eight hundred years, and he fathered sons and daughters. ⁵And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred thirty years, and he died.

⁶And Seth lived one hundred five years, and fathered Enosh. ⁷And Seth lived after he fathered Enosh eight hundred seven years, and fathered sons and daughters. ⁸And all the days of Seth were nine hundred twelve years, and he died.

⁹And Enosh lived ninety years, and fathered Cainan.^{c 10}And Enosh lived after he fathered Cainan eight hundred fifteen years, and fathered sons and daughters. ¹¹And all the days of Enosh were nine hundred five years, and he died.

¹²And Cainan lived seventy years, and fathered Mahalalel.^{d 13}And Cainan lived after he fathered Mahalalel eight hundred forty years, and fathered sons and daughters. ¹⁴And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred ten years, and he died.

¹⁵And Mahalalel lived sixty–five years, and fathered Jared.^{e 16}And Mahalalel lived after he fathered Jared eight hundred thirty years, and fathered sons and daughters. ¹⁷And all the days of Mahalalel were eight hundred ninety five years, and he died.

¹⁸And Jared lived one hundred sixty–two years, and he fathered Enoch. ¹⁹And Jared lived after he fathered Enoch eight hundred years, and fathered sons and daughters. ²⁰And all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty–two years, and he died.

²¹And Enoch lived sixty–five years, and fathered Methuselah.^{f 22}And Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah three hundred years, and fathered sons and daughters. ²³And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty–five years. ²⁴And Enoch walked with God, and he was not; for God took him.

²⁵And Methuselah lived one hundred eighty–seven years, and fathered Lamech. ²⁶And Methuselah lived after he fathered Lamech^g seven hundred eighty–two years, and fathered sons and daughters. ²⁷And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty–nine years, and he died.

²⁸And Lamech lived one hundred eighty–two years, and fathered a son. ²⁹And he called his name Noah,^h saying, “This one shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which Yahweh has cursed.” ³⁰And Lamech lived after he fathered Noah five hundred ninety–five years, and fathered sons and daughters. ³¹And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy–seven years, and he died. ³²And Noah was five hundred years old, and Noah fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Chapter 6

¹And it happened, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, ²that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were beautiful; and they took for themselves wives of all whom they chose. ³And Yahweh said, “My spirit shall not strive with man forever, since he is flesh. And his daysⁱ shall be one hundred twenty years.”

⁴There were giants in the earth in those days (and also after this), when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

⁵And Yahweh saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination^j of the thoughts of his heart was only evil every day.

⁶And it sorrowed Yahweh that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him in his heart. ⁷And Yahweh said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; from man to livestock, and the creeping thing, and the birds of the air; for I am sorry that I have made them.”

⁸But Noah found favor in the eyes of Yahweh.

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

¹¹The earth also was corrupt before the face of God, and the earth was filled with violence. ¹²And God looked on the earth, and, indeed, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way on the earth.

¹³And God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before my face; for the earth is filled with violence from their face. And, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.”^k

¹⁴“Make yourself an ark of gopher^l wood; you shall make rooms^m in the ark, and cover it within and without with pitch. ¹⁵And this is how you shall make it: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. ¹⁶A window you shall make for the ark, and in a cubit you shall finish it above; and the door of the ark you shall set in its side. With lower, second, and third stories you shall make it. ¹⁷And, behold, I myself am bringing a flood of waters on the earth, to destroy all flesh, in which is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die. ¹⁸But with you I will establish my covenant; and you shall come into the ark, you and your sons, and your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. ¹⁹And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every kind you shall bring into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. ²⁰Of birds after their kind, and of livestock after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every kind shall come to you, to keep them alive. ²¹And you shall take for yourself all food that is eaten, and you shall gather it to yourself; and it shall be for food for you, and for them.” ²²And Noah did according to all that God commanded him, so he did.

Chapter 7

¹And Yahweh said to Noah, “Come, you and all your household, into the ark, for I have seen you are righteous before my face in this generation. ²Of every clean livestock you shall take with you in sevens, the male and his female; and of livestock that are not clean, two, the male and his female; ³also of birds of the air, in sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive on the face of all the earth. ⁴For in seven days, I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and every living substance that I have made I will destroyⁿ from the face of the earth.”

⁵And Noah did according to all that Yahweh commanded him. ⁶And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was on the earth.

⁷And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him, into the ark, before the face of the waters of the flood. ⁸Of clean livestock, and of livestock that are not clean, and of birds, and of every thing that creeps on the earth, ⁹ in twos they went in to Noah, into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah. ¹⁰And it happened on the seventh day, that the waters of the flood were on the earth.

¹¹In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of the heavens were opened. ¹²And the rain was on the earth forty days and forty nights.

¹³In the same day these entered: Noah; and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah; and Noah’s wife; and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark; ¹⁴they, and every beast after his kind, and all the livestock after their kind, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after his kind, and every bird after his kind, every bird of every wing. ¹⁵And they went in to Noah into the ark, in twos of all flesh, in which is the breath of life. ¹⁶And those that went in, male and female of all flesh went in as God had commanded him; and Yahweh shut him in.

¹⁷And the flood was forty days on the earth; and the waters increased, and bore up the ark, and it was lifted up above the earth. ¹⁸And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly on the earth, and the ark moved on the face of the waters. ¹⁹And the waters prevailed exceedingly, exceedingly on the earth, and all the high hills that were under the whole heavens were covered. ²⁰Fifteen cubits above the waters prevailed; and the mountains were covered.

²¹And all flesh died that moved on the earth, both of bird, and of livestock, and of beast, and of every swarming thing that swarms on the earth, and every man. ²²All in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, of all that was in the dry land, died. ²³And every living substance was destroyed which was on the face of the ground, both man, and livestock, and the creeping things, and the birds of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth. And Noah alone remained alive, and those who were with him in the ark. ²⁴And the waters prevailed on the earth one hundred fifty days.

Chapter 8

¹And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters subsided. ²And the fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped; and the rain from heaven was restrained. ³And the waters receded from the earth in going and returning, and after the end of the hundred fifty days the waters decreased.

⁴And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the mountains of Ararat. ⁵And the waters decreased, going until the tenth month; in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen.

⁶And it happened at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made. ⁷And he sent out a raven, which went out in going and returning, until the waters were dried up from the earth. ⁸Also he sent out a dove from himself, to see if the waters were receded from the face of the ground. ⁹And the dove found no resting place for the sole of her foot, and she returned to him into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth. And he put forth his hand, and took her, and drew her in^o to him into the ark. ¹⁰And he stayed yet another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark. ¹¹And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, behold, in her mouth was an olive leaf freshly plucked. And Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth. ¹²And he stayed yet another seven days, and sent forth the dove, which did not return again to him anymore.

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

¹⁵And God spoke to Noah, saying, “Go out of the ark, you, and your wife, and your sons, and your sons’ wives with you. ¹⁷Bring out with you every living thing that is with you: of all flesh, both of bird, and of livestock, and of every creeping thing that creeps on the earth; that they may swarm on the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply on the earth.” ¹⁸And Noah went out, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him. ¹⁹Every beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, and whatever creeps on the earth, after their families, went out of the ark.

²⁰And Noah built a communion–site to Yahweh, and took of every clean livestock, and of every clean bird, and offered ascensions on the communion–site. ²¹And Yahweh smelled a soothing aroma; and Yahweh said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground anymore for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again destroy anymore every living thing, as I have done. ²²During all the days of the earth , seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”

Chapter 9

¹And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth. ²And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, and on every bird of the air, on all that moves on the earth, and on all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are given. ³Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you; even as the green herb I have given you all things. ⁴But flesh with its life, its blood, you shall not eat. ⁵And surely your blood, your life, I will require; from the hand of every beast I will require it, and from the hand of man. From the hand of every man’s brother I will require the life of man. ⁶Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God he made man. ⁷And you, be fruitful, and multiply; swarm in the earth, and multiply in it.”

⁸And God spoke to Noah, and to his sons with him, saying, “And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you; ¹⁰and with every living creature that is with you, of the bird, of the livestock, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth. ¹¹And I will establish my covenant with you; never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

¹²And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant which I make between me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for everlasting generations: ¹³I set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between me and the earth. ¹⁴And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud. ¹⁵And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you, and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. ¹⁶And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look on it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” ¹⁷And God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

¹⁸And the sons of Noah who went forth from the ark were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth; and Ham is the father of Canaan.^{p 19}These are the three sons of Noah: and from them the whole earth was scattered. ²⁰And Noah began to be a man of the ground, and he planted a vineyard. ²¹And he drank of the wine, and was filled with drink, and he was uncovered within his tent. ²²And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. ²³And Shem and Japheth took the garment, and laid it on both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they did not see their father’s nakedness.

²⁴And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done to him. ²⁵And he said, “Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants he shall be to his brothers.” ²⁶And he said, “Blessed be Yahweh, God of Shem; and Canaan shall be servant to them. ²⁷God shall enlarge^q Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be servant to them.”

²⁸And Noah lived after the flood three hundred fifty years. ²⁹And all the days of Noah were nine hundred fifty years, and he died.

Chapter 10

¹Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And to them sons were born after the flood. ²The sons of Japheth: Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. ³And the sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, and Riphath,^r and Togarmah. ⁴And the sons of Javan: Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.^{s 5}From these were the coastlands of the Gentiles separated into their lands; everyone after his language, according to their families, in their nations.

⁶And the sons of Ham: Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan. ⁷And the sons of Cush: Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtecha: and the sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. ⁸And Cush fathered Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth. ⁹He was a mighty hunter before the face of Yahweh: therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod, the mighty hunter before the face of Yahweh.” ¹⁰And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel,^t and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. ¹¹From that land Asshur went forth^u and built Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth,^v and Calah, ¹²and Resen between Nineveh and Calah (that is, the great city). ¹³And Mizraim fathered Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim, ¹⁴and Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (out of whom came the Philistines) and Caphtorim.

¹⁵And Canaan fathered Sidon^w his firstborn, and Heth, ¹⁶and the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgashite, ¹⁷and the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite, ¹⁸and the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite. And afterward the families of the Canaanites were spread abroad. ¹⁹And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as you go to Gerar as far as Gaza;^x then as you go to Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. ²⁰These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their languages, in their countries, and in their nations.

²¹And children were also born to Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder. ²²The sons of Shem: Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad,^y and Lud, and Aram. ²³And the sons of Aram: Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash.^{z 24}And Arphaxad fathered Salah;^a and Salah fathered Eber. ²⁵And to Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg,^b for in his days the earth was divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan. ²⁶And Joktan fathered Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah, ²⁷and Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah, ²⁸and Obal, and Abimael, and Sheba, ²⁹and Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan. ³⁰And their dwelling place was from Mesha, as you go to Sephar a mountain of the east. ³¹These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their languages, in their lands, after their nations. ³²These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations; and from these the nations were divided on the earth after the flood.

Chapter 11

¹And the whole earth was of one language,^c and of one speech.^{d 2}And it happened, as they journeyed from the east,^e that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelled there. ³And they said to one another,^f “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them to a burning.” And they had brick for stone, and pitch they had for mortar. ⁴And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower, whose top is in the heavens; and let us make ourselves a name, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”

⁵And Yahweh came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of the man had built. ⁶And Yahweh said, “Behold, the people are one, and they all have one language; and this is what they begin to do. And now nothing will be withheld from them, which they have planned to do. ⁷Come, let us go down, and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” ⁸And Yahweh scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. ⁹Therefore its name is called Babel;^g because there Yahweh confounded the language of all the earth: and from there Yahweh scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

¹⁰These are the generations of Shem: Shem was one hundred years old, and fathered Arphaxad two years after the flood. ¹¹And Shem lived after he fathered Arphaxad five hundred years, and fathered sons and daughters. ¹²And Arphaxad lived thirty–five years, and fathered Salah. ¹³And Arphaxad lived after he fathered Salah four hundred three years, and fathered sons and daughters. ¹⁴And Salah lived thirty years, and fathered Eber. ¹⁵And Salah lived after he fathered Eber four hundred three years, and fathered sons and daughters. ¹⁶And Eber lived thirty–four years, and fathered Peleg.^{h 17}And Eber lived after he fathered Peleg four hundred thirty years, and fathered sons and daughters. ¹⁸And Peleg lived thirty years, and fathered Reu. ¹⁹And Peleg lived after he fathered Reu two hundred nine years, and fathered sons and daughters. ²⁰And Reu lived thirty–two years, and fathered Serug.^{i 21}And Reu lived after he fathered Serug two hundred seven years, and fathered sons and daughters. ²²And Serug lived thirty years, and fathered Nahor. ²³And Serug lived after he fathered Nahor two hundred years, and fathered sons and daughters. ²⁴And Nahor lived twenty–nine years, and fathered Terah.^{j 25}And Nahor lived after he fathered Terah one hundred nineteen years, and fathered sons and daughters. ²⁶And Terah lived seventy years, and fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

²⁷Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran fathered Lot. ²⁸And Haran died before the face of his father Terah in the land of his family, in Ur of the Chaldeans. ²⁹And Abram and Nahor took wives for themselves; 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 the father of Iscah. ³⁰But Sarai was barren; she had no child. ³¹And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter–in–law, his son Abram’s wife; and they went out with them from Ur of the Chaldeans, to go to the land of Canaan; and they came to Haran, and dwelled there. ³²And the days of Terah were two hundred five years, and Terah died in Haran.

Chapter 12

¹Now Yahweh had said to Abram, “Get yourself out of your country, and from your family, and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. ²And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. ³And I will bless those who bless you, and curse him who curses you; and in you all families of the earth shall be blessed.”

⁴So Abram departed as Yahweh had spoken to him; and Lot went with him; and Abram was seventy–five years old when he departed from Haran. ⁵And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran; and they departed to go to the land of Canaan, and they came to the land of Canaan.

⁶And Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land. ⁷And Yahweh appeared to Abram, and said, “To your seed I will give this land.” And there he built a communion–site to Yahweh, who had appeared to him. ⁸And he moved from there to the mountain east of Beth–el, and pitched his tent with Beth–el on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built a communion–site to Yahweh, and called on the name of Yahweh. ⁹And Abram journeyed, going and journeying toward the south.

¹⁰And there was a famine in the land; and Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was heavy in the land. ¹¹And it happened, when he drew near to enter Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, “Behold now, I know that you are a woman of beautiful appearance. ¹²Therefore it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, ‘This is his wife;’ and they will kill me, but they will let you live. ¹³Please say you are my sister, that it may go well with me for your sake; and my soul will live because of you.”

¹⁴And it happened, when Abram came into Egypt, the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful. ¹⁵And the princes of Pharaoh saw her, and praised her before Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. ¹⁶And he treated Abram well for her sake; and he had sheep, and oxen, and male donkeys, and male servants, and maidservants, and female donkeys, and camels. ¹⁷And Yahweh plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram’s wife. ¹⁸And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, “What is this that you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? ¹⁹Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’ so that I took her to be my wife? Now here is your wife; take her, and go.” ²⁰And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.

Chapter 13

¹And Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, to the south. ²And Abram was very heavy in cattle, in silver, and in gold. ³And he went on his journeys from the south as far as Beth–el, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Beth–el and Ai; ⁴to the place of the communion–site which he had made there at first. And there Abram called on the name of Yahweh.

⁵And Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents. ⁶And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together, for their possessions were great, so that they could not dwell together. ⁷And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdsmen of Lot’s cattle. And the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled in the land at that time. ⁸And Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife, please, between me and you, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are men, brothers. ⁹Is not the whole land before your face? Separate yourself, please, from me; if you take the left, then I will go to the right; or if you take the right, then I will go left.”

¹⁰And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the plain of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the face of Yahweh destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah), like the garden of Yahweh, like the land of Egypt as you come to Zoar. ¹¹And Lot chose for himself all the plain of the Jordan. And Lot journeyed east, and they separated, man from brother. ¹²Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan; and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. ¹³And the men of Sodom were very wicked, and sinners before Yahweh.

¹⁴And Yahweh said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Please lift up your eyes, and see from the place where you are, northward, and southward, and eastward, and to the sea. ¹⁵For all the land which you see, I will give to you and to your seed forever. ¹⁶And I will make your seed like the dust of the earth, so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then could your seed be numbered. ¹⁷Arise, walk through the land to its length and its breadth, for I will give it to you.” ¹⁸And Abram moved his tent, and came and dwelled by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built there a communion–site to Yahweh.

Chapter 14

¹And it happened in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations; ²they made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). ³All these were joined together in the valley of Siddim, which is the salt sea. ⁴Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled. ⁵And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings who were with him, and struck the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim,^{k 6}and the Horites in their mount Seir, as far as El–Paran,^l which is by the wilderness. ⁷And they returned, and came to En–Mishpat, which is Kadesh, and struck all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, who dwelled in Hazezon–Tamar. ⁸And the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out and joined in battle with them in the valley of Siddim ⁹against Chedorlaomer the king of Elam, and with Tidal king of nations, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar; four kings against five. ¹⁰And the valley of Siddim was pits, pits of tar; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and those who remained fled to the mountain. ¹¹And they took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their food, and went their way. ¹²And they took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who dwelled in Sodom, and his possessions, and departed.

¹³And the fugitive came and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelled by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner; and these were covenanted with Abram. ¹⁴And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed^m his trainedⁿ servants, born in his own house, three hundred eighteen, and pursued them as far as Dan. ¹⁵And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and struck them, and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is on the left hand^o of Damascus. ¹⁶And he brought back all the possessions, and also brought back his brother Lot and his possessions, and the women, and the people.

¹⁷And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the king’s valley). ¹⁸And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine; and he was the priest of God most high. ¹⁹And he blessed him, and said, “Blessed be Abram by God most high, creator of heaven and earth; ²⁰And blessed be God most high, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” And he gave him a tithe of all.

²¹And the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons,^p and take the possessions to yourself.” ²²And Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to Yahweh, God most high, creator of heaven and earth, ²³that if I take from a thread to a sandal strap, and if I take anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich;’ ²⁴except only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.”

Chapter 15

¹After these things the word of Yahweh came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Fear not, Abram; I am your shield, and your exceedingly great reward.”

²And Abram said, “Lord Yahweh, what will you give me, since I go childless, and the heir of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?” ³And Abram said, “Behold, to me you have given no seed: and, see, one born in my house is my heir.” ⁴And, behold, the word of Yahweh came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but he who shall come from your own bowels shall be your heir.” ⁵And he brought him outside, and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And he said to him, “So shall be your seed.” ⁶And he trusted in Yahweh; and he reckoned it righteousness to him.

⁷And he said to him, “I am Yahweh who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it.” ⁸And he said, “Lord Yahweh, how shall I know that I shall inherit it?” ⁹And he said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, and a she goat three years old, and a ram three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” ¹⁰And he brought to him all these, and divided them in the middle, and laid each piece one against another; but the birds he did not divide. ¹¹And when the birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.

¹²And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram; and, behold, horror and great darkness fell on him. ¹³And he said to Abram, “Know for sure that your seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years. ¹⁴And also that nation whom they shall serve, I will judge; and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. ¹⁵And you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. ¹⁶And in the fourth generation they shall return here again; for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.”

¹⁷And it happened, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, a smoking furnace and a burning lamp^q passed between those pieces. ¹⁸In the same day Yahweh cut a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your seed I have given this land, from the river of Egypt^r to the great river, the river Euphrates: ¹⁹the Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, ²⁰and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaim, ²¹and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.”

Chapter 16

¹And Sarai, Abram’s wife, bore him no children; and she had a maidservant, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. ²And Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, Yahweh has restrained me from bearing. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I may be built up by her.” And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai. ³And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maidservant, the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelled ten years in the land of Canaan; and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.

⁴And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. ⁵And Sarai said to Abram, “My wrong be on you; I have given my maidservant into your bosom, and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes. Yahweh judge between me and you.” ⁶And Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your maid is in your hand; do to her what is good in your eyes.” And when Sarai afflicted her, she fled from her face.

⁷And the angel of Yahweh found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur. ⁸And he said, “Hagar, Sarai’s maid, from where did you come, and where will you go?” And she said, “I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.” ⁹And the angel of Yahweh said to her, “Return to your mistress, and let yourself be afflicted under her hands.”

¹⁰And the angel of Yahweh said to her, “I will multiply your seed exceedingly, so that they shall not be numbered for multitude.” ¹¹And the angel of Yahweh said to her, “Behold, you are with child; and will bear a son; and shall call his name Ishmael,^s because Yahweh has heard your affliction. ¹²And he will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he will dwell before the face of all his brothers.” ¹³And she called the name of Yahweh who spoke to her, You–Are–the–God–of–My–Seeing, for she said, “Truly here have I seen after his seeing me?” ¹⁴Therefore the well was called Beer–lahai–roi;^t behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

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

Chapter 17

¹And when Abram was ninety–nine years old, Yahweh appeared to Abram, and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before my face, and be faultless. ²And I will make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly, exceedingly.”

³And Abram fell on his face, and God spoke with him, saying, “As for me, behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be father of a multitude of nations. ⁵No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham,^u for I have made you father of a multitude of nations . ⁶And I will make you fruitful exceedingly, exceedingly; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. ⁷And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your seed after you in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your seed after you. ⁸And I will give to you and to your seed after you the land where you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”

⁹And God said to Abraham, “And you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your seed after you in their generations. ¹⁰This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your seed after you: every male among you shall be circumcised. ¹¹And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskins; and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. ¹²And the son of eight days—every male among you—shall be circumcised throughout your generations: he who is born in the house, and any son of a foreigner bought with money who is not of your seed. ¹³He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall be circumcised, indeed, circumcised. So my covenant shall be in your flesh as an everlasting covenant. ¹⁴And the uncircumcised male whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”

¹⁵And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai^v your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah^w is her name. ¹⁶And I will bless her, and give you a son of her; and I will bless her; and she shall become nations; kings of people shall come from her.” ¹⁷And Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall the son of one hundred years father a child? And shall Sarah, the daughter of ninety years bear a child?” ¹⁸And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before your face!” ¹⁹And God said, “No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son; and you shall call his name Isaac;^x and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him. ²⁰And as for Ishmael,^y I have heard you: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly, exceedingly; he will father twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. ²¹But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year.” ²²And he finished speaking with him, and God went up from Abraham.

²³And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all who were born in his house, and all who were bought with his money—every male among the men of Abraham’s house—and circumcised the flesh of their foreskins on the same day, as God had said to him. ²⁴And Abraham was the son of ninety–nine years when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. ²⁵And Ishmael his son was the son of thirteen years when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. ²⁶On the same day Abraham was circumcised, and Ishmael his son, ²⁷and all the men of his house—born in the house or bought with money, the son of a foreigner—were circumcised with him.

Chapter 18

¹And Yahweh appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre while he sat at the entrance of the tent in the heat of the day. ²And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men stood by him; and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the entrance of the tent, and bowed toward the earth ³and said, “My lords, please, if I have found favor in your eyes, please do not pass by from your servant. ⁴Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest under the tree. ⁵And I will bring a piece of bread. And strengthen your hearts; afterwards you may pass on, since you have passed by your servant.” And they said, “Do this, as you have said.” ⁶And Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Hurry! Three measures of fine flour,^z knead it, and make cakes on the hearth.” ⁷And Abraham ran to the herd, and fetched a calf, tender and good, and gave it to a young man; and he hurried to dress it. ⁸And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before their face; and he stood by them under the tree, and they ate.

⁹And they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “Behold, in the tent.” ¹⁰And he said, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life; and, behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him. ¹¹And Abraham and Sarah were old and well advancd in days; the manner of women had ceased to be with Sarah . ¹²Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?” ¹³And Yahweh said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’ ¹⁴Is anything too hard for Yahweh? At the time appointed I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.” ¹⁵And Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh;” for she was afraid. And he said, “No, but you did laugh.”

¹⁶And the men rose up from there, and looked facing Sodom. And Abraham went with them to bring them on the way. ¹⁷And Yahweh said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, ¹⁸since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? ¹⁹For I have known him, so that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of Yahweh, to do justice and judgment; that Yahweh may bring on Abraham that which he has spoken of him.” ²⁰And Yahweh said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; ²¹I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it, which has come to me; and if not, I will know.” ²²And the men turned their faces from there, and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the face of Yahweh.

²³And Abraham drew near and said, “Will you also destroy the righteous with the wicked? ²⁴What if there are fifty righteous within the city? Will you also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous who are in it? ²⁵Far be it from you to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from you. Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?” ²⁶And Yahweh said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake.” ²⁷And Abraham answered and said, “Behold now, I have taken upon myself to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. ²⁸What if there shall lack five of the fifty righteous; will you destroy all the city for lack of five?” And he said, “If I find there forty–five, I will not destroy it.” ²⁹And he spoke to him yet again and said, “What if there are forty found there?” And he said, “I will not do it for forty’s sake.” ³⁰And he said to him, “Please let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. What if there are thirty found there?” And he said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” ³¹And he said, “Behold now, I have taken upon myself to speak to the Lord. What if there are twenty found there?” And he said, “I will not destroy it for twenty’s sake.” ³²And he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but once more. What if ten are found there?” And he said, “I will not destroy it for ten’s sake.” ³³And Yahweh went his way, as soon as he had left speaking with Abraham. And Abraham returned to his place.

Chapter 19

¹And two angels came to Sodom in the evening; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom, and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground. ²And he said, “Behold now, my lords, please turn in to your servant’s house, and stay the night, and wash your feet, and you shall rise up early and go on your way.” And they said, “No, but we will remain in the open square all night.” ³And he insisted greatly; and they turned in to him, and entered his house. And he made them a feast and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.

⁴But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both old and young, all the people from every quarter. ⁵And they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them.” ⁶And Lot went out to them at the door and shut the door after him, ⁷and said, “Please, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. ⁸Behold now, I have two daughters who have not known man; please let me bring them out to you, and do to them as is good in your eyes. Only to these men do nothing; for this reason they came under the shadow of my roof.” ⁹And they said, “Stand back.” And they said, “This one came in to sojourn, and he has judged, judging. Now we will deal worse with you than with them.” And they pressed hard on the man Lot, and came near to breaking the door. ¹⁰But the men stretched out their hand and pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. ¹¹And they struck the men who were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves finding the door.

¹²And the men said to Lot, “Have you anyone else here? Son–in–law, and your sons, and your daughters, and whoever you have in the city, bring them out of this place. ¹³For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of Yahweh, and Yahweh has sent us to destroy it.” ¹⁴And Lot went out and spoke to his sons–in–law who were to marry his daughters, and said, “Up, get out of this place, for Yahweh will destroy this city.” But he seemed as one who mocked to his sons–in–law.

¹⁵And when the morning arose, the angels hurried Lot, saying, “Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here,^a lest you be consumed in the iniquity^b of the city.” ¹⁶And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, and the hand of his wife, and the hand of his two daughters, Yahweh being merciful to him; and they brought him forth, and set him outside the city.

¹⁷And it happened, when they had brought them forth outside, that he said, “Escape for your life; do not look behind you, nor stay in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest you be consumed.” ¹⁸And Lot said to them, “Please, no, my lord. ¹⁹Behold now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have magnified your mercy, which you have shown to me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil overtake me, and I die. ²⁰Behold now, this city is near to flee to, and it is a little one. Oh, let me escape there. Is it not a little one? And my soul shall live.” ²¹And he said to him, “See, I have accepted your face concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for which you have spoken. ²²Hurry, escape there; for I cannot do anything until you come there.” Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.^c

²³The sun had risen^d on the earth when Lot entered into Zoar.

²⁴Then Yahweh rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from Yahweh out of heaven. ²⁵And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.

²⁶But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

²⁷And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the face of Yahweh. ²⁸And he looked facing Sodom and Gomorrah, and facing all the land of the plain, and saw, and behold, the smoke of the country went up like the smoke of a furnace.

²⁹And it happened, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities where Lot had dwelled.

³⁰And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelled in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he was afraid to dwell in Zoar. And he dwelled in a cave, he and his two daughters. ³¹And the firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man in the earth to come in to us after the manner of all the earth. ³²Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve the seed of our father.” ³³And they made their father drink wine that night, and the firstborn went in and lay with her father; and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. ³⁴And it happened the next day, that the firstborn said to the younger, “Behold, I lay last night with my father; let us make him drink wine tonight also, and you go in and lie with him, that we may preserve the seed of our father.” ³⁵And 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. ³⁶Thus both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father. ³⁷And the firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab; he is the father of the Moabites to this day. ³⁸And the younger, she also bore a son and called his name Ben–Ammi; he is the father of the children of Ammon to this day.

Chapter 20

¹And Abraham journeyed from there toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar. ²And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.

³But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is married to a husband.” ⁴But Abimelech had not come near her, and he said, “Lord, will you slay a righteous nation also? ⁵Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister?’ And she, even she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this.” ⁶And God said to him in a dream, “Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart, for I also withheld you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her. ⁷Now therefore, restore the man’s wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for you and you shall live. And if you do not restore her, know that dying you shall die, you and all who are yours.”

⁸Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears. And the men were greatly afraid. ⁹Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said to him, “What have you done to us? And how have I offended you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done deeds to me that ought not to be done.” ¹⁰And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you see, that you have done this thing?” ¹¹And Abraham said, “Because I said, ‘Surely the fear of God is not in this place, and they will slay me for my wife’s sake.’ ¹²And yet indeed she is my sister. She is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. ¹³And it happened, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said to her, ‘This is your kindness that you shall show to me: at every place where we come, say of me, “He is my brother.”’”

¹⁴And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and male servants, and maidservants, and gave them to Abraham, and restored to him Sarah his wife. ¹⁵And Abimelech said, “Behold, my land is before your face; dwell where is good in your eyes.” ¹⁶And to Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. Behold, it is a covering of the eyes to you, to all who are with you, and with all.” Thus she was vindicated.

¹⁷So Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bore children. ¹⁸For Yahweh had closed up, indeed, closing all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham’s wife.

Chapter 21

¹And Yahweh visited Sarah as he had said, and Yahweh did for Sarah as he had spoken. ²For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. ³And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him—whom Sarah bore to him—Isaac. ⁴And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac, his son of eight days, as God had commanded him. ⁵And Abraham was the son of one hundred years, when his son Isaac was born to him.

⁶And Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; all who hear will laugh with me.” ⁷And she said, “Who would have said to Abraham, that Sarah would nurse children? For I have born him a son in his old age.” ⁸And the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast the day Isaac was weaned.

⁹And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had born to Abraham, mocking. ¹⁰And she said to Abraham, “Drive out this slave woman and her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son, with Isaac.” ¹¹And the thing was very evil in Abraham’s eyes because of his son.

¹²And God said to Abraham, “Let it not be evil in your eyes because of the boy, and because of your slave woman; in all that Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed shall be called. ¹³And also of the son of the slave woman I will make a nation, because he is your seed.”

¹⁴And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beer–sheba. ¹⁵And the water was spent in the skin, and she threw the child under one of the shrubs. ¹⁶And she went and sat down across from him at a good distance, about a bowshot, for she said, “Do not let me see the death of the child.” And she sat across from him, and lifted up her voice and wept. ¹⁷And God heard the voice of the boy; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not fear, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. ¹⁸Arise, lift up the boy, and hold him in your hand; for I will make him a great nation.” ¹⁹And God 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. ²⁰And God was with the boy, and he grew, and dwelled in the wilderness and became an archer. ²¹And he dwelled in the wilderness of Paran; and his mother took for him a wife from the land of Egypt.

²²And it happened at that time that Abimelech and Phicol the chief of his host spoke to Abraham, saying, “God is with you in all that you do. ²³And now swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely^e with me, nor with my son, nor with my son’s son; according to the kindness I have done to you, you shall do to me, and to the land where you have sojourned.” ²⁴And Abraham said, “I will swear.” ²⁵And Abraham disputed with Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech’s servants had seized. ²⁶And Abimelech said, “I do not know who has done this thing, neither did you tell me, nor did I hear until today.” ²⁷And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them to Abimelech; and both of them cut a covenant. ²⁸And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. ²⁹And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What are these seven ewe lambs which you have set by themselves?” ³⁰And he said, “You shall take seven ewe lambs from my hand, that they may be a witness for me that I have dug this well.” ³¹Therefore he called that place Beer–sheba,^f because the two of them swore there. ³²Thus they cut a covenant at Beer–sheba. And Abimelech rose up, and Phicol the chief of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.

³³And Abraham planted a grove^g in Beer–sheba, and called there on the name of Yahweh the everlasting God. ³⁴And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines’ land many days.

Chapter 22

¹And it happened after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Behold, me.” ²And he said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there for an ascension on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.”

³And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and cut the wood for the ascension, and rose up, and went to the place of which God had told him. ⁴Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place far off. ⁵And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; and I and the boy will go there and worship, and return to you.” ⁶And Abraham took the wood of the ascension, and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and they both went together. ⁷And Isaac spoke to Abraham his father, and said, “My father!” and he said, “Here I am, my son.” And he said, “Behold the fire and the wood. But where is the lamb^h for an ascension?” ⁸And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for himself the lamb for an ascension.” And they both went together. ⁹And they came to the place of which God had told him; and Abraham built a communion–site there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the communion–site on the wood. ¹⁰And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

¹¹And the angel of Yahweh called to him out of heaven, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” ¹²And he said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy, nor do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son from me.” ¹³And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. And Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for an ascension instead of his son. ¹⁴And Abraham called the name of that place Yahweh–will–provide,ⁱ as it is said to this day, “In the mountain of Yahweh it shall be provided.”^j

¹⁵And the angel of Yahweh called to Abraham out of heaven a second time, ¹⁶and said, “By myself I have sworn, says Yahweh, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son, ¹⁷and blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your seed as stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is on the seashore.^k And your seed shall possess^l the gate of his enemies. ¹⁸And in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” ¹⁹And Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beer–sheba. And Abraham dwelled at Beer–sheba.

²⁰And it happened after these things, that Abraham was told, saying, “Behold, Milcah. She has also born children to your brother Nahor: ²¹Huz his firstborn, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram, ²²and Chesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” ²³And Bethuel fathered Rebekah.^m These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham’s brother. ²⁴And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, she also bore Tebah, and Gaham, and Thahash, and Maachah.

Chapter 23

¹And Sarah lived one hundred twenty–seven years, the years of the life of Sarah. ²And Sarah died in Kiriath–arba, that is, Hebron, in the land of Canaan. And Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.

³And Abraham arose from the face of his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying, “I am a sojourner settled among you; give me possession of a burial site among you, that I may bury my dead away from my face.” ⁵And the sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, “Hear us, my lord: you are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our burial sites. None of us shall withhold from you his burial site, so that you may bury your dead.” ⁷And Abraham stood up and bowed to the people of the land, the sons of Heth. ⁸And he spoke with them, saying, “If it is your wish that I should bury my dead away from my face, hear me, and intercede for me with Ephron the son of Zohar, ⁹that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he has, which is at the end of his field. For full money as it is worth let him give it to me as a possession for a burial site among you.” ¹⁰And Ephron sat among the sons of Heth, and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the ears of the sons of Heth, of all who went in at the gate of his city, saying, “No, my lord, hear me. The field I give you, and the cave that is in it, I give it to you. In the presence of the sons of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead.” ¹²And Abraham bowed down before the face of the people of the land. ¹³And he spoke to Ephron in the ears of the people of the land, saying, “But if only you will hear me: I will give you money for the field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there.” ¹⁴And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, “My lord, listen to me; the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver. What is that between you and me? Therefore bury your dead.”

¹⁶And Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed for Ephron the silver which he had named in the ears of the sons of Heth: four hundred shekels of silver, currency of the merchants.

¹⁷And the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was facing Mamre, the field, and the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, which were within all the surrounding borders, were deeded ¹⁸to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city. ¹⁹And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah facing Mamre, that is, Hebron, in the land of Canaan. ²⁰And the field, and the cave that is in it, were deeded to Abraham as a possession for a burial site by the sons of Heth.

Chapter 24

¹And Abraham was old, well advanced in days, and Yahweh had blessed Abraham in all things. ²And Abraham said to the oldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had, “Please put your hand under my thigh, ³and I will make you swear by Yahweh, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell. ⁴But you shall go to my country and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac.” ⁵And the servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land; must I bring your son back to the land from which you came?” ⁶And Abraham said to him, “Beware that you do not bring my son back there. ⁷Yahweh God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my family, and who spoke to me, and who swore to me, saying, ‘To your seed I will give this land;’ he shall send his angel before your face, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. ⁸And if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this oath of mine; only do not bring my son back there.” ⁹And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.

¹⁰And the servant took ten camels from the camels of his master, and departed; and every good thing of his master was in his hand. And he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. ¹¹And he made his camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, the time that women who draw water go out. ¹²And he said, “Oh Yahweh God of my master Abraham, please let it appear to my face today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. ¹³Behold, I stand here by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. ¹⁴And let it be, that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please let down your pitcher, that I may drink;’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels drink’—her you have appointed for your servant, for Isaac, and by this I shall know that you have shown kindness to my master.”

¹⁵And it happened, before he had finished speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her pitcher on her shoulder. ¹⁶And the young woman was very beautiful to behold, a virgin; no man had known her. And she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up. ¹⁷And the servant ran to meet her, and said, “Please let me drink a little water from your pitcher.” ¹⁸And she said, “Drink, my lord!” And she hurried, and let down her pitcher to her hands, and gave him a drink. ¹⁹And when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw for your camels too, until they have finished drinking.” ²⁰And she hurried and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran back to the well to draw, and drew for all his camels. ²¹And the man stared at her silently, to know whether Yahweh had made his journey prosperous or not. ²²And it happened, as the camels had finished drinking, that the man took a golden nose–ring weighing a beka,ⁿ and two bracelets for her hands weighing ten shekels^o of gold. ²³And he said, “Whose daughter are you? Tell me, please, is there room in your father’s house for us to lodge?” ²⁴And she said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.” ²⁵And she said to him, “Yes, there is straw, yes, there is plenty of feed, and room to lodge.” ²⁶And the man bowed down his head and worshipped Yahweh. ²⁷And he said, “Blessed be Yahweh God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his faithfulness and his trustworthiness to my master. As for me, Yahweh led me in the way to the house of my master’s brothers.” ²⁸And the young woman ran and told her mother’s house these things.

²⁹And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban. And Laban ran out to the man, to the well. ³⁰And it happened, when he saw the nose–ring and bracelets on his sister’s hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, “Thus the man spoke to me;” that he came to the man. And behold, he stood by the camels at the well. ³¹And he said, “Come, you who are blessed by Yahweh, why do you stand outside when I have prepared the house and room for the camels?”

³²And the man came into the house, and he unbridled his camels, and gave straw and feed to the camels, and water to wash his feet, and the feet of the men who were with him. ³³And food was set before his face to eat, but he said, “I will not eat until I have told my words.” And he said, “Speak!” ³⁴And he said, “I am Abraham’s servant, ³⁵and Yahweh has greatly blessed my master. And he has become great, and he has given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and male servants, and female servants, and camels, and donkeys. ³⁶And Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master when she was old; and he has given to him all that he has. ³⁷And 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. ³⁸But you shall go to my father’s house, and to my family, and take a wife for my son.’ ³⁹And I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’ ⁴⁰And he said to me, ‘Yahweh, before whose face I walk, will send his angel with you, and prosper your way. And you shall take a wife for my son from my family, and from my father’s house. ⁴¹Then you shall be free from my oath, when you come to my family. And if they do not give her to you, you shall be free from my oath.’ ⁴²And I came today to the well, and said, ‘Oh Yahweh God of my master Abraham, if you will now prosper my way on which I go, ⁴³behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall happen, that when the virgin comes out to draw water, and I say to her, “Please give me a little water from your pitcher to drink,” ⁴⁴and she says to me, “You drink, and I will also draw for your camels;” let her be the woman whom Yahweh has appointed for my master’s son.’ ⁴⁵As for me, before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her pitcher on her shoulder. And she went down to the well, and drew water, and I said to her, ‘Please, let me drink.’ ⁴⁶And she hurried, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, ‘Drink, and I will give your camels drink also.’ So I drank, and she made the camels drink also. ⁴⁷And I asked her, and said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ And she said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him.’ And I put the nose–ring on her face, and the bracelets on her hands. ⁴⁸And I bowed down my head, and worshipped Yahweh, and blessed Yahweh God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the right way to take my master’s brother’s daughter to his son. ⁴⁹And now if you will deal faithfully and truly with my master, tell me, and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right or to the left.” ⁵⁰And Laban and Bethuel answered and said, “The thing has come from Yahweh; we cannot speak to you bad or good. ⁵¹Behold, Rebekah is before your face, take her, and go, and let her be your master’s son’s wife, as Yahweh has spoken.” ⁵²And it happened that, when Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed down to the earth before Yahweh. ⁵³And the servant brought out objects of silver, and objects of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave presents to her brother and to her mother.

⁵⁴And they ate and drank, he and the men who were with him, and spent the night. And they rose up in the morning, and he said, “Send me away to my master.” ⁵⁵And her brother and her mother said, “Let the young woman stay with us a few days, at least ten; after that she shall go.” ⁵⁶And he said to them, “Do not hinder me, since Yahweh has prospered my way. Send me away so that I may go to my master.” ⁵⁷And they said, “We will call the young woman, and ask from her own mouth.” ⁵⁸And they called Rebekah, and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go.” ⁵⁹And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant, and his men. ⁶⁰And they blessed Rebekah, and said to her, “You our sister, may you become thousands of myriads, and may your seed possess the gate of those who hate them.”

⁶¹And Rebekah arose, and her young women, and they rode on the camels, and followed the man. And the servant took Rebekah, and went his way.

⁶²And Isaac came from the way of Beer–lahai–roi;^p for he dwelled in the south country. ⁶³And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the evening. And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming. ⁶⁴And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she got down from the camel. ⁶⁵And she said to the servant, “Who is this man who walks in the field to meet us?” And the servant said, “That is my master.” And she took a veil and covered herself. ⁶⁶And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. ⁶⁷And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. And Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

Chapter 25

¹And again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah. ²And she bore him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. ³And Jokshan fathered Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim. ⁴And the sons of Midian were Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the sons of Keturah.

⁵And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac. ⁶And to the sons of the concubines, whom Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he was still living, eastward to the east country. ⁷And these are the days of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived: one hundred seventy–five years. ⁸And Abraham breathed his last, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people. ⁹And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is facing Mamre, ¹⁰the field which Abraham purchased from the sons of Heth. There Abraham was buried, and Sarah his wife.

¹¹And it happened after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac. And Isaac dwelled by Beer–lahai–roi.^q

¹²Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s handmaid, bore to Abraham. ¹³And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations. The firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth, and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam, ¹⁴and Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa, ¹⁵Hadad, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. ¹⁶These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their towns and by their camps, twelve princes according to their nations. ¹⁷And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, one hundred thirty–seven years. and he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people. ¹⁸And they dwelled from Havilah to Shur, which faces Egypt, as you go toward Assyria. Before the face of all his brothers his inheritance fell.

¹⁹And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son. Abraham fathered Isaac, ²⁰and Isaac was the son of forty years when he took Rebekah as wife, daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of the land of Aram, sister of Laban the Aramean. ²¹And Isaac entreated Yahweh for his wife, because she was barren: and Yahweh granted his entreaty, and Rebekah his wife conceived. ²²And the children struggled together within her, and she said, “If so, why am I thus?” And she went to inquire of Yahweh. ²³And Yahweh said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples shall be separated from your belly; and people shall be stronger than people, and elder shall serve younger.”

²⁴And when her days were fulfilled to give birth, behold, there were twins in her womb. ²⁵And the first came out red^r all over, like a hairy^s garment; and they called his name Esau. ²⁶And after that his brother came out, and his hand took hold of Esau’s heel; and he called his name Jacob; and Isaac was the son of sixty years when she bore them. ²⁷And the boys grew; and Esau was a knowing hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a perfect man, dwelling in tents. ²⁸And Isaac loved Esau, because venison was in his mouth, and Rebekah loved Jacob.

²⁹And Jacob cooked^t stew, and Esau came from the field, and he was weary. ³⁰And Esau said to Jacob, “Please feed me some of the red stuff, that red stuff, for I am weary.” Therefore his name was called Edom.^{u 31}And Jacob said, “Sell me today your birthright.” ³²And Esau said, “Behold, I am going to die, and what is this birthright to me?” ³³And Jacob said, “Swear to me today;” and he swore to him, and he sold his birthright to Jacob. ³⁴And Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew; and he ate, and drank, and arose, and went off, and Esau despised his birthright.

Chapter 26

¹And there was a famine in the land, apart from the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, to Gerar. ²And Yahweh appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you. ³Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you, and will bless you; for to you and to your seed I will give all these lands, and I will fulfill the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. ⁴And I will make your seed multiply as the stars of heaven, and I will give to your seed all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; ⁵because Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.”

⁶And Isaac dwelled in Gerar. ⁷And the men of the place asked about his wife, and he said, “She is my sister;” for he was afraid to say “my wife,” lest, “the men of the place kill me for Rebekah;” because she was beautiful to behold. ⁸And it happened, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked through a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was playing with Rebekah his wife. ⁹And Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Surely, look, she is your wife; and how can you say, ‘She is my sister’?” And Isaac said to him, “Because I said, ‘Lest I die on account of her.’” ¹⁰And Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might soon have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us.” ¹¹And Abimelech commanded all the people, saying, “He who touches this man or his wife, dying he shall die.”

¹²And Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in that year one hundred measures; and Yahweh blessed him.^{v 13}And the man grew great, and went on going, and grew until he became very great. ¹⁴For he had possessions of flocks, and possessions of herds, and great number of servants; and the Philistines envied him. ¹⁵And all the wells which his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped up, and filled with earth. ¹⁶And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us; for you are much mightier than we.”

¹⁷And Isaac departed from there, and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar, and dwelled there. ¹⁸And Isaac dug again the wells of water which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham. And he called their names after the names by which his father had called them. ¹⁹And Isaac’s servants dug in the valley, and found there a well of living water. ²⁰And the herdsmen of Gerar disputed with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours.” And he called the name of the well Esek^w because they disputed with him. ²¹And they dug another well, and disputed over that also; and he called its name Sitnah.^{x 22}And he departed from there, and dug another well, and they did not dispute over it; and he called its name Rehoboth,^y and he said, “For now Yahweh has made space for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.” ²³And he went up from there to Beer–sheba.^{z 24}And Yahweh appeared to him that night and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father. Do not fear, for I am with you, and will bless you, and multiply your seed for the sake of my servant Abraham.” ²⁵And he built a communion–site there, and called on the name of Yahweh, and pitched his tent there, and there Isaac’s servants dug a well.

²⁶And Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath one of his friends, and Phicol the chief of his army. ²⁷And Isaac said to them, “Why have you come to me, since you hate me and have sent me away from you?” ²⁸And they said, “Seeing we saw that Yahweh is with you; and we said, ‘Let there be now an oath between us, between you and us, and let us cut a covenant with you, ²⁹that you shall do us no harm, since we have not touched you, and since we have done to you nothing but good, and have sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed of Yahweh.’” ³⁰And he made them a feast, and they ate and drank. ³¹And they rose up early in the morning, and swore an oath with one another, and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace. ³²And it happened the same day, that Isaac’s servants came, and told him about the well which they had dug, and said to him, “We have found water.” ³³And he called it Shebah;^a therefore the name of the city is Beer–sheba^b to this day.

³⁴And Esau was the son of forty years when he took as wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite, ³⁵and they were a bitterness of spirit to Isaac and to Rebekah.

Chapter 27

¹And it happened, when Isaac was old and his eyes were too dim to see, that he called Esau his elder son and said to him, “My son!” And he said to him, “Here I am.” ²And he said, “Behold now, I am old; I do not know the day of my death. ³Now therefore, please take your weapons—your quiver and your bow—and go out to the field, and hunt game for me, ⁴and make me a delicacy, such as I love, and bring it to me, so that I may eat, so that my soul may bless you before I die.” ⁵And Rebekah heard when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt game, and bring it.

⁶And Rebekah spoke to Jacob her son, saying, “Behold, I heard your father speak to Esau your brother, saying, ‘Bring me game, and make me a delicacy, so that I may eat, and bless you before the face of Yahweh facing my death.’ ⁸Now therefore, my son, listen to my voice according to what I command you. ⁹Go now to the flock and bring me from there two good goat kids, and I will make a delicacy for your father, such as he loves. ¹⁰And you shall bring it to your father, so that he may eat, and so that he may bless you facing his death.” ¹¹And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. ¹²Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall appear to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse on myself, and not a blessing.” ¹³And his mother said to him, “On me be your curse, my son; only listen to my voice, and go bring them to me.” ¹⁴And he went, and took, and brought them to his mother; and his mother made a delicacy, such as his father loved. ¹⁵And Rebekah took choice garments of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son, ¹⁶and she put the skins of the kids of the goats on his hands and on the smooth of his neck. ¹⁷And she gave the delicacy and the bread which she had prepared into the hand of her son Jacob.

¹⁸And he came to his father, and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am; which are you, my son?” ¹⁹And Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn; I have done as you told me; please arise, sit, and eat of my game, so that your soul may bless me.” ²⁰And Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?” And he said, “Because Yahweh your God brought it to my face.” ²¹And Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come near, so that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not.” ²²And Jacob went near to Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” ²³And he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy, like his brother Esau’s hands; so he blessed him. ²⁴And he said, “Are you he, my son Esau?” And he said, “I am.” ²⁵And he said, “Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s game, so that my soul may bless you.” And he brought it near to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank. ²⁶And his father Isaac said to him, “Come near now and kiss me, my son.” ²⁷And he came near and kissed him; and he smelled the smell of his garments, and blessed him, and said, “See, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field which Yahweh has blessed. ²⁸Therefore may God give you from the dew of heaven, and from the fatness of the earth, and much grain and new wine. ²⁹May peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you; be lord over your brothers, and may your mother’s sons bow down to you; he who curses you be cursed, and he who blesses you be blessed.”

³⁰And it happened, as soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had scarcely gone out from the face of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting. ³¹And he also made a delicacy and brought it to his father, and said to his father, “Let my father arise and eat of his son’s game, so that your soul may bless me.” ³²And Isaac his father said to him, “Who are you?” And he said, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.” ³³And Isaac trembled with a great trembling greatly, and said, “Who then is he who hunted game and brought it to me? And I ate of all before you came, and have blessed him. Yes, he shall be blessed.” ³⁴And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a very great and bitter cry, and said to his father, “Bless me, me also, Oh my father!” ³⁵And he said, “Your brother came with deceit and took away your blessing.” ³⁶And he said, “Is not he rightly named Jacob? For he has overtaken^c me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he has taken away my blessing.” And he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?” ³⁷And Isaac answered and said to Esau, “Behold, I have made him your lord, and all his brothers I have given to him as servants; and with grain and new wine I have sustained him. And what shall I do now for you, my son?” ³⁸And Esau said to his father, “Have you only one blessing, my father? Bless me, me also, Oh my father!” And Esau lifted up his voice and wept. ³⁹And Isaac his father answered and said to him, “Behold, your dwelling shall be from the fatness of the earth, and from the dew of heaven from above. ⁴⁰And by your sword you shall live, and you shall serve your brother; and it shall happen when you become restless, that you shall tear off his yoke from your neck.”

⁴¹And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed him, and Esau said in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father draw near; then I will kill my brother Jacob.” ⁴²And the words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah. And she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said to him, “Behold, your brother Esau, comforts himself concerning you by intending to kill you. ⁴³Now therefore, my son, listen to my voice, and arise, flee to Laban my brother in Haran. ⁴⁴And dwell with him a few days, until your brother’s fury turns away, ⁴⁵until your brother’s anger turns away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him; then I will send, and take you from there. For why should I be deprived of you both in one day?” ⁴⁶And Rebekah said to Isaac, “I loathe my life facing the daughters of Heth; if Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of Heth, like these the daughters of the land, why should I have life?”

Chapter 28

¹And Isaac called Jacob and blessed him, and charged him and said to him, “You must not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan. ²Arise, go to the land of Aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father, and take yourself a wife from there, from the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother. ³And God Almighty bless you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you so that you become an assembly of peoples, ⁴and give you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your seed with you; so that you may inherit the land of your sojournings, which God gave to Abraham.” ⁵And Isaac sent away Jacob, and he went to the land of Aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.

⁶And Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to the land of Aram, to take himself a wife from there; and that as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying, “You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan;” ⁷and that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and had gone to the land of Aram. ⁸And Esau, saw that the daughters of Canaan were evil in the eyes of Isaac his father, ⁹and Esau went to Ishmael and took Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth, in addition to his wives as a wife.

¹⁰And Jacob went out from Beer–sheba and went toward Haran. ¹¹And he came to the place, and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took from the stones of the place, and set them at his head, and lay down in that place. ¹²And he dreamed, and behold, a stairway set up on the earth, and its top reached to the heavens. And behold, angels of God were ascending and descending on it. ¹³And, behold, Yahweh stood above it, and said, “I am Yahweh God of Abraham your father, and God of Isaac. The land on which you lie, I give to you and to your seed. ¹⁴And your seed shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall break forth to the west and to the east, and to the north and to the south. And in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. ¹⁵And behold, I am with you, and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.”

¹⁶And Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely Yahweh is in this place, and I did not know.” ¹⁷And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” ¹⁸And Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, and set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. ¹⁹And he called the name of that place Beth–el,^d but the name of the city was called Luz previously. ²⁰And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, “If God 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, ²¹so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then Yahweh shall be my God. ²²And this stone, which I have set as a pillar, shall be God’s house, and all that you give me I will tithe, tithe to you.”

Chapter 29

¹And Jacob lifted up his feet, and came to the land of the sons of the East. ²And he looked, and behold, a well in the field, and behold, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for from that well they watered the flocks. And a great stone was on the mouth of the well. ³And there all the flocks were gathered, and they rolled the stone from the mouth of the well, and watered the sheep, and put the stone back on the mouth of the well in its place. ⁴And Jacob said to them, “My brothers, where are you from?” And they said, “We are from Haran.” ⁵And he said to them, “Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?” And they said, “We know him.” ⁶And he said to them, “Is there peace to him?” And they said, “There is peace. And behold, Rachel his daughter is coming with the sheep.” ⁷And he said, “See, the day is great; it is not time for the cattle to be gathered together. Water the sheep, and go pasture them.” ⁸And they said, “We cannot, until all the flocks have been gathered together, and they roll the stone from the well’s mouth; then we water the sheep.”

⁹And while he spoke with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. ¹⁰And it happened, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, that Jacob drew near, and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother. ¹¹And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept. ¹²And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s brother, and that he was Rebekah’s son. And she ran and told her father. ¹³And it happened, when Laban heard the hearing of Jacob his sister’s son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things. ¹⁴And Laban said to him, “Indeed you are my bone and my flesh.” And he stayed with him a month of days.

¹⁵And Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my brother, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?” ¹⁶And Laban had two daughters; the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. ¹⁷Leah's eyes were delicate; and Rachel was beautiful of form and beautiful of appearance. ¹⁸And Jacob loved Rachel and said, “I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.” ¹⁹And Laban said, “My giving her to you is better than my giving her to another man. Stay with me.” ²⁰And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed in his eyes a few days because of the love he had for her.

²¹And Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her.” ²²And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast. ²³And it happened in the evening that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him, and he went in to her. ²⁴And Laban gave Zilpah his maid to Leah his daughter as a maid. ²⁵And it happened in the morning that, behold, it was Leah. And he said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served you? Why have you deceived me?” ²⁶And Laban said, “Such is not done in our place, to give the younger in the face of the firstborn. ²⁷Fulfill the week of this one, and we will also give that one for the service which you will serve me yet another seven years.” ²⁸And Jacob did so, and fulfilled the week of this one. And he gave him Rachel his daughter as wife. ²⁹And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his maid as a maid. ³⁰And he also went in to Rachel, and he also loved Rachel more than Leah. And he served with him yet another seven years.

³¹And when Yahweh saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb; and Rachel was barren. ³²And Leah conceived, and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben,^e for she said, “Surely Yahweh has looked on my affliction; surely my husband will love me.” ³³And she conceived again, and bore a son, and said, “Surely Yahweh has heard that I was hated, so he has given me this one also.” And she called his name Simeon.^{f 34}And she conceived again, and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will be joined to me, for I have borne him three sons;” therefore his name was called Levi.^{g 35}And she conceived again, and bore a son, and she said, “Now I will praise Yahweh;” therefore she called his name Judah.^h And she stopped bearing.

Chapter 30

¹And when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister, and said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I die.” ²And Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” ³And she said, “Behold my maid Bilhah; go in to her, and she will bear on my knees, and I, even I, may be built up by her.” ⁴And she gave him Bilhah her maid as wife, and Jacob went in to her. ⁵And Bilhah conceived, and bore Jacob a son. ⁶And Rachel said, “God has vindicated me, and has also heard my voice, and has given me a son.” Therefore she called his name Dan.^{i 7}And Bilhah Rachel’s maid conceived again, and bore Jacob a second son. ⁸And Rachel said, “With struggles of God I have struggled with my sister, and I have prevailed.” And she called his name Naphtali.^{j 9}When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her to Jacob as wife. ¹⁰And Zilpah Leah’s maid bore Jacob a son. ¹¹And Leah said, “What fortune,” and she called his name Gad.^{k 12}And Zilpah Leah’s maid bore a second son to Jacob. ¹³And Leah said, “In my happiness the daughters will call me happy.” And she called his name Asher.^l

¹⁴And Reuben went during the days of the wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother Leah. And Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” ¹⁵And she said to her, “Is it a small matter that you have taken my husband? And would you take away my son’s mandrakes also?” And Rachel said, “Therefore he may lie with you tonight for your son’s mandrakes.” ¹⁶And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, “You must come in to me, for hiring I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” And he lay with her that night. ¹⁷And God listened to Leah, and she conceived, and bore Jacob a fifth son. ¹⁸And Leah said, “God has given me my wages, because I gave my maid to my husband.” And she called his name Issachar.^{m 19}And Leah conceived again, and bore Jacob a sixth son. ²⁰And Leah said, “God has given me a good gift; now my husband will honor me, because I have borne him six sons.” And she called his name Zebulun.^{n 21}And after that she bore a daughter, and called her name Dinah.^o

²²And God remembered Rachel, and God heard her, and opened her womb. ²³And she conceived, and bore a son, and said, “God has removed my reproach.” ²⁴And she called his name Joseph,^p and said, “May Yahweh add to me another son.”

²⁵And it happened, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, so that I may go to my own place, and to my land. ²⁶Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served you, and let me go, for you yourself know my service with which I have served you.” ²⁷And Laban said to him, “Please, if I have found favor in your eyes, I have learned by divination that Yahweh has blessed me for your sake.” ²⁸And he said, “Name your wages to me, and I will give it.” ²⁹And he said to him, “You know how I have served you, and how your livestock fared with me. ³⁰For little you had before me, and it has broken forth into a multitude; and Yahweh has blessed you at my every step. And now when shall I provide for my own house also?” ³¹And he said, “What shall I give you?” And Jacob said, “You shall not give me anything; if you will do for me this thing, I will return, I will tend, I will keep your flock. ³²I will pass through all your flock today, removing from there all the speckled and spotted sheep, and every dark sheep among the lambs, and the spotted and speckled among the goats, and it shall be my wage. ³³And my righteousness shall answer for me in a day to come, when you come for my wage before your face. All that are not speckled and spotted among the goats, and dark among the sheep, it shall be counted stolen with me.” ³⁴And Laban said, “Behold, let it be according to your word.” ³⁵And he removed that day the male goats that were streaked and spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled and spotted—all that had white in it—and all the dark among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons. ³⁶And he put a journey of three days between himself and Jacob, and Jacob fed the rest of Laban’s flocks.

³⁷And Jacob took for himself rods of moist poplar, and almond, and plane trees, and peeled white peelings in them, exposing white which was in the rods. ³⁸And he set the rods which he had peeled before the flocks in the gutters, in the watering troughs when the flocks came to drink. And they were in heat when they came to drink. ³⁹And the flocks were in heat before the rods, and the flocks bore streaked, speckled, and spotted. ⁴⁰And Jacob separated the lambs, and set the faces of the remaining flocks toward the streaked and all the dark in the flock of Laban. And he put his own flocks by themselves, and did not put them with Laban’s flocks. ⁴¹And it happened, whenever the stronger of the flocks were in heat, Jacob would lay the rods before the eyes of the flocks in the gutters, so that they might conceive among the rods. ⁴²But when the flocks were feeble, he did not put them in; and it happened that the feebler were Laban’s, and the stronger were Jacob’s. ⁴³And the man burst forth exceedingly, exceedingly and had many flocks, and female and male servants, and camels, and donkeys.

Chapter 31

¹And he heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, “Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s, and of what was our father’s he has gotten all this glory.” ²And Jacob saw the face of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as yesterday and the day before. ³And Yahweh said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers, and to your family, and I will be with you.” ⁴And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field, to his flock, ⁵and said to them, “I see your father’s face, that it is not toward me as yesterday and the day before. But the God of my father has been with me. ⁶And you know that with all my strength I have served your father. ⁷And your father has deceived me and changed my wages ten times, but God did not allow him to harm me. ⁸If he said thus, ‘The speckled shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore speckled; and if he said thus, ‘The streaked shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore streaked. ⁹And God has snatched away the livestock of your father, and given them to me. ¹⁰And it happened at the time that the flock was in heat, that I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the male goats which went up on the flock were streaked, speckled, and spotted. ¹¹And the angel of God spoke to me in a dream: ‘Jacob!’ And I said, ‘Here I am.’ ¹²And he said, ‘Please lift up your eyes and see, all the male goats which go up on the flock are streaked, speckled, and spotted; for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you. ¹³I am the God of Beth–el, where you anointed the pillar, where you vowed a vow to me. Now arise, get out of this land, and return to the land of your family.’” ¹⁴And Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, “Do we still have a share, an inheritance in our father’s house? ¹⁵Are we not counted strangers by him? For he has sold us, and has devoured, even devoured our purchase price. ¹⁶Indeed, all the riches that God has snatched away from our father, they are ours, and our children’s. Now then, whatever God has said to you, do.”

¹⁷And Jacob arose and lifted up his sons and his wives on camels. ¹⁸And he led away all his livestock, and all his possessions which he had gained, the acquired livestock which he had gained in the land of Aram, to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan. ¹⁹And Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel had stolen the household idols that were her father’s. ²⁰And Jacob stole away the heart of Laban the Aramean, by not telling him that he was fleeing. ²¹And he fled with all that he had; and he arose and passed over the river, and set his face toward the hill country of Gilead. ²²And it was told to Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled. ²³And he took his brothers with him, and pursued him a seven–days’ journey, and they overtook him in the hill country of Gilead. ²⁴And God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and said to him, “Watch yourself lest you speak to Jacob from good to evil.”

²⁵And Laban overtook Jacob. And Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban with his brothers pitched in the hill country of Gilead. ²⁶And Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done, that you have stolen away my heart, and carried away my daughters like captives of the sword? ²⁷Why did you flee secretly and steal from me without telling me, for I might have sent you away with joy and with songs, with tambourine and with harp? ²⁸And you have not allowed me to kiss my sons and my daughters. You have now done foolishly. ²⁹It is in the power of my hand to do you evil, but the God of your father last night spoke to me, saying, ‘Watch yourself lest you speak to Jacob from good to evil.’ ³⁰And now, you have gone, gone because you longed, longed for your father’s house; why did you steal my gods?” ³¹And Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I said, ‘Perhaps you would steal your daughters from me.’ ³²With whomever you find your gods, he shall not live. In the presence of our brothers, recognize what is yours with me, and take for yourself.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them. ³³And Laban went into Jacob’s tent, and into Leah’s tent, and into the two maids’ tents, but he did not find them. Then went he out of Leah’s tent, and went into Rachel’s tent. ³⁴Now Rachel had taken the household idols and put them in the basket–saddle of the camels, and sat on them. And Laban felt all around the tent, and did not find anything. ³⁵And she said to her father, “Let it not be hot in the eyes of my lord that I cannot rise up before your face, for the way of women is upon me.” And he searched, but did not find the household idols.

³⁶And Jacob was angry and argued with Laban, and Jacob answered and said to Laban, “What is my transgression? What is my sin, that you have so hotly pursued after me, ³⁷that you have felt through all my things? What have you found from all your household things? Set it here before my brothers and your brothers, so that they may judge between us two. ³⁸It is twenty years I have been with you. Your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, and the rams of your flock I have not eaten. ³⁹That which was torn by beasts I did not bring to you; I bore its loss; from my hand you exacted it, stolen by day or stolen by night. ⁴⁰I was in the day consumed by scorching heat, and frost by night; and my sleep fled from my eyes. ⁴¹It is now for me twenty years in your house. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times. ⁴²Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty–handed. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night.”

⁴³And Laban answered and said to Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters, and the children are my children, and the flock are my flock; and all that you see, it is mine. And my daughters—what can I do to them today, or to their children whom they have borne? ⁴⁴Now therefore come, let us cut a covenant, me and you, and let it be a witness between me and you.” ⁴⁵And Jacob took a stone, and set it up as a pillar. ⁴⁶And Jacob said to his brothers, “Gather stones.” And they took stones, and made a pile. And they ate there by the pile. ⁴⁷And Laban called it Jegar–sahadutha.^q And Jacob called it Galeed.^{r 48}And Laban said, “This pile is a witness between me and you today.” Therefore the name of it was called Galeed; ⁴⁹and also Mizpah,^s for he said, “May Yahweh watch between me and you, when we are hidden from one another. ⁵⁰If you mistreat my daughters, or if you take other wives besides my daughters, although no man is with us, see, God is witness between me and you.” ⁵¹And Laban said to Jacob, “Behold this pile, and behold this pillar which I have set between me and you. ⁵²This pile is witness, and this pillar is witness, that I will not pass over this pile to you, and you shall not pass over this pile and this pillar to me, for harm. ⁵³The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” And Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac. ⁵⁴Then Jacob sacrificed a sacrifice on the mountain, and called on his brothers to eat bread. And they ate bread, and stayed all night on the mountain. ⁵⁵And early in the morning Laban arose and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them. And Laban departed, and returned to his place.

Chapter 32

¹And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. ²And when Jacob saw them, he said, “This is God’s camp.” And he called the name of that place Mahanaim.^t

³And Jacob sent messengers facing him to Esau his brother, to the land of Seir, the field of Edom. ⁴And he commanded them, saying, “Thus say to my lord, to Esau, ‘Thus says your servant Jacob, “I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now. ⁵And I have oxen, and donkeys, flocks, and male servants, and female servants; and I have sent to tell my lord, so that I may find favor in your sight.”’”

⁶And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother, to Esau, and also he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men with him.” ⁷And Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed, and he divided the people that were with him, and the flocks, and the herds, and the camels, into two camps, ⁸and said, “If Esau comes to the one camp and strikes it, then the other camp which is left shall escape.”

⁹And Jacob said, “Oh God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, Yahweh who said to me, ‘Return to your land, and to your family, and I will deal well with you.’ ¹⁰I am too small for all the mercies, and for all the trustworthiness, that you have shown to your servant. For with my staff I passed over this Jordan, and now I have become two camps. ¹¹Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, lest he come and strike me, mother and sons alike. ¹²And you, you said, ‘I will deal well, well with you, and make your seed like the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’”

¹³And he stayed there that same night, and took from what came to his hand a tribute for Esau his brother: ¹⁴two hundred female goats, and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams, ¹⁵thirty nursing camels with their young, forty cows, and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys, and ten male donkeys. ¹⁶And he delivered them into the hand of his servants, each herd by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass over facing me, and put distance between herd and herd.” ¹⁷And he commanded the foremost, saying, “When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, saying, ‘Whose are you? And where are you going? And whose are these facing you?’ ¹⁸Then you shall say, ‘To your servant, to Jacob; it is a tribute sent to my lord, to Esau. And behold, he himself is also behind us.’” ¹⁹And so he commanded also the second, and also the third, and also all who followed the herds, saying, “According to this word shall you speak to Esau, when you find him. ²⁰And also say, ‘Behold, your servant Jacob is behind us.’” For he said, “I will appease his face with the tribute that goes from my face, and afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will lift up my face.” ²¹And the tribute passed over facing him, and he stayed that night in the camp. ²²And he arose that night, and took his two wives, and his two female servants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford of the Jabbok. ²³And he took them, and sent them across the stream, and sent across what he had.

²⁴And Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until the ascending of the dawn. ²⁵And when he saw that he could not prevail against him, he touched the socket of his thigh, and the socket of Jacob’s thigh was dislocated as he wrestled with him. ²⁶And he said, “Let me go, for the dawn has arisen.” And he said, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.” ²⁷And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” ²⁸And he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel,^u for you have fought with God and with men and have prevailed.” ²⁹And Jacob asked and said, “Please tell your name.” And he said, “Why this: you ask my name?” And he blessed him there. ³⁰And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel,^v “for I have seen God face to face, and my life has been saved.” ³¹And the sun rose on him as he passed over Penuel, and he limped on his thigh. ³²Therefore the children of Israel do not eat the sinew which is attached to the socket of the thigh to this day, because he touched the socket of Jacob’s thigh attached to the sinew.

Chapter 33

¹And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and there, Esau was coming, and with him four hundred men. And he divided the children to Leah, and to Rachel, and to the two female servants. ²And he put the female servants and their children in front, and Leah and her children behind them, and Rachel and Joseph behind them. ³And he passed over facing them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. ⁴And Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him. And they wept.

⁵And he lifted up his eyes and saw the women and the children, and said, “Who are these to you?” And he said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” ⁶Then the female servants came near, they and their children, and they bowed down. ⁷And Leah also with her children came near and they bowed down. And afterward Joseph and Rachel came near and they bowed down. ⁸And he said, “What to you is all this camp which I met?” And he said, “To find favor in the eyes of my lord.” ⁹And Esau said, “I have plenty, my brother; let what is yours remain yours.” ¹⁰And Jacob said, “No, please! Please, if I have found favor in your sight, then receive my tribute from my hand. For, after all, I have seen your face, as one sees the face of God, and you accepted me. ¹¹Take, please, my blessing that is brought to you, because God has been gracious to me, and because I have everything.” And he urged him, and he took. ¹²And he said, “Let us travel, and let us go, and I will go before you.” ¹³And he said to him, “My lord knows that the children are weak, and the flocks and herds are nursing with me, and if we should drive them a single day, all the flock would die. ¹⁴Please let my lord pass over facing his servant, and I will lead on gently, at the pace of the property facing me and at the pace of the children, until I come to my lord, to Seir.” ¹⁵And Esau said, “Please let me set with you some of the people who are with me.” And he said, “Why this? Let me find favor in the eyes of my lord.”

¹⁶So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. ¹⁷And Jacob journeyed to Succoth,^w and built himself a house, and made booths for his livestock; therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.

¹⁸And Jacob came in peace to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from the land of Aram. And he pitched his tent facing the city. ¹⁹And he bought the parcel of land where he had spread out his tent from the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for one hundred lambs’ worth. ²⁰And he erected there a communion–site, and called it El–elohe–Israel.^x

Chapter 34

¹And Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. ²And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the land, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and humbled her. ³And his soul clung to Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the girl, and spoke to the heart of the girl. ⁴And Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, “Get me this girl as wife.” ⁵And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter. And his sons were with his livestock in the field, and Jacob remained silent until they came.

⁶And Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him. ⁷And the sons of Jacob came back from the field when they heard, and the men were grieved, and they were very angry, because he had done a disgrace in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter; this should not be done. ⁸And Hamor spoke with them, saying, “The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him as wife. ⁹And make marriage alliances with us; give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves. ¹⁰And you shall dwell with us, and the land shall be before your face. Dwell and travel about in it, and acquire property in it.” ¹¹And Shechem said to her father and to her brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever you say to me I will give. ¹²Multiply on me great dowry and gift, and I will give whatever you say to me, only give me the girl as wife.” ¹³And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, speaking thus because he had defiled Dinah their sister. ¹⁴And they said to them, “We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to a man who is uncircumcised, for that would be a reproach to us. ¹⁵But in this we will consent to you, if you become like us, if every male of you is circumcised. ¹⁶Then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters for ourselves, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people. ¹⁷But if you will not listen to us, to be circumcised, we will take our daughter and go.”

¹⁸And their words seemed good in the eyes of Hamor and in the eyes of Shechem Hamor’s son. ¹⁹And the young man did not hesitate to do the thing, because he delighted in Jacob’s daughter. And he carried more weight than all the household of his father.

²⁰And Hamor and Shechem his son came to the gate of their city and spoke with the men of their city, saying, “These men are at peace with us; therefore let them dwell in the land, and travel about in it, for the land, behold, it is wide on both hands for their faces. Let us take their daughters for ourselves as wives, and let us give them our daughters. ²²Only in this will the men consent with us to dwell with us, to be one people: if every male among us is circumcised as they are circumcised. ²³Shall not their livestock and their property and every animal of theirs be ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell with us.” ²⁴And they listened to Hamor and to Shechem his son, all who went out of the gate of his city. And every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city.

²⁵And it happened on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, took each man his sword and came on the city in its security, and killed all the males. ²⁶And they killed Hamor and Shechem his son with the mouth of the sword, and took Dinah from Shechem’s house, and went out. ²⁷The sons of Jacob came upon the slain and plundered the city, because they had defiled their sister. ²⁸They took their flocks, and their herds, and their donkeys, and that which was in the city, and that which was in the field, ²⁹and all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their wives they took captive, and plundered even all that was in the house. ³⁰And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have troubled me by making me stink to the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites. And I have few in number; they will gather themselves together against me, and strike me, and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.” ³¹And they said, “Should he treat our sister like a harlot?”

Chapter 35

¹And God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Beth–el and dwell there, and make a communion–site there to God who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother.” ²And Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you, and cleanse yourselves, and change your garments. ³And let us arise and go up to Beth–el, and I will make a communion–site there to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and was with me on the way that I went.” ⁴And they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hand, and the rings which were in their ears, and Jacob hid them under the oak which was near Shechem. ⁵And they journeyed, and the fear of God was on the cities that were around them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.

⁶And Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan (that is, Beth–el), he and all the people who were with him. ⁷And he built a communion–site there, and called the place El–beth–el,^y because there God revealed themselves to him, when he fled from the face of his brother. ⁸And Deborah Rebekah’s nurse died, and she was buried beneath Beth–el under the oak, and the name of it was called Allon–bachuth.^z

⁹And God appeared to Jacob again, when he came out of the land of Aram, and blessed him. ¹⁰And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob. Your name shall not be called Jacob anymore, but Israel shall be your name.” And he called his name Israel. ¹¹And God said to him, “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply! A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your loins. ¹²And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to you I give it, and to your seed after you I give the land.” ¹³And God went up from him in the place where he talked with him. ¹⁴And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him, a pillar of stone; and he poured a drink offering on it, and he poured oil on it. ¹⁵And Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him, Beth–el.

¹⁶And they journeyed from Beth–el, and there was still a little piece of ground to come to Ephrath, and Rachel began to labor, and she had hard labor. ¹⁷And it happened, when her labor was hardest, that the midwife said to her, “Do not fear! You will have this son also.” ¹⁸And it happened, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she called his name Ben–oni.^a But his father called him Benjamin.^{b 19}And Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath, that is, Bethlehem. ²⁰And Jacob set a pillar on her grave, which is the pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day.

²¹And Israel journeyed on, and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Edar. ²²And it happened, when Israel dwelled in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine, and Israel heard. And the sons of Jacob were twelve. ²³The sons of Leah: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun. ²⁴The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. ²⁵And the sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s handmaid: Dan and Naphtali. ²⁶And the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid: Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in the land of Aram.

²⁷And Jacob came back to Isaac his father at Mamre, to the city of Arbah (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had sojourned. ²⁸And the days of Isaac were one hundred eighty years. ²⁹And Isaac breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people, old and full of days. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

Chapter 36

¹Now these are the generations of Esau (that is, Edom). ²Esau took his wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite, ³and Basemath daughter of Ishmael, sister of Nebaioth. ⁴And Adah bore to Esau Eliphaz, and Basemath bore Reuel, ⁵and Oholibamah bore Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah; these are the sons of Esau, who were born to him in the land of Canaan. ⁶And Esau took his wives, and his sons, and his daughters, and all the people of his household, and his livestock, and all his animals, and all his property which he had gained in the land of Canaan, and went to a land away from the face of his brother Jacob. ⁷For their possessions were too great for them to dwell together, and the land of their sojournings could not support them facing their livestock. ⁸And Esau dwelled in the hill country of Seir. Esau is Edom.

⁹And these are the generations of Esau the father of Edom in the hill country of Seir. ¹⁰These are the names of the sons of Esau: Eliphaz the son of Adah the wife of Esau, Reuel the son of Basemath the wife of Esau. ¹¹And the sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho,^c and Gatam, and Kenaz. ¹²And Timna was concubine to Eliphaz, son of Esau, and she bore to Eliphaz Amalek; these are the sons of Adah, wife of Esau. ¹³And these are the sons of Reuel: Nahath, and Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah; these are the sons of Basemath, wife of Esau.

¹⁴And these are the sons of Oholibamah, daughter of Anah, daughter of Zibeon, wife of Esau; and she bore to Esau Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah.

¹⁵These are the chiefs of the sons of Esau; the sons of Eliphaz the firstborn son of Esau: chief Teman, chief Omar, chief Zepho, chief Kenaz, ¹⁶chief Korah, chief Gatam, chief Amalek; these are the chiefs of Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Adah.

¹⁷And these are the sons of Reuel, son of Esau: chief Nahath, chief Zerah, chief Shammah, chief Mizzah; these are the chiefs of Reuel in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Basemath, wife of Esau.

¹⁸And these are the sons of Oholibamah, wife of Esau: chief Jeush, chief Jaalam, chief Korah; these are the chiefs of Oholibamah daughter of Anah, wife of Esau. ¹⁹These are the sons of Esau (that is, Edom), and these are their chiefs.

²⁰These are the sons of Seir the Horite, who dwelled in the land: Lotan, and Shobal, and Zibeon, and Anah, ²¹and Dishon, and Ezer, and Dishan; these are the chiefs of the Horites, the sons of Seir in the land of Edom. ²²And the sons of Lotan were Hori and Hemam,^d and Lotan’s sister was Timna. ²³And these the sons of Shobal: Alvan,^e and Manahath, and Ebal, Shepho,^f and Onam. ²⁴And these the sons of Zibeon: both Ajah and Anah: this was Anah who found the water in the wilderness as he pastured the donkeys of Zibeon his father. ²⁵And these the sons of Anah: Dishon, and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah. ²⁶And these the sons of Dishon: Hemdan,^g and Eshban, and Ithran, and Cheran. ²⁷These the sons of Ezer: Bilhan, and Zaavan, and Akan.^{h 28}These the sons of Dishan: Uz, and Aran. ²⁹These are the chiefs of the Horites: chief Lotan, chief Shobal, chief Zibeon, chief Anah, ³⁰chief Dishon, chief Ezer, chief Dishan; these are the chiefs of the Horites, according to their chiefs in the land of Seir.

³¹And these are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom, before there reigned as king any king of the children of Israel. ³²And reigning in Edom was Bela the son of Beor, and the name of his city was Dinhabah. ³³And Bela died, and reigning in his place was Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah. ³⁴And Jobab died, and reigning in his place was Husham of the land of the Temanites. ³⁵And Husham died, and reigning in his place was Hadad the son of Bedad, who struck Midian in the field of Moab, and the name of his city was Avith. ³⁶And Hadad died, and reigning in his place was Samlah of Masrekah. ³⁷And Samlah died, and reigning in his place was Saul of Rehoboth–by–the–river. ³⁸And Saul died, and reigning in his place was Baal–hanan the son of Achbor. ³⁹And Baal–hanan the son of Achbor died, and reigning in his place was Hadar,ⁱ and the name of his city was Pau,^j and his wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab. ⁴⁰And these are the names of the chiefs of Esau, according to their families, after their places, by their names: chief Timnah, chief Alvah,^k chief Jetheth, ⁴¹chief Oholibamah, chief Elah, chief Pinon, ⁴²chief Kenaz, chief Teman, chief Mibzar, ⁴³chief Magdiel, chief Iram; these are the chiefs of Edom, according to their dwelling places in the land of their possession. This Esau is the father of Edom.

Chapter 37

¹And Jacob dwelled in the land of the sojournings of his father, in the land of Canaan. ²These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, a son of seventeen years, was feeding the flock with his brothers, and the young man was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, the wives of his father. And Joseph brought their evil report to his father. ³And Israel loved Joseph above all his sons, because he was a son of old age to him, and he made him an ornamented tunic. ⁴And when his brothers saw that their father loved him above all his brothers, they hated him, and could not speak to him in peace.

⁵And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brothers, and they hated him even more. ⁶And he said to them, “Please hear this dream that I dreamed. ⁷For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field; and, behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves circled around and bowed down to my sheaf.” ⁸And his brothers said to him, “Will you be king, yes, king over us? Or will you rule, yes, rule over us?” And they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.

⁹And he dreamed yet another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, “Behold, I dreamed another dream; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars bowed down to me.” ¹⁰And he told it to his father and to his brothers, and his father rebuked him, and said to him, “What is this dream that you dreamed? Shall we come, yes, come, I and your mother and your brothers, to bow down to you to the ground?” ¹¹And his brothers envied him; and his father kept the word in mind.

¹²And his brothers went to tend their father’s flock in Shechem. ¹³And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers tending in Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them.” And he said, “Here I am.” ¹⁴And he said to him, “Come, please, see the peace of your brothers, and the peace of the flock, and bring me word.” And he sent him from the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

¹⁵And a man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field. And the man asked him, saying, “What do you seek?” ¹⁶And he said, “I seek my brothers; please tell me where they are tending.” ¹⁷And the man said, “They have journeyed from here, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” And Joseph went after his brothers, and found them in Dothan. ¹⁸And they saw him far off, and before he drew near to them, they plotted against him to kill him. ¹⁹And each man said to his brother, “Behold, this master dreamer comes. ²⁰And now come, let us kill him, and throw him into one of these pits, and say, ‘Some evil beast has devoured him.’ And we will see what becomes of his dreams.” ²¹And Reuben heard, and he delivered him out of their hand, and said, “Let us not take his life.” ²²And Reuben said to them, “Do not shed blood. Cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on him,” so that he might deliver him out of their hand, to return him to his father.

²³And it happened, when Joseph came to his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, of the ornamented tunic that was on him. ²⁴And they took him and cast him into the pit. And the pit was empty; no water in it. ²⁵And they sat down to eat bread, and they lifted up their eyes and saw, and behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. And their camels bore spices and balm and myrrh, going down to Egypt. ²⁶And Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and cover his blood? ²⁷Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and do not let our hand be on him, for he is our brother, our flesh.” And his brothers listened. ²⁸And there passed by Midianites,^l merchants; and they drew and lifted up Joseph from the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver; and they brought Joseph to Egypt.

²⁹And Reuben returned to the pit, and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he tore his clothes. ³⁰And he returned to his brothers and said, “The child is no more! And I, where shall I go?”

³¹And they took Joseph’s tunic, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the tunic in the blood. ³²And they sent the ornamented tunic, and they brought it to their father, and said, “We have found this. Please recognize whether it is your son’s tunic or not.” ³³And he recognized it and said, “My son’s tunic! An evil beast has devoured him; Joseph is torn, torn to pieces.” ³⁴And Jacob tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his loins, and mourned for his son many days. ³⁵And all his sons and all his daughters arose to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted, and he said, “Surely I will go down to my son in mourning, to the grave.” And his father wept for him. ³⁶And the Midianites sold him into Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, chief of the guard.