New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures Reference Bible

Genesis
 

1 In [the] beginning*+ God*+ created+ the heavens and the earth.+

2 Now the earth proved to be formless and waste and there was darkness upon the surface of [the] watery deep;*+ and God’s active force* was moving to and fro+ over the surface of the waters.+

3 And God proceeded to say:*+ “Let light come to be.” Then there came to be light.+ 4 After that God saw that the light was good, and God brought about a division between the light and the darkness.+ 5 And God began calling the light Day,+ but the darkness he called Night.+ And there came to be evening and there came to be morning, a first day.

6 And God went on to say: “Let an expanse+ come to be in between the waters and let a dividing occur between the waters and the waters.”+ 7 Then God proceeded to make the expanse and to make a division between the waters that should be beneath the expanse and the waters that should be above the expanse.+ And it came to be so. 8 And God began to call the expanse Heaven.+ And there came to be evening and there came to be morning, a second day.

9 And God went on to say: “Let the waters under the heavens be brought together into one place and let the dry land appear.”+ And it came to be so. 10 And God began calling the dry land Earth,+ but the bringing together of the waters he called Seas.+ Further, God saw that [it was] good.+ 11 And God went on to say: “Let the earth cause grass to shoot forth, vegetation bearing seed,+ fruit trees yielding fruit according to their kinds,*+ the seed of which is in it,+ upon the earth.” And it came to be so. 12 And the earth began to put forth grass, vegetation bearing seed according to its kind+ and trees yielding fruit, the seed of which is in it according to its kind.+ Then God saw that [it was] good. 13 And there came to be evening and there came to be morning, a third day.

14 And God went on to say: “Let luminaries come to be in the expanse of the heavens to make a division between the day and the night;+ and they must serve as signs and for seasons and for days and years.+ 15 And they must serve as luminaries in the expanse of the heavens to shine upon the earth.”+ And it came to be so. 16 And God proceeded to make* the two great luminaries, the greater luminary for dominating the day and the lesser luminary for dominating the night, and also the stars.+ 17 Thus God put them in the expanse of the heavens to shine upon the earth,+ 18 and to dominate by day and by night and to make a division between the light and the darkness.+ Then God saw that [it was] good.+ 19 And there came to be evening and there came to be morning, a fourth day.

20 And God went on to say: “Let the waters swarm forth a swarm of living souls*+ and let flying creatures fly over the earth upon the face of the expanse of the heavens.”+ 21 And God proceeded to create* the great sea monsters*+ and every living soul* that moves about,+ which the waters swarmed forth according to their kinds, and every winged flying creature according to its kind.+ And God got to see that [it was] good. 22 With that God blessed them, saying: “Be fruitful and become many and fill the waters in the sea basins,+ and let the flying creatures become many in the earth.” 23 And there came to be evening and there came to be morning, a fifth day.

24 And God went on to say: “Let the earth+ put forth living souls according to their kinds, domestic+ animal* and moving+ animal and wild beast*+ of the earth according to its kind.” And it came to be so. 25 And God proceeded to make the wild beast of the earth according to its kind and the domestic animal according to its kind and every moving animal of the ground according to its kind.+ And God got to see that [it was] good.

26 And God* went on to say: “Let us+ make* man* in our image,*+ according to our likeness,+ and let them have in subjection the fish of the sea and the flying creatures of the heavens and the domestic animals and all the earth and every moving animal that is moving upon the earth.”+ 27 And God proceeded to create the man in his image, in God’s image he created him;+ male and female he created them.+ 28 Further, God blessed+ them and God said to them: “Be fruitful+ and become many and fill the earth and subdue+ it, 9:7 and have in subjection+ the fish of the sea and the flying creatures of the heavens and every living creature that is moving* upon the earth.”

29 And God went on to say: “Here* I have given to YOU all vegetation bearing seed which is on the surface of the whole earth and every tree on which there is the fruit of a tree bearing seed.+ To YOU let it serve as food.+ 30 And to every wild beast of the earth and to every flying creature of the heavens and to everything moving upon the earth in which there is life as a soul* I have given all green vegetation for food.”+ And it came to be so.

31 After that God saw everything he had made and, look! [it was] very good.+ And there came to be evening and there came to be morning, a sixth day.

2 Thus the heavens and the earth and all their army came to their completion.+ 2 And by the seventh day God came to the completion of his work that he had made, and he proceeded to rest* on the seventh day from all his work that he had made.+ 3 And God proceeded to bless the seventh day and make it sacred,* because on it he has been resting* from all his work that God has created for the purpose of making.*+

4 This is a history* of the heavens and the earth in the time of their being created, in the day that Jehovah* God* made earth and heaven.+

5 Now there was as yet no bush of the field found in the earth and no vegetation of the field was as yet sprouting, because Jehovah God had not made it rain+ upon the earth and there was no man to cultivate the ground. 6 But a mist*+ would go up from the earth and it watered the entire surface of the ground.+

7 And Jehovah God proceeded to form the man out of dust*+ from the ground+ and to blow into his nostrils the breath of life,*+ and the man came to be a living soul.*+ 8 Further, Jehovah* God planted a garden in Eden,*+ toward the east,* and there he put the man whom he had formed.+ 9 Thus Jehovah God made to grow out of the ground every tree desirable to one’s sight and good for food and also the tree of life+ in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and bad.+

10 Now there was a river issuing* out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it began to be parted and it became, as it were, four heads. 11 The first one’s name is Pishon; it is the one encircling the entire land of Havilah,+ where there is gold. 12 And the gold of that land is good.+ There also are the bdellium gum+ and the onyx stone.+ 13 And the name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one encircling the entire land of Cush.* 14 And the name of the third river is Hiddekel;*+ it is the one going to the east of Assyria.*+ And the fourth river is the Euphrates.*+

15 And Jehovah God proceeded to take the man and settle him in the garden of Eden+ to cultivate it and to take care of it.+ 16 And Jehovah God also laid this command upon the man: “From every tree of the garden you may eat to satisfaction.+ 17 But as for the tree of the knowledge of good and bad you must not eat from it, for in the day you eat from it you will positively die.”*+

18 And Jehovah* God went on to say: “It is not good for the man to continue by himself. I am going to make a helper for him, as a complement* of him.”+ 19 Now Jehovah God was forming* from the ground every wild beast of the field and every flying creature of the heavens, and he began bringing them to the man to see what he would call each one; and whatever the man would call it, each living soul,+ that was its name.+ 20 So the man was calling the names of all the domestic animals and of the flying creatures of the heavens and of every wild beast of the field, but for man there was found no helper* as a complement of him. 21 Hence Jehovah God had a deep sleep+ fall upon the man and, while he was sleeping, he took one of his ribs and then closed up the flesh over its place. 22 And Jehovah* God proceeded to build the rib that he had taken from the man into a woman and to bring her to the man.+

23 Then the man said:
     “This is at last bone of my bones
      And flesh of my flesh.+
      This one will be called Woman,*
      Because from man* this one was taken.”+

24 That is why a man will leave his father and his mother+ and he must stick to his wife* and they must become one flesh.+ 25 And both of them continued to be naked,+ the man and his wife, and yet they did not become ashamed.+  

3 Now the serpent+ proved to be the most cautious+ of all the wild beasts of the field that Jehovah God had made.+ So it began to say to the woman:+ “Is it really so that God said YOU must not eat from every tree of the garden?”+ 2 At this the woman said to the serpent: “Of the fruit of the trees* of the garden we may eat.+ 3 But as for [eating] of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden,+ God has said, ‘YOU must not eat from it, no, YOU must not touch it that YOU do not die.’”+ 4 At this the serpent said to the woman: “YOU positively will not die.*+ 5 For God knows that in the very day of YOUR eating from it YOUR eyes are bound to be opened and YOU are bound to be like God,* KNOWING good and bad.”+ EZEK28:13

6 Consequently the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was something to be longed for to the eyes, yes, the tree was desirable to look upon.*+ So she began taking of its fruit and eating it. Afterward she gave some also to her husband* when with her and he began eating it.+ 7 Then the eyes of both of them became opened and they began to realize that they were naked.+ Hence they sewed fig leaves together and made loin coverings for themselves.+

8 Later they heard the voice* of Jehovah God walking in the garden about the breezy part* of the day,+ and the man* and his wife went into hiding from the face of Jehovah God in between the trees of the garden.+ 9 And Jehovah God kept calling to the man and saying to him: “Where are you?”+ 10 Finally he said: “Your voice I heard in the garden, but I was afraid because I was naked and so I hid myself.”+ 11 At that he said: “Who told you that you were naked?+ From the tree from which I commanded you not to eat have you eaten?”+ 12 And the man went on to say: “The woman whom you gave to be* with me, she gave me [fruit] from the tree and so I ate.”+ 13 With that Jehovah God said to the woman: “What is this you have done?” To this the woman replied: “The serpent—it deceived me and so I ate.”+

14 And Jehovah* God proceeded to say to the serpent:+ “Because you have done this thing, you are the cursed one out of all* the domestic animals and out of all the wild beasts of the field. Upon your belly you will go and dust is what you will eat* all the days of your life.+ 15 And I+ shall put enmity+ between you+ and the woman+ and between your seed*+ and her seed.+ He*+ will bruise* you+ in the head+ and you+ will bruise him*+ in the heel.”+

16 To the woman he said: “I shall greatly increase the pain of your pregnancy;*+ in birth pangs you will bring forth children,+ and your craving will be for your husband, and he will dominate you.”+

17 And to Adam he said: “Because you listened to your wife’s voice and took to eating from the tree concerning which I gave you this command,+ ‘You must not eat from it,’ cursed is the ground on your account.+ In pain you will eat its produce all the days of your life.+ 18 And thorns and thistles it will grow for you,+ and you must eat the vegetation of the field. 19 In the sweat of your face you will eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken.+ For dust you are and to dust you will return.”+

20 After this Adam called his wife’s name Eve,*+ because she had to become the mother of everyone living.+ 21 And Jehovah God proceeded to make long garments of skin for Adam and for his wife and to clothe them.+ 22 And Jehovah God went on to say: “Here the man has become like one of us in knowing good and bad,+ and now in order that he may not put his hand out and actually take [fruit] also from the tree of life+ and eat and live to time indefinite,—” 23 With that Jehovah God* put him out of the garden of Eden+ to cultivate the ground from which he had been taken.+ 24 And so he drove the man out and posted* at the east of the garden of Eden+ the cherubs+ and the flaming blade of a sword that was turning itself continually to guard the way to the tree of life.

4 Now Adam had intercourse with Eve his wife and she became pregnant.+ In time she gave birth to Cain*+ and said: “I have produced* a man with the aid of Jehovah.”+ 2 Later she again gave birth, to his brother Abel.+

And Abel came to be a herder of sheep,+ but Cain became a cultivator of the ground.+ 3 And it came about at the expiration of some time* that Cain proceeded to bring some fruits of the ground+ as an offering to Jehovah.+ 4 But as for Abel, he too brought some firstlings+ of his flock, even their fatty pieces.+ Now while Jehovah was looking with favor upon Abel and his offering,+ 5 he did not look with any favor upon Cain and upon his offering.+ And Cain grew hot with great anger,+ and his countenance began to fall. 6 At this Jehovah said to Cain: “Why are you hot with anger and why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you turn to doing good, will there not be an exaltation?+ But if you do not turn to doing good, there is sin crouching at the entrance, and for you is its craving;+ and will you, for your part, get the mastery over it?”+

8 After that Cain said to Abel his brother: [“Let us go over into the field.”]* So it came about that while they were in the field Cain proceeded to assault Abel his brother and kill him.+ 9 Later on Jehovah said to Cain: “Where is Abel your brother?”+ and he said: “I do not know. Am I my brother’s guardian?”+ 10 At this he said: “What have you done? Listen!* Your brother’s blood* is crying out to me from the ground.+ 11 And now you are cursed in banishment from the ground,+ which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood at your hand.+ 12 When you cultivate the ground, it will not give you back its power.*+ A wanderer and a fugitive you will become in the earth.”+ 13 At this Cain said to Jehovah: “My punishment for error is too great to carry. 14 Here you are actually driving me this day from off the surface of the ground, and from your face I shall be concealed;+ and I must become a wanderer+ and fugitive on the earth, and it is certain that anyone finding me will kill me.”+ 15 At this Jehovah said to him: “For that reason* anyone killing Cain must suffer vengeance seven times.”+

And so Jehovah set up a sign for Cain in order that no one finding him should strike him.+ 16 With that Cain went away from the face of Jehovah+ and took up residence in the land of Fugitiveness* to the east of Eden.

17 Afterward Cain had intercourse with his wife+ and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Then he engaged in building a city and called the city’s name by the name of his son Enoch.+ 18 Later there was born to Enoch Irad. And Irad became father to Mehujael, and Mehujael became father to Methushael, and Methushael became father to Lamech.

19 And Lamech proceeded to take two wives for himself. The name of the first was Adah and the name of the second was Zillah. 20 In time Adah gave birth to Jabal. He proved to be the founder of those who dwell in tents+ and have livestock.+ 21 And the name of his brother was Jubal. He proved to be the founder* of all those who handle the harp+ and the pipe.*+ 22 As for Zillah, she too gave birth to Tubal-cain, the forger* of every sort of tool of copper and iron.+ And the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah. 23 Consequently Lamech composed* these words for his wives Adah and Zillah:
    “Hear my voice, you wives of Lamech;
     Give ear to my saying:*
     A man* I have killed for wounding me,*
     Yes, a young man for giving me a blow.*
     24 If seven times Cain is to be avenged,+
     Then Lamech seventy times and seven.”

25 And Adam proceeded to have intercourse again with his wife and so she gave birth to a son and called his name Seth,*+ because, as she said: “God has appointed another seed* in place of Abel, because Cain killed him.”+ 26 And to Seth also there was born a son and he proceeded to call his name Enosh.+ At that time a start was made* of calling on the name of Jehovah.+

5 This is the book of Adam’s history.* In the day of God’s creating Adam he made him in the likeness of God.+ 2 Male and female he created them.+ After that he blessed them and called their name Man*+ in the day of their being created.+

3 And Adam lived on for a hundred and thirty years. Then he became father to a son in his likeness, in his image, and called his name Seth.+ 4 And the days of Adam after his fathering Seth came to be eight hundred years. Meanwhile he became father to sons and daughters.+ 5 So all the days of Adam that he lived amounted to* nine hundred and thirty years and he died.+

6 And Seth lived on for a hundred and five years. Then he became father to Enosh.+ 7 And after his fathering Enosh Seth continued to live eight hundred and seven years. Meanwhile he became father to sons and daughters. 8 So all the days of Seth amounted to nine hundred and twelve years and he died.

9 And Enosh lived on for ninety years. Then he became father to Kenan.+ 10 And after his fathering Kenan Enosh continued to live eight hundred and fifteen years. Meanwhile he became father to sons and daughters. 11 So all the days of Enosh amounted to nine hundred and five years and he died.

12 And Kenan lived on for seventy years. Then he became father to Mahalalel.+ 13 And after his fathering Mahalalel Kenan continued to live eight hundred and forty years. Meanwhile he became father to sons and daughters. 14 So all the days of Kenan amounted to nine hundred and ten years and he died.

15 And Mahalalel lived on for sixty-five years. Then he became father to Jared.+ 16 And after his fathering Jared Mahalalel continued to live eight hundred and thirty years. Meanwhile he became father to sons and daughters. 17 So all the days of Mahalalel amounted to eight hundred and ninety-five years and he died.

18 And Jared lived on for a hundred and sixty-two years. Then he became father to Enoch.*+ 19 And after his fathering Enoch Jared continued to live eight hundred years. Meanwhile he became father to sons and daughters. 20 So all the days of Jared amounted to nine hundred and sixty-two years and he died.

21 And Enoch lived on for sixty-five years. Then he became father to Methuselah.+ 22 And after his fathering Methuselah Enoch went on walking with* the [true] God* three hundred years. Meanwhile he became father to sons and daughters. 23 So all the days of Enoch amounted to three hundred and sixty-five years. 24 And Enoch kept walking+ with the [true] God.+ Then he was no more, for God* took him.*+

25 And Methuselah lived on for a hundred and eighty-seven years. Then he became father to Lamech.+ 26 And after his fathering Lamech Methuselah continued to live seven hundred and eighty-two years. Meanwhile he became father to sons and daughters. 27 So all the days of Methuselah amounted to nine hundred and sixty-nine years and he died.

28 And Lamech lived on for a hundred and eighty-two years. Then he became father to a son. 29 And he proceeded to call his name Noah,*+ saying: “This one will bring us comfort from our work and from the pain of our hands resulting from the ground which Jehovah has cursed.”+ 30 And after his fathering Noah Lamech continued to live five hundred and ninety-five years. Meanwhile he became father to sons and daughters. 31 So all the days of Lamech amounted to seven hundred and seventy-seven years and he died.

32 And Noah got to be five hundred years old. After that Noah became father to Shem,+ Ham+ and Japheth.+

6 Now it came about that when men started to grow in numbers on the surface of the ground and daughters were born to them,+ 2 then the sons* of the [true] God+ began to notice+ the daughters of men, that they were good-looking; and they went taking wives for themselves, namely, all whom they chose. 3 After that Jehovah said: “My spirit+ shall not act toward man indefinitely+ in that he* is also flesh.+ Accordingly his days shall amount to a hundred and twenty years.”+

4 The Nephilim* proved to be in the earth in those days, and also after that, when the sons of the [true] God continued to have relations with the daughters of men and they bore sons to them, they were the mighty ones* who were of old, the men of fame.*

5 Consequently Jehovah saw that the badness of man was abundant in the earth and every inclination+ of the thoughts of his heart was only bad all the time.*+ 6 And Jehovah felt regrets+ that he had made men in the earth, and he felt hurt at his heart.+ 7 So Jehovah said: “I am going to wipe men whom I have created+ off the surface of the ground, from man to domestic animal, to moving animal and to flying creature of the heavens,+ because I do regret that I have made them.”+ 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of Jehovah.

9 This is the history of Noah.

Noah was a righteous man.+ He proved himself faultless among his contemporaries.* Noah walked with the [true] God.+ 10 In time Noah became father to three sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth.+ 11 And the earth came to be ruined in the sight of the [true] God+ and the earth became filled with violence.+ 12 So God saw the earth and, look! it was ruined,+ because all flesh had ruined its way on the earth.+

13 After that God said to Noah: “The end of all flesh has come before me,+ because the earth is full of violence as a result of them; and here I am bringing them to ruin together with the earth.+ 14 Make for yourself an ark* out of wood of a resinous tree.*+ You will make compartments* in the ark, and you must cover it inside and outside with tar.+ 15 And this is how you will make it: three hundred cubits*+ the length of the ark, fifty cubits its width, and thirty cubits its height. 16 You will make a tsohar [roof; or, window]* for the ark, and you will complete it to the extent of a cubit upward,* and the entrance of the ark you will put in its side;+ you will make it with a lower [story], a second [story] and a third [story].

17 “And as for me, here I am bringing the deluge*+ of waters upon the earth to bring to ruin all flesh in which the force of life+ is active* from under the heavens. Everything that is in the earth will expire.+ 18 And I do establish my covenant with you; and you must go into the ark, you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you.+ 19 And of every living creature of every sort of flesh,+ two of each, you will bring into the ark to preserve them alive with you.+ Male and female they will be. 20 Of the flying creatures according to their kinds and of the domestic animals according to their kinds,+ of all moving animals of the ground according to their kinds,* two of each will go in there to you to preserve them alive.+ 21 And as for you, take for yourself every sort of food that is eaten;+ and you must gather it to yourself, and it must serve as food for you and for them.”+

22 And Noah proceeded to do according to all that God had commanded him. He did just so.+

7 After that Jehovah said to Noah: “Go, you and all your household,+ into the ark, because you are the one I have seen to be righteous before me among this generation.+ 2 Of every clean beast you must take to yourself by sevens,* the sire and its mate;*+ and of every beast that is not clean just two, the sire and its mate; 3 also of the flying creatures of the heavens by sevens, male and female,+ to preserve offspring* alive on the surface of the entire earth.+ 4 For in just seven days more I am making it rain+ upon the earth forty days and forty nights;+ and I will wipe every existing thing that I have made off the surface of the ground.”+ 5 And Noah proceeded to do according to all that Jehovah had commanded him.

6 And Noah was six hundred years old when the deluge* of waters occurred on the earth.+ 7 So Noah went in, and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him, into the ark ahead of the waters of the deluge.*+ 8 Of every clean beast and of every beast that is not clean and of the flying creatures and everything that moves on the ground,+ 9 they went in by twos to Noah inside the ark, male and female, just as God* had commanded Noah. 10 And seven days later it turned out that the waters of the deluge* came upon the earth.

11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month,* on the seventeenth day of the month, on this day all the springs of the vast watery deep* were broken open and the floodgates* of the heavens were opened.+ 12 And the downpour upon the earth went on for forty days and forty nights.+ 13 On this very day Noah went in, and Shem and Ham and Japheth, Noah’s sons,+ and the wife of Noah and the three wives of his sons with him, into the ark;+ 14 they and every wild beast according to its kind,+ and every domestic animal according to its kind, and every moving animal that moves on the earth according to its kind,+ and every flying creature according to its kind,+ every bird, every winged creature.+ 15 And they kept going to Noah inside the ark, two by two, of every sort of flesh in which the force of life was active.*+ 16 And those going in, male and female of every sort of flesh, went in, just as God had commanded him. After that Jehovah shut the door behind him.+

17 And the deluge* went on for forty days upon the earth, and the waters kept increasing and began carrying the ark and it was floating high above the earth. 18 And the waters became overwhelming and kept increasing greatly upon the earth, but the ark kept going on the surface of the waters.+ 19 And the waters overwhelmed the earth so greatly that all the tall mountains that were under the whole heavens came to be covered.+ 20 Up to fifteen cubits the waters overwhelmed them and the mountains became covered.+

21 So all flesh that was moving upon the earth expired,+ among the flying creatures and among the domestic animals and among the wild beasts and among all the swarms that were swarming upon the earth, and all mankind.+ 22 Everything in which the breath of the force of life was active* in its nostrils, namely, all that were on the dry ground, died.+ 23 Thus he wiped out every existing thing that was on the surface of the ground, from man to beast, to moving animal and to flying creature of the heavens, and they were wiped off the earth;+ and only Noah and those who were with him in the ark kept on surviving.+ 24 And the waters continued overwhelming the earth a hundred and fifty days. 

8 After that God remembered+ Noah and every wild beast and every domestic animal that was with him in the ark,+ and God caused a wind* to pass over the earth, and the waters began to subside.+ 2 And the springs of the watery deep*+ and the floodgates*+ of the heavens became stopped up, and so the downpour from the heavens was restrained. 3 And the waters began receding from off the earth, progressively receding;* and at the end of a hundred and fifty days the waters were lacking.+ 4 And in the seventh month,* on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark+ came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.+ 5 And the waters kept on progressively lessening* until the tenth month.* In the tenth month, on the first of the month, the tops of the mountains appeared.+

6 So it occurred that at the end of forty days Noah proceeded to open the window+ of the ark that he had made. 7 After that he sent out a raven,+ and it continued flying outdoors,* going and returning, until the waters dried off the earth.

8 Later he sent out from him a dove+ to see whether the waters had abated from the surface of the ground. 9 And the dove did not find any resting-place for the sole of its foot, and so it returned to him into the ark because the waters were yet upon the surface of the whole earth.+ At that he put his hand out and took it and brought it to himself inside the ark. 10 And he went on waiting still another seven days, and once again he sent out the dove from the ark. 11 Later on the dove came to him about the time of evening and, look! there was an olive leaf+ freshly plucked in its bill, and so Noah got to know that the waters had abated from the earth.+ 12 And he went on waiting still another seven days. Then he sent out the dove, but it did not come back again to him anymore.+

13 Now in the six hundred and first year,+ in the first month,* on the first day of the month, it came about that the waters had drained from off the earth; and Noah proceeded to remove the covering of the ark and to look, and here the surface of the ground had drained dry.+ 14 And in the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth had dried off.+

15 God now spoke to Noah, saying: 16 “Go out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and your sons’ wives with you.+ 17 Every living creature that is with you of every sort of flesh,+ among the flying creatures+ and among the beasts+ and among all the moving animals that move upon the earth,+ bring out with you, as they must swarm in the earth and be fruitful and become many upon the earth.”+

18 At that Noah went out, and also his sons+ and his wife and his sons’ wives with him. 19 Every living creature, every moving animal and every flying creature, everything that moves on the earth, according to their families they went out of the ark.+ 20 And Noah began to build an altar+ to Jehovah and to take some of all the clean beasts+ and of all the clean flying creatures+ and to offer burnt offerings upon the altar.+ 21 And Jehovah began to smell a restful* odor,+ and so Jehovah said in his heart:+ “Never again shall I call down evil upon the ground+ on man’s account, because the inclination+ of the heart of man is bad from his youth up;+ and never again shall I deal every living thing a blow just as I have done.+ 22 For all the days the earth continues,* seed sowing and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night, will never cease.”+

9 And God went on to bless Noah and his sons and to say to them: “Be fruitful and become many and fill the earth.+ 2 And a fear of YOU and a terror of YOU will continue upon every living creature of the earth and upon every flying creature of the heavens, upon everything that goes moving on the ground, and upon all the fishes of the sea. Into YOUR hand they are now given.+ 3 Every moving animal that is alive may serve as food for YOU.+ As in the case of green vegetation, I do give it all to YOU.+ 4 Only flesh with its soul*+—its blood+—YOU must not eat.+ 5 And, besides that, YOUR blood of YOUR souls* shall I ask back. From the hand of every living creature shall I ask it back; and from the hand of man,* from the hand of each one* who is his brother, shall I ask back the soul* of man.+ 6 Anyone shedding man’s blood, by man will his own blood be shed,+ for in God’s image he made man. 7 And as for YOU men, be fruitful and become many, make the earth swarm with YOU and become many in it.”+ 1:28

8 And God went on to say to Noah and to his sons with him: 9 “And as for me, here I am establishing my covenant+ with YOU men and with YOUR offspring* after YOU,+ 10 and with every living soul that is with YOU, among fowls, among beasts and among all living creatures of the earth with YOU, from all those going out of the ark to every living creature of the earth.+ 11 Yes, I do establish my covenant with YOU: No more will all flesh be cut off by waters of a deluge, and no more will there occur a deluge to bring the earth to ruin.”+

12 And God added: “This is the sign+ of the covenant that I am giving between me and YOU and every living soul that is with YOU, for the generations to time indefinite. 13 My rainbow+ I do give* in the cloud, and it must serve as a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 And it shall occur that when I bring a cloud over the earth, then the rainbow will certainly appear in the cloud. 15 And I shall certainly remember my covenant+ which is between me and YOU and every living soul among all flesh;+ and no more will the waters become a deluge to bring all flesh to ruin.+ 16 And the rainbow must occur in the cloud,+ and I shall certainly see it to remember the covenant to time indefinite+ between God and every living soul among all flesh that is upon the earth.”+

17 And God repeated to Noah: “This is the sign of the covenant that I do establish between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.”+

18 And Noah’s sons+ who came out of the ark were Shem and Ham and Japheth. Later Ham was the father of Canaan.+ 19 These three were Noah’s sons, and from these was all the earth’s population* spread abroad.+

20 Now Noah started off as a farmer*+ and proceeded to plant a vineyard.+ 21 And he began drinking of the wine and became intoxicated,+ and so he uncovered himself in the midst of his tent. 22 Later Ham+ the father of Canaan saw his father’s nakedness+ and went telling it to his two brothers outside.+ 23 At that Shem and Japheth took a* mantle+ and put it upon both their shoulders and walked in backwards. Thus they covered their father’s nakedness, while their faces were turned away,* and they did not see their father’s nakedness.+

24 Finally Noah awoke from his wine and got to know what his youngest son had done to him. 25 At this he said:
     “Cursed be Canaan.+
      Let him become the lowest slave* to his brothers.”+
   26 And he added:
     “Blessed be Jehovah,*+ Shem’s God,
      And let Canaan become a slave* to him.+
   27 Let God grant ample space to Japheth,
      And let him reside* in the tents of Shem.+
      Let Canaan become a slave to him also.”

28 And Noah continued to live three hundred and fifty years after the deluge.+ 29 So all the days of Noah amounted to nine hundred and fifty years and he died.+

10 And this is the history of Noah’s sons,+ Shem, Ham and Japheth.

Now sons began to be born to them after the deluge.+ 2 The sons of Japheth were Gomer+ and Magog+ and Madai+ and Javan+ and Tubal+ and Meshech+ and Tiras.+
   3 And the sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz+ and Riphath+ and Togarmah.+
   4 And the sons of Javan were Elishah+ and Tarshish,+ Kittim+ and Dodanim.*+

5 From these the population of the isles* of the nations was spread about in their lands, each according to its tongue, according to their families, by their nations.

6 And the sons of Ham were Cush+ and Mizraim+ and Put+ and Canaan.+
   7 And the sons of Cush were Seba+ and Havilah and Sabtah and Raamah+ and Sabteca.

And the sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan.+

8 And Cush became father to Nimrod.+ He made the start in becoming a mighty one* in the earth. 9 He displayed himself a mighty hunter* in opposition to* Jehovah. That is why there is a saying: “Just like Nimrod a mighty hunter in opposition to Jehovah.”+ 10 And the beginning of his kingdom came to be Babel*+ and Erech+ and Accad and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.+ 11 Out of that land he went forth into Assyria+ and set himself to building Nineveh+ and Rehoboth-Ir and Calah 12 and Resen between Nineveh and Calah: this is the great city.

13 And Mizraim+ became father to Ludim+ and Anamim and Lehabim and Naphtuhim+ 14 and Pathrusim+ and Casluhim+ (from among whom the Philistines+ went forth) and Caphtorim.+

15 And Canaan became father to Sidon+ his firstborn and Heth+ 16 and the Jebusite+ and the Amorite+ and the Girgashite 17 and the Hivite+ and the Arkite and the Sinite 18 and the Arvadite+ and the Zemarite and the Hamathite;+ and afterward the families of the Canaanite were scattered. 19 So the boundary of the Canaanite came to be from Sidon as far as Gerar,+ near Gaza,+ as far as Sodom and Gomorrah+ and Admah+ and Zeboiim,+ near Lasha.* 20 These were the sons of Ham according to their families, according to their tongues, in their lands, by their nations.

21 And to Shem, the forefather of all the sons of Eber,+ the brother of Japheth the oldest, there was also progeny born. 22 The sons of Shem were Elam+ and Asshur+ and Arpachshad+ and Lud and Aram.

   23 And the sons of Aram were Uz and Hul and Gether and Mash.+
   24 And Arpachshad became father to Shelah,+ and Shelah became father to Eber.
   25 And to Eber there were two sons born. The name of the one was Peleg,*+ because in his days the earth* was divided;+ and the name of his brother was Joktan.+
   26 And Joktan became father to Almodad and Sheleph and Hazarmaveth and Jerah+ 27 and Hadoram and Uzal and Diklah+ 28 and Obal and Abimael and Sheba+ 29 and Ophir+ and Havilah+ and Jobab;+ all these were the sons of Joktan.

30 And their place of dwelling came to extend from Mesha as far as Sephar, the mountainous region of the East.

31 These were the sons of Shem according to their families, according to their tongues, in their lands, according to their nations.+

32 These were the families of the sons of Noah according to their family descents, by their nations, and from these the nations were spread about in the earth after the deluge.+

11 Now all the earth continued to be of one language* and of one set of words.* 2 And it came about that in their journeying eastward they eventually discovered a valley plain in the land of Shinar,+ and they took up dwelling there. 3 And they began to say, each one to the other: “Come on! Let us make bricks and bake them with a burning process.” So brick served as stone for them, but bitumen served as mortar for them.+ 4 They now said: “Come on! Let us build ourselves a city and also a tower* with its top in the heavens,+ and let us make a celebrated name* for ourselves,+ for fear we may be scattered over all the surface of the earth.”+

5 And Jehovah proceeded to go down to see the city and the tower that the sons of men had built.+ 6 After that Jehovah said: “Look! They are one people and there is one language for them all,+ and this is what they start to do. Why, now there is nothing that they may have in mind to do that will be unattainable for them.+ 7 Come now! Let us+ go down and there confuse+ their language that they may not listen to* one another’s language.”+ 8 Accordingly Jehovah scattered them from there over all the surface of the earth,+ and they gradually left off building the city.+ 9 That is why its name was called Babel,*+ because there Jehovah had confused the language of all the earth,* and Jehovah had scattered+ them from there over all the surface of the earth.

10 This is the history of Shem.+

     Shem was a hundred years old when he became father to Arpachshad+ two years after the deluge. 11 And after his fathering Arpachshad Shem continued to live five hundred years. Meanwhile he became father to sons and daughters.+
   12 And Arpachshad* lived thirty-five years. Then he became father to Shelah.+ 13 And after his fathering Shelah Arpachshad continued to live four hundred and three years. Meanwhile he became father to sons and daughters.
   14 And Shelah lived thirty years. Then he became father to Eber.+ 15 And after his fathering Eber Shelah continued to live four hundred and three years. Meanwhile he became father to sons and daughters.
   16 And Eber lived on for thirty-four years. Then he became father to Peleg.+ 17 And after his fathering Peleg Eber continued to live four hundred and thirty years. Meanwhile he became father to sons and daughters.
   18 And Peleg lived on for thirty years. Then he became father to Reu.+ 19 And after his fathering Reu Peleg continued to live two hundred and nine years. Meanwhile he became father to sons and daughters.
   20 And Reu lived on for thirty-two years. Then he became father to Serug.+ 21 And after his fathering Serug Reu continued to live two hundred and seven years. Meanwhile he became father to sons and daughters.
   22 And Serug lived on for thirty years. Then he became father to Nahor.+ 23 And after his fathering Nahor Serug continued to live two hundred years. Meanwhile he became father to sons and daughters.
   24 And Nahor lived on for twenty-nine years. Then he became father to Terah.+ 25 And after his fathering Terah Nahor continued to live a hundred and nineteen years. Meanwhile he became father to sons and daughters.
   26 And Terah lived on for seventy years, after which he became father to Abram,+ Nahor+ and Haran.

27 And this is the history of Terah.

Terah became father to Abram, Nahor and Haran; and Haran became father to Lot.+ 28 Later Haran died while in company with Terah* his father in the land of his birth, in Ur+ of the Chaldeans.*+ 29 And Abram and Nahor proceeded to take wives for themselves. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai,+ while the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah,+ the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah and father of Iscah. 30 But Sarai continued to be barren;+ she had no child.

31 After that Terah took Abram his son and Lot, the son of Haran, his grandson,+ and Sarai+ his daughter-in-law, the wife of Abram his son, and they went with him* out of Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan.+ In time they came to Haran+ and took up dwelling there. 32 And the days of Terah came to be two hundred and five years. Then Terah died in Haran.

12 And Jehovah proceeded to say to Abram: “Go your way out of your country and from your relatives* and from the house of your father to the country that I shall show you;+ 2 and I shall make a great nation out of you and I shall bless you and I will make your name great; and prove yourself a blessing.+ 3 And I will bless those who bless you, and him that calls down evil upon you I shall curse,+ and all the families of the ground will certainly bless themselves* by means of you.”+ Gen.22:18; 28:14; Acts3:25; Gal.3:8

4 At that Abram went just as Jehovah had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he went out from Haran.+ 5 So Abram took Sarai his wife+ and Lot the son of his brother+ and all the goods that they had accumulated+ and the souls whom they had acquired in Haran, and they got on their way out to go to the land of Canaan.+ Finally they came to the land of Canaan. 6 And Abram went on through the land as far as the site of Shechem,*+ near the big trees of Moreh;+ and at that time the Canaanite was in the land. 7 Jehovah now appeared to Abram and said: “To your seed+ I am going to give this land.”+ After that he built an altar there to Jehovah, who had appeared to him. 8 Later he moved from there to the mountainous region to the east of Bethel+ and pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai+ on the east. Then he built an altar there to Jehovah+ and began to call on the name* of Jehovah.+ 9 Afterward Abram broke camp, going then from encampment to encampment toward the Negeb.*+

10 Now a famine arose in the land and Abram made his way down toward Egypt to reside there as an alien,+ because the famine was severe in the land.+ 11 And it came about that as soon as he got near to entering Egypt, then he said to Sarai his wife: “Please, now! I well know you are a woman beautiful in appearance.+ 12 So it is bound to happen that the Egyptians will see you and will say, ‘This is his wife.’ And they will certainly kill me, but you they will preserve alive. 13 Please say you are my sister,+ in order that it may go well with me on your account, and my soul will be certain to live due to you.”+

14 So it happened that, as soon as Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians got to see the woman, that she was very beautiful. 15 And the princes of Pharaoh* also got to see her and they began praising her to Pharaoh, so that the woman was taken to the house of Pharaoh. 16 And he treated Abram well on her account, and he came to have sheep and cattle and asses and menservants and maidservants and she-asses and camels.+ 17 Then Jehovah touched Pharaoh and his household with great plagues+ because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.+ 18 With that Pharaoh called Abram and said: “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife?+ 19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’+ so that I was about to take her as my wife? And now here is your wife. Take her and go!” 20 And Pharaoh issued commands to men concerning him, and they went escorting him and his wife and all that he had.*+

13 Following that Abram went up out of Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, to the Negeb.+ 2 And Abram was heavily stocked with herds and silver and gold.+ 3 And he made his way from encampment to encampment out of the Negeb and to Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at first between Bethel and Ai,+ 4 to the place of the altar that he had made there originally;+ and Abram proceeded to call there on* the name of Jehovah.+

5 Now Lot, who was going along with Abram, also owned sheep and cattle and tents. 6 So the land did not allow for them to dwell all together, because their goods had become many and they were not able to dwell all together.+ 7 And a quarrel arose between the herders of Abram’s livestock and the herders of Lot’s livestock; and at that time the Canaanite and the Perizzite were dwelling in the land.+ 8 Hence Abram said to Lot:+ “Please, do not let any quarreling continue between me and you and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we men are brothers.+ 9 Is not the whole land available to* you? Please, separate from me. If you go to the left, then I will go to the right; but if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.”+ 10 So Lot raised his eyes and saw the whole District* of the Jordan,+ that all of it was a well-watered region before Jehovah brought Sodom and Gomorrah to ruin, like the garden* of Jehovah,+ like the land of Egypt as far as Zoar.*+ 11 Then Lot chose for himself the whole District of the Jordan, and Lot moved his camp to the east. So they separated the one from the other. 12 Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, but Lot dwelt among the cities of the District.+ Finally he pitched tent near Sodom. 13 And the men of Sodom were bad and were gross sinners against Jehovah.+

14 And Jehovah said to Abram after Lot had separated from him: “Raise your eyes, please, and look from the place where you are, northward and southward* and eastward and westward,*+ 15 because all the land at which you are looking, to you and to your seed I am going to give it until time indefinite.+ 16 And I will constitute your seed like the dust particles of the earth, so that, if a man could be able to count the dust particles of the earth, then your seed could be numbered.+ 17 Get up, go about in the land through its length and through its breadth, because to you I am going to give it.”+ 18 So Abram continued to live in tents.* Later on he came and dwelt among the big trees of Mamre,+ which are in Hebron;+ and there he proceeded to build an altar to Jehovah.+

14 Now it came about in the days of* Amraphel king* of Shinar,+ Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer+ king of Elam,+ and Tidal king of Goiim,*+ 2 that these 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 to say, Zoar).+ 3 All these marched as allies+ to the Low Plain of Siddim,*+ that is, the Salt Sea.+

4 Twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer, but the thirteenth year they rebelled. 5 And in the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer came, and also the kings who were with him, and they inflicted defeats on the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim,+ and the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim+ in Shaveh-kiriathaim, 6 and the Horites+ in their mountain of Seir,+ down to El-paran,+ which is at the wilderness. 7 Then they turned about and came to En-mishpat, that is, Kadesh,+ and defeated the whole field of the Amalekites+ and also the Amorites+ who were dwelling in Hazazon-tamar.+

8 At this point the king of Sodom went on the march, and also the king of Gomorrah and the king of Admah and the king of Zeboiim and the king of Bela (that is to say, Zoar), and they drew up in battle order against them in the Low Plain of Siddim,+ 9 against Chedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goiim and Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar;+ four kings against the five. 10 Now the Low Plain of Siddim+ was pits upon pits of bitumen;+ and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah+ took to flight and went falling into them, and those who remained fled to the mountainous region.+ 11 Then the victors* took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food and went on their way.+ 12 They also took Lot the son of Abram’s brother and his goods and continued on their way. He was then dwelling in Sodom.+

13 After that a man who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew.*+ He was then tabernacling among the big trees of Mamre the Amorite,+ the brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner;+ and they were confederates* of Abram. 14 Thus Abram got to hear that his brother had been taken captive.+ With that he mustered his trained men,+ three hundred and eighteen slaves born in his household,*+ and went in pursuit up to Dan.+ 15 And by night he resorted to dividing his forces,+ he and his slaves, against them, and thus he defeated them and kept in pursuit of them up to Hobah, which is north* of Damascus. 16 And he proceeded to recover all the goods,+ and he recovered also Lot his brother and his goods and also the women and the people.+

17 Then the king of Sodom went out to meet him after he returned from defeating Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him, to the Low Plain of Shaveh,* that is, the king’s Low Plain.+ 18 And Melchizedek+ king of Salem+ brought out bread and wine,+ and he was priest* of the Most High God.*+ 19 Then he blessed him and said:
     “Blessed be Abram of the Most High God,+
      Producer* of heaven and earth;+
   20 And blessed be the Most High God,+
      Who has delivered your oppressors into your hand!”+
      At that Abram* gave him a tenth* of everything.+

21 After that the king of Sodom said to Abram: “Give me the souls,*+ but take the goods for yourself.” 22 At this Abram said to the king of Sodom: “I do lift up my hand [in an oath]+ to Jehovah the Most High God, Producer of heaven and earth, 23 that, from a thread to a sandal lace, no, I shall take nothing from anything that is yours,+ in order that you may not say, ‘It was I who made Abram rich.’ 24 Nothing for me!+ Only what the young men have already eaten, and the share of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshcol and Mamre+—let them take their share.”+

15 After these things the word of Jehovah came to Abram in a vision,+ saying: “Do not fear,+ Abram. I am a shield for you.+ Your reward will be very great.”*+ 2 At this Abram said: “Sovereign Lord Jehovah,* what will you give me, seeing that I am going childless and the one who will possess my house is a man of Damascus, Eliezer?”+ 3 And Abram added: “Look! You have given me no seed,+ and, look! a son+ of my household is succeeding me as heir.” 4 But, look! the word of Jehovah to him was in these words: “This man will not succeed you as heir, but one who will come out of your own inward parts* will succeed you as heir.”+

5 He now brought him outside and said: “Look up, please, to the heavens and count the stars, if you are possibly able to count them.”+ And he went on to say to him: “So your seed will become.”+ 6 And he put faith* in Jehovah;+ and he proceeded to count it to him as righteousness.+ 7 Then he added to him: “I am Jehovah, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take it in possession.”+ 8 To this he said: “Sovereign Lord Jehovah,* by what shall I know that I shall take it in possession?”+ 9 In turn he said to him: “Take for me* a three-year-old heifer and a three-year-old she-goat and a three-year-old ram and a turtledove and a young pigeon.”+ 10 So he took all these to himself and cut them in two and put each part of them so as to match the other, but the birds he did not cut in pieces.+ 11 And the birds of prey began to descend upon the carcasses,+ but Abram kept driving them away.

12 After a while the sun was about to set, and a deep sleep fell upon Abram,+ and, look! a frightfully great darkness* was falling upon him. 13 And he began to say to Abram: “You may know for sure that your seed will become an alien resident in a land not theirs,+ and they will have to serve them, and these will certainly afflict them for four hundred years.+ 14 But the nation that they will serve I am judging,+ and after that they will go out with many goods.+ 15 As for you, you will go to your forefathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age.+ 16 But in the fourth generation they will return here,+ because the error of the Amorites has not yet come to completion.”+

17 The sun was now setting and a dense darkness came and, look! a smoking furnace and a fiery torch that passed in between these pieces.+ 18 On that day Jehovah concluded* with Abram a covenant,+ saying: “To your seed I will give this land,+ from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates:+ 19 the Kenites+ and the Kenizzites and the Kadmonites 20 and the Hittites+ and the Perizzites+ and the Rephaim+ 21 and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Girgashites and the Jebusites.”+

16 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children;+ but she had an Egyptian maidservant and her name was Hagar.+ 2 Hence Sarai said to Abram: “Please now! Jehovah has shut me off from bearing children.+ Please, have relations with my maidservant. Perhaps I may get children from her.”+ So Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.+ 3 Then Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar, her Egyptian maidservant, at the end of ten years of Abram’s dwelling in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram her husband as his wife.+ 4 Accordingly he had relations with Hagar, and she became pregnant. When she became aware that she was pregnant, then her mistress began to be despised in her eyes.+

5 At this Sarai said to Abram: “The violence done me be upon you. I myself gave my maidservant over to your bosom, and she became aware that she was pregnant, and I began to be despised in her eyes. May Jehovah judge between me and you.”*+ 6 So Abram said to Sarai:+ “Look! Your maidservant is at your disposal. Do to her what is good in your eyes.”+ Then Sarai began to humiliate* her so that she ran away from her.+

7 Later Jehovah’s angel*+ found her at a fountain of waters in the wilderness, at the fountain on the way to Shur.+ 8 And he began to say: “Hagar, maidservant of Sarai, just where have you come from and where are you going?” To this she said: “Why, from Sarai my mistress I am running away.” 9 And Jehovah’s angel went on to say to her: “Return to your mistress and humble yourself under her hand.”+ 10 Then Jehovah’s angel said to her: “I shall greatly multiply your seed,+ so that it will not be numbered for multitude.”+ 11 Further Jehovah’s angel added to her: “Here you are pregnant, and you shall give birth to a son and must call his name Ishmael;*+ for Jehovah has heard your affliction.+ 12 As for him, he will become a zebra* of a man. His hand will be against everyone, and the hand of everyone will be against him;+ and before the face of all his brothers he will tabernacle.”+

13 Then she began to call the name of Jehovah, who was speaking to her: “You are a God* of sight,”*+ for she said: “Have I here actually* looked upon him* who sees me?” 14 That is why the well was called* Beer-lahai-roi.*+ Here it is between Kadesh and Bered. 15 Later on Hagar bore to Abram a son and Abram called the name of his son whom Hagar bore Ishmael.+ 16 And Abram was eighty-six years old at Hagar’s bearing Ishmael to Abram.

17 When Abram got to be ninety-nine years old, then Jehovah appeared to Abram and said to him:+ “I am God Almighty.*+ Walk before me and prove yourself faultless.+ 2 And I will give my covenant between me and you,+ that I may multiply you very, very much.”+

3 At this Abram fell upon his face,+ and God* continued to speak with him, saying: 4 “As for me, look! my covenant is with you,+ and you will certainly become a father of a crowd of nations.+ 5 And your name will not be called Abram* anymore, and your name must become Abraham,* because a father of a crowd of nations I will make you. 6 And I will make you very, very fruitful and will make you become nations, and kings will come out of you.+

7 “And I will carry out my covenant between me and you+ and your seed after you according to their generations for a covenant to time indefinite,+ to prove myself God* to you and to your seed after you.+ 8 And I will give to you and to your seed after you the land of your alien residences,+ even the entire land of Canaan, for a possession to time indefinite; and I will prove myself God to them.”+

9 And God said further to Abraham: “As for you, you are to keep my covenant, you and your seed after you according to their generations.+ 10 This is my covenant that YOU men will keep, between me and YOU men, even your seed after you:+ Every male of YOURS must get circumcised.+ 11 And YOU must get circumcised in the flesh of YOUR foreskins, and it must serve as a sign of the covenant between me and YOU.+ 12 And every male of YOURS eight days old must be circumcised,+ according to your generations, anyone born in the house* and anyone purchased with money* from any foreigner who is not from your seed. 13 Every man born in your house and every man purchased with money of yours must without fail get circumcised;+ and my covenant in the flesh of YOU men must serve as a covenant to time indefinite.+ 14 And an uncircumcised male who will not get the flesh of his foreskin circumcised, even that soul must be cut off from his people.+ He has broken my covenant.”

15 And God went on to say to Abraham: “As for Sarai your wife, you must not call her name Sarai,* because Sarah* is her name.+ 16 And I will bless her and also give you a son from her;+ and I will bless her and she shall become nations;+ kings of peoples will come from her.”+ 17 At this Abraham fell upon his face and began to laugh and to say in his heart:+ “Will a man a hundred years old have a child born, and will Sarah, yes, will a woman ninety years old give birth?”+

18 After that Abraham said to the [true] God:* “O that Ishmael might live before you!”+ 19 To this God said: “Sarah your wife is indeed bearing you a son, and you must call his name Isaac.*+ And I will establish my covenant with him for a covenant to time indefinite to his seed after him.+ 20 But as regards Ishmael I have heard you. Look! I will bless him and will make him fruitful and will multiply him very, very much.+ He will certainly produce twelve chieftains,* and I will make him become a great nation.+ 21 However, my covenant I shall establish with Isaac,+ whom Sarah will bear to you at this appointed time next year.”+

22 With that God finished speaking with him and went up from Abraham.+ 23 Abraham then proceeded to take Ishmael his son and all the men born in his house and everyone purchased with money of his, every male among the men of the household of Abraham, and he went to circumcising the flesh of their foreskins in this very day, just as God had spoken with him.+ 24 And Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he had the flesh of his foreskin circumcised.+ 25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he had the flesh of his foreskin circumcised.+ 26 In this very day Abraham got circumcised, and also Ishmael his son.+ 27 And all the men of his household, anyone born in the house and anyone purchased with money from a foreigner, got circumcised with him.+

18 Afterward Jehovah appeared+ to him among the big trees of Mamre,+ while he was sitting at the entrance of the tent about the heat of the day.+ 2 When he raised his eyes,+ then he looked and there three men were standing some distance from him. When he caught sight of them he began running to meet them from the entrance of the tent and proceeded to bow down to the earth.+ 3 Then he said: “Jehovah,* if, now, I have found favor in your eyes, please do not pass by your servant.+ 4 Let a little water be taken, please, and YOU must have YOUR feet washed.+ Then recline under the tree.+ 5 And let me get a piece of bread, and refresh YOUR hearts.+ Following that, YOU can pass on, because that is why YOU have passed this way to YOUR servant.” At this they said: “All right. You may do just as you have spoken.”

6 So Abraham went hurrying to the tent to Sarah and said: “Hurry! Get three seah* measures of fine flour, knead the dough and make round cakes.”+ 7 Next Abraham ran to the herd and proceeded to get a tender and good young bull and to give it to the attendant, and he went hurrying to get it ready.+ 8 He then took butter and milk and the young bull that he had got ready and set it before them.+ Then he himself kept standing by them under the tree as they were eating.+

9 They now said to him:* “Where is Sarah your wife?”+ To this he said: “Here in the tent!”+ 10 So he continued: “I am surely going to return to you next year at this time,* and, look! Sarah your wife will have a son.”+ Now Sarah was listening at the tent entrance, and it was behind the man. 11 And Abraham and Sarah were old, being advanced in years.+ Sarah had stopped having menstruation.*+ 12 Hence Sarah began to laugh inside herself,+ saying: “After I am worn out, shall I really have pleasure, my lord* being old besides?”+ 13 Then Jehovah said to Abraham: “Why was it that Sarah laughed, saying, ‘Shall I really and truly give birth although I have become old?’+ 14 Is anything too extraordinary for Jehovah?+ At the appointed time I shall return to you, next year at this time, and Sarah will have a son.” 15 But Sarah began to deny it, saying: “I did not laugh!” For she was afraid. At this he said: “No! but you did laugh.”+

16 Later the men got up from there and looked down toward Sodom,+ and Abraham was walking with them to escort them.+ 17 And Jehovah* said: “Am I keeping covered from Abraham what I am doing?+ 18 Why, Abraham is surely going to become a nation great and mighty, and all the nations of the earth must bless themselves by means of him.+ 19 For I have become acquainted with him in order that he may command his sons and his household after him so that they shall keep Jehovah’s way to do righteousness and judgment;+ in order that Jehovah may certainly bring upon Abraham what he has spoken about him.”+

20 Consequently Jehovah said: “The cry of complaint about Sodom and Gomorrah,+ yes, it is loud, and their sin, yes, it is very heavy.+ 21 I am quite determined to go down that I may see whether they act altogether according to the outcry over it that has come to me, and, if not, I can get to know it.”+

22 At this point the men turned from there and got on their way to Sodom; but as for Jehovah,+ he was still standing before Abraham.*+ 23 Then Abraham approached and began to say: “Will you really sweep away the righteous with the wicked?+ 24 Suppose there are fifty righteous men in the midst of the city. Will you, then, sweep them away and not pardon the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are inside it?+ 25 It is unthinkable of you that you are acting in this manner to put to death the righteous man with the wicked one so that it has to occur with the righteous man as it does with the wicked!+ It is unthinkable of you.+ Is the Judge of all the earth not going to do what is right?”+ 26 Then Jehovah said: “If I shall find in Sodom fifty righteous men in the midst of the city I will pardon the whole place on their account.”+ 27 But Abraham went on to answer and say: “Please, here I have taken upon myself to speak to Jehovah,* whereas I am dust and ashes.+ 28 Suppose the fifty righteous should be lacking five. Will you for the five bring the whole city to ruin?” To this he said: “I shall not bring it to ruin if I find there forty-five.”+

29 But yet again he spoke further to him and said: “Suppose forty are found there.” In turn he said: “I shall not do it on account of the forty.” 30 But he continued: “May Jehovah,* please, not grow hot with anger,+ but let me go on speaking:+ Suppose thirty are found there.” In turn he said: “I shall not do it if I find thirty there.” 31 But he continued on: “Please, here I have taken upon myself to speak to Jehovah:*+ Suppose twenty are found there.” In turn he said: “I shall not bring it to ruin on account of the twenty.”+ 32 Finally he said: “May Jehovah,* please, not grow hot with anger,+ but let me speak just this once:+ Suppose ten are found there.” In turn he said: “I shall not bring it to ruin on account of the ten.”+ 33 Then Jehovah+ went his way when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

19 Now the two angels arrived at Sodom by evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom.+ When Lot caught sight of them, then he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the earth.+ 2 And he proceeded to say: “Please, now, my lords, turn aside, please, into the house of YOUR servant and stay overnight and have YOUR feet washed.+ Then YOU must get up early and travel on YOUR way.”+ To this they said: “No, but in the public square is where we shall stay overnight.”+ 3 But he was very insistent with them,+ so that they turned aside to him and came into his house. Then he made a feast for them,+ and he baked unfermented cakes,+ and they went to eating.

4 Before they could lie down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house,+ from boy to old man, all the people in one mob.*+ 5 And they kept calling out to Lot and saying to him: “Where are the men who came in to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may have intercourse with them.”+

6 Finally Lot went out to them to the entrance, but he shut the door behind him. 7 Then he said: “Please, my brothers, do not act badly.+ 8 Please, here I have two daughters who have never had intercourse with a man.+ Please, let me bring them out to YOU. Then do to them as is good in YOUR eyes.+ Only to these men do not do a thing,+ because that is why they have come under the shadow of my roof.”+ 9 At this they said: “Stand back there!” And they added: “This lone man came here to reside as an alien+ and yet he would actually play the judge.+ Now we are going to do worse to you than to them.” And they came pressing heavily in on the man,+ on Lot, and were getting near to break in the door.+ 10 So the men thrust out their hands and brought Lot in to them, into the house, and they shut the door. 11 But they struck with blindness the men who were at the entrance of the house,+ from the least to the greatest,+ so that they were wearing themselves out trying to find the entrance.+

12 Then the men said to Lot: “Do you have anyone else here? Son-in-law and your sons and your daughters and all who are yours in the city, bring out of the place!+ 13 For we are bringing this place to ruin, because the outcry against them has grown loud before Jehovah,+ so that Jehovah sent us to bring the city* to ruin.”+ 14 Hence Lot went on out and began to speak to his sons-in-law who were to take* his daughters, and he kept on saying: “Get up! Get out of this place, because Jehovah is bringing the city to ruin!”+ But in the eyes of his sons-in-law he seemed like a man who was joking.+

15 However, when the dawn ascended, then the angels became urgent with Lot, saying: “Get up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are found here,+ for fear you may be swept away in the error of the city!”+ 16 When he kept lingering,+ then in the compassion of Jehovah upon him,+ the men seized hold of his hand and of the hand of his wife and of the hands of his two daughters and they proceeded to bring him out and to station him outside the city.+ 17 And it came about that, as soon as they had brought them forth to the outskirts, he* began to say: “Escape for your soul!+ Do not look behind you+ and do not stand still in all the District!*+ Escape to the mountainous region for fear you may be swept away!”+

18 Then Lot said to them: “Not that, please, Jehovah!* 19 Please, now, your servant has found favor in your eyes+ so that you are magnifying your loving-kindness,*+ which you have exercised with me to preserve my soul alive,+ but I—I am not able to escape to the mountainous region for fear calamity may keep close to me and I certainly die.+ 20 Please, now, this city is nearby to flee there and it is a small thing.+ May I, please, escape there—is it not a small thing?—and my soul will live on.”+ 21 So he said to him: “Here I do show you consideration to this extent* also,+ by my not overthrowing the city of which you have spoken.+ 22 Hurry! Escape there, because I am not able to do a thing until your arriving there!”+ That is why he called the name of the city Zoar.*+

23 The sun had gone forth over the land when Lot arrived at Zoar.+ 24 Then Jehovah made it rain sulphur and fire from Jehovah, from the heavens, upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah.+ 25 So he went ahead overthrowing these cities, even the entire District and all the inhabitants of the cities and the plants of the ground.+ 26 And his wife began to look around from behind him,* and she became a pillar of salt.+

27 Now Abraham made his way early in the morning to the place where he had stood before Jehovah.+ 28 Then he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the District and saw a sight. Why, here thick smoke ascended from the land like the thick smoke of a kiln!+ 29 And it came about that when God brought the cities of the District to ruin God kept Abraham in mind in that he took steps to send Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when overthrowing the cities among which Lot had been dwelling.+

30 Later Lot went up from Zoar and began dwelling in the mountainous region, and his two daughters along with him,+ because he got afraid of dwelling in Zoar.+ So he began dwelling in a cave, he and his two daughters. 31 And the firstborn proceeded to say to the younger woman: “Our father is old and there is not a man in the land to have relations with us according to the way of the whole earth.+ 32 Come, let us give our father wine to drink+ and let us lie down with him and preserve offspring from our father.”+

33 So they kept giving their father wine to drink during that night;+ then the firstborn went in and lay down with her father, but he did not know when she lay down and when she got up.* 34 And it came about on the next day that the firstborn then said to the younger: “Here I lay down with my father last night. Let us give him wine to drink tonight also. Then you go in, lie down with him, and let us preserve offspring from our father.” 35 So they repeatedly gave their father wine to drink during that night also; then the younger got up and lay down with him, but he did not know when she lay down and when she got up. 36 And both the daughters of Lot became pregnant from their father.+ 37 In time the firstborn became mother to a son and called his name Moab.*+ He is the father of Moab, to this day.+ 38 As for the younger, she too gave birth to a son and then called his name Ben-ammi.* He is the father of the sons of Ammon,+ to this day.

20 Now Abraham moved camp from there+ to the land of the Negeb and took up dwelling between Kadesh+ and Shur+ and residing as an alien at Gerar.+ 2 And Abraham repeated concerning Sarah his wife: “She is my sister.”+ With that Abimelech* king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.+ 3 Afterward God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him: “Here you are as good as dead because of the woman whom you have taken,+ since she is owned by another owner as his wife.”+ 4 However, Abimelech had not gone near her.+ Hence he said: “Jehovah,* will you kill a nation that is really righteous?+ 5 Did not he say to me, ‘She is my sister’? and she—did not she too say, ‘He is my brother’? In the honesty of my heart and with innocency of my hands I have done this.”+ 6 At that the [true] God said to him in the dream: “I too have known that in the honesty of your heart you have done this,+ and I was also holding you back from sinning against me.+ That is why I did not allow you to touch her.+ 7 But now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet,*+ and he will make supplication for you.+ So keep living. But if you are not returning her, know that you will positively die, you and all who are yours.”+

8 So Abimelech got up early in the morning and proceeded to call all his servants and to speak of all these things in their ears. And the men got very much afraid. 9 Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him: “What have you done to us, and what sin have I committed against you, in that you have brought upon me and my kingdom a great sin?+ Deeds that should not have been done you have done in connection with me.”+ 10 And Abimelech went on to say to Abraham: “What did you have in view in that you have done this thing?”+ 11 To this Abraham said: “It was because I said to myself, ‘Doubtless there is no fear of God* in this place,+ and they will certainly kill me because of my wife.’+ 12 And, besides, she is truly my sister, the daughter of my father, only not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.+ 13 And it came about that, when God caused me to wander* from the house of my father,+ then I said to her, ‘This is your loving-kindness*+ which you may exercise toward me: At every place where we shall come say of me: “He is my brother.”’”+

14 Following that Abimelech took sheep and cattle and menservants and maidservants and gave them to Abraham and returned to him Sarah his wife.+ 15 Further Abimelech said: “Here my land is available to you.* Dwell where it is good in your eyes.”+ 16 And to Sarah he said: “Here I do give a thousand silver pieces of money* to your brother.+ Here it* is for you a covering+ of the eyes* to all who are with you, and before everybody, and you are cleared of reproach.”* 17 And Abraham began to make supplication to the [true] God;+ and God* proceeded to heal Abimelech and his wife and his slave girls, and they began bearing children. 18 For Jehovah had tightly shut up every womb of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.+

21 And Jehovah turned his attention to Sarah just as he had said, and Jehovah now did to Sarah just as he had spoken.+ 2 And Sarah became pregnant+ and then bore a son to Abraham in his old age at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him.+ 3 Accordingly Abraham called the name of his son who had been born to him, whom Sarah had borne to him, Isaac.+ 4 And Abraham proceeded to circumcise Isaac his son when eight days old, just as God had commanded him.+ 5 And Abraham was a hundred years old when Isaac his son was born to him. 6 Then Sarah said: “God has prepared laughter for me: everybody hearing of it will laugh at me.”+ 7 And she added: “Who would have uttered to Abraham, ‘Sarah will certainly suckle children,’ whereas I have given birth to a son in his old age?”

8 Now the child kept growing and came to be weaned;+ and Abraham then prepared a big feast on the day of Isaac’s being weaned. 9 And Sarah kept noticing the son of Hagar the Egyptian,+ whom she had borne to Abraham, poking fun.+ 10 So she began to say to Abraham: “Drive out this slave girl and her son, for the son of this slave girl is not going to be an heir with my son, with Isaac!”+ 11 But the thing proved to be very displeasing to Abraham as regards his son.+ 12 Then God said to Abraham: “Do not let anything that Sarah keeps saying to you be displeasing to you about the boy and about your slave girl. Listen to her voice, because it is by means of Isaac that what will be called your seed will be.+ 13 And as for the son of the slave girl,+ I shall also constitute him a nation, because he is your offspring.”+

14 So Abraham got up early in the morning and took bread and a skin water bottle and gave it to Hagar,+ setting it upon her shoulder, and the child,+ and then dismissed her. And she went her way and wandered about in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.*+ 15 Finally the water became exhausted+ in the skin bottle and she threw+ the child under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went on and sat down by herself, about the distance of a bowshot away, because she said: “Let me not see it when the child dies.”+ So she sat down at a distance and began to raise her voice and weep.*+

17 At that God heard the voice of the boy,+ and God’s angel called to Hagar out of the heavens and said to her:+ “What is the matter with you, Hagar? Do not be afraid, because God has listened to the voice of the boy there where he is. 18 Get up, lift up the boy and take hold of him with your hand, because I shall constitute him a great nation.”+ 19 Then God opened her eyes so that she caught sight of a well of water;+ and she went and began to fill the skin bottle with water and to give the boy a drink. 20 And God continued to be with the boy,+ and he kept growing and dwelling in the wilderness; and he became an archer.*+ 21 And he took up dwelling in the wilderness of Paran,+ and his mother proceeded to take a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

22 Now it came about at that time that Abimelech together with Phicol the chief of his army said to Abraham: “God* is with you in everything you are doing.+ 23 So now swear to me here by God+ that you will not prove false to me and to my offspring and to my posterity;+ that, according to the loyal love with which I have dealt with you,+ you will deal with me and with the land in which you have been residing as an alien.”+ 24 So Abraham said: “I shall swear.”+

25 When Abraham criticized Abimelech severely as regards the well of water that the servants of Abimelech had seized by violence,+ 26 then Abimelech said: “I do not know who did this thing, neither did you yourself tell it to me, and I myself have also not heard of it except today.”+ 27 With that Abraham took sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech,+ and both of them proceeded to conclude* a covenant.+ 28 When Abraham set seven female lambs of the flock by themselves, 29 Abimelech went on to say to Abraham: “What is the meaning here of these seven female lambs that you have set by themselves?” 30 Then he said: “You are to accept the seven female lambs at my hand, that it may serve as a witness+ for me that I have dug this well.” 31 That is why he called that place Beer-sheba,+ because there both of them had taken an oath. 32 So they concluded a covenant+ at Beer-sheba, after which Abimelech got up together with Phicol the chief of his army and they returned to the land of the Philistines.+ 33 After that he planted a tamarisk tree at Beer-sheba and called there upon the name of Jehovah+ the indefinitely lasting God.*+ 34 And Abraham extended his residence as an alien in the land of the Philistines many days.+

22 Now after these things it came about that the [true] God put Abraham to the test.+ Accordingly he said to him: “Abraham!” to which he said: “Here I am!”+ 2 And he went on to say: “Take, please, your son, your only son whom you so love,+ Isaac,+ and make a trip to the land of Moriah+ and there offer him up as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall designate to you.”+

3 So Abraham got up early in the morning and saddled his ass and took two of his attendants* with him and Isaac his son;+ and he split the wood for the burnt offering. Then he rose and went on the trip to the place that the [true] God designated to him. 4 It was first on the third day that Abraham raised his eyes and began to see the place from a distance. 5 Abraham now said to his attendants:+ “YOU stay here with the ass, but I and the boy want to go on over there and worship+ and return to YOU.”

6 After that Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and put it upon Isaac his son+ and took in his hands the fire and the slaughtering knife, and both of them went on together.+ 7 And Isaac began to say to Abraham his father:* “My father!”+ In turn he said: “Here I am, my son!”+ So he continued: “Here are the fire and the wood, but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?”+ 8 To this Abraham said: “God will provide himself the sheep for the burnt offering,+ my son.” And both of them walked on together.

9 Finally they reached the place that the [true] God had designated to him, and Abraham built an altar+ there and set the wood in order and bound Isaac his son hand and foot and put him upon the altar on top of the wood.+ 10 Then Abraham put out his hand and took the slaughtering knife to kill his son.+ 11 But Jehovah’s angel began calling to him out of the heavens and saying:+ “Abraham, Abraham!” to which he answered: “Here I am!” 12 And he went on to say: “Do not put out your hand against the boy and do not do anything at all to him,+ for now I do know that you are God-fearing* in that you have not withheld your son, your only one, from me.”+ 13 At that Abraham raised his eyes and looked and there, deep in the foreground, there was a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up for a burnt offering in place of his son.+ 14 And Abraham began to call the name of that place Jehovah-jireh.* This is why it is customarily said today: “In the mountain of Jehovah it will be provided.”*+

15 And Jehovah’s angel proceeded to call to Abraham the second time out of the heavens 16 and to say: “‘By myself I do swear,’ is the utterance of Jehovah,+ ‘that by reason of the fact that you have done this thing and you have not withheld your son, your only one,+ 17 I shall surely bless you and I shall surely multiply your seed like the stars of the heavens and like the grains of sand that are on the seashore;+ and your seed will take possession of the gate* of his enemies.+ 18 And by means of your seed+ all nations of the earth will certainly bless themselves* due to the fact that you have listened to my voice.’”+ 12:3; Acts3:25; Gal.3:8

19 After that Abraham returned to his attendants, and they got up and went their way together to Beer-sheba;+ and Abraham continued to dwell at Beer-sheba.

20 Now it came about after these things that the report got through to Abraham: “Here Milcah+ herself has also borne sons to Nahor+ your brother: 21 Uz his firstborn and Buz+ his brother and Kemuel the father of Aram, 22 and Chesed and Hazo and Pildash and Jidlaph and Bethuel.”+ 23 And Bethuel became the father of Rebekah.+ These eight Milcah bore to Nahor the brother of Abraham. 24 There was his concubine too, whose name was Reumah. In time she herself also gave birth to Tebah and Gaham and Tahash and Maacah.+

23 And Sarah’s life got to be a hundred and twenty-seven years long. They were the years of Sarah’s life.+ 2 So Sarah died in Kiriath-arba,+ that is to say, Hebron,+ in the land of Canaan,+ and Abraham came in to bewail Sarah and to weep over her. 3 Then Abraham got up from before his dead and proceeded to speak to the sons of Heth,*+ saying: 4 “An alien resident and settler I am among YOU.+ Give me the possession of a burial place among YOU that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”+ 5 At this the sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him: 6 “Hear us, my lord.*+ A chieftain of God* you are in the midst of us.+ In the choicest* of our burial places bury your dead.+ None of us will hold back his burial place from you to prevent burying your dead.”+

7 Thereupon Abraham got up and bowed down to the natives,*+ to the sons of Heth,+ 8 and spoke with them, saying: “If YOUR souls agree* to bury my dead out of my sight, listen to me and urge Ephron the son of Zohar for me,+ 9 that he may give me the cave of Machpelah,*+ which is his, which is at the extremity of his field. For the full amount of silver let him give it to me in the midst of YOU for the possession of a burial place.”+

10 As it was, Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth. So Ephron the Hittite+ answered Abraham in the hearing* of the sons of Heth with all those entering the gate of his city, saying:+ 11 “No, my lord! Listen to me. The field I do give to you, and the cave that is in it to you I do give it. Before the eyes of the sons of my people I do give it to you.+ Bury your dead.” 12 At that Abraham bowed down before the natives 13 and spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the natives, saying: “Only if you—no, listen to me! I will give you the amount of silver for the field. Take it from me,+ that I may bury my dead there.”

14 Then Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him: 15 “My lord, listen to me. A land plot worth four hundred silver shekels,* what is that between me and you? So bury your dead.”+ 16 Accordingly Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed out to Ephron the amount of silver that he had spoken in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred silver shekels current with the merchants.+ 17 Thus the field of Ephron that was in Machpelah, which is in front of Mamre, the field and the cave that was in it and all the trees that were in the field,+ which were within all its boundaries round about, became confirmed+ 18 to Abraham as his purchased property before the eyes of the sons of Heth among all those entering the gate of his city.+ 19 And after that Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah in front of Mamre, that is to say, Hebron, in the land of Canaan.+ 20 Thus the field and the cave that was in it became confirmed to Abraham for the possession of a burial place at the hands of the sons of Heth.+

24 Now Abraham was old, advanced in years;* and Jehovah had blessed Abraham in everything.+ 2 Hence Abraham said to his servant, the oldest one of his household, who was managing* all he had:+ “Put your hand, please, under my thigh,+ 3 as I must have you swear by Jehovah,+ the God of the heavens and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites in among whom I am dwelling,+ 4 but you will go to my country and to my relatives,+ and you will certainly take a wife for my son, for Isaac.”
 

5 However, the servant said to him: “What if the woman does not wish to come with me to this land? Must I be sure to return your son to the land from where you went out?”+ 6 At this Abraham said to him: “Be on your guard that you do not return my son there.+ 7 Jehovah the God of the heavens, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my relatives*+ and who spoke to me and who swore to me,+ saying, ‘To your seed+ I am going to give this land,’+ he will send his angel ahead of you,+ and you will certainly take a wife for my son from there.+ 8 But if the woman should not wish to come with you, you also will have become free from this oath you gave me.+ Only you must not return my son there.” 9 With that the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter.+
 

10 So the servant took ten camels from the camels of his master and proceeded to go with every sort of good thing of his master’s in his hand.+ Then he rose and got on his way to Mesopotamia* to the city of Nahor. 11 Eventually he had the camels kneel down outside the city at a well of water about evening time,+ about the time that the women who draw water were accustomed to go out.+ 12 And he went on to say: “Jehovah the God of my master Abraham,+ cause it to happen, please, before me this day and perform loving-kindness+ with my master Abraham.+ 13 Here I am stationed at a fountain of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water.+ 14 What must occur is that the young woman to whom I shall say, ‘Let your water jar down, please, that I may take a drink,’ and who will indeed say, ‘Take a drink, and I shall also water your camels,’ this is the one you must assign to your servant,+ to Isaac; and by this let me know that you have performed loyal love with my master.”+
 

15 Well, it came about that before he had finished speaking,+ why, here coming out was Rebekah, who had been born to Bethuel+ the son of Milcah+ the wife of Nahor,+ Abraham’s brother, and her water jar was upon her shoulder.+ 16 Now the young woman* was very attractive in appearance,+ a virgin,* and no man had had sexual intercourse with her;+ and she made her way down to the fountain and began to fill her water jar and then came up. 17 At once the servant ran to meet her and said: “Give me, please, a little sip of water from your jar.”+ 18 In turn she said: “Drink, my lord.” With that she quickly lowered her jar upon her hand and gave him a drink.+ 19 When she was finished giving him a drink, then she said: “For your camels too I shall draw water until they are done drinking.”+ 20 So she quickly emptied her jar into the drinking trough and ran yet again and again to the well to draw water,+ and kept drawing for all his camels. 21 All the while the man was gazing at her in wonder, keeping silent to know whether Jehovah had made his trip successful or not.+

22 Consequently it came about that, when the camels had finished drinking, then the man took a gold nose ring+ of a half shekel* in weight and two bracelets+ for her hands, ten shekels of gold was their weight, 23 and he went on to say: “Whose daughter are you? Tell me, please. Is there any room at the house of your father for us to spend the night?”+ 24 At that she said to him: “I am the daughter of Bethuel+ the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.”+ 25 And she said further to him: “There is both straw and much fodder with us, also a place to spend the night.”+ 26 And the man proceeded to bow down and prostrate himself before Jehovah+ 27 and say: “Blessed be Jehovah+ the God of my master Abraham, who has not left his loving-kindness and his trustworthiness toward my master. I being on the way, Jehovah has led me to the house of the brothers of my master.”+

28 And the young woman went running and telling the household of her mother about these things. 29 Now Rebekah had a brother and his name was Laban.+ So Laban went running to the man who was outside at the fountain. 30 And it came about that on seeing the nose ring and the bracelets+ on the hands of his sister and on hearing the words of Rebekah his sister, saying: “This is the way the man spoke to me,” then he came to the man and there he was, standing by the camels at the fountain. 31 At once he said: “Come, you blessed one of Jehovah.+ Why do you keep standing out here, when I myself have made the house ready and room for the camels?” 32 With that the man came on into the house, and he went unharnessing the camels and giving straw and fodder to the camels and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.+ 33 Then something to eat was set before him, but he said: “I shall not eat until I have spoken about my matters.” Hence he said: “Speak!”+

34 Then he went on to say: “I am Abraham’s servant.+ 35 And Jehovah has blessed my master very much in that he goes on making him greater and giving him sheep and cattle and silver and gold and menservants and maidservants and camels and asses.+ 36 Further, Sarah the wife of my master bore a son to my master after her growing old;+ and he will give him everything he has.+ 37 So my master made me swear, saying, ‘You must not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites in whose land I am dwelling.+ 38 No, but you will go to the house of my father and to my family+ and you must take a wife for my son.’+ 39 But I said to my master, ‘What if the woman will not come with me?’+ 40 Then he said to me, ‘Jehovah, before whom I have walked,+ will send his angel+ with you and will certainly give success to your way;+ and you must take a wife for my son from my family and from the house of my father.+ 41 At that time you will be cleared of obligation to me by oath* when you get to my family, and if they will not give her to you, then you shall become free of obligation to me by oath.’+

42 “When I got to the fountain today, then I said, ‘Jehovah the God of my master Abraham, if you are really giving success to my way on which I am going,+ 43 here I am stationed at a fountain of water. What must occur is that the maiden*+ coming out to draw water to whom I shall actually say: “Please, let me drink a little water from your jar,” 44 and who will indeed say to me: “Both you take a drink, and I shall also draw water for your camels,” she is the woman whom Jehovah has assigned for the son of my master.’+

45 “Before I was finished speaking+ in my heart,+ why, there was Rebekah coming out, with her jar upon her shoulder; and she made her way down to the fountain and began to draw water.+ Then I said to her, ‘Give me a drink, please.’+ 46 So she quickly lowered her jar from off her and said, ‘Take a drink,+ and I shall also water your camels.’ Then I took a drink, and she also watered the camels. 47 After that I asked her and said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’+ to which she said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel the son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to him.’ Accordingly I put the nose ring on her nostril and the bracelets on her hands.+ 48 And I proceeded to bow down and prostrate myself before Jehovah and bless Jehovah the God of my master Abraham,+ who had led me in the true way+ to take the daughter of the brother of my master for his son. 49 And now if YOU are actually exercising loving-kindness and trustworthiness toward my master,+ tell me; but if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.”+

50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said: “From Jehovah this thing has issued.+ We are unable to speak bad or good to you.+ 51 Here is Rebekah before you. Take her and go, and let her become a wife to the son of your master, just as Jehovah has spoken.”+ 52 And it came about that when Abraham’s servant had heard their words, he at once prostrated himself on the earth before Jehovah.+ 53 And the servant began to bring out articles of silver and articles of gold and garments and to give them to Rebekah; and he gave choice things to her brother and to her mother.+ 54 After that they ate and drank, he and the men who were with him, and they spent the night there and got up in the morning.
    
     Then he said: “SEND me off to my master.”+ 55 To this her brother and her mother said: “Let the young woman* stay with us at least ten days.* Afterward she can go.” 56 But he said to them: “Do not detain me, seeing that Jehovah has given success to my way.+ Send me off, that I may go to my master.”+ 57 So they said: “Let us call the young woman and inquire at her mouth.”+ 58 Then they called Rebekah and said to her: “Will you go with this man?” In turn she said: “I am willing to go.”+

59 At that they sent off Rebekah+ their sister and her nurse+ and Abraham’s servant and his men. 60 And they began to bless Rebekah and say to her: “O you, our sister, may you become thousands times ten thousand,* and let your seed take possession of the gate* of those who hate it.”*+ 61 After that Rebekah and her lady attendants*+ rose and they went riding on the camels+ and following the man; and the servant took Rebekah and got on his way.

62 Now Isaac had come from the way that goes to Beer-lahai-roi,+ for he was dwelling in the land of the Negeb.+ 63 And Isaac was out walking in order to meditate*+ in the field at about the falling of evening. When he raised his eyes and looked, why, there camels were coming! 64 When Rebekah raised her eyes, she caught sight of Isaac and she swung herself down from off the camel. 65 Then she said to the servant: “Who is that man there walking in the field to meet us?” and the servant said: “It is my master.” And she proceeded to take a headcloth and to cover herself.+ 66 And the servant went relating to Isaac all the things he had done. 67 After that Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother.+ Thus he took Rebekah and she became his wife;+ and he fell in love with her,+ and Isaac found comfort after the loss of his mother.*+

25 Furthermore, Abraham again took a wife, and her name was Keturah.+ 2 In time she bore him Zimran and Jokshan and Medan and Midian+ and Ishbak and Shuah.+
   3 And Jokshan became father to Sheba+ and Dedan.+
      And the sons of Dedan became Asshurim and Letushim and Leummim.*
  
   4 And the sons of Midian were Ephah+ and Epher and Hanoch and Abida and Eldaah.+
      All these were the sons of Keturah.

5 Later on Abraham gave everything he had to Isaac,+ 6 but to the sons of the concubines that Abraham had Abraham gave gifts.+ Then he sent them away from Isaac his son,+ while he was still alive, eastward, to the land of the East.+ 7 And these are the days of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived, a hundred and seventy-five years. 8 Then Abraham expired and died in a good old age, old and satisfied,* and was gathered to his people.+ 9 So Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite that is in front of Mamre,+ 10 the field that Abraham had purchased from the sons of Heth. There Abraham was buried, and also Sarah his wife.+ 11 And it developed that after Abraham’s death God continued to bless Isaac his son,+ and Isaac was dwelling close by Beer-lahai-roi.+

12 And this is the history of Ishmael+ the son of Abraham whom Hagar the Egyptian the maidservant of Sarah bore to Abraham.+

13 Now these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their family origins: Ishmael’s firstborn Nebaioth+ and Kedar+ and Adbeel and Mibsam+ 14 and Mishma and Dumah and Massa, 15 Hadad+ and Tema,+ Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah.+ 16 These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names by their courtyards and by their walled camps:+ twelve chieftains according to their clans.+ 17 And these are the years of Ishmael’s life, a hundred and thirty-seven years. Then he expired and died and was gathered to his people.+ 18 And they took up tabernacling from Havilah+ near Shur,+ which is in front* of Egypt, as far as Assyria. In front of all his brothers he settled down.*+

19 And this is the history of Isaac the son of Abraham.+

Abraham became father to Isaac. 20 And Isaac happened to be forty years old at his taking Rebekah the daughter of Bethuel+ the Syrian*+ of Paddan-aram,* the sister of Laban the Syrian, as his wife. 21 And Isaac kept on entreating Jehovah especially for his wife,+ because she was barren;+ so Jehovah let himself be entreated for him,+ and Rebekah his wife became pregnant. 22 And the sons within her began to struggle with each other,+ so that she said: “If this is the way it is, just why am I alive?”* With that she went to inquire of Jehovah.+ 23 And Jehovah proceeded to say to her: “Two nations are in your belly,+ and two national groups will be separated from your inward parts;+ and the one national group will be stronger than the other national group,+ and the older will serve the younger.”*+

24 Gradually her days came to the full for giving birth, and, look! twins were in her belly.+ 25 Then the first came out red all over like an official garment of hair;+ so they called his name Esau.*+ 26 And after that his brother came out and his hand was holding onto the heel of Esau;+ so he called his name Jacob.*+ And Isaac was sixty years old at her giving them birth.

27 And the boys got bigger, and Esau became a man knowing how to hunt,+ a man of the field,* but Jacob a blameless man,+ dwelling in tents.+ 28 And Isaac had love for Esau, because it meant game in his mouth,* whereas Rebekah was a lover of Jacob.+ 29 Once Jacob was boiling up some stew,* when Esau came along from the field and he was tired. 30 So Esau said to Jacob: “Quick, please, give me a swallow of the red—the red* there, for I am tired!” That is why his name was called Edom.*+ 31 To this Jacob said: “Sell me, first of all, your right as firstborn!”+ 32 And Esau continued: “Here I am simply going to die, and of what benefit to me is a birthright?”* 33 And Jacob added: “Swear to me first of all!”+ And he proceeded to swear to him and to sell his right as firstborn to Jacob.+ 34 And Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he went to eating and drinking.+ Then he got up and went his way. So Esau despised the birthright.+

26 Now there arose a famine in the land, besides the first famine that occurred in the days of Abraham,+ so that Isaac directed himself to Abimelech, king of the Philistines, to Gerar.+ 2 Then Jehovah appeared to him and said:+ “Do not go down to Egypt. Tabernacle in the land that I designate to you.+ 3 Reside as an alien in this land,+ and I shall continue with you and bless you, because to you and to your seed I shall give all these lands,+ and I will carry out the sworn statement that I swore to Abraham your father,+ 4 ‘And I will multiply your seed like the stars of the heavens and I will give to your seed all these lands;+ and by means of your seed all nations of the earth will certainly bless themselves,’*+ 5 due to the fact that Abraham listened to* my voice and continued to keep his obligations to me, my commands, my statutes, and my laws.”+ 6 So Isaac went on dwelling at Gerar.+

7 Well, the men of the place kept asking with respect to his wife, and he would say: “She is my sister.”+ For he was afraid to say “My wife” for fear that, to quote him, “the men of the place should kill me because of Rebekah,” because she was attractive in appearance.+ 8 So it came about that as his days there extended themselves Abimelech, king of the Philistines, was looking out of the window and taking in the sight, and there was Isaac having a good time with Rebekah his wife.+ 9 At once Abimelech called Isaac and said: “Why, she is no other than your wife! So how is it that you said, ‘She is my sister’?” At this Isaac said to him: “I said it for fear I should die on her account.”+ 10 But Abimelech continued: “What is this you have done to us?+ A little more and certainly one of the people would have lain down with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us!”+ 11 Then Abimelech commanded all the people, saying: “Anybody touching this man and his wife will surely be put to death!”

12 Afterward Isaac began to sow seed in that land,+ and in that year he was getting up to a hundred measures to one,+ as Jehovah was blessing him.+ 13 Consequently the man became great and went on advancing more and more and growing great until he got very great.+ 14 And he came to have flocks of sheep and herds of cattle and a large body of servants,+ so that the Philistines began to envy him.+

15 As for all the wells that the servants of his father had dug in the days of Abraham his father,+ these the Philistines stopped up and they would fill them with dry earth.+ 16 Finally Abimelech said to Isaac: “Move from our neighborhood, because you have grown far stronger than we are.”+ 17 So Isaac moved from there and encamped in the torrent valley* of Gerar+ and took up dwelling there. 18 And Isaac proceeded to dig again the wells of water that they had dug in the days of Abraham his father* but which the Philistines went stopping up after Abraham’s death;+ and he resumed calling their names by the names that his father had called them.+

19 And the servants of Isaac went on digging in the torrent valley and so they found there a well of fresh* water. 20 And the shepherds of Gerar fell to quarreling with the shepherds of Isaac,+ saying: “The water is ours!” Hence he called the name of the well Esek,* because they had contended with him. 21 And they went digging another well, and they fell to quarreling over it also. Hence he called its name Sitnah.* 22 Later he moved away from there and dug another well,+ but they did not quarrel over it. Hence he called its name Rehoboth* and said: “It is because now Jehovah has given us ample room+ and has made us fruitful in the earth.”*+

23 Then he went up from there to Beer-sheba.+ 24 And Jehovah proceeded to appear to him during that night and to say: “I am the God of Abraham your father.+ Do not be afraid,+ because I am with you, and I will bless you and multiply your seed on account of Abraham my servant.”+ 25 Accordingly he built an altar there and called on* the name of Jehovah+ and pitched his tent there,+ and the servants of Isaac went excavating a well there.

26 Later on Abimelech came to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath his confidential friend and Phicol the chief of his army.+ 27 At this Isaac said to them: “Why have YOU come to me, seeing that YOU yourselves hated me and so sent me away from YOUR neighborhood?”+ 28 To this they said: “We have unmistakably seen that Jehovah has proved to be with you.+ Hence we said, ‘Let, please, an oath of obligation occur between us,+ between us and you, and let us conclude a covenant with you,+ 29 that you will do nothing bad toward us just as we have not touched you and just as we have done only good toward you in that* we sent you away in peace.+ You now are the blessed of Jehovah.’”+ 30 Then he made a feast for them and they ate and drank.+ 31 Next morning they were early in rising and they made sworn statements one to the other.+ After that Isaac sent them away and they went from him in peace.+

32 Now on that day it occurred that the servants of Isaac proceeded to come and report to him regarding the well that they had dug,+ and to say to him: “We have found water!” 33 Hence he called its name Shibah. That is why the name of the city is Beer-sheba,+ down to this day.

34 And Esau grew to be forty years old. Then he took as wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite and also Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite.+ 35 And they were a source of bitterness of spirit* to Isaac and Rebekah.+

27 Now it came about that when Isaac was old and his eyes were too dim to see+ he then called Esau his older son and said to him:+ “My son!” at which he said to him: “Here I am!” 2 And he went on to say: “Here, now, I have become old.+ I do not know the day of my death.+ 3 So at this time take, please, your implements, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt some venison for me.+ 4 Then make me a tasty dish such as I am fond of and bring it to me and, ah, let me eat, in order that my soul may bless you before I die.”+

5 However, Rebekah was listening while Isaac spoke to Esau his son. And Esau went on out into the field to hunt game and to bring it in.+ 6 And Rebekah said to Jacob her son:+ “Here I just heard your father speaking to Esau your brother, saying, 7 ‘Bring me some game and make me a tasty dish and, ah, let me eat, that I may bless you before Jehovah before my death.’+ 8 And now, my son, listen to my voice in what I am commanding you.+ 9 Go, please, to the herd and get me from there two kids of the goats, good ones, that I may make them up into a tasty dish for your father such as he is fond of. 10 Then you must bring it to your father and he must eat it, in order that he may bless you before his death.”

11 And Jacob proceeded to say to Rebekah his mother: “But Esau my brother is a hairy man and I am a smooth man.+ 12 What if my father feels me?+ Then I shall certainly become in his eyes like one making a mockery,+ and I shall certainly bring upon myself a malediction and not a blessing.”+ 13 At this his mother said to him: “Upon me be the malediction meant for you, my son.+ Only listen to my voice and go, get them for me.”+ 14 Accordingly he went and got them and brought them to his mother, and his mother made a tasty dish such as his father was fond of. 15 After that Rebekah took garments of Esau her older son,+ the most desirable ones which were with her in the house,+ and put them on Jacob her younger son.+ 16 And the skins of the kids of the goats she put upon his hands and upon the hairless part of his neck.+ 17 Then she gave the tasty dish and the bread that she had made into the hand of Jacob her son.+

18 So he went on in to his father and said: “My father!” to which he said: “Here I am! Who are you, my son?” 19 And Jacob went on to say to his father: “I am Esau your firstborn.+ I have done just as you have spoken to me. Raise yourself up, please. Sit down and eat some of my game, in order that your soul may bless me.”+ 20 At that Isaac said to his son: “How is it that you have been so quick in finding it, my son?” In turn he said: “Because Jehovah your God caused it to meet up with me.” 21 Then Isaac said to Jacob: “Come near, please, that I may feel you, my son, to know whether you are really my son Esau or not.”+ 22 So Jacob came near to Isaac his father, and he went feeling him, after which he said: “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.”+ 23 And he did not recognize him, because his hands proved to be hairy like the hands of Esau his brother. Hence he blessed him.+

24 After that he said: “You are really my son Esau?” to which he said: “I am.”+ 25 Then he said: “Bring it near to me that I may eat some of the game of my son, to the end that my soul may bless you.”+ With that he brought it near to him and he began to eat, and he brought him wine and he began to drink. 26 Then Isaac his father said to him: “Come near, please, and kiss me, my son.”+ 27 So he came near and kissed him, and he could smell the scent of his garments.+ And he proceeded to bless him and to say:

“See, the scent of my son is like the scent of the field which Jehovah has blessed. 28 And may the [true] God give you the dews of the heavens+ and the fertile soils* of the earth+ and an abundance of grain and new wine.+ 29 Let peoples serve you and let national groups bow low to you.+ Become master over your brothers, and let the sons of your mother bow low to you.+ Cursed be each one of those cursing you, and blessed be each one of those blessing you.”+

30 Now it came about as soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, yes, it indeed came about when Jacob had barely come out from before the face of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came back from his hunting.+ 31 And he too went about making a tasty dish. Then he brought it to his father and said to his father: “Let my father get up and eat some of his son’s game, in order that your soul may bless me.”+ 32 At this Isaac his father said to him: “Who are you?” to which he said: “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.”+ 33 And Isaac began to shake with a great trembling in extreme measure, and so he said: “Who, then, was it that hunted for game and came bringing it to me, so that I ate of everything before you could come in and I blessed him? Blessed too he will become!”*+

34 On hearing his father’s words Esau began to cry out in an extremely loud and bitter manner and to say to his father:+ “Bless me, even me too, my father!”+ 35 But he went on to say: “Your brother came with deception that he might get the blessing meant for you.”+ 36 At this he said: “Is that not why his name is called Jacob,* in that he should supplant me these two times?+ My birthright he has already taken,+ and here at this time he has taken my blessing!”+ Then he added: “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?” 37 But in answer to Esau Isaac continued: “Here I have appointed him master over you,+ and all his brothers I have given to him as servants,+ and grain and new wine I have bestowed for his support,+ and where is there anything I can do for you, my son?”

38 Then Esau said to his father: “Is there just one blessing that you have, my father? Bless me, even me too, my father!”+ With that Esau raised his voice and burst into tears.+ 39 So in answer Isaac his father said to him:

“Behold, away from the fertile soils of the earth your dwelling will be found, and away from the dew of the heavens above.+ 40 And by your sword you will live,+ and your brother you will serve.+ But it will certainly occur that, when you grow restless, you will indeed break his yoke off your neck.”+

41 However, Esau harbored animosity for Jacob on account of the blessing with which his father had blessed him,+ and Esau kept saying in his heart:+ “The days of the period of mourning for my father are getting closer.+ After that I am going to kill Jacob my brother.”+ 42 When the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah, she at once sent and called Jacob her younger son and said to him: “Look! Esau your brother is comforting himself* in regard to you—to kill you.+ 43 Now, then, my son, listen to my voice and get up,+ run away to Laban my brother at Haran.+ 44 And you must dwell with him for some days until the rage of your brother calms down,+ 45 until the anger of your brother turns away from you and he has forgotten what you have done to him.+ And I shall certainly send and get you from there. Why should I be bereaved also of both of YOU in one day?”

46 After that Rebekah kept saying to Isaac: “I have come to abhor this life of mine because of the daughters of Heth.+ If Jacob ever takes a wife from the daughters of Heth like these from the daughters of the land, of what good* is life to me?”+

28 Consequently Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and commanded him and said to him: “You must not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.*+ 2 Get up, go to Paddan-aram* to the house of Bethuel the father of your mother and from there take yourself a wife from the daughters of Laban the brother of your mother.+ 3 And God Almighty will bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, and you will certainly become a congregation of peoples.+ 4 And he will give to you the blessing of Abraham,+ to you and to your seed with you,+ that you may take possession of the land of your alien residences,+ which God has given to Abraham.”+

5 So Isaac sent Jacob away, and he struck out for Paddan-aram, for Laban the son of Bethuel the Syrian,*+ the brother of Rebekah,+ mother of Jacob and Esau.*+

6 When Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and had sent him away to Paddan-aram to take from there a wife for himself, and that when he blessed him he laid the command upon him, saying: “Do not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan”;+ 7 and that Jacob was obeying his father and his mother and was on his way to Paddan-aram;+ 8 then Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan were displeasing* in the eyes of Isaac his father.+ 9 Hence Esau went to Ishmael* and took as wife Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael the son of Abraham, the sister of Nebaioth, besides his other wives.+

10 And Jacob continued on his way out from Beer-sheba and kept going to Haran.+ 11 In time he came across a place and set about spending the night there because the sun had set. So he took one of the stones of the place and set it as his head supporter* and lay down in that place.+ 12 And he began to dream,+ and, look! there was a ladder* stationed upon the earth and its top reaching up to the heavens; and, look! there were God’s angels ascending and descending on it.+ 13 And, look! there was Jehovah stationed above it, and he proceeded to say:+
     “I am Jehovah the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac.+ The land upon which you are lying, to you I am going to give it and to your seed.+ 14 And your seed will certainly become like the dust particles of the earth,+ and you will certainly spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south,+ and by means of you and by means of your seed all the families of the ground will certainly bless themselves.*+ Gen.22:18; Acts3:25 15 And here I am with you and I will keep you in all the way you are going and I will return you to this ground,+ because I am not going to leave you until I have actually done what I have spoken to you.”+

16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said: “Truly Jehovah is in this place and I myself did not know it.” 17 And he grew fearful and added:+ “How fear-inspiring this place is!+ This is nothing else but the house of God+ and this is the gate of the heavens.” 18 So Jacob got up early in the morning and took the stone that was there as his head supporter and he set it up as a pillar and poured oil on the top of it.+ 19 Further, he called the name of that place Bethel;*+ but the fact is, Luz was the city’s name formerly.+

20 And Jacob went on to vow a vow,+ saying: “If God will continue with me and will certainly keep me on this way on which I am going and will certainly give me bread to eat and garments to wear+ 21 and I shall certainly return in peace to the house of my father, then Jehovah will have proved to be my God.*+ 22 And this stone that I have set up as a pillar will become a house of God,+ and as for everything that you will give me I shall without fail give the tenth of it to you.”+

29 After that Jacob set his feet in motion and traveled on to the land of the Orientals.*+ 2 Now he looked, and here there was a well in the field and here three droves of sheep* were lying down there by it, because from that well they were accustomed to water the droves;+ and there was a great stone over the mouth of the well.+ 3 When all the droves had been gathered there, they rolled away the stone from off the mouth of the well, and they watered the flocks, after which they returned the stone over the mouth of the well to its place.

4 So Jacob said to them: “My brothers, from what place are YOU?” to which they said: “We are from Haran.”+ 5 Then he said to them: “Do YOU know Laban+ the grandson of Nahor?”+ to which they said: “We know him.” 6 At this he said to them: “Is it all right with him?”*+ In turn they said: “It is all right.* And here is Rachel+ his daughter coming with the sheep!”+ 7 And he went on to say: “Why, it is yet full day.* It is not the time for gathering the herds. WATER the sheep, then go feed them.”+ 8 To this they said: “We are not allowed to do so until all the droves are gathered and they actually roll away the stone from off the mouth of the well. Then we must water the sheep.”

9 While he was yet speaking with them, Rachel+ came with the sheep that belonged to her father, for she was a shepherdess.+ 10 And it came about that when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, Jacob immediately approached and rolled away the stone from off the mouth of the well and watered the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother.+ 11 Then Jacob kissed+ Rachel and raised his voice and burst into tears.+ 12 And Jacob began to tell Rachel that he was the brother*+ of her father and that he was the son of Rebekah. And she went running and telling her father.+

13 Now it came about that as soon as Laban heard the report about Jacob the son of his sister, he went running to meet him.+ Then he embraced him and kissed him and brought him on into his house.+ And he began to relate to Laban all these things. 14 After that Laban said to him: “You are indeed my bone and my flesh.”+ So he dwelt with him a full month.*

15 After that Laban said to Jacob: “Are you my brother,+ and must you serve me for nothing?+ Tell me, What are your wages to be?”+ 16 As it was, Laban had two daughters. The name of the older was Leah+ and the name of the younger Rachel. 17 But the eyes of Leah had no luster,* whereas Rachel+ had become beautiful in form and beautiful of countenance.+ 18 And Jacob was in love with Rachel. So he said: “I am willing to serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.”+ 19 To this Laban said: “It is better for me to give her to you than for me to give her to another man.+ Keep dwelling with me.” 20 And Jacob proceeded to serve seven years for Rachel,+ but in his eyes they proved to be like some few days because of his love for her.+

21 Then Jacob said to Laban: “Give over my wife, because my days are up,* and let me have relations with her.”+ 22 With that Laban gathered all the men of the place and made a feast.+ 23 But it turned out that during the evening he resorted to taking Leah his daughter and bringing her to him that he might have relations with her. 24 Moreover, Laban gave to her Zilpah+ his maidservant, even to Leah his daughter, as a maidservant. 25 So it followed in the morning that here it was Leah! Consequently he said to Laban: “What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served with you? So why have you tricked me?”+ 26 To this Laban said: “It is not customary to do this way in our place, to give the younger woman before the firstborn. 27 Celebrate+ to the full* the week of this woman.* After that there shall be given to you also this other woman* for the service that you can serve with me for seven years more.”+ 28 Accordingly Jacob did so and celebrated fully the week of this woman, after which he gave him Rachel his daughter as his wife. 29 Besides, Laban gave Bilhah+ his maidservant to Rachel his daughter as her maidservant.

30 Then he had relations also with Rachel and also expressed more love for Rachel than for Leah,+ and he went serving with him for yet seven years more.+ 31 When Jehovah came to see that Leah was hated, he then opened her womb,+ but Rachel was barren.+ 32 And Leah became pregnant and brought a son to birth and then called his name Reuben,*+ for she said: “It is because Jehovah has looked upon my wretchedness,+ in that now my husband will begin to love me.” 33 And she became pregnant again and brought a son to birth and then said: “It is because Jehovah has listened,+ in that I was hated and so he gave me also this one.” Hence she called his name Simeon.*+ 34 And she became pregnant yet again and brought a son to birth and then said: “Now this time my husband will join himself to me, because I have borne him three sons.” His name was therefore called Levi.*+ 35 And she became pregnant once more and brought a son to birth and then said: “This time I shall laud Jehovah.” She therefore called his name Judah.*+ After that she left off giving birth.

30 When Rachel came to see that she had borne nothing to Jacob, Rachel got jealous of her sister and began to say to Jacob:+ “Give me children or otherwise I shall be a dead woman.”+ 2 At this Jacob’s anger burned against Rachel and he said:+ “Am I in the place of God, who has held back the fruit of the belly from you?”+ 3 So she said: “Here is my slave girl Bilhah.+ Have relations with her, that she may give birth upon my knees and that I, even I, may get children from her.”+ 4 With that she gave him Bilhah her maidservant as wife, and Jacob had relations with her.+ 5 And Bilhah became pregnant and in time bore Jacob a son.+ 6 Then Rachel said: “God has acted as my judge+ and has also listened to my voice, so that he gave me a son.” That is why she called his name Dan.*+ 7 And Bilhah, Rachel’s maidservant, became pregnant once more and in time bore a second son to Jacob. 8 Then Rachel said: “With strenuous* wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister. I have also come off winner!” So she called his name Naphtali.*+

9 When Leah came to see that she had left off giving birth, she proceeded to take Zilpah her maidservant and to give her to Jacob as wife.+ 10 In time Zilpah, Leah’s maidservant, bore a son to Jacob. 11 Then Leah said: “With good fortune!”* So she called his name Gad.*+ 12 After that Zilpah, Leah’s maidservant, bore a second son to Jacob. 13 Then Leah said: “With my happiness! For the daughters will certainly pronounce me happy.”+ So she called his name Asher.*+

14 Now Reuben+ went walking in the days of the wheat harvest+ and got to find mandrakes in the field. So he brought them to Leah his mother. Then Rachel said to Leah: “Give me, please, some of your son’s mandrakes.”+ 15 At this she said to her: “Is this a little thing, your having taken my husband,+ with your now taking also my son’s mandrakes?” So Rachel said: “For that reason he is going to lie down with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.”

16 When Jacob was coming from the field in the evening,+ Leah went on out to meet him and then said: “It is with me you are going to have relations, because I have hired you outright with my son’s mandrakes.” Accordingly he lay down with her that night.+ 17 And God heard and answered Leah and she became pregnant and in time bore to Jacob a fifth son.+ 18 Then Leah said: “God has given me a hireling’s wages,* because I have given my maidservant to my husband.” So she called his name Issachar.*+ 19 And Leah became pregnant once more and in time bore a sixth son to Jacob.+ 20 Then Leah said: “God has endowed me, yes, me, with a good endowment. At last my husband will tolerate* me,*+ because I have borne him six sons.”+ So she called his name Zebulun.*+ 21 And afterward she bore a daughter and then called her name Dinah.*+

22 Finally God remembered Rachel, and God heard and answered her in that he opened her womb.+ 23 And she became pregnant and brought a son to birth. Then she said: “God has taken away my reproach!”+ 24 So she called his name Joseph,*+ saying: “Jehovah is adding another son to me.”

25 And it followed that when Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob immediately said to Laban: “Send me away that I may go to my place and to my country.+ 26 Give over my wives and my children, for whom I have served with you, that I may go; for you yourself must know my service which I have rendered you.”+ 27 Then Laban said to him: “If, now, I have found favor in your eyes,—I have taken the omens to the effect that Jehovah is blessing me due to you.”+ 28 And he added: “Stipulate your wages to me and I shall give them.”+ 29 So he said to him: “You yourself must know how I have served you and how your herd has fared with me;+ 30 that it was little that you actually had before my coming, and it went expanding to a multitude, in that Jehovah blessed you since I stepped in.+ So now when am I to do something also for my own house?”+

31 Then he said: “What shall I give you?” And Jacob went on to say: “You will give me nothing whatsoever!+ If you will do this thing for me, I shall resume shepherding your flock.+ I shall continue guarding it.+ 32 I will pass among your whole flock today. You set aside from there every sheep speckled and with color patches, and every dark-brown sheep among the young rams and any color-patched and speckled one among the she-goats. Hereafter such must be my wages.+ 33 And my right-doing must answer for me on whatever future day you may come to look over my wages;+ every one that is not speckled and color-patched among the she-goats and dark brown among the young rams is something stolen if it is with me.”+

34 To this Laban said: “Why, that is fine!* Let it be according to your word.”+ 35 Then he set aside on that day the he-goats striped and color-patched and all the she-goats speckled and color-patched, every one in which there was any white and every one dark brown among the young rams, but he gave them over into the hands of his sons. 36 After that he set a distance of three days’ journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob was shepherding the flocks of Laban that remained over.

37 Then Jacob took for his use staffs* still moist of the storax tree+ and of the almond tree+ and of the plane tree+ and peeled in them white peeled spots by laying bare white places which were upon the staffs.+ 38 Finally the staffs that he had peeled he placed in front of the flock, in the gutters, in the water drinking troughs,+ where the flocks would come to drink, that they might get into a heat* before them when they came to drink.

39 Consequently the flocks would get in heat before the staffs, and the flocks would produce striped, speckled and color-patched ones.+ 40 And Jacob separated the young rams and then turned the faces of the flocks to the striped ones and all the dark-brown ones among the flocks of Laban. Then he set his own droves by themselves and did not set them by the flocks of Laban. 41 And it always occurred that whenever the robust+ flocks would get in heat, Jacob would locate the staffs in the gutters+ before the eyes of the flocks, that they might get in heat by the staffs. 42 But when the flocks showed feebleness he would not locate them there. So the feeble ones always came to be Laban’s, but the robust ones Jacob’s.+

43 And the man went on increasing more and more, and great flocks and maidservants and menservants and camels and asses came to be his.+

31 In time he got to hear the words of the sons of Laban, saying: “Jacob has taken everything that belonged to our father; and from what belonged to our father he has amassed all this wealth.”+ 2 When Jacob would look at the face of Laban, here it was not with him as formerly.+ 3 Finally Jehovah said to Jacob: “Return to the land of your fathers and to your relatives,*+ and I shall continue with you.”+ 4 Then Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah out to the field to his flock, 5 and he said to them:
     “I am seeing the face of YOUR father, that he is not the same toward me as formerly;+ but the God of my father has proved to be with me.+ 6 And YOU yourselves certainly know that with all my power I have served YOUR father.+ 7 And YOUR father has trifled with me* and he has changed my wages ten times, but God* has not allowed him to do me harm.+ 8 If on the one hand he would say, ‘The speckled ones will become your wages,’ then the whole flock produced speckled ones; but if on the other hand he would say, ‘The striped ones will become your wages,’ then the whole flock produced striped ones.+ 9 So God kept taking the herd of YOUR father away and giving it to me.+ 10 At last it came about at the time when the flock got in heat that I raised my eyes and saw a sight in a dream+ and here the he-goats springing upon the flock were striped, speckled and spotty.+ 11 Then the angel of the [true] God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob!’ to which I said, ‘Here I am.’+ 12 And he continued, ‘Raise your eyes, please, and see all the he-goats springing upon the flock are striped, speckled and spotty, for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you.+ 13 I am the [true] God of Bethel,*+ where you anointed a pillar+ and where you vowed a vow to me.+ Now get up, go out of this land and return to the land of your birth.’”*+

14 At this Rachel and Leah answered and said to him: “Is there a share of inheritance* for us anymore in the house of our father?+ 15 Are we not really considered as foreigners to him since he has sold us, so that he keeps eating continually even from the money given for us?+ 16 For all the riches that God* has taken away from our father are ours and our children’s.+ So now everything God has said to you do.”+

17 Then Jacob got up and lifted his children and his wives onto the camels;+ 18 and he began driving all his herd and all the goods that he had accumulated,+ the herd of his acquisition that he had accumulated in Paddan-aram, in order to go to Isaac his father to the land of Canaan.+

19 Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep. Meantime Rachel stole the teraphim*+ that belonged to her father. 20 So Jacob outwitted* Laban the Syrian, because he had not told him that he was running away. 21 And he proceeded to run away and to get up and cross the River,+ he and all he had. After that he directed his face to the mountainous region of Gilead.+ 22 Later, on the third day, it was told to Laban that Jacob had run away. 23 With that he took his brothers with him and went chasing+ after him for a distance of seven days’ journey and caught up with him in the mountainous region of Gilead. 24 Then God came to Laban the Syrian+ in a dream by night+ and said to him: “Watch yourself that you do not go speaking either good or bad* with Jacob.”+

25 So Laban approached Jacob, as Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountain and Laban had encamped his brothers* in the mountainous region of Gilead. 26 Then Laban said to Jacob: “What have you done, in that you resorted to outwitting me and driving my daughters off like captives taken by the sword?+ 27 Why did you have to run away secretly and outwit me and not tell me, that I might send you away with rejoicing and with songs,+ with tambourine and with harp?+ 28 And you did not give me a chance to kiss my children* and my daughters.+ Now you have acted foolishly. 29 It is in the power of my hand to do harm to YOU people,+ but the God of YOUR father talked to me last night, saying, ‘Watch yourself against speaking either good or bad with Jacob.’+ 30 While you have actually gone now because you have been yearning intensely for the house of your father, why, though, have you stolen my gods?”*+

31 In answer Jacob proceeded to say to Laban: “It was because I was afraid.+ For I said to myself, ‘You might tear your daughters away from me.’ 32 Whoever it is with whom you may find your gods,* let him not live.+ Before our brothers, examine for yourself what is with me and take them for yourself.”+ But Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.+ 33 So Laban went on into the tent of Jacob and into the tent of Leah and into the tent of the two slave girls,+ but did not find them. Finally he went out of Leah’s tent and went on into Rachel’s tent. 34 Now Rachel had taken the teraphim, and she resorted to putting them in the woman’s saddle basket of the camel, and she kept sitting upon them. So Laban went feeling through the whole tent, but did not find them. 35 Then she said to her father: “Do not let anger gleam in the eyes of my lord,*+ because I am not able to get up before you, for the customary thing with women is upon me.”+ So he searched on carefully, but did not find the teraphim.+

36 And Jacob became angry+ and began to quarrel with Laban, and in answer Jacob went on to say to Laban: “What is the revolt on my part,+ what the sin of mine, as a reason why you have hotly pursued after me?+ 37 Now that you have felt through all my goods, what of all the goods of your house have you found?+ Put it here in front of my brothers and your brothers,+ and let them decide between us two.+ 38 These twenty years I have been with you. Your female sheep and your she-goats did not suffer abortions,+ and the rams of your flock I never ate. 39 Any animal torn to pieces I did not bring to you.+ I myself would stand the loss of it. Whether one was stolen by day or was stolen by night, you would put in a claim for it from my hand.+ 40 It has been my experience that by day the heat consumed me and the cold by night, and my sleep would flee from my eyes.+ 41 This makes twenty years for me in your house. I have served you* fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flock, and you kept changing my wages ten times.+ 42 If the God of my father,+ the God of Abraham and the Dread* of Isaac,+ had not proved on my side, you would now have sent me away empty-handed. My wretchedness and the toil of my hands God has seen, and so he reproved you* last night.”+

43 Then Laban in answer said to Jacob: “The daughters are my daughters and the children my children and the flock my flock, and everything you are looking at is mine and my daughters’. What can I do against these today or against their children whom they have borne? 44 And now, come, let us conclude a covenant,+ I and you, and it must* serve as a witness between me and you.”+ 45 Accordingly Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.+ 46 Then Jacob said to his brothers: “Pick up stones!” And they went taking stones and making a heap.+ After that they ate there on the heap. 47 And Laban began calling it Jegar-sahadutha,* but Jacob called it Galeed.*

48 And Laban proceeded to say: “This heap is a witness between me and you today.” That is why he called its name Galeed,+ 49 and The Watchtower,* because he said: “Let Jehovah keep watch between me and you when we are situated unseen* the one from the other.+ 50 If you go to afflicting my daughters+ and if you go to taking wives in addition to my daughters, there is no man with us. See!* God is a witness between me and you.”+ 51 And Laban went on to say to Jacob: “Here is this heap and here is the pillar that I have erected between me and you. 52 This heap is a witness, and the pillar is something that bears witness,+ that I will not pass this heap against you and that you will not pass this heap and this pillar against me for harm.+ 53 Let the god* of Abraham+ and the god of Nahor+ judge* between us, the god* of their father.” But Jacob swore by the Dread of his father Isaac.+

54 After that Jacob sacrificed a sacrifice in the mountain and invited his brothers to eat bread.+ Accordingly they ate bread and passed the night in the mountain.* 55 However, Laban got up early in the morning and kissed+ his children* and his daughters and blessed them.+ Then Laban got on his way that he might return to his own place.*+

32 And as for Jacob, he got on his way, and the angels* of God now met up with him.+ 2 Immediately Jacob said, when he saw them: “The camp of God this is!”+ Hence he called the name of that place Mahanaim.*+

3 Then Jacob sent messengers+ ahead of him to Esau his brother to the land of Seir,+ the field of Edom,+ 4 and he commanded them, saying: “This is what YOU will say to my lord,+ to Esau, ‘This is what your servant Jacob has said: “With Laban I have resided as an alien and I have stayed for a long time till now.+ 5 And I have come to have bulls and asses, sheep, and menservants and maidservants,+ and I would like to send to notify my lord, that I may find favor in your eyes.”’”+

6 In time the messengers returned to Jacob, saying: “We got to your brother Esau, and he is also on his way to meet you, and four hundred men with him.”+ 7 And Jacob became very much afraid and grew anxious.+ So he divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and the cattle and the camels into two camps,+ 8 and he said: “If Esau should come to the one camp and assault it, then there is certain to be a camp remaining to make an escape.”+

9 After that Jacob said: “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac,+ O Jehovah, you who are saying to me, ‘Return to your land and to your relatives and I will deal well with you,’+ 10 I am unworthy of all the loving-kindnesses and of all the faithfulness* that you have exercised toward your servant,+ for with but my staff I crossed this Jordan and now I have become two camps.+ 11 Deliver me, I pray you,+ from my brother’s hand, from Esau’s hand, because I am afraid of him that he may come and certainly assault me,+ mother together with children. 12 And you, you have said, ‘Unquestionably I shall deal well with you and I will constitute your seed* like the grains of sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’”+

13 And he kept lodging there on that night. And from what came to his hand he proceeded to take a gift for Esau his brother:+ 14 two hundred she-goats and twenty he-goats, two hundred female sheep and twenty rams, 15 thirty camels giving suck and their young ones, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty she-asses and ten full-grown asses.+

16 Then he handed over to his servants one drove after another by itself and repeatedly said to his servants: “Cross over ahead of me, and YOU are to set an interval between drove and drove.”+ 17 Further he commanded the first one, saying: “In case that Esau my brother should meet you and ask you, saying, ‘To whom do you belong, and where are you going and to whom do these ahead of you belong?’ 18 then you must say, ‘To your servant, to Jacob. A gift it is,+ sent to my lord,+ to Esau, and look! he himself is also behind us.’” 19 And he went on to command also the second, also the third, also all those following the droves, saying: “According to this word YOU are to speak to Esau on YOUR encountering him.+ 20 And YOU must say also, ‘Here is your servant Jacob behind us.’”+ For he said to himself: “I may appease him by the gift going ahead of me,+ and afterward I shall see his face. Perhaps he will give a kindly reception.”+ 21 So the gift went crossing over ahead of him, but he himself lodged that night in the camp.+

22 Later during that night he rose and took his two wives+ and his two maidservants+ and his eleven young sons+ and crossed over the ford of Jabbok.+ 23 So he took them and brought them over the torrent valley,*+ and he brought over what he had.

24 Finally Jacob was left by himself. Then a man began to grapple with him until the dawn ascended.+ 25 When he got to see that he had not prevailed over him,+ then he touched the socket of his thigh joint;* and the socket of Jacob’s thigh joint got out of place during his grappling with him.+ 26 After that he said: “Let me go,* for the dawn has ascended.” To this he said: “I am not going to let you go until you first bless me.”+ 27 So he said to him: “What is your name?” to which he said: “Jacob.” 28 Then he said: “Your name will no longer be called Jacob but Israel,*+ for you have contended*+ with God and with men so that you at last prevailed.” 29 In turn Jacob inquired and said: “Tell me, please, your name.” However, he said: “Why is it that you inquire for my name?”+ With that he blessed him there. 30 Hence Jacob called the name of the place Peniel,*+ because, to quote him, “I have seen God face to face and yet my soul was delivered.”+

31 And the sun began to flash upon him as soon as he passed by Penuel, but he was limping upon his thigh.+ 32 That is why the sons of Israel are not accustomed to eat the sinew of the thigh nerve,* which is on the socket of the thigh joint, down to this day, because he touched the socket of Jacob’s thigh joint by the sinew of the thigh nerve.+

33 In time Jacob raised his eyes and looked, and here Esau was coming and with him four hundred men.+ Consequently he divided off the children to Leah and to Rachel and to the two maidservants,+ 2 and he put the maidservants and their children foremost+ and Leah and her children after them+ and Rachel and Joseph to the rear of them.+ 3 And he himself passed on ahead of them and proceeded to bow down to the earth seven times until he got near to his brother.+

4 And Esau went running to meet him,+ and he began to embrace him+ and fall upon his neck and kiss him,* and they burst into tears. 5 Then he raised his eyes and saw the women and the children and said: “Who are these with you?” to which he said: “The children with whom God has favored your servant.”+ 6 At that the maidservants came forward, they and their children, and bowed down; 7 and Leah too came forward, and her children, and they bowed down, and afterward Joseph came forward, and Rachel, and they bowed down.+

8 He now said: “What do you mean by all* this camp of travelers that I have met?”+ To this he said: “In order to find favor in the eyes of my lord.”+ 9 Then Esau said: “I have a great many, my brother.+ Let continue yours what is yours.” 10 However, Jacob said: “No, please. If, now, I have found favor in your eyes,+ then you must take my gift at my hand, because in harmony with its purpose I have seen your face as though seeing God’s face in that you received me with pleasure.+ 11 Take, please, the gift conveying my blessing which was brought to you,+ because God has favored me and because I have everything.”+ And he continued to urge him, so that he took it.+

12 Later on he said: “Let us pull out and go, and let me go in advance of you.” 13 But he said to him: “My lord is aware that the children are delicate and sheep and cattle that are giving suck are in my charge,+ and should they drive them too quickly for one day, then the whole flock will certainly die.+ 14 Let my lord, please, pass on ahead of his servant, but may I myself continue the journey at my leisure according to the pace of the livestock+ that is before me and according to the pace of the children+ until I shall come to my lord at Seir.”+ 15 Then Esau said: “Let me, please, put at your disposal some of the people who are with me.” To this he said: “Why this? Let me find favor in the eyes of my lord.”+ 16 So on that day Esau turned back on his way to Seir.

17 And Jacob pulled out for Succoth,*+ and he proceeded to build himself a house and for his herd he made booths.+ That was why he called the name of the place Succoth.

18 In time Jacob came safe and sound to the city of Shechem,+ which is in the land of Canaan,+ while he was coming from Paddan-aram;+ and he pitched camp in front of the city. 19 Then he acquired a tract of the field where he pitched his tent at the hand of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem, for a hundred pieces of money.*+ 20 After that he set up there an altar and called it God the God of Israel.*+

34 Now Dinah the daughter of Leah,+ whom she had borne to Jacob, used to go out to see+ the daughters of the land.+ 2 And Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite,+ a chieftain* of the land, got to see her and then took her and lay down with her and violated* her.+ 3 And his soul began clinging to Dinah* the daughter of Jacob, and he fell in love with the young woman and kept speaking persuasively to* the young woman. 4 Finally Shechem said to Hamor his father:+ “Get me this young lady as a wife.”+

5 And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter. And his sons happened to be with his herd in the field;+ and Jacob kept silent until they should come in.+ 6 Later Hamor, Shechem’s father, went out to Jacob to speak with him.+ 7 And the sons of Jacob came in from the field as soon as they heard of it; and the men became hurt in their feelings and they grew very angry,+ because he had committed a disgraceful folly against Israel in lying down with Jacob’s daughter,+ whereas nothing like that ought to be done.+

8 And Hamor proceeded to speak with them, saying: “As for Shechem my son, his soul is attached to YOUR daughter.+ Give her, please, to him as a wife,+ 9 and form marriage alliances with us.+ YOUR daughters YOU are to give to us, and our daughters YOU are to take for yourselves.+ 10 And with us YOU may dwell, and the land will become available for YOU. Dwell and carry on business* in it and get settled in it.”+ 11 Then Shechem said to her father and to her brothers: “Let me find favor in YOUR eyes, and whatever YOU will say to me I shall give it. 12 Raise very high the marriage money* and gift imposed upon me,+ and I stand willing to give according to what YOU may say to me; only give me the young woman as a wife.”

13 And Jacob’s sons began to answer Shechem and Hamor his father with deceit and to speak so because he had defiled Dinah their sister.+ 14 And they went on to say to them: “We cannot possibly do such a thing, to give our sister to a man who has a foreskin,+ because that is a reproach to us. 15 Only on this condition can we give consent to YOU, that YOU become like us, by every male of YOURS getting circumcised.+ 16 Then we shall certainly give our daughters to YOU, and YOUR daughters we shall take for ourselves, and we shall certainly dwell with YOU and become one people.+ 17 But if YOU do not listen to us to get circumcised, then we will take our daughter and go.”

18 And their words seemed good in the eyes of Hamor and in the eyes of Shechem, Hamor’s son,+ 19 and the young man did not delay to perform the condition,+ because he did find delight in Jacob’s daughter and he was the most honorable+ of the whole house of his father.+

20 So Hamor and Shechem his son went to the gate of their city and began to speak to the men of their city,+ saying: 21 “These men are peace-loving toward us.+ Hence let them dwell in the land and carry on business* in it, as the land is quite wide* before them.+ Their daughters we can take as wives for ourselves and our own daughters we can give to them.+ 22 Only on this condition will the men give us their consent to dwell with us so as to become one people, that every male of ours gets circumcised just the way they are circumcised.+ 23 Then their possessions and their wealth and all their livestock, will they not be ours?+ Only let us give them our consent that they may dwell with us.”+ 24 Then all those going out by the gate of his city listened to Hamor and to Shechem his son, and all the males got circumcised, all those going out by the gate of his city.

25 However, it came about that on the third day, when they got to be aching,+ the two sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi,+ brothers of Dinah,+ proceeded to take each one his sword and to go unsuspectedly* to the city and to kill every male.+ 26 And Hamor and Shechem his son they killed with the edge of the sword.+ Then they took Dinah from Shechem’s house and went on out.+ 27 The other sons of Jacob attacked* the fatally wounded men and went plundering the city, because they had defiled their sister.+ 28 Their flocks and their herds and their asses and what was in the city and what was in the field they took.+ 29 And all their means of maintenance and all their little children and their wives they carried off captive, so that they plundered all that was in the houses.+

30 At this Jacob said to Simeon and to Levi:+ “YOU have brought ostracism upon me in making me a stench to the inhabitants of the land,+ with the Canaanites and the Perizzites; whereas I am few in number,*+ and they will certainly gather together against me and assault me and I must be annihilated, I and my house.” 31 In turn they said: “Ought anyone to treat our sister like a prostitute?”*+

35 After that God said to Jacob: “Rise, go up to Bethel and dwell there,+ and make an altar there to the [true] God who appeared to you when you were running away from Esau your brother.”+

2 Then Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him: “Put away the foreign gods* that are in the midst of YOU+ and cleanse yourselves and change YOUR mantles,+ 3 and let us rise and go up to Bethel. And there I shall make an altar to the [true] God who answered me in the day of my distress+ in that he proved to be with me in the way that I have gone.”+ 4 So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods+ that were in their hands and the earrings that were in their ears, and Jacob hid+ them under the big tree that was close by Shechem.

5 After that they pulled away, and the terror of God came to be upon the cities that were round about them,+ so that they did not chase after the sons of Jacob. 6 Eventually Jacob came to Luz,+ which is in the land of Canaan, that is to say, Bethel, he and all the people who were with him. 7 Then he built an altar there and began to call the place El-bethel,* because there the [true] God had revealed himself to him at the time of his running away from his brother.+ 8 Later Deborah+ the nursing woman of Rebekah died and was buried at the foot of Bethel under a massive tree. Hence he called its name Allon-bacuth.*

9 God now appeared to Jacob once again during his coming from Paddan-aram+ and blessed him.+ 10 And God went on to say to him: “Your name is Jacob.+ No longer is your name to be called Jacob, but Israel will your name become.” And he began to call his name Israel.+ 11 And God said further to him: “I am God Almighty.*+ Be fruitful and become many. Nations* and a congregation of nations will proceed out of you, and kings will come out of your loins.+ 12 As for the land that I have given to Abraham and to Isaac, to you I shall give it, and to your seed*+ after you I shall give the land.”+ 13 After that God went up from above him at the place where he had spoken with him.+

14 Consequently Jacob stationed a pillar in the place where he had spoken with him,+ a pillar of stone, and he poured a drink offering upon it and poured oil upon it.+ 15 And Jacob continued to call the name of the place where God had spoken with him Bethel.+

16 Then they pulled away from Bethel. And while there was yet a good stretch of land before coming to Ephrath,+ Rachel proceeded to give birth, and it was going hard with her in making the delivery.+ 17 But so it was that while she had difficulty in making the delivery the midwife said to her: “Do not be afraid, for you will have this son also.”+ 18 And the result was that as her soul*+ was going out (because she died)+ she called his name Ben-oni;* but his father called him Benjamin.*+ 19 Thus Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath, that is to say, Bethlehem.+ 20 Hence Jacob stationed a pillar over her grave. This is the pillar of Rachel’s grave down to this day.+

21 After that Israel pulled away and pitched his tent a distance beyond the tower of Eder.+ 22 And it came about while Israel was tabernacling+ in that land that once Reuben went and lay down with Bilhah his father’s concubine, and Israel got to hear of it.+

So there came to be twelve sons of Jacob. 23 The sons by Leah were Jacob’s firstborn Reuben+ and Simeon and Levi and Judah and Issachar and Zebulun. 24 The sons by Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin. 25 And the sons by Bilhah, Rachel’s maidservant, were Dan and Naphtali. 26 And the sons by Zilpah, Leah’s maidservant, were Gad and Asher. These are Jacob’s sons who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

27 At length Jacob came to Isaac his father to Mamre,+ to Kiriath-arba,+ that is to say, Hebron, where Abraham and also Isaac had resided as aliens.+ 28 And the days of Isaac came to be a hundred and eighty years.+ 29 After that Isaac expired and died and was gathered to his people, old and satisfied with days,*+ and Esau and Jacob his sons buried him.+

36 And this is the history of Esau, that is to say, Edom.+

2 Esau took his wives from the daughters of Canaan:+ Adah+ the daughter of Elon the Hittite+ and Oholibamah+ the daughter of Anah, the granddaughter* of Zibeon the Hivite, 3 and Basemath,+ Ishmael’s daughter, the sister of Nebaioth.+

4 And Adah proceeded to bear Eliphaz to Esau, and Basemath bore Reuel, 5 and Oholibamah bore Jeush and Jalam and Korah.+

These are the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan. 6 After that Esau took his wives and his sons and his daughters and all the souls of his house and his herd and all his other beasts and all his wealth,+ which he had accumulated in the land of Canaan, and went to a land* away from Jacob his brother,+ 7 because their goods had become too great for them to dwell together and the land of their alien residences was not able to sustain them as a result of their herds.+ 8 So Esau took up dwelling in the mountainous region of Seir.+ Esau is Edom.+

9 And this is the history of Esau the father of Edom in the mountainous region of Seir.+
10 These are the names of the sons of Esau: Eliphaz the son of Adah, Esau’s wife; Reuel the son of Basemath, Esau’s wife.+
11 And the sons of Eliphaz came to be Teman,+ Omar, Zepho and Gatam and Kenaz.+ 12 And Timna+ became the concubine of Eliphaz, Esau’s son. In time she bore to Eliphaz Amalek.+ These are the sons of Adah, Esau’s wife.
13 These are the sons of Reuel: Nahath and Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah.+ These came to be the sons* of Basemath,+ Esau’s wife.
14 And these came to be the sons of Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, the granddaughter of Zibeon, Esau’s wife, in that she bore to Esau Jeush and Jalam and Korah.+

15 These are the sheiks*+ of the sons of Esau: The sons of Eliphaz, Esau’s firstborn: Sheik Teman,+ sheik Omar, sheik Zepho, sheik Kenaz, 16 sheik Korah,* sheik Gatam, sheik Amalek. These are the sheiks of Eliphaz+ in the land of Edom. These are the sons by Adah.
17 These are the sons of Reuel, Esau’s son: Sheik Nahath, sheik Zerah, sheik Shammah, sheik Mizzah. These are the sheiks of Reuel in the land of Edom.+ These are the sons by Basemath, Esau’s wife.
18 Finally these are the sons of Oholibamah, Esau’s wife: Sheik Jeush, sheik Jalam, sheik Korah. These are the sheiks of Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, Esau’s wife.
19 These are the sons of Esau, and these are their sheiks. He is Edom.+

20 These are the sons of Seir the Horite, the inhabitants of the land:+ Lotan and Shobal and Zibeon and Anah+ 21 and Dishon and Ezer and Dishan.+ These are the sheiks of the Horite, the sons of Seir, in the land of Edom.
22 And the sons of Lotan came to be Hori and Hemam; and Lotan’s sister was Timna.+
23 And these are the sons of Shobal: Alvan and Manahath and Ebal, Shepho and Onam.
24 And these are the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah. This is the Anah who found the hot springs* in the wilderness while he was tending the asses for Zibeon his father.+
25 And these are the children of Anah: Dishon and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah.
26 And these are the sons of Dishon:* Hemdan and Eshban and Ithran and Cheran.+
27 These are the sons of Ezer: Bilhan and Zaavan and Akan.
28 These are the sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran.+
29 These are the sheiks of the Horite: Sheik Lotan, sheik Shobal, sheik Zibeon, sheik Anah, 30 sheik Dishon, sheik Ezer, sheik Dishan.+ These are the sheiks of the Horite according to their sheiks in the land of Seir.

31 Now these are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom+ before any king reigned over the sons of Israel.+ 32 And Bela son of Beor proceeded to reign in Edom,+ and the name of his city was Dinhabah. 33 When Bela died, Jobab son of Zerah from Bozrah+ began to reign instead of him.+ 34 When Jobab died, Husham from the land of the Temanites+ began to reign instead of him.+ 35 When Husham died, Hadad son of Bedad, who defeated the Midianites+ in the field of Moab,+ began to reign instead of him, and the name of his city was Avith.+ 36 When Hadad died, Samlah from Masrekah began to reign instead of him.+ 37 When Samlah died, Shaul from Rehoboth by the River began to reign instead of him.+ 38 When Shaul died, Baal-hanan son of Achbor began to reign instead of him.+ 39 When Baal-hanan son of Achbor died, Hadar began to reign instead of him; and the name of his city was Pau, and the name of his wife was Mehetabel the daughter of Matred the daughter of Mezahab.+

40 So these are the names of the sheiks of Esau according to their families, according to their places, by their names: Sheik Timna, sheik Alvah, sheik Jetheth,+ 41 sheik Oholibamah, sheik Elah, sheik Pinon,+ 42 sheik Kenaz, sheik Teman, sheik Mibzar,+ 43 sheik Magdiel, sheik Iram. These are the sheiks of Edom+ according to their dwellings in the land of their possession.+ This is Esau the father of Edom.+

37 And Jacob continued to dwell in the land of the alien residences of his father,+ in the land of Canaan.+

2 This is the history of Jacob.

Joseph,+ when seventeen years old, happened to be tending sheep* with his brothers among the flock,+ and, being but a boy, he was with the sons of Bilhah+ and the sons of Zilpah,+ the wives of his father. So Joseph brought a bad report about them to their father.+ 3 And Israel loved Joseph more than all his other sons,+ because he was the son of his old age; and he had a long, striped shirtlike garment made for him.+ 4 When his brothers came to see that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they began to hate him,+ and they were not able to speak peacefully to him.+

5 Later on Joseph had a dream and told it to his brothers,+ and they found further reason to hate him. 6 And he went on to say to them: “Listen, please, to this dream that I have dreamed.+ 7 Well, here we were binding sheaves in the middle of the field when here my sheaf got up and also stood erect and here YOUR sheaves proceeded to encircle and bow down to my sheaf.”+ 8 And his brothers began to say to him: “Are you going to be king over us for certain?+ or, Are you going to dominate over us for certain?”+ So they found fresh reason to hate him over his dreams and over his words.

9 After that he had still another dream, and he related it to his brothers and said: “Here I have had a dream once more, and here the sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”+ 10 Then he related it to his father as well as his brothers, and his father began to rebuke him and say to him:+ “What does this dream that you have dreamed mean? Am I and also your mother and your brothers for certain going to come and bow down to the earth to you?” 11 And his brothers grew jealous of him,+ but his father observed the saying.*+

12 His brothers now went to feed the flock of their father* close by Shechem.+ 13 After a while Israel said to Joseph: “Your brothers are tending [flocks] close by Shechem, are they not? Come, and let me send you to them.” At this he said to him: “Here I am!”+ 14 So he said to him: “Go, please. See whether your brothers are safe and sound and whether the flock is safe and sound,* and bring me back word.”+ With that he sent him away from the low plain of Hebron,+ and he went on toward Shechem. 15 Later a man found him and here he was wandering in a field. Then the man inquired of him, saying: “What are you looking for?” 16 To this he said: “It is my brothers I am looking for. Tell me, please, Where are they tending flocks?” 17 And the man continued: “They have pulled away from here, because I heard them saying, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” So Joseph kept on after his brothers and found them at Dothan.