eng_aiv Amundson Interpretive Version Genesis Genesis Genesis Gen Genesis id=eng_aiv name=Amundson Interpretive Version (AIV) status=draft spec=USFM-USX 3.1.1 export=2026-11-02 char:add=translator-addition-italic char:wj=words-of-Jesus-as-received-unmapped note:f=footnotes para:r=parallel-passage-references para:d=psalm-superscriptions The Creation (John 1:1–5; Hebrews 11:1–3) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. The First Day And God said, “Let there be light,”1.3 Cited in 2 Corinthians 4:6 and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good. And God divided between the light and between the darkness. And God called the light “Day,” and the darkness He called “Night.” And there was evening and there was morning—day one. The Second Day And God said, “Let there be a firmament1.6 Or a canopy or an expanse or a vault; also in verses 7, 8, 14, 15, 17, and 20 in the midst of the waters, and let it be dividing between waters and waters.” And God made the firmament, and He divided between the waters that were under the firmament, and between the waters that were above the firmament. And it was so. And God called the firmament “Heavens.” And there was evening and there was morning—the second day. The Third Day And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land be seen.” And it was so. And God called the dry land “Earth,” and the gathering of the waters He called “Seas.” And God saw that it was good. And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation: The plant bearing seed and the fruit tree producing fruit according to its kind (whose seed is in it) on the earth.” And it was so. And the earth brought forth vegetation: The plant bearing seed according to its kind, and the tree producing fruit (whose seed is in it) according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning—the third day. The Fourth Day And God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens, to divide between the day and between the night, and let them be for signs and for appointed times and for days and years, and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens, to shine upon the earth.” And it was so. And God made the two great lights: The greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. And God set them in the firmament of the heavens, to shine upon the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide between the light and between the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning—the fourth day. The Fifth Day And God said, “Let the waters swarm with a swarm of living souls, and let the bird fly above the earth, on the face of the firmament of the heavens.” And God created the great sea creatures and every living soul that is crawling, with which the waters swarmed according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let the bird multiply in the earth.” And there was evening and there was morning—the fifth day. The Sixth Day And God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living soul according to its kind: Livestock and the crawling thing and beast of the earth according to its kind.” And it was so. And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, and the livestock according to its kind, and every crawling thing on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea, and over the bird of the heavens, and over the livestock, and over all the earth,1.26 MT; Syriac and over all the beasts of the earth and over every crawling thing that crawls upon the earth.” And God created the man in His image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 1.27 Cited in Matthew 19:4 and Mark 10:6 And God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it. And rule over the fish of the sea and over the bird of the heavens and over every living thing that is crawling upon the earth.” And God said, “Behold, I have given to you⁺ every plant bearing seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree that has in it the fruit of a tree bearing seed—it shall be for food to you⁺— and to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the heavens, and to everything crawling upon the earth which has in it a living soul, every green plant for food.” And it was so. And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good! And there was evening and there was morning—the sixth day. The Seventh Day (Exodus 16:22–30; Hebrews 4:1–11) And the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their host. And God finished by the seventh day His work that He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work that He had done. 2.2 Cited in Hebrews 4:4 And God blessed the seventh day, and He sanctified it, because on it He ceased from all His work that God had created for making. Man and Woman in the Garden These are the generations of the heavens and the earth in their being created, in the day when YHWH2.4 YHWH represents the proper name of the God of Israel and the one true God, transliterated from the Hebrew as YHWH and commonly pronounced as Yahweh; here and throughout the Scriptures. Many translations represent this name as the LORD. God made the earth and the heavens. And any bush of the field had not yet come to be on the earth, and any plant of the field had not yet sprouted, for YHWH God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and man was not there to work the ground. And a mist2.6 Or a spring went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground. And YHWH God formed the man from dust of the ground, and He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living soul. 2.7 Or a living being; cited in 1 Corinthians 15:45 And YHWH God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and He put there the man whom He had formed. And YHWH God made sprout from the ground every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food, and the tree of life in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And a river went forth from Eden to water the garden, and from there it was divided and became four heads: The name of the one is Pishon; it is the one winding through the whole land of the Havilah, where there is the gold. And the gold of that land is good, and the bdellium and the onyx stone are there. And the name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one winding through the whole land of Cush. And the name of the third river is Hiddekel; it is the one going along the east side of Assyria. And the fourth river, it is the Euphrates. And YHWH God took the man and He caused him to rest in the garden of Eden, to work it and to keep it. And YHWH God placed a command upon the man, saying, “From every tree of the garden you may surely eat. And from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, from it you shall not eat. For in the day of your eating from it, you shall surely die!” And YHWH God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make for him a helper as his counterpart.” And YHWH God formed from the ground every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens, and He brought them to the man to see what he would call it. And whatever the man2.19 Or Adam; also in verses 20 and 21 called it—each living soul—that was its name. And the man called names to all the livestock, and to the bird of the heavens, and to every beast of the field. And for the man there was not found a helper as his counterpart. And YHWH God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept, and He took one from his sides,2.21 Or from his ribs; similar in verse 22 and He closed up the flesh in its place. And YHWH God built the side—which He had taken from the man—into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And the man said, “This at last is bone from my bones and flesh from my flesh; for this shall be called ‘Woman,’ because out of Man this was taken.” Upon thus a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall cleave to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 2.24 LXX and the two will become one flesh; cited in Matthew 19:5, Mark 10:7–8, 1 Corinthians 6:16, and Ephesians 5:31 And the two of them were naked, the man and his wife, and they were not ashamed. The Serpent’s Deception (Romans 5:12–21) And the serpent3.1 Hebrew nachash, translated in this chapter as serpent, is translated in most cases as snake. was cunning above every beast of the field that YHWH God had made. And he said to the woman, “Is it true that God has said, ‘You⁺ shall not eat from any tree of the garden?’” And the woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat, and from the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You⁺ shall not eat from it, and you⁺ shall not touch it, lest you⁺ die.’” And the serpent said to the woman, “You⁺ will not surely die! For God knows that in the day of your⁺ eating from it, your⁺ eyes will be opened and you⁺ will be like God, knowing good and evil.” And the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes and the tree was desirable to make one wise. And she took from its fruit and ate, and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. And the eyes of the two of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed together leaves of the fig tree and made for themselves loincloths. God Arraigns Adam and Eve And they heard the voice of YHWH God walking about in the garden in the breeze3.8 Or in the cool; Hebrew unto the Ruach of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the face of YHWH God in the midst of the trees of the garden. And YHWH God called to the man, and He said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “Your voice I heard in the garden, and I was afraid because I am naked, and I hid myself.” And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? From the tree of which I commanded you not to eat from it, have you eaten?” And the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave to me from the tree, and I ate.” And YHWH God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” The Fate of the Serpent And YHWH God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all the livestock and above every beast of the field. On your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat, all the days of your life. And enmity I will put between you and between the woman, and between your seed and between her seed. He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel.3.15 Or He will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel. The same Hebrew root for crush, bruise, or strike appears twice in this verse. The Punishment of Mankind To the woman He said, “I will surely multiply your pain and your childbearing; in pain you will bear children. And toward your husband your desire will be,3.16 Or You will desire to control your husband and he will rule over you.” And to the man He said: “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and ate from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘you shall not eat from it,’ cursed is the ground on your account, in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life, and thorn and thistle it will cause to grow for you, and you shall eat the vegetation of the field. By the sweat of your nose you shall eat bread, until your returning to the ground, for from it you were taken. For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.” And the man called the name of his wife Eve,3.20 Eve sounds like the Hebrew for giving life or living. because she was the mother of all the living. The Expulsion from Paradise And YHWH God made for the man and for his wife tunics of skin, and He clothed them. And YHWH God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, in knowing good and evil. And now, lest he stretch out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever:” And YHWH God sent him out of the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. And He drove out the man, and He caused to dwell at the east of the garden of Eden the cherubim and the flame of the sword that turns itself to guard the way to the tree of life. Cain and Abel (Hebrews 11:4) And the man knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain4.1 Cain sounds like the Hebrew for acquired or brought forth. and said, “I have acquired a man by YHWH.” And she continued to give birth to his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain was a worker of the ground. And it came to pass at the end of days that Cain brought some of the fruit of the ground an offering to YHWH. And Abel, he also brought from the firstborn of his flock, even from their fat. And YHWH looked with favor unto Abel and unto his offering. And to Cain and to his offering He did not look with favor, and it burned to Cain exceedingly, and his face fell. And YHWH said to Cain, “Why has it burned to you, and why has your face fallen? Is it not that if you do well, there is elevation? But if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you,4.7 Or it desires to control you and you must rule over it.” And Cain said to Abel his brother, “Let us go into the field.” 4.8 SP, LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate; Hebrew Then Cain spoke to his brother Abel. And it came to pass in their being in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. And YHWH said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” And He said, “What have you done? The voice of the bloods of your brother is crying out to Me from the ground! And now, cursed are you from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive the bloods of your brother from your hand. When you work the ground, it shall not continue to give its strength to you. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” And Cain said to YHWH, “Greater is my punishment4.13 Or guilt or sin than I can bear! Behold, You have driven me out this day from the face of the ground, and from Your face I shall be hidden, and I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth. And it will come to pass that anyone finding me will kill me!” And YHWH said to him, “Not so;4.15 LXX, Vulgate, and Syriac; Hebrew “Very well!” or “Therefore:” anyone who kills Cain, sevenfold shall vengeance be taken on him.” And YHWH set on Cain a mark, lest anyone finding him should slay him. And Cain went out from before the face of YHWH and dwelt in the land of Nod,4.16 Nod means wandering. east of Eden. The Descendants of Cain And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch. And he began building a city, and he called the name of the city according to the name of his son, Enoch. And to Enoch was born Irad, and Irad begat Mehujael, and Mehujael begat Methushael, and Methushael begat Lamech. And Lamech took for himself two wives: The name of the one was Adah, and the name of the second was Zillah. And Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those dwelling in tents and having livestock. And the name of his brother was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute. And Zillah, she also bore Tubal-cain, a forger of every implement of bronze and iron. And the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah. And Lamech said to his wives: “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; wives of Lamech, give ear to my speech: For a man I have killed for my wound, and a young man for my bruise. If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy and sevenfold!” 4.24 Hebrew; LXX can be translated as either seventy times seven or seventy-sevenfold; see also Matthew 18:22. Seth and Enosh And Adam again knew his wife, and she gave birth to a son and called his name Seth,4.25 Seth probably means granted or appointed. “For God has appointed for me another seed in place of Abel, for Cain killed him.” And to Seth, to him also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time they began to call on4.26 Or to proclaim; some translators to invoke or to call themselves by or to profane the name of YHWH. The Descendants of Adam (1 Chronicles 1:1–3) This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day God created man, in the likeness of God He made him. Male and female He created them, and He blessed them and called their name “Man,5.2 Cited in Matthew 19:4 and Mark 10:6” in the day they were created. 5.2 Or Adam And Adam lived thirty and a hundred years, and he begat a son in his own likeness, after his image, and he called his name Seth. And the days of Adam after his begetting Seth were eight hundred years, and he begat sons and daughters. And all the days of Adam that he lived were nine hundred years and thirty years, and he died. And Seth lived five years and a hundred years, and he begat Enosh. And Seth lived after his begetting Enosh seven years and eight hundred years, and he begat sons and daughters. And all the days of Seth were two and ten years and nine hundred years, and he died. And Enosh lived ninety years, and he begat Cainan. And Enosh lived after his begetting Cainan five and ten years and eight hundred years, and he begat sons and daughters. And all the days of Enosh were five years nine hundred years, and he died. And Cainan lived seventy years, and he begat Mahalalel. And Cainan lived after his begetting Mahalalel forty years and eight hundred years, and he begat sons and daughters. And all the days of Cainan were ten years and nine hundred years, and he died. And Mahalalel lived five years and sixty years, and he begat Jared. And Mahalalel lived after his begetting Jared thirty years and eight hundred years, and he begat sons and daughters. And all the days of Mahalalel were five and ninety years and eight hundred years, and he died. God Takes Up Enoch (Hebrews 11:5) And Jared lived two and sixty years and a hundred years, and he begat Enoch. And Jared lived after his begetting Enoch eight hundred years, and he begat sons and daughters. And all the days of Jared were two and sixty years and nine hundred years, and he died. And Enoch lived five and sixty years, and he begat Methuselah. And Enoch walked with God5.22 LXX pleased God; also in verse 24 after his begetting Methuselah three hundred years, and he begat sons and daughters. And all the days of Enoch were five and sixty years and three hundred years. And Enoch walked with God, and he was no more, for God had taken him. 5.24 LXX and he was not found, because God had taken him away; cited in Hebrews 11:5 From Methuselah to Noah And Methuselah lived seven and eighty years and a hundred years, and he begat Lamech. And Methuselah lived after his begetting Lamech two and eighty years and seven hundred years, and he begat sons and daughters. And all the days of Methuselah were nine and sixty years and nine hundred years, and he died. And Lamech lived two and eighty years and a hundred years, and he begat a son. And he called his name Noah,5.29 Noah sounds like the Hebrew for rest or comfort. saying, “This one shall give us comfort from our work and from the toil of our hands on account of the ground that YHWH has cursed.” And Lamech lived after his begetting Noah five and ninety years and five hundred years, and he begat sons and daughters. And all the days of Lamech were seven and seventy years and seven hundred years, and he died. Noah was a son of five hundred years, and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Corruption on the Earth (Matthew 24:36–51) And it came to pass when mankind began to multiply on the face of the ground and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of mankind, and they were good. And they took for themselves wives from all that they chose. And YHWH said, “My Spirit shall not strive with mankind forever,6.3 LXX and Syriac My Spirit will not remain in man forever for indeed he is flesh. And his days shall be a hundred and twenty years.” The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also after that, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of mankind, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were from of old, men of the name. And YHWH saw that the wickedness of mankind on the earth was great and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the day. And YHWH regretted that He had made mankind on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. And YHWH said, “I will wipe out mankind whom I have created from the face of the ground—from mankind to beast, to crawling thing, to the bird of the heavens—for I regret that I have made them!” Noah’s Favor with God And Noah found favor in the eyes of YHWH. These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generations; Noah walked with God. And Noah begat three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And the earth was corrupt before the face of God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. Preparing the Ark (Hebrews 11:7) And God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before My face, for the earth is filled with violence from their faces. And behold, I am destroying them along with the earth! Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make rooms in the ark and you shall cover it inside and outside with a covering. 6.14 Gopher is an unknown kind of tree; possibly cypress or cedar. And this is how you shall make it: Three hundred cubits is the length of the ark, fifty cubits its width, and thirty cubits its height.6.15 The ark was approximately 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high (137.2 meters long, 22.9 meters wide, and 13.7 meters high). You shall make a window6.16 Or skylight or window for the ark, and you shall finish it to a cubit from above,6.16 A cubit is approximately 18 inches or 45.7 centimeters. and you shall set the door of the ark in its side. With lower, second, and third decks you shall make it. And I—behold, I, am bringing the flood of waters on the earth, to destroy all flesh that has in it the breath of life from under the heavens. Everything that is on the earth shall perish! And I will establish My covenant with you, and you shall go into the ark—you and your sons and your wife and the wives of your sons with you. And from every living thing, from all flesh, two of every kind you shall bring into the ark to keep them alive with you; male and female they shall be. And from the bird according to its kind, and the animal according to its kind, and from every crawling thing of the ground according to its kind, two of every kind shall come to you to be kept alive. And you shall take for yourself from all food that is eaten, and you shall gather it to yourself, and it shall be for you and for them for food.” And Noah did according to all that God had commanded him; so he did. The Great Flood (2 Peter 3:1–7) And YHWH said to Noah, “Go, you and all your house, into the ark, because you I have seen righteous before My face in this generation. From every clean animal you shall take with you seven by seven,7.2 Or by sevens; also in verse 3 a male and his female; and from the animals that are not clean, from these two: A male and his female; also from each bird of the heavens, seven by seven, male and female, to keep alive the seed upon the face of all the earth. For after seven more days I am sending rain upon the earth for forty days and forty nights; I will wipe out every living thing that I have made from the face of the ground!” And Noah did according to all that YHWH had commanded him. And Noah was a son of six hundred years, and the flood of waters came upon the earth. And Noah entered—and his sons, and his wife, and the wives of his sons with him—into the ark, from the face of the waters of the flood. From the clean animal, and from the animal that is not clean, and from the bird and everything that crawls on the ground, two by two they came to Noah, to the ark, male and female, as God had commanded Noah. And it came to pass, after the seven days, that the waters of the flood came upon the earth. In the six hundredth year, in that year of the life of Noah, in the second month, on the seven and tenth day of the month—on this day burst forth all the fountains of the great deep, and the windows of the heavens were opened. And rain was upon the earth for forty days and forty nights. On this very day entered Noah, and Shem and Ham and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah’s wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark— they and every beast according to its kind, and all the livestock according to its kind, and every crawling thing that crawls on the earth according to its kind, and every bird according to its kind (every bird of every wing). And they came to Noah, to the ark, two by two, from all the flesh in which is the breath of life. And those coming in, male and female from all flesh, they went in as God had commanded him. And YHWH shut it behind him. And the flood kept coming forty days on the earth, and the waters multiplied, and they lifted up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. And the waters prevailed and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark moved about on the face of the waters. And the waters prevailed greatly, greatly on the earth, and all the high mountains that were under all the heavens were covered. Five and ten cubits7.20 15 cubits is approximately 22.5 feet or 6.9 meters. upward the waters prevailed, and the mountains were covered. And all flesh that moved on the earth perished—the bird, and the livestock, and the beast, and every swarming thing that swarms on the earth, and all mankind. Everything that had in its nostrils the breath of the spirit of life—of all that was on the dry land—died. And He wiped out every living thing that was on the face of the ground: From mankind to livestock to crawling thing and to the bird of the heavens. And they were wiped out from the earth, and only Noah remained, and those who were with him in the ark. And the waters prevailed on the earth fifty and a hundred days. The Ark Rests on Ararat And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the animals that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind pass over the earth, and the waters subsided. And the fountains of the deep and the windows of the heavens were closed, and the rain from the heavens was restrained. And the waters turned back from the earth, going and returning, and the waters decreased at the end of fifty and a hundred days. And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seven and tenth day of the month, on the mountains of Ararat. And the waters were going and decreasing until the tenth month, and in the tenth month on the first of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen. Noah Sends a Raven and a Dove And it came to pass at the end of forty days that Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made, and he sent forth the raven and it went out, going out and returning, until the waters had dried up from the earth. And he sent forth the dove from himself8.8 Or from it to see if the waters had receded from the face of the ground. And the dove did not find a resting place for the sole of her foot, and she returned to him in the ark; for the waters were still on the face of all the earth. And he stretched out his hand and took her, and brought her to himself in the ark. And he waited yet another seven days, and he again sent forth the dove from the ark. And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, a freshly plucked olive leaf was in her mouth. And Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth. And he waited yet another seven days and he sent forth the dove, and she did not continue to return to him again. Exiting the Ark And it came to pass in the one and six hundredth year, in the first month, on the first of the month, that the waters were dried up from the earth. And Noah removed the covering of the ark, and he looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry. And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, the earth was dried. And God spoke to Noah, saying, “Go forth from the ark, you, and your wife, and your sons, and the wives of your sons with you. Every living thing that is with you—all flesh, the bird, and the livestock, and every crawling thing that crawls on the earth—bring out with you, and let them swarm on the earth and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.” And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and the wives of his sons with him. And every animal, every crawling thing, every bird, and everything that moves on the earth, according to their families, they went forth from the ark. Noah Builds an Altar And Noah built an altar to YHWH. And he took from every clean animal and from every clean bird, and he offered burnt offerings on the altar. And YHWH smelled the pleasing aroma, and YHWH said in His heart, “I will not continue to curse anymore the ground on account of mankind, though the inclination of the heart of man is evil from his youth. I will not continue anymore to destroy every living thing, as I have done. Throughout all the days of the earth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” The Covenant of the Rainbow And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. And the fear of you⁺ and the dread of you⁺ shall be on every beast of the earth, and on every bird of the heavens, on all that moves on the earth, and on all the fish of the sea. Into your⁺ hand they are given— every moving thing that has in it life, for you⁺ it shall be for food; as the green plants, I have given to you⁺ everything. But flesh with its life—its blood—you⁺ shall not eat. And surely your⁺ blood for your⁺ lives I will require; from the hand of every beast I will require it, and from the hand of the man; from the hand of each man’s brother I will require for the life of the man. Whoever sheds the blood of the man, by the man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God He has made the man. And you⁺, be fruitful and multiply; swarm on the earth and multiply on it.” And God said to Noah and to his sons with him, saying, “And I—behold, I, am establishing My covenant with you⁺ and with your⁺ seed after you⁺, and with every living creature that is with you⁺, among the bird, among the livestock, and among every beast of the earth with you⁺, from all those going out of the ark, to every beast of the earth. And I have established My covenant with you⁺, that all flesh shall never again be cut off by the waters of the flood; and there shall never again be a flood to destroy the earth.” And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I am giving between Me, and between you⁺, and between every living soul that is with you⁺, for generations everlasting. My bow I have set in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of the covenant between Me and between the earth. And it shall come to pass in My bringing a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud. And I will remember My covenant, that is between Me, and between you⁺, and between every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and between every living soul of all flesh that is on the earth.” And God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between Me and between all flesh that is on the earth.” Noah’s Shame and Canaan’s Curse And the sons of Noah who went out from the ark were Shem and Ham and Japheth. And Ham—he was the father of Canaan. These were the three sons of Noah, and from these all the earth was scattered. And Noah began to be a man9.20 Or was the first man of the ground, and he planted a vineyard. And he drank from the wine and became drunk, and uncovered himself in the midst of his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and he told his two brothers outside. And Shem took—and Japheth—the garment, and they laid it on the shoulders of the two of them and they went backward and covered the nakedness of their father. And their faces were backward, and the nakedness of their father they did not see. And Noah awoke from his wine and he knew what his youngest son had done to him. And he said, “Cursed be Canaan! A servant of servants he shall be to his brothers.” Shem’s Blessing and Noah’s Death And he said, “Blessed be YHWH, the God of Shem! And may Canaan be a servant to him. May God enlarge Japheth,9.27 Japheth sounds like the Hebrew for expand. and may he dwell in the tents of Shem, and may Canaan be a servant to them.” And after the flood Noah lived three hundred years and fifty years. And all the days of Noah were nine hundred years and fifty years, and he died. The Table of Nations (1 Chronicles 1:4–27) And these are the generations of Noah’s sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And were born to them sons after the flood. The Japhethites The sons of Japheth: Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. And the sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah. And the sons of Javan: Elishah, and Tarshish, the Kittim, and the Rodanim. 10.4 SP and some MT manuscripts (see also LXX and 1 Chronicles 1:7); most MT manuscripts Dodanim From these were separated the coastlands of the nations, in their lands, each according to his language, according to their clans, in their nations. The Hamites And the sons of Ham: Cush, and Mizraim, and Put, and Canaan. And the sons of Cush: Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtecha. And the sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. 10.7 Sabtah is a variant of Sabta; see 1 Chronicles 1:9. And Cush begat Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth.10.8 Or who established himself as a mighty warrior or who became the first fearless leader He was a mighty hunter before the face10.9 Or in defiance; twice in this verse of YHWH; upon thus it is said: “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the face of YHWH.” And the beginning of his kingdom was Babylon, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.10.10 That is, Babylonia From that land he went to Assyria, and built Nineveh and Rehoboth-ir and Calah, and Resen between Nineveh and between Calah; it is the great city. And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim, and Pathrusim, and the Casluhites (from whom the Philistines came), and the Caphtorim.10.14 Some translators adjust the Hebrew word order to the Casluhim, and the Caphtorim (from whom the Philistines came); see also Jeremiah 47:4 and Amos 9:7. And Canaan begat Sidon his firstborn,10.15 Or the Sidonians, the foremost and Heth, and the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgashite, and the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite, and the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite. And afterward the clans of the Canaanite were scattered. And the border of the Canaanite was from Sidon as you go toward Gerar, as far as Gaza; and as you go toward Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. These are the sons of Ham, according to their clans, according to their languages, in their lands, in their nations. The Semites And sons were also born to Shem—the father of all the sons of Eber—the brother of Japheth the elder. The sons of Shem: Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram. And the sons of Aram: Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash. 10.23 Hebrew; LXX and 1 Chronicles 1:17 Meshech And Arphaxad begat Shelah, and Shelah begat Eber. 10.24 Hebrew; LXX (see also Luke 3:35–36) And Arphaxad was the father of Cainan, and Cainan was the father of Shelah, And to Eber two sons were born: The name of the one was Peleg,10.25 Peleg means division. for in his days the earth was divided; and the name of his brother was Joktan. And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah, and Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah, and Obal, and Abimael, and Sheba, and Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab; all these are the sons of Joktan. And their dwelling was from Mesha, as you go toward Sephar, the mountain of the east. These are the sons of Shem, according to their clans, according to their languages, in their lands, in their nations. These are the clans of the sons of Noah, according to their generations, in their nations. And from these the nations were divided on the earth after the flood. The Tower of Babel (Deuteronomy 32:8; Acts 2:1–13) And all the earth had one language and one speech. And it came to pass as they journeyed from the east11.2 Or eastward or in the east that they found a plain in the land of Shinar,11.2 That is, Babylonia and they dwelt there. And they said, each man to his brother, “Come, let us make bricks and burn them for burning.” And the brick was to them for stone, and the tar was to them for the mortar. And they said, “Come, let us build for ourselves a city and a tower, and its top in the heavens, and let us make for ourselves a name, lest we be scattered over the face of all the earth.” And YHWH came down to see the city and the tower that the sons of men had built. And YHWH said, “Behold, the people are one, and one language is to them all, and this they have begun to do. And now nothing will be restrained from them of all that they devise to do. Come, let Us go down there and confuse their language, so that one man may not understand the language of his companion.” And YHWH scattered them from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased to build the city. Upon thus its name is called Babel,11.9 Or Babylon; the Hebrew word for Babel sounds like the Hebrew for confused. for there YHWH confused the language of all the earth, and from there YHWH scattered them over the face of all the earth. Genealogy from Shem to Abram (1 Chronicles 1:17–27) These are the generations of Shem. Shem was a son of a hundred years, and he begat Arphaxad two years after the flood. And Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years, and he begat sons and daughters. And Arphaxad lived five and thirty years, and he begat Shelah. And Arphaxad lived after he begat Shelah three years and four hundred years, and he begat sons and daughters.11.13 Hebrew; LXX (see also Luke 3:35–36) 12 When Arphaxad was 135 years old, he became the father of Cainan. 13 And after he had become the father of Cainan, Arphaxad lived 430 years and had other sons and daughters, and then he died. When Cainan had lived 130 years, he became the father of Shelah. And after he had become the father of Shelah, Cainan lived 330 years and had other sons and daughters. Note that LXX also adds 100 years to the ages of Shelah, Eber, Peleg, Reu, Serug, and Nahor in this genealogy. And Shelah lived thirty years, and he begat Eber. And Shelah lived after he begat Eber three years and four hundred years, and he begat sons and daughters. And Eber lived four and thirty years, and he begat Peleg. And Eber lived after he begat Peleg thirty years and four hundred years, and he begat sons and daughters. And Peleg lived thirty years, and he begat Reu. And Peleg lived after he begat Reu nine years and two hundred years, and he begat sons and daughters. And Reu lived two and thirty years, and he begat Serug. And Reu lived after he begat Serug seven years and two hundred years, and he begat sons and daughters. And Serug lived thirty years, and he begat Nahor. And Serug lived after he begat Nahor two hundred years, and he begat sons and daughters. And Nahor lived nine and twenty years, and he begat Terah. And Nahor lived after he begat Terah nine and ten years and a hundred years, and he begat sons and daughters. And Terah lived seventy years, and he begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Terah’s Descendants And these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran. And Haran begat Lot. And Haran died before the face of Terah his father, in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldeans. And Abram and Nahor took for themselves wives; the name of the wife of Abram was Sarai; and the name of the wife of Nahor was Milcah daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah and the father of Iscah. And Sarai was barren; she had no child. And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot son of Haran, the son of his son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, the wife of his son Abram, and they went out with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan. And they came as far as Haran and they dwelt there. And the days of Terah were five years and two hundred years, and Terah died in Haran. The Call of Abram (Genesis 26:1–5; Acts 7:1–8) And YHWH had said to Abram, “Go for yourself from your land and from your kindred and from the house of your father, to the land that I will show you.12.1 Cited in Acts 7:3 And I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you and I will make great your name, and you shall be a blessing. And I will bless those blessing you, and him who curses you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” 12.3 See Galatians 3:8 And Abram departed as YHWH had spoken to him, and Lot departed with him. And Abram was a son of five years and seventy years when he went out from Haran. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot, son of his brother, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the souls whom they had made in Haran, and they went out to go to the land of Canaan. And they came to the land of Canaan. And Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the Oak of Moreh. And at that time the Canaanite was in the land. 12.6 Or Terebinth or Great Tree And YHWH appeared to Abram and said, “To your seed I will give this land.” And he built there an altar to YHWH, who had appeared to him. 12.7 Cited in Galatians 3:16 And he moved on from there to the mountain east of Bethel, and he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And he built there an altar to YHWH, and he called on the name of YHWH. And Abram journeyed, going on and journeying toward the Negev. Abram and Sarai in Egypt And there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. And it came to pass when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, “Behold now, I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance. And it will come to pass when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ And they will kill me, and you they will let live. Say, please, you are my sister, so that it may go well with me for your sake, and my soul may live because of you.” And it came to pass, when Abram entered Egypt, that the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful. And the princes of Pharaoh saw her, and they commended her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into the house of Pharaoh. And Abram he treated well for her sake, and he had for himself sheep, and cattle, and male donkeys, and menservants, and maidservants, and female donkeys, and camels. And YHWH plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of the matter of Sarai, wife of Abram. And Pharaoh called to Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her to myself as a wife? And now, behold, your wife; take her and go!” And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him, and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had. Abram and Lot Part Ways And Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had—and Lot with him—to the Negev. And Abram was very rich in the livestock, in the silver, and in the gold. And he went on his journey from the Negev, and even to Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning between Bethel and between Ai, to the place of the altar that he had made there at the first. And there Abram called on the name of YHWH. And also Lot, who went with Abram, had a flock and a herd, and tents. And the land was not able to support them to dwell together, for their possessions were great, and they were not able to dwell together. And there was strife between the shepherds of livestock of Abram and between the shepherds of livestock of Lot. And the Canaanite and the Perizzite were then dwelling in the land. And Abram said to Lot, “Please let there not be strife between me and between you, and between my shepherds and between your shepherds, for we are men—brothers. Is not all the land before you? Separate, please, from me—if to the left, then I will go to the right; and if to the right, then I will go to the left.” Lot Proceeds toward Sodom And Lot lifted up his eyes, and he saw all the plain of the Jordan, for all of it was well watered (before YHWH destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of YHWH, like the land of Egypt, as you go toward Zoar. And Lot chose for himself all the plain of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed toward the east. And they separated, a man from his brother. Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain, and he pitched his tent toward Sodom. And the men of Sodom were wicked and exceedingly sinful before YHWH. God Renews the Promise to Abram And YHWH said to Abram after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up now your eyes and look from the place where you are—northward and southward and eastward and westward. For all the land that you are seeing, I give to you and to your seed unto eternity. 13.15 Cited in Galatians 3:16 And I will make your seed as the dust of the earth, so that if a man is able to number the dust of the earth, then also your seed could be numbered. Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for to you I give it.” And Abram moved his tent, and he went and dwelt by the Oaks13.18 Or Terebinths or Great Trees of Mamre which are in Hebron, and he built there an altar to YHWH. The War of the Kings And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar,14.1 That is, Babylonia; also in verse 9 Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, that they made war with Bera king of Sodom, and Birsha king of Gomorrah, and Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). All these joined together in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea).14.3 That is, the Dead Sea Two and ten years they had served Chedorlaomer, and in the three and tenth year they rebelled. And in the four and tenth year came Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, and they struck the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, and the Zuzites in Ham, and the Emites in Shaveh-kiriathaim, and the Horites in their mountain of Seir, as far as El-Paran, which is by the wilderness. And they turned back and came to En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and they struck all the territory of the Amalekite, and also the Amorite who was dwelling in Hazazon-tamar. And the king of Sodom went out, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). And they arrayed in battle with them in the Valley of Siddim—14.8 That is, the Valley of the Dead Sea 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. Abram Rescues Lot And the Valley of Siddim had pits, pits of tar; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and some fell there, and the remainder fled to the mountains. And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food, and they went on their way. And they took Lot, son of Abram's brother, and his goods, and they departed; and he was dwelling in Sodom. And the escapee came, and he told Abram the Hebrew, and he was dwelling by the Oaks14.13 Or Terebinths or Great Trees of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner; and they were possessors of a covenant14.13 Or treaty with Abram. And Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, and he drew out his trained men, those born in his house, eight and ten and three hundred, and he went in pursuit as far as Dan. And he divided himself against them by night—he and his servants—and he struck them and he pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus. And he brought back all the goods, and also Lot, his brother, and his goods; he also brought back the women and the people. Melchizedek Blesses Abram (Psalm 110:1–7; Hebrews 7:1–10) And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from striking Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine, and he was priest of El-Elyon. 14.18 El-Elyon means God Most High; also in verses 19, 20, and 22; cited in Hebrews 7:1 And he blessed him and said: “Blessed be Abram to El-Elyon, Possessor of the heavens and earth, and blessed be El-Elyon, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” And he gave to him a tenth of everything. And the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give to me the souls, and take the goods for yourself.” And Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to YHWH El-Elyon, Possessor of the heavens and earth, from a thread even to a strap of a sandal, that I will not take anything that is yours—lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’— Except only what the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre. They may take their portion.” God’s Covenant with Abram (Romans 4:1–12; Hebrews 11:8–19) After these things the word of YHWH came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am a shield to you; your reward is exceedingly great.” And Abram said, “O Lord YHWH, what can You give to me, and I go childless, and the son of possession of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “Behold, You have not given to me offspring; and behold, a son of my house is inheriting me.” And behold, the word of YHWH came to him, saying, “This one will not inherit you, but rather one who will come from your inward parts, he will inherit you.” And He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward the heavens and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall be your seed.” 15.5 Cited in Romans 4:18 And he believed in YHWH, and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. 15.6 Cited in Romans 4:3, Romans 4:22, Galatians 3:6, and James 2:23 And He said to him, “I am YHWH who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give to you this land to possess it.” God Confirms His Promise (Numbers 34:1–15; Romans 4:13–25) And he said, “Lord YHWH, by what shall I know that I will possess it?” And He said to him, “Bring Me a heifer being three years old, and a female goat being three years old, and a ram being three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” And he brought to Him all these, and he cut them in two in the middle and placed each piece opposite the other; and the bird he did not cut in two. And the bird of prey came down on the carcasses, and Abram drove them away. And the sun was going down, and a deep sleep fell upon Abram. And behold, a terror of great darkness fell upon him. And He said to Abram, “Know for certain that your seed will be a sojourner in a land not theirs, and they will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. And the nation whom they serve I will judge, and after this, they shall come out with great possessions. 15.14 Cited in Acts 7:6–7 And as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. And the fourth generation, they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite here is not yet complete.” And it came to pass when the sun went down and it was dark, and behold, a smoking firepot and a burning torch that passed between these pieces. On that day YHWH cut a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your seed I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates, with the Kenite, and the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Rephaim, and the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Girgashite, and the Jebusite.” Hagar and Ishmael And Sarai the wife of Abram has not borne to him, and she had a maidservant, an Egyptianess, and her name was Hagar. And Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, YHWH has restrained me from bearing children. Go in, please, to my maidservant; perhaps I shall be built up from her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. And Sarai, wife of Abram, took Hagar the Egyptianess, her maidservant, after ten years of Abram dwelling in the land of Canaan, and she gave her to Abram, her husband, for a wife. And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And she saw that she had conceived, and her mistress became despised in her eyes.16.4 Or she began to despise her mistress And Sarai said to Abram, “My wrong be upon you. I gave my maidservant into your bosom, and she saw that she had conceived, and I became despised in her eyes. May YHWH judge between me and between you.” And Abram said to Sarai, “Indeed, your maidservant is in your hand. Do to her what is good in your eyes.” And Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her presence. And the angel16.7 Or Angel; also in verses 9, 10, and 11; corresponding pronouns may also be capitalized. of YHWH found her by the spring of waters in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur. And He said, “Hagar, maidservant of Sarai, from where is this that you have come, and where are you going?” And she said, “From the presence of Sarai my mistress I am fleeing.” And the angel of YHWH said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit yourself under her hand.” And the angel of YHWH said to her, “I will greatly multiply your seed, and it shall not be counted for multitude.” And the angel of YHWH said to her, “Behold, you are conceiving, and you shall bear a son. And you shall call his name Ishmael,16.11 Ishmael means God hears. for YHWH has listened to your affliction. And He shall be a wild donkey of a man; His hand against everyone, and the hand of everyone against him, and over against the face of all his brothers he shall dwell.” And she called the name of YHWH who spoke to her: “You are El-Roi,16.13 El-Roi means the God who sees me” for she said, “Even here I have seen after Him who sees me?” Upon thus the well was called Beer-lahai-roi.16.14 Beer-lahai-roi means well of the Living One who sees me. Behold, it is between Kadesh and between Bered. And Hagar bore to Abram a son, and Abram named his son, whom Hagar had borne, Ishmael. And Abram was a son of eighty years and six years when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram. Abraham to Father Many Nations And Abram was a son of ninety years and nine years, and YHWH appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am El-Shaddai;17.1 El-Shaddai means God Almighty walk before Me and be blameless. And I will make My covenant between Me and between you, and I will multiply you greatly, greatly.” And Abram fell on his face, and God spoke with him, saying, “As for me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. And your name shall no longer be called Abram, and your name shall be Abraham;17.5 Abram means exalted father. for I have made you a father of many nations.17.5 Abraham means father of many. 17.5 Cited in Romans 4:17 I will make you fruitful—greatly, greatly—and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come out from you. And I will establish My covenant between Me and between you and between your seed after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you, and to your seed after you. And I give to you and to your seed after you the land in which you are a sojourner—all the land of Canaan—as an everlasting possession. And I will be their God.” The Covenant of Circumcision And God said to Abraham, “And as for you, you shall keep My covenant—you and your seed after you, throughout their generations. This is My covenant, which you⁺ shall keep between Me, and between you⁺, and between your seed after you: Every male child among you⁺ shall be circumcised. And you⁺ shall be circumcised in the flesh of your⁺ foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and between you⁺. And a son of eight days among you⁺ shall be circumcised—every male child in your⁺ generations who is born in your house or bought with silver from any son of a foreigner who is not of your seed. And he must surely be circumcised—he who is born in your house, or he who is bought with your silver. And My covenant shall be in your⁺ flesh for an everlasting covenant. And the uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, the soul of that one shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.” And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah is her name.17.15 Both Sarai and Sarah mean princess; the change in spelling may reflect the difference in dialect between Ur and Canaan. And I will bless her, and also I have given to you a son by her. And I have blessed her, and she has become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” And Abraham fell on his face, and he laughed, and he said in his heart, “To a son of a hundred years shall a child be born? Or shall Sarah, a daughter of ninety years, bear a child?” And Abraham said to God, “O that Ishmael might live before You!” And God said, “Sarah your wife surely will bear to you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac.17.19 Isaac means he laughs. And I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him and I will make him fruitful and will multiply him greatly, greatly. Two and ten princes He shall beget, and I will make him into a great nation. And I will establish My covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this appointed time in the next year.” And He finished speaking with him, and God went up from Abraham. And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all who were born in his house, and all who were bought with his silver—every male among the men in the house of Abraham—and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskins on that very day, as God had spoken with him. And Abraham was a son of ninety-nine years when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. And Ishmael his son was a son of three and ten years when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. And on that very day Abraham was circumcised, and Ishmael his son, and all the men of his house—born in the house or bought with silver from a son of a foreigner—were circumcised with him. The Three Visitors And YHWH appeared to him by the Oaks18.1 Or Terebinths or Great Trees of Mamre, and he was sitting in the entrance of the tent in the heat of the day. And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him. And he saw them, and he ran to meet them from the entrance of the tent, and he bowed himself to the earth. And he said, “My lord, if now I have found favor in your eyes, please, do not pass on by Your servant. Please let a little water be brought, and wash your⁺ feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. And I will bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh your⁺ hearts; afterward, you⁺ may pass on, for upon thus you⁺ have come to your⁺ servant.” And they said, “Yes, you may do as you have said.” And Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quickly take three seahs of fine meal,18.6 3 seahs is approximately 19.8 dry quarts or 21.9 liters (probably about 24.5 pounds or 11.1 kilograms of flour). knead it, and make cakes.” And Abraham ran to the herd, and he took a tender and good son of the herd and gave it to the young man, and he hurried to prepare it. And he took butter and milk and the son of the herd that he had prepared, and he set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they ate. Sarah Laughs at the Promise And they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “Behold, in the tent.” And He said, “I will surely return to you according to the time of life; and behold—a son to Sarah, your wife.” And Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, and it was behind him. And Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in years; it had ceased to be for Sarah the way of women. And Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I am worn out, shall there be to me pleasure? And my lord is old!” And YHWH said to Abraham, “Why did this one, Sarah, laugh, saying, ‘Shall I truly bear a child when I am old?’ Is any word is too difficult for YHWH? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and unto Sarah will be a son.” 18.14 Cited in Romans 9:9 And Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh.” Abraham Intercedes for Sodom And the men rose from there and looked on the face of Sodom, and Abraham walked with them to send them off. And YHWH said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing? And Abraham will surely become a nation great and mighty, and in him all the nations of the earth shall be blessed. For I have known him in order that he may command his children and his house after him that they keep the way of YHWH by doing what is right and just, that YHWH may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.” And YHWH said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and because their sin is very grievous, I will go down now and see whether the outcry against it that has come to Me they have done completely—and if not, I will know.” And the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, and Abraham still stood before YHWH. And Abraham came near and said, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous in the midst of the city; would You also destroy and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are within it? Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked. Far be it from You! Shall the Judge of all the earth not do justice?” And YHWH said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous in the midst of the city, then I will spare the whole place on their account.” And Abraham answered and said, “Behold, please, I have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord, and I am dust and ash. Suppose there are lacking five of the fifty righteous? Would You destroy for the five the whole city?” And He said, “I will not destroy it if I find there forty and five.” And he added again to speak to Him, and he said, “Suppose there should be found there forty?” And He said, “I will not do it on account of the forty.” And he said, “Please, may the Lord not be hot, and I will speak. Suppose there should be found thirty.” And He said, “I will not do it if I find there thirty.” And he said, “Behold, please, I have ventured to speak to the Lord. Suppose there should be found twenty.” And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the twenty.” And he said, “Please may the Lord not be hot, and I will speak but once more. Suppose there should be found ten.” And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the ten.” And YHWH went His way as soon as He had finished speaking with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place. Lot Welcomes the Angels (Judges 19:1–30) And the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting at the gate of Sodom. And Lot saw them, and he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his nose to the earth. And he said, “Behold now, my lords, please, turn in to the house of your⁺ servant, and spend the night and wash your⁺ feet. And you⁺ may rise early and go on your⁺ way.” And they said, “No, for we will spend the night in the open square.” And he insisted on it strongly, and they turned in to him and entered into his house. And he made them a feast, and he baked unleavened bread, and they ate. And before they lay down, the men of the city—the men of Sodom—encircled the house, from young to old, all the people from the end. And they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you this night? Bring them out to us that we may know them.” And Lot went out to them through the doorway, and he shut the door behind him. And he said, “Please, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. Behold now, I have two daughters who have not known a man; please let me bring them out to you⁺, and you⁺ may do to them according to what is good in your⁺ eyes. Only to these men do not anything, for upon thus they have come under the shadow of my roof.” And they said, “Stand back!” And they said, “This one came in to sojourn, and he is already acting like a judge! Now we will act wickedly to you more than to them!” And they pressed hard against the man Lot, and they came near to break down the door. And the men stretched out their hands and pulled Lot with them into the house, and they shut the door. And they struck with blindness the men who were at the doorway of the house, from small and to great, and they grew weary trying to find the door. Lot Flees to Zoar And the men said to Lot, “Who else do you have here—your son-in-law, and your sons, and your daughters, and whoever you have in the city? Get them out of the place. For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of YHWH, and YHWH has sent us to destroy it.” And Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, the ones who had taken his daughters, and he said, “Get up, get out of this place, for YHWH will destroy the city.” And he seemed to be joking to his sons-in-law. And as the dawn came up, and the angels pressed Lot, saying, “Get up, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be destroyed in the iniquity of the city.” And he lingered, and the men took hold of his hand and of the hand of his wife and of the hand of his two daughters—YHWH being merciful to him—and they brought him out and set him outside of the city. And it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay in all the plain! Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed!” And Lot said to them, “No, please, my lords! Behold, please, your servant has found favor in your eyes, and you have increased your kindness, which you have shown me by saving my life. And I am not able to escape to the mountains, lest the evil overtake me and I die. Behold, please, this city is near to flee there, and it is a small place. Let me escape there, please. Is it not a small place? And my soul shall live!” And he said to him, “Behold, I have sustained you also concerning this thing without overthrowing the city about which you have spoken. Hurry, escape there, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” Upon thus the name of the city was called Zoar.19.22 Zoar means small. When the sun had risen upon the earth and Lot had entered Zoar, The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Luke 17:20–37) then YHWH rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from YHWH out of the heavens. And He overthrew these cities, and all the plain, and all those dwelling in the cities, and what grew on the ground. And his wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. And Abraham rose early in the morning and went to the place where he had stood there before the face of YHWH. And he looked toward the face of Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the plain, and he saw, and behold, smoke from the land went up like the smoke of the furnace. And it came to pass when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when He overthrew the cities in which Lot had dwelt. Lot and His Daughters And Lot went up out of Zoar and dwelt in the mountains, and his two daughters with him; for he was afraid to dwell in Zoar. And he dwelt in the cave—he and his two daughters. And the firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man on the earth to come in to us, as is the way of all the earth. Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve the seed of our father.” And they made their father drink wine that night, and the firstborn went in and lay with her father, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. And it came to pass on the next day that the firstborn said to the younger, “Indeed, last night I lay with my father. Let us make him drink wine tonight also, and you go in and lie with him, that we may preserve the seed of our father.” And they made their father drink wine that night also, and the younger arose and lay with him, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. And the two daughters of Lot conceived by their father. And the firstborn bore a son, and she called his name Moab;19.37 Moab sounds like the Hebrew for from my father. he is the father of the Moabites to this day. And the younger, she also bore a son, and she called his name Ben-ammi;19.38 Ben-ammi means son of my people. he is the father of the sons of Ammon to this day. Abraham, Sarah, and Abimelech And Abraham journeyed from there to the Negev, and he dwelt between Kadesh and between Shur, and he sojourned in Gerar. And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. And God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken—and she is married to a husband.” And Abimelech has not come near her, and he said, “Lord, will You slay even a righteous nation? Did not he say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And even she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and in the innocence of my hands I have done this.” And God said to him in the dream, “Indeed, I myself knew that you did this in the integrity of your heart, and I withheld you, indeed I, from sinning against Me; upon thus I did not let you touch her. And now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet. And he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you will surely die—you and all that is yours.” And Abimelech rose early in the morning and called all his servants, and he told all these words in their ears; and the men were exceedingly afraid. And Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? Deeds that are not to be done, you have done to me.” And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you see, that you have done this thing?” And Abraham said, “Because I thought, ‘Surely the fear of God is not in this place, and they will kill me on account of my wife.’ And indeed she is also my sister, the daughter of my father but not the daughter of my mother. And she became my wife. And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from the house of my father, that I said to her, ‘This is your kindness that you should do for me: In every place where we go there, say of me, “He is my brother.”’” And Abimelech took flock, and cattle, and menservants, and maidservants, and he gave them to Abraham, and he returned to him Sarah his wife. And Abimelech said, “Behold, my land is before you. Dwell wherever is good in your eyes.” And to Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given a thousand pieces of silver20.16 Or a thousand shekels of silver; that is, approximately 25.1 pounds or 11.4 kilograms of silver to your brother; behold, it is for you a covering of the eyes, to all who are with you, and before all you are vindicated.” And Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants, and they bore children. For YHWH had completely closed all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah the wife of Abraham. The Birth of Isaac And YHWH visited Sarah as He had said, and YHWH did for Sarah as He had spoken. And Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac. 21.3 Isaac means he laughs. And Abraham circumcised Isaac his son, a son of eight days, as God had commanded him. And Abraham was a son of a hundred years when Isaac his son was born to him. And Sarah said, “God has brought to me laughter; all who hear will laugh with me.” And she said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne a son in his old age.” And the child grew and was weaned, and Abraham made a great feast on the same day that Isaac was weaned. Sarah Turns against Hagar (Galatians 4:21–30) And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking her son.21.9 LXX and Vulgate; Hebrew lacks her son And she said to Abraham, “Drive out this maidservant and her son, for the son of this maidservant shall not be heir with my son, with Isaac.” 21.10 Cited in Galatians 4:30 And the matter was very displeasing in the eyes of Abraham, for the cause of his son. And God said to Abraham, “Let it not be wrong in your eyes because of the boy or because of your maidservant; all that Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice. For in Isaac your seed will be reckoned. 21.12 Cited in Romans 9:7 and Hebrews 11:18 Yet the son of the maidservant I will make into a nation, because he is your seed.” And Abraham rose early in the morning, and he took bread and a skin of water, and he gave them to Hagar, putting them on her shoulder, and the boy; and he sent her away. And she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. And the water was used up from the skin, and she cast the boy under one of the bushes. And she went and sat down by herself opposite him, as distance of the shot of a bow, for she said, “Do not let me see the death of the boy.” And she sat opposite him and lifted up her voice and wept.21.16 Hebrew; LXX the child lifted up his voice and wept And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar out of the heavens and said to her, “What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has listened to the voice of the boy where he is there. Arise, lift up the boy, and hold him with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water, and she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. And God was with the boy, and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness and became a great archer. And He dwelt in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took for him a wife from the land of Egypt. The Covenant at Beersheba And it came to pass at that time that Abimelech spoke, and Phichol the commander of his army, to Abraham, saying, “God is with you in all that you do. And now swear to me before God here that you will not deal falsely with me or with my offspring or with my posterity, but that according to the kindness that I have done to you, you will do to me and to the land in that you are sojourning.” And Abraham said, “I swear.” And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water that the servants of Abimelech had seized. And Abimelech said, “I do not know who has done this thing, and you did not tell me, and I has not heard of it until today.” And Abraham took flock and cattle and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them cut a covenant. And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What are they—these seven ewe lambs that you have set by themselves?” And he said, “For these seven ewe lambs you will take from my hand, that it may be a witness for me that I have dug this well.” Upon thus, he called that place Beersheba,21.31 Beersheba means well of seven or well of the oath. because there the two of them swore an oath. And they cut a covenant at Beersheba. And Abimelech rose, and Phichol the commander of his army, and they returned to the land of the Philistines. And he planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of YHWH El-Olam.21.33 El-Olam means God the Eternal And Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines many days. The Offering of Isaac (John 3:1–21) And it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Behold, I am here.” And He said, “Take now your son, your only one, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell to you.” And Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and he took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and he arose and went to the place of which God had told to him. And on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and he saw the place from a distance. And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey, and I and the boy will go over there, and we will worship, and we will come back to you⁺.” And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife, and they went, the two of them, together. And Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Behold, I am here, my son.” And he said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, and where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” And Abraham said, “God will see for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” And they went, the two of them, together. And they came to the place that God had told him, and there Abraham built the altar and arranged the wood, and he bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. Yahweh Provides the Sacrifice And the angel22.11 Or Angel; also in verses 12 and 15 of YHWH called to him from the heavens and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Behold, I am here.” And he said, “Do not stretch out your hand upon the boy, and do not do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only one, from me.22.12 Or from Me” And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a ram behind him,22.13 Most MT manuscripts; other Hebrew manuscripts, SP, LXX, and Syriac behold, one ram caught in the thicket by its horns; and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it as a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place “YHWH Yireh,”22.14 YHWH-Yireh means The LORD Will Provide as it is said to this day, “On the mountain of YHWH it shall be seen.” And the angel of YHWH called to Abraham a second time from the heavens and said, “By Myself I have sworn, says YHWH, that because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only one, that I will surely bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the shore of the sea; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. 22.17 Cited in Hebrews 6:14 And in your seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have listened to My voice.” 22.18 Cited in Acts 3:25 And Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose and went together to Beersheba. And Abraham dwelt at Beersheba. The Sons of Nahor And it came to pass after these things that it was told to Abraham, saying, “Behold, Milcah has borne—even she—sons to Nahor your brother: Uz his firstborn, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram, and Chesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” And Bethuel begat Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham’s brother. And his concubine (and her name was Reumah), she also bore Tebah, and Gaham, and Tahash, and Maacah. And the lifetime of Sarah was a hundred years and twenty years and seven years; the years of the lifetime of Sarah. The Death and Burial of Sarah And Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. And Abraham rose up from before his dead one, and he spoke to the sons of Heth,23.3 Or the Hittites; also in verses 5, 7, 10, 16, 18, and 20 saying, “I am a sojourner and a stranger among you⁺; give to me a possession of a burial place with you⁺, that I may bury my dead from before me.” And the sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, “Hear us, my lord: You are a prince of God in our midst. In the choicest of our burial places bury your dead; none of us will withhold from you his burial place, from burying your dead.” And Abraham rose up and bowed himself to the people of the land, the sons of Heth. And he spoke with them, saying, “If it is your⁺ desire that I bury my dead from before me, hear me and intercede for me with Ephron son of Zohar, that he may give to me the cave of Machpelah which is his, which is at the end of his field. For full silver let him give it to me, in your⁺ midst, as a possession of a burial place.” And Ephron was sitting in the midst of the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the ears of the sons of Heth—of all those entering at the gate of his city—saying, “No, my lord, hear me: The field I give to you, and the cave that is in it I give it to you; before the eyes of the sons of my people I give it to you; bury your dead.” And Abraham bowed himself before the people of the land, and he spoke to Ephron in the ears of the people of the land, saying, “Only if you—please—hear me: I give the silver for the field; take it from me, and I will bury my dead there.” And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, “My lord, hear me: Land worth four hundred shekels of silver23.15 400 shekels is approximately 10.1 pounds or 4.6 kilograms of silver; also in verse 16.—between me and between you, what is it? And bury your dead.” And Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver that he had spoken of in the ears of the sons of Heth—four hundred shekels of silver, passing with the merchant. And the field of Ephron that was in Machpelah, that was before Mamre—the field and the cave that was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all its surrounding border—was established to Abraham as a possession before the eyes of the sons of Heth, of all those entering at the gate of his city. And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. And the field and the cave that is in it were established to Abraham as a possession of a burial place from the sons of Heth. A Wife for Isaac And Abraham was old, advanced in days. And YHWH had blessed Abraham in all things. And Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his house, the one who is ruling over all that is his, “Put, please, your hand under my thigh, and I will make you swear by YHWH, 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 Canaanite, among whom I am dwelling. But to my land and to my kindred you shall go, and you shall take a wife for my son, for Isaac.” And the servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land. Shall I surely cause your son to return to the land from which you came?” And Abraham said to him, “Take heed to yourself that you do not take my son there. YHWH, God of the heavens, who took me from the house of my father and from the land of my kindred, and who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, ‘To your seed I will give this land’—He will send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. And if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you shall be clear from this my oath. Only, my son you shall not cause to return there.” And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his lord, and he swore to him concerning this matter. And the servant took ten camels from the camels of his lord, and he went—with all the goods of his lord in his hand—and he arose and went to Aram-naharaim,24.10 That is, Mesopotamia; Aram-naharaim means Aram of the two rivers, likely the region between the Euphrates and Balih Rivers in northwestern Mesopotamia. to the city of Nahor. And he made the camels kneel … outside of the city by the well of water at the time of the evening, the time of the coming out of the women who draw water. And he said, “YHWH, God of my lord Abraham, please cause it to happen before me today, and do kindness to my lord Abraham. Behold, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. And it shall be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Let down, please, your jar, and I will drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and also I will water your camels,’ she is the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac; and by this I will know that You have done kindness to my lord.” Rebekah Is Chosen And it came to pass, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, the brother of Abraham, was coming out, and her jar was on her shoulder. And the young woman was very beautiful of appearance, a virgin, and no man had known her; and she went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up. And the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar.” And she said, “Drink, my lord.” And she hurried and lowered her jar upon her hand and gave him a drink. And she finished giving him a drink, and she said, “Also for your camels I will draw until … they have finished drinking.” And she hurried, and she emptied her jar into the trough, and she ran again to the well to draw, and she drew for all his camels. And the man gazed at her remaining silent, to know whether YHWH had made his way prosperous or not. And it came to pass, when the camels had finished drinking, that the man took a golden ring, a beka its weight,24.22 A beka is half a shekel, or approximately 0.2 ounces or 5.7 grams. and two bracelets for her hands, ten shekels of gold their weight.24.22 10 shekels is approximately 4 ounces or 114 grams. And he said, “Whose daughter are you? Tell me, please. Is there a place in the house of your father for us to lodge?” And she said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.” And she said to him, “Both straw and feed are abundant with us, and also a place to lodge.” And the man bowed his head and worshiped to YHWH. And he said, “Blessed be YHWH, God of my lord Abraham, who has not forsaken His kindness and His truth toward my lord; I, being on the way, YHWH has led me to the house of the brother of my lord.” And the young woman ran, and told these words to the house of her mother. And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban; and Laban ran to the man, out to the spring. And it came to pass, when he saw the ring and the bracelets on the hands of his sister, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, “Thus the man spoke to me,” then he went to the man; and behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring. And he said, “Come in, blessed of YHWH. Why do you stand outside? And I have cleared the house and a place for the camels.” And the man came into the house, and he loosened the camels, and he gave straw and feed for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. And food was set before him to eat, and he said, “I will not eat until … I have spoken my words.” And he said, “Speak.” And he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. And YHWH has blessed my lord greatly, and he has become great; and He has given to him flock and cattle, and silver and gold, and menservants and maidservants, and camels and donkeys. And Sarah, wife of my lord, bore a son to my lord after her old age, and he has given to him all that is his. And my lord made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanite, in whose land I am dwelling. But rather, to the house of my father you shall go, and to my kindred, and you shall take a wife for my son.’ And I said to my lord, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me?’ And he said to me, ‘YHWH, before whom I walk, will send His angel with you and will prosper your way, and you shall take a wife for my son from my kindred and from the house of my father. Then you will be clear from my oath—when you come to my kindred; and if they do not give her to you, then you will be released from my oath.’ And I came today to the spring and I said, ‘YHWH, God of my lord Abraham, if now You will prosper the way on which I am going—" behold, I am standing by the spring of water, and let it be that the virgin who comes out to draw water, and I say to her, ‘Give me to drink, please, a little water from your jar,’ and she says to me, ‘Drink, and I will draw’ for you and also for your camels, she is the woman whom YHWH has appointed for the son of my lord. And before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah was coming out, and her jar was on her shoulder. And she went down to the spring and drew, and I said to her, ‘Give me a drink, please.’ And she hurried and lowered her jar from herself and said, ‘Drink, and also your camels I will give drink.’ And I drank, and also she gave a drink to the camels. And I asked her and said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ And she said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to him.’ And I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her hands. And I bowed my head and worshiped to YHWH, and I blessed YHWH, God of my lord Abraham, who led me in the way of truth to take the daughter of the brother of my lord for his son. And now if you⁺ are doing kindness and truth with my lord, tell me; and if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right or to the left.” And Laban answered—and Bethuel—and they said, “From YHWH the matter has gone out; we are not able to speak to you evil or good. Behold, Rebekah is before you; take her and go, and let her be wife to the son of your lord, as YHWH has spoken.” And it came to pass, when the servant of Abraham heard their words, that bowed himself to the earth before YHWH. And the servant brought out articles of silver, and articles of gold, and clothing, and he gave them to Rebekah; and precious things he gave to her brother and to her mother. And they ate and they drank, he and the men who were with him, and they spent the night there. And they arose in the morning, and he said, “Send me away to my lord.” And her brother said—and her mother—“Let the young woman stay with us a few days, or ten days. Afterward she may go.” And he said to them, “Do not delay me, since YHWH has prospered my way. Send me away so that I may go to my lord.” And they said, “Let us call for the young woman and let us ask at her mouth.” And they called for Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go.” And they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and the servant of Abraham and his men. And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, “May you, our sister, become the mother of thousands of myriads, and may your seed possess the gate of those who hate him.” And Rebekah and her young women arose, and they rode on the camels and followed the man. And the servant took Rebekah and departed. Isaac Marries Rebekah And Isaac had come in from the entrance to Beer-lahai-roi, and he was dwelling in the Negev. And Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening. And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, camels were coming. And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and she saw Isaac, and she fell from upon the camel. And she said to the servant, “Who is this man, the one walking in the field to meet us?” And the servant said, “He is my lord.” And she took the veil and covered herself. And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. And Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother, and he took Rebekah, and she became his wife. And he loved her, and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death. Abraham and Keturah (1 Chronicles 1:32–33) And Abraham again took a wife, and her name was Keturah. And she bore to him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. And Jokshan begat Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurites, and Letushites, and Leummites. And the sons of Midian were Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abidah, and Eldaah. All these were sons of Keturah. And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac. And to the sons of the concubines unto Abraham, Abraham gave gifts, and he sent them away from Isaac his son while he was still living eastward, to the land of the east. The Death of Abraham And these are the days of the years of the life of Abraham, which he lived: A hundred years and seventy years and five years. And Abraham expired, and he died at a good old age, old and satisfied, and he was gathered to his people. And Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite which is before Mamre— the field that Abraham had purchased from the sons of Heth. There Abraham was buried, and Sarah his wife. And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed Isaac his son. And Isaac dwelt near Beer-lahai-roi. The Descendants of Ishmael (1 Chronicles 1:28–31) And these are the generations of Ishmael son of Abraham, whom Hagar the Egyptianess, maidservant of Sarah, bore to Abraham. And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: Nebajoth the firstborn of Ishmael, and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam, and Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa, Hadad, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These were the sons of Ishmael, and these were their names, by their towns and their settlements—two and ten princes according to their tribes. And these were the years of the life of Ishmael: A hundred years and thirty years and seven years. And he expired and died, and he was gathered to his people. And they dwelt from Havilah as far as Shur, which is before Egypt, as you go toward Asshur;25.18 Or Assyria Against the faces of all his brothers has he fallen. Jacob and Esau (Malachi 1:1–5; Romans 9:6–29) And these are the generations of Isaac son of Abraham: Abraham begat Isaac, and Isaac was a son of forty years when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramaean from Paddan-aram,25.20 That is, northwest Mesopotamia the sister of Laban the Aramaean, to him as wife. And Isaac entreated YHWH for his wife, because she was barren. And YHWH was entreated for him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. And the children struggled together within her, and she said, “If so, why this I?” And she went to inquire of YHWH. And YHWH said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from your bowels shall be separated; and one people shall be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.” 25.23 Cited in Romans 9:12 And her days to give birth were fulfilled, and indeed there were twins in her womb. And the first came out ruddy all over, hairy like a cloak, and they called his name Esau.25.25 Esau sounds like a Hebrew term that means hairy. And afterward his brother came out, and his hand was grasping at the heel of Esau, and he called his name Jacob.25.26 Jacob means he grasps the heel or he deceives. And Isaac was a son of sixty years when she bore them. And the boys grew, and Esau was a skillful man, a hunter and a man of the field; Jacob was a blameless man, dwelling in tents. And Isaac loved Esau because of the game in his mouth, and Rebekah loved Jacob. Esau Sells His Birthright And Jacob boiled a stew, and Esau came in from the field, and he was weary. And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me gulp down, please, from the red, the red, this one, for I am weary!” (Upon thus his name was called Edom.25.30 Edom means red.) And Jacob said, “Sell—today—your birthright to me.” And Esau said, “Behold, I am going to die; and for what is this birthright to me?” And Jacob said, “Swear to me today.” And he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. And Jacob gave to Esau bread and stew of lentils, and he ate and he drank, and he arose and went; and Esau despised the birthright. God’s Promise to Isaac (Genesis 12:1–9) And there was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that had occurred in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines in Gerar. And YHWH appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell to you. Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and I will bless you. For to you and to your seed I will give all these lands, and I will confirm the oath that I swore to Abraham your father. And I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and I will give to your seed all these lands. And in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because Abraham listened to My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.” Isaac Deceives Abimelech And Isaac dwelt in Gerar. And the men of that place asked about his wife, and he said, “She is my sister.” For he was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” lest the men of the place kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is beautiful of appearance. And it came to pass, when the days had been prolonged to him there, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked through the window, and he saw—and behold—Isaac was caressing Rebekah his wife. And Abimelech called to Isaac and said, “Surely behold, she is your wife! And how did you say, ‘She is my sister?’” And Isaac said to him, “Because I said, ‘lest I die on account of her.’” And Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people had almost lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.” And Abimelech commanded all the people, saying, “The one who touches this man or his wife, he shall surely be put to death.” Isaac’s Prosperity And Isaac sowed in that land, and he reaped in that year a hundred fold, and YHWH blessed him. And the man became great, and he went on, going on and becoming greater, until that he became very great. And he had a possession of flock, and a possession of cattle, and much service; and the Philistines envied him. And all the wells that the servants of his father had dug in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines stopped them up and filled them with earth. And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go from us, for you have become much mightier than we.” And Isaac departed from there and camped in the Valley of Gerar, and he dwelt there. And Isaac returned dug the wells of water that they had dug in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham; and he called to them names, according to the names that his father had called them. And Isaac’s servants dug in the valley, and they found there a well of living water.26.19 Or flowing water or fresh water And the shepherds of Gerar strove with the shepherds of Isaac, saying, “The water is ours!” And he called the name of the well Esek,26.20 Esek means contention. because they contended with him. And they dug another well, and they strove also over it. And he called its name Sitnah.26.21 Sitnah means enmity or hostility. And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not strive over it. And he called its name Rehoboth26.22 Rehoboth means broad places or open spaces. and said, “For now YHWH has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.” And he went up from there to Beersheba. And YHWH appeared to him in that night and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father; do not fear, for I am with you, and I will bless you and I will multiply your seed for the sake of Abraham My servant.” And he built there an altar and called on the name of YHWH. And he pitched there his tent, and there the servants of Isaac dug a well. Isaac’s Covenant with Abimelech And Abimelech came to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath his companion, and Phichol the commander of his army. And Isaac said to them, “Why have you⁺ come to me? And you⁺—you⁺ hated me and you⁺ sent me away from you⁺.” And they said, “We have surely seen that YHWH has been with you, and we said, let there be, please, an oath between us—between us and between you—and let us cut a covenant with you, that you will do to us no evil, since we have not touched you, and since we have done to you only good and sent you away in peace. You are now blessed of YHWH!” And he made for them a feast, and they ate and they drank. And they arose early in the morning, and they swore, a man to his brother; and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace. And it came to pass on that day that the servants of Isaac came and told to him about the circumstances of the well that they had dug, and they said to him, “We have found water.” And he called it Shibah;26.33 Shibah can mean oath or seven. upon thus the name of the city is Beersheba26.33 Beersheba means well of seven or well of the oath. to this day. Esau’s Wives And Esau was a son of forty years, and he took a wife, Judith, daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and also Basemath, the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and they were a bitterness of spirit to Isaac and to Rebekah. Isaac Blesses Jacob (Hebrews 11:20) And it came to pass when Isaac was old and his eyes were dim for seeing, that he called Esau his older son and said to him, “My son,” and he answered him, “Behold, it is I.” And he said, “Behold, please, I have grown old; I do not know the day of my death. And now take, please, your weapons—your quiver and your bow—and go out to the field, and hunt for me game. And make for me savory foods, as I have loved, and bring them to me that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before I die.” And Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt game and to bring it. And Rebekah spoke to Jacob her son, saying, “Behold, I have heard your father speaking to Esau your brother, saying, ‘Bring me game and make for me savory foods, and I will eat and bless you before YHWH before my death.’ And now, my son, listen to my voice, according to what I am commanding you. Go now to the flock and take for me from there two good kids of the goats, and I will make them savory foods for your father, as he loves. And you shall bring it to your father that he may eat it, so that he may bless you before his death.” And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. Perhaps my father will feel me, and I will be in his eyes as a deceiver, and I shall bring on myself a curse and not a blessing.” And his mother said to him, “Let your curse be on me, my son. Only listen to my voice and go get them for me.” And he went and he got them and he brought them to his mother; and his mother made savory foods, as his father loved. And Rebekah took the finest clothes of Esau her elder son that were with her in the house, and she clothed Jacob her younger son. And the skins of the kids of the goats she put on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. And she gave the savory foods and the bread that she had made into the hand of Jacob her son. And he went to his father and said, “My father.” And he said, “Behold, it is I. Who are you, my son?” And Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau, your firstborn. I have done as you told to me. Arise, please, sit and eat of my game, that your soul may bless me.” And Isaac said to his son, “What is this—you have so quickly found it, my son?” And he said, “Because YHWH your God caused it to happen before me.” And Isaac said to Jacob, “Come near, please, and I will feel you, my son—are you he, my son Esau, or not?” And Jacob went near to Isaac his father, and he felt him and said, “The voice is the voice of Jacob, and the hands are the hands of Esau.” And he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like the hands of Esau his brother. And he blessed him, and he said, “Are you he, my son Esau?” And he said, “I am.” And He said, “Bring it near to me and I will eat of the game, my son, so that my soul may bless you.” And he brought it near to him, and he ate; and he brought to him wine, and he drank. And Isaac his father said to him, “Come near, please, and kiss me, my son.” And he came near and kissed him, and he smelled the smell of his clothing, and he blessed him and said, “See, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field that YHWH has blessed. And may God give to you from the dew of the heavens, and from the fatness of the earth, and abundance of grain and new wine. May peoples serve you and may nations bow down to you. Be master over your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. Those who curse you be cursed, and those who bless you be blessed.” Esau’s Lost Hope And it came to pass, as Isaac finished blessing Jacob, then it came to pass—Jacob had only just gone out from the presence of Isaac his father—that Esau his brother came in from his hunting. And he also made savory foods and he brought them to his father, and he said to his father, “Let my father arise and eat of the game of his son, that your soul may bless me.” And Isaac his father said to him, “Who are you?” And he said, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.” And Isaac trembled with an exceedingly great trembling, and said, “Who then is the one who hunted game and brought it to me, and I ate of it all before you came, and I have blessed him? And indeed, he shall be blessed.” And Esau heard the words of his father, and he cried out an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and he said to his father, “Bless me also, my father!” And he said, “Your brother came with deceit and took your blessing.” And Esau said, “Is it because his name is called Jacob?27.36 Jacob means he grasps the heel or he deceives. And he has supplanted me these two times. He has taken my birthright, and behold, now he has taken my blessing.” And he said, “Have you not reserved for me a blessing?” And Isaac answered and said to Esau, “Behold, I have made him master over you, and all his brothers I have given to him as servants, and grain and new wine I have sustained him with; and for you now, what shall I do, my son?” And Esau said to his father, “Is it one blessing, that you have my father? Bless me also, O my father.” And Esau lifted up his voice and wept. And Isaac his father answered and said to him, “Behold, from the fatness of the earth shall be your dwelling, and from the dew of the heavens above. And by your sword you shall live, and your brother you shall serve. And it shall come to pass when you become restless, that you shall break his yoke from your neck.” And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him. And Esau said in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father draw near; then I will kill my brother Jacob.” And the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah, and she sent and called for Jacob her younger son, and she said to him, “Behold, Esau your brother is comforting himself concerning you, to kill you. And now, my son, listen to my voice, and arise—flee for yourself to Laban my brother in Haran. And you shall stay with him a few days, until the fury of your brother turns back— until the anger of your brother turns away from you. And he forgets that which you did to him. Then I will send and I will take you from there. Why should I be bereaved also of you⁺ both in one day?” And Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth.27.46 Or Hittite Women If Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of Heth, like these, from the daughters of the land, why to me is life?” Jacob’s Departure And Isaac called to Jacob, and he blessed him, and he commanded him and said to him, “You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan. Arise, go to Paddan-aram,28.2 That is, northwest Mesopotamia; also in verses 5, 6, and 7 to the house of Bethuel, the father of your mother, and take for yourself from there a wife from the daughters of Laban, the brother of your mother. And may El-Shaddai28.3 El-Shaddai means God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, and you shall be an assembly of peoples. And may He give to you the blessing of Abraham, to you and your seed with you, to inherit the land of your sojourning which God gave to Abraham.” And Isaac sent away Jacob, and he went to Paddan-aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramaean, the brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau. Esau Marries Mahalath And Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan-aram to take for himself from there a wife, and as he blessed him, he commanded him, saying, “You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.” And Jacob listened to his father and to his mother and he went to Paddan-aram. And Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan were evil in the eyes of Isaac his father. And Esau went to Ishmael, and he took as his wife Mahalath daughter of Ishmael son of Abraham and sister of Nebajoth, in addition to the wives unto him. Jacob’s Ladder And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. And he came to the place and he lodged there because the sun had set, and he took from the stones of the place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place. And he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to the heavens. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And behold, YHWH was standing above it and said, “I am YHWH, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you are lying—to you I will give it, and to your seed. 28.13 Or there beside him And your seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and you shall break forth to the west, and east, and north, and south. And all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your seed. And behold, I am with you and will keep you in every place that you go, and I will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until that I have done what I have spoken to you.” And Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely YHWH is in this place, and I—I did not know it.” And he feared and he said, “How awesome this place is! This is none other than the house of God! And this is the gate of the heavens!” The Stone of Bethel And Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone that he had put under his head, and he set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel,28.19 Bethel means house of God. but Luz was the name of the city at the first. And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I am going and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I may return in peace to the house of my father, then YHWH will be my God. And this stone that I have set up as a pillar shall be a house of God, and all that You give to me, I will surely tithe it to You.” Jacob Meets Rachel And Jacob lifted his feet and he went to the land of the sons of the East. And he looked, and behold, a well in the field, and behold, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it, for from that well they watered the flocks. And the stone was great on the mouth of the well. And all the flocks would be gathered there, and they would roll the stone from the mouth of the well, and they would water the sheep, and they would return the stone on the mouth of the well to its place. And Jacob said to them, “My brothers, from where are you⁺?” And they said, “We are from Haran.” And he said to them, “Do you⁺ know Laban son of Nahor?” And they said, “We know him.” And he said to them, “Is it well with him?” And they said, “It is well, and behold, Rachel his daughter is coming with the sheep.” And he said, “Behold, it is still broad daylight; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered together. Water the sheep and go pasture them.” And they said, “We are not able until that all the flocks are gathered together and they have rolled the stone from the mouth of the well; then we will water the sheep.” He was still speaking with them, and Rachel came with the sheep that belonged to her father, for she was a shepherdess. And it came to pass when Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban, the brother of his mother, and the sheep of Laban, the brother of his mother, that Jacob drew near and rolled the stone from the mouth of the well, and he watered the sheep of Laban, the brother of his mother. And Jacob kissed Rachel, and he lifted up his voice and wept. And Jacob told to Rachel that he was a brother of her father, and that he was a son of Rebekah. And she ran and told it to her father. And it came to pass when Laban heard the report about Jacob, the son of his sister, that he ran to meet him, and he embraced him and he kissed him, and he brought him to his house. And he told to Laban all these things. Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel And Laban said to him, “Surely my bone and my flesh you are.” And he dwelt with him a month of days. And Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my brother, then should you serve me for nothing? Tell me, what is your wage?” And Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. And Leah’s eyes were tender,29.17 Or delicate and Rachel was beautiful of form and beautiful of appearance. And Jacob loved Rachel, and he said, “I will serve you seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter.” And Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to another man. Dwell with me.” And Jacob served for Rachel seven years, and they were to him a few days, because of his love for her. And Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her.” And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and he made a feast. And it came to pass in the evening that he took Leah his daughter and brought her to him, and he went in to her. And Laban gave to her Zilpah his maidservant, to Leah his daughter, as a maidservant. And it came to pass in the morning that behold, it was Leah! And he said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served with you? And why have you deceived me?” And Laban said, “It is not done so in our place, to give the younger before the firstborn. Fulfill the week of this one, and we will give to you also this one for the service that you will serve with me—yet another seven years.” And Jacob did so, and he fulfilled the week of this one; and he gave to him Rachel his daughter, to him, for a wife. And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his maidservant, to her as a maidservant. And he went in also to Rachel, and he loved Rachel also, more than Leah, and he served with him yet another seven years. Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah And YHWH saw that Leah was hated, and He opened her womb, and Rachel was barren. And Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben,29.32 Reuben means Behold, a son and also sounds like the Hebrew for He has seen my misery. for she said, “Surely YHWH has looked on my affliction; for now my husband will love me.” And she conceived again and bore a son and she said, “Surely YHWH has heard that I am hated, and He has given to me also this one.” And she called his name Simeon.29.33 Simeon probably means one who hears. And she conceived again and bore a son and she said, “Now this time my husband will join himself to me, because I have borne to him three sons.” Upon thus his name was called Levi.29.34 Levi sounds like the Hebrew for being attached to or feeling affection for. And she conceived again and bore a son and she said, “This time I will praise YHWH.” Upon thus she called his name Judah.29.35 Judah sounds like the Hebrew for praise. And she stopped bearing. Dan and Naphtali And Rachel saw that she was not bearing children to Jacob, and Rachel was envious of her sister and she said to Jacob, “Give to me sons, and if not, I will die.” And the anger of Jacob burned against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” And she said, “Behold, my maidservant Bilhah; go in to her, and she will bear children on my knees, and I also shall be built up from her.” And she gave to him Bilhah her maidservant for a wife, and Jacob went in to her. And Bilhah conceived, and bore to Jacob a son. And Rachel said, “God has judged me, and He has also heard my voice, and has given to me a son.” Upon thus she called his name Dan.30.6 Dan means He has judged or He has vindicated. And Bilhah, the maidservant of Rachel, conceived again, and bore a second son to Jacob. And Rachel said, “With wrestlings of God I have wrestled with my sister, and indeed I have prevailed.” And she called his name Naphtali.30.8 Naphtali sounds like the Hebrew for wrestling. Gad and Asher And Leah saw that she had stopped bearing, and she took Zilpah her maidservant, and gave her to Jacob for a wife. And Zilpah, the maidservant of Leah, bore to Jacob a son. And Leah said, “How fortunate!30.11 Alternate MT reading (see also LXX); the other alternate reads “A troop is coming!”” And she called his name Gad.30.11 Gad sounds like the Hebrew for good fortune, or alternately for band of raiders. And Zilpah, the maidservant of Leah, bore a second son to Jacob. And Leah said, “I am happy, for the daughters will call me happy.” And she called his name Asher.30.13 Asher means happy. And Reuben went in the days of the harvest of wheat, and he found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to Leah his mother. And Rachel said to Leah, “Please give to me some of the mandrakes of your son.” And she said to her, “Is it a small matter your taking my husband, that you would also take the mandrakes of my son?” And Rachel said, “Therefore he will lie with you tonight for the mandrakes of your son.” And Jacob came from the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and she said, “You must come in to me, for I have surely hired you with the mandrakes of my son.” And he lay with her that night. Issachar, Zebulun, and Dinah And God listened to Leah, and she conceived, and she bore to Jacob a fifth son. And Leah said, “God has given me my reward, because I have given my maidservant to my husband.” And she called his name Issachar.30.18 Issachar sounds like the Hebrew for wages or reward. And Leah conceived again, and she bore a sixth son to Jacob. And Leah said, “God has endowed me—me—with a good endowment; this time my husband will honor me, for I have borne to him six sons.” And she called his name Zebulun.30.20 Zebulun sounds like the Hebrew for honor. And afterward she bore a daughter, and she called her name Dinah. Joseph And God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her, and He opened her womb. And she conceived, and she bore a son and she said, “God has taken away my reproach.” And she called his name Joseph,30.24 Joseph means may He add. saying, “May YHWH add to me another son.” Jacob Prospers And it came to pass when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, that I may go to my place and to my land. Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served you, and I will go. For you—you know my service which I have served you.” And Laban said to him, “Please stay, if I have found favor in your eyes. I have learned by divination that YHWH has blessed me for your sake.” And he said, “Specify your wage to me, and I will give it.” And he said to him, “You—you know how I have served you, and how your livestock has been with me. For little was what you had before me, and it has burst forth into a multitude, and YHWH has blessed you at my foot. And now, when shall I provide also for my own house?” And he said, “What shall I give to you?” And Jacob said, “You shall not give to me anything. If you will do for me this thing, I will turn back; I will pasture your flock, I will keep it. I will pass through all your flock today; remove from there every one speckled and spotted, and every brown one among the lambs, and the spotted and speckled among the goats. And these shall be my wage. And my righteousness will answer for me in time to come, when you come upon my wage before your face—every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the lambs—it was stolen if it is with me.” And Laban said, “Behold—oh that it were according to your word.” And that day he removed the male goats that were striped and spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white in it, and all the brown among the lambs, and he gave them into the hand of his sons. And he put a journey of three days between himself and between Jacob, and Jacob was pasturing the flock of Laban, the remaining ones. And Jacob took for himself rods of fresh poplar and of almond and plane tree, and he peeled in them white stripes exposing the white that was in the rods. And he set the rods that he had peeled in the channels, in the watering troughs, where the flock came to drink—before the flock—and they conceived when they came to drink. And the flock conceived before the rods, and the flock brought forth striped, speckled, and spotted ones. And Jacob separated the lambs, and he set the face of the flock toward the striped, and all the brown in the flock of Laban. And he set for himself flocks by themselves, and he did not set them with the flock of Laban. And it came to pass whenever the strong of the flock conceived, that Jacob placed the rods before the eyes of the flock in the channels, that they might conceive in front of the ro ds. And the flock that were feeble, he did not put them in. So the feeble ones were to Laban, and the strong ones to Jacob. And the man burst forth greatly, greatly, and he had to him many flocks, and maidservants and menservants, and camels and donkeys. Jacob Flees from Laban And Jacob heard the words of the sons of Laban, saying, “Jacob has taken away everything that belonged to our father, and from what belonged to our father he has made all this wealth.” And Jacob saw the face of Laban, and behold, it was not with him as yesterday and the day before yesterday. And YHWH said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.” And Jacob sent and called for Rachel and for Leah to the field, to his flock, and he said to them, “I can see the face of your⁺ father, that it is not toward me as yesterday and the day before yesterday; and the God of my father has been with me. And you⁺ know that with all my strength I have served your⁺ father. And your⁺ father has deceived me, and has changed my wage ten times; and God did not allow him to do evil with me. If he said thus: ‘The speckled shall be your wage,’ then all the flock bore speckled. And if he said thus: ‘The striped shall be your wage,’ then all the flock bore stripes. And God has snatched away the livestock of your⁺ father and gave them to me. And it came to pass at the time the flock was conceiving, that I lifted my eyes and saw in the dream, and behold, the male goats going up on the flock were striped, speckled, and spotted. And the angel31.11 Or Angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob!’ And I said, ‘Behold, it is I.’ And He said, ‘Lift up now your eyes and see, all the he-goats going up on the flock are striped, speckled, and spotted; for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you. I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you vowed to Me a vow. Now arise, go out from this land, and return to the land of your birth.’” And Rachel and Leah answered and they said to him, “Is there still for us a portion and an inheritance in the house of our father? Are we not considered by him strangers, for he has sold us and he has indeed eaten our silver. For all the riches that God has snatched away from our father are ours and our children’s. And now, all that God has said to you—do.” And Jacob rose and lifted his sons and his wives on the camels, and he drove all his livestock, and all his possessions that he had gotten, the livestock of his acquiring that he had gotten in Paddan-aram,31.18 That is, northwest Mesopotamia to go to Isaac his father, in the land of Canaan. And Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole the teraphim that belonged to her father. And Jacob stole the heart31.20 Or deceived; also in verses 26 and 27 of Laban the Aramaean, by not telling him that he was fleeing. And he fled—he and all that was unto him—and He rose and he passed over the River31.21 That is, the Euphrates and set his face toward the hill country of Gilead. And it was told to Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled. Laban Pursues Jacob And he took his brothers with him, and pursued after him a journey of seven days, and he overtook him in the hill country of Gilead. And God came to Laban the Aramaean in a dream of the night and said to him, “Guard yourself, lest you speak to Jacob from good to evil.” And Laban overtook Jacob. And Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban pitched his tent with his brothers in the hill country of Gilead. And Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done? And you have stolen my heart, and you have driven my daughters like captives of the sword! Why have you fled secretly and stolen from me and not told me? And I would have sent you away with joy and with songs, with tambourines and with harps? And you did not allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters! Now you have acted foolishly in doing this. It is in the power of my hand to do with you⁺ evil; but the God of your⁺ father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Guard yourself from speaking with Jacob from good to evil.’ And you have surely gone away because you have surely longed for the house of your father. Why did you steal my gods?” And Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I said: Lest you take by force your daughters from me. With whomever you find your gods, he shall not live; before our brothers discern what of yours is with me, and take it with you.” And Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them. And Laban went into the tent of Jacob, and into the tent of Leah, and into the tent of the two maidservants, and he did not find anything. And he went out of the tent of Leah and entered into the tent of Rachel. And Rachel had taken the teraphim and put them in the saddle of the camel, and sat on them. And Laban felt all about the tent, and he did not find them. And she said to her father, “Do not let it burn in the eyes of my lord that I am not able to rise before you, for the way of women is with me.” And he searched and he did not find the teraphim. And Jacob's anger burned, and he strove with Laban. And Jacob answered and said to Laban, “What is my trespass? What is my sin, that you have so hotly pursued after me? For you have felt about all my things, what have you found of all the things of your house? Set it here before my brothers and your brothers, that they may judge between the two of us. These twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, and the rams of your flock I have not eaten. That which was torn I did not bring to you; I bore the loss of it. From my hand you required it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night. There I was: In the day the drought consumed me, and the frost in the night, and my sleep fled from my eyes. This is my twentieth year in your house. I served you four and ten years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wage ten times. Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty. God has seen, my affliction and the toil of my hands and He judged last night.” Jacob’s Covenant with Laban And Laban answered and said to Jacob, “These daughters are my daughters, and these sons are my sons, and the flock is my flock, and all that you see is mine. And for my daughters, what can I do to these today, or to their sons whom they have borne? And now, come, let us cut a covenant, I and you; and let it be a witness between me and between you.” And Jacob took a stone and raised it up as a pillar. And Jacob said to his brothers, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there on the heap. And Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed.31.47 The Aramaic Jegar-sahadutha and the Hebrew Galeed both mean heap of witnesses. And Laban said, “This is the heap—a witness between me and between you today.” Upon thus he called its name Galeed, and Mizpah,31.49 Mizpah means watchtower. because he said, “May YHWH watch between me and between you when we are hidden one from another. If you afflict my daughters, or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no man is with us, see that God is witness between me and between you.” And Laban said to Jacob, “Behold, this is the heap, and behold, the pillar that I have placed between me and between you. This heap is a witness, and the pillar is a witness, that I will not pass over this heap to you, and that you will not pass over this heap and this pillar to me, for evil. The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” And Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac. And Jacob sacrificed a sacrifice on the mountain, and he called his brothers to eat bread, and they ate bread and spent the night on the mountain. And Laban rose early in the morning and kissed his sons and his daughters, and he blessed them. And Laban departed and returned to his place. Jacob Prepares to Meet Esau And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. And Jacob said when he saw them, “This is the camp of God.” And he called the name of that place Mahanaim.32.2 Mahanaim means two camps. And Jacob sent messengers32.3 messengers is same term translated angels in verse 1. before him to Esau his brother, to the land of Seir, the field of Edom. And he commanded them, saying, “Thus you⁺ shall say to my lord, to Esau, thus says your servant Jacob: ‘With Laban I have sojourned and I have delayed until now. And I have oxen and donkeys, flock, and menservants and maidservants. And I have sent to declare to my lord, to find favor in your eyes.’” And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother, to Esau, and he is also coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.” And Jacob was greatly afraid and was distressed. And he divided the people who were with him, and the flock and the cattle and the camels, into two camps, and he said, “If Esau comes to the one camp and strikes it, then the remaining camp shall be for an escape.” And Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, YHWH, the One saying to me, ‘Return to your land and to your kindred, and I will do good with you,’ I am not worthy of all the kindnesses and of all the faithfulness that You have done for Your servant. For with my staff I passed over this Jordan, and now I have become two camps. Deliver me, please, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and strike me—mother with sons. And You said, ‘I will surely do good with you and I will make your seed as the sand of the sea, which shall not be counted for multitude.’” And he lodged there that night, and he took from what is coming into his hand as a gift for Esau his brother: Two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams. And thirty nursing camels and their young, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys, and ten male donkeys. And he gave them into the hand of his servants, every herd by itself, and he said to his servants, “Pass over before me and put some distance between herd and between herd.” And he commanded the first one, saying, “When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, saying, ‘To whom are you? And where are you going? And to whom are these before you?’ Then you shall say, ‘To your servant Jacob; it is a gift, sent to my lord, to Esau. And behold, he is also behind us.’” And he commanded also the second one, also the third one, also all those going after the herds, saying, “In this manner you⁺ shall speak to Esau when you⁺ find him. And you⁺ shall say also, ‘Behold, your servant Jacob is behind us.’” For he said, “I will cover his face32.20 Or I will appease him with the gift that goes before my face, and after that I will see his face; perhaps he will lift up my face.32.20 That is, perhaps he will accept me” And the gift passed over before his face, and he lodged that night in the camp. Jacob Wrestles with God And he rose that night and he took his two wives and his two maidservants and his one and ten sons, and he passed over the ford of Jabbok. And he took them and caused them to pass over the stream, and he caused to pass over what belonged to him. And Jacob was left alone, and a man32.24 Or Man; here and in verses 25–28; corresponding pronouns may also be capitalized wrestled with him until the breaking of the dawn. And he saw that he did not prevail against him, and he touched the socket of his hip, and the socket of the hip of Jacob was out of joint as he wrestled with him. And he said, “Send me away, for the dawn has broken.” And he said, “I will not send you away, unless you bless me.” And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” And he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob,32.28 Jacob means he grasps the heel or he deceives. but Israel;32.28 Israel means he struggles with God. for you have striven with God and with men, and you have prevailed.” And Jacob asked and said, “Tell me, please, Your name.” And he said, “Why do you ask this about My name?” And he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: “For I have seen God face to face, and my soul has been delivered.” 32.30 Peniel means the face of God. And the sun rose on him as he passed over Penuel,32.31 Penuel is a variant of Peniel; see verse 30. and he was limping on his hip. Upon thus the sons of Israel do not eat the sinew tendon which is on the socket of the hip to this day, because he touched the socket of Jacob's hip in the sinew tendon. Jacob Meets Esau And Jacob lifted up his eyes and he saw, and behold, Esau was coming, and with him four hundred men. And he divided the children to Leah and to Rachel and to the two maidservants. And he put the maidservants and their children first, and Leah and her children behind them, and Rachel and Joseph behind them. And he himself passed over before them and he bowed himself to the earth seven times, until he came near to his brother. And Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, and he fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. And he lifted up his eyes and he saw the women and the children and he said, “Who are these with you?” And he said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” And the maidservants came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves. And Leah also came near, and her children, and they bowed themselves. And afterward Joseph came near, and Rachel, and they bowed themselves. And he said, “What is all this camp to you, that I have met?” And he said, “To find favor in the eyes of my lord.” And Esau said, “I have much, my brother. Let it be to you what is yours.” And Jacob said, “No, please, if now I have found favor in your eyes, then you shall take my gift from my hand, for upon thus I have seen your face which is like seeing the face of God, and you have received me favorably. Please, take, my blessing33.11 Or gift or treaty of peace that is brought to you, because God has been gracious to me, and because I have all.” And he urged him, and he took it. And he said, “Let us journey and go on, and I will go before you.” And he said to him, “My lord knows that the children are tender, and the flock and the cattle with me are nursing; and if they are driven hard one day, then all the flock will die. Please, let my lord go on before his servant, and I will lead on gently, according to the pace of the work that is before me, and according to the pace of the children, until that I come to my lord in Seir.” And Esau said, “Now let me leave with you some of the people who are with me.” And he said, “Why this? Let me find favor in the eyes of my lord.” And Esau turned back that day on his way to Seir. And Jacob journeyed to Succoth33.17 Succoth means booths or shelters or tabernacles; twice in this verse. and built for himself a house, and for his livestock he made booths. Upon thus he called the name of the place Succoth. Jacob Settles in Shechem And Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan-aram.33.18 That is, northwest Mesopotamia And he pitched his tent before the city. And he bought the portion of the field where he had pitched his tent from the hand of the sons of Hamor, father of Shechem, for a hundred kesitah.33.19 Possibly a hundred pieces of silver; the value or weight of the kesitah is no longer known And he erected there an altar, and he called it El-Elohe-Israel.33.20 El-Elohe-Israel means God is the God of Israel or mighty is the God of Israel. The Defiling of Dinah And Dinah, the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. And Shechem, son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the land, saw her, and he took her and lay with her and violated her. And his soul clung to Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young woman and spoke to the heart of the young woman. And Shechem spoke to Hamor his father, saying, “Get for me this young woman for a wife.” And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter; and his sons were with his livestock in the field, and Jacob was silent until they came in. And Hamor, the father of Shechem, went out to Jacob to speak with him. And the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard; and the men were grieved, and it burned to them exceedingly because he has done an outrage in Israel—34.7 Or against Israel to lie with the daughter of Jacob; and such ought not to be done. And Hamor spoke with them, saying, “Shechem my son—his soul longs for your⁺ daughter. Please, give her to him for a wife. And make marriages with us; your⁺ daughters you⁺ shall give to us, and our daughters you⁺ shall take for yourselves. And with us you⁺ shall dwell, and the land shall be before you⁺. Dwell and trade in it, and acquire possessions for yourselves in it.” And Shechem said to her father and to her brothers, “Let me find favor in your⁺ eyes, and whatever you⁺ say to me, I will give. Increase on me very much dowry and gift, and I will give according to what you⁺ say to me. And give to me the young woman as a wife.” The Revenge of Dinah’s Brothers And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father with deceit, and they spoke because he had defiled Dinah their sister, and they said to them, “We are not able to do this thing, to give our sister to a man who has a foreskin, for that is a reproach to us. Only on this condition we will consent to you⁺; if you⁺ will become as we are—that every male among you⁺ be circumcised. And we will give our daughters to you⁺, and your⁺ daughters we will take for us. And we will dwell with you⁺, and we will become one people. But if you⁺ will not listen to us, to be circumcised, then we will take our daughter, and we will go.” And their words were good in the eyes of Hamor and Shechem, son of Hamor. And the young man did not delay to do the thing, because he delighted in Jacob’s daughter; and He was more honorable than all the house of his father. And Hamor came—and Shechem his son—to the gate of their city, and they spoke to the men of their city, saying, “These men, they are at peace with us; so let them dwell in the land and trade in it, for, behold, the land is broad of hands before them. Let us take their daughters to us for wives, and let us give our daughters to them. Only on this condition will the men consent to us to dwell with us, to be one people: If every male among us be circumcised as they are circumcised. Their livestock and their property and every animal of theirs, will they not be ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell with us.” And all who went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor and to Shechem his son, and every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city. And it came to pass on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword, and they came upon the city boldly and they killed every male. And they killed Hamor and Shechem his son with the mouth of the sword, and they took Dinah from the house of Shechem and they went out. The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and they plundered the city because they had defiled their sister: Their flock and their cattle and their donkeys, and what was in the city and what was in the field, they took. And all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their women they took captive, and they plundered all that was in the house. And Jacob said to Simeon and to Levi, “You⁺ have troubled me, to make me stink among those dwelling in the land, among the Canaanite and among the Perizzite; and I am few in number, and they will gather themselves against me and strike me, then I shall be destroyed, I and my house.” And they said, “Shall he make our sister like a prostitute?” Jacob Returns to Bethel And God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there, and make there an altar to God who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother.” And Jacob said to his house and to all who were with him, “Remove the foreign gods that are in your⁺ midst, and purify yourselves, and change your⁺ garments. And let us arise and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and has been with me in the way that I have gone.” And they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods that were in their hands, and the rings that were in their ears. And Jacob hid them under the oak35.4 Or terebinth or great tree that was by Shechem. And they journeyed, and the terror of God was upon the cities that were all around them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob. And Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan—that is, Bethel—he and all the people who were with him. And he built there an altar and called the place El-bethel,35.7 El-bethel means God of Bethel. because there God had revealed himself to him when he fled from the face of his brother. And Deborah, nurse of Rebekah, died, and she was buried below Bethel under the oak,35.8 Or great tree and he called its name Allon-bachuth.35.8 Allon-bacuth means oak of weeping. And God appeared to Jacob again when he came from Paddan-aram,35.9 That is, northwest Mesopotamia; also in verse 26 and He blessed him. And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob;35.10 Jacob means he grasps the heel or he deceives. your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but rather Israel35.10 Israel means he struggles with God. shall be your name.” And He called his name Israel. And God said to him, “I am El-Shaddai.35.11 El-Shaddai means God Almighty Be fruitful and multiply. A nation and an assembly of nations shall be from you, and kings will come from your loins. And the land that I gave to Abraham and to Isaac, I give to you. And to your seed after you I will give the land.” And God went up from him in the place where He had spoken with him. And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He had spoken with him—a pillar of stone. And he poured on it a drink offering, and he poured on it oil. And Jacob called the name of the place where God had spoken with him Bethel.35.15 Bethel means house of God. Benjamin Born, Rachel Dies And they journeyed from Bethel, and there was still some distance of land to go to Ephrathah, and Rachel gave birth, and she had great difficulty in giving birth. And it came to pass, when she having difficulty in giving birth, that the midwife said to her, “Do not fear, for also this is a son for you.” And it came to pass, as her soul was departing—for she died—that she called his name Ben-oni.35.18 Ben-oni could mean son of my sorrow or son of my strength. And his father called him Benjamin.35.18 Benjamin means son of my right hand. And Rachel died, and was buried on the way to Ephrathah, that is, Bethlehem. And Jacob set up a pillar over her grave; that is the pillar of the grave of Rachel to this day. The Sons of Jacob (1 Chronicles 2:1–2) And Israel journeyed, and he pitched his tent beyond the Tower of Eder. And it came to pass while Israel was dwelling in the land, that Reuben went in and lay with Bilhah, concubine of his father, and Israel heard of it. And the sons of Jacob were two and ten: The sons of Leah: Reuben, firstborn of Jacob and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun; the sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin; and the sons of Bilhah, maidservant of Rachel: Dan and Naphtali; and the sons of Zilpah, maidservant of Leah: Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram. The Death of Isaac And Jacob came to Isaac his father at Mamre, near Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had sojourned there. And the days of Isaac were a hundred years and eighty years. And Isaac expired and he died, and he was gathered to his people, old and full of days; and Esau and Jacob his sons buried him. The Descendants of Esau (1 Chronicles 1:35–37) And these are the generations of Esau (he is Edom). Esau took his wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah, daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah, daughter of Anah, daughter of Zibeon the Hivite, and Basemath, daughter of Ishmael, sister of Nebaioth. And Adah bore to Esau Eliphaz, and Basemath bore Reuel, and Oholibamah bore Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah. These were the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan. And Esau took his wives, and his sons, and his daughters, and all the souls of his house, and his cattle, and all his animals, and all his property that he had acquired in the land of Canaan, and he went to a land away from the face of Jacob his brother. For their possessions were too great for them to dwell together, and the land of their sojournings was not able to support them because of their cattle. And Esau dwelt in the hill country of Seir (Esau is Edom). And these are the generations of Esau, the father of Edom, in the hill country of Seir. These are the names of the sons of Esau: Eliphaz, son of Adah, wife of Esau, and Reuel, son of Basemath, wife of Esau. And the sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, and Gatam, and Kenaz. And Timna was a concubine to Eliphaz, son of Esau; and she bore to Eliphaz Amalek. These are the sons of Adah, wife of Esau. And these are the sons of Reuel: Nahath and Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah. These were the sons of Basemath, wife of Esau. And these were the sons of Oholibamah, daughter of Anah, daughter of Zibeon, wife of Esau; and she bore to Esau Jeush, and Jalam, and Korah. These are the chiefs of the sons of Esau: The sons of Eliphaz, the firstborn of Esau—Chief Teman, Chief Omar, Chief Zepho, Chief Kenaz, Chief Korah, Chief Gatam, and Chief Amalek. These were the chiefs of Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these were the sons of Adah. 36.16 Hebrew; SP (also in verse 11 and 1 Chronicles 1:36) does not include Chief Korah. And these are the sons of Reuel, son of Esau: Chief Nahath, Chief Zerah, Chief Shammah, and Chief Mizzah. These are the chiefs of Reuel in the land of Edom; these were the sons of Basemath, the wife of Esau. And these are the sons of Oholibamah, wife of Esau: Chief Jeush, Chief Jalam, and Chief Korah. These are the chiefs from Oholibamah, daughter of Anah, wife of Esau. These are the sons of Esau (he is Edom), and these were their chiefs. The Descendants of Seir (1 Chronicles 1:38–42) These are the sons of Seir the Horite, who were inhabiting the land: Lotan, and Shobal, and Zibeon, and Anah, and Dishon, and Ezer, and Dishan. These are the chiefs of the Horite, sons of Seir, in the land of Edom. And the sons of Lotan were Hori and Hemam; and a sister of Lotan was Timna. 36.22 Hemam is a variant of Homam; see 1 Chronicles 1:39. And these are the sons of Shobal: Alvan, and Manahath, and Ebal, Shepho and Onam. And these are the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah. He was the Anah who found the hot springs in the wilderness as he was pasturing the donkeys of Zibeon his father. And these are the sons of Anah: Dishon, and Oholibamah, daughter of Anah. And these are the sons of Dishan: Hemdan, and Eshban, and Ithran, and Cheran. 36.26 Dishan is a variant of Dishon These are the sons of Ezer: Bilhan, and Zaavan, and Akan. These are the sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran. These are the chiefs of the Horite: Chief Lotan, Chief Shobal, Chief Zibeon, Chief Anah, Chief Dishon, Chief Ezer, and Chief Dishan. These are the chiefs of the Horite according to their chiefs in the land of Seir. The Kings of Edom (1 Chronicles 1:43–54) And these are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before a king reigned over the sons of Israel:36.31 Or before an Israelite king reigned over them: And Bela, son of Beor, reigned in Edom, and the name of his city was Dinhabah. And Bela died, and Jobab, son of Zerah, from Bozrah, reigned in his place. And Jobab died, and Husham from the land of the Temanite reigned in his place. And Husham died, and in his place reigned Hadad, son of Bedad, who struck Midian in the field of Moab. And the name of his city was Avith. And Hadad died, and Samlah from Masrekah reigned in his place. And Samlah died, and Saul from Rehoboth by the River36.37 That is, the Euphrates reigned in his place. And Saul died, and Baal-hanan, son of Achbor, reigned in his place. And Baal-hanan, son of Achbor, died, and Hadad reigned in his place. And the name of his city was Pau, and the name of his wife was Mehetabel, daughter of Matred, daughter of Me-zahab. 36.39 Some MT manuscripts, SP, and Syriac (see also 1 Chronicles 1:50); other MT manuscripts Hadar And these are the names of the chiefs of Esau, according to their clans according to their places, by their names: Chief Timna, Chief Alvah, Chief Jetheth, Chief Oholibamah, Chief Elah, Chief Pinon, Chief Kenaz, Chief Teman, Chief Mibzar, Chief Magdiel, and Chief Iram. These are the chiefs of Edom according to their settlements in the land of their possession. He is Esau, the father of Edom. Joseph’s Dreams And Jacob dwelt in the land of the sojournings of his father, in the land of Canaan. These are the generations of Jacob: Joseph, a son of seven and ten years, was shepherding the flock with his brothers, and the boy was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, wives of his father. And Joseph brought an evil report of them to his father. And Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age, and he made him a long sleeved tunic. 37.3 Possibly a robe with long sleeves; also in verses 23 and 32 And his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, and they hated him and were not able speak to him peaceably. And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brothers. And they continued hating him. Even more and he said to them, “Hear, please, this dream that I have dreamed, and behold, we were binding sheaves in the midst of the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your⁺ sheaves gathered around and bowed themselves to my sheaf.” And his brothers said to him, “Will you surely reign … over us? Or Will you surely rule … over us?” And they continued hating him even more for his dreams and for his words. And he dreamed yet another dream, and he told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream, and behold, the sun and the moon and one and ten stars were bowing themselves to me.” And he told it to his father and to his brothers. And his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Will we surely come—I and your mother and your brothers—to bow down before you to the earth?” And his brothers envied him, and his father kept the matter in mind. Joseph Sold into Egypt (Acts 7:9–14) And his brothers went to shepherd the flock of their father in Shechem. And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers shepherding in Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “Behold, it is I.” And he said to him, “Go, please, and see the welfare of your brothers, and the welfare of the flock, and bring back to me word.” And he sent him from the Valley of Hebron, and he went to Shechem. And a man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field; and the man asked him, saying, “What are you seeking?” And he said, “I am seeking my brothers. Tell me, please, where they are shepherding.” And the man said, “They have journeyed from this place. For I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” And Joseph went after his brothers and he found them in Dothan. And they saw him from a distance, and before he came near to them, they conspired against him to kill him. And they said each man to his brother, “Behold, this master of dreams is coming! And now come and let us kill him and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say an evil beast has devoured him. And we will see what will become of his dreams.” And Reuben heard, and he delivered him out of their hand and said, “Let us not take his life.” Reuben said to them, “Do not shed blood; cast him into this pit, which is in the wilderness. And do not stretch out a hand against him,”—that he might deliver him out of their hand to return him to his father. And it came to pass when Joseph came to his brothers that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the long sleeved tunic that was on him, and they took him and cast him into the pit. And the pit was empty, there was no water in it. And they sat down to eat bread. And they lifted their eyes and they saw, and behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, and their camels were bearing spices and balm and myrrh, going to bring them down to Egypt. And Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let our hand not be upon him, for he is our brother, our flesh.” And his brothers listened. And men passed by, Midianite traders; and they pulled up and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and they sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver.37.28 20 shekels is approximately 8 ounces or 228 grams of silver. And they brought Joseph to Egypt. And Reuben returned to the pit, and behold, Joseph was not in the pit. And he tore his clothes, and he returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is not! And I, where am I going?” Jacob Mourns Joseph And they took the tunic of Joseph and they slaughtered a kid of the goats and they dipped the tunic in the blood. And they sent the long sleeved tunic, and they brought it to their father and said, “We have found this. Please recognize, is it the tunic of your son or not.” And he recognized it and said, “My son's tunic! An evil beast has devoured him! Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!” And Jacob tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his waist, and he mourned for his son many days. And all his sons and all his daughters arose to comfort him, and he refused to be comforted. And he said, “For I shall go down to my son mourning, to Sheol.” And his father wept for him. And the Midianites sold him into Egypt, to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guards. Judah and Tamar (1 Chronicles 2:3–4) And it came to pass at that time that Judah went down from his brothers, and settled to a man, an Adullamite, and his name was Hirah. And Judah saw there a daughter of a man, a Canaanite, and his name was Shua. And he took her and went in to her. And she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er. And she conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan. And she conceived yet again and bore a son, and she called his name Shelah. And he was at Chezib when she bore him. And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. And Er, firstborn of Judah, was evil in the eyes of YHWH; and YHWH killed him. And Judah said to Onan, “Go in to the wife of your brother and perform the dury of a brother-in-law to her and raise up seed for your brother.” And Onan knew that the seed would not belong to him. And it came to pass, when he went in to the wife of his brother, that he destroyed it on the earth, so that he would not give seed to his brother. And what he did was evil in the eyes of YHWH, and He killed him also. And Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in the house of your father until Shelah my son is grown.” For he said, “Lest he also die like his brothers.” And Tamar went and dwelt in the house of her father. And the days multiplied, and Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. And Judah was comforted, and he went up to the shearers of his sheep, he and Hirah his friend, the Adullamite, at Timnah. And it was told to Tamar, saying, “Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.” And she took off the garments of her widowhood from her, and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the entrance of Enaim which is on the way to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah had grown, and she was not given to him for a wife. And Judah saw her, and he thought her for a prostitute, because she had covered her face. And he turned aside to her by the way and said, “Come now, please, let me come in to you.” For he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, “What will you give to me that you may come in to me?” And he said, “I—I will send a kid of the goats from the flock.” And she said, “Only if you will give me a pledge until you send it.” And he said, “What is the pledge that I shall give to you?” And she said, “Your seal, and your cord, and your staff that is in your hand.” And he gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him. And she arose, and went away, and she took off her veil from her, and she put on the garments of her widowhood. And Judah sent the kid of the goats by the hand of his friend, the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the hand of the woman, and he did not find her. And he asked the men of her place, saying, “Where is the temple prostitute—she was in Enaim by the way?” And they said, “There has not been a temple prostitute in this place.” And he returned to Judah and said, “I did not find her, and the men of the place said, ‘There has been no temple prostitute in this place.’” And Judah said, “Let her take them for herself, lest we become despised.38.23 Or become a laughingstock Behold, I sent this kid, and you have not found her.” And it came to pass about three months later, that it was told to Judah, saying, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has played the prostitute, and also behold, she is pregnant by prostitution.” And Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned.” She was being brought out, and she sent to her father-in-law, saying, “By the man to whom these belong, I am pregnant.” And she said, “Recognize, please, to whom are these—the signet and the cords and the staff.” And Judah recognized them and said, “She is more righteous than I, for upon thus I did not give her to Shelah my son.” And he did not continue to know her anymore. The Birth of Perez and Zerah And it came to pass at the time of her giving birth that behold, twins were in her womb. And it came to pass when she was giving birth, that one put out a hand, and the midwife took it and tied on his hand a scarlet thread, saying, “This one came out first.” And it came to pass, as he was drawing back his hand, that behold, his brother came out. And she said, “How you have burst forth—for yourself, a breach!” And he called his name Perez.38.29 Perez means breaking out. And afterward his brother came out, who had on his hand the scarlet thread, and his name was called Zerah.38.30 Zerah can mean scarlet or brightness. Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife And Joseph had been taken down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guards, an Egyptian man, bought him from the hand of the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there. And YHWH was with Joseph, and he was a successful man, and he was in the house of his lord the Egyptian. And his lord saw that YHWH was with him, and all that he was doing, YHWH was making successful in his hand. And Joseph found favor in his eyes and he served him. And he appointed him over his house, and all that he had to him, he put in his hand. And it came to pass from the time he had appointed him over his house and over all that he had, that YHWH blessed the house of the Egyptian on account of Joseph. And the blessing of YHWH was on all that he had in the house and in the field. And he left all that was unto him in the hand of Joseph and he did not know with him anything except for the bread that he was eating. And Joseph was handsome in form and handsome in appearance. And it came to pass after these things that the wife of his lord lifted up her eyes to Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.” And he refused, and said to the wife of his lord, “Behold, my lord has not known with me what is in the house, and all that he had he has put in my hand. There is no one greater in this house than I, and he has not withheld from me anything except you, because you are his wife. And how can I do this great evil and sin against God?” And it came to pass, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not listen to her, to lie beside her, to be with her. And it came to pass on such a day that he went into the house to do his work, and not a man of the men of the house was there in the house. And she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” And he left his garment in her hand, and he fled, and he went outside. Joseph Falsely Imprisoned And it came to pass when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and he fled outside, that she called to the men of her house and she said to them, saying, “See, he has brought in to us a man, a Hebrew, to mock us! He came to me to lie with me, and I cried out in a loud voice. And it came to pass when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried out, that he left his garment beside me and he fled, and he went outside.” And she kept his garment beside her until his lord came to his house. And she spoke to him with these words, saying, “The Hebrew, the servant whom you brought to us, came to me to mock me. And it came to pass as I lifted up my voice and cried out, that he left his garment beside me and he fled outside.” And it came to pass when his lord heard the words of his wife that she spoke to him, saying, “According to these words your servant did to me,” that his anger burned. And the lord of Joseph took him and put him into the prison house, a place where the prisoners of the king were confined. And he was there in the prison. House and YHWH was with Joseph and extended kindness to him and He gave him favor in the eyes of the captain of the prison house. And the captain of the prison house gave into the hand of Joseph all the prisoners who were in the prison house. And all that they were doing there, he was the one doing. The captain of the prison house was not looking at anything at all in his hand, because YHWH was with him. And what he was doing, YHWH was making successful. The Cupbearer and the Baker And it came to pass after these things that the cupbearer of the king of Egypt and the baker sinned against their lord, against the king of Egypt. And Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, with the chief of the cupbearers and the chief of the bakers. And he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guards, in the prison house, the place where Joseph was confined. And the captain of the guards appointed Joseph to them, and he served them, and they were days in custody. And they dreamed a dream, the two of them, each man his dream, in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream—the cupbearer and the baker, who belonged to the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison. House and Joseph came to them in the morning and he saw them, and behold, they were troubled. And he asked the officers of Pharaoh who were with him in custody in the house of his lord, saying, “Why are your⁺ faces evil today?” And they said to him, “We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it.” And Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them, please, to me.” And the chief of the cupbearers told his dream to Joseph and said to him, “In my dream, and behold, a vine was before me. And in the vine were three branches. And it was as though it budded, its blossoms came up, and its clusters ripened grapes. And the cup of Pharaoh was in my hand, and I took the grapes and pressed them into the cup of Pharaoh, and I put the cup in the hand of Pharaoh.” And Joseph said to him, “This is its interpretation: The three branches, they are three days. Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your place, and you will put the cup of Pharaoh into his hand according to the former manner, when you were his cupbearer. But only that you remember me when it is well with you, and please, do kindness with me and make mention of me to Pharaoh and get me out of this house. For I was surely stolen from the land of the Hebrews, and also here I have not done anything that they should put me in the pit.” And the chief of the bakers saw that he interpreted well, and he said to Joseph, “I was also in my dream, and behold, three baskets of white bread were on my head. And in the uppermost basket were all kinds of food, for Pharaoh, the work of a baker; and the birds were eating them out of the basket from upon my head.” And Joseph answered and said, “This is its interpretation: The three baskets are three days. Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head from upon you and hang you on a tree.40.19 Or and impale you on a pole; similarly in verse 22 And the birds will eat your flesh from upon you.” And it came to pass on the third day, the day of Pharaoh's birth, that he made a feast for all his servants, and he lifted up the head of the chief of the cupbearers and the head of the chief of the bakers in the midst of his servants. And he restored the chief of the cupbearers to his cupbearership, and he put the cup in the hand of Pharaoh. And the chief of the bakers he hanged, as Joseph had interpreted to them. And the chief of the cupbearers did not remember Joseph, and he forgot him. The Dreams of Pharaoh And it came to pass at the end of two years of days that Pharaoh was dreaming, and behold, he was standing by the River. And behold, out of the River came up seven cows, beautiful of appearance and fat of flesh, and they grazed among the reeds. And behold, seven other cows came up after them out of the River, ugly of appearance and thin of flesh, and they stood beside the cows on the edge of the River. And the cows that were ugly of appearance and thin of flesh ate the seven cows beautiful of appearance and fat. And Pharaoh awoke. And he slept and dreamed a second time, and behold, seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, fat and good. And behold, seven heads of grain, thin and scorched by the east wind, were sprouting after them. And the thin heads of grain swallowed the seven heads fat and full. And Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all its wise men. And Pharaoh told them his dreams, and there was no one interpreting them to Pharaoh. And the chief of the cupbearers spoke to Pharaoh, saying, “My sin I am remembering this day; Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and he put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guards—me and the chief of the bakers. And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; each man according to the interpretation of his dream we dreamed. And there was with us a young man, a Hebrew, a servant of the captain of the guards. And we told to him, and he interpreted for us our dreams; each man according to his dream he interpreted. And it came to pass as he interpreted to us—so it came to pass. Me he restored to my office, and him he hanged.” Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dreams And Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they hurried him from the pit. And he shaved and changed his clothing, and he came to Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have dreamed a dream, and there is no one interpreting it. And I have heard it said of you that you hear a dream to interpret it.” And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me; God will answer Pharaoh with peace.” And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream, behold, I was standing on the edge of the River, and behold, out of the River came up seven cows fat of flesh and beautiful of appearance, and they grazed among the reeds. And behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly of appearance and thin of flesh. Never have I seen such as these in all the land of Egypt for ugliness. And the thin and ugly cows ate the first seven fat cows. And they went into their bellies, and no one would have known that they had gone into their bellies, and they were as ugly as at the beginning. And I awoke. And I saw in my dream, and behold, seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, full and good, and behold, seven heads of grain withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind, were sprouting after them. And the thin heads of grain swallowed the seven good heads of grain. And I told this to the magicians, and there was no one who interpreted it for me.” And Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dream of Pharaoh is one. What God is about to do He has declared to Pharaoh. The seven good cows—they are seven years; and the seven good heads of grain—they are seven years. The dream is one. And the seven thin and ugly cows that came up after them—they are seven years; and the seven empty the heads of grain scorched by the east wind—they are seven years of famine. This is the word that I have spoken to Pharaoh. What God is about to do He has shown Pharaoh. Behold, seven years are coming—great abundance in all the land of Egypt, and seven years of famine will arise after them, and all the abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will consume the land. And the abundance will not be known in the land because of that famine after thus; for it is very severe. And as for the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh twice—it is because the thing is established by God, and God is hastening to do it. And now, let Pharaoh look for a man discerning and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land and let him take a fifth of the land41.34 Or a fifth of the harvest of Egypt in the seven years of abundance. And let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming and store up grain under the hand of Pharaoh—food in the cities—and guard it and the food shall be as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine that shall be in the land of Egypt, that the land may not be cut off by the famine.” Joseph Given Charge of Egypt And the word was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants. And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man such as this, in whom is the Spirit of God?41.38 Or the spirit of the gods” And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made known to you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. You shall be over my house, and according to your mouth all my people will kiss. Only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.” And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” And Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his hand and put it on the hand of Joseph, and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put the chain of gold around his neck. And he had him ride in the second chariot that was his, and they called out before him, “Abrek!”41.43 “Abrek!” is probably an Egyptian word that sounds similar to the Hebrew for kneel And he set him over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and apart from you, no man may lift his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt.” And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphenath-paneah;41.45 Zaphenath-paneah probably means Revealer of Mysteries or God speaks and lives. and he gave to him Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, priest of On,41.45 That is, Heliopolis, as in LXX; also in verse 50 for a wife. And Joseph went out over the land of Egypt. The Seven Years of Plenty And Joseph was a son of thirty years when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and he passed through all the land of Egypt. And the land made as handfuls in the seven years of abundance. And he gathered all the food of the seven years that were in the land of Egypt, and he placed the food in the cities. The food of the fields of the city that surrounded them, he placed in its midst. And Joseph stored up grain like the sand of the sea, multiplying exceedingly, until that he stopped counting, for it was without number. And to Joseph were born two sons before the year of famine came, whom Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, bore to him. And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh,41.51 Manasseh sounds like the Hebrew for making to forget. “For God has made me forget all my toil and all the house of my father.” And the name of the second he called Ephraim:41.52 Ephraim sounds like the Hebrew for making fruitful or twice fruitful. “For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.” The Famine Begins And the seven years of abundance, that were in the land of Egypt, came to an end. And the seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph had said. And there was famine in all the lands, and in all the land of Egypt there was bread. And all the land of Egypt hungered. And the people cried to Pharaoh for bread, and Pharaoh said to all Egypt, “Go to Joseph; whatever he says to you⁺, do.” And the famine was over all the face of the land, and Joseph opened all that was in them and sold to the Egyptians, and the famine was strong in the land of Egypt. And all the earth came to Egypt to buy, to Joseph, because the famine was strong in all the earth. Joseph’s Brothers Sent to Egypt And Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, “Why do you⁺ look at one another?” And he said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy for us from there, and we shall live and not die.” And ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain from Egypt. And Jacob did not send Benjamin, brother of Joseph, with his brothers, for he said, “Lest harm befall him.” And the sons of Israel came to buy in the midst the ones coming, for the famine was in the land of Canaan. And Joseph—he was the ruler over the land; he was the one selling to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came, and they bowed themselves before him, noses to the earth. And Joseph saw his brothers and he recognized them, and he made himself strange to them, and spoke to them harshly. And he said to them, “From where have you⁺ come?” And they said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.” And Joseph recognized his brothers, and they did not recognize him. And Joseph remembered the dreams that he had dreamed about them, and he said to them, “You⁺ are spies! You⁺ have come to see the nakedness of the land.” And they said to him, “No, my lord, and your servants have come to buy food. We are all sons of one man. We are honest; your servants are not spies.” And he said to them, “No! But rather, you⁺ have come to see the nakedness of the land.” And they said, “Two and ten are your servants, we are brothers, sons of one man in the land of Canaan. And behold, the youngest is with our father today, and the one is no more.” And Joseph said to them, “It is that which I spoke to you⁺, saying, You⁺ are spies! By this you⁺ shall be tested: By the life of Pharaoh, you⁺ shall not go forth from this, except if your youngest brother comes here. Send one of you⁺ and let him bring your⁺ brother, and you⁺ shall be confined, and your⁺ words shall be tested, whether truth is with you⁺. And if not, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you⁺ are spies.” And he put them all together in custody three days. And Joseph said to them on the third day, “Do this and you will live; I fear God: If you⁺ are honest, let one of your⁺ brothers be confined in the house of your⁺ custody, and you⁺ go and carry grain for the famine of your⁺ houses. And you⁺ shall bring your⁺ youngest brother to me, and your⁺ words will be verified, and you⁺ shall not die.” And they did so. And they said each man to his brother, “Truly we are guilty concerning our brother, for we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we did not listen. Upon thus, this distress has come upon us.” And Reuben answered them, saying, “Did I not speak to you⁺, saying, ‘Do not sin against the boy’? and you⁺ did not listen! And also, his blood, behold, it is required.” And they did not know that Joseph was listening, for the interpreter was between them. And he turned himself away from them and wept, and he returned to them and spoke to them, and he took from them Simeon and bound him before their eyes. Joseph’s Brothers Return to Canaan And Joseph commanded, and they filled their vessels with grain, and to return their silver,42.25 Or money; here and throughout chapters 42–44 each man to his sack, and to give to them provisions for the journey. And he did so. For them and they lifted the grain upon their donkeys and departed from there. And the one opened his sack to give feed to his donkey at the lodging place, and he saw his silver, and behold, it was in the mouth of his bag. And he said to his brothers, “My silver has been returned, and also, behold, it is in my bag.” And their hearts went out, and they trembled, saying each man to his brother, “What is this God has done to us?” And they came to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan, and they told him all that had happened to them, saying, “The man, the lord of the land, spoke to us harshly and treated us as spies of the land. And we said to him, ‘We are honest; we are not spies. We are two and ten brothers, sons of our father. The one is no more, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.’ And the man, the lord of the land, said to us, ‘By this I will know that you⁺ are honest: Your⁺ one brother leave with me, and take food for the famine of your⁺ houses and go. And bring your⁺ youngest brother to me, and I shall know that you⁺ are not spies, but that you⁺ are honest. Your⁺ brother I will give to you⁺, and you⁺ may trade in the land.’” And it came to pass, they were empyting their sacks, and behold, each man’s bundle of his silver was in his sack; and they saw their bundles of silver, they and their father, and they were afraid. And Jacob their father said to them, “You⁺ have bereaved me. Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and Benjamin you⁺ will take. All these things are against me!” And Reuben said to his father, saying, “My two sons you will put to death, if I do not bring him back to you! Put him in my hand, and I will return him to you.” And he said, “My son shall not go down with you⁺, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. And if harm should befall him in the way in which you⁺ go, then you⁺ would bring down my gray hair in sorrow to Sheol.” The Return to Egypt with Benjamin And the famine was severe in the land. And it came to pass when they had finished eating the grain that they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, “Return, buy for us a little food.” And Judah said to him, saying, “The man surely warned us, saying, ‘You⁺ shall not see my face unless your⁺ brother is with you⁺.’ If you send our brother with us, we will go down and we will buy for you food. But if you are not sending him, we will not go down, for the man said to us, ‘You⁺ shall not see my face unless your⁺ brother is with you⁺.’” And Israel said, “Why have you⁺ done evil to me, to tell the man you had yet to you⁺ a brother?” And they said, “The man surely asked about us and about our family, saying, ‘Is your⁺ father still alive? Is there unto you⁺ a brother?’ And we told him, according to the mouth, these words. How could we possibly know that he would say, ‘Bring down your⁺ brother’?” And Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the boy with me, and let us arise and let us go and we will live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones. I myself will guarantee him; from my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then I shall bear the blame to you all the days. For if we had not lingered, surely now we would have returned these two times.” And Israel their father said to them, “If so, then do this: Take from the best products of the land in your⁺ vessels, and carry down to the man as a gift—a little balm, and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds. And double the silver take in your⁺ hand, and the silver that was returned in the mouth of your⁺ bags you⁺ shall return in your⁺ hand. Perhaps it was a mistake. And take your⁺ brother and arise; return to the man. And may El-Shaddai43.14 El-Shaddai means God Almighty give to you⁺ mercy before the man, and may he release to you⁺ your⁺ other brother and Benjamin! And I—if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.” And the men took this gift, and double the silver they took in their hand, and Benjamin. And they arose and went down to Egypt, and they stood before Joseph. Joseph’s Hospitality to His Brothers And Joseph saw Benjamin with them, and he said to the one over his house, “Bring the men to the house, and slaughter an animal and prepare it, for the men will eat with me at noon.” And the man did as Joseph had said, and the man brought the men into the house of Joseph. And the men were afraid because they were brought into the house of Joseph. And they said, “It is because of the silver that was returned in our bags the first time that we are being brought in, to roll himself upon us, and to fall upon us, and to take us for servants, and our donkeys.” And they drew near to the man who was over the house of Joseph, and they spoke to him at the door of the house and they said, “Please, my lord, we surely came down the first time to buy food. And it came to pass when we came to the lodging place and we opened our bags, and behold, the silver of each man was in the mouth of his bag—our silver in its weight—and we have brought it back in our hands. And other silver we have brought down in our hand to buy food; we do not know who put our silver in our bags.” And he said, “Peace to you⁺. Do not fear; your⁺ God and the God of your⁺ father has given to you⁺ hidden treasure in your⁺ bags; your⁺ silver came to me.” And he brought out to them. Simeon and the man brought the men into the house of Joseph, and he gave water, and they washed their feet. And he gave feed to their donkeys. And they prepared the gift for the coming of Joseph at noon, for they heard that they would eat bread there. And Joseph came into the house, and they brought to him the gift that was in their hand into the house, and they bowed themselves before him to the earth. And he asked them about their wellbeing, and he said, “Is your⁺ father well, the old man of whom you⁺ spoke? Is he still alive?” And they said, “It is well for your servant; for our father, he is still alive.” And they bowed down and worshiped. And he lifted up his eyes and saw Benjamin his brother, son of his mother, and he said, “Is this your⁺ youngest brother, of whom you⁺ spoke to me?” And he said, “God be gracious to you, my son!” And Joseph hurried, for his compassions yearned for his brother, and he sought to weep, and he went into the chamber and wept there. And he washed his face and went out, and he restrained himself and said, “Set the bread.” And they set for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians who were eating with him by themselves, because the Egyptians are not able to eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to Egypt. And they sat before him the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth, and the men were astonished, each man to his neighbor. And he lifted up portions from before him to them, and the portion of Benjamin was greater than the portions of all of them—five hands. And they drank and became drunk with him. Benjamin and the Silver Cup And he commanded the one over his house, saying, “Fill the bags of the men with food, as much as they are able to carry, and put the silver of each man in the mouth of his bag. And my cup, the silver cup, put in the mouth of the bag of the youngest, and the silver for his grain.” And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. The morning was light, and the men were sent away, they and their donkeys. They had gone out of the city, they had not gone far, and Joseph said to the one over his house, “Get up, pursue after the men, and you shall overtake them, and you shall say to them, ‘Why have you⁺ repaid evil for good?44.4 LXX includes Why have you stolen my silver cup? Is it not this from which my lord drinks, and he surely divines with it? You⁺ have done evil in that which you⁺ have done.’” And he overtook them, and he spoke to them these words. And they said to him, “Why does my lord speak according to these words? Far be it to your servants from doing according to this word. Behold, the silver that we found in the mouth of our bags, we returned to you from the land of Canaan. And how could we steal silver or gold from the house of your lord? With whomever of your servants it is found, then he shall die, and also we will be to my lord as servants.” And he said, “Also now, according to your⁺ words, so it is; whoever is found with it shall be to me a servant, and you⁺ shall be blameless.” And they hurried, and they lowered each man his bag to the earth, and they opened each man his bag. And he searched—with the oldest he began, and with the youngest he finished. And the cup was found in the bag of Benjamin. And they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey and they returned to the city. And Judah and his brothers came to the house of Joseph, and he was still there, and they fell before him on the ground. And Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you⁺ have done? Did you⁺ not know that a man such as I, surely divines?” And Judah said, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? And how shall we justify ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants. Behold, we are to my lord as servants, both we and also he with whom the cup was found.” And he said, “Far be it to me from doing this; the man in whose hand the cup was found, he shall be to me a servant. And you⁺, go up in peace to your⁺ father.” Judah Pleads for Benjamin And Judah came near to him and said, “Please my lord, please let your servant speak a word in the ears of my lord, and do not let your anger burn against your servant; for you are like Pharaoh. My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Is there for you⁺ a father or a brother?’ And we said to my lord, ‘We have to us a father, an old man, and a son of his old age, who is young. And his brother died, and he alone is left to his mother, and his father loves him.’ And you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, and let me set my eye on him.’ And we said to my lord, ‘The boy is not able to leave his father, and if he should leave his father, then he shall die.’ And you said to your servants, ‘If your⁺ youngest brother does not come down with you⁺, you⁺ shall not again see my face.’ And it came to pass when we went up to your servant, my father, that we told to him the words of my lord. And our father said, ‘Return; buy for us a little food.’ And we said, ‘We are not able to go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down. For we are not able to see the face of the man, and our youngest brother is not with us.’ And your servant, my father, said to us, ‘You⁺ know that my wife bore to me two sons. And the one went out from me, and I said, “Surely he has been torn to pieces.” And I have not seen him until now. And if you⁺ take also this one from my face and harm befalls him, then you⁺ shall bring down my gray hair in evil to Sheol.’ And now, when I come to your servant, my father, and the boy is not with us, and his soul is bound up in his soul, and it will come to pass when he sees that the boy is no more, then he will die. And your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant, our father, in sorrow to Sheol. For your servant guaranteed the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame to my father all the days.’ And now, please, let your servant remain instead of the boy as a servant to my lord, and let the boy go up with his brothers. For how shall I go up to my father, and the boy is not with me? Lest I see the evil that will find my father.” Joseph Reveals His Identity And Joseph was not able to restrain himself before all those who were standing by him, and he cried out, “Make go out every man from me!” And no man stood with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. And he gave his voice in weeping, and Egypt heard, and the house of Pharaoh heard. And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?” And his brothers were not able to answer him, for they were terrified in his presence. And Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near, and he said, “I am Joseph your⁺ brother, whom you⁺ sold into Egypt. And now, do not be grieved and let it not burn in your⁺ eyes that you⁺ sold me here, for to preserve life God sent me before you⁺. For these two years the famine has been in the midst of the earth, and there are still five years in which there is no plowing and harvesting. And God sent me before you⁺ to make for you⁺ a remnant in the earth, and to give life to you⁺ by a great deliverance.45.7 Or and to keep you alive as a great band of survivors And now, you⁺ have not sent me here, but God. And He has made me for a father to Pharaoh, and for a lord of all his house, and ruler in all the land of Egypt. Joseph Sends for His Father Hurry and go up to my father and you⁺ shall say to him, ‘Thus says Joseph your son: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not delay. And you shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me—you and your sons, and the sons of your sons, and your flock and your herd, and all that is yours. And I will provide for you there, for there are still five years of famine, lest you come to poverty—you and your house and all that is yours.’ And behold, your⁺ eyes are seeing, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that my mouth is the one speaking to you⁺. And you⁺ shall tell to my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you⁺ have seen. And you⁺ shall hurry and bring down my father here.” And he fell on the necks of Benjamin his brother and wept, and Benjamin wept on his necks. And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them. And after that his brothers spoke with him. Pharaoh Invites Jacob to Egypt And the sound was heard in the house of Pharaoh, saying, “The brothers of Joseph have come.” And it was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your⁺ animals and depart. Go to the land of Canaan, and take your⁺ father and your⁺ households, and come to me, and I will give to you⁺ the good of the land of Egypt, and you⁺ will eat the fat of the land.’ And you—you have been commanded, ‘Do this: Take for yourselves from the land of Egypt carts for your⁺ little ones, and for your⁺ wives, and bring your⁺ father, and come. And let your⁺ eye not grieve over your⁺ vessels, for the good of all the land of Egypt—it is yours⁺.’” And the sons of Israel did so. And Joseph gave to them carts, according to the mouth of Pharaoh, and he gave to them provisions for the journey. To all of them he gave—to each man—changes of garments, and to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver45.22 300 shekels is approximately 7.5 pounds or 3.4 kilograms of silver. and five changes of garments. And to his father he sent this: Ten donkeys carrying the good of Egypt, and ten female donkeys carrying grain and bread and food for his father for the journey. And he sent away his brothers, and they departed, and he said to them, “Do not be shaken along the way.” The Revival of Jacob And they went up out of Egypt and they came to the land of Canaan, to Jacob their father, and they told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive! And he is ruling in all the land of Egypt.” And his heart went numb for he did not believe them. And they spoke to him all the words that Joseph had said to them, and he saw the carts that Joseph had sent to carry him, and the spirit of Jacob their father revived. And Israel said, “Enough! Joseph my son is still alive! I will go and I will see him before I die.” Jacob’s Journey to Egypt And Israel journeyed, and all that was his, and he came to Beersheba and he sacrificed sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Behold, it is I.” And He said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not fear from going down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up, and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes.” And Jacob arose from Beersheba, and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father and their little ones and their wives in the carts that Pharaoh had sent to carry him. And they took their livestock and their possessions that they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and they came to Egypt, Jacob and all his seed with him, Those Who went to Egypt (Exodus 1:1–7) his sons, and the sons of his sons with him, and his daughters, and the daughters of his sons, and all his seed he brought with him to Egypt. The Children of Leah And these are the names of the sons of Israel, the ones coming to Egypt—Jacob and his sons: The firstborn of Jacob, Reuben. And the sons of Reuben: Hanoch, and Pallu, and Hezron, and Carmi. And the sons of Simeon: Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar,46.10 Jemuel is another name for Nemuel; see Numbers 26:12. and Shaul son of the Canaanitess. 46.10 Zohar is a variant of Zerah; see Numbers 26:13 and 1 Chronicles 4:24. And the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. And the sons of Judah: Er, and Onan, and Shelah, and Perez, and Zerah; and Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. And the sons of Issachar: Tola, and Puvah, and Job,46.13 Hebrew; SP and Syriac Puah; see 1 Chronicles 7:1. and Shimron. 46.13 Hebrew; SP and some LXX manuscripts Jashub; see Numbers 26:24 and 1 Chronicles 7:1. And the sons of Zebulun: Sered, and Elon, and Jahleel. These are the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan-aram,46.15 That is, northwest Mesopotamia and together with Dinah his daughter. All the souls, his sons and his daughters, were thirty and three. The Children of Zilpah And the sons of Gad: Ziphion, and Haggi, Shuni, and Ezbon, Eri, and Arodi,46.16 SP and LXX Zephon; see also Numbers 26:15. and Areli. 46.16 Arodi is a variant of Arod; see Numbers 26:17. And the sons of Asher: Imnah, and Ishvah, and Ishvi, and Beriah, and Serah their sister. And the sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel. These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter, and she bore these to Jacob—six and ten souls. The Children of Rachel The sons of Rachel, wife of Jacob: Joseph and Benjamin. And there were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On,46.20 That is, Heliopolis, as in LXX bore to him: Manasseh and Ephraim. And the sons of Benjamin: Bela, and Becher, and Ashbel, Gera, and Naaman, Ehi, and Rosh, Muppim, and Huppim, and Ard. These are the sons of Rachel who were born to Jacob—four and ten souls in all. The Children of Bilhah And the sons of Dan: Hushim. And the sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel, and Guni, and Jezer, and Shillem. These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter, and she bore these to Jacob—seven souls in all. All the souls—the ones coming to Jacob, to Egypt, the ones coming out of his thigh, besides the wives of the sons of Jacob—were sixty and six souls in all. And the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were two souls. All the souls of the house of Jacob, the ones coming to Egypt, were seventy.46.27 Hebrew; LXX nine souls, probably including Joseph’s grandsons through Ephraim and Manasseh; see 1 Chronicles 7:14–29. 46.27 Hebrew (see also Exodus 1:5); LXX (see also Acts 7:14) seventy-five Jacob Arrives in Egypt And he sent Judah before him to Joseph, to direct before him to Goshen. And they came to the land of Goshen. And Joseph harnessed his chariot, and he went up to Goshen to meet Israel his father, and he appeared to him, and he fell on his necks, and he wept on his necks a long time. And Israel said to Joseph, “Let me die now, after my seeing your face, for you are still alive.” And Joseph said to his brothers and to the house of his father, “I will go up and let me tell Pharaoh and let me say to him, ‘My brothers and the house of my father, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. And the men are shedherds of sheep, for they have been men of livestock; and their flocks and their herds and all that is theirs, they have brought.’ And it shall be, when Pharaoh calls you⁺ and says, ‘What are your⁺ works?’ That you⁺ shall say, ‘Your servants have been men of livestock from our youth and even until now, both we and also our fathers,’ so that you⁺ may dwell in the land of Goshen. For an abomination of Egypt is every shepherd of sheep.” Jacob Settles in Goshen And Joseph went and told Pharaoh and he said, “My father, and my brothers, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that is theirs, have come from the land of Canaan, and behold, they are in the land of Goshen.” And from the end of his brothers, he took five men and he presented them before Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What are your⁺ works?” And they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds of sheep, both we and also our fathers.” And they said to Pharaoh, “We have come to sojourn in the land because there is no pasture for the sheep that your servants have, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. And now, please, let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.” And Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. The land of Egypt, it is before you. In the best of the land cause your father and your brothers to dwell; let them dwell in the land of Goshen. And if you know that there are among them men of valor, then you shall appoint them captains of livestock over what is mine.” And Joseph brought in Jacob his father and he caused him to stand before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How many are the days of the years of your life?” And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my sojournings47.9 Or travels; twice in this verse are a hundred and thirty years. Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not reached the days of the years of the lives of my fathers in the days of their sojournings.” And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and he went out from before Pharaoh. And Joseph settled his father and his brothers, and he gave to them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. And Joseph provided his father and his brothers and all the house of his father with bread, according to the mouth of the little ones. The Famine Continues And there was no bread in all the earth, for the famine was very severe. And the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because of the famine. And Joseph gathered up all the silver found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, for the grain that they were buying, and Joseph brought the silver to the house of Pharaoh. And the silver was finished from the land of Egypt and from the land of Canaan, and all Egypt came to Joseph and said, “Give to us bread, and why should we die in your presence? For the silver is gone.” And Joseph said, “Give your⁺ livestock, and I will give it to you⁺ for your⁺ livestock, if the silver is gone.” And they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave to them bread for the horses, and for the livestock of the sheep, and for the livestock of the cattle, and for the donkeys. And he led them with bread for all their livestock that year. And that year ended, and they came to him in the second year and said to him, “we will not hide from my lord that the silver is gone and the livestock of the animals belong to my lord. Nothing remains before my lord, except our bodies and our land. Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for bread, and we will be—we and our land—servants to Pharaoh. And give us seed, and we will live and not die, that the land will not be desolate.” And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for every man of Egypt sold his field because the famine was severe upon them. And the land became unto Pharaoh. And the people—he reduced them to servitude,47.21 SP, LXX, Vulgate; Hebrew removed the them to the cities from one end of the border of Egypt and to its other end. Only the land of the priests he did not buy, for a fixed portion belonged to the priests from Pharaoh, and they ate their fixed portion that Pharaoh gave to them. Upon thus they did not sell their land. And Joseph said to the people, “Behold, I have bought you⁺ this day, and your⁺ land, for Pharaoh. Behold, seed for you⁺, and you⁺ shall sow the land. And it shall come to pass at the harvest that you⁺ shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four of the hands shall be for you⁺: As seed of the field, and for your⁺ eating, and for those in your⁺ houses, and to eat for your⁺ little ones.” And they said, “You have caused us to live. We find favor in the eyes of my lord, and we will be servants to Pharaoh.” And Joseph made it a statute to this day over the land of Egypt: For Pharaoh, the fifth. Only the land of the priests, which is unto them alone and has not come to belong to Pharaoh. The Israelites Prosper in Goshen And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen. And they took possession in it, and they were fruitful, and they multiplied exceedingly. And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seven and ten years, and the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were seven years and forty and a hundred years. And the days drew near for Israel to die, and he called for his son, for Joseph, and said to him, “If, please, I have found favor in your eyes, put, please, your hand under my thigh, and you shall do with me kindness and truth. Please, do not bury me in Egypt, and I shall lie with my fathers. And you shall carry me out of Egypt and you shall bury me in their burial place.” And he said, “I—I will do according to your word.” And he said, “Swear to me.” And he swore to him, and Israel bowed himself on the head of the bed.47.31 Hebrew; LXX Israel worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff; see Hebrews 11:21. Jacob Blesses Ephraim and Manasseh And it came to pass after these things, that someone said to Joseph, “Behold, your father is sick.” And he took his two sons with him, Manasseh and Ephraim. And someone told, Jacob and said, “Behold, your son Joseph has come to you.” And Israel strengthened himself and sat up on the bed. And Jacob said to Joseph, “El-Shaddai48.3 El-Shaddai means God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and He blessed me and He said to me, ‘Behold, I am making you fruitful, and I will multiply you, and I will give you to be an assembly of peoples, and I will give this land to your seed after you as an everlasting possession.’ And now, your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before my coming to you in Egypt, they are mine: Ephraim and Manasseh; like Reuben and like Simeon, they shall be mine. And your offspring, whom you beget after them, shall be yours. By the name of their brothers they will be called in their inheritance. And I, when I was coming from Paddan,48.7 That is, northwest Mesopotamia Rachel died upon me in the land of Canaan, on the way, when there was a distance of land to go to Ephrathah. And I buried her there on the way to Ephrath” (that is, in Bethlehem). And Israel saw the sons of Joseph and said, “Who are these?” And Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given to me in this place.” And he said, “Bring them, please, to me, and I will bless them.” And the eyes of Israel were heavy from old age; he was not able to see. And he brought them near to him, and he kissed them and he embraced them. And Israel said to Joseph, “To see your face I had not expected, and behold, God has shown me also your seed.” And Joseph brought them from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his nose to the earth. And Joseph took the two of them: Ephraim in his right hand, from the left of Israel, and Manasseh in his left hand, from the right of Israel, and he brought them near to him. And Israel stretched out his right hand and set it on the head of Ephraim—and he was the younger—and his left hand on the head of Manasseh; he acted wisely with his hands, for Manasseh was the firstborn. And he blessed Joseph and said, “God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd from my continued being unto this day, the angel48.16 Or Angel who has redeemed me from all evil, may he bless the boys. And let my name be called upon them, and the name of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, and may they multiply like fish into a multitude in the midst of the earth.” And Joseph saw that his father had set his right hand on the head of Ephraim, and it was evil in his eyes; and he took hold of the hand of his father to remove it from the head of Ephraim to the head of Manasseh. And Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn; set your right hand on his head.” And his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know! He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great. And yet, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become the fullness of the nations.” And he blessed them that day, saying, “By you Israel will bless, saying, ‘May God make you like Ephraim and like Manasseh.’” And he set Ephraim before Manasseh. And Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am dying, and God will be with you⁺ and He will bring you⁺ back to the land of your⁺ fathers. And I, I have given to you one portion above your brothers,48.22 Or one portion of the land; Hebrew shekem (portion) sounds like the town and district called Shechem. which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.” Jacob Blesses His Sons And Jacob called to his sons and he said, “Gather together, and I will tell you⁺ what shall befall you⁺ in the last days. Assemble yourselves, and listen, sons of Jacob; and listen to Israel your⁺ father. Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the first of my strength, exceeding in rank, and exceeding in power. Uncontrolled as the waters, you shall not excel, because you went up to the bed of your father; then you defiled it—he went up onto my couch. Simeon and Levi are brothers; instruments of violence are their swords.49.5 Or dwelling places Into their council let not my soul enter; to their assembly let not my honor be united; for in their anger they killed a man, and in their self-will they hamstrung an ox. Cursed be their anger, for it is strong, and their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel. Judah49.8 Judah sounds like the Hebrew for praise.—you, your brothers shall praise you. Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; sons of your father shall bow down to you. Judah is a whelp of a lion; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He crouched, he lay down as a lion, and like a lioness, who shall rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the staff from between his feet,49.10 Or from his descendants until that he comes to Shiloh;49.10 Or until he comes—the one to whom tribute belongs and to him is the obedience of the peoples. Binding his donkey to the vine, and the colt of his donkey to the choice vine; he washed in the wine his garment, and in the blood of grapes his robe. His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk. Zebulun shall dwell by the shore of the sea, and he shall be a haven for ships, and his border shall be to Sidon. Issachar is a strong-boned donkey, lying down between the sheepfolds.49.14 Or saddlebags or hearths And he saw rest, that its was good, and the land, that it was pleasant, and he extended his shoulder to bear a burden, and he became a servant at forced labor. Dan shall judge his people,49.16 Or Dan shall shall provide justice for his people; Dan means He has judged or He has vindicated. as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan shall be a serpent by the way, a viper by the path, biting the heels of the horse, and its rider falls backward. For Your salvation I have waited, YHWH. Gad49.19 Gad sounds like the Hebrew for raid and also for band of raiders.—a troop shall assault him, and he will attack the heel. Out of Asher his bread shall be rich, and he shall give royal delicacies. Naphtali is a doe set free, the one giving sayings of beauty.49.21 Or giving beautiful fawns or bearring fawns of the fold Joseph is a son of fruitfulness, a son of fruitfulness by a spring; daughters march over the wall.49.22 Or Joseph is a wild donkey, a wild donkey by a spring, with his wild colts beside the wall The masters of arrows— and they have embittered him, and shot and hated him. And his bow remained in strength, and the arms of his hands were tempered by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob; from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel. By the God of your father, and He will help you, and by Shaddai,49.25 Shaddai means the Almighty and He will bless you with blessings of the heavens above, blessings of the deep that lies beneath, blessings of breasts and womb. The blessings of your father have excelled over the blessings of my ancestors49.26 Or of the ancient mountains up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills; they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the prince of his brothers. Benjamin is a wolf that tears; in the morning he shall devour prey, and in the evening he shall divide spoil.” All these are two and ten tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them, and he blessed them—each one according to his own blessing, he blessed them. The Death of Jacob And he commanded them and he said to them, “I am being gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before the face of Mamre in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a burial place. There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah. The field and the cave that is in it were purchased from the sons of Heth.” And Jacob finished commanding his sons, and he gathered his feet into the bed and he expired, and he was gathered to his people. Mourning and Burial for Jacob And Joseph fell on the face of his father, and he wept over him, and he kissed him. And Joseph commanded his servants, the physicians, to embalm his father. And the physicians embalmed Israel. And forty days were fulfilled for him, for such are fulfilled are the days for the embalming; and the Egyptians wept for him seventy days. And the days of his weeping passed, and Joseph spoke to the house of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your⁺ eyes, speak, please, in the ears of Pharaoh, saying: My father made me swear, saying, ‘Behold, I am dying; and in my grave that I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me.’ And now let me go up, please, and bury my father, and I will return.” And Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear.” And Joseph went up to bury his father, and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, and all the house of Joseph, and his brothers, and the house of his father. Only their little ones, and their flocks, and their herds they left in the land of Goshen. And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen; and the camp was very large. And they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, and they mourned there with great and very solemn lamentation, and he made seven days of mourning for his father. And the inhabitant of the land, the Canaanite, saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, and they said, “This is solemn mourning for the Egyptians.” Upon thus its name was called Abel-mizraim,50.11 Abel-mizraim means mourning of the Egyptians. which is beyond the Jordan. And his sons did for him so, as he had commanded them. And his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, the field that Abraham bought for a possession of a burial place from Ephron the Hittite, before the face of Mamre. And Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers, and all who went up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father. Joseph Comforts His Brothers And the brothers of Joseph saw that their father was dead, and they said, “Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and he will surely return to us all the evil that we did to him.” And they commanded to Joseph, saying, “Your father commanded before his death, saying, ‘Thus you⁺ shall say to Joseph: I beg you, please forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin, for they did to you evil.’ And now, please forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. And his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, “Behold, we are your servants.” And Joseph said to them, “Fear not, for am I in the place of God? And you⁺—you⁺ intended evil against me, God intended it for good, in order to bring about a day like this, to keep alive many people. And now, fear not; I will provide for you⁺ and your⁺ little ones.” And he comforted them, and he spoke to their heart. The Death of Joseph And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he and the house of his father. And Joseph lived a hundred and ten years. And Joseph saw the third generation of Ephraim’s sons. Also, the sons of Machir, son of Manasseh, were born50.23 Or brought up or placed at birth on the knees of Joseph. And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am dying. And God will surely attend to you⁺ and bring you⁺ out of this land, to the land of which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” And Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely attend to you⁺, and you⁺ shall carry up my bones from this place.” And Joseph died, a son of a hundred and ten years. And they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.