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Holy Bible Berean Standard Bible

bsb-book.pdf

The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible, BSB 2016, 2020, 2023 by Bible Hub Published by Bible Hub Pittsburgh, PA 15045 USA www. biblehub. com Library of Congress Control Number: 2022932943 The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible, BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, Open Bible. com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee. This text of God's Word has been dedicated to the public domain. The BSB text may be quoted in any form (written, visual, audio, or electronic) without prior permission of the publisher. You are free to copy, print, and distribute any portion of this text, or the full text itself. Free resources are available at any of the Berean Bible sites: www. Berean. Bible....................................................... Berean Bible Homepage www. Interlinear Bible. com ..................................... Berean Interlinear Bible (BIB) www. Literal Bible. com............................................... Berean Literal Bible (BLB) www. Berean Bible. com.............................................. Berean Study Bible (BSB)

bsb-book.pdf

Tabl e of Contents Genesis........................... 1 Exodus......................... 67 Leviticus.................... 121 Numbers.................... 159 Deuteronomy............ 213 Joshua........................ 259 Judges........................ 290 Ruth........................... 321 1 Samuel.................... 326 2 Samuel.................... 368 1 Kings....................... 404 2 Kings....................... 447 1 Chronicles............... 488 2 Chronicles.............. 532 Ezra............................ 578 Nehemiah................... 593 Esther......................... 614 Job............................... 624 Psalms......................... 661 Proverbs ..................... 768 Ecclesiastes................. 804 Song of Solomon....... 814 Isaiah.......................... 821 Jeremiah...................... 901 Lamentations............. 982 Ezekiel........................ 990 Daniel........................ 1057 Hosea........................ 1077 Joel........................... 1089 Amos........................ 1094 Obadiah.................... 1104 Jonah......................... 1106 Micah........................ 1109 Nahum...................... 1117 Habakkuk................. 1121 Zephaniah................ 1125 Haggai...................... 1129 Zechariah................. 1132 Malachi..................... 1145 Matthew................... 1149 Mark.......................... 1195 Luke.......................... 1224 John.......................... 1272 Acts........................... 1307 Romans.................... 1350 1 Corinthians........... 1368 2 Corinthians........... 1385 Galatians................... 1396 Ep hesians................. 1402 Philippians................ 1408 Colossia ns................ 1413 1 Thessalonians...... 1417 2 Thessalonians...... 1421 1 Timothy................ 1423 2 Timothy................ 1428 Titus......................... 1432 Philemon.................. 1434 Heb rews................... 1435 James......................... 1449 1 Peter...................... 1454 2 Peter...................... 1460 1 John........................ 1464 2 John........................ 1469 3 John........................ 1470 Jude........................... 1471 Revelation................ 1473

bsb-book.pdf

Preface Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true. -Acts 17:11 The Berean Standard Bible (BSB) is a freely shareable translation of the Holy Bible, effective for public reading, study, memorization, and evangelism. Based on the best available manuscripts and sources, each word is connected back to the Greek or Hebrew text to produce a transparent text that can be studied for its root meanings. The BSB represents a single tier of the Berean Bible. This printing contains the full BSB text, footnotes, section headings, and cross references. Additional components, including translation tables, lexicons, outlines, and summaries, are free online and in a variety of apps and software. The Berean Bible Translation Committee has employed an open process where translation tables are freely available and all comments are welcomed and considered. These sources may also be downloaded and shared freely. Please see the Berean Bible website for a full description of the translation committee and process. We pray that this text will enable readers to connect with God's Word to study it, memorize it, share it, and proclaim it. We are inspired by the model of the early Christian church: After this letter has been read among you, make sure that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans, and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea. -Colossians 4:16 The Scriptures belonged to the churches and were meant to be examined, copied, and distributed. The committee hopes to follow this example by sharing all the resources with which we have been entrusted. Just as Paul encouraged the churches to pass on his letters, the Berean Bible is intended to be offered freely in websites, apps, software, and various text and audio formats.

bsb-book.pdf

Publication and Sharing We desire to share a Bible text that is free from any restrictions regarding licensing, pub-lishing, and sharing. The Berean Bible is freely available for use in print, audio, software, apps, and websites. Shareable resources are available through any of the following Berean Bible websites: www. Berean. Bible....................................................... Berean Bible Homepage www. Interlinear Bible. com ..................................... Berean Interlinear Bible (BIB) www. Literal Bible. com............................................... Berean Literal Bible (BLB) www. Berean Bible. com.............................................. Berean Study Bible (BSB) www. Readers Bible. com ........................................... Reader's Bible www. Annotated Bible. com....................................... Annotated Bible www. Audio Bible. org.................................................. Audio Bible

bsb-book.pdf

Tiered Translation Structure The Berean Study Bible is the modern English translation tier of the Berean Bible. The four tiers are as follows: 1. An interlinear Bible to directly follow the Greek and Hebrew texts. 2. A literal translation to take the reader to the core of the Greek and Hebrew meanings. 3. A modern English translation, effective for public reading, memorization, and evangelism. 4. An emphasized translation to bring out the fu ll meaning and intensity of the original texts. All sources are linked through to the original source, making the multi-tiered translation process transparent. The translation databases and lexical information are freely available at the Berean Bible websites. Thus the translation process can be followed even by those without extensive training in Greek and Hebrew. The translation tiers also provide study support by enhancing the expression of meaning on multiple levels. Since languages often do not transla te in a one-to-one fashion, the multiple tiers facilitate a fuller translation that is able to contain both “word for word” and “thought for thought” renderings.

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Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic Sources and Abbreviations We are blessed to live in an era where God's Word can be viewed through a vast collection of ancient sources. We believe that these original language sources serve to strengthen each other by their amazing consistency across thousands of years and thousand s of miles. The Scriptures in their original form are God's inerrant word to us and to all generations. Scholars have sought to reconstruct these Scriptures by collating the manuscripts and sources deemed to be closest to the originals. For simplicity, we have footnoted significant variants between major collections of source texts. Please see the Berean Bible website for full documentation of these sources. The following abbreviations are used in the footnotes to document differences among original langu age sources: NA Nestle Aland, Novum Testamentum Graece SBL Society of Biblical Literature, G reek New Testament ECM Editio Critica Maior, Novum Testamentum Graecum NE Eberhard Nestle Novum Testamentum Graece WH Westcott and Hort, New Testament in the Original Greek BYZ The New Testament in the Original Greek: Byzantine Textform GOC Greek Orthodox Church, New Testament TR Scrivener's Textus Receptus Stephanus Textus Receptus DSS Dead Sea Scrolls MT Hebrew Masoretic Text: Westminster Leningrad Codex Hebrew Masoretic Text: Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia LXX Greek OT Septuagint: Rahlfs-Hanhart Septuaginta Greek OT Septuagint: Swete's Septuagint SP Samaritan Pentateuch

bsb-book.pdf

bsb-book.pdf

The Creation (John 1:1-5 ; Hebrews 11:1-3) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” a   and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness He called “night. ” And there was evening, and there was morning —the first day. b The Second Day 6 And God said, “Let there be an expanse c   between the waters, to separate the waters from the waters. ” 7 So God made the expanse and separated the waters beneath it from the waters above. And it was so. 8 God called the expanse “sky. ” And there was evening, and there was morning —the second day. The Third Day 9 And God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered into one place, so that the dry land may appear. ” And it was so. 10 God called the dry land “earth,” and the gathering of waters He called “seas. ” And God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth vegetation: seed-bearing plants and fruit trees, each bearing fruit with seed ac-cording to its kind. ” And it was so. 12 The earth produced vegetation: seed-bearing plants according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed acc ording to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning —the third day. The Fourth Day 14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to distinguish between the day and the night, and let them be signs to mark the seasons and days and years. 15 And let them serve as lights in the expanse of the sky to shine upon the earth. ” And it was so. 16 God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night. And He made the stars as well. 17 God set these lights in the expanse of the sky to shine upon the earth, 18 to pre-side over the day and t he night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning —the fourth day. 1 Genesis a 3 Cited in 2 Corinthians 4:6 b 5 Literally day one   c 6 Or a canopy or a firmament or a vault  ; also in verses 7, 8, 14, 15, 17, and 20

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The Fifth Day 20 And God said, “Let the waters teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the sky. ” 21 So God created the great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters teemed according to their kinds, and every bird of flight after its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters of the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth. ” 23 And there was evening, and there was morning —th e fifth day. The Sixth Day 24 And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, land crawlers, and beasts of the earth according to their kinds. ” And it was so. 25 God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds, the livestock ac-cording to their kinds, and everything that crawls upon the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness, to rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, and over all the earth itself a   and every creature that crawls upon it. ” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. b 28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth. ” 29 Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit contains s eed. They will be yours for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth and every bird of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth —everything that has the breath of life in it —I have given every green plant for food. ” And it was so. 31 And God l ooked upon all that He had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning —the sixth day. The Seventh Day (Exodus 16:2 2-30 ; Hebrews 4:1-11) Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. 2 And by the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on that day He rested from all His work. c   3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because on that day He rested from all the work of creation that He had accomplished. Man and Woman in the Garden 4 This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD d   God made them. 5 Now no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth, nor had any plant of the field sprouted; for the LORD God had not yet sent rain upon the earth, and there was no man to 2 a 26 MT; Syriac and over all the beasts of the earth   b 27 Cited in Matthew 19:4 and Mark 10:6 c 2 Cited in Hebrews 4:4 d 4 LORD or GOD  , with capital letters, represents the proper name of the God of Israel and the one true God, transliterated from the Hebrew as YHWH  ; here and throughout the Scriptures. 2 | Genesis 1:2 0

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cultivate the ground. 6 But springs a   welled up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. 7 Then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man be came a liv-ing being. b 8 And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, where He placed the man He had formed. 9 Out of the ground the LORD God gave growth to every tree that is pleasing to the eye and good for food. And in the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 10 Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it branched into four headwaters: 11 The name of the first river is Pishon; it winds through the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 And the gold of that land is pure, and bdellium and onyx are found there. 13 The name of the second river is Gihon; it winds through the whole land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is Hiddekel; it runs along the east side of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. 15 Then the LORD God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded him, “You may eat freely from every tree of the garden, 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die. ” 18 The LORD God also said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make for him a suit-able helper. ” 19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and He brought them to the man to see what he would name each one. And whatever the man call ed each living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all the livestock, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam  c   no suitable helper was found. 21 So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep, and while he slept, He took one of the man's ribs  d   and closed up the area with flesh. 22 And from the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man, He made a woman and brought her to him. 23 And the man said: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for out of man she was taken. ” 24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. e 25 And the man and his wife were both naked, and they were not ashamed. The Serpent's Deception (Romans 5:12-21) Now the serpent f  was more crafty than any beast of the field that the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden?'  ” 2 The woman answered the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden, 3 but 3 a 6 Or mist   b 7 Or a living soul  ; cited in 1 Corinthians 15:45 c 20 Or the man  , as in verses 19 and 21 d 21 Or took part of the man's side  ; similarly in verse 22 e 24 LXX and the two will becom e one flesh  ; cited in Matthew 19:5, Mark 10: 7-8, 1 Corinthians 6:16, and Ephesians 5:31 f 1 Hebrew nachash  , translated in this chap-ter as serpent  , is translated in most cases as snake  . Genesi s 3:3 | 3

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about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You must not eat of it or touch it, or you will die. '  ” 4 “You will not surely die,” the serpent told her. 5 “For God knows that in the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. ” 6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom, she took the fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate it. 7 And the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; so they sewed together fig leaves and made coverings for themselves. God Arraigns Adam and Eve 8 Then the man and his wife heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the breeze a   of the day, and they hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the LORD God called out to the man, “Where are you?” 10 “I heard Your voice in the garden,” he re-plied, “and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself. ” 11 “Who told you that you were naked?” asked the LORD God. “Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 And the man answered, “The woman whom You gave me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate it. ” 13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” “The serpent deceived me,” she replied, “and I ate. ” The Fate of the Serpent 14 So the LORD God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, cur sed are you above all livestock and every beast of the field! On your belly will you go, and dust you will eat, all the days of your life. 15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel. b  ” The Punishment of Mankind 16 To the woman He said: “I will sharply increase your pain in chil dbirth; in pain you will bring forth children. Your desire will be for your husband,c   and he will rule over you. ” 17 And to Adam He said: “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat, cursed is the ground because of you; thro ugh toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. 18 Both thorns and thistles it will yield for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your bread, until you return to the ground — beca use ou t of it were you taken. 4 | Genesis 3:4 a 8 Or at the breezy (time)  ; Hebrew unto the Ruach   b 15 Or He will bruise your head, and you will bruis e his heel  . The same Hebrew root for crush  , bruise  , or strike appears twice in this verse. c 16 Or You will desire to control your husband  

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For dust you are, and to dust you shall return. ” 20 And Adam named his wife Eve,a   because she would be the mother of all the living. The Expulsion from Paradise 21 And the LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and He clothed them. 22 Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil. And now, lest he reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever.  .  . ” 23 Therefore the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 24 So He drove out the man and s tationed cherubim on the east side of the Garden of Eden, along with a whirl-ing sword of flame to guard the way to the tree of life. Cain and Abel (Hebrews 11:4) And Adam had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. b “With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man,” she said. 2 Later she gave birth to Cain's brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, while Cain was a tiller of the soil. 3 So in the course of time, Cain brought some of the fruit of the soil as an offering to the LORD, 4 while Abel brought the best portions of the firstborn of his flock. And the LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but He had no regard for Cain and his offering. So Cain became very angry, and his countenance fell. 6 “Why are you angry,” said the LORD to Cain, “and why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you refuse to do what is right, sin is crouch-ing at your door; it desires you,c   but you must master it. ” 8 Then Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out to the field. ” d   And while they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. 9 And the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I do not know!” he answered. “Am I my brother's keeper?” 10 “What have you done?” replied the LORD. “The voice of your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground. 11 Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. 12 When you till the ground, it will no longer yield its produce to you. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth. ” 13 But Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment e is greater than I can bear. 14 Behold, this day You have driven me from the face of the earth, and from Your face I will be hidden; I will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me. ” 15 “Not so!” f  replied the LORD. “If anyone slays Cain, then Cain will be avenged sevenfold. ” And the LORD placed a mark on Cain, so that no one who found him would kill him. 4 Genesis 4:15 | 5 a 20 Eve sounds like the Hebrew for giving life or living  . b 1 Cain sounds like the Hebrew for acquired or brought forth  . c 7 Or it desires to control you   d 8 SP, LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate; Hebrew Then Cain spoke to his brother Abel. e 13 Or guilt or sin   f 15 LXX, Vulgate, and Syriac; Hebrew “Very well!” or “Therefore :” 

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16 So Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and settled in the land of Nod,a   east of Eden. The Descendants of Cain 17 And Cain had relations with his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch. Then Cain built a city and named it after his son Enoch. 18 Now to Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methusael, and Methusael was the father of Lamech. 19 And Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and raise livestock. 21 And his brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute. 22 And Zillah gave birth to Tubal-cain, a forger of every implement of bronze and iron. And the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah. 23 Then Lamech said to his wives: “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; wiv es of Lamech, listen to my speech. For I have slain a ma n for wounding me, a young man for striking me. 24 If Cain is avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold. ” b Seth and Enosh 25 And Adam again had relations with his wife, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth,c   saying, “God has granted me another seed in place of Abel, since Cain killed him. ” 26 And to Seth also a son was born, and he called him Enosh. At that time men began to call upon d   the name of the LORD. The Descendants of Adam (1 Chronicles 1:1-3) This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, He made him in His own likeness. 2 Male and female He created them,e   and He blessed them. And in the day they were created, He called them “man. ” f 3 When Adam was 130 years old, he had a son in his own likeness, after his own image; and he named him Seth. 4 And after he had become the father of Seth, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 5 So Adam lived a total of 930 years, and then he died. 6 When Seth was 105 years old, he became the father of Enosh. 7 And after he had become the father of Enosh, Seth lived 807 years and had other sons and daughters. 8 So Seth lived a to-tal of 912 years, and then he died. 9 When Enosh was 90 years old, he became the father of Kenan. 10 And after he had become the father of Kenan, Enosh lived 815 years and had other sons and daughters. 11 So Enosh lived a total of 905 years, and then he died. 12 When Kenan was 70 years old, he became the father of Mahalalel. 13 And after he had be-come the father of Mahalalel, Kenan lived 840 years and had other sons and da ughters. 14 So Kenan lived a total of 910 years, and then he died. 15 When Mahalalel was 65 years old, he be-came the father of Jared. 16 And after he had become the father of Jared, Mahalalel lived 830 years and had other sons and daughters. 5 6 | Genesis 4:16 a 16 Nod means wandering  . b 24 Hebrew; LXX can be translated as either seventy times seven or seventy-sevenfold  ; see also Matthew 18:22. c 25 Seth probably means granted or appointed  . d 26 Or to proclaim  ; some translators to invoke or to call themselves by or to profane e 2 Cited in Matthew 19:4 and Mark 10:6 f 2 Hebrew Adam

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17 So Mahalalel lived a total of 895 years, and then he died. God Takes Up Enoch (Hebrews 11:5) 18 When Jared was 162 years old, he became the father of Enoch. 19 And after he had be-come the father of Enoch, Jared lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 20 So Jared lived a total of 962 years, and then he died. 21 When Enoch was 65 years old, he became the father of Methuselah. 22 And after he had become the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God  a   300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 So Enoch lived a total of 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with God, and then he was no more, because God had taken him away. b From Methuselah to Noah 25 When Methuselah was 187 years old, he be-came the father of Lamech. 26 And after he had become the father of Lamech, Methuselah lived 782 years and had other sons and daugh-ters. 27 So Methuselah lived a tot al of 969 years, and then he died. 28 When Lamech was 182 years old, he had a son. 29 And he named him Noah,c   saying, “May this one comfort us in the labor and toil of our hands caused by the ground that the LORD has cursed. ” 30 And after he had become the father of Noah, Lamech lived 595 years and had other sons and daughters. 31 So Lamech lived a total of 777 y ears, and then he died. 32 After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Corruption on the Earth (Matthew 24:3 6-51) Now when men began to multiply on the face of the earth and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters o f men were beautiful, and they took as wives whomever they chose. 3 So the LORD said, “My Spirit will not contend with man forever,d   for he is mortal; his days shall be 120 years. ” 4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days —and afterward as well —when the sons of God had relations with the daughters of men. And they bore them children who be-came the mighty men of old, men of renown. 5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man wa s great upon the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil all the time. 6 And the LORD regretted that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 7 So the LORD said, “I will blot out man, whom I have created, from the face of the earth —every man and beast and crawling creature and bird of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them. ” Noah's Favor with God 8 Noah, however, found favor in the eyes of the LORD. 9 This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God. 10 And Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 11 Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and full of violence. 12 And God looked upon the earth and saw that it was corrupt; for all living creatures e   on the earth had cor-rupted their ways. 6 Genesis 6:12 | 7 a 22 LXX pleased God  ; also in verse 24 b 24 LXX and he was not found, because God had take n him away  ; cited in Hebrews 11:5 c 29 Noah sounds like the Hebrew for rest or comfort  . d 3 LXX and Syriac My Spirit will not remain in ma n forever   e 12 Literally all flesh  ; similarly in verses 13, 17, and 19

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Preparing the Ark (Hebrews 11:7) 13 Then God said to Noah, “The end of all living creatures has come before Me, because through them the earth is full of violence. Now behold, I will destroy both them and the earth. 14 Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; a   make rooms in the ark and coat it with pitch inside and out. 15 And this is how you are to build it: The ark is to be 300 cubits long, 50 cu-bits wide, and 30 cubits high. b   16 You are to make a roof c   for the a rk, finish its walls a cubit from the top,d   place a door in the side of the ark, and build lower, middle, and upper decks. 17 And behold, I will bring floodwaters upon the earth to destroy every creature under the heavens that has t he breath of life. Everything on the earth will perish. 18 But I will establish My covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons' wives with you. 19 And you are to bring two of every living creature into the a rk—male and female— to keep them alive with you. 20 Two of every kind of bird and animal and crawling creature will come to you to be kept alive. 21 You are also to take for yourself every kind of food that is eaten and gather it as food for yourselves and for the animals. ” 22 So Noah did everything precisely as God had commanded him. The Great Flood (2 Pete r 3:1-7) Then the LORD said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your family, because I have found you righteous in this generation. 2 You are to take with you seven pairs of e every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate; a pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate; 3 and seven pairs of every kind of bird of the air, male and female, to pre-serve their offspring on the face of all the earth. 4 For seven days f rom now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living thing I have made. ” 5 And Noah did all that the LORD had com-manded him. 6 Now Noah was 600 years old when the flood-waters came upon the earth. 7 And Noah and his wife, with his sons and their wives, entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood. 8 The clean and unclean animals, the birds, and everything that crawls along the ground 9 came to Noah to enter the ark, two by two, male and female, as God had commanded Noah. 10 And after seven days the floodwaters came upon the earth. 11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, on the seventeenth day of the sec-ond month, all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the flo odgates of the heavens were opened. 12 And the rain fell upon the earth for forty days and forty nights. 13 On that very day Noah entered the ark, along with his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and his wife, and the three wives of his sons— 14 they and every kind of wild animal, live-stock, crawling creature, bird, and winged creature. 15 They came to Noah to enter the ark, two by two of every creature f  with the breath of life. 16 And they entered, the male and female of every living thing, as God had commanded Noah. Then the LORD shut him in. 7 a 14 Gopher is an unknown kind of tree; possibly cypress or cedar  . b 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). c 16 Or skylight or window   d 16 A cubit is approximately 18 inches or 45. 7 centimeters. e 2 Or by sevens  ; also in verse 3 f 15 Literally of all flesh  ; similarly in verses 16 and 21 8 | Genesis 6:13

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17 For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and the waters rose and lifted the ark high above the earth. 18 So the waters contin-ued to surge and rise greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the waters. 19 Finally, the waters completely inundated the earth, so that all the high mountains under all the heavens were covered. 20 The waters rose and covered the mountain-tops to a depth of fifteen cubits. a   21 And every living thing that moved upon the earth perished —birds, livestock, animals, every creature that swarms upon the earth, and all mankind. 22 Of all th at was on dry land, every-thing that had the breath of life in its nostrils died. 23 And every living thing on the face of the earth was destroyed —man and livestock, crawling creatures and birds of the air; they were blotted out from the earth, and only Noa h and those with him in the ark remained. 24 And the waters prevailed upon the earth for 150 days. The Ark Rests on Ararat But God remembered Noah and all the animals and livestock that were with him in the ark. And God sent a wind over the earth, and the waters began to subside. 2 The springs of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens were closed, and the rain from the sky was restrained. 3 The waters receded steadily from the earth, and after 150 days the waters had gone down. 4 On the seventeenth day of the seventh month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. 5 And the waters continued to re-cede until the tenth month, and on the first day of the tenth month the tops of the mountains became visible. Noah Sends a Raven and a Dove 6 After forty days Noah opened the window he had made in the ark 7 and sent out a raven. It kept flying back and forth until the waters had dried up from the earth. 8 Then Noah sent out b   a dove to see if the wa-ters had receded from the surface of the ground. 9 But the dove found no place to rest her foot, and she returned to him in the ark, because the waters were still covering the surface of all the earth. So he reached out his hand and brought her back inside the ark. 10 Noah waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark. 11 And behold, the dove returned to him in the evening with a freshly plucked olive leaf in her beak. So Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth. 12 And Noah waited seven more days and sent out the dove again, but this time she did not return to him. Exiting the Ark 13 In Noah's six hundred and first year, on the first day of the first month, the waters had dried up from the earth. So Noah removed the covering from the ark and saw that the surface of the ground was dry. 14 By the twenty-seventh day of the second month, the earth was fully dry. 15 Then God said to Noah, 16 “Come out of the ark, you and your wife, along with your sons and their wives. 17 Bring out all the living crea-tures that are with you —birds, livestock, and everything that crawls upon the ground —so that they can spread out over the earth and be fruitful and multip ly upon it. ” 18 So Noah came out, along with his sons and his wife and his sons' wives. 19 Every 8 Genesis 8:19 | 9 a 20 15 cubits is approximately 22. 5 feet or 6. 9 meters. b 8 Literally sent out from him or sent out from it  

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living creature, every creeping thing, and every bird —everything that moves upon the earth —came out of the ark, kind by kind. Noah Builds an Altar 20 Then Noah built an altar to the LORD. And taking from every kind of clean animal and clean bird, he offered burnt offerings on the al-tar. 21 When the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, He said in His heart, “Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from his youth. And never again will I destroy all living creatures as I have done. 22 As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall never 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. 2 The fear and dread of you will fall on every living creature on the earth, every bird of the air, every creature that crawls on the ground, and all the fish of the sea. They are delivered into your hand. 3 Everything that lives and moves will be food for you; just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you all things. 4 But you must not eat meat with its lifeblood still in it. 5 And surely I will require the life of any man or beast by whose hand your lifeblood is shed. I will de-mand an accounting f rom anyone who takes the life of his fellow man: 6 Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man his blood will be shed; for in His own image God has made mankind. 7 But as for you, be fruitful and multiply; spread out across the earth and multiply upon it. ” 8 Then God said to Noah and his sons with him, 9 “Behold, I now establish My covenant with you and your descendants after you, 10 and with every living creature that was with you — the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth —every living thing that came out of the ark. 11 And I establish My covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth. ” 12 And God said, “This is the sign of the cove-nant I am making between Me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13 I have set My rain-bow in the clouds, and it will be a sign of the covenant between Me and the eart h. 14 Whenever I form clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember My covenant between Me and you and every living creature of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16 And whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remem-ber the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of every kind that is on the earth. ” 17 So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between Me and every creature on the earth. ” Noah's Shame and Canaan's Curse 18 The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And Ham was the father of Canaan. 19 These three were the sons of Noah, and from them the whole earth was populated. 9 10 | Genesis 8:20

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20 Now Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded a   to plant a vineyard. 21 But when he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and uncovered himself inside his tent. 22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father's nakedness and told his two brothers outside. 23 Then Shem and Japheth took a garment and placed it across their s houlders, and walking backward, they covered their father's naked-ness. Their faces were turned away so that they did not see their father's nakedness. 24 When Noah awoke from his drunkenness and learned what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said, “Cursed be Canaan! A servant of servants shall he be to his brothers. ” Shem' s Blessing and Noah' s Death 26 He also declared: “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem! Ma y Canaan be the servant of Shem. 27 May God expand the territory of Japheth; b may he dwell in the tents of Shem, and may Canaan be his servant. ” 28 After the flood, Noah lived 350 years. 29 So Noah lived a total of 950 years, and then he died. The Table of Nations (1 Chronicles 1: 4-27) This is the account of Noah's sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, who also had sons after the flood. The Japhethites 2 The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. 3 The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. 4 And the sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittites, and the Rodanites. c   5 From these, the maritime peoples separated into their territories, according to their languages, by clans within their nations. The Hamites 6 The sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. 7 The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah,d   Raamah, and Sab-teca. And the sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. 8 Cush was the father of Nimrod, who began to be a mighty one e   on the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before f  the LORD; so it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the LORD. ” 10 His kingdom began in Babylon, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. g   11 From that land he went forth into Assyria, where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, 12 and Resen, which is between Nineveh and the great city of Calah. 13 Mizraim was the father of the Ludites, the Anamites, the Lehabites, the Naphtuhites, 14 the Pathr usites, the Casluhites (from whom the Philistines came), and the Caphtorites. h 15 And Canaan was the father of Sidon his firstborn,i  and of the Hittites, 16 the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, 17 the Hivites, 10Genesis 10: 17 | 11 a 20 Or was the first b 27 Japheth sounds like the Hebrew for expand  . c 4 SP and some MT manuscripts (see also LXX and 1 Chronicles 1:7); most MT manuscripts Dodanites   d 7 Sabtah is a variant of Sabta  ; see 1 Chronicles 1:9. e 8 Or who established himself as a mighty warrior or who became the first fearless leader   f 9 Or in defiance of  ; twice in this verse g 10 That is, Babylonia h 14 Some translators adjust the Hebrew word order to the Casluhites, and the Caph-torites (from whom the Philistines came)  ; see also Jeremiah 47:4 and Amos 9:7. i 15 Or of the Sidonians, the foremost  

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the Arkites, the Sinites, 18 the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Later the Canaanite clans were scattered, 19 and the borders of Canaan extended from Sidon toward Gerar as far as Gaza, and then to-ward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. 20 These are the sons of Ham according to their clans, languages, lands, and nations. The Semites 21 And sons were also born to Shem, the older brother of Japheth; a   Shem was the forefather of all the sons of Eber. 22 The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram. 23 The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. b 24 Arphaxad was the father of Shelah,c   and Shelah was the father of Eber. 25 Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg,d   because in his days the earth was divided, and his brother was named Joktan. 26 And Joktan was the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were sons of Joktan. 30 Their territory extended from Mesha to Sephar, in the eastern hill country. 31 These are the sons of Shem, according to their clans, languages, lands, and nations. 32 All these are the clans of Noah's sons, ac-cording to their generations and nations. From these the nations of the earth spread out after the flood. The Tower of Babel (Deuteronomy 32:8 ; Acts 2:1-13) Now the whole world had one lan-guage and a common form of speech. 2 And as people journeyed eastward,e   they found a plain in the land of Shinar f  and settled there. 3 And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly. ” So they used brick instead of stone, and tar in-stead of mortar. 4 “Come,” they said, “let us build for ourselves a city with a tower that reaches to the heavens, that we ma y make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of all the earth. ” 5 Then the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the sons of men were build-ing. 6 And the LORD said, “If they have begun to do this as one people speaking the same language, then nothing they devise will be beyond them. 7 Come, let Us go down and confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another's speech. ” 8 So the LORD scattered them from there over the face of all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it is called Babel,g for there the LORD confused the lan-guage of the whole world, and from that place the LORD scattered them over the face of all the earth. Genealogy from Shem to Abram (1 Chronicles 1:17-27) 10 This is the account of Shem. Two years after the flood, when S hem was 100 years old, he became the father of Arphaxad. 11 And after he had become the father of Arphaxad, Shem 11 12 | Genesis 10:18 a 21 Or Shem, whos e older brother was Japheth   b 23 Hebrew; LXX and 1 Chronicles 1:17 Meshech   c 24 Hebrew; LXX (see also Luke 3:3 5-36) And Arphaxad was the father of Cainan, and Cainan was the father of Shelah,   d 25 Peleg means division  . e 2 Or from the east or in the east   f 2 That is, Babylonia g 9 Or Babylon  ; the Hebrew word for Ba-bel sounds like the Hebrew for confused  .

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lived 500 years and had other sons and daugh-ters. 12 When Arphaxad was 35 years old, he be-came the father of Shelah. 13 And after he had become the father of Shelah, Arphaxad lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters. a   14 When Shelah was 30 years old, he became the father of Eb er. 15 And after he had become the father of Eber, Shelah lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters. 16 When Eber was 34 years old, he became the father of Peleg. 17 And after he had become the father of Peleg, Eber lived 430 years and had other sons and daughters. 18 When Peleg was 30 years old, he became the father of Reu. 19 And after he had become the father of Reu, Peleg lived 209 years and had other sons and daughters. 20 When Reu was 32 years old, he became the father of Serug. 21 And after he had become the father of Serug, Reu lived 207 years and had other sons and daughters. 22 When Serug was 30 years old, he became the father of Nahor. 23 And after he had be-come the father of Nahor, Serug lived 200 years and had other sons and daughters. 24 When Nahor was 29 years old, he became the father of Terah. 25 And after he had be-come the father of Terah, Nahor lived 119 years and had other sons and daughters. 26 When Terah was 70 years old, he became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Terah's Descendants 27 This is the account of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot. 28 During his father Terah's lifetime, Haran died in his native land, in Ur of the Chaldeans. 29 And Abram and Nahor took wives for them-selves. Abram's wife was named Sarai, and Nahor's wife was named Milcah; she was the daughter of Haran, who was the father of both Milcah and Iscah. 30 But Sarai was barren; s he had no children. 31 And Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai the wife of Abram, and they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans for the land of Canaan. But when they arrived in Haran, they settled there. 32 Terah lived 205 years, and he died in Haran. The Call of Abram (Genesis 26:1-5 ; Acts 7:1-8) Then the LORD said to Abram, “Leave your country, your kindred, and your father's household, and go to the land I will show you. b 2 I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the families of the earth wi ll be blessed through you. c  ” 4 So Abram departed, as the LORD had di-rected him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. 5 And Abram took his wife Sarai, his ne phew Lot, and all the possessions and people they had acquired in Haran, and set out for the land of Canaan. 12 Genesis 12: 5 | 13 a 13 Hebrew; LXX (see also Luke 3:3 5-36) 12 When Arphaxad was 135 years old, he becam e the father of Cainan. 13 And after he had becom e 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 becom e the father of Shelah, Cainan lived 330 years and ha d 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. b 1 Cited in Acts 7:3 c 3 See Ga latians 3:8

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When they came to the land of Canaan, 6 Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the Oak a   of Moreh at Shechem. And at that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring. b  ” So Abram built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him. 8 From there Abram moved on to the hill coun-try east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. There he built an altar to the LORD, and he called on the name of the LORD. 9 And Abram journeyed on toward the Negev. Abram an d Sarai in Egypt 10 Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe. 11 As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “Look, I know that you are a beautiful woman, 12 and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife. ' Then they will kill me but will let you live. 13 Please say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake, and on account of you my life will be spared. ” 14 So when Abram ent ered Egypt, the Egyp-tians saw that the woman was very beautiful. 15 When Pharaoh's officials saw Sarai, they commended her to him, and she was taken into the palace of Pharaoh. 16 He treated Abram well on her account, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels. 17 The LORD, however, afflicted Pharaoh and his household with severe plagues because of Abram's wife Sarai. 18 So Pharaoh summoned Abram and asked, “What have you done to me? Why didn't you tell me she was your wife? 19 Why did you say, 'She is my sister,' s o that I took her as my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!” 20 Then Pharaoh gave his men orders concern-ing Abram, and they sent him away with his wife and all his possessions. Abram and Lot Part Ways So Abram went up out of Egypt into the Negev —he and his wife and all his possessions —and Lot was with him. 2 And Abram had become extremely wealthy in live-stock and silver and gold. 3 From the Negev he journeyed from place to place toward Bethel, until he came to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had for-merly been pitched, 4 to the site where he had built the altar. And there Abram called on the name of the LORD. 5 Now Lot, who was traveling with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. 6 But the land was unable to support both of them while they stayed together, for they had so many posses-sions that they were unable to coexist. 7 And there was discord between the herdsmen of Abram and the herdsmen of Lot. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were also living in t he land. 8 So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no contention between you and me, or between your herdsmen and my herdsmen. After all, we are brothers. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Now separate yourself from me. If you go to the left, I will go to the right; if you go to the right, I will go to the left. ” Lot Proceeds toward Sodom 10 And Lot looked out and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan, all the way to Zoar, was 13 14 | Genesis 12: 6 a 6 Or Terebinth or Great Tree   b 7 Cited in Galatians 3:16

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well watered like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. ) 11 So Lot chose the whole plain of the Jordan for himself and set out toward the east. And Abram and Lot parted company. 12 Abram lived in the l and of Canaan, but Lot settled in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent toward Sodom. 13 But the men of Sodom were wicked, sinning greatly against the LORD. God Renews the Promise to Abram 14 After Lot had departed, the LORD said to Abram, “Now lif t up your eyes from the place where you are, and look to the north and south and east and west, 15 for all the land that you see, I will give to you and your offspring for-ever. a   16 I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if one could count the dust of the earth, then your offspring could be counted. 17 Get up and walk around the land, through its length and breadth, for I will give it to you. ” 18 So Abram move d his tent and went to live near the Oaks b   of Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar to the LORD. The War of the Kings In those days Amraphel king of Shi-nar,c   Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorla-omer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim 2 went to war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Ad-mah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). 3 The latter five came as allies to the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea d  ). 4 For twelve years they had been subject to Chedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled. 5 In the fourteenth year, Chedorlaomer and the kings allied with him went out and de-feated the Rephaites in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh- kiriathaim, 6 and the Horites in the area of Mount Seir, as far as El-paran, which is near the desert. 7 Then they turned back to invade En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and they con-quered the whole territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who lived in Hazazon-tamar. 8 Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomor-rah, the king of Admah, the king of Zebo iim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) marched out and arrayed themselves for battle in the Valley of Siddim  e   9 against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar —four king s against five. Abram Rescues Lot 10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some men fell into the pits, but the survivors fled to the hill country. 11 The four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food, and they went on their way. 12 They also carried off Abram's nephew Lot and his possessions, since Lot was living in Sodom. 13 Then an escapee came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew. Now Abram was living near the Oaks f  of Mamre the Amorite, a brother of Eshcol and Aner, all of whom were bound by treaty  g   to Abram. 14 And when Abram heard that his relative had been 14Genesis 14: 14 | 15 a 15 Cited in Galatians 3:16 b 18 Or Terebinths or Great Trees   c 1 That is, Babylonia; also in verse 9 d 3 That is, the Dead Sea e 8 That is, the Valley of the Dead Sea f 13 Or Terebinths or Great Trees   g 13 Forms of the Hebrew berit are translated in most passages as covenant.

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captured, he mobilized the 318 trained men born in his household, and they set out in pur-suit as far as Dan. 15 During the night, Abram divided his forces and routed Chedorlaomer's army, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. 16 He retrieved all the goods, as well as his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the rest of the people. Melchizedek Blesses Abram (Psalm 110: 1-7 ; Hebrews 7:1-10) 17 After Abram returned from defeating Chedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley). 18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine —since he was priest of God Most High a  — 19 and he blessed Abram and said: “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Cr eator of heaven and earth, 20 and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand. ” Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything. 21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people, but take the goods for yourself. ” 22 But Abram replied to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the LORD God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, 23 that I will not accept even a thread, or a strap of a sandal, or anything that belongs to you, lest you should say, 'I have made Abram rich. ' 24 I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share for 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 events, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward. ” 2 But Abram replied, “O Lord GOD, what can You give me, since I remain childless, and the heir of my house is Elieze r of Damascus?” 3 Abram continued, “Behold, You have given me no offspring, so a servant in my household will be my heir. ” 4 Then the word of the LORD came to Abram, saying, “This one will not be your heir, but one who comes from your own body will be your heir. ” 5 And the LORD took him outside and said, “Now look to the heavens and count the stars, if you are able. ” Then He told him, “So shall your offspring be. ” b 6 Abram believed the LORD, and it was cred-ited to him as righteousness. c   7 The LORD also told him, “I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess. ” God Confirms His Promise (Numbers 34: 1-15 ; Romans 4:13-25) 8 But Abram replied, “Lord GOD, how can I know that I will possess it?” 9 And the LORD said to him, “Bring Me a heifer, a goat, and a ram, each three years old, along with a turtledove and a young pigeon. ” 10 So Abram brought all these to Him, split each of them down the middle, and laid the halves opposite each other. The birds, how-ever, he did not cut in half. 11 And the birds of 15 16 | Genesis 14:15 a 18 Hebrew El-Elyon  ; also in verses 19, 20, and 22; cited in Hebrews 7:1 b 5 Cited in Romans 4:18 c 6 Cited in Romans 4:3, Romans 4:22, Galatians 3:6, and James 2:23

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prey descended on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. 12 As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and suddenly great terror and darkness overwhelmed him. 13 Then the LORD said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hun-dred years. 14 But I will judge the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they wil l depart with many possessions. a   15 You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a ripe old age. 16 In the fourth generation your descendants will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete. ” 17 When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, behold, a smoking firepot and a flaming torch appeared and passed between the halves of the carcasses. 18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this lan d— from the river of Egypt to the great River Eu-phrates — 19 the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Gir-gashites, and Jebusites. ” Hagar and Ishmael Now Abram's wife Sarai had borne him no children, but she had an Egyp-tian maidservant named Hagar. 2 So Sarai said to Abram, “Look now, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Please go to my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family by her. ” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. 3 So after he had lived in Canaan for ten years, his wife Sarai took her Egyptian maidservant Ha-gar and gave her to Abram to be his wife. 4 And he slept with Hagar, and she conceived. But when Hagar realized that she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. b 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be upon you! I delivered my ser- vant into your arms, and ever since she saw that she was pregnant, she has tr eated me with contempt. May the LORD judge between you and me. ” 6 “Here,” said Abram, “your servant is in your hands. Do whatever you want with her. ” Then Sarai treated Hagar so harshly that she fled from her. 7 Now the angel c   of the LORD found Hagar by a spring of water in the desert— the spring along the road to Shur. 8 “Hagar, servant of Sarai,” he said, “where have you come from, and where are you going?” “I am running away from my mistress Sarai,” she replied. 9 So the angel of the LORD told her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her authority. ” 10 Then the angel added, “I will greatly multi-ply your offspring so that they will be too nu-merous to count. ” 11 The angel of the LORD proceeded: “Behold, you have conceived and will bear a s on. And you shall name him Ishmael,d   for the LORD has heard your cry of affliction. 12 He will be a wild donkey of a man, and his hand will be against everyone, and everyone's hand ag ainst him; he will live in hostility toward all his brothers. ” 13 So Hagar gave this name to the LORD who had spoken to her: “You are the God who sees me, e  ” for she said, “Here I have seen the One who sees me!” 14 Therefore the well was called 16 Genesis 16: 14 | 17 a 14 Cited in Acts 7: 6-7 b 4 Or her mistress becam e despised in her sight   c 7 Or Angel  ; also in verses 9, 10, and 11; corresponding pronouns may also be capitalized. d 11 Ishmael means God hears  . e 13 Hebrew El-Roi  

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Beer-lahai-roi. a   It is located between Kadesh and Bered. 15 And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him. Abraham to Father Many Nations When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty. b   Walk before Me and be blameless. 2 I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly. ” 3 Then Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, 4 “As for Me, this is My covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. 5 No longer will you be called Abram,c   but your name will be Abraham,d   for I have made you a father of many nations. e 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will descend from you. 7 I will establish My covenant as an everlasting covenant between Me and you and your de-scendants after you, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. 8 And to you and your descendants I will give the land where you are residing —all the land of Canaan —as an eternal possession; and I will be their God. ” The Covenan t of Circumcision 9 God also said to Abraham, “You must keep My covenant —you and your descendants in the generations after you. 10 This is My cove-nant with you and your descendants after you, which you are to keep: Every male among you must be circumcised. 11 You are to circu mcise the flesh of your foreskin, and this will be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. 12 Generation after generation, every male must be circumcised when he is eight days old, including those born in your household and those purchased from a forei gner —even those who are not your offspring. 13 Whether they are born in your household or purchased, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh will be an everlasting covenant. 14 But if any male is not circumcised, he will be cut off from his pe ople; he has broken My cov-enant. ” 15 Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, do not call her Sarai, for her name is to be Sarah. f  16 And I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will descend from her. ” 17 Abraham fell facedown. Then he laughed and said to himself, “Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah give birth at the age of ninety?” 18 And Abra-ham said to God, “O that Ishmael might live un-der Your blessing!” 19 But God replied, “Your wife Sarah will in-deed bear you a son, and you are to name him Isaac. g   I will establish My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. 20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you, and I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He will be-come the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. 21 But I will es-tablish My covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this time next year. ” 17 18 | Genesis 16:15 a 14 Beer-lahai-roi means well of the Living One who sees me  . b 1 Hebrew El-Shaddai   c 5 Abram means exalted father  . d 5 Abraham means father of many  . e 5 Cited in Romans 4:17 f 15 Both Sarai and Sarah mean princess  ; the change in spelling may reflect the difference in dialect between Ur and Canaan. g 19 Isaac means he laughs  .

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22 When He had finished speaking with Abra-ham, God went up from him. 23 On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and all those born in his household or purchased with his money —every male among the members of Abraham's house-hold —and he circumcised them, just as God had told him. 24 So Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised, 25 and his son Ishmael was thirteen; 26 Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised on the same day. 27 And all the men of Abraham's household — both servants bor n in his household and those purchased from foreigners —were circum-cised with him. The Three Visitors Then the LORD appeared to Abraham by the Oaks a   of Mamre in the heat of the day, while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent. 2 And Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground. 3 “My lord,” s aid Abraham, “if I have found favor in your sight, please do not pass your servant by. 4 Let a little water be brought, that you may wash your feet and rest yourselves under the tree. 5 And I will bring a bit of bread so that you may refresh yourselves. T his is why you have passed your servant's way. Af-ter that, you may continue on your way. ” “Yes,” they replied, “you may do as you have said. ” 6 So Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, “Quick! Prepare three seahs of fine flour,b   knead it, and bake some bread. ” 7 Meanwhile, Abraham ran to the herd, se-lected a tender and choice calf, and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. 8 Then Abraham brought curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and he set them be-fore the men and stood by them under the tree as they ate. Sarah Laughs at the Promise 9 “Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked. “There, in the tent,” he replied. 10 Then the LORD said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year, and your wife Sarah will have a son!” Now Sarah was behind him, listening at the entrance to the tent. 11 And Abraham and Sa-rah were already old and well along in years; Sarah had pa ssed the age of childbearing. 12 So she laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?” 13 And the LORD asked Abraham, “Why did Sa-rah laugh and say, 'Can I really bear a child when I am old?' 14 Is an ything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you —in about a year —and Sarah will have a son. ”  c   15 But Sarah was afraid, so she denied it and said, “I did not laugh. ” “No,” replied the LORD, “but you did laugh. ” Abraham Intercedes for Sodom 16 When the men got up to leave, they looked out over Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them off. 17 And the LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abra-ham what I am about to do? 18 Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, 18 Genesis 18: 18 | 19 a 1 Or Terebinths or Great Trees   b 6 3 seahs is approximately 19. 8 dry quarts or 21. 9 liters (probably about 24. 5 pounds or 11. 1 kilograms of flour). c 14 Cited in Romans 9:9

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and through him all the nations of the earth will be blessed. 19 For I have chosen him, so that he will command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, in order that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what He has promised. ” 20 Then the LORD said, “The outcry ag ainst Sodom and Gomorrah is great. Because their sin is so grievous, 21 I will go down to see if their actions fully justify the outcry that has reached Me. If not, I will find out. ” 22 And the two men turned away and went to-ward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD. 23 Abraham stepped forward and said, “Will You really sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 What if there are fifty righteous ones in the city? Will You really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the f ifty righteous ones who are there? 25 Far be it from You to do such a thing —to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?” 26 So the LORD replied, “If I find fifty righteous ones within the city of Sodom, on their ac-count I will spare the whole place. ” 27 Then Abraham answered, “Now that I have ventured to speak to the Lord —though I am but dust and ashes — 28 suppose the fifty righteou s ones lack five. Will You destroy the whole city for the lack of five?” He replied, “If I find forty-five there, I will not destroy it. ” 29 Once again Abraham spoke to the LORD, “Suppose forty are found there?” He answered, “On account of the forty, I will not do it. ” 30 Then Abraham said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak further. Suppose thirty are found there?” He replied, “If I find thirty there, I will not do it. ” 31 And Abraham said, “Now tha t I have ven-tured to speak to the Lord, suppose twenty are found there?” He answered, “On account of the twenty, I will not destroy it. ” 32 Finally, Abraham said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak once more. Suppose ten are found there?” And He answered, “On account of the ten, I will not destroy it. ” 33 When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, He departed, and Abraham re-turned home. Lot Welcomes the Angels (Judges 19: 1-30) Now the two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them, bowed facedown, 2 and said, “My lords, please turn aside into the house of your servant; wash your feet and spend the night. Then you can rise early and go on your way. ” “No,” they answered, “we will spend the night in the square. ” 3 But Lot insisted so strongly that they fol-lowed him into his house. He prepared a feast for them and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. 19 20 | Genesis 18:19

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4 Before they had gone to bed, all the men of the city of Sodom, both young and old, sur-rounded the house. 5 They called out to Lot, saying, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Send them out to us so we can have relations with them!” 6 Lot went outside to meet them, shutting the door behind him. 7 “Please, my brothers,” he pleaded, “don't do such a wicke d thing! 8 Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them to you, and you can do to them as you please. But do not do anything to these men, for they have come un-der the protection of my roof. ” 9 “Get out of the way!” they r eplied. And they declared, “This one came here as a foreigner, and he is already acting like a judge! Now we will treat you worse than them. ” And they pressed in on Lot and moved in to break down the door. 10 But the men inside reached out, pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. 11 And they struck the men at the entrance, young and old, with blindness, so that they wearied themselves trying to find the door. Lot Flees to Zoar 12 Then the two m en said to Lot, “Do you have anyone else here—a son-in-law, your sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who be-longs to you? Get them out of here, 13 because we are about to destroy this place. For the out-cry to the LORD against its people is so grea t that He has sent us to destroy it. ” 14 So Lot went out and spoke to the sons-in-law who were pledged in marriage to his daughters. “Get up,” he said. “Get out of this place, for the LORD is about to destroy the city!” But his sons-in-law thought he was jok-ing. 15 At daybreak the angels hurried Lot along, saying, “Get up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city. ” 16 But when Lot hesitated, the men grabbed his hand and the hands of his wife and his two daugh-ters. And they led the m safely out of the city, because of the LORD's compassion for them. 17 As soon as the men had brought them out, one of them said, “Run for your lives! Do not look back, and do not stop anywhere on the plain! Flee to the mountains, or you will be swept aw ay!” 18 But Lot replied, “No, my lords, please! 19 Your servant has indeed found favor in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness by sparing my life. But I cannot run to the mountains; the disaster will overtake me, and I will die. 20 Look, there is a town nearby where I can flee, and it is a smal l place. Please let me flee there—is it not a small place? Then my life will be saved. ” 21 “Very well,” he answered, “I will grant this request as well, and will not demolish the town you indicate. 22 Hurry! Run there quickly, for I cannot do anything unt il you reach it. ” That is why the town was called Zoar. a   23 And by the time the sun had risen over the land, Lot had reached Zoar. The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Luke 17:2 0-37) 24 Then the LORD rained down sulfur and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah —from the LORD out of the heavens. 25 Thus He destroyed these cities and the entire plain, including all the inhabitants of the cities and everything that grew on the ground. Genesis 19: 25 | 21 a 22 Zoar means small  .

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26 But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. 27 Early the next morning, Abraham got up and returned to the place where he had stood befor e the LORD. 28 He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and all the land of the plain, and he saw the smoke rising from the land like smoke from a furnace. 29 So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, He remembered Abraham, and He brought Lot out of the catastrophe that de-stroyed the cities where he had lived. Lot and His Daughters 30 Lot and his two daughters left Zoar and set-tled in the mountains —for he was afraid to stay in Zoar —where they lived in a cave. 31 One day the older daughter said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man in the land to sleep with us, as is the cus-tom over all the earth. 32 Come, let us get our father drunk with wine so we can sleep with him and preserve his line. ” 33 So that night they got their father drunk with wine, and the firstborn went in and slept with her father; he was not aware when she lay down or when she got up. 34 The next day the older daughter said to the younger, “Look, I slept with my father last nigh t. Let us get him drunk with wine again tonight so you can go in and sleep with him and we can preserve our father's line. ” 35 So again that night they got their father drunk with wine, and the younger daughter went in and slept with him; he was not awar e when she lay down or when she got up. 36 Thus both of Lot's daughters became preg-nant by their father. 37 The older daughter gave birth to a son and named him Moab. a   He is the father of the Moabites of today. 38 The younger daughter also gave birth to a son, and she named h im Ben-ammi. b   He is the father of the Ammonites of today. Abraham, Sarah, and Abimelech Now Abraham journeyed from there to the region of the Negev and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he was stay-ing in Gerar, 2 Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister. ” So Abimelech king of Gerar had Sarah brought to him. 3 One night, however, God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken, for she is a marrie d woman. ” 4 Now Abimelech had not gone near her, so he replied, “Lord, would You destroy a nation even though it is innocent? 5 Didn't Abraham tell me, 'She is my sister'? And she herself said, 'He is my brother. ' I have done this in the in-tegrity of my h eart and the innocence of my hands. ” 6 Then God said to Abimelech in the dream, “Yes, I know that you did this with a clear con-science, and so I have kept you from sinning against Me. That is why I did not let you touch her. 7 Now return the man's wife, f or he is a prophet; he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore her, be aware that you will surely die—you and all who belong to you. ” 8 Early the next morning Abimelech got up and summoned all his servants; and when he de-scribed to them all that had happened, the men were terrified. 9 Then Abimelech called Abraham and asked, “What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought such tre-mendous guilt upon me and my kingdom? You 20 22 | Genesis 19: 26 a 37 Moab sounds like the Hebrew for from my father  . b 38 Ben-ammi means son of my people  .

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have done things to me that should not be done. ” 10 Abimelech also asked Abraham, “What prompted you to do such a thing?” 11 Abraham replied, “I thought to myself, 'Surely there is no fear of God in this place. They will kill me on account of my wife. ' 12 Be-sides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father —though not the daughter of my mother —and she became my wife. 13 So when God had me journey from my father's house, I said to Sarah, 'This is how you can show your loyalty to me: Wherever we go, say of me, “He is my brother. ”  ' ” 14 So Abimelech brought sheep and cattle, menservants and maidservants, and he gave them to Abraham and restored his wife Sarah to him. 15 And Abimelech said, “Look, my land is before you. Settle wherever you please. ” 16 And he said to Sarah, “See, I am giving your brother a thousand pieces of silver. a   It is your vindication before all who are with you; you are completely cleared. ” 17 Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maid-servants, so that they could again bear chil-dren — 18 for on account of Abraham's wife Sarah, the LORD had completely closed all the wombs in Abimelech's househ old. The Birth of Isaac Now the LORD attended to Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what He had promised. 2 So Sarah con-ceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised. 3 And Abraham gave the name Isaac b   to the son Sarah bore to him. 4 When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God had commanded him. 5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. 6 Then Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and everyone who hears of this will laugh with me. ” 7 She added, “Who would have told Abra-ham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age. ” 8 So the child grew and was weaned, and Abra-ham held a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned. Sarah Turns against Hagar (Galatians 4:2 1-30) 9 But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking her son,c   10 and she said to Abraham, “Expel the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman's son will never share in the inher-itance with my son Isaac!” d   11 Now this matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son Ishmael. 12 But God said to Abraham, “Do not be dis-tressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to everything that Sarah tells you, for through Isaac your offspring will be reck-oned. e   13 But I will also make a nation of the slave woman's son, because he is your offspring. ” 14 Early in the morning, Abraham got up, took bread and a skin of water, put them on Hagar's shoulders, and sent her away with the boy. She left and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba. 15 When the water in the skin was gone, she left the boy under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went off and sat down nearby, about a bowshot away, for she said, “I cannot bear to watch the boy die!” And as she sat nearby, she lifted up her voice and wept. f 21 Genesis 21: 16 | 23 a 16 Or a thousand shekels of silver  ; that is, approximately 25. 1 pounds or 11. 4 kilograms of silver b 3 Isaac means he laughs  . c 9 LXX and Vulgate; Hebrew lacks her son   d 10 Cited in Galatians 4:30 e 12 Cited in Romans 9:7 and Hebrews 11:18 f 16 Hebrew; LXX the chil d lifte d up his voice and wept

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17 Then God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, “What is wrong, Hagar? Do not be afraid, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he lies. 18 Get up, lift up the boy, and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great na-tion. ” 19 Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. 20 And God was with the boy, and he grew up and settled in the wilderness and became a great archer. 21 And while he was dwelling in the Wilderness of Paran, his mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt. The Covenant at Beersheba 22 At that time Abimelech and Phicol the com-mander of his army said to Abraham, “God is with you in all that you do. 23 Now, therefore, swear to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or de-scendants. Show to me and to the country in which you reside the same kindness that I have shown to you. ” 24 And Abraham replied, “I swear it. ” 25 But whe n Abraham complained to Abim- elech about a well that Abimelech's servants had seized, 26 Abimelech replied, “I do not know who has done this. You did not tell me, so I have not heard about it until today. ” 27 So Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech, and the two men made a covenant. 28 Abraham separated seven ewe lambs from the flock, 29 and Abimelech asked him, “Why have you set apart these seven ewe lambs?” 30 He replied, “You are to accept the seven ewe lambs from my hand as my witness that I dug this well. ” 31 So that place was called Beersheba,a   because it was there that the two of them swore an oath. 32 After they had made the covenant at Beersheba, Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army got up and returned to the land of the Philistines. 33 And Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersh eba, and there he called upon the name of the LORD, the Eternal God. b   34 And Abra-ham resided in the land of the Philistines for a long time. The Offering of Isaac (John 3: 1-21) Some time later God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he answered. 2 “Take your son,” God said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I w ill show you. ” 3 So Abraham got up early the next morning, saddled his donkey, and took along two of his servants and his son Isaac. He split the wood for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had designated. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 “Stay here with the donkey,” Abraham told his servants. “The boy and I will go over there to worship, and then we will return to you. ” 6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offer-ing and placed it on his son Isaac. He himself carried the fire and the sacrificial knife, and the two of them walked on together. 7 Then Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” “Here I am, my son,” he replied. “The fire and the wood are here,” said Isaac, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 22 24 | Genesis 21:17 a 31 Beersheba means well of seven or well of the oath  . b 33 Hebrew El-Olam

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8 Abraham answered, “God Himself will pro-vide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son. ” And the two walked on together. 9 When they arrived at the place God had des-ignated, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood. He bound his son Isaac and placed him on the altar, atop the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. The LORD Provides the Sacrifice 11 Just then the angel a   of the LORD called out to him from heaven, “Abraham, Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him,” said the angel, “for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from me. b  ” 13 Then Abraham looked up and saw behind him a ram c   in a thicket, caught by its horns. So he went and took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 And Abra-ham called that place The LORD Will Provide. d   So to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided. ” 15 And the angel of the LORD called to Abra-ham from heaven a second time, 16 saying, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not with-held your only son, 17 I will surely bless you, and I will multiply your descendants e   like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies. 18 And through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed,f  be-cause you ha ve obeyed My voice. ” 19 Abraham went back to his servants, and they got up and set out together for Beer-sheba. And Abraham settled in Beersheba. The Sons of Nahor 20 Some time later, Abraham was told, “Milcah has also borne sons to your brother Nahor: 21 Uz the firstborn, his brother Buz, Kemuel (the father of Aram), 22 Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel. ” 23 And Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. Milcah bore these eight sons to Abraham's brother Nahor. 24 Moreover, Nahor's concu-bine, whose name was Reumah, bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah. The Death and Burial of Sarah Now Sarah lived to be 127 years old. 2 She died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went out to mourn and to weep for her. 3 Then Abraham got up from beside his dead wife and said to the Hittites,g   4 “I am a for-eigner and an out sider among you. Give me a burial site among you so that I can bury my dead. ” 5 The Hittites replied to Abraham, 6 “Listen to us, sir. You are God's chosen one among us. Bury your dead in the finest of our tombs. None of us will withhold his tomb for bury ing your dead. ” 7 Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites. 8 “If you are willing for me to bury my dead,” he said to them, “listen to me, and approach Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf 9 to sell me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him; it is at the end 23 a 11 Or Angel  ; also in verses 12 and 15 b 12 Or from Me   c 13 Most MT manuscripts; other Hebrew manuscripts, SP, LXX, and Syriac saw one ram   d 14 Hebrew YHWH Yireh   e 17 Cited in Hebrews 6:14 f 18 Cited in Acts 3:25 g 3 Or sons of Heth  ; also in verses 5, 7, 10, 16, 18, and 20 Genesis 23: 9 | 25

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of his field. Let him sell it to me in your pres-ence for full price, so that I may have a burial site. ” 10 Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth. So in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city, Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham, 11 “No, my lord. Listen to me. I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. I give it to you in the pres-ence of my people. Bury your dead. ” 12 Again Abraham bowed down before the people of the land 13 and said to Ephron in their presence, “If you will please listen to me, I will pay you the price of the field. Accept it from me, so that I may bury my dead there. ” 14 Ephron answered Abraham, 15 “Listen to me, my lord. The land is worth four hundred shekels of silver,a   but what is that between you and me? Bury your dead. ” 16 Abraham agreed to Ephron's terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver, according to the standard of the merchants. 17 So Ep hron's field at Machpelah near Mamre, the cave that was in it, and all the trees within the boundaries of the field were deeded over 18 to Abraham's possession in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city. 19 After this, Abraham buried his wife Sa-rah in the cave of the field at Machpelah near Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 20 So the field and its cave were deeded by the Hittites to Abraham as a burial site. A Wife for Isaac By now Abraham w as old and well along in years, and the LORD had blessed him in every way. 2 So Abraham instructed the chief servant of his household, who managed all he owned, “Place your hand under my thigh, 3 and I will have you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughter s of the Canaanites among whom I am dwelling, 4 but will go to my coun-try and my kindred to take a wife for my son Isaac. ” 5 The servant asked him, “What if the woman is unwilling to follow me to this land? Shall I then take your son back to the land from which you came?” 6 Abraham replied, “Make sure that you do not take my son back there. 7 The LORD, the God of heaven, who brought me from my father's house and my native land, who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, 'To your off-spring I will giv e this land' —He will send His angel before you so that you can take a wife for my son from there. 8 And if the woman is un-willing to follow you, then you are released from this oath of mine. Only do not take my son back there. ” 9 So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore an oath to him concerning this matter. 10 Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and departed with all manner of good things from his master in hand. And he set out for Nahor's hometown in Ar am-naharaim. b 11 As evening approached, he made the camels kneel down near the well outside the town at the time when the women went out to draw water. 12 “O LORD, God of my master Abraham,” he prayed, “please grant me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. 13 Here 24 26 | Genesis 23: 10 a 15 400 shekels is approximately 10. 1 pounds or 4. 6 kilograms of silver; also in verse 16. b 10 That is, Mesopota-mia; Aram-naharaim means Aram of the two rivers  , likely the region between the Euphrates and Balih Rivers in northwestern Mesopotamia.

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I am, standing beside the spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. 14 Now may it happen that the girl to whom I say, 'Please let down your jar that I may drink,' and who responds, 'Drink, and I will water your camels as well' —let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. By this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master. ” Rebekah Is Chosen 15 Before the servant had finished praying, Re-bekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the dau ghter of Bethuel son of Milcah, the wife of Abraham's brother Nahor. 16 Now the girl was very beautiful, a virgin who had not had relations with any man. She went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came up again. 17 So the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please let me have a little water from your jar. ” 18 “Drink, my lord,” she replied, and she quickly lowered her jar to her hands and gave him a drink. 19 After she had given him a drink, she said, “I will also draw water for your camels, until they have had enough to drink. ” 20 And she quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran back to the well to draw water, until she had drawn water for all his camels. 21 Meanwhile, the man watched her silently to see whether or not the LORD had made his journey a success. 22 And after the camels had finished drinking, he took out a gold ring weighing a beka,a   and two gold bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekels. b   23 “Whose daughter are you?” he asked. “Please tell me, is there room in your father's house for us to spend the night?” 24 She replied, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son that Milcah bore to Nahor. ” 25 Then she added, “We have plenty of straw and feed, as well as a place for you to spend the night. ” 26 Then the man bowed down and worshiped the LORD, 27 saying, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who h as not with-held His kindness and faithfulness from my master. As for me, the LORD has led me on the journey to the house of my master's relatives. ” 28 The girl ran and told her mother's house-hold about these things. 29 Now Rebekah had a brother named Laba n, and he rushed out to the man at the spring. 30 As soon as he saw the ring, and the bracelets on his sister's wrists, and heard Rebekah's words, “The man said this to me,” he went and found the man stand-ing by the camels near the spring. 31 “Come, you w ho are blessed by the LORD,” said Laban. “Why are you standing out here? I have prepared the house and a place for the camels. ” 32 So the man came to the house, and the camels were unloaded. Straw and feed were brought to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of his companions. 33 Then a meal was set before the man, but he said, “I will not eat until I have told you what I came to say. ” So Laban said, “Please speak. ” 34 “I am Abraham's servant,” he replied. 35 “The LORD has greatly blessed my master, and he has become rich. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, menservants and maidservants, camels and donkeys. 36 My master's wife Sarah has borne him a son in her a 22 A beka is half a shekel, or approximately 0. 2 ounces or 5. 7 grams. b 22 10 shekels is approximately 4 ounces or 114 grams. Genesis 24: 36 | 27

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old age, and my master has given him every-thing he owns. 37 My master made me swear an oath and said, 'You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites in whose land I dwell, 38 but you shall go to my father's house and to my kindred to take a wife for my son. ' 39 Then I asked my master, 'What if the woman will not come back with me?' 40 And he told me, 'The LORD, before whom I have walked, will send His angel with you and make your journey a s uccess, so that you may take a wife for my son from my kindred and from my father's house. 41 And when you go to my kindred, if they refuse to give her to you, then you will be released from my oath. ' 42 So when I came to the spring today, I prayed: O LOR D, God of my master Abraham, if only You would make my journey a success! 43 Here I am, standing beside this spring. Now if a maiden comes out to draw water and I say to her, 'Please let me drink a little water from your jar,' 44 and she replies, 'Drink, and I will draw water for your camels as well,' may she be the woman the LORD has appointed for my master's son. 45 And before I had finished praying in my heart, there was Rebekah coming out with her jar on her shoulder, and she went down to the spring an d drew water. So I said to her, 'Please give me a drink. ' 46 She quickly lowered her jar from her shoul-der and said, 'Drink, and I will water your cam-els as well. ' So I drank, and she also watered the camels. 47 Then I asked her, 'Whose daughter are you? ' She replied, 'The daughter of Bethuel son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to him. ' So I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. 48 Then I bowed down and worshiped the LORD; and I blessed the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who led me on the right road to take the granddaughter of my master's brother for his son. 49 Now if you will show kindness and faithful-ness to my master, tell me; but if not, let me know, so that I may go elsewhere. ” 50 Laban and Bethuel answered, “This is from the LORD; we have no choice in the matter. 51 Rebekah is here before you. Take her and go, and let her become the wife of your mas-ter's son, just as the LORD has decreed. ” 52 When Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed down to the ground before the LORD. 53 Then he brought out jewels of sil-ver and gold, and articles of clothing, and he gave them to Rebekah. He also gave precious gifts to her brother and her mother. 54 Then he and the men with him ate and drank and spent the night there. When they got up the next morning, he said, “Send me on my way to my master. ” 55 But her brother and mother said, “Let the girl remain with us ten days or so. After that, she may go. ” 56 But he replied, “Do not delay me, since the LORD has made my journey a success. Send me on my way so that I may go to my master. ” 57 So they said, “We will call th e girl and ask her opinion. ” 58 They called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?” “I will go,” she replied. 59 So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, along with her nurse and Abraham's servant and his men. 60 And they blessed Re-beka h and said to her, 28 | Genesis 24: 37

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“Our sister, may you become the mother of thousands upon thousands. May your offspring possess the gates of their enemies. ” 61 Then Rebekah and her servant girls got ready, mounted the camels, and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left. Isaac Marries Rebekah 62 Now Isaac had just returned from Beer-lahai-roi, for he was living in the Negev. 63 Early in the evening, Isaac went out to the field to meditate, and looking up, he saw the camels approaching. 64 And when Rebekah looked up and saw Isaac, she got down from her camel 65 and asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?” “It is my master,” the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself. 66 Then the servant told Isaac all that he had done. 67 And Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah and took Rebekah as his wife. And Isaac loved her and was co mforted after his mother's death. Abraham and Keturah (1 Chronicles 1:3 2-33) Now Abraham had taken another wife, named Keturah, 2 and she bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3 Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were the Asshurites, the Letushites, and the Leummites. 4 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Ha-noch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah. 5 Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac. 6 But while he was still alive, Abraham gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them away from his son Isaac to the land of the east. The Death of Abraham 7 Abraham lived a total of 175 years. 8 And at a ripe old age he breathed his last and died, old and contented, and was gathered to his peo-ple. 9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite. 10 This was the field that Abraham had bought from the Hittites. Abraham was buried there with his wife Sarah. 11 After Abraham's death, God blessed his son Isaac, who lived near Beer-lahai-roi. The Descendants of Ishmael (1 Chronicles 1:2 8-31) 12 This is the account of Abraham's son Ish-mael, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's maid-servant, bore to Abraham. 13 These are the names of the sons of Ishmael in the order of their birth: Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16 These were the sons of Ishmael, and these were their names by their villages and en-campments— twelve princes of their tribes. 17 Ishmael lived a total of 137 years. Then he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people. 18 Ishmael's descendants settled from Havilah to Shur, which is near the border of Egypt as you go toward Asshur. a   And they lived in hos-tility toward all their brothers. 25 Genesis 25: 18 | 29 a 18 Or Assyria  

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Jacob and Esau (Malachi 1:1-5 ; Romans 9:6-29) 19 This is the account of Abraham's son Isaac. Abraham became the father of Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he married Re-bekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan-aram  a   and the sister of Laban the Aramean. 21 Later, Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. And the LORD heard his prayer, and his wife Rebekah conceived. 22 But the children inside her struggled with each other, and she said, “Why is this happen-ing to me?” So Rebe kah went to inquire of the LORD, 23 and He declared to her: “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger. ” b 24 When her time came to give birth, there were indeed twins in her womb. 25 The first one came out red, covered with hair like a fur coat; so they named him Esau. c   26 After this, his brother came out grasping Esau's heel; so he was n amed Jacob. d   And Isaac was sixty years old when the twins were born. 27 When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man who stayed at home. 28 Be-cause Isaac had a taste for wild game, he loved Esau; but Rebekah loved Jacob. Esau Sells His Birthright 29 One day, while Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the field and was fam-ished. 30 He said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am famished. ” (That is why he was also called Edom. e  ) 31 “First sell me your birthright,” Jacob replied. 32 “Look,” said Esau, “I am about to die, so what good is a birthright to me?” 33 “Swear to me first,” Jacob said. So Esau swore to Jacob and sold him the birth-right. 34 Then Ja cob gave some bread and lentil stew to Esau, who ate and drank and then got up and went away. Thus Esau despised his birthright. God's Promise to Isaac (Genesis 12: 1-9) Now there was another famine in the land, subsequent to the one that had occurred in Abraham's time. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines at Gerar. 2 The LORD appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt. Settle in the land where I tell you. 3 Stay in this land as a foreigner, and I will be with you and bless you. For I will give all these lands to you and your offspring, and I will confirm the oath that I swore to your fa-ther Abraham. 4 I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed, 5 because Abraham listened to My voice and kept My charge, My command-ments, My statutes, and My laws. ” Isaac Deceives Abimelech 6 So Isaac settled in Gerar. 7 But when the men of that place asked about his wife, he said, “She is my sister. ” For he was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” since he thought to himself, “The men of this place will kill me on account of Rebekah, because sh e is so beautiful. ” 26 30 | Genesis 25: 19 a 20 That is, northwest Mesopotamia b 23 Cited in Romans 9:12 c 25 Esau sounds like a Hebrew term that means hairy  . d 26 Jacob means he grasps the heel or he deceives  . e 30 Edom means red  .

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8 When Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked down from the window and was surprised to see Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah. 9 Abimelech sent for Isaac and said, “So she is really your wife! How could you say, 'She is my sister'?” Isaac replied, “Because I thought I might die on account of her. ” 10 “What is this you have done to us?” asked Abimelech. “One of the people could easily have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us. ” 11 So Abimelech warn ed all the people, saying, “Whoever harms this man or his wife will surely be put to death. ” Isaac's Prosperity 12 Now Isaac sowed seed in the land, and that very year he reaped a hundredfold. And the LORD blessed him, 13 and he became richer and richer, until he was exceedingly wealthy. 14 He owned so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him. 15 So the Philistines took dirt and stopped up all the wells that his father's servants had dug in the days of his father Abraham. 16 Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Depart from us, for you are much too powerful for us. ” 17 So Isaac left that place and encamped in the Valley of Gerar and settled there. 18 Isaac re- opened the wells that had been dug in the days of his father Abraham, which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham died. And he gave these wells the same names his father had given them. 19 Then Isaac's servants dug in the valley and found a well of fresh water a   there. 20 But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac's herdsmen and said, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek, b   because they con-tended with him. 21 Then they dug another well and quarreled over that one also; so he named it Sitnah. c   22 He moved on from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. He named it Rehoboth d   and said, “At last the LORD has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land. ” 23 From there Isaac went up to Beersheba, 24 and that night the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am the God of your father Abra-ham. Do not be afraid, for I am with y ou. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for the sake of My servant Abraham. ” 25 So Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the LORD, and he pitched his tent there. His servants also dug a well there. Isaac's Covenant with Abimelec h 26 Later, Abimelech came to Isaac from Gerar, with Ahuzzath his adviser and Phicol the com-mander of his army. 27 “Why have you come to me?” Isaac asked them. “You hated me and sent me away. ” 28 “We can plainly see that the LORD has been with you,” they replied. “We recommend that there should now be an oath between us and you. Let us make a covenant with you 29 that you will not harm us, just as we have not harmed you but have done only good to you, sending you on your way in peace. And now you are bles sed by the LORD. ” 30 So Isaac prepared a feast for them, and they ate and drank. 31 And they got up early the next morning and swore an oath to each other. Then Isaac sent them on their way, and they left him in peace. Genesis 26: 31 | 31 a 19 Or flowing water or living water   b 20 Esek means contention  . c 21 Sitnah means enmity or hostility  . d 22 Rehoboth means broad places or open spaces  .

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32 On that same day, Isaac's servants came and told him about the well they had dug. “We have found water!” they told him. 33 So he called it Shibah,a   and to this day the name of the city is Beersheba. b Esau's Wi ves 34 When Esau was forty years old, he took as his wives Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite and Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite. 35 And they brought grief to Isaac and Re-bekah. Isaac Blesses Jacob (Hebrews 11:20) When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see, he called his older son Esau and said to him, “My son. ” “Here I am,” Esau replied. 2 “Look,” said Isaac, “I am now old, and I do not know the day of my death. 3 Take your weapons —your quiver and bow —and go out into the field to hunt some game for me. 4 Then prepare a tasty dish that I love and bring it to me to eat, so that I may bless you before I die. ” 5 Now Rebekah was listening to what Isaac told his son Esau. So when Esau wen t into the field to hunt game and bring it back, 6 Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Behold, I overheard your father saying to your brother Esau, 7 'Bring me some game and prepare me a tasty dish to eat, so that I may bless you in the pres-ence of the LORD before I die. ' 8 Now, my son, listen to my voice and do ex-actly as I tell you. 9 Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, so that I can make them into a tasty dish for your father — the kind he loves. 10 Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may bless you before he dies. ” 11 Jacob answered his mother Rebekah, “L ook, my brother Esau is a hairy man, but I am smooth-skinned. 12 What if my father touches me? Then I would be revealed to him as a de-ceiver, and I would bring upon myself a curse rather than a blessing. ” 13 His mother replied, “Your curse be on me, my so n. Just obey my voice and go get them for me. ” 14 So Jacob went and got two goats and brought them to his mother, who made the tasty food his father loved. 15 And Rebekah took the finest clothes in the house that be-longed to her older son Esau, and she pu t them on her younger son Jacob. 16 She also put the skins of the young goats on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. 17 Then she handed her son Jacob the tasty food and bread she had made. 18 So Jacob went to his father and said, “My father. ” “Here I am!” he answered. “Which one are you, my son?” 19 Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau, your firstborn. I have done as you told me. Please sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may bless me. ” 20 But Isaac asked his son, “How did you ever find it so quickly, my son?” “Because the LORD your God brought it to me,” he replied. 21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come closer so I can touch you, my son. Are you re-ally my son Esau, or not?” 22 So Jacob came close to his father Isaac, who touched him and said, “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau. ” 23 Isaac did not recognize him, because his 27 32 | Genesis 26:32 a 33 Shibah can mean oath or seven  . b 33 Beersheba means well of seven or well of the oath  .

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hands were hairy like those of his brother Esau; so he blessed him. 24 Again he asked, “Are you really my son Esau?” And he replied, “I am. ” 25 “Serve me,” said Isaac, “and let me eat some of my son's game, so that I may bless you. ” Jacob brought it to him, and he ate; then he brought him wine, and he drank. 26 Then his father Isaac said to him, “Please come near and kiss me, my son. ” 27 So he came near and kissed him. When Isaac smelled his clothing, he blessed him and said: “Ah, the smell of my so n is like the smell of a field that the LORD has blessed. 28 May God give to you the dew of heaven and the richness of the earth — an abundance of grain and new wine. 29 May peoples serve you and nations bow down to you. May you be the master of you r brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed, an d those who bless you be blessed. ” Esau' s Lost Hope 30 As soon as Isaac had finished blessing him and Jacob had left his father's presence, his brother Esau returned from the hunt. 31 He too made some tasty food, brought it to his fa-ther, and said to him, “My father, sit up and eat of your son's game, so that you may bless me. ” 32 But his father Isaac replied, “Who are you?” “I am Esau, your firstborn son,” he answered. 33 Isaac began to tremble violently and said, “Who was it, then, who hunted the game and brought it to me? Before you came in, I ate it all and blessed him —and indeed, he will be blessed!” 34 When Esau heard his father's words, he let out a loud and bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me too, O my father!” 35 But Isaac replied, “Your brother came de-ceitfully and took your blessing. ” 36 So Esau declared, “Is he not rightly named Jacob? a   For he has cheated me twice. He took my birthright, and now he has taken my bless-ing. ” Then he asked, “Haven't you saved a blessing for me?” 37 But Isaac answered Esau: “Look, I have made him your master and given him all his relatives as servants; I have sustained him with grain and new wine. Wh at is left that I can do for you, my son?” 38 Esau said to his father, “Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me too, O my fa-ther!” Then Esau wept aloud. 39 His father Isaac answered him: “Behold, your dwelling place shall be aw ay from the richness of the land, away from the dew of heaven above. 40 You shall live by the sword and serve your brother. But when you rebel, you will tear his yoke from your neck. ” 41 Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. And Esau said in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then I will kill my brother Jacob. ” 42 When the words of her older son Esau were relayed to Reb ekah, she sent for her younger son Jacob and told him, “Look, your brother Esau is consoling himself by plotting to kill Genesis 27: 42 | 33 a 36 Jacob means he grasps the heel or he deceives  .

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you. 43 So now, my son, obey my voice and flee at once to my brother Laban in Haran. 44 Stay with him for a while, until your brother's fury subsides — 45 until your brother's rage against you wanes and he forgets what you have done to him. Then I will send for you and bring you back from there. Why should I lose both of you in one day?” 46 Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am weary of my life because of these Hittite women. a   If Ja-cob takes a Hittite wife from among them, what good is my life?” Jacob's Departure So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. “Do not take a wife from the Canaanite women,” he commanded. 2 “Go at once to Paddan-aram,b   to the house of your mother's father Bethuel, and take a wife from among the daughters of Laban, your mother's brother. 3 May God Almighty c   bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, so that you may become a company of peoples. 4 And may He give the blessing of Abraham to you and your descendants, so that you may pos-sess the land where you dwell as a foreigner, the land God gave to Abr aham. ” 5 So Isaac sent Jacob to Paddan-aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Re-bekah, who was the mother of Jacob and Esau. Esau Marries Mahalath 6 Now Esau learned that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him to Paddan-aram to take a wife there, commanding him, “Do not marry a Canaanite woman,” 7 and that Jacob had obeyed his father and mother and gone to Paddan-aram. 8 And seeing that his father Isaac disapproved of the Canaanite women, 9 Esau went to Ishmael and married Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Abraham's son Ish-mael, in addition to the wives he already had. Jacob's Ladder 10 Meanwhile Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran. 11 On reaching a certain place, he spent the night there because the sun had set. And taking one of the stones from that place, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. 12 And Jacob had a dream about a ladder that rested on the earth with its top reaching up to heaven, and God's angel s were going up and down the ladder. 13 And there at the top d   the LORD was standing and saying, “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you now lie. 14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and east and north and south. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. 15 Look, I am with you, and I will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you. ” 16 When Jacob woke up, he thought, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was unaware of it. ” 17 And he was afraid and said, “How awe-some is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven!” The Stone of Bethel 18 Early the next morning, Jacob took the stone that he had placed under his head, and he set it up as a pillar. He poured oil on top of it, 19 and he called that place Bethel,e   though pre-viously the cit y had been named Luz. 28 a 46 Or daughters of Heth   b 2 That is, northwest Mesopotamia; also in verses 5, 6, and 7 c 3 Hebrew El-Shaddai   d 13 Or there beside him   e 19 Bethel means house of God  . 34 | Genesis 27:43

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20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and watch over me on this journey, and if He will provide me with food to eat and clothes to wear, 21 so that I may return safely to my father's house, then the LORD will be my God. 22 And this stone I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that You give me I will surely give You a tenth. ” Jacob Meets Rachel Jacob resumed his journey and came to the land of the people of the east. 2 He looked and saw a well in the field, and near it lay three flocks of sheep, because the sheep were watered from this well. And a large stone covered the mouth of the well. 3 When all the flocks had been gathered there, the shepherds would roll away the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well. 4 “My brothers,” Jacob asked the shepherds, “where are you from?” “We are from Haran,” they answered. 5 “Do you know Laban the grandson of Na-hor?” Jacob asked. “We know him,” they replied. 6 “Is he well?” Jacob inquired. “Yes,” they answered, “and here comes his daughter Rachel with his sheep. ” 7 “Look,” said Jacob, “it is still broad daylight; it is not yet time to gather the livestock. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture. ” 8 But they replied, “We cannot, until all the flocks have been gathered and the stone has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water the sheep. ” 9 While he was still speaking with them, Ra-chel arrived with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess. 10 As soon as Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of his mother's brother Laban, with Laban's sheep, he went up and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle's sheep. 11 Then Ja-cob kissed Rachel and wept aloud. 12 He told Rachel that he was Rebekah's son, a relative of her father, and she ran and told her father. 13 When Laban heard the news about his sister's son Jacob, he ran out to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, where Jacob told him all that had happened. Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel 14 Then Laban declared, “You are indeed my own flesh and blood. ” After Jacob had stayed with him a month, 15 Laban said to him, “Just because you are my relative, should you work for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be. ” 16 Now Laban had two daughters; the older was named Leah, and the younger was named Rachel. 17 Leah had weak eyes,a   but Rachel was shapely and beautiful. 18 Since Jacob loved Rachel, he answered, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel. ” 19 Laban replied, “Better that I give her to you than to another. Stay here with me. ” 20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, yet it seemed but a few days because of his love for her. 21 Finally Jacob said to Laban, “Grant me my wife, for my time is complete, and I want to sleep with her. ” 29 Genesis 29: 21 | 35 a 17 Or had delicat e eyes  

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22 So Laban invited a ll the men of that place and prepared a feast. 23 But when evening came, Laban took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and he slept with her. 24 And La-ban gave his servant girl Zilpah to his daugh-ter Leah as her maidservant. 25 When morning came, th ere was Leah! “What have you done to me?” Jacob said to La-ban. “Wasn't it for Rachel that I served you? Why have you deceived me?” 26 Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older. 27 Finish this week' s celebration, and we will give you the younger one in return for another seven years of work. ” 28 And Jacob did just that. He finished the week's celebration, and Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife. 29 Laban also gave his servant girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maidservant. 30 Jacob slept with Rachel as well, and indeed, he loved Rachel more than Leah. So he worked for Laban another seven years. Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah 31 When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened h er womb; but Rachel was barren. 32 And Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she named him Reuben,a   for she said, “The LORD has seen my affliction. Surely my husband will love me now. ” 33 Again she conceived and gave birth to a son, and she said, “Because the LORD has heard that I am unloved, He has given me this son as well. ” So she named him Simeon. b 34 Once again Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons. ” So he was named Levi. c   35 And once more she conceived and gave birth to a son and said, “This time I will praise the LORD. ” So she named him Judah. d   Then Leah stopped having children. Dan and Naphtali When Rachel saw that she was not bearing any children for Jacob, she envied her sister. “Give me children, or I will die!” she said to Jacob. 2 Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld children from you?” 3 Then she said, “Here is my maidservant Bilhah. Sleep with her, that she may bear chil-dren for me,e   so that through her I too can build a family. ” 4 So Rachel gave Jacob her servant Bilhah as a wife, and he slept with her, 5 and Bilhah con-ceived and bore him a son. 6 Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me; He has heard my plea and given me a son. ” So she named him Dan. f 7 And Rachel's servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. 8 Then Rachel said, “In my great struggles, I have wrestled with my sister and won. ” So she named him Naphtali. g Gad and Asher 9 When Leah saw that she had sto pped having children, she gave her servant Zilpah to Jacob 30 36 | Genesis 29: 22 a 32 Reuben means Look, a son and also sounds like the Hebrew for He has seen my misery  . b 33 Simeon probably means on e who hears  . c 34 Levi sounds like the Hebrew for being attached to or feeling affection for  . d 35 Judah sounds like the Hebrew for praise  . e 3 Literally bear children on my knees   f 6 Dan means He has judged or He has vindicated  . g 8 Naphtali sounds like the Hebrew for wrestling  .

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as a wife. 10 And Leah's servant Zilpah bore Ja-cob a son. 11 Then Leah said, “How fortu-nate!” a   So she named him Gad. b 12 When Leah's servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son, 13 Leah said, “How happy I am! For the women call me happy. ” So she named him Asher. c   14 Now during the wheat harvest, Reuben went out and found some man drakes in the field. When he brought them to his mother, Rachel begged Leah, “Please give me some of your son's mandrakes. ” 15 But Leah replied, “Is it not enough that you have taken away my husband? Now you want to take my son's mandrakes as well?” “Very well,” said Rachel, “he may sleep with you tonight in exchange for your son's man-drakes. ” 16 When Jacob came in from the field that evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must come with me, for I have hired you with my son's mandrakes. ” S o he slept with her that night. Issachar, Zebulun, and Dinah 17 And God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore a fifth son to Jacob. 18 Then Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my maid- servant to my husband. ” So she named him Issachar. d   19 Again Leah conceived and bore a sixth son to Jacob. 20 “God has given me a good gift,” she said. “This time my husband will honor me, because I have borne him six sons. ” And sh e named him Zebulun. e 21 After that, Leah gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah. Joseph 22 Then God remembered Rachel. He listened to her and opened her womb, 23 and she con-ceived and gave birth to a son. “God has taken away my shame,” she said. 24 She named him Joseph,f  and said, “May the LORD add to me another son. ” Jacob Prospers 25 Now after Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me on my way so I can return to my homeland. 26 Give me my wives and children for whom I have served you, that I may go on my way. You know how hard I have worked for you. ” 27 But Laba n replied, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please stay. I have learned by divi-nation that the LORD has blessed me because of you. ” 28 And he added, “Name your wages, and I will pay them. ” 29 Then Jacob answered, “You know how I have served you and how your livestock have thrived under my care. 30 Indeed, you had very little before my arrival, but now your wealth has increased many times over. The LORD has blessed you wherever I set foot. But now, when may I also provide for my own house-hold?” 31 “Wha t can I give you?” Laban asked. “You do not need to give me anything,” Jacob replied. “If you do this one thing for me, I will keep on shepherding and keeping your flocks. 32 Let me go through all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or s potted sheep, every dark-colored lamb, and every spotted or speckled goat. These will be my wages. 33 So my honesty will testify for me when you come to check on my wages in the a 11 Alternate MT reading (see also LXX); the other alternate reads “A troop is coming!”   b 11 Gad sounds like the Hebrew for good fortune  , or alternately for ban d of raiders  . c 13 Asher means happy  . d 18 Issachar sounds like the Hebrew for wages or reward  . e 20 Zebulun sounds like the Hebrew for honor  . f 24 Joseph means may He add  . Genesis 30: 33 | 37

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future. If I have any goats that are not speck led or spotted, or any lambs that are not dark-col-ored, they will be considered stolen. ” 34 “Agreed,” said Laban. “Let it be as you have said. ” 35 That very day Laban removed all the streaked or spotted male goats and every speckled or spotted female goat—every one that had any white on it—and every dark-col-ored lamb, and he placed them under the care of his sons. 36 Then he put a three-day journey between himself and Jacob, while Jacob was shepherding the rest of Laban's flocks. 37 Jacob, however, took fresh branches of pop-lar, almond, and plane trees, and peeled the bark, exposing the white inner wood of the branches. 38 Then he set the peeled branches in the watering troughs in front of the flocks coming in to drink. So when the fl ocks were in heat and came to drink, 39 they mated in front of the branches. And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted. 40 Jacob set apart the young, but made the rest face the streaked dark-colored sheep in Laban's flocks. Then he set his own stock apart and did not put them with Laban's animals. 41 Whenever the stronger females of the flock were in heat, Jacob would place the branches in the troughs, in full view of the animals, so that they would breed in front of the branches. 42 But if the animals were weak, he did not set out the branches. So the weaker animals went to Laban and the stronger ones to Jacob. 43 Thus Jacob became exceedingly prosper-ous. He owned large flocks, maidservants and menservants, and camels and donkeys. Jacob Flees from Laban Now Jacob heard that Laban's sons were saying, “Jacob has taken away all that belonged to our father and built all this wealth at our father's expense. ” 2 And Jacob saw from the countenance of Laban that his at-titude toward him had changed. 3 Then the LOR D said to Jacob, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you. ” 4 So Jacob sent word and called Rachel and Leah to the field where his flocks were, 5 and he told them, “I can see from your father's countenance that his attitude toward me has changed; but the God of my father has been with me. 6 You know that I have served your father with all my strength. 7 And although he has cheated me and changed my wages ten times, God has not allowed him to harm me. 8 If he said, 'T he speckled will be your wages,' then the whole flock bore speckled offspring. If he said, 'The streaked will be your wages,' then the whole flock bore streaked offspring. 9 Thus God has taken away your father's live-stock and given them to me. 10 When the flocks were breeding, I saw in a dream that the streaked, spotted, and speck-led males were mating with the females. 11 In that dream the angel a   of God said to me, 'Ja-cob!' And I replied, 'Here I am. ' 12 'Look up,' he said, 'and see that all the males that are mating with the flock are streaked, spotted, or speckled; for I have seen all that Laban has done to you. 13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and made a solemn vow to Me. Now get up and leave this land at once, and return to your na-tive land. '  ” 14 And Rachel and Leah replied, “Do we have any portion or inheritance left in our father's house? 15 Are we not regarded by him as out-siders? Not only has he sold us, but he has certainly squandered what was paid for us. 31 38 | Genesis 30: 34 a 11 Or Angel

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16 Surely all the wealth that God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children. So do whatever God has told you. ” 17 Then Jacob got up and put his children and his wives on camels, 18 and he drove all his livestock before him, along with all the posses-sions he had acquired in Paddan-aram,a   to go to his father Isaac in the land in Canaan. 19 Now while Laban was out shearing his sheep, Rachel stole her father's household idols. 20 Moreover, Jacob deceived b   Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was run-ning away. 21 So he fled with all his posses-sions, crossed the Euphrates,c   and headed for the hill country of Gilead. Laban Pursues Jacob 22 On the third day Laban was informed that Jacob had fled. 23 So he took his relatives with him, pursued Jacob for seven days, and over-took him in the hill country of Gilead. 24 But that night God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream and warned him, “Be care ful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad. ” 25 Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead when Laban overtook him, and Laban and his relatives camped there as well. 26 Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done? You have de ceived me and carried off my daughters like captives of war! 27 Why did you run away secretly and deceive me, without even telling me? I would have sent you away with joy and singing, with tambou-rines and harps. 28 But you did not even let me kiss my gran dchildren and my daughters goodbye. Now you have done a foolish thing. 29 I have power to do you great harm, but last night the God of your father said to me, 'Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad. ' 30 Now you have gone off because you long for your father's house. But why have you stolen my gods?” 31 “I was afraid,” Jacob answered, “for I thought you would take your daughters from me by force. 32 If you find your gods with any-one here, he shall not live! In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself if anything is yours, and take it back. ” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the idols. 33 So Laban went into Jacob's tent, then Leah's tent, and then the tents of the two maid- servants, but he found nothing. Then he left Leah's tent and entered Rachel's tent. 34 Now Rachel had taken Laban's h ousehold idols, put them in the saddlebag of her camel, and was sitting on them. And Laban searched every-thing in the tent but found nothing. 35 Rachel said to her father, “Sir, do not be an-gry that I cannot stand up before you; for I am having my period. ” So Laban searched, but could not find the household idols. 36 Then Jacob became incensed and chal-lenged Laban. “What is my crime?” he said. “For what sin of mine have you so hotly pur-sued me? 37 You have searched all my goods! Have you found anything th at belongs to you? Put it here before my brothers and yours, that they may judge between the two of us. 38 I have been with you for twenty years now. Your sheep and goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten the rams of your flock. 39 I did not bring you anything torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss myself. And you demanded payment from me for what was stolen by day or night. 40 As it was, the heat consumed me by day and the frost by night, and sleep fled from my eyes. 41 Thus for twenty years I have served in your household —fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks —and Genesis 31: 41 | 39 a 18 That is, northwest Mesopotamia b 20 Or stole the heart of  ; also in verses 26 and 27 c 21 Hebrew the River

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you have changed my wages ten times! 42 If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, surely by now you would have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my affliction and the toil of my hands, and last night He rendered judgment. ” Jacob's Covenant with Laban 43 But Laban answered Jacob, “These daugh-ters are my daughters, these sons are my sons, and these flocks are my flocks! Everything you see is mine! Yet what can I do today about these daughters of mine or the children they have borne? 44 Come now, let us make a cove-nant, you and I, and let it serve as a witness between you and me. ” 45 So Jacob picked out a stone and set it up as a pillar, 46 and he said to his relatives, “Gather some stones. ” So they took stones and made a mound, and there by the mound they ate. 47 Laban called it Jega r-sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed. a   48 Then Laban declared, “This mound is a wit-ness between you and me this day. ” Therefore the place was called Galeed. 49 It was also called Mizpah,b   because Laban said, “May the LORD keep watch between you and me when we are absent from each other. 50 If you mistreat my daughters or take other wives, although no one is with us, remember that God is a witness between you and me. ” 51 Laban also said to Jacob, “Here is the mound, and here is the pillar I have set up be-tween you and me. 52 This mound is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not go past this mound to harm you, and you will not go past this mound and pillar to harm me. 53 May the God of Abraham and the God of Na-hor, the God of their father, judge between us. ” So Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac. 54 Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the moun-tain and invited his relatives to eat a meal. And after t hey had eaten, they spent the night on the mountain. 55 Early the next morning, La-ban got up and kissed his grandchildren and daughters and blessed them. Then he left to return home. Jacob Prepares to Meet Esau Jacob also went on his way, and the angel s of God met him. 2 When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God. ” So he named that place Mahanaim. c   3 Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. 4 He instructed them, “You are to say to my master Esau, 'Your servant Jacob says: I have been staying with Laban and have remained there until now. 5 I have oxen, don-keys, flocks, menservants, and maidservants. I have sent this message to inform my master, so that I may find favor in your sight. '  ” 6 When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you —he and four hundred men with him. ” 7 In great fear and distress, Jacob divided his people into two camps, as well as the flocks and herds and camels. 8 He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one camp, then the other camp can escape. ” 9 Then Jacob declared, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, the LORD who told me, 'Go back to your country and to your kindred, and I will make you prosper,' 10 I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithful-ness You have shown Your servant. Indeed, with only my staff I came across the Jordan, 32 40 | Genesis 31: 42 a 47 The Aramaic Jegar-sahadutha and the Hebrew Galeed both mean heap of witnesses  . b 49 Mizpah means watchtower  . c 2 Mahanaim means two ca mps  .

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but now I have become two camps. 11 Please deliv er me from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid that he may come and attack me and the mothers and children with me. 12 But You have said, 'I will surely make you prosper, and I will make your offspring like the sand of the sea, too numerous to cou nt. '  ” 13 Jacob spent the night there, and from what he had brought with him, he selected a gift for his brother Esau: 14 200 female goats, 20 male goats, 200 ewes, 20 rams, 15 30 milk camels with their young, 40 cows, 10 bulls, 20 female donkeys, and 10 male donkeys. 16 He en-trusted them to his servants in separate herds and told them, “Go on ahead of me, and keep some distance between the herds. ” 17 He instructed the one in the lead, “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, 'To whom do you belong, where are you going, and whose animals are these before you?' 18 then you are to say, 'They belong to your servant Ja-cob. They are a gift, sent to my lord Esau. And behold, Jacob is behind us. '  ” 19 He also instructed the second, the third, and all those following behind the herds: “When you meet Esau, you are to say the same thing to him. 20 You are also to say, 'Look, your ser- vant Jacob is right behind us. '  ” For he thought, “I will appease Esau a   with the gift that is going before me. After that I can face him, and per-haps he will accept me. b  ” 21 So Jacob's gifts went on before him, while he spent the night in the camp. Jacob Wrestles with God 22 During the night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants, and his eleven sons, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 He took them and sent them across the stream, along with all his possessions. 24 So Jacob was left all alone, and there a man c   wrestled with him until daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he could not overpower Jacob, he struck the socket of Jacob's hip and dislo-cated it as they wrestled. 26 Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak. ” But Jac ob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me. ” 27 “What is your name?” the man asked. “Jacob,” he replied. 28 Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob,d   but Israel,e   because you have struggled with God and with men, and you have prevailed. ” 29 And Jacob requested, “Please tell me your name. ” But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed Jacob there. 30 So Jacob named the place Peniel,f  saying, “Indeed, I have seen God face to face, and yet my life was spared. ” 31 The sun rose above him as he passed by Penuel,g   and he was limping because of his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon which is at the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob's hip was struck near that tendon. Jacob Meets Esau Now Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming toward him with four hun-dred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maidservants. 2 He put the maidservants and their children in 33 Genesis 33: 2 | 41 a 20 Or I will appeas e his face   b 20 Literally perhaps he will lift up my face   c 24 Or Man  ; here and in verses 2 5-28; corresponding pronouns may also be capitalized d 28 Jacob means h e grasps the heel or he deceives  . e 28 Israel means he struggles with God  . f 30 Peniel means the face of God  . g 31 Penuel is a variant of Peniel  ; see verse 30.

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front, Leah and her children n ext, and Rachel and Joseph at the rear. 3 But Jacob himself went on ahead and bowed to the ground seven times as he approached his brother. 4 Esau, however, ran to him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept. 5 When Esau looked up and saw the women and children, he asked, “Who are these with you?” Jacob answered, “These are the children God has graciously given your servant. ” 6 Then the maidservants and their children approached and bowed down. 7 Leah and her children also approached and bowed down, and then Joseph and Rachel approached and bowed down. 8 “What do you mean by sending this whole company to meet me?” asked Esau. “To find favor in your sight, my lord,” Jacob answered. 9 “I already have plenty, my brother,” Esau re-plied. “Keep what belongs to you. ” 10 But Jacob insisted, “No, please! If I have found favor in your sight, then receive this gift from my hand. For in deed, I have seen your face, and it is like seeing the face of God, since you have received me favorably. 11 Please ac-cept my gift a   that was brought to you, because God has been gracious to me and I have all I need. ” So Jacob pressed him until he accepted. 12 Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way, and I will go ahead of you. ” 13 But Jacob replied, “My lord knows that the children are frail, and I must care for sheep and cattle that are nursing their young. If they are driven hard for even a day, all the animals will die. 14 Please let my lord go ahead of his servant. I will contin ue on slowly, at a com-fortable pace for the livestock and children, until I come to my lord at Seir. ” 15 “Let me leave some of my people with you,” Esau said. But Jacob replied, “Why do that? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord. ” 16 So that day Es au started on his way back to Seir, 17 but Jacob went on to Succoth,b   where he built a house for himself and shelters for his livestock; that is why the place was called Succoth. Jacob Settles in Shechem 18 After Jacob had come from Paddan-aram,c   he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan, and he camped just outside the city. 19 And the plot of ground where he pitched his tent, he purchased from the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, for a hundred pieces of silver. d   20 There he set up an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel. e The Defiling of Dinah Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the daughters of the land. 2 When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the region, saw her, he took her and lay with her by force. 3 And his soul was drawn to Dinah, the daugh-ter of Jacob. He loved the young girl and spoke to her tenderly. 4 So Shechem told his father Hamor, “Get me this girl as a wife. ” 5 Jacob heard that Shechem had defiled his daughter Dinah, but since his sons were with his livestock in the field, he remained silent 34 42 | Genesis 33: 3 a 11 Or blessing or treaty of peace   b 17 Succoth means booths or shelters or tabernacles  ; twice in this verse. c 18 That is, northwest Mesopotamia d 19 Hebrew a hundred kesitahs  ; the value or weight of the kesitah is no longer known e 20 El-Elohe-Israel means God is the God of Israel or mighty is the God of Israel  .

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about it until they returned. 6 Meanwhile, Shechem's father Hamor came to speak with Jacob. 7 When Jacob's sons heard what had happened, they returned from the field. They were filled with grief and fury, because She-chem had committed an outrage in Israel  a   by lying with Jacob's daughter—a thing that should not be done. 8 But Hamor said to them, “My son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife. 9 Intermarry with us; give us your daughters, and take our daughters for your-selves. 10 You may settle among us, and the land will be open to you. Live here, move about freely, and acquire your own property. ” 11 Then Shechem said to Dinah's father and brothers, “Grant me this favor, and I will give you whatever you ask. 12 Demand a high dowr y and an expensive gift, and I will give you whatever you ask. Only give me the girl as my wife!” The Reven ge o f Dinah's Brothers 13 But because Shechem had defiled their sis-ter Dinah, Jacob's sons answered him and his father Hamor deceitfully. 14 “We can not do such a thing,” they said. “To give our sister to an uncircumcised man would be a disgrace to us. 15 We will consent to this on one condi-tion, that you become circumcised like us — every one of your males. 16 Then we will give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves. We will dwell among you and become one people. 17 But if you will not agree to be circumcised, then we will take our sister and go. ” 18 Their offer seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem. 19 The young man, who was the most respected of all his father's household, did not hesitate to fulfill this request, because he was delighted with Jacob's daughter. 20 So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city and addressed the men of their city: 21 “These men are at peace with us. Let them live and trade in our land; indeed, it is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters in marriage and give our daughters to them. 22 But only on this condition will the men agree to dwell with us and be one people: if all our men are circumcised as they are. 23 Will not their livestock, their possessions, and all their animals become ours? Only let us consent t o them, and they will dwell among us. ” 24 All the men who went out of the city gate lis-tened to Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male of the city was circumcised. 25 Three days later, while they were still in pain, two of Jacob's sons (Dinah's brothe rs Simeon and Levi) took their swords, went into the unsuspecting city, and slaughtered every male. 26 They killed Hamor and his son She-chem with their swords, took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and went away. 27 Jacob's other sons came upon the slaughter and looted the city, because their sister had been defiled. 28 They took their flocks and herds and donkeys, and everything else in the city or in the field. 29 They carried off all their possessions and women and children, and they plundered everything in their houses. 30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble upon me by making me a stench to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people of this land. We are few in number; if they unite against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed. ” 31 But they replied, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?” Genesis 34: 31 | 43 a 7 Or against Israel

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Jacob Returns to Bethel Then God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel, and settle th ere. Build an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau. ” 2 So Jacob told his household and all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods that are among you. Purify yourselves and change your garments. 3 Then let us arise and go to Bethel. I will build an altar there to God, who answered me in my day of distress. He has been with me wherever I have gone. ” 4 So they gave Jacob all their foreign gods and all their earrings, and Jacob buried them un-der the oak a   near Shechem. 5 As they set out, a terror from God fell over the surrounding cities, so that they did not pursue Jacob's sons. 6 So Jacob and everyone with him arrived in Luz (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan. 7 There Jacob b uilt an altar, and he called that place El-bethel,b   because it was there that God had revealed Himself to Jacob as he fled from his brother. 8 Now Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died and was buried under the oak c   below Bethel. So Jacob named it Allon-bachuth. d   9 After Jacob had returned from Paddan-aram,e   God appeared to him again and blessed him. 10 And God said to him, “Though your name is Jacob,f  you will no longer be called Jacob. Instead, your name will be Israel. g  ” So God named him Israel. 11 And God told him, “I am God Almighty. h   Be fruitful and multiply. A nation —even a com-pany of nations —shall come from you, and kings shall descend from you. 12 The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you. ” 13 Then God went up from the place where He had spoken with him. 14 So Jacob set up a pillar in the place where God had spoken with him —a stone marker — and he poured out a drink offering on it and anointed it with oil. 15 Jacob called the place where God had spoken with him Bethel. i  Benjamin Born, Rachel Dies 16 Later, they set out from Bethel, and while they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth, and her labor was difficult. 17 During her severe labor, the mid-wife said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you are having another son. ” 18 And with her last breath —for she was dying —she named him Ben-oni. j  But his fa-ther called him Benjamin. k   19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). 20 Jacob set up a pillar on her grave; it marks Rachel's tomb to this day. The Sons of Jacob (1 Chronicles 2:1-2) 21 Israel again set out and pitched his tent be-yond the Tower of Ed er. 22 While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father's concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard about it. Jacob had twelve sons: 23 The sons of Leah were Reuben the firstborn of Jacob, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebu lun. 35 44 | Genesis 35: 1 a 4 Or terebinth or great tree   b 7 El-bethel means God of Bethel  . c 8 Or great tree   d 8 Allon-bacuth means oak of weeping  . e 9 That is, northwest Mesopotamia; also in verse 26 f 10 Jacob means he grasps the heel or he deceives  . g 10 Israel means he struggles with God  . h 11 Hebrew El-Shaddai   i 15 Bethel means house of God  . j 18 Ben-oni could mean son of my sorrow or son of my strength  . k 18 Benjamin means son of my right hand  .

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24 The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin. 25 The sons of Rachel's maidservant Bilhah were Dan and Naphtali. 26 And the sons of Leah's maidservant Zilpah were Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan-aram. The Death of Isaac 27 Jacob returned to his father Isaac at Mamre, near Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed. 28 And Isaac lived 180 years. 29 Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, old and full of years. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him. The Descendants of Esau (1 Chronicles 1:35-37) This is the account of Esau (that is, Edom). 2 Esau took his wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah daughter of Elon the Hittite, Oholibamah daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite, 3 and Basemath daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth. 4 And Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, Basemath ga ve birth to Reuel, 5 and Oholi-bamah gave birth to Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These were the sons of Esau, who were born to him in the land of Canaan. 6 Later, Esau took his wives and sons and daughters and all the people of his household, along with his livestock, all his other animals, and all the property he had acquired in Ca-naan, and he moved to a land far away from his brother Jacob. 7 For their poss essions were too great for them to dwell together; the land where they stayed could not support them because of their livestock. 8 So Esau (that is, Edom) settled in the area of Mount Seir. 9 This is the account of Esau, the father of the Edomites, in the area of Mount Seir. 10 These are the names of Esau's sons: Eliphaz son of Esau's wife Adah, and Reuel son of Esau's wife Basemath. 11 The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz. 12 Additionally, Timna, a concubine of Esau's son Elipha z, gave birth to Amalek. These are the grandsons of Esau's wife Adah. 13 These are the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. They are the grand-sons of Esau's wife Basemath. 14 These are the sons of Esau's wife Oholi-bamah (daughter of Anah an d granddaughter of Zibeon) whom she bore to Esau: Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. 15 These are the chiefs among the sons of Esau. The sons of Eliphaz the firstborn of Esau: Chiefs Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz, 16 Korah,a   Gatam, and Amalek. They are the chiefs of Eliphaz in the land of Edom, and they are the grandsons of Adah. 17 These are the sons of Esau's son Reuel: Chiefs Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. They are the chiefs descended from Reuel in the land of Edom, and they are the grandsons of Esau's wife Basemath. 18 These are the sons of Esau's wife Oholi-bamah: Chiefs Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. They are the chiefs descended from Esau's wife Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah. 19 All these are the sons of Esau (that is, Edom), and they were their chiefs. 36 Genesis 36: 19 | 45 a 16 Hebrew; SP (also in verse 11 and 1 Chronicles 1:36) does not include Korah  .

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The Descendants of Seir (1 Chronicles 1:38-42) 20 These are the sons of Seir the Horite, who were living in the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, 21 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. T hey are the chiefs of the Horites, the descendants of Seir in the land of Edom. 22 The sons of Lotan were Hori and Hemam. a   Timna was Lotan's sister. 23 These are the sons of Shobal: Alvan, Mana-hath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam. 24 These are the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah. (This is the Anah who found the hot springs in the wilderness as he was pasturing the donkeys of his father Zibeon. ) 25 These are the children of Anah: Dishon and Oholibamah daughter of Anah. 26 These are the sons of Dishon: b   Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran. 27 These are the sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan. 28 These are the sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran. 29 These are the chiefs of the Horites: Chiefs Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Ana h, 30 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. T hey are the chiefs of the Horites, according to their divisions in the land of Seir. The Kings of Edom (1 Chronicles 1:4 3-54) 31 These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the Israelites: c   32 Bela son of Beor reigned in Edom; the name of his city was Dinhabah. 33 When Bela died, Jobab son of Zerah from Bozrah reigned in his place. 34 When Jobab died, Husham from the land of the Temanites reigned in his place. 35 When Husham died, Hadad son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the coun-try of Moab, reigned in his place. And the name of his city was Avith. 36 When Hadad died, Samlah from Masrekah reigned in his place. 37 When Samlah died, Shaul from Reho-both on the Euphrates d   reigned in his place. 38 When Shaul died, Baal-hanan son of Achbor reigned in his place. 39 When Baal-hanan son of Achbor died, Hadad e   reigned in his place. His city was named Pau, and his wife's name was Mehetabel daughter of Matred, the daughter of Me-zahab. 40 These are the names of Esau's chiefs, ac-cording to their families and regions, by their names: Chiefs Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, 41 Oholi-bamah, Elah, Pinon, 42 Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, 43 Magdiel, and Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom, according to their settlements in the land they possessed. Esau was the father of the Edomites. Joseph's Dreams Now Jacob lived in the land where his father had resided, the land of Canaan. 2 This is the account of Jacob. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he was tending the flock with his brothers, the sons of his father's wives Bilhah and Zilpah, and he broug ht their father a bad report about them. 37 46 | Genesis 36:20 a 22 Hemam is a variant of Homam  ; see 1 Chronicles 1:39. b 26 Hebrew Dishan  , a variant of Dishon   c 31 Or before an Israelite king reigned over them:   d 37 Hebrew the River   e 39 Some MT manuscripts, SP, and Syriac (see also 1 Chronicles 1:50); other MT manuscripts Hadar

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3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons, because Joseph had been born to him in his old age; so he made him a robe of many col-ors. a   4 When Joseph's brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him. 5 Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Listen to th is dream I had: 7 We were binding sheaves of grain in the field, and suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to mine. ” 8 “Do you intend to reign over us?” his broth-ers asked. “Will you actually rule us?” So they hated him even more because of his dream and his statements. 9 Then Joseph had another dream and told it to his brothers. “Look,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me. ” 10 He told his father and brothers, but his fa-ther rebuked him and said, “What is this dream that you have had? Will your mother and brothers and I actually come and bow down to the ground before you?” 11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept in m ind what he had said. Joseph Sold into Egypt (Acts 7: 9-14) 12 Some time later, Joseph's brothers had gone to pasture their father's flocks near Shechem. 13 Israel said to him, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flocks at Shechem? Get ready; I am sending you to them. ” “I am ready,” Joseph replied. 14 Then Israel told him, “Go now and see how your brothers and the flocks are faring, and bring word back to me. ” So he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron. And when Joseph arrived in Shechem, 15 a man found him wandering in the field and asked, “What are you looking for?” 16 “I am looking for my brothers,” Joseph re-plied. “Can you please tell me where they are pasturing their flocks?” 17 “They have moved on from here,” the man answered. “I heard them say, 'Let us go to Dothan. '  ” So Joseph set out after his brothers and found them at Dothan. 18 Now Joseph's brothers saw him in the dis-tance, and before he arrived, they plotted to kill him. 19 “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to one another. 20 “Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. We can say that a vicious animal has devoured him. Then we shall see what becomes of his dreams!” 21 When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue Joseph from their hands. “Let us not take his life,” he said. 22 “Do not shed his blood. Throw him into t his pit in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him. ” Reuben said this so that he could rescue Joseph from their hands and re-turn him to his father. 23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe —the robe of many colors he was w earing — 24 and they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, with no water in it. 25 And as they sat down to eat a meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carry-ing spices, balm, and my rrh on their way down to Egypt. Genesis 37: 25 | 47 a 3 Possibly a robe with long sleeves  ; also in verses 23 and 32

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26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 27 Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay a hand on him; for he is our brother, our own flesh. ” And they agreed. 28 So when the Midianite traders passed by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him for twenty shekels of sil-ver a   to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt. 29 When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes, 30 returned to his brothers, and said, “The boy is gone! What am I going to do?” Jacob Mourns Joseph 31 Then they took Joseph's robe, slaughtered a young goat, and dipped the robe in its blood. 32 They sent the robe of many colors to thei r father and said, “We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son's robe or not. ” 33 His father recognized it and said, “It is my son's robe! A vicious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!” 34 Then Jacob tore his cloth es, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days. 35 All his sons and daughters tried to comfort him, but he refused to be com-forted. “No,” he said. “I will go down to Sheol mourning for my son. ” So his father wept for him. 36 Meanwhi le, the Midianites b   sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard. Judah and Tamar (1 Chronicles 2: 3-4) About that time, Judah left his broth-ers and settled near a man named Hirah, an Adullamite. 2 There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua, and he took her as a wife and slept with her. 3 So she conceived and gave birth to a son, and Ju-dah named him Er. 4 Again she conceived and gave birth to a son, and she named him Onan. 5 Then she gave birth to another son and named him Shelah; it was at Chezib that she gave birth to him. 6 Now Judah acquired a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7 But Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; so the LORD put him t o death. 8 Then Judah said to Onan, “Sleep with your brother's wife. Perform your duty as her brother-in-law and raise up offspring for your brother. ” 9 But Onan knew that the offspring would not belong to him; so whenever he would sleep with his brother's wife, he would spill his seed on the ground so that he would not produce offspring for his brother. 10 What he did was wicked in the sight of the LORD, so He put Onan to death as well. 11 Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Live as a widow in your father's house until my son Shelah grows up. ” For he thought, “He may die too, like his brothers. ” So Tamar went to live in her father's house. 12 After a long time Judah's wife, the daughter of Shua, died. When Judah had finished mourning, he and his friend Hirah the Adulla-mite went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah. 13 When Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his shee p,” 14 she removed her widow's garments, cov-ered her face with a veil to disguise herself, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah. For she saw that although Shelah had grown up, she had not been given to him as a wife. 38 48 | Genesis 37: 26 a 28 20 shekels is approximately 8 ounces or 228 grams of silver. b 36 Hebrew the Medanites  

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15 When Jud ah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute because she had covered her face. 16 Not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her and said, “Come now, let me sleep with you. ” “What will you give me for sleeping with you?” she inquired. 17 “I will send you a young goat from my flock,” Judah answered. But she replied, “Only if you leave me some-thing as a pledge until you send it. ” 18 “What pledge should I give you?” he asked. She answered, “Your seal and your cord, and the staff in your hand. ” So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him. 19 Then Tamar got up and departed. And she removed her veil and put on her widow's garments again. 20 Now when Judah sent his friend Hirah the Adullamite with the young goat to collect the items he had left with the woman, he could not find her. 21 He asked the men of that place, “Where is the shrine prostitute who was be-side the road at Enaim?” “No shrine prostitute has been here,” they an-swered. 22 So Hirah returned to Judah and said, “I could not find her, and furthermore, the men of that place said, 'No shrine prostitute has been here. '  ” 23 “Let her keep the items,” Judah replied. “Otherwise we will become a laughingstock. a   After all, I did send her this young goat, but you could not find her. ” 24 About three months later, Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has prostituted herself, and now she is pregnant. ” “Bring her out!” Judah replied. “Let her be burned to death!” 25 As she was being brought out, Tamar sent a message to her father-in-law: “I am pregnant by the man to whom these items belong. ” And she added, “Please examine them. Whose seal and cord and staff are these?” 26 Judah recognized the items and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah. ” A nd he did not have rela-tions with her again. The Birt h of Perez and Zerah 27 When the time came for Tamar to give birth, there were twins in her womb. 28 And as she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it around his wrist. “This one came out first,” she announced. 29 But when he pulled his hand back and his brother came out, she said, “You have broken out first!” So he was named Perez. b   30 Then his brother came out with the scarlet thread around his wrist, and he was named Zerah. c   Joseph and Potiphar's Wife Meanwhile, Joseph had been taken down to Egypt, where an Egyptian named Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there. 2 And the LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, serv ing in the household of his Egyptian master. 3 When his master saw that the LORD was with him and made him prosper in all he did, 4 Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household and entrust ed him with everything he owned. 39 Genesis 39: 4 | 49 a 23 Or we will becom e despised   b 29 Perez means breaking out  . c 30 Zerah can mean scarlet or brightness  .

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5 From the time that he put Joseph in charge of his household and all he owned, the LORD blessed the Egyptian's household on account of him. The LORD's blessing was on every-thing he owned, bo th in his house and in his field. 6 So Potiphar left all that he owned in Jo-seph's care; he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, 7 and after some time his master's wife cast her eyes upon Jo seph and said, “Sleep with me. ” 8 But he refused. “Look,” he said to his master's wife, “with me here, my master does not con-cern himself with anything in his house, and he has entrusted everything he owns to my care. 9 No one in this house is greater tha n I am. He has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. So how could I do such a great evil and sin against God?” 10 Although Potiphar's wife spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be near her. 11 One day, however, Joseph went into the house to attend to his work, and not a single household servant was inside. 12 She grabbed Joseph by hi s cloak and said, “Sleep with me!” But leaving his cloak in her hand, he escaped and ran outside. Joseph Falsely Imprisoned 13 When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, 14 she called her household servants. “Look,” she said, “this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us. He came to me so he could sleep with me, but I screamed as loud as I could. 15 When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house. ” 16 So Potiphar's wife kept Joseph's cloak be-side her until his master came home. 17 Then she told him the same story: “The Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me, 18 but when I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house. ” 19 When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, “This is what your slave did to me,” he burned with anger. 20 So Joseph's master took him and had him thrown into the prison where the king's prisoners were con-fined. While Joseph was there in the prison, 21 the LORD was with him and extended kindness to him, granting him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. 22 And the warden put all the prisoners under Joseph's care, so that he was responsible for all that was done in the prison. 23 The warden did not concern himself with anything under Joseph's care, because the LORD was with Joseph and gave him suc-cess in whatever he did. The Cupbearer and the Baker Some time later, the king's cupbearer and baker offended their master, the king of Egypt. 2 Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, 3 and imprisoned them in the house of the captain of the guard, the same prison where Joseph was confined. 4 The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he be-came their personal attendant. After they had been in custody for some time, 5 both of these men —the Egyptian king's cup-bearer and baker, who were being held in the prison —had a dream on the same night, and each dream had its own meaning. 6 When Jo seph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were distraught. 7 So he asked the officials of Pharaoh who were in 40 50 | Genesis 39: 5

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custody with him in his master's house, “Why are your faces so downcast today?” 8 “We both had dreams,” they replied, “but there is no one to interpret them. ” Then Joseph said to them, “Don't interpreta-tions belong to God? Tell me your dreams. ” 9 So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream: “In my dream there was a vine before me, 10 and on the vine were three branches. As it budded, its blossoms opened and its clusters ripened into grapes. 11 Pharaoh's cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, squeezed them into his cup, and placed the cup in his hand. ” 12 Joseph replied, “This is the interpretation: The three branches are three days. 13 Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore your position. You will put Pharaoh's cup in his hand, just as you did when you were his cupbearer. 14 But when it goes well for you, please remember me and show me kindness by mentioning me to Pharaoh, that he might bring me out of this prison. 15 For I was kid-napped from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing for which they should have put me in this dungeon. ” 16 When the chief baker saw that the interpre-tation was favorable, he said to Joseph, “I too had a dream: There were three baskets of white bread on my head. 17 In the top basket were all sorts of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head. ” 18 Joseph replied, “This is the interpretation: The three baskets are three days. 19 Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head and hang you on a tree. a   Then the birds will eat the flesh of your body. ” 20 On the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, he held a feast for all his officials, and in their presence he lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker. 21 Pha- raoh restored the chief cupbearer to his posi-tion, so that he once again placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand. 22 But Pharaoh hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had described to them in his interpretation. b 23 The chief cupbearer, however, did not re-member Joseph; he forgot all about him. The Dreams of Pharaoh After two full years had passed, Pha- raoh had a dream: He was standing beside the Nile, 2 when seven cows, sleek and well-fed, came up from the river and began to graze among the reeds. 3 After them, seven other cows, sickly and thin, came up from the Nile and stood beside the well-fed cows on the bank of the river. 4 And the cows that were sickly and thin devoured the seven sleek, well-fed cows. Then Pharaoh woke up, 5 but he fell back asleep and dreamed a second time: Seven heads of grain, plump and ripe, came up on one stalk. 6 After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted, thin and scorch ed by the east wind. 7 And the thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven plump, ripe ones. Then Pharaoh awoke and realized it was a dream. 8 In the morning his spirit was troubled, so he summoned all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him. 9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I recall my failures. 10 Pharaoh was once angry with his servants, and he put me and the chief baker in the custody of the cap-tain of the guard. 11 One night both the chief 41 Genesis 41: 11 | 51 a 19 Or and impale you on a pole  ; similarly in verse 22 b 22 Literally had interpreted to them

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baker and I had dreams, and each dream had its own meaning. 12 Now a young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams and he interpreted them for us individually. 13 And it happened to us just as he had interpreted: I was restored to my position, and the other man was hanged. ” Joseph Interprets Pharaoh's Dreams 14 So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, who was quickly brought out of the dungeon. After he had shaved and changed his clothes, he went in before Pharaoh. 15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream yo u can in-terpret it. ” 16 “I myself cannot do it,” Joseph replied, “but God will give Pharaoh a sound answer. ” 17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile, 18 when seven cows, well-fed and sleek, came up from the river and began to graze among the reeds. 19 After them, seven other cows —sickly, ugly, and thin —came up. I have never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt! 20 Then the thin, ugly cows devoured the seven well-fed cows that were there first. 21 When they had devoured them, however, no one could tell that they had done so; their appearance was as ugly as it had bee n before. Then I awoke. 22 In my dream I also saw seven heads of grain, plump and ripe, growing on a single stalk. 23 After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted —withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind. 24 And the thin heads of grain swallowed t he seven plump ones. I told this dream to the magicians, but no one could explain it to me. ” 25 At this, Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has re-vealed to Pharaoh what He is about to do. 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven ripe heads of grain are seven years. The dreams have the same meaning. 27 More-over, the seven thin, ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind —they are seven years of famine. 28 It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what He is abo ut to do. 29 Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, 30 but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgot-ten, and the famine will devastate the land. 31 The abundance in the land will not be re-membered, since the famine that follows it will be so severe. 32 Moreover, because the dream was given to Pharaoh in two versions, the matter has been decreed by God, and He will carry it out shortly. 33 Now, therefore, Pharaoh should look for a discerning and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh take action and appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest a   of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. 35 Under the authority of Pharaoh, let them collect all the excess food from these good years, that they may come and lay up the grain to be preserved as food in the cities. 36 This food will be a reserve for the land during the seven years of famine to come upon the land of Egypt. Then the country will not perish in the famine. ” Joseph Given Charge of E gypt 37 This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his officials. 38 So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we 52 | Genesis 41: 12 a 34 See LXX; MT a fifth from the land  

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find anyone like this man, in whom the Spirit of God a   abides?” 39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. 40 You shall be in charge of my house, and all my people are to obey your commands. Only with regard to the throne will I be greater than you. ” 41 Pharaoh also told Joseph, “I hereby place you over all the land of Egypt. ” 42 Then Pha- raoh removed the signet ring from his finger, put it on Joseph's finger, clothed him in gar-ments of fine linen, and placed a gold chain around his neck. 43 He had Joseph ride in his second chariot, with men calling out before him, “Bow the knee!”  b   So he placed him over all the land of Egypt. 44 And Pharaoh declared to Joseph, “I am Pha- raoh, but without your permission, no one in all the land of Egypt shall lift his hand or foot. ” 45 Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-paneah,c   and he gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On,d   to be his wife. And Jo-seph took charge of all the land of Egypt. The Seven Years of Plenty 46 Now Joseph was thirty years old wh en he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph left Pharaoh's presence and trav-eled throughout the land of Egypt. 47 During the seven years of abundance, the land brought forth bountifully. 48 During those seven years, Joseph collected all the excess food in the land of Egypt and stored it in the cities. In every city he laid up the food from the fields around it. 49 So Joseph stored up grain in such abundance, like the sand of the sea, that he stopped keeping track of it; for it was be-yond measure. 50 Before the years of famine arrived, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. 51 Jose ph named the firstborn Manasseh,e   saying, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father's household. ” 52 And the second son he named Ephraim,f  saying, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction. ” The Famine Begins 53 When the seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt came to an end, 54 the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. And although there was famine in every coun-try, there was food throughout the land of Egypt. 55 When extreme hunger came to all the land of Egypt and the people cried out to Pha- raoh for food, he told all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you. ” 56 When the famine had sp read over all the land, Joseph opened up all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians; for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. 57 And every nation came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all the earth. Josep h's Brothers Sent to Egypt When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?” 2 “Look,” he added, “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may li ve and not die. ” 3 So ten of Joseph's brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send 42 Genesis 42: 4 | 53 a 38 Or the spirit of the gods b 43 That is, “Abrek  ,” probably an Egyptian word that sounds similar to the Hebrew for kneel   c 45 Zaphenath-paneah probably means Revealer of Mysteries or God speaks and lives  . d 45 That is, Heliopolis, as in LXX; also in verse 50 e 51 Manasseh sounds like the Hebrew for making to forget  . f 52 Ephraim sounds like the Hebrew for making fruitful or twice fruitful  .

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Joseph's brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “I am afraid that harm might befall him. ” 5 So the sons of Israel were among those who came to buy grain, since the famine had also spread to the land of Canaan. 6 Now Joseph was the ruler of the land; he was the one who sold grain to all its people. So when his brothers arrived, they bowed down before him with their faces to the ground. 7 And when Joseph saw his brothers, he recog-nized them, but he treated them as s trangers and spoke harshly to them. “Where have you come from?” he asked. “From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We are here to buy food. ” 8 Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. 9 Joseph remem-bered his dreams about them and said, “You are spies! You have come to see if our land is vulnerable. ” 10 “Not so, my lord,” they replied. “Your ser- vants have come to buy food. 11 We are all sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies. ” 12 “No,” he told them. “You h ave come to see if our land is vulnerable. ” 13 But they answered, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more. ” 14 Then Joseph declared, “Just as I said, you are spies! 15 And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 16 Send one of your number to get your brother; the rest of you will be confined so that the truth of your words may be tested. If they are untrue, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!” 17 So Joseph imprisoned them for three days, 18 and on the third day he said to them, “I fear God. So do this and you wil l live: 19 If you are honest, leave one of your brothers in custody while the rest of you go and take back grain to relieve the hunger of your households. 20 Then bring your youngest brother to me so that your words can be verified, that you may not die. ” And to this they consented. 21 Then they said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this dis-tress has come upon us. ” 22 And Reuben responded, “Didn't I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you would not listen. Now we must account for his blood!” 23 They did not realize that Joseph understood them, since there was an interpreter between them. 24 And he turned away from them and wept. When he turned back and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and had him bound before their eyes. Joseph's Brothers Return to Canaan 25 Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to return each man's silver a   to his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. This order was carried out, 26 and they loaded the grain on their donkeys and de-parted. 27 At the place where they lodged for the night, one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, a nd he saw his silver in the mouth of the sack. 28 “My silver has been returned!” he said to his brothers. “It is here in my sack. ” 54 | Genesis 42: 5 a 25 Or money  ; here and throughout chapters 4 2-44

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Their hearts sank, and trembling, they turned to one another and said, “What is this that God has done to us?” 29 When they reached their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they described to him all that had happened to them: 30 “The man who is lord of the land spoke harshly to us and ac-cused us of spying on the country. 31 But we told him, 'We are honest men, not spies. 32 We are twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in the land of Canaan. ' 33 Then the man who is lord of the land said to us, 'This is how I will know whether you are honest: Leave one brother with me, tak e food to relieve the hunger of your households, and go. 34 But bring your youngest brother back to me so I will know that you are not spies but honest men. Then I will give your brother back to you, and you can trade in the land. '  ” 35 As they began emptying their sacks, there in each man's sack was his bag of silver! And when they and their father saw the bags of sil-ver, they were dismayed. 36 Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my sons. Joseph is gone and Simeon is no more. Now yo u want to take Ben-jamin. Everything is going against me!” 37 Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I fail to bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him. ” 38 But Jacob replied, “My son will not go down ther e with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If any harm comes to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow. ” The Return to Egypt with Benjamin Now the famine was still severe in the land. 2 So when Jacob's sons had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more food. ” 3 But Judah replied, “The man solemnly warned us, 'You will not se e my face again un-less your brother is with you. ' 4 If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you. 5 But if you will not send him, we will not go; for the man told us, 'You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you. '  ” 6 “Why did you bring this trouble upon me?” Israel asked. “Why did you tell the man you had another brother?” 7 They replied, “The man questioned us in de-tail about ourselves and our family: 'Is your fa-ther still alive? Do you have another broth er?' And we answered him accordingly. How could we possibly know that he would say, 'Bring your brother here'?” 8 And Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me, and we will go at once, so that we may live and not die —neither we, nor you, nor our children. 9 I will guarantee his safety. You may hold me personally responsible. If I do not bring him back and set him before you, then may I bear the guilt before you all my life. 10 If we had not delayed, we could have come and gone twice by now. ” 11 Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and carry them down as a gift for the man —a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pista-chios and almonds. 12 Take double the silver with you so that you may return the silver that 43 Genesis 43: 12 | 55

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was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake. 13 Take your brother as well, and return to the man at once. 14 May God Almighty a   grant you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother along with Benjamin. As for me, if I am be-reaved, I am bereaved. ” 15 So the men t ook these gifts, along with dou-ble the amount of silver, and Benjamin as well. Then they hurried down to Egypt and stood before Joseph. Joseph's Hospitality to His Brothers 16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with his broth-ers, he said to the steward of his house, “Take these men to my house. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, for they shall dine with me at noon. ” 17 The man did as Joseph had com-manded and took the brothers to Joseph's house. 18 But the brothers were frightened that they had been taken to Joseph 's house. “We have been brought here because of the silver that was returned in our bags the first time,” they said. “They intend to overpower us and take us as slaves, along with our donkeys. ” 19 So they approached Joseph's steward and spoke to him at th e entrance to the house. 20 “Please, sir,” they said, “we really did come down here the first time to buy food. 21 But when we came to the place we lodged for the night, we opened our sacks and, behold, each of us found his silver in the mouth of his sack! It was the full amount of our silver, and we have brought it back with us. 22 We have brought additional silver with us to buy food. We do not know who put our silver in our sacks. ” 23 “It is fine,” said the steward. “Do not be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, gave you the treasure that was in your sacks. I re-ceived your silver. ” Then he brought Simeon out to them. 24 And the steward took the men into Joseph's house, gave them w ater to wash their feet, and provided food for their don-keys. 25 Since the brothers had been told that they were going to eat a meal there, they prepared their gift for Joseph's arrival at noon. 26 When Joseph came home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought, and they bowed to the ground before him. 27 He asked if they were well, and then he asked, “How is your elderly father you told me about? Is he still alive?” 28 “Your servant our father is well,” they an-swered. “He is still alive. ” And they bowed down to honor him. 29 When Joseph looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother's son, he asked, “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?” Then he declared, “May God be gracious to you, my son. ” 30 Joseph hurried out because he was moved to tears for his brother, and he went to a pri-vate room to weep. 31 Then he washed his face and came back out. Regaining his composure, he said, “Serve the meal. ” 32 They separately served Joseph, his broth-ers, and the Egyptians. The y ate separately be-cause the Egyptians would not eat with the Hebrews, since that was detestable to them. 33 They were seated before Joseph in order by age, from the firstborn to the youngest, and the men looked at one another in astonish-ment. 34 When the portions were served to them from Joseph's table, Benjamin's portion was five times larger than any of the others. So they feasted and drank freely with Joseph. 56 | Genesis 43: 13 a 14 Hebrew El-Shaddai  

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Benjamin and the Silver Cup Then Joseph instructed his steward: “Fill the men's sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each one's sil-ver in the mouth of his sack. 2 Put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one's sack, along with the silver for his grain. ” So the steward did as Joseph had instructed. 3 At daybreak, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys. 4 They had not gone far from the city when Joseph told his steward, “Pursue the men at once, and when you over-take them, ask, 'Why have you rep aid good with evil?  a   5 Is this not the cup b   my master drinks from and uses for divination? What you have done is wicked!'  ” 6 When the steward overtook them, he relayed these words to them. 7 “Why does my lord say these things?” they asked. “Your servants could not possibly do such a thing. 8 We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found in the mouths o f our sacks. Why would we steal silver or gold from your master's house? 9 If any of your servants is found to have it, he must die, and the rest will become slaves of my lord. ” 10 “As you say,” replied the steward. “But only the one who is found with the cup will be my slave, and the rest of you shall be free of blame. ” 11 So each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it. 12 The steward searched, beginning with the oldest and end-ing with the youngest —and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. 13 Then they all tore their clothes, loaded their donkeys, and returned to the city. 14 When Judah and his brothers arrived at Jo-seph's house, he was still there, and they fell to the ground before him. 15 “What is this deed you have done?” Joseph declared. “Do you not know that a man like me can surely divine the truth?” 16 “What can we say to my lord?” Juda h re-plied. “How can we plead? How can we justify ourselves? God has exposed the iniquity of your servants. We are now my lord's slaves — both we and the one who was found with the cup. ” 17 But Joseph replied, “Far be it from me to do this. The man who was f ound with the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may return to your father in peace. ” Judah Pleads for Benjamin 18 Then Judah approached Joseph and said, “Sir, please let your servant speak personally to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, for you are equal to Pharaoh himself. 19 My lord asked his servants, 'Do you have a father or a brother?' 20 And we answered, 'We have an elderly fa-ther and a younger brother, the child of his old age. The boy's brother is dead. He is the only one of his moth er's sons left, and his father loves him. ' 21 Then you told your servants, 'Bring him down to me so that I can see him for myself. ' 22 So we said to my lord, 'The boy cannot leave his father. If he were to leave, his father would die. ' 23 But you said t o your servants, 'Unless your younger brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again. ' 44 Genesis 44: 23 | 57 a 4 LXX includes Why have you stolen my s ilver cup?   b 5 Hebrew Is it not this which  

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24 Now when we returned to your servant my father, we relayed your words to him. 25 Then our father said, 'Go back and buy us some food. ' 26 But we answered, 'We cannot go down there unless our younger brother goes with us. So if our younger brother is not with us, we cannot see the man. ' 27 And your servant my father said to us, 'You know that my wife bore me two sons. 28 When one of them was gone, I said: “Surely he has been torn to pieces. ” And I have not seen him since. 29 Now if you also take this one from me and harm comes to him, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow. ' 30 So if the boy is not with us when I return to your servant, and if my father, whose life is wrapped up in the boy's life, 31 sees that the boy is not with us, he will die. Then your servants will have brought the gray hair of your servant our father down to Sheol in sor-row. 32 Indeed, your servant guarant eed the boy's safety to my father, saying, 'If I do not return him to you, I will bear the guilt before you, my father, all my life. ' 33 Now please let your servant stay here as my lord's slave in place of the boy. Let him return with his brothers. 34 For how can I go back to my father without the boy? I could not bear to see the misery that would overwhelm him. ” Joseph Reveals His Identity Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Send everyone away from me!” So none of them were with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. 2 But he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh's household soon heard of it. 3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But they were unable to answer him, because they were terrified in his presence. 4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near me. ” And they did so. “I am Joseph, your brother,” he said, “the one you sold into Egypt! 5 And now, do not be dis-tressed or angry with yourselves that you sold me into this place, because it was to save lives that God sent me before you. 6 For the famine has covered the land these two years, and there will be five more years without plowing or harvesting. 7 God sent me before you to pre-serve you as a remnant on the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. a   8 Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God, who has made me a father to Pharaoh—lord of all his household and ruler over all the la nd of Egypt. Joseph Sends for His Father 9 Now return quickly to my father and tell him, 'This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me without delay. 10 You shall settle in the land of Goshen and be near me —you and your chil-dren and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and everything you own. 11 And there I will provide for you, because there will be five more years of famine. Otherwise, you and your hous ehold and everything you own will come to destitution. ' 12 Behold! You and my brother Benjamin can see that I, Joseph, am the one speaking with you. 13 Tell my father about all my splendor in Egypt and everything you have seen. And bring my father down he re quickly. ” 14 Then Joseph threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin 45 58 | Genesis 44:24 a 7 Or and to keep you alive as a great band of survivors

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wept as they embraced. 15 Joseph kissed each of his brothers as he wept over them. And af-terward his brothers talked with him. Pharaoh Invites Jacob to Egypt 16 When the news reached Pharaoh's house that Joseph's brothers had come, Pharaoh and his servants were pleased. 17 Pharao h said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, 'Do as follows: Load your animals and return to the land of Canaan. 18 Then bring your fa-ther and your families and return to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you shall eat from the fat of the land. ' 19 You are also directed to tell them: 'Take wagons from the land of Egypt for your young children and your wives, and bring your father and come back. 20 But pay no regard to your belongings, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours. '  ” 21 So the sons of Israel did as they were told. Joseph gave them wagons as Pharaoh had in-structed, and he also gave them provisions for their journey. 22 He gave new garments to each of them, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver  a   and five sets of clothes. 23 And he sent to his father the follow-ing: ten donkeys loaded with the best of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and provisions for his father's journey. 24 Then Joseph sent his br others on their way, and as they were leaving, he said to them, “Do not quarrel on the way!” The Revival of Jacob 25 So the brothers went up out of Egypt and came to their father Jacob in the land of Ca-naan. 26 “Joseph is still alive,” they said, “and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt!” But Jacob was stunned, for he did not believe them. 27 However, when they relayed all that Joseph had told them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob was re-vived. 28 “Enough!” declared Israel. “My son Joseph is still alive! I will go to see him before I die. ” Jacob's Journey to Egypt So Israel set out with all that he had, and when he came to Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2 And that night God spoke to Israel in a vision: “Jacob, Jacob!” He said. “Here I am,” replied Jacob. 3 “I am God,” He said, “the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. 4 I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will surely bring you back. And Joseph's own hands w ill close your eyes. ” 5 Then Jacob departed from Beersheba, and the sons of Israel took their father Jacob in the wagons Pharaoh had sent to carry him, along with their children and wives. 6 They also took the livestock and possessions they had ac-quired in the land of Canaan, and Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt. Those Wh o Wen t to Egypt (Exodus 1:1-7) 7 Jacob took with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons, and his daughters and grand-daughters —all his offspring. The Children of Leah 8 Now these ar e the names of the sons of Israel (Jacob and his descendants) who went to Egypt: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn. 9 The sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hez-ron, and Carmi. 46 Genesis 46: 9 | 59 a 22 300 shekels is approximately 7. 5 pounds or 3. 4 kilograms of silver.

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10 The sons of Simeon: Jemuel,a   Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar,b   and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. 11 The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 12 The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Pe-rez, and Zerah; but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. The sons of Perez: Hezron and Hamul. 13 The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puvah,c   Job,d   and Shimron. 14 The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. 15 These are the sons of Leah born to Jacob in Paddan-aram,e   in addition to his daugh-ter Dinah. The total number of sons and daughters was thirty-three. The Children of Zilpah 16 The sons of Gad: Ziphion,f  Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi,g   and Areli. 17 The children of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and their sister Serah. The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel. 18 These are the sons of Jacob born to Zilpah —whom Laban gave t o his daugh-ter Leah —sixteen in all. The Children of Rachel 19 The sons of Jacob's wife Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. 20 Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Jo-seph in the land of Egypt by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. h 21 The sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. 22 These are the sons of Rachel born to Jacob— fourteen in all. The Children of Bilhah 23 The son of Dan: Hushim. 24 The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. 25 These are the sons of Jacob born to Bilhah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel —seven in all. 26 All those belonging to Jacob who came to Egypt —his direct descendants, besides the wives of Jacob's sons —numbered sixty-six persons. 27 And with the two sons i  who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob's family who went to Egypt were sev-enty  j  in all. Jacob Arrives in Egypt 28 Now Jacob had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When Jacob's family arrived in the land of Goshen, 29 Joseph prepared his chariot and went there to meet his father Israel. Joseph presented himself to him, embraced him, and wep t profusely. 30 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Finally I can die, now that I have seen your face and know that you are still alive!” 31 Joseph said to his brothers and to his fa-ther's household, “I will go up and inform Pharaoh: 'My brothers and my father's house-hold from the land of Canaan have come to me. 60 | Genesis 46:10 a 10 Jemuel is another name for Nemuel  ; see Numbers 26:12. b 10 Zohar is a variant of Zerah  ; see Numbers 26:13 and 1 Chronicles 4:24. c 13 Hebrew; SP and Syriac Puah  ; see 1 Chronicles 7:1. d 13 Hebrew; SP and some LXX manuscripts Jashub  ; see Numbers 26:24 and 1 Chronicles 7:1. e 15 That is, northwest Mesopotamia f 16 SP and LXX Zephon  ; see also Numbers 26:15. g 16 Arodi is a variant of Arod  ; see Numbers 26:17. h 20 That is, Heliopo-lis, as in LXX i 27 Hebrew; LXX the nine sons  , probably including Joseph 's grandsons through Ephraim and Manas-seh; see 1 Chronicles 7:14-29. j 27 Hebrew (see also Exodus 1:5); LXX (see also Acts 7:14) seventy-five  

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32 The men are shepherds; they raise live-stock, and they have brought their flocks and herds and all that they own. ' 33 When Pharaoh summons you and asks, 'What is your occupation?' 34 you are to say, 'Your servants have raised livestock ever since our youth —both we and our fathers. ' Then you will be allowed to settle in the land of Goshen, since all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians. ” Jacob Settles in Goshen So Joseph went and told Pharaoh: “My father and my brothers, with their flocks and herds and all they own, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in Goshen. ” 2 And he chose five of his brothers and pre-sented them before Pharaoh. 3 “What is your occupation?” Pharaoh asked Joseph's brothers. “Your servants are shepherds,” they replied, “both we and our fathers. ” 4 Then they said to Pharaoh, “We have come to live in the land for a time, because there is no pasture for the flocks of your servants, since the famine in the land of Canaan has been se-vere. So now, please allow your servants to settle in the land of Goshen. ” 5 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Now that your fa-ther and brothers have come to you, 6 the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and brothers in the best part of the land. They may dwell in the land of Goshen. And if you know of any talented men among them, put them in charge of my own livestock. ” 7 Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and presented him before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. 8 “How many years have you lived?” Pharaoh asked. 9 “My travels a   have lasted 130 years,” Jacob replied. “My years have been few and hard, and they have not matched the years of the travels of my fathers. ” 10 Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and departed from his presence. 11 So Joseph settled his father and brothers in the land of Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the district of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. 12 Jo-seph also provided his father and brothers and all his father's household with food for their families. The Famine Continue s 13 There was no food, however, in all that re-gion, because the famine was so severe; the lands of Egypt and Canaan had been ex-hausted by the famine. 14 Joseph collected all the money to be found in the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan in exchange for the grain they were buying, and he brought it into Pha- raoh's palace. 15 When the money from the lands of Egypt and Canaan was gone, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? For our funds have run out!” 16 “Then bring me your livestock,” said Joseph. “Since the money is gone, I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock. ” 17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses, their flocks and herds, and their donkeys. Through-out that year he provided them with food in exchange for all their livestock. 18 When that year was over, they came to him the second year and said, “We cannot hide from our lord that our money is gone and all 47 Genesis 47: 18 | 61 a 9 Hebrew sojourns  ; twice in this verse

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our livestock belongs to you. There is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land. 19 Why should we perish before your eyes— we and our land as well? Purchase us and our land in exchange for food. Then we, along with our land, will be slaves to Pharaoh. Give us seed that we may live and not die, and that the land may not become desolate. ” 20 So Joseph acquired for Pharaoh all the land in Egypt; the Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields because the famine was so severe upon them. The land became Pharaoh's, 21 and Jo-seph reduced the people to servitude a   from one end of Egypt to the other. 22 However, he did not acquire the priests' portion of the land, for it had been given to them by Pharaoh. They ate the rations that Pharaoh supplied; so they did not sell their land. 23 Then Joseph said to the people, “Now that I have acquired you and your land for Pharaoh this day, here is seed for you to sow in the land. 24 At harvest time, you are to give a fifth of it to Pharaoh, and four-fifths will be yours as seed for the field and food for yourselves and your households and children. ” 25 “You have s aved our lives,” they said. “We have found favor in our lord's eyes, and we will be Pharaoh's servants. ” 26 So Joseph es-tablished a law that a fifth of the produce be-longs to Pharaoh, and it is in effect in the land of Egypt to this day. Only the priests' land does not belong to Pharaoh. The Israelites Prosper in Goshen 27 Now the Israelites settled in the land of Egypt, in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and became fruitful and in-creased greatly in number. 28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years, and the length of his life was 147 years. 29 When the time drew near for Israel to die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh and promise to show me kind-ness and faithfulness. Do not bury me in Egypt, 30 but when I lie down with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me with them. ” Joseph answered, “I will do as you have re-quested. ” 31 “Swear to me,” Jacob said. So Joseph swore to him, and Israel bowed in worship at the head of his bed. b Jacob Blesses Ephraim and Manasseh Some time later Joseph was told, “Your father is ill. ” So he set out with his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. 2 When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel rallied his strength and sat up in bed. 3 Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty c   ap-peared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there He blessed me 4 and told me, 'Beho ld, I will make you fruitful and multiply you; I will make you a multitude of peoples, and will give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession. ' 5 And now your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here shall be rec koned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine. 6 Any children born to you after them shall be yours, and they shall be called by the names of their brothers in the territory they inherit. 7 Now as for me, when I was returning from Paddan,d   to my sorrow Rachel died along the way in the land of Canaan, some distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath” (that is, Bethlehem). 48 62 | Genesis 47:19 a 21 SP, LXX, Vulgate; Hebrew removed the peopl e to the cities   b 31 Hebrew; LXX Israel worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff  ; see Hebrews 11:21. c 3 Hebrew El-Shaddai   d 7 That is, northwest Mesopotamia

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8 When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, “Who are these?” 9 Joseph said to his father, “They are the sons God has given me in this place. ” So Jacob said, “Please bring them to me, that I may bless them. ” 10 Now Israel's eyesight was poor because of old age; he could hardly see. Joseph brought his sons to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them. 11 “I never expected to see your face again,” Israel said to Joseph, “but now God has let me see your children as well. ” 12 Then Joseph removed his sons from his father's knees and bowed facedown. 13 And Joseph took both of them —with Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Is-rael's right hand —and brought them close to him. 14 But Israel stretched out his right hand and put it on the head of Ephraim, the younger; and crossing his hands, he put his left on Manasseh's head, although Manasseh was the firstborn. 15 Then he blessed Joseph and said: disp leased and took his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's. 18 “Not so, my father!” Joseph said. “This one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head. ” 19 But his father refused. “I know, my son, I know!” he said. “He too shall become a people, and he too shall be great; nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of na-tions. ” 20 So that day Jacob blessed them and said: “By you shall Israel pronounce this blessing: 'May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh. '  ” So he put Ephraim before Manasseh. 21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers. 22 And to you, as one who is above your brothers, I give the ridge of land  b   that I took from the Amorites with my sword and bow. ” Jacob Blesses His Sons Then Jacob called for his sons and said, “Gather around so that I can tell you what will happen to you in the days to come: 2 Come together and listen, O sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel. 3 Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beg inning of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power. 4 Uncontrolled as the waters, you will no longer excel, because you went up to your father's bed, onto my couch, and defiled it. 49 a 16 Or Angel   b 22 Or one portio n of the land  ; Hebrew shekem  , which sounds like the town and district called Shechem Genesis 49: 4 | 63 “May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, 16 the angel a   who has redeemed me from all harm — may He bless these boys. And may they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they grow into a multitude upon the earth. ” 17 When Joseph saw that his father had placed his right hand on Ephraim's head, he was

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5 Simeon and Levi are brothers; their swords a   are weapons of violence. 6 May I never enter their council; may I never join their assembly. For they kill men in their anger, and hamstring oxen on a whim. 7 Cursed be their anger, for it is strong, and their wrath, for it is cruel! I will disperse them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel. 8 Judah,b   your brothers shall praise you. Your hand shall be o n the necks of your enemies; your father's sons shall bow down to you. 9 Judah is a young lion — my son, you return from the prey. Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness, who dares to rouse him? 10 The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the staff from between his feet,c   until Shiloh d   comes and the allegiance of the nations is his. 11 He ties his donkey to the vine, his colt to the choicest branch. He washes his garments in wine, hi s robes in the blood of grapes. 12 His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth are whiter than milk. 13 Zebulun shall dwell by the seashore and become a harbor for ships; his border shall extend to Sidon. 14 Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the sheepfolds. e 15 He saw that his resting place was good and that his land was pleasant, so he bent his shoulder to the burden an d submitted to labor as a servant. 16 Dan shall provide justice for his people f as one of the tribes of Israel. 17 He will be a snake by the road, a viper in the path that bites the horse's heels so t hat its rider tumbles backward. 18 I await Your salvation, O LORD. 19 Gad g   will be attacked by raiders, but he will attack their heels. 20 Asher's food will be rich; he shall provide royal delicacies. 21 Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns. h 22 Joseph is a fruitful vine — a fruitful vine by a spring, whose branches scale the wall. i  23 The archers attacked him with bitterness; they aimed at him in hostility. 24 Yet he steadied his bow, and his strong arms were tempered by the hands of the Migh ty O ne of Jacob, in the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, 25 by the God of your father who helps you, and by the Almighty j  who blesses you, with blessings of the heavens above, wi th blessings of the depths below, with blessings of the breasts and womb. 26 The blessings of your father have surpassed the blessings of the ancient mountains k   and the bounty of the everlasting hills. 64 | Genesis 49: 5 a 5 Or dwelling places   b 8 Judah sounds like the Hebrew for praise  . c 10 Or from his descendants   d 10 Or until the one to whom tribute belongs   e 14 Or saddlebags or hearths   f 16 Or Dan shall judge his people  ; Dan means He has judged or He has vindicated  . g 19 Gad sounds like the Hebrew for raid and also for band of raiders  . h 21 Or gives beautiful words or bears fawns of the fold   i 22 Or Joseph is a wild donkey, a wild donkey by a spring, with his wild colts beside the wall   j 25 Hebrew Shaddai   k 26 Or of my ancestors  

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May they rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince of his brothers. 27 Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he divides the plunder. ” 28 These are the tribes of Israel, twelve in all, and this was what their father said to them. He blessed them, and he blessed each one with a suitable blessing. The Death of Jacob 29 Then Jacob instructed them, “I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite. 30 The cave is in the field of Machpelah near Mamre, in the land of Canaan. This is the field Abraham purchased from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site. 31 There Abraham and his wife Sara h are buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried, and there I buried Leah. 32 The field and the cave that is in it were purchased from the Hittites. ” 33 When Jacob had finished instructing his sons, he pulled his feet into the bed and breathed hi s last, and he was gathered to his people. Mourning and Burial for Jacob Then Joseph fell upon his father's face, wept over him, and kissed him. 2 And Joseph directed the physicians in his ser-vice to embalm his father Israel. So they em-balmed him, 3 taking the forty days required to complete the embalming. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days. 4 When the days of mourning had passed, Jo-seph said to Pharaoh's court, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please tell Pharaoh that 5 my father made me swear an oath when he said, 'I am about to die. You must bury me in the tomb that I dug for myself in th e land of Canaan. ' Now let me go and bury my father, and then return. ” 6 Pharaoh replied, “Go up and bury your fa-ther, as he made you swear to do. ” 7 Then Joseph went to bury his father, and all the servants of Pharaoh accompanied him — the elders of Pharaoh's household and all the elders of the land of Egypt — 8 along with all of Joseph's household, and his brothers, and his father's household. Only their children and flocks and herds were left in Goshen. 9 Chariots and horsemen alike went up with him, and it was an exceedingly large proces-sion. 10 When they reached the threshing floor of Atad, which is across the Jordan, they lamented and wailed loudly, and Joseph mourned for his father seven days. 11 When the Canaanites of the land saw the mourning at t he threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a solemn ceremony of mourning by the Egyptians. ” Thus the place across the Jordan is called Abel-mizraim. a   12 So Jacob's sons did as he had charged them. 13 They carried him to the lan d of Canaan and buried him in the cave at Machpelah in the field near Mamre, which Abraham had pur-chased from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site. 14 After Joseph had buried his father, he re-turned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone with him to bury his father. Joseph Comforts His Brothers 15 When Joseph's brothers saw that their fa-ther was dead, they said, “What if Joseph bears a grudge? Then he will surely repay us for all the evil that we did to him. ” 50 a 11 Abel-mizraim means mourning of the Egyptians  . Genesis 50: 15 | 65

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16 So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Before he died, your father commanded, 17 'This is what you are to say to Joseph: I beg you, please forgive the transgression and sin of your brothers, for they did you wrong. ' So now, Jo-seph, please forgive the transg ression of the servants of the God of your father. ” When their message came to him, Joseph wept. 18 His brothers also came to him, bowed down before him, and said, “We are your slaves!” 19 But Joseph replied, “Do not be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 As for you, what you in-tended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this — to preserve the lives of many people. 21 There-fore do not be afraid. I will provide for you and your little ones. ” So Joseph reassured his brothers and spoke kindly to them. Th e Death of Joseph 22 Now Joseph and his father's household re-mained in Egypt, and Joseph lived to the age of 110. 23 He saw Ephraim's sons to the third generation, and indeed the sons of Machir son of Manasseh were brought up a   on Joseph's knees. 24 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will surely visit you and bring you up from this land to the land He promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Ja-cob. ” 25 And Joseph made the sons of Israel take an oath an d said, “God will surely attend to you, and then you must carry my bones up from this place. ” 26 So Joseph died at the age of 110. And they embalmed his body and placed it in a coffin in Egypt. 66 | Genesis 50:16 a 23 Or born or placed at birth

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The Israelites Multipl y in Egypt (Genesis 46:7-27) These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt with Jacob, each with his family: 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; 3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; 4 Dan and Naphtali ; Gad and Asher. 5 The descendants of Jacob numbered sev-enty a   in all, including Joseph, who was already in Egypt. 6 Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, 7 but the Israelites were fruit-ful and increased rapidly; they multiplied and became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them. Oppression by a New King (Acts 7:15-19) 8 Then a new king, who did not know Joseph, came to power in Egypt. 9 “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become too numerous and too powerful for us. 10 Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase even more; and if a war breaks out, they may join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the country. b  ” 11 So the Egyptians appointed taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. As a result, they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. 12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and flourished; so the Egypt ians came to dread the Israelites. 13 They worked the Israelites ruthlessly 14 and made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar, and with all kinds of work in the fields. Every service they imposed was harsh. 15 Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, 16 “When you help the Hebrew women give birth, observe them on the birthstools. If the child is a son, kill him; but if it is a daugh-ter, let her live. ” 17 The midwives, however, feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had instructed; they let the boys live. 18 So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?” 19 The midwives answered Pharaoh, “The He-brew women are not lik e the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before a midwife arrives. ” 20 So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied and became even more nu-merous. 21 And because the midwives feared God, He gave them families of their own. 22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people: “Every son born to the Hebrews c   you must throw into the Nile, but every daughter you may allow to live. ” 1Exodus a 5 MT (see also Genesis 46:27); DSS and LXX (see also Acts 7:14) seventy-five   b 10 Or and take the country c 22 SP, LXX, and Targum Yonaton; Hebrew does not include to the Hebrews  .

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The Birth and Adoption of Moses (Acts 7:20-22 ; Hebrews 11:23) Now a man of the house of Levi married a daughter of Levi, 2 and she conceived and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him for three months. 3 But when she could no longer hide him, she got him a papyr us basket a   and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in the basket and set it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. 4 And his sister stood at a dis-tance to see what would happen to him. 5 Soon the daughter of Pharaoh went down to bathe in th e Nile, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank. And when she saw the basket among the reeds, she sent her maidservant to retrieve it. 6 When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the little boy was crying. So she had compassion on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrew children. ” 7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, “Shall I go and call one of the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” 8 “Go ahead,” Pharaoh's daughter told her. And the girl went and called the boy's moth er. 9 Pharaoh's daughter said to her, “Take this child and nurse him for me, and I will pay your wages. ” So the woman took the boy and nursed him. 10 When the child had grown older, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he be-came her son. She named him Moses b   and ex-plained, “I drew him out of the water. ” The Rejection and Flight of Moses (Acts 7:2 3-29) 11 One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to his own people c   and observed their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a He-brew, one of his own people. 12 After looking this way and that and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand. 13 The next day Moses went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, “Why are you attacking your compan-ion?” 14 But the man replied, “Who made you ruler and judge over us? d   Are you planning to kill me as you killed the Egyptian? e  ” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “This thing I have done has surely become known. ” 15 When Pharaoh heard about this matter, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian, where he sat down beside a well. 16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daugh-ters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father's flock. 17 And when some shepherds came along and drove them away, Moses rose up to help them and watered their flock. 18 When the daughters returned to their father Reuel,f  he asked them, “Why have you re-turned so early today?” 19 “An Egyptian rescued us from the shep-herds,” they replied. “He even drew water for us and watered the flock. ” 20 “So where is he?” their father asked. “Why did you leave the man behind? Invite him to have something to eat. ” 2 68 | Exodus 2:1 a 3 The Hebrew can also mean ark  ; also in verse 5; see Genesis 6:14. b 10 Moses sounds like a Hebrew term that means to lift out  . c 11 Or his brothers   d 14 Cited in Acts 7:27 and Acts 7:35 e 14 LXX Are you planning to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday? Cited in Acts 7:28 f 18 Reuel was also called Jethro  ; see Exodus 3:1.

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21 Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in mar-riage. 22 And she gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom,a   saying, “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land. ” God Hears the Cr y of the Israelites 23 After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned and cried out under their burden of slavery, and their cry for deliver-ance from bondage ascended to God. 24 So God heard their groaning, and He re-membered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 25 God saw the Israelites and took notice. Moses at the Burning Bush (Acts 7:3 0-38) Meanwhile, Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro,b   the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, c   the mountain of God. 2 There the angel d   of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from within a bush. Moses saw the bush ablaze with fire, but it was not consumed. 3 So Moses thought, “I must go over and see this marvel-ous sight. Why is the bush not burning up?” 4 When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called out to him from within the bush, “Moses, Moses!” “Here I am,” he answered. 5 “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. ” e   6 Then He said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abra-ham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. ” f At this, Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. 7 The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the afflic-tion of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings. 8 I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey —the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizz ites, Hivites, and Jebusites. 9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached Me, and I have seen how severely the Egyp-tians are oppressing them. 10 Therefore, go! I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring My people the Israelites out of Egypt. ”  g 11 But Moses asked God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” 12 “I will surely be with you,” God said, “and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, all of you will worship God on this mountain. ”  h 13 Then Moses asked God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is His name?' What should I tell them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. i   This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you. '  ” 15 God also told Moses, “Say to the Israelites, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers —the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of 3 a 22 Gershom sounds like the Hebrew for foreigner  . b 1 Moses' father-in-law Jethro was also called Reuel  ; see Exo-dus 2:18. c 1 That is, Mount Sinai, or possibly a mountain in the range containing Mount Sinai d 2 Or Angel e 5 Cited in Acts 7:33 f 6 Cited in Matthew 22:32, Mark 12:26, Luke 20:37, and Acts 7:32 g 10 Cited in Acts 7:34 h 12 Cited in Acts 7:7 i 14 Or I WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE   Exodus 3:15 | 69

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Jacob— has sent me to you. ' This is My name forever, and this is how I am to be remem-bered in ever y generation. 16 Go, assemble the elders of Israel and say to them, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers — the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob —has appeared to me and said: I have surely at-tended to you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt. 17 And I have promised to bring you up out of your affliction in Egypt, into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amo-rites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—a land flowing with milk and honey. ' 18 The elders of Israel will listen to what you say, and you m ust go with them to the king of Egypt and tell him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness, so that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God. ' 19 But I know that the king of Egypt wil l not allow you to go unless a mighty hand compels him. a   20 So I will stretch out My hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders I will perform among them. And after that, he will release you. 21 And I will grant this people such favor in the sight of the Egyptians that when you leave, you will not go away empty-handed. 22 Every woman shall ask her neighbor and any woman staying in her house for silver and gold jew-elry and clothing, and you will put them on your sons and daughters. So you will plunder the Egyptians. ” Moses' Staff Then Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to my voice? For they may say, 'The LORD has not appeared to you. '  ” 2 And the LORD a sked him, “What is that in your hand?” “A staff,” he replied. 3 “Throw it on the ground,” said the LORD. So Moses threw it on the ground, and it became a snake,b   and he ran from it. 4 “Stretch out your hand and grab it by the tail,” the LORD said to Moses, who reached out his hand and caught the snake, and it turned back into a staff in his hand. 5 “This is so that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers —the God of Abra ham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob —has appeared to you. ” Moses' Hand 6 Furthermore, the LORD said to Moses, “Put your hand inside your cloak. c  ” So he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, his hand was lep rous,d   white as snow. 7 “Put your hand back inside your cloak,” said the LORD. So Moses put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, it was restored, like the rest of his skin. 8 And the LORD said, “If they refuse to believe you or heed the witness of the first sign, they may believe that of the second. 9 But if they do not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. Then the water you take from the Nile will become blood on the ground. ” The Appointmen t of Aaron 10 “Please, Lord,” Moses replied, “I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since 4 70 | Exodus 3:16 a 19 Literally except by a might y hand   b 3 Hebrew nachash  , in contrast to Aaron 's staff, which became a tannin in Exodus 7:10 c 6 Hebrew into your bosom  ; twice in this verse and twice in verse 7 d 6 The Hebrew word tradition-ally translated as leprous was used for various skin diseases; see Leviticus 13.

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You have spoken to Your servant, for I am slow of speech and tongue. ” 11 And the LORD said to him, “Who gave man his mouth? Or who makes the mute or the deaf, the sighted or the blind? Is it not I, the LORD? 12 Now go! I will help you as you speak, and I will teach you what to say. ” 13 But Moses replied, “Please, Lord, send someone else. ” 14 Then the anger of the LORD burned against Moses, and He said, “Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well, and he is now on his way to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15 You are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth. I will help both of you to speak, and I will teach you what to do. 16 He will speak to the people for you. He will be your spokesman, and it wil l be as if you were God to him. 17 But take this staff in your hand so you can perform signs with it. ” Moses Leaves for Egypt 18 Then Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro a   and said to him, “Please let me return to my brothers in Egypt to see if they are still alive. ” “Go in peace,” Jethro replied. 19 Now the LORD had said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all the men who sought to kill you are dead. ” 20 So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey, and headed back to Egypt. And he took the staff of God in his hand. 21 The LORD instructed Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders that I have put within your power. But I will harden b   his heart so that he will not let the people go. 22 Then tell Pharaoh that this is what the LORD says: 'Israel is My firstborn son, 23 and I told you to let My son go so that he may worship Me. But since you have refused to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son!'  ” 24 Now at a lodging place along the way, the LORD met Moses c   and was about to kill him. 25 But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son's foreskin, and touched it to Moses' feet. d   “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me,” she said. 26 So the LORD let him alone. (When she said, “bridegroom of blood,” she was referring to the circumcision. ) The People Believe Moses and Aaron 27 Meanwhile, the LORD had said to Aaron, “Go and meet Moses in the wilderness. ” So he went and met Moses at the mountain of God and kissed him. 28 And Moses told Aaron every-thing the LORD had sent him to say, and all the signs He had commanded him to perform. 29 Then Moses and Aaron w ent and assembled all the elders of the Israelites, 30 and Aaron re-layed everything the LORD had said to Moses. And Moses performed the signs before the people, 31 and they believed. And when they heard that the LORD had attended to the Isra-elites and had seen their affliction, they bowed down and worshiped. Pharaoh's First Refusal After that, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Let My people go, so that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness. '  ” 2 But Pharaoh replied, “Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice and let Israel go? I do 5Exodus 5:2 | 71 a 18 Moses' father-in-law Jethro was also called Reuel  ; see Exodus 2:18. b 21 Or stiffen or strengthen   c 24 Hebrew him   d 25 Hebrew his feet

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not know the LORD, and I will not let Israel go. ” 3 “The God of the Hebrews has met with us,” they answered. “Please let us go on a three-day journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to the LORD our God, or He may strike us with plagues or with the sword. ” 4 But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and A aron, why do you draw the people away from their work? Get back to your labor!” 5 Pharaoh also said, “Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you would be stopping them from their labor. ” Bricks and Straw 6 That same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen: 7 “You shall no longer supply the people with straw for making bricks. They must go and gather their own straw. 8 But require of them the same quota of bricks as before; do not re-duce it. For they are lazy; that is why they are crying out, 'Let us go and sac rifice to our God. ' 9 Make the work harder on the men so they will be occupied and pay no attention to these lies. ” 10 So the taskmasters and foremen of the peo-ple went out and said to them, “This is what Pharaoh says: 'I am no longer giving you straw. 11 Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it; but your workload will in no way be reduced. '  ” 12 So the people scattered all over the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. 13 The task-masters kept pressing them, saying, “Fulfill your quota each day, just as you did when straw was provided. ” 14 Then the Israelite foremen, whom Pha- raoh's taskmasters had set over the people, were beaten and asked, “Why have you not fulfilled your quota of bricks yesterday or to-day, as you did before?” The Cry of the Israelites 15 So the Israelite foremen went and appealed to Pharaoh: “Why are you treating your ser- vants this way? 16 No straw has been given to your servants, yet we are told, 'Make bricks!' Look, your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people. ” 17 “You are slackers!” Pharaoh replied. “Slack-ers! That is why you keep s aying, 'Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD. ' 18 Now get to work. You will be given no straw, yet you must de-liver the full quota of bricks. ” 19 The Israelite foremen realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You must not reduce your daily quota of bricks. ” 20 When they left Pharaoh, they confronted Moses and Aaron, who stood waiting to meet them. 21 “May the LORD look upon you and judge you,” the foremen said, “for you have made us a stench before Pharaoh and his officials; you have placed in their hand a sword to kill us!” 22 So Moses returned to the LORD and asked, “Lord, why have You brought trouble upon this people? Is this why You sent me? 23 Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and You have not delivered Your people in any way. ” God Promises Deliverance But the LORD said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh, for be-cause of My mighty hand he will let the people go; because of My strong hand he will drive them out of his land. ” 2 God also told Moses, “I am the LORD. 3 I ap-peared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty,a   but by My name the LORD I did 6 72 | Exodus 5:3 a 3 Hebrew El-Shaddai  

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not make Myself known to them. 4 I also estab-lished My covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land where they lived as foreigners. 5 Furthermore, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered My covenant. 6 Therefo re tell the Israelites: 'I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians and deliver you from their bondage. I will redeem you with an out-stretched arm and with mighty acts of judg-ment. 7 I will take you as My own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. 8 And I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the LORD!'  ” 9 Moses relayed this message to the Israelites, but on account of their broken spirit and cruel bondage, they did not listen to him. 10 So the LORD said to Moses, 11 “Go and tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his lan d. ” 12 But in the LORD's presence Moses replied, “If the Israelites will not listen to me, then why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I am un-skilled in speech?  a  ” 13 Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them a charge concerning both the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt. Genealogies of Moses and Aaron 14 These were the heads of their fathers' houses: The sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, were Hanoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi. These were the clans of Reuben. 15 The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar,b   and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. These were the clans of Simeon. 16 These were the names of the sons of Levi according to their records: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi lived 137 years. 17 The sons of Gershon were Libni and Shimei, by their clans. 18 The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Kohath live d 133 years. 19 The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of the Levites ac-cording to their records. 20 And Amram married his father's sister Jochebed, and she bore him Aaron and Moses. Amram lived 137 years. 21 The sons of Izhar w ere Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri. 22 The sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan,c   and Sithri. 23 And Aaron married Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 24 The sons of Korah were Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. d   These were the clans of the Korahites. Exodus 6:24 | 73 a 12 Hebrew I have uncircumcise d lips  ; also in verse 30 b 15 Zohar is a variant of Zerah  ; see Numbers 26:13 and 1 Chronicles 4:24. c 22 Elzaphan is a variant of Elizaphan  ; see Numbers 3:30. d 24 Abiasaph is a variant of Ebia-saph  ; see 1 Chronicles 6:23 and 1 Chronicles 9:19.

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25 Aaron's son Eleazar married one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas. These were the heads of the Levite fami-lies by their clans. 26 It was this Aaron and Moses to whom the LORD said, “Bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt by their divisions. ” 27 Moses and Aaron were the ones who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt in order to bring the Israelites out of Egypt. 28 Now on the day that the LORD spoke to Mo-ses in Egypt, 29 He said to him, “I am the LORD; tell Pharaoh king of Egypt everything I say to you. ” 30 But in the LORD's presence Moses replied, “Since I am unskilled in speech, why would Pharaoh listen to me?” God Commands Moses and Aaron The LORD answered Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. 2 You are to speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Isra-elites go out of his land. 3 But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I will multiply My signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, 4 Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay My hand on Egypt, and by mighty acts of judgment I will bring the divi-sions of My people the Israelites out of the land of Egypt. 5 And the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out My hand against Egypt and bring the Israe lites out from among them. ” 6 So Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded them. 7 Moses was eighty years old and Aaron was eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh. Aaron's Staff 8 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, 9 “When Pharaoh tells you, 'Pe rform a miracle,' you are to say to Aaron, 'Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,' and it will become a serpent. a  ” 10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD had commanded. Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a serpent. 11 But Pharaoh called the wise men and sor-cerers and magicians of Egypt, and they also did the same things by their magic arts. 12 Each one threw down his staff, and it be-came a serpent. But Aaron 's staff swallowed up the other staffs. 13 Still, Pharaoh's heart was hardened,b   and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said. The First Plague: Blood 14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh's heart is unyielding; c   he refuses to let the peo-ple go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning as you see him walking out to the water. Wait on the bank of the Nile to meet him, and take in your hand the staff that was changed into a snake. 16 Then say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to tell you: Let My peo-ple go, so that they may worship Me in the wil-derness. But you have not listened until now. 17 This is what the LORD says: By this you will know that I am the LORD. Behold, w ith the staff in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will turn to blood. 18 The fish in 7 74 | Exodus 6:25 a 9 Hebrew tannin  ; here and in verse 10, in contrast to Moses' staff, which became a nachash in Exodus 4:3 and was noted again in Exodus 7:15 b 13 Or stiffened or strengthened  ; also in verse 22 c 14 Or heavy or stubborn

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the Nile will die, the river will stink, and the Egyptians will be unable to drink its water. '  ” 19 And the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, 'Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt —over their rivers and canals and ponds and reservoirs —that they may become blood. ' There will be blood throughout the land of Egypt, even in the ves-sels of wood and stone. ” 20 Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded; in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials, Aaron raised the staff a   and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was turned to blood. 21 The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyp-tians could not drink its water. And there was blood throughout the land of Egypt. 22 But the magicians of Egypt did the same things by their magic arts. So Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said. 23 Instead, Pharaoh turned around, went into his palace, and did not take any of th is to heart. 24 So all the Egyptians dug around the Nile for water to drink, because they could not drink the water from the river. 25 And seven full days passed after the LORD had struck the Nile. The Second Plague: Frogs Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and tell him that this is what the LORD says: 'Let My people go, so that they may worship Me. 2 But if you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole country with frogs. 3 The Nile will teem with frogs, and they will come into your palace and up to your bed-room and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and your people, and into your ovens and kneading bowls. 4 The frogs will come up on you and your people and all your officials. '  ” 5 And the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, 'Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers and canals and ponds, and cause the frogs to come up onto the land of Egypt. '  ” 6 So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egy pt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. 7 But the magicians did the same thing by their magic arts, and they also brought frogs up onto the land of Egypt. 8 Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray to the LORD to take the frogs away from me and my people. Then I will let your people go, that they may sacrifice to the LORD. ” 9 Moses said to Pharaoh, “You may have the honor over me. When shall I pray for you and your officials and your people that the frogs (except for those in the Nile) may be taken away from you and your houses?” 10 “Tomorrow,” Pharaoh answered. “May it be as you say,” Moses replied, “so that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God. 11 The frogs will depart from you and your houses and your offic ials and your people; they will remain only in the Nile. ” 12 After Moses and Aaron had left Pharaoh, Moses cried out to the LORD for help with the frogs that He had brought against Pharaoh. 13 And the LORD did as Moses requested, and the frogs in the hous es, the courtyards, and the fields died. 14 They were piled into countless heaps, and there was a terrible stench in the land. 15 When Pharaoh saw that there was relief, however, he hardened b   his heart and would 8 Exodus 8:15 | 75 a 20 Hebrew he raised the staff  ; see verse 19; some translators Mose s raised the staff  . b 15 Or mad e heavy  ; also in verse 32

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not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said. The Third Plague: Gnats 16 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, 'Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, that it may turn into swarms of gnats thro ughout the land of Egypt. '  ” 17 This they did, and when Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, gnats came upon man and beast. All the dust of the earth turned into gnats throughout the land of Egypt. 18 The magicians tried to produce gnats using their magic arts, but they could not. And the gnats remained on man and beast. 19 “This is the finger of God,” the magicians said to Pharaoh. But Pharaoh's heart was hardened,a   and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had sai d. The Fourth Plague: Flies 20 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, and when Pharaoh goes out to the water, stand before him and tell him that this is what the LORD says: 'Let My people go, so that they may worship Me. 21 But if you will not let My people go, I wil l send swarms of flies b   upon you and your officials and your people and your houses. The houses of the Egyptians and even the ground where they stand will be full of flies. 22 But on that day I will give special treatment to the land of Goshen, where My people live; no swarms of flies will be found there. In this way you will know that I, the LORD, am in the land. 23 I will make a distinction c   between My people and your people. This sign will take place tomorrow. '  ” 24 And the LORD did so. Thick swarms of flies poured into Pharaoh's palace and into the houses of his officials. Throughout Egypt the land was ruined by swarms of flies. 25 Then Pharaoh summo ned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within this land. ” 26 But Moses replied, “It would not be right to do that, because the sacrifices we offer to the LORD our God would be detestable to the Egyptians. If we offer sacrifices that are de-testable before the Egyptians, will they not stone us? 27 We must make a three-day jour-ney into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God as He commands us. ” 28 Pharaoh answered, “I will let you go and sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilder-ness, but you must not go very far. Now pray for me. ” 29 “As soon as I leave you,” Moses said, “I will pray to the LORD, so that tomorrow the swarms of flies will depart from Pharaoh and his officials and his people. But Pharaoh must not act deceitfully again by refusing to let the people go and sacrifice to the L ORD. ” 30 Then Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD, 31 and the LORD did as Moses re-quested. He removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh and his officials and his people; not one fly remained. 32 But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time as well, and h e would not let the people go. The Fifth Plague: Livestock Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and tell him that this is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: 'Let My people go, so that they may worship Me. 2 But 9 76 | Exodus 8:16 a 19 Or stiffened or strengthened   b 21 Literally a noxious mixture  ; also in verses 22, 24, 29, and 31 c 23 LXX and Vulgate; Hebrew I will set redemption

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if you continue to restrain them and refuse to let them go, 3 then the hand of the LORD will bring a severe plague on your livestock in the field —on your horses, donkeys, camels, herds, and flocks. 4 But the LORD will make a distinc-tion between the livest ock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die. '  ” 5 The LORD set a time, saying, “Tomorrow the LORD will do this in the land. ” 6 And the next day the LORD did just that. All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one animal belong-ing to the Israelites died. 7 Pharaoh sent officials and found that none of the livestock of the Israelites had died. But Pharaoh's heart was harden ed, a   and he would not let the people go. The Sixth Plague: Boils 8 Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from the furnace; in the sight of Pharaoh, Moses is to toss it into the air. 9 It will become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and festering boils will break out on man and beast throughout the land. ” 10 So they took soot from the furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Moses tossed it into the air, and festering boils broke out on man and beast. 11 The magicians could not stand before Moses, because the boils had broken out on them and on all th e Egyptians. 12 But the LORD hardened b   Pharaoh's heart, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said to Moses. The Seventh Plague: Hail 13 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, stand before Pharaoh, and tell him that this is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: 'Let My people go, so that they may worship Me. 14 Otherwise, I will send all My plagues against you c   and your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth. 15 For by this time I could have stretched out My hand and struck you and your people with a plague to wipe you off the earth. 16 But I have raised you up d   for this very purpose, that I might display My power to you,e   and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth. f 17 Still, you lord it over My people and do not allow them to go. 18 Behold, at this time tomorrow I will rain down the worst hail that has ever fallen on Egypt, from the day it was founded until now. 19 So give orders now to shelter your livestock and everything you have in the field. Every man or beast that remains in the field and is not brought inside will die when the hail comes down upon them. '  ” 20 Those among Pharaoh's officials who feared the word of the LORD hurried to bring their servants and livestock to shelter, 21 but those who disregarded the word of the LORD left their servants and livestock in the field. 22 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that hail may fall on all the land of Egypt— on man and beast and every plant of the field throughout the land of Egypt. ” 23 So Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and light ning struck the earth. So the LORD rained down hail upon the land of Egypt. 24 The hail fell and the lightning continued flashing through it. The hail was so severe that nothing like it had ever been seen in all the land of Egypt from the time it became a nation. Exodus 9:24 | 77 a 7 Or mad e heavy  ; also in verse 34 b 12 Or stiffened or strengthened  ; also in verse 35 c 14 Hebrew against your heart or against your inner man   d 16 Or have spared you   e 16 LXX in you   f 16 Cited in Romans 9:17

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25 Throughout the land of Egypt, the hail struck down everything in the field, both man and beast; it beat down every plant of the field and stripped every tree. 26 The only place where it did not hail was in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites lived. 27 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. “This time I have sinned,” he said. “The LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. 28 Pray to the LORD, for there has been enough of God's thunder and hail. I will let you go; you do not need to stay any longer. ” 29 Moses said to him, “When I have left the city, I will spread out my hands to the LORD. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth is the LORD's. 30 But as for you and your officials, I know that you still do not fear the LORD our God. ” 31 (Now the flax and barley were destroyed, since the barley was ripe and the flax was in bloom; 32 but the wheat and spelt were not de-stroyed, because they are late crops. ) 33 Then Moses departed from Pharaoh, went out of the city, and spread out his hands to the LORD. The thunder and hail ceased, and the rain no longer poured down on the land. 34 When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had ceased, he sinned again and hardened his heart —he and his officials. 35 So Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the LORD had said through Moses. The Eighth Plague: Locusts Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened  a   his heart and the hearts of his officials, that I may perform these miraculous signs of Mine among them, 2 and that you may tell your children and grandchildren how severely I dealt with the Egyptians when I performed miraculous signs among them, so that all of you may know that I am the LORD. ” 3 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and told him, “This is what t he LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: 'How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, so that they may worship Me. 4 But if you refuse to let My people go, I will bring locusts into your territory tomorrow. 5 They will cover the face of the land so that no one can see it. They will devour whatever is left after the hail and eat every tree that grows in your fields. 6 They will fill your houses and the houses of all your officials and every Egyptian —something neither your fathe rs nor your grandfathers have seen since the day they came into this land. '  ” Then Moses turned and left Pharaoh's pres-ence. 7 Pharaoh's officials asked him, “How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the people go, so that they may worship the LORD t heir God. Do you not yet realize that Egypt is in ruins?” 8 So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. “Go, worship the LORD your God,” he said. “But who exactly will be going?” 9 “We will go with our young and old,” Moses replied. “We will go with our sons and daugh-ters, and with our flocks and herds, for we must hold a feast to the LORD. ” 10 Then Pharaoh told them, “May the LORD be with you if I ever let you go with your little ones. Clearly you are bent on evil. 11 No, only the men may go and wo rship the LORD, since that is what you have been requesting. ” And Moses and Aaron were driven from Pharaoh's presence. 10 a 1 Or mad e heavy 78 | Exodus 9:25

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12 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt, so that the locusts may swarm over it and devour every plant in the land —everything that the hail has left behind. ” 13 So Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and throughout that day and night the LORD sent an east wind across the land. By morning the east wind had brought the locusts. 14 The locusts swarmed across the land and settled over the entire territory of Egypt. Never before had there been so many locusts, and never again will there be. 15 They covered the face of all the land until it was black, and they consumed all the plants on the ground and all the fruit on the trees that the hail had left behind. Nothing green was left on any tree or plant in all the land of Egypt. 16 Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aa-ron and said, “I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you. 17 Now please for-give my sin once more and appeal to the LORD your God, that He may remove this death from me. ” 18 So Moses left Pharaoh's presence and ap-pealed to the LORD. 19 And the LORD changed the wind to a very strong west wind that car-ried off the locusts and blew them into the Red Sea. a   Not a single locust remained anywhere in Egypt. 20 But the LO RD hardened b   Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let the Israelites go. The Ninth Plague: Darkness 21 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that dark-ness may spread over the land of Egypt —a palpable darkness. ” 22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and total darkness covered all the land of Egypt for three days. 23 No one could see anyone else, and for three days no one left his place. Yet all the Israelites had light in their dwellings. 24 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, “Go, worship the LORD. Even your little ones may go with you; only your flocks and he rds must stay behind. ” 25 But Moses replied, “You must also provide us with sacrifices and burnt offerings to present to the LORD our God. 26 Even our live-stock must go with us; not a hoof will be left behind, for we will need some of them to wor-ship the LORD our God, and we will not know how we are to worship the LORD until we arrive. ” 27 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he was unwilling to let them go. 28 “Depart from me!” Pharaoh said to Moses. “Make sure you never see my face again, for on the day you see my face, you will die. ” 29 “As you say,” Moses replied, “I will never see your face again. ” The Plague on the Firstborn Foretold Then the LORD said to Moses, “I will bring upon Pharaoh and Egypt one more plague. After that, he will allow you to leave this place. And when he lets you go, he will drive you out completely. 2 Now announce to the people that men and women alike should ask their neighbors for articles of silver and gold. ” 3 And the LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover, Moses him-self was highly regarded in Egypt by Pharaoh's officials and by the people. 11 Exodus 11: 3 | 79 a 19 Or the Sea of Reeds   b 20 Or stiffened or strengthened  ; also in verse 27

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4 So Moses declared, “This is what the LORD says: 'About midnight I will go throughout Egypt, 5 and every firstborn son in the land of Egypt will die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, to the firstborn of the servant girl behind the hand mill, as well as the firstborn of all the cattle. 6 Then a great cry will go out over all the land of Egypt. Such an outcry has never been heard before and will never be heard again. 7 But among all the Isra-elites, not even a dog will snarl at man or beast. ' a   Then you will know that the LORD makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel. 8 And all these officials of yours will come and bow be-fore me, saying, 'Go, you and all the people who follow you!' After that, I will depart. ” And hot with anger, Moses left Pharaoh's pres-ence. 9 The LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not listen to you, so that My wonders may be mul-tiplied in the land of Egypt. ” 10 Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the LORD hardened b Pharaoh's heart so that he would not let the Israelites go out of his land. The First Passover (Numbers 9:1-14) Now the LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2 “This month is the beginning of months for you; it shall be the first month of your year. 3 Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man must se-lect a lamb c   for his family, one per household. 4 If the household is too small for a whole lamb, they are to share with the nearest neighbor based on the nu mber of people, and apportion the lamb accordingly. 5 Your lamb must be an unblemished year-old male, and you may take it from the sheep or the goats. 6 You must keep it until the four-teenth day of the month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel will slaughter the animals at twilight. d   7 They are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes  e   of the houses where they eat the lambs. 8 They are to eat the meat that night, roasted over the fire, along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 9 Do not eat any of the meat raw or cooked in boiling water, but only roasted over the fire—its head and legs and inner parts. 10 Do not leave any of it until morning; before the morn-ing you must burn up any part that is left over. 11 This is how you are to eat it: You must be fully dressed for travel,f  with your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. You are to eat in haste; it is the LORD's Passover. 12 On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down e very firstborn male, both man and beast, and I will execute judg-ment against all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. 13 The blood on the houses where you are staying will distinguish them; when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No plague will fall on yo u to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. The Feas t of Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:4-8 ; Numbers 28:1 6-25 ; Deu teronomy 16:1-8) 14 And this day will be a memorial for you, and you are to celebrate it as a feast to the LORD, 12 80 | Exodus 11: 4 a 7 Some translators close this quotation at the end of the verse. b 10 Or stiffened or strengthened   c 3 The Hebrew word can mean lamb or kid  ; also in verse s 4 and 5. d 6 Hebrew between the two evenings   e 7 Literally on the two doorposts and on the lintel  ; similarly in verses 22 and 23 f 11 Literally Gird up your loins

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as a permanent statute for the generations to come. 15 For seven days you must eat unleav-ened bread. On the first day you are to remove the leaven from your houses. Whoever eats anything leavened from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from Israel. 16 On the first day you are to hold a sacred a s-sembly, and another on the seventh day. You must not do any work on those days, except to prepare the meals —that is all you may do. 17 So you are to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread,a   for on this very day I brought your di-visions out of the land of Egypt. You must keep this day as a permanent statute for the gener-ations to come. 18 In the first month you are to eat unleavened bread, from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day. 19 For seven days there must be no leaven found in your houses. If anyone eats something leavened, that person, whether a foreigner or native of the land, must be cut off from the congregation of Israel. 20 You are not to eat anything leavened; eat unleavened bread in all your homes. ” 21 Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and told them, “Go at once and select for yourselves a lamb for each family, and slaughter the Passover lamb. 22 Take a cluster of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin, and brush the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe. None of you shall go out the door of his house until morning. 23 When the LORD passes through to strike down the Egyptians, He will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway; so He will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down. 24 And you are to keep this command as a per-manent statute for you and your descendants. 25 When you enter the land that the LORD will give you as He promised, you are to keep this service. 26 When your children ask you, 'What does this service mean to you?' 27 you are to reply, 'It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt when He struck down the Egyptians and spared our homes. '  ” Then the people bowed down and worshiped. 28 And the Israelites went and did just what the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron. The Tenth Plague: Death of the Firstborn 29 Now at midnight the LORD struck down every firstborn male in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on his throne, to the firstborn of the pri soner in the dungeon, as well as all the firstborn among the livestock. 30 During the night Pharaoh got up —he and all his officials and all the Egyptians —and there was loud wailing in Egypt; for there was no house without someone dead. The Exodus Begins 31 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron by night and said, “Get up, leave m y people, both you and the Israelites! Go, worship the LORD as you have requested. 32 Take your flocks and herds as well, just as you have said, and depart! And bless me also. ” 33 And in order to send them out of the land quickly, the Egyptians urged the people on. “For otherwise,” they said, “we are all going to die!” 34 So the people took their dough before it was leavened, carrying it on their shoulders in kneading bowls wrapped in clothing. 35 Furthermore, the Israelites acted on Moses' word and asked the Egyptians for articles of Exodus 12: 35 | 81 a 17 That is, the seven-day period after the Passover during which no leaven may be eaten

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silver and gold, and for clothing. 36 And the LORD gave the people such favor in the sight of the Egyptians that they granted their re-quest. In this way they plundered the Egyp-tians. 37 The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Succoth a   with about 600,000 men on foot, b e-sides women and children. 38 And a mixed multitude also went up with them, along with great droves of livestock, both flocks and herds. 39 Since their dough had no leaven, the people baked what they had brought out of Egypt into unleavened loaves. For when they had been driven out of Egypt, they could not delay and had not prepared any provisions for them-selves. 40 Now the duration of the Israelites' stay in Egypt b   was 430 years. 41 At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, all the LORD's divisions went out of the land of Egypt. 42 Because the LORD kept a vigil that night to bring them out of the land of Egypt, this same night is to be a vigil to the LORD, to be observed by all th e Is-raelites for the generations to come. Instructions for the Passover 43 And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the statute of the Passover: No for-eigner is to eat of it. 44 But any slave who has been purchased may eat of it, after you have circumcised him. 45 A temporary resident or hired hand shall not eat the Passover. 46 It must be eaten inside one house. You are not to take any of the meat outside the house, and you may not break any of the bones. 47 The whole congregation of Israel must cele-brate it. 48 If a foreigner resides with you and wants to celebrate the LORD's Passover, all the males in the household must be circum-cised; then he may come near to celebrate it, and he shall be like a native of the land. But no uncircumcised man may eat of it. 49 The same law shall apply to both the native and the for-eigner who resides among you. ” 50 Then all the Israelites did this —they did just as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron. 51 And on that very day the LORD brought the Israelites out of the land of Egyp t by their divisions. The Dedication of the Firstborn (Deuteronomy 15:1 9-23) Then the LORD said to Moses, 2 “Con-secrate to Me every firstborn male. c   The firstborn from every womb among the Is-raelites belongs to Me, both of man and beast. ” 3 So Moses told the people, “Remember this day, the day you came out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; for the LORD brought you out of it by the strength of Hi s hand. And noth-ing leavened shall be eaten. 4 Today, in the month of Abib,d   you are leaving. 5 And when the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites —the land He swore to your fath ers that He would give you, a land flowing with milk and honey —you shall keep this ser-vice in this month. 6 For seven days you are to eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the LORD. 7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten durin g those seven days. Nothing leavened may be found among you, nor shall leaven be found anywhere within your borders. 13 82 | Exodus 12: 36 a 37 Succoth means booths or shelters or tabernacles  . b 40 MT; SP in Canaan and Egypt  ; LXX in Egypt and Canaan c 2 Cited in Luke 2:23 d 4 Abib was the first month of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar, usually occurring within the months of March and April.

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8 And on that day you are to explain to your son, 'This is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt. ' 9 It shall be a sign for you on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that the Law of the LORD is to be on your lips. For with a mighty hand the LORD brought you out of Egypt. 10 Therefore you shall keep this statute at the appointed time year after year. 11 And after the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites and gives it to you, as He swore to you and your fathers, 12 you a re to present to the LORD the firstborn male of every womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock belong to the LORD. 13 You must re-deem every firstborn donkey with a lamb, and if you do not redeem it, you are to break its neck. And every firstborn of your sons you must redeem. 14 In the future, when your son asks you, 'What does this mean?' you are to tell him, 'With a mighty hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 15 And when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both of man and beast. This is why I sacrifice to the LORD the firstborn male of every womb, but I redeem all the firstborn of my sons. ' 16 So it shall serve as a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehe ad, for with a mighty hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt. ” The Pillars of Cloud and Fire 17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them along the road through the land of the Philistines, though it was shorter. For God said, “If the people face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt. ” 18 So God led the people around by t he way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. a   And the Isra-elites left the land of Egypt arrayed for battle. b 19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear a solemn oath when he said, “God will surely attend to you, and then you must carry my bones with you from this place. ” c   20 They set out from Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness. 21 And the LORD went before them in a pillar of cloud to guide their way by day, and in a pillar of fire to give them light by night, so that they could travel by day or night. 22 Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place before the people. Pharaoh Pursues the Israelites Then the LORD said to Moses, 2 “Tell the Israelites to turn back and en-camp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. You are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal-zephon. 3 For Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, 'They are wandering the land in confusion; the wil-derness has boxed them in. ' 4 And I will harden d   Pharaoh's heart so that he will pur-sue them. But I will gain honor by means of Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD. ” So this is what the Israelites did. 5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Ph araoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, “What have we done? We have released Israel from serving us. ” 6 So Pharaoh prepared his chariot and took his army with him. 7 He took 600 of the best 14 Exodus 14: 7 | 83 a 18 Or the Sea of Reeds   b 18 LXX left the land of Egypt in the fifth generation   c 19 Genesis 50:25 d 4 Or stiffen or strengthen  ; similarly in verses 8 and 17

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chariots, and all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. 8 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out defiantly. a   9 The Egyptians —all Phara oh's horses and chariots, horsemen and troops —pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi-hahiroth, opposite Baal-zephon. 10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up and saw the Egyptians marching af-ter them, and they were terrified and cried out to the LORD. 11 They said to Moses, “Was it be-cause there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us into the wilderness to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Did we not say to you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone so that we may serve the Egyp-tians'? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness. ” 13 But Moses told the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the LORD's salva-tion, which He will ac complish for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. 14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still. ” Partin g th e Red Sea 15 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the Israelites to go for-ward. 16 And as for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. 17 And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. Then I will gain honor by means of Pha- raoh and all his army and chariots and horse-men. 18 The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I am honored through Pharaoh, his chari ots, and his horsemen. ” 19 And the angel b   of God, who had gone before the camp of Israel, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from be-fore them and stood behind them, 20 so that it came between the camps of Egypt and Israel. The cloud was there in the darkness, but it lit up the night. c   So all night long neither camp went near the other. 21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove back the sea with a strong east wind that turned it into dry land. So the water s were divided, 22 and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and on their left. 23 And the Egyptians chased after them —all Pharaoh's horses, chariots, and horsemen — and followed them into the sea. 24 At morni ng watch, however, the LORD looked down on the army of the Egyptians from the pillar of fire and cloud, and He threw their camp into confusion. 25 He caused their chariot wheels to wobble,d   so that they had difficulty driving. “Let u s flee from the Israelites,” said the Egyp-tians, “for the LORD is fighting for them against Egypt!” 26 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chari-ots and horsemen. ” 27 So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea returned to its normal state. As the Egyptians were retreating, the LORD swept them into the sea. 28 The waters flowed back and cov-ered the chariots and horsemen —the entire army of Ph araoh that had chased the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived. 29 But the Israelites had walked through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their 84 | Exodus 14: 8 a 8 Or marching out boldly  ; literally marching out with an upraised hand   b 19 Or Angel   c 20 LXX and the night passed   d 25 Or to swerve or to come off or to bind  ; see also SP, LXX, and Syriac.

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right and on their left. 30 That day the LORD saved Israel from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the shore. 31 When Israel saw the great power that the LORD had exercised over the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and believed in Him and in His serv ant Moses. The Song at the Sea (Judges 5: 1-31) Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD: “I will sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted. The horse and rider He has thrown into the sea. 2 The LORD is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise Him, my father's God, and I will exalt Him. 3 The LORD is a warrior, the LORD is His name. 4 Pharaoh's chariots and army He has cast into the sea; the finest of his officers are drowned in the Red Sea. a   5 The depths have covered them; they sank there like a stone. 6 Your right hand, O LORD, is majestic in power; Your right hand, O LORD, has shattered the enemy. 7 You overthrew Your adversaries by Your great majesty. You unleashed Your burning wrath; it consumed them like stubble. 8 At the blast of Your nostrils the waters piled up; like a wall the currents stood firm; the depths congealed in the heart of the sea. 9 The enemy declared, 'I will pursue, I will overtake. I will divide the spoils; I w ill gorge myself on them. I will draw my sword; my h and will destroy them. ' 10 But You blew with Your breath, and the sea covered them. They sank like lead in t he mighty waters. 11 Who among the gods is like You, O LORD? Who is like You —majestic in holiness, revered with praises, pe rforming wonders? 12 You stretched out Your right hand, and the earth swallowed them up. 13 With loving devotion b   You will lead the people You have redeemed; with Your strength You will guide them to Your holy dwelling. 14 The nations will hear and tremble; anguish will grip the dwellers of Philistia. 15 Then the chiefs of Edom will be dismayed; trembling will seize the leaders of Moab; those who dwell in Canaan will melt away, 16  and terror and dread will fall on them. By the power of Your arm th ey will be as still as a stone until Your people pass by, O LORD, un til th e people You have bought pass by. 17 You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of Your inheritance — 15 Exodus 15: 17 | 85 a 4 Or the Sea of Reeds  ; also in verse 22 b 13 Forms of the Hebrew chesed are translated here and in most cases throughout the Scriptures as loving devotion  ; the range of meaning includes love  , goodness  , kindness  , faithfulness  , and mercy  , as well as loyalty to a covenant  .

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the place, O LORD, You have prepared for Your dwelling, the sanctuary, O Lord, Your hands have established. 18 The LORD will reign forever and ever!” 19 For when Pharaoh's horses, chariots, and horsemen went into the sea, the LORD brought the waters of the sea back over them. But the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground. 20 Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her with tambourines and dancing. 21 And Miriam sang back to them: “Sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted; the horse and rider He has thrown into the sea. ” The Waters of Marah 22 Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the Desert of Shur. For three days they walked in the desert without find ing water. 23 And when they came to Marah,a   they could not drink the water there because it was bitter. (That is why it was named Marah. ) 24 So the people grumbled against Moses, say-ing, “What are we to drink?” 25 And Moses cried ou t to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a log. And when he cast it into the waters, they were sweetened. There the LORD made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He tested them, 26 saying, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His eyes, and pay attention to His com-mands, and keep all His statutes, then I will not bring on you any of the diseases I inflicted on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you. ” 27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they camped there by the waters. Manna and Quail from Heaven On the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left the lan d of Egypt, the whole congregation of Israel set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, b which is between Elim and Sinai. 2 And there in the desert they all grumbled against Moses and Aaron. 3 “If only we had died by the LORD's hand in the land of Egypt!” they said. “There we sat by pots of meat and ate our fill of bread, but you have brought us into this de-sert to starve this whole assembly to death!” 4 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test whether or not they will follow My instruc-tions. 5 Then on the sixth day, when they pre-pare what they bring in, it will be t wice as much as they gather on the other days. ” 6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “This evening you will know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, 7 and in the morning you will see the LORD's glory, because He has heard your grumbling against Him. For who are we that you should grumble against us?” 8 And Moses added, “The LORD will give you meat to eat this evening and bread to fill you in the morning, for He has heard your grumbling against Him. Who are we? Your grumblings are not against us but against the LORD. ” 16 a 23 Marah means bitter  . b 1 The geographical name Sin is related to Sinai and should not be mistaken for the English word sin  . 86 | Exodus 15: 18

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9 Then Moses said to Aaron, “Tell the whole congregation of Israel, 'Come before the LORD, for He has heard your grumbling. '  ” 10 And as Aaron was speaking to the whole congregation of Israel, they looked toward the desert, and there in a cloud the glory of the LORD appeared. 11 Then the LORD said to Moses, 12 “I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, 'At twilight a   you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God. '  ” 13 That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14 When the layer of dew had evaporated, there were thin flakes on the desert floor, as fine as frost on the ground. 15 When the Israelites saw it, they asked one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. So Moses told them, “It is the bre ad that the LORD has given you to eat. 16 This is what the LORD has commanded: 'Each one is to gather as much as he needs. You may take an omer b for each person in your tent. '  ” 17 So the Israelites did this. Some gathered more, and some less. 18 When they measured it by the omer, he who gathered much had no excess, and he who gathered little had no shortfall. c   Each one gathered as much as he needed to eat. 19 Then Moses said to them, “No one may keep any of it until morning. ” 20 But they did not lis-ten to Moses; some people left part of it until morning, and it became infested with maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them. 21 Every morning each one gathered as much as was needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away. The Sabbath Observed (Genesis 2: 1-3 ; Hebrews 4:1-11) 22 On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much food —two omers per person d  —and all the leaders of the congregation came and re-ported this to Moses. 23 He told them, “This is what the LORD has said: 'Tomorrow is to be a day of complete rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. So bake what you want to bake, and boil what you want to boil. Then set aside what-ever remains and keep it until morning. '  ” 24 So they set it aside until morning as Moses had commanded, and it did not smell or con-tain any maggots. 25 “Eat it today,” Moses said, “because today is a Sabbath to the LORD. Today you w ill not find anything in the field. 26 For six days you may gather, but on the sev-enth day, the Sabbath, it will not be there. ” 27 Yet on the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they did not find any-thing. 28 Then the LORD said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep My command-ments and instructions? 29 Understand that the LORD has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day He will give you bread for two days. On the seventh day, everyone must stay where he is; no one may leave his place. ” 30 So the people rested on the seventh day. The Jar of Manna 31 Now the house of Israel called the bread manna. e   It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey. 32 Moses said, “This is what the LORD has commanded: 'Keep an omer of manna for the generations to Exodus 16: 32 | 87 a 12 Hebrew Between the two evenings   b 16 An omer is approximately 2 dry quarts or 2. 2 liters; also in verses 18, 32, 33, and 36. c 18 Cited in 2 Corinthians 8:15 d 22 2 omers is approximately 4 dry quarts or 4. 4 liters per person. e 31 Manna sounds like the Hebrew for Wha t is it? (see verse 15).

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come, so that they may see the bread I fed you in the wilderness when I brought you out of the land of Egypt. '  ” 33 So Moses told Aaron, “Take a jar and fill it with an omer of manna. Then place it before the LORD to be preserved for the generations to come. ” 34 And Aaron placed it in front of the Testimony,a   to be preserved just as the LORD had c ommanded Moses. 35 The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a land where they could settle; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan. 36 (Now an omer is a tenth of an ephah. ) b Water from the Rock (Numbers 20:1-13) Then the whole congregation of Is-rael left the Desert of Sin, c   moving from place to place as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 So the people contended with Moses, “Give us water to drink. ” “Why do you contend with me?” Moses re-plied. “Why do you test the LORD?” 3 But the people thirsted for water there, and they grumbled against Moses: “Why have you brought us out of Egypt —to ma ke us and our children and livestock die of thirst?” 4 Then Moses cried out to the LORD, “What should I do with these people? A little more and they will stone me!” 5 And the LORD said to Moses, “Walk on ahead of the people and take some of the elders of Is-rael with you. Take along in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 Behold, I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. d   And when you strike the rock, water will come out of it for the people to drink. ” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 He named the place Massah e   and Meribah f  because the Israelites quarreled, and because they tested the LORD, saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?” The Defeat of the Amalekites 8 After this, the Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. 9 So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on the hilltop with the staff of God in my hand. ” 10 Joshua did as Moses had instructed him and fought against the Amalekites, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, Israel prevailed; but when he lowered them, Amalek prevailed. 12 When Moses' hands grew heavy, they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Then Aaron and Hur held his hands up, one on each side, so that his hands remained steady until the sun went down. 13 So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his army with the sword. 14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as a reminder and recite it to Joshua, because I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven. ” 15 And Moses built an altar and named it The LORD Is My Banner. g   16 “Indeed,” he said, “a hand was lifted up toward the throne of the LORD. The LORD will war against Amalek from generation to generation. ” 17 88 | Exodus 16:33 a 34 The Testimony refers to the stone tablets in the ark of the covenant inscribed wi th the Ten Commandments. b 36 An ephah was a dry measure having the capacity of about 20 dry quarts or 22 liters. c 1 The geographical name Sin is related to Sinai and should not be mistaken for the English word sin  . d 6 Horeb is another name for Sinai. e 7 Massah means testing  . f 7 Meribah means quarreling  . g 15 Hebrew YHWH Nissi  

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The Visit of Jethro Now Moses' father-in-law Jethro,a   the priest of Midian, heard about all that God had done for Moses and His people Israel, and how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt. 2 After Moses had sent back his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro had received her, 3 along with her two sons. One son was named Gershom,b   for Moses had said, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land. ” 4 The other son was named Eliezer,c   for Moses had said, “The God of my father was my helper and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh. ” 5 Moses' father-in-law Jethro, along with Mo-ses' wife and sons, came to him in the desert, where he was encamped at the mountain of God. 6 He sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons. ” 7 So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other and went into the tent. 8 Then Moses recounted to his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and the Egypti ans for Israel's sake, all the hardships they had encountered along the way, and how the LORD had delivered them. 9 And Jethro rejoiced over all the good things the LORD had done for Israel, whom He had rescued from the hand of the Egyptians. 10 Jethro declared, “Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you from the hand of the Egyp-tians and of Pharaoh, and who has delivered the people from the hand of the Egyptians. 11 Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods, for He did this when they treated Israel with arrogance. ” 12 Then Moses' father-in-law Jethro brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law in the pres-ence of God. Jethro Advises Moses (Deuteronomy 1: 9-18) 13 The next day Moses t ook his seat to judge the people, and they stood around him from morning until evening. 14 When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the peo-ple, he asked, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone as judge, with al l the people standing around you from morning till evening?” 15 “Because the people come to me to inquire of God,” Moses replied. 16 “Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me to judge be-tween one man and another, and I make known to them the stat utes and laws of God. ” 17 But Moses' father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. 18 Surely you and these people with you will wear yourselves out, because the task is too heavy for you. You cannot handle it alone. 19 Now listen to me; I will give you some ad-vice, and may God be with you. You must be the people's representative before God and bring their causes to Him. 20 Teach them the statutes and laws, and show them the way to live and the work they must do. 21 Furthermore, select capable men from among the people —God-fearing, trustworthy men who are averse to dishonest gain. Ap-point them over the people as leaders of thou-sands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 22 Have these men judge the people at all time s. Then they can bring you any major 18 Exodus 18: 22 | 89 a 1 Moses' father-in-law Jethro was also called Reuel  ; see Exodus 2:18. b 3 Gershom sounds like the Hebrew for sojourner  . c 4 Eliezer means God is my helper  .

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issue, but all minor cases they can judge on their own, so that your load may be lightened as they share it with you. 23 If you follow this advice and God so directs you, then you will be abl e to endure, and all these people can go home in peace. ” 24 Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. 25 So Moses chose capable men from all Israel and made them heads over the people as leaders of thousands, of hun-dreds, of fifties, and of tens. 26 And they judged the people at all times; they would bring the difficult cases to Moses, but any minor issue they would judge themselves. 27 Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own land. Israel at Moun t Sinai In the third month, on the same day of the month a   that the Israelites had left the land of Egypt, they came to the Wilderness of Sinai. 2 After they had set out from Rephidim, they entered the Wilderness of Sinai, and Israel camped there in front of the mountain. 3 Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain, “This is what you are to tell the house of Jacob and explain to the sons of Israel: 4 'You have seen for yourselves what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself. 5 Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations — for the whole earth is Mine. 6 And unto Me you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy na-tion. ' These are the words that you are to speak to the Israelites. ” 7 So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the LORD had commanded him. 8 And all the people answered together, “We will do everything that the LORD has spo-ken. ” So Moses brought their words back to the LORD. 9 The LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear when I speak with you, and they will al-ways put their trust in you. ” And Moses relayed to the LORD what the peo-ple had said. 10 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomor-row. They must wash their clothes 11 and be prepared by the third day, for on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. 12 And you are to set up a boundary for the people around the mountain and tell them, 'Be careful not to go up on the mountain or touch its base. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. 13 No hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot with arrows —whether man or beast, he must not live. '  b Only when the ram's horn sounds a long blast may they approach the mountain. c  ” 14 When Moses came down from the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes. 15 “Be prepared for the third day,” he said to the people. “Do not draw near to a woman. ” The LORD Visits Sinai 16 On the third day, when morning came, there was thunder and lightning. A thick cloud was upon the mountain, and a very loud blast of the ram's horn went out, so that all the people 1990 | Exodus 18:23 a 1 Hebrew In the third month, on the same day  ; that is, two months after leaving Egypt; see Numbers 33:3. b 13 Cited in Hebrews 12:20 c 13 Or may they go up on the mountain

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in the camp trembled. 17 Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 Mount Sinai was completely enveloped in smoke, because the LORD had descended on it in fire. An d the smoke rose like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked vio-lently. 19 And as the sound of the ram's horn grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him in the thunder. 20 The LORD descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the summit. So Moses went up, 21 and the LORD said to him, “Go down and warn the people not to break through to see the LORD, lest many of them perish. 22 Even the priests who approach the LORD must consecrate themselves, or the LORD will break out against them. ” 23 But Moses said to the LORD, “The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, for You solemnly warned us, 'Put a boundary around the moun-tain and set it apart as holy. '  ” 24 And the LOR D replied, “Go down and bring Aaron with you. But the priests and the people must not break through to come up to the LORD, or He will break out against them. ” 25 So Moses went down to the people and spoke to them. The Ten Commandments (Deuteronomy 5:6-21) And God spoke all these words: 2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3 You shall have no other gods before Me. a   4 You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters be-neath. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the f athers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing loving devotion to a thousand generations b   of those who love Me and keep My commandments. 7 You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave anyone unpunished who takes His name in vain. 8 Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labo r and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sab-bath to the LORD your God, on which you must not do any work —neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your man-servant or maidservant or livestock, nor the foreigner within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them, but on the seventh day He rested. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy. 12 Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. c   13 You shall not murder. d   14 You shall not commit adultery. e 15 You shall not steal. f 16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. g 20 a 3 Or besides Me   b 6 Or to thousands   c 12 Cited in Matthew 15:4, Matthew 19:19, Mark 7:10, Luke 18:20, and Ephe-sians 6: 2-3 d 13 Cited in Matthew 5:21, Matthew 19:18, Mark 10:19, Luke 18:20, Romans 13:9, and James 2:11 e 14 Cited in Matthew 5:27, Matthew 19:18, Mark 10:19, Luke 18:20, Romans 13:9, and James 2:11 f 15 Cited in Mat-thew 19:18, Mark 10:19, Luke 18:20, and Romans 13:9 g 16 Cited in Matthew 19:18, Mark 10:19, and Luke 18:20 Exodus 20: 16 | 91

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17 You shall not covet a   your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, or his ox or donkey, or anything that be-longs to your neighbor. ” Moses Comforts the People (Deuteronomy 5:2 2-33 ; Hebrews 12:1 8-29) 18 When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sounding of the ram's horn, and the mountain enveloped in smoke, they trembled and stood at a distance. 19 “Speak to us yourself and we will listen,” they said to Moses. “But do not let God speak to us, or we will die. ” 20 “Do not be afraid,” Moses replied. “For God has come to test you, so that the fear of Him may be before you, to keep you from sinning. ” 21 And the people stood at a distance as Moses approached the thick darkness where God was. Idolatr y Forbidden (1 Corinthians 10:1 4-22) 22 Then the LORD said to Moses, “This is what you are to tell the Israelites: 'You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven. 23 You are not to make any gods along-side Me; you are not to ma ke for yourselves gods of silver or gold. 24 You are to make for Me an altar of earth, and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and peace offerings, your sheep and goats and cattle. In every place where I cause My name to be re-membered, I will come to you and bless you. 25 Now if you make an altar of stones for Me, you must not build it with stones shaped by tools; for if you use a chisel on it, you will defile it. 26 And you must not go up to My altar on steps, lest your nakedness be exposed on it. ' Hebrew Servants (Deuter onomy 15:1 2-18) “These are the ordinances that you are to set before them: 2 If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free without paying anything. 3 If he arrived alone, he is to leave alone; if he arrived with a wife, she is to leave with him. 4 If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her chil-dren shall belong to her master, and only the man shall go free. 5 But if the servant declares, 'I love my mas ter and my wife and children; I do not want to go free,' 6 then his master is to bring him before the judges. b   And he shall take him to the door or doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he shall serve his master for life. 7 And if a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free as the menservants do. 8 If she is displeasing in the eyes of her master who had designated her for himself,c   he must allow her to be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to foreigners, since he has broken faith with her. 9 And if he chooses her for his son, he must deal with her as with a daught er. 10 If he takes another wife, he must not reduce the food, clothing, or marital rights of his first wife. 11 If, however, he does not provide her with these three things, she is free to go with-out monetary payment. Personal Injury Laws 12 Whoever stri kes and kills a man must surely be put to death. 13 If, however, he did not lie in wait, but God allowed it to happen, then I will appoint for you a place where he may flee. 21 92 | Exodus 20:17 a 17 Cited in Romans 7:7 and Romans 13:9 b 6 Or before God   c 8 Or so that he does not designat e her for himself

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