In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was
upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon
the face of the waters.
And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the
light from the darkness.
And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called
Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the
waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were
under the firmament from the waters which were above the
firmament: and it was so.
And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the
morning were the second day.
And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered
together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it
was so.
And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together
of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.
And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb
yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his
kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed
after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in
itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
And the evening and the morning were the third day.
And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the
heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for
signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to
give light upon the earth: and it was so.
And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the
day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars
also.
And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light
upon the earth,
And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the
light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.
And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving
creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth
in the open firmament of heaven.
And God created great whales, and every living creature that
moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their
kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that
it was good.
And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and
fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the
earth.
And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.
And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature
after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the
earth after his kind: and it was so.
And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle
after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth
after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our
likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea,
and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over
all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth
upon the earth.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God
created he him; male and female created he them.
And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and
multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have
dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the
air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing
seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree,
in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it
shall be for meat.
And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air,
and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there
is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was
so.
And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was
very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host
of them.
And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made;
and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he
had made.
And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because
that in it he had rested from all his work which God created
and made.
These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when
they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth
and the heavens,
And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and
every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had
not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man
to till the ground.
But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole
face of the ground.
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and
breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became
a living soul.
And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there
he put the man whom he had formed.
And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree
that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of
life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of
knowledge of good and evil.
And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from
thence it was parted, and became into four heads.
The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth
the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold;
And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the
onyx stone.
And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that
compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia.
And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which
goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is
Euphrates.
And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of
Eden to dress it and to keep it.
And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of
the garden thou mayest freely eat:
But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt
not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou
shalt surely die.
And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be
alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the
field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam
to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called
every living creature, that was the name thereof.
And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air,
and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not
found an help meet for him.
And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he
slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh
instead thereof;
And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a
woman, and brought her unto the man.
And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my
flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of
Man.
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and
shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not
ashamed.
Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field
which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea,
hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit
of the trees of the garden:
But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the
garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall
ye touch it, lest ye die.
And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your
eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good
and evil.
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and
that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to
make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and
gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they
were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made
themselves aprons.
And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden
in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves
from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the
garden.
And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where
art thou?
And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was
afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.
And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou
eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou
shouldest not eat?
And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me,
she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou
hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I
did eat.
And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done
this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast
of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt
thou eat all the days of thy life:
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between
thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou
shalt bruise his heel.
Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and
thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and
thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over
thee.
And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the
voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I
commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is
the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all
the days of thy life;
Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and
thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou
return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for
dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the
mother of all living.
Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of
skins, and clothed them.
And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us,
to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand,
and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden,
to till the ground from whence he was taken.
So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the
garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned
every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain,
and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.
And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of
sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of
the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.
And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and
of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to
his offering:
But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain
was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is
thy countenance fallen?
If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou
doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be
his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass,
when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel
his brother, and slew him.
And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he
said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?
And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's
blood crieth unto me from the ground.
And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her
mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand;
When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield
unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou
be in the earth.
And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I
can bear.
Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the
earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a
fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to
pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.
And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain,
vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a
mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.
And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in
the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.
And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and
he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the
name of his son, Enoch.
And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael: and
Mehujael begat Methusael: and Methusael begat Lamech.
And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was
Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.
And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in
tents, and of such as have cattle.
And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all
such as handle the harp and organ.
And Zillah, she also bare Tubalcain, an instructer of every
artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubalcain was
Naamah.
And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my
voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have
slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt.
If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and
sevenfold.
And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called
his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another
seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.
And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called
his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the
LORD.
This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that
God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;
Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called
their name Adam, in the day when they were created.
And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in
his own likeness, and after his image; and called his name
Seth:
And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight
hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters:
And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty
years: and he died.
And Seth lived an hundred and five years, and begat Enos:
And Seth lived after he begat Enos eight hundred and seven
years, and begat sons and daughters:
And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years:
and he died.
And Enos lived ninety years, and begat Cainan:
And Enos lived after he begat Cainan eight hundred and fifteen
years, and begat sons and daughters:
And all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years: and
he died.
And Cainan lived seventy years and begat Mahalaleel:
And Cainan lived after he begat Mahalaleel eight hundred and
forty years, and begat sons and daughters:
And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years:
and he died.
And Mahalaleel lived sixty and five years, and begat Jared:
And Mahalaleel lived after he begat Jared eight hundred and
thirty years, and begat sons and daughters:
And all the days of Mahalaleel were eight hundred ninety and
five years: and he died.
And Jared lived an hundred sixty and two years, and he begat
Enoch:
And Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years, and
begat sons and daughters:
And all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and two
years: and he died.
And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah:
And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three
hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:
And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five
years:
And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.
And Methuselah lived an hundred eighty and seven years, and
begat Lamech.
And Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech seven hundred
eighty and two years, and begat sons and daughters:
And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and
nine years: and he died.
And Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a
son:
And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort
us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the
ground which the LORD hath cursed.
And Lamech lived after he begat Noah five hundred ninety and
five years, and begat sons and daughters:
And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and
seven years: and he died.
And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham,
and Japheth.
And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of
the earth, and daughters were born unto them,
That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were
fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man,
for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred
and twenty years.
There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after
that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men,
and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men
which were of old, men of renown.
And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth,
and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was
only evil continually.
And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth,
and it grieved him at his heart.
And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from
the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping
thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I
have made them.
But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and
perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.
And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was
filled with violence.
And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt;
for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before
me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and,
behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the
ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.
And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The
length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth
of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.
A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou
finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the
side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou
make it.
And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the
earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life,
from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall
die.
But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt
come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy
sons' wives with thee.
And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort
shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee;
they shall be male and female.
Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of
every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every
sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.
And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou
shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee,
and for them.
Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did
he.
And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into
the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this
generation.
Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the
male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two,
the male and his female.
Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female;
to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth.
For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth
forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I
have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.
And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him.
And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters
was upon the earth.
And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons'
wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the
flood.
Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of
fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth,
There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and
the female, as God had commanded Noah.
And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the
flood were upon the earth.
In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month,
the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the
fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of
heaven were opened.
And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.
In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and
Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three
wives of his sons with them, into the ark;
They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after
their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the
earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every
bird of every sort.
And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all
flesh, wherein is the breath of life.
And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh,
as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in.
And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters
increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the
earth.
And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the
earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters.
And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all
the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were
covered.
Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the
mountains were covered.
And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl,
and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that
creepeth upon the earth, and every man:
All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was
in the dry land, died.
And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the
face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping
things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed
from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that
were with him in the ark.
And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty
days.
And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the
cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to
pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged;
The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were
stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained;
And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and
after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were
abated.
And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth
day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.
And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in
the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops
of the mountains seen.
And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened
the window of the ark which he had made:
And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until
the waters were dried up from off the earth.
Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were
abated from off the face of the ground;
But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she
returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the
face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took
her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark.
And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth
the dove out of the ark;
And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her
mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the
waters were abated from off the earth.
And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove;
which returned not again unto him any more.
And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in
the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were
dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of
the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was
dry.
And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the
month, was the earth dried.
And God spake unto Noah, saying,
Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy
sons' wives with thee.
Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of
all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping
thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed
abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon
the earth.
And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons'
wives with him:
Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and
whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went
forth out of the ark.
And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every
clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt
offerings on the altar.
And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his
heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's
sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his
youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living,
as I have done.
While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and
heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not
cease.
And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be
fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.
And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every
beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all
that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the
sea; into your hand are they delivered.
Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as
the green herb have I given you all things.
But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof,
shall ye not eat.
And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the
hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man;
at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of
man.
Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed:
for in the image of God made he man.
And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly
in the earth, and multiply therein.
And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying,
And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your
seed after you;
And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl,
of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from
all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth.
And I will establish my covenant with you, neither shall all
flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither
shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.
And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make
between me and you and every living creature that is with you,
for perpetual generations:
I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a
covenant between me and the earth.
And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the
earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:
And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you
and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall
no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.
And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it,
that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and
every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.
And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant,
which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon
the earth.
And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem,
and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan.
These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole
earth overspread.
And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:
And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was
uncovered within his tent.
And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his
father, and told his two brethren without.
And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both
their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness
of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw
not their father's nakedness.
And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son
had done unto him.
And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he
be unto his brethren.
And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall
be his servant.
God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of
Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years.
And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years:
and he died.
Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham,
and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood.
The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan,
and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.
And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah.
And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and
Dodanim.
By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their
lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in
their nations.
And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan.
And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and
Raamah, and Sabtechah: and the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and
Dedan.
And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the
earth.
He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said,
Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.
And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and
Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and
the city Rehoboth, and Calah,
And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city.
And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and
Naphtuhim,
And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (out of whom came Philistim,) and
Caphtorim.
And Canaan begat Sidon his first born, and Heth,
And the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgasite,
And the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite,
And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite: and
afterward were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad.
And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as thou
comest to Gerar, unto Gaza; as thou goest, unto Sodom, and
Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, even unto Lasha.
These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their
tongues, in their countries, and in their nations.
Unto Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the
brother of Japheth the elder, even to him were children born.
The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud,
and Aram.
And the children of Aram; Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash.
And Arphaxad begat Salah; and Salah begat Eber.
And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg;
for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother's name
was Joktan.
And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and
Jerah,
And Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah,
And Obal, and Abimael, and Sheba,
And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab: all these were the sons of
Joktan.
And their dwelling was from Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar a
mount of the east.
These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their
tongues, in their lands, after their nations.
These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their
generations, in their nations: and by these were the nations
divided in the earth after the flood.
And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.
And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that
they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt
there.
And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and
burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime
had they for morter.
And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower,
whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name,
lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.
And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which
the children of men builded.
And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have
all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing
will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.
Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that
they may not understand one another's speech.
So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of
all the earth: and they left off to build the city.
Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did
there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence
did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the
earth.
These are the generations of Shem: Shem was an hundred years
old, and begat Arphaxad two years after the flood:
And Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years, and
begat sons and daughters.
And Arphaxad lived five and thirty years, and begat Salah:
And Arphaxad lived after he begat Salah four hundred and three
years, and begat sons and daughters.
And Salah lived thirty years, and begat Eber:
And Salah lived after he begat Eber four hundred and three
years, and begat sons and daughters.
And Eber lived four and thirty years, and begat Peleg:
And Eber lived after he begat Peleg four hundred and thirty
years, and begat sons and daughters.
And Peleg lived thirty years, and begat Reu:
And Peleg lived after he begat Reu two hundred and nine years,
and begat sons and daughters.
And Reu lived two and thirty years, and begat Serug:
And Reu lived after he begat Serug two hundred and seven
years, and begat sons and daughters.
And Serug lived thirty years, and begat Nahor:
And Serug lived after he begat Nahor two hundred years, and
begat sons and daughters.
And Nahor lived nine and twenty years, and begat Terah:
And Nahor lived after he begat Terah an hundred and nineteen
years, and begat sons and daughters.
And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and
Haran.
Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram,
Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot.
And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his
nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees.
And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram's wife
was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter
of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah.
But Sarai was barren; she had no child.
And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his
son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's
wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees,
to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and
dwelt there.
And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and
Terah died in Haran.
Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country,
and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land
that I will shew thee:
And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee,
and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that
curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be
blessed.
So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot
went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when
he departed out of Haran.
And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and
all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that
they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the
land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.
And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem,
unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the
land.
And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will
I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD,
who appeared unto him.
And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of
Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and
Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD,
and called upon the name of the LORD.
And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south.
And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into
Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the
land.
And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into
Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know
that thou art a fair woman to look upon:
Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see
thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will
kill me, but they will save thee alive.
Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with
me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.
And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the
Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair.
The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before
Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.
And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep,
and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and
she asses, and camels.
And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues
because of Sarai Abram's wife.
And Pharaoh called Abram and said, What is this that thou hast
done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy
wife?
Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her
to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go
thy way.
And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent
him away, and his wife, and all that he had.
And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that
he had, and Lot with him, into the south.
And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.
And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel,
unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning,
between Bethel and Hai;
Unto the place of the altar, which he had make there at the
first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD.
And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds,
and tents.
And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell
together: for their substance was great, so that they could
not dwell together.
And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram's cattle
and the herdmen of Lot's cattle: and the Canaanite and the
Perizzite dwelled then in the land.
And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee,
between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen;
for we be brethren.
Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray
thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go
to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will
go to the left.
And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of
Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD
destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD,
like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.
Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed
east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.
Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the
cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.
But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD
exceedingly.
And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated
from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place
where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and
westward:
For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and
to thy seed for ever.
And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if
a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed
also be numbered.
Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the
breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.
Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain
of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto
the LORD.
And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar,
Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal
king of nations;
That these made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha
king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of
Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar.
All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim, which is
the salt sea.
Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth
year they rebelled.
And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings
that were with him, and smote the Rephaims in Ashteroth
Karnaim, and the Zuzims in Ham, and the Emins in Shaveh
Kiriathaim,
And the Horites in their mount Seir, unto Elparan, which is by
the wilderness.
And they returned, and came to Enmishpat, which is Kadesh, and
smote all the country of the Amalekites, and also the
Amorites, that dwelt in Hazezontamar.
And there went out the king of Sodom, and the king of
Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and
the king of Bela (the same is Zoar;) and they joined battle
with them in the vale of Siddim;
With Chedorlaomer the king of Elam, and with Tidal king of
nations, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of
Ellasar; four kings with five.
And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits; and the kings of
Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that
remained fled to the mountain.
And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all
their victuals, and went their way.
And they took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom,
and his goods, and departed.
And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the
Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite,
brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were
confederate with Abram.
And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he
armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three
hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.
And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by
night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is
on the left hand of Damascus.
And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his
brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the
people.
And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return
from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were
with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale.
And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine:
and he was the priest of the most high God.
And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most
high God, possessor of heaven and earth:
And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine
enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons,
and take the goods to thyself.
And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand
unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and
earth,
That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and
that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou
shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:
Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion
of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let
them take their portion.
After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a
vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy
exceeding great reward.
And Abram said, LORD God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go
childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of
Damascus?
And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and,
lo, one born in my house is mine heir.
And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This
shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of
thine own bowels shall be thine heir.
And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward
heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them:
and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for
righteousness.
And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of
Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.
And he said, LORD God, whereby shall I know that I shall
inherit it?
And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old,
and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years
old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.
And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst,
and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided
he not.
And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove
them away.
And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram;
and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.
And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall
be a stranger in a land that is not their's, and shall serve
them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;
And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and
afterward shall they come out with great substance.
And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be
buried in a good old age.
But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for
the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.
And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was
dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed
between those pieces.
In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying,
Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt
unto the great river, the river Euphrates:
The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,
And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,
And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and
the Jebusites.
Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an
handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.
And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath
restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid;
it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram
hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after
Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her
to her husband Abram to be his wife.
And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw
that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.
And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given
my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had
conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between
me and thee.
But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thine hand;
do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly
with her, she fled from her face.
And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in
the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.
And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence camest thou? and
whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my
mistress Sarai.
And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy
mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.
And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy
seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.
And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with
child and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael;
because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man,
and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the
presence of all his brethren.
And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou
God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him
that seeth me?
Wherefore the well was called Beerlahairoi; behold, it is
between Kadesh and Bered.
And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son's name,
which Hagar bare, Ishmael.
And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare
Ishmael to Abram.
And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD
appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God;
walk before me, and be thou perfect.
And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will
multiply thee exceedingly.
And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,
As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be
a father of many nations.
Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name
shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made
thee.
And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make
nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.
And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy
seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting
covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the
land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for
an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.
And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant
therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.
This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you
and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be
circumcised.
And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it
shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.
And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you,
every man child in your generations, he that is born in the
house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of
thy seed.
He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy
money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in
your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is
not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people;
he hath broken my covenant.
And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt
not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.
And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I
will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of
people shall be of her.
Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his
heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years
old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?
And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before
thee!
And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and
thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my
covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his
seed after him.
And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed
him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him
exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make
him a great nation.
But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall
bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.
And he left off talking with him, and God went up from
Abraham.
And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in
his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male
among the men of Abraham's house; and circumcised the flesh of
their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him.
And Abraham was ninety years old and nine, when he was
circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was
circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his
son.
And all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought
with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him.
And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he
sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood
by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the
tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,
And said, My LORD, if now I have found favour in thy sight,
pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:
Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your
feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:
And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your
hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come
to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.
And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make
ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make
cakes upon the hearth.
And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and
good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.
And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had
dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under
the tree, and they did eat.
And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said,
Behold, in the tent.
And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to
the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son.
And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.
Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and
it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am
waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?
And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh,
saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?
Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I
will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and
Sarah shall have a son.
Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid.
And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.
And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and
Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.
And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which
I do;
Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty
nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in
him?
For I know him, that he will command his children and his
household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD,
to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon
Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is
great, and because their sin is very grievous;
I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether
according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not,
I will know.
And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward
Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.
And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the
righteous with the wicked?
Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt
thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty
righteous that are therein?
That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the
righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as
the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all
the earth do right?
And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within
the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.
And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon
me to speak unto the LORD, which am but dust and ashes:
Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous:
wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said,
If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it.
And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there
shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for
forty's sake.
And he said unto him, Oh let not the LORD be angry, and I will
speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he
said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.
And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto
the LORD: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And
he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake.
And he said, Oh let not the LORD be angry, and I will speak
yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And
he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake.
And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing
with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.
And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the
gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and
he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;
And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into
your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet,
and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they
said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.
And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him,
and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did
bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.
But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of
Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the
people from every quarter:
And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men
which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that
we may know them.
And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door
after him,
And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.
Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let
me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as
is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for
therefore came they under the shadow of my roof.
And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one
fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now
will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed
sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door.
But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the
house to them, and shut to the door.
And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with
blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied
themselves to find the door.
And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in
law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast
in the city, bring them out of this place:
For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is
waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath
sent us to destroy it.
And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which
married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this
place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as
one that mocked unto his sons in law.
And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot,
saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are
here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.
And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and
upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two
daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought
him forth, and set him without the city.
And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad,
that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee,
neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain,
lest thou be consumed.
And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my LORD:
Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and
thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me
in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest
some evil take me, and I die:
Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little
one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and
my soul shall live.
And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning
this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the
which thou hast spoken.
Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do anything till thou
be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called
Zoar.
The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar.
Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone
and fire from the LORD out of heaven;
And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the
inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the
ground.
But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a
pillar of salt.
And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he
stood before the LORD:
And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the
land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the
country went up as the smoke of a furnace.
And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the
plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the
midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the
which Lot dwelt.
And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and
his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar:
and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters.
And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old,
and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after
the manner of all the earth:
Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with
him, that we may preserve seed of our father.
And they made their father drink wine that night: and the
firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived
not when she lay down, nor when she arose.
And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said
unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father:
let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in,
and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.
And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the
younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she
lay down, nor when she arose.
Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their
father.
And the first born bare a son, and called his name Moab: the
same is the father of the Moabites unto this day.
And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name
Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto
this day.
And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country,
and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.
And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and
Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.
But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to
him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou
hast taken; for she is a man's wife.
But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, LORD, wilt
thou slay also a righteous nation?
Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she
herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart
and innocency of my hands have I done this.
And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst
this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee
from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to
touch her.
Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet,
and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou
restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou,
and all that are thine.
Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all
his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the
men were sore afraid.
Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast
thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou
hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast
done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.
And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou
hast done this thing?
And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is
not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake.
And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my
father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my
wife.
And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my
father's house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness
which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall
come, say of me, He is my brother.
And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and
womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him
Sarah his wife.
And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell
where it pleaseth thee.
And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a
thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of
the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other:
thus she was reproved.
So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his
wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.
For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of
Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham's wife.
And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did
unto Sarah as he had spoken.
For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at
the set time of which God had spoken to him.
And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him,
whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.
And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as
God had commanded him.
And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was
born unto him.
And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that
hear will laugh with me.
And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah
should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in
his old age.
And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great
feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.
And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had
born unto Abraham, mocking.
Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and
her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with
my son, even with Isaac.
And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of
his son.
And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight
because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that
Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in
Isaac shall thy seed be called.
And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation,
because he is thy seed.
And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and
a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her
shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed,
and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.
And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child
under one of the shrubs.
And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way
off, as it were a bow shot: for she said, Let me not see the
death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up
her voice, and wept.
And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God
called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth
thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad
where he is.
Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will
make him a great nation.
And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she
went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad
drink.
And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the
wilderness, and became an archer.
And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took
him a wife out of the land of Egypt.
And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol
the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God
is with thee in all that thou doest:
Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not
deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son:
but according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou
shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned.
And Abraham said, I will swear.
And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water,
which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away.
And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath done this thing;
neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to
day.
And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech;
and both of them made a covenant.
And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.
And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe
lambs which thou hast set by themselves?
And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my
hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged
this well.
Wherefore he called that place Beersheba; because there they
sware both of them.
Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba: then Abimelech rose
up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they
returned into the land of the Philistines.
And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on
the name of the LORD, the everlasting God.
And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines' land many days.
And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt
Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here
I am.
And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou
lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him
there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I
will tell thee of.
And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass,
and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and
clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went
unto the place of which God had told him.
Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the
place afar off.
And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the
ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come
again to you.
And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it
upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a
knife; and they went both of them together.
And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father:
and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire
and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?
And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for
a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
And they came to the place which God had told him of; and
Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and
bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.
And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to
slay his son.
And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and
said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou
any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God,
seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind
him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went
and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in
the stead of his son.
And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it
is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be
seen.
And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven
the second time,
And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because
thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son,
thine only son:
That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will
multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand
which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the
gate of his enemies;
And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;
because thou hast obeyed my voice.
So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and
went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.
And it came to pass after these things, that it was told
Abraham, saying, Behold, Milcah, she hath also born children
unto thy brother Nahor;
Huz his firstborn, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father
of Aram,
And Chesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and Bethuel.
And Bethuel begat Rebekah: these eight Milcah did bear to
Nahor, Abraham's brother.
And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, she bare also Tebah,
and Gaham, and Thahash, and Maachah.
And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these
were the years of the life of Sarah.
And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land
of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep
for her.
And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the
sons of Heth, saying,
I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession
of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my
sight.
And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him,
Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince among us: in the
choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall
withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury
thy dead.
And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the
land, even to the children of Heth.
And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind that I
should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and intreat for
me to Ephron the son of Zohar,
That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath,
which is in the end of his field; for as much money as it is
worth he shall give it me for a possession of a buryingplace
amongst you.
And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth: and Ephron the
Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of
Heth, even of all that went in at the gate of his city,
saying,
Nay, my lord, hear me: the field give I thee, and the cave
that is therein, I give it thee; in the presence of the sons
of my people give I it thee: bury thy dead.
And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land.
And he spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the
land, saying, But if thou wilt give it, I pray thee, hear me:
I will give thee money for the field; take it of me, and I
will bury my dead there.
And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him,
My lord, hearken unto me: the land is worth four hundred
shekels of silver; what is that betwixt me and thee? bury
therefore thy dead.
And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to
Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the
sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money
with the merchant.
And the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, which was
before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and
all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the
borders round about, were made sure
Unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children
of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city.
And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of
the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the
land of Canaan.
And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure
unto Abraham for a possession of a buryingplace by the sons of
Heth.
And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the LORD
had blessed Abraham in all things.
And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that
ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under
my thigh:
And I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and
the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my
son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:
But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take
a wife unto my son Isaac.
And the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not
be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy
son again unto the land from whence thou camest?
And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my
son thither again.
The LORD God of heaven, which took me from my father's house,
and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and
that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this
land; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take
a wife unto my son from thence.
And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou
shalt be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son
thither again.
And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his
master, and sware to him concerning that matter.
And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master,
and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his
hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of
Nahor.
And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a
well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that
women go out to draw water.
And he said O LORD God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send
me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master
Abraham.
Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters
of the men of the city come out to draw water:
And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say,
Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she
shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let
the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant
Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness
unto my master.
And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that,
behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of
Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher
upon her shoulder.
And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither
had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and
filled her pitcher, and came up.
And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray
thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher.
And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her
pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.
And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw
water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.
And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and
ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his
camels.
And the man wondering at her held his peace, to wit whether
the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not.
And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the
man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two
bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold;
And said, Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee: is
there room in thy father's house for us to lodge in?
And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of
Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor.
She said moreover unto him, We have both straw and provender
enough, and room to lodge in.
And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the LORD.
And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who
hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth:
I being in the way, the LORD led me to the house of my
master's brethren.
And the damsel ran, and told them of her mother's house these
things.
And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban: and Laban
ran out unto the man, unto the well.
And it came to pass, when he saw the earring and bracelets
upon his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of
Rebekah his sister, saying, Thus spake the man unto me; that
he came unto the man; and, behold, he stood by the camels at
the well.
And he said, Come in, thou blessed of the LORD; wherefore
standest thou without? for I have prepared the house, and room
for the camels.
And the man came into the house: and he ungirded his camels,
and gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash
his feet, and the men's feet that were with him.
And there was set meat before him to eat: but he said, I will
not eat, until I have told mine errand. And he said, Speak on.
And he said, I am Abraham's servant.
And the LORD hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become
great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver,
and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and
asses.
And Sarah my master's wife bare a son to my master when she
was old: and unto him hath he given all that he hath.
And my master made me swear, saying, Thou shalt not take a
wife to my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose
land I dwell:
But thou shalt go unto my father's house, and to my kindred,
and take a wife unto my son.
And I said unto my master, Peradventure the woman will not
follow me.
And he said unto me, The LORD, before whom I walk, will send
his angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take
a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father's house:
Then shalt thou be clear from this my oath, when thou comest
to my kindred; and if they give not thee one, thou shalt be
clear from my oath.
And I came this day unto the well, and said, O LORD God of my
master Abraham, if now thou do prosper my way which I go:
Behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to
pass, that when the virgin cometh forth to draw water, and I
say to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy
pitcher to drink;
And she say to me, Both drink thou, and I will also draw for
thy camels: let the same be the woman whom the LORD hath
appointed out for my master's son.
And before I had done speaking in mine heart, behold, Rebekah
came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down
unto the well, and drew water: and I said unto her, Let me
drink, I pray thee.
And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her
shoulder, and said, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink
also: so I drank, and she made the camels drink also.
And I asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? And she
said, the daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bare
unto him: and I put the earring upon her face, and the
bracelets upon her hands.
And I bowed down my head, and worshipped the LORD, and blessed
the LORD God of my master Abraham, which had led me in the
right way to take my master's brother's daughter unto his son.
And now if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell
me: and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand, or
to the left.
Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing proceedeth
from the LORD: we cannot speak unto thee bad or good.
Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go, and let her
be thy master's son's wife, as the LORD hath spoken.
And it came to pass, that, when Abraham's servant heard their
words, he worshipped the LORD, bowing himself to the earth.
And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of
gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah: he gave also to
her brother and to her mother precious things.
And they did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him,
and tarried all night; and they rose up in the morning, and he
said, Send me away unto my master.
And her brother and her mother said, Let the damsel abide with
us a few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go.
And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the LORD hath
prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master.
And they said, We will call the damsel, and enquire at her
mouth.
And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with
this man? And she said, I will go.
And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and
Abraham's servant, and his men.
And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our
sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let
thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them.
And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the
camels, and followed the man: and the servant took Rebekah,
and went his way.
And Isaac came from the way of the well Lahairoi; for he dwelt
in the south country.
And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide:
and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels
were coming.
And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she
lighted off the camel.
For she had said unto the servant, What man is this that
walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It
is my master: therefore she took a vail, and covered herself.
And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done.
And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took
Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac
was comforted after his mother's death.
Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah.
And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian,
and Ishbak, and Shuah.
And Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were
Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim.
And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and
Abidah, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.
And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac.
But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had,
Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son,
while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country.
And these are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he
lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years.
Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an
old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people.
And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of
Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the
Hittite, which is before Mamre;
The field which Abraham purchased of the sons of Heth: there
was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife.
And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God
blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac dwelt by the well Lahairoi.
Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom
Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid, bare unto Abraham:
And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their
names, according to their generations: the firstborn of
Ishmael, Nebajoth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam,
And Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa,
Hadar, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah:
These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by
their towns, and by their castles; twelve princes according to
their nations.
And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, an hundred and
thirty and seven years: and he gave up the ghost and died; and
was gathered unto his people.
And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur, that is before Egypt,
as thou goest toward Assyria: and he died in the presence of
all his brethren.
And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham
begat Isaac:
And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife,
the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to
Laban the Syrian.
And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was
barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his
wife conceived.
And the children struggled together within her; and she said,
If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the
LORD.
And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and
two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and
the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and
the elder shall serve the younger.
And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold,
there were twins in her womb.
And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment;
and they called his name Esau.
And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on
Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was
threescore years old when she bare them.
And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the
field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents.
And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but
Rebekah loved Jacob.
And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he
was faint:
And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same
red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called
Edom.
And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.
And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what
profit shall this birthright do to me?
And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him:
and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.
Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did
eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau
despised his birthright.
And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine
that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech
king of the Philistines unto Gerar.
And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into
Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of:
Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless
thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these
countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto
Abraham thy father;
And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven,
and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy
seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;
Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my
commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
And Isaac dwelt in Gerar:
And the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said,
She is my sister: for he feared to say, She is my wife; lest,
said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah;
because she was fair to look upon.
And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that
Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and
saw, and, behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife.
And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety she
is thy wife; and how saidst thou, She is my sister? And Isaac
said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for her.
And Abimelech said, What is this thou hast done unto us? one
of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife, and thou
shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us.
And Abimelech charged all his people, saying, He that toucheth
this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.
Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year
an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him.
And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he
became very great:
For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and
great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him.
For all the wells which his father's servants had digged in
the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped
them, and filled them with earth.
And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us; for thou art much
mightier than we.
And Isaac departed thence, and pitched his tent in the valley
of Gerar, and dwelt there.
And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had
digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines
had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called
their names after the names by which his father had called
them.
And Isaac's servants digged in the valley, and found there a
well of springing water.
And the herdmen of Gerar did strive with Isaac's herdmen,
saying, The water is ours: and he called the name of the well
Esek; because they strove with him.
And they digged another well, and strove for that also: and he
called the name of it Sitnah.
And he removed from thence, and digged another well; and for
that they strove not: and he called the name of it Rehoboth;
and he said, For now the LORD hath made room for us, and we
shall be fruitful in the land.
And he went up from thence to Beersheba.
And the LORD appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am
the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee,
and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant
Abraham's sake.
And he builded an altar there, and called upon the name of the
LORD, and pitched his tent there: and there Isaac's servants
digged a well.
Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath one of his
friends, and Phichol the chief captain of his army.
And Isaac said unto them, Wherefore come ye to me, seeing ye
hate me, and have sent me away from you?
And they said, We saw certainly that the LORD was with thee:
and we said, Let there be now an oath betwixt us, even betwixt
us and thee, and let us make a covenant with thee;
That thou wilt do us no hurt, as we have not touched thee, and
as we have done unto thee nothing but good, and have sent thee
away in peace: thou art now the blessed of the LORD.
And he made them a feast, and they did eat and drink.
And they rose up betimes in the morning, and sware one to
another: and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him
in peace.
And it came to pass the same day, that Isaac's servants came,
and told him concerning the well which they had digged, and
said unto him, We have found water.
And he called it Shebah: therefore the name of the city is
Beersheba unto this day.
And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the
daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of
Elon the Hittite:
Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah.
And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes
were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his eldest
son, and said unto him, My son: and he said unto him, Behold,
here am I.
And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my
death:
Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and
thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison;
And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me,
that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die.
And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau
went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it.
And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard
thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying,
Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat,
and bless thee before the LORD before my death.
Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I
command thee.
Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of
the goats; and I will make them savoury meat for thy father,
such as he loveth:
And thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, and
that he may bless thee before his death.
And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother
is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man:
My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him
as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a
blessing.
And his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy curse, my son:
only obey my voice, and go fetch me them.
And he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother: and
his mother made savoury meat, such as his father loved.
And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which
were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her
younger son:
And she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands,
and upon the smooth of his neck:
And she gave the savoury meat and the bread, which she had
prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.
And he came unto his father, and said, My father: and he said,
Here am I; who art thou, my son?
And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy first born; I
have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit
and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me.
And Isaac said unto his son, How is it that thou hast found it
so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the LORD thy God
brought it to me.
And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may
feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not.
And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him,
and said, The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the
hands of Esau.
And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his
brother Esau's hands: so he blessed him.
And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am.
And he said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son's
venison, that my soul may bless thee. And he brought it near
to him, and he did eat: and he brought him wine and he drank.
And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss
me, my son.
And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of
his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my
son is as the smell of a field which the LORD hath blessed:
Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness
of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:
Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord
over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee:
cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that
blesseth thee.
And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of
blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the
presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in
from his hunting.
And he also had made savoury meat, and brought it unto his
father, and said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat
of his son's venison, that thy soul may bless me.
And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said,
I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau.
And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where is
he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have
eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea,
and he shall be blessed.
And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a
great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father,
Bless me, even me also, O my father.
And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken
away thy blessing.
And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath
supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright;
and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said,
Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?
And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him
thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for
servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and
what shall I do now unto thee, my son?
And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my
father? bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted
up his voice, and wept.
And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy
dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of
heaven from above;
And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother;
and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion,
that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.
And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his
father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of
mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my
brother Jacob.
And these words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah:
and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto
him, Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort
himself, purposing to kill thee.
Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; arise, flee thou to
Laban my brother to Haran;
And tarry with him a few days, until thy brother's fury turn
away;
Until thy brother's anger turn away from thee, and he forget
that which thou hast done to him: then I will send, and fetch
thee from thence: why should I be deprived also of you both in
one day?
And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of
the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters
of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land,
what good shall my life do me?
And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and
said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of
Canaan.
Arise, go to Padanaram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother's
father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughers of
Laban thy mother's brother.
And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and
multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people;
And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy
seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou
art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham.
And Isaac sent away Jacob: and he went to Padanaram unto
Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah,
Jacob's and Esau's mother.
When Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob, and sent him away
to Padanaram, to take him a wife from thence; and that as he
blessed him he gave him a charge, saying, Thou shalt not take
a wife of the daughers of Canaan;
And that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone
to Padanaram;
And Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac
his father;
Then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he
had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham's son, the sister
of Nebajoth, to be his wife.
And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.
And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all
night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of
that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that
place to sleep.
And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and
the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God
ascending and descending on it.
And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD
God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land
whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;
And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt
spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north,
and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the
families of the earth be blessed.
And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places
whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land;
for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have
spoken to thee of.
And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the
LORD is in this place; and I knew it not.
And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this
is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of
heaven.
And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone
that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar,
and poured oil upon the top of it.
And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of
that city was called Luz at the first.
And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and
will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to
eat, and raiment to put on,
So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall
the LORD be my God:
And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's
house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give
the tenth unto thee.
Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the
people of the east.
And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, there
were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well
they watered the flocks: and a great stone was upon the well's
mouth.
And thither were all the flocks gathered: and they rolled the
stone from the well's mouth, and watered the sheep, and put
the stone again upon the well's mouth in his place.
And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence be ye? And they
said, Of Haran are we.
And he said unto them, Know ye Laban the son of Nahor? And
they said, We know him.
And he said unto them, Is he well? And they said, He is well:
and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep.
And he said, Lo, it is yet high day, neither is it time that
the cattle should be gathered together: water ye the sheep,
and go and feed them.
And they said, We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered
together, and till they roll the stone from the well's mouth;
then we water the sheep.
And while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her
father's sheep; for she kept them.
And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of
Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his
mother's brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone
from the well's mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his
mother's brother.
And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept.
And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's brother, and
that he was Rebekah's son: and she ran and told her father.
And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his
sister's son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and
kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban
all these things.
And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh.
And he abode with him the space of a month.
And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother,
shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me, what
shall thy wages be?
And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah,
and the name of the younger was Rachel.
Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well
favoured.
And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven
years for Rachel thy younger daughter.
And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than
that I should give her to another man: abide with me.
And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto
him but a few days, for the love he had to her.
And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are
fulfilled, that I may go in unto her.
And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made
a feast.
And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his
daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her.
And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an
handmaid.
And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah:
and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did
not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou
beguiled me?
And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give
the younger before the firstborn.
Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the
service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him
Rachel his daughter to wife also.
And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to
be her maid.
And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more
than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.
And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb:
but Rachel was barren.
And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name
Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my
affliction; now therefore my husband will love me.
And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the
LORD hath heard I was hated, he hath therefore given me this
son also: and she called his name Simeon.
And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this
time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born
him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi.
And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now
will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah;
and left bearing.
And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel
envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or
else I die.
And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am
I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the
womb?
And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she
shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by
her.
And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went
in unto her.
And Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son.
And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my
voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name
Dan.
And Bilhah Rachel's maid conceived again, and bare Jacob a
second son.
And Rachel said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my
sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name
Naphtali.
When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her
maid, and gave her Jacob to wife.
And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a son.
And Leah said, A troop cometh: and she called his name Gad.
And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a second son.
And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me
blessed: and she called his name Asher.
And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found
mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah.
Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's
mandrakes.
And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast
taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son's
mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with
thee to night for thy son's mandrakes.
And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went
out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for
surely I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes. And he lay
with her that night.
And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob
the fifth son.
And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I have given
my maiden to my husband: and she called his name Issachar.
And Leah conceived again, and bare Jacob the sixth son.
And Leah said, God hath endued me with a good dowry; now will
my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons:
and she called his name Zebulun.
And afterwards she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah.
And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and
opened her womb.
And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken
away my reproach:
And she called his name Joseph; and said, The LORD shall add
to me another son.
And it came to pass, when Rachel had born Joseph, that Jacob
said unto Laban, Send me away, that I may go unto mine own
place, and to my country.
Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served thee,
and let me go: for thou knowest my service which I have done
thee.
And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour
in thine eyes, tarry: for I have learned by experience that
the LORD hath blessed me for thy sake.
And he said, Appoint me thy wages, and I will give it.
And he said unto him, Thou knowest how I have served thee, and
how thy cattle was with me.
For it was little which thou hadst before I came, and it is
now increased unto a multitude; and the LORD hath blessed thee
since my coming: and now when shall I provide for mine own
house also?
And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou
shalt not give me any thing: if thou wilt do this thing for
me, I will again feed and keep thy flock.
I will pass through all thy flock to day, removing from thence
all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle
among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats:
and of such shall be my hire.
So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come, when
it shall come for my hire before thy face: every one that is
not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the
sheep, that shall be counted stolen with me.
And Laban said, Behold, I would it might be according to thy
word.
And he removed that day the he goats that were ringstraked and
spotted, and all the she goats that were speckled and spotted,
and every one that had some white in it, and all the brown
among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons.
And he set three days' journey betwixt himself and Jacob: and
Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks.
And Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and
chesnut tree; and pilled white strakes in them, and made the
white appear which was in the rods.
And he set the rods which he had pilled before the flocks in
the gutters in the watering troughs when the flocks came to
drink, that they should conceive when they came to drink.
And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth
cattle ringstraked, speckled, and spotted.
And Jacob did separate the lambs, and set the faces of the
flocks toward the ringstraked, and all the brown in the flock
of Laban; and he put his own flocks by themselves, and put
them not unto Laban's cattle.
And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger cattle did
conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the
cattle in the gutters, that they might conceive among the
rods.
But when the cattle were feeble, he put them not in: so the
feebler were Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's.
And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and
maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.
And he heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, Jacob hath
taken away all that was our father's; and of that which was
our father's hath he gotten all this glory.
And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was
not toward him as before.
And the LORD said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy
fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.
And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto
his flock,
And said unto them, I see your father's countenance, that it
is not toward me as before; but the God of my father hath been
with me.
And ye know that with all my power I have served your father.
And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten
times; but God suffered him not to hurt me.
If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the
cattle bare speckled: and if he said thus, The ringstraked
shall be thy hire; then bare all the cattle ringstraked.
Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given
them to me.
And it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived,
that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold,
the rams which leaped upon the cattle were ringstraked,
speckled, and grisled.
And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob:
And I said, Here am I.
And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams
which leap upon the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and
grisled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee.
I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and
where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from
this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.
And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet
any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house?
Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us, and
hath quite devoured also our money.
For all the riches which God hath taken from our father, that
is ours, and our children's: now then, whatsoever God hath
said unto thee, do.
Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon
camels;
And he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he
had gotten, the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in
Padanaram, for to go to Isaac his father in the land of
Canaan.
And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the
images that were her father's.
And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he
told him not that he fled.
So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed
over the river, and set his face toward the mount Gilead.
And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled.
And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven
days' journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead.
And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said
unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good
or bad.
Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in
the mount: and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of
Gilead.
And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast
stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters, as
captives taken with the sword?
Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from
me; and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away
with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, and with harp?
And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters?
thou hast now done foolishly in so doing.
It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of
your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed
that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.
And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore
longedst after thy father's house, yet wherefore hast thou
stolen my gods?
And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid:
for I said, Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy
daughters from me.
With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live:
before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and
take it to thee. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen
them.
And Laban went into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's tent, and
into the two maidservants' tents; but he found them not. Then
went he out of Leah's tent, and entered into Rachel's tent.
Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel's
furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent,
but found them not.
And she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord that
I cannot rise up before thee; for the custom of women is upon
me. And he searched but found not the images.
And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban: and Jacob answered
and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that
thou hast so hotly pursued after me?
Whereas thou hast searched all my stuff, what hast thou found
of all thy household stuff? set it here before my brethren and
thy brethren, that they may judge betwixt us both.
This twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she
goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock
have I not eaten.
That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare
the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether
stolen by day, or stolen by night.
Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost
by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.
Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee
fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy
cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times.
Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear
of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now
empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my
hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.
And Laban answered and said unto Jacob, These daughters are my
daughters, and these children are my children, and these
cattle are my cattle, and all that thou seest is mine: and
what can I do this day unto these my daughters, or unto their
children which they have born?
Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou;
and let it be for a witness between me and thee.
And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.
And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took
stones, and made an heap: and they did eat there upon the
heap.
And Laban called it Jegarsahadutha: but Jacob called it
Galeed.
And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and thee
this day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed;
And Mizpah; for he said, The LORD watch between me and thee,
when we are absent one from another.
If thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take
other wives beside my daughters, no man is with us; see, God
is witness betwixt me and thee.
And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this
pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee:
This heap be witness, and this pillar be witness, that I will
not pass over this heap to thee, and that thou shalt not pass
over this heap and this pillar unto me, for harm.
The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their
father, judge betwixt us. And Jacob sware by the fear of his
father Isaac.
Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his
brethren to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all
night in the mount.
And early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed his sons
and his daughters, and blessed them: and Laban departed, and
returned unto his place.
And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.
And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's host: and he
called the name of that place Mahanaim.
And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto
the land of Seir, the country of Edom.
And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my
lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with
Laban, and stayed there until now:
And I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and
womenservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may
find grace in thy sight.
And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy
brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four
hundred men with him.
Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided
the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and
the camels, into two bands;
And said, If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then
the other company which is left shall escape.
And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my
father Isaac, the LORD which saidst unto me, Return unto thy
country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee:
I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all
the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with
my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two
bands.
Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the
hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me,
and the mother with the children.
And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed
as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for
multitude.
And he lodged there that same night; and took of that which
came to his hand a present for Esau his brother;
Two hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes,
and twenty rams,
Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten
bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals.
And he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every
drove by themselves; and said unto his servants, Pass over
before me, and put a space betwixt drove and drove.
And he commanded the foremost, saying, When Esau my brother
meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying, Whose art thou? and
whither goest thou? and whose are these before thee?
Then thou shalt say, They be thy servant Jacob's; it is a
present sent unto my lord Esau: and, behold, also he is behind
us.
And so commanded he the second, and the third, and all that
followed the droves, saying, On this manner shall ye speak
unto Esau, when ye find him.
And say ye moreover, Behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us.
For he said, I will appease him with the present that goeth
before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he
will accept of me.
So went the present over before him: and himself lodged that
night in the company.
And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two
womenservants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford
Jabbok.
And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over
that he had.
And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him
until the breaking of the day.
And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched
the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was
out of joint, as he wrestled with him.
And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I
will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.
And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but
Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men,
and hast prevailed.
And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name.
And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name?
And he blessed him there.
And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen
God face to face, and my life is preserved.
And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he
halted upon his thigh.
Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which
shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day:
because he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh in the sinew
that shrank.
And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau
came, and with him four hundred men. And he divided the
children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two
handmaids.
And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah
and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost.
And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the
ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his
neck, and kissed him: and they wept.
And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children;
and said, Who are those with thee? And he said, The children
which God hath graciously given thy servant.
Then the handmaidens came near, they and their children, and
they bowed themselves.
And Leah also with her children came near, and bowed
themselves: and after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they
bowed themselves.
And he said, What meanest thou by all this drove which I met?
And he said, These are to find grace in the sight of my lord.
And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast
unto thyself.
And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in
thy sight, then receive my present at my hand: for therefore I
have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and
thou wast pleased with me.
Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee;
because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have
enough. And he urged him, and he took it.
And he said, Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I
will go before thee.
And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the children are
tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me: and
if men should overdrive them one day, all the flock will die.
Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I
will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before
me and the children be able to endure, until I come unto my
lord unto Seir.
And Esau said, Let me now leave with thee some of the folk
that are with me. And he said, What needeth it? let me find
grace in the sight of my lord.
So Esau returned that day on his way unto Seir.
And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him an house, and
made booths for his cattle: therefore the name of the place is
called Succoth.
And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the
land of Canaan, when he came from Padanaram; and pitched his
tent before the city.
And he bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his
tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem's father,
for an hundred pieces of money.
And he erected there an altar, and called it EleloheIsrael.
And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob,
went out to see the daughters of the land.
And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the
country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled
her.
And his soul clave unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he
loved the damsel, and spake kindly unto the damsel.
And Shechem spake unto his father Hamor, saying, Get me this
damsel to wife.
And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter: now
his sons were with his cattle in the field: and Jacob held his
peace until they were come.
And Hamor the father of Shechem went out unto Jacob to commune
with him.
And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard
it: and the men were grieved, and they were very wroth,
because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob's
daughter: which thing ought not to be done.
And Hamor communed with them, saying, The soul of my son
Shechem longeth for your daughter: I pray you give her him to
wife.
And make ye marriages with us, and give your daughters unto
us, and take our daughters unto you.
And ye shall dwell with us: and the land shall be before you;
dwell and trade ye therein, and get you possessions therein.
And Shechem said unto her father and unto her brethren, Let me
find grace in your eyes, and what ye shall say unto me I will
give.
Ask me never so much dowry and gift, and I will give according
as ye shall say unto me: but give me the damsel to wife.
And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father
deceitfully, and said, because he had defiled Dinah their
sister:
And they said unto them, We cannot do this thing, to give our
sister to one that is uncircumcised; for that were a reproach
unto us:
But in this will we consent unto you: If ye will be as we be,
that every male of you be circumcised;
Then will we give our daughters unto you, and we will take
your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we will
become one people.
But if ye will not hearken unto us, to be circumcised; then
will we take our daughter, and we will be gone.
And their words pleased Hamor, and Shechem Hamor's son.
And the young man deferred not to do the thing, because he had
delight in Jacob's daughter: and he was more honourable than
all the house of his father.
And Hamor and Shechem his son came unto the gate of their
city, and communed with the men of their city, saying,
These men are peaceable with us; therefore let them dwell in
the land, and trade therein; for the land, behold, it is large
enough for them; let us take their daughters to us for wives,
and let us give them our daughters.
Only herein will the men consent unto us for to dwell with us,
to be one people, if every male among us be circumcised, as
they are circumcised.
Shall not their cattle and their substance and every beast of
their's be our's? only let us consent unto them, and they will
dwell with us.
And unto Hamor and unto Shechem his son hearkened all that
went out of the gate of his city; and every male was
circumcised, all that went out of the gate of his city.
And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore,
that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's
brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city
boldly, and slew all the males.
And they slew Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the
sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and went out.
The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and spoiled the city,
because they had defiled their sister.
They took their sheep, and their oxen, and their asses, and
that which was in the city, and that which was in the field,
And all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their
wives took they captive, and spoiled even all that was in the
house.
And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make
me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the
Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they
shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and
I shall be destroyed, I and my house.
And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with an
harlot?
And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell
there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto
thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother.
Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with
him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be
clean, and change your garments:
And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there
an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress,
and was with me in the way which I went.
And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in
their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears;
and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.
And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities
that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the
sons of Jacob.
So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is,
Bethel, he and all the people that were with him.
And he built there an altar, and called the place Elbethel:
because there God appeared unto him, when he fled from the
face of his brother.
But Deborah Rebekah's nurse died, and she was buried beneath
Bethel under an oak: and the name of it was called
Allonbachuth.
And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of
Padanaram, and blessed him.
And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not
be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he
called his name Israel.
And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and
multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee,
and kings shall come out of thy loins;
And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will
give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land.
And God went up from him in the place where he talked with
him.
And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with
him, even a pillar of stone: and he poured a drink offering
thereon, and he poured oil thereon.
And Jacob called the name of the place where God spake with
him, Bethel.
And they journeyed from Bethel; and there was but a little way
to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard
labour.
And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour, that the
midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son
also.
And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she
died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called
him Benjamin.
And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which
is Bethlehem.
And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave: that is the pillar of
Rachel's grave unto this day.
And Israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of
Edar.
And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that
Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine: and
Israel heard it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve:
The sons of Leah; Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, and Simeon, and
Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun:
The sons of Rachel; Joseph, and Benjamin:
And the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid; Dan, and Naphtali:
And the sons of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid: Gad, and Asher: these
are the sons of Jacob, which were born to him in Padanaram.
And Jacob came unto Isaac his father unto Mamre, unto the city
of Arbah, which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned.
And the days of Isaac were an hundred and fourscore years.
And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto
his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and
Jacob buried him.
Now these are the generations of Esau, who is Edom.
Esau took his wives of the daughters of Canaan; Adah the
daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Aholibamah the daughter of
Anah the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite;
And Bashemath Ishmael's daughter, sister of Nebajoth.
And Adah bare to Esau Eliphaz; and Bashemath bare Reuel;
And Aholibamah bare Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah: these are
the sons of Esau, which were born unto him in the land of
Canaan.
And Esau took his wives, and his sons, and his daughters, and
all the persons of his house, and his cattle, and all his
beasts, and all his substance, which he had got in the land of
Canaan; and went into the country from the face of his brother
Jacob.
For their riches were more than that they might dwell
together; and the land wherein they were strangers could not
bear them because of their cattle.
Thus dwelt Esau in mount Seir: Esau is Edom.
And these are the generations of Esau the father of the
Edomites in mount Seir:
These are the names of Esau's sons; Eliphaz the son of Adah
the wife of Esau, Reuel the son of Bashemath the wife of Esau.
And the sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, and Gatam,
and Kenaz.
And Timna was concubine to Eliphaz Esau's son; and she bare to
Eliphaz Amalek: these were the sons of Adah Esau's wife.
And these are the sons of Reuel; Nahath, and Zerah, Shammah,
and Mizzah: these were the sons of Bashemath Esau's wife.
And these were the sons of Aholibamah, the daughter of Anah
the daughter of Zibeon, Esau's wife: and she bare to Esau
Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah.
These were dukes of the sons of Esau: the sons of Eliphaz the
firstborn son of Esau; duke Teman, duke Omar, duke Zepho, duke
Kenaz,
Duke Korah, duke Gatam, and duke Amalek: these are the dukes
that came of Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these were the sons
of Adah.
And these are the sons of Reuel Esau's son; duke Nahath, duke
Zerah, duke Shammah, duke Mizzah: these are the dukes that
came of Reuel in the land of Edom; these are the sons of
Bashemath Esau's wife.
And these are the sons of Aholibamah Esau's wife; duke Jeush,
duke Jaalam, duke Korah: these were the dukes that came of
Aholibamah the daughter of Anah, Esau's wife.
These are the sons of Esau, who is Edom, and these are their
dukes.
These are the sons of Seir the Horite, who inhabited the land;
Lotan, and Shobal, and Zibeon, and Anah,
And Dishon, and Ezer, and Dishan: these are the dukes of the
Horites, the children of Seir in the land of Edom.
And the children of Lotan were Hori and Hemam; and Lotan's
sister was Timna.
And the children of Shobal were these; Alvan, and Manahath,
and Ebal, Shepho, and Onam.
And these are the children of Zibeon; both Ajah, and Anah:
this was that Anah that found the mules in the wilderness, as
he fed the asses of Zibeon his father.
And the children of Anah were these; Dishon, and Aholibamah
the daughter of Anah.
And these are the children of Dishon; Hemdan, and Eshban, and
Ithran, and Cheran.
The children of Ezer are these; Bilhan, and Zaavan, and Akan.
The children of Dishan are these; Uz, and Aran.
These are the dukes that came of the Horites; duke Lotan, duke
Shobal, duke Zibeon, duke Anah,
Duke Dishon, duke Ezer, duke Dishan: these are the dukes that
came of Hori, among their dukes in the land of Seir.
And these are the kings that reigned in the land of Edom,
before there reigned any king over the children of Israel.
And Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom: and the name of his
city was Dinhabah.
And Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in
his stead.
And Jobab died, and Husham of the land of Temani reigned in
his stead.
And Husham died, and Hadad the son of Bedad, who smote Midian
in the field of Moab, reigned in his stead: and the name of
his city was Avith.
And Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his stead.
And Samlah died, and Saul of Rehoboth by the river reigned in
his stead.
And Saul died, and Baalhanan the son of Achbor reigned in his
stead.
And Baalhanan the son of Achbor died, and Hadar reigned in his
stead: and the name of his city was Pau; and his wife's name
was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of
Mezahab.
And these are the names of the dukes that came of Esau,
according to their families, after their places, by their
names; duke Timnah, duke Alvah, duke Jetheth,
Duke Aholibamah, duke Elah, duke Pinon,
Duke Kenaz, duke Teman, duke Mibzar,
Duke Magdiel, duke Iram: these be the dukes of Edom, according
to their habitations in the land of their possession: he is
Esau the father of the Edomites.
And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger,
in the land of Canaan.
These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen
years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the
lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah,
his father's wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their
evil report.
Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he
was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many
colours.
And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more
than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak
peaceably unto him.
And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and
they hated him yet the more.
And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I
have dreamed:
For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my
sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves
stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us?
or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him
yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.
And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren,
and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold,
the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to
me.
And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his
father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that
thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren
indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the
saying.
And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem.
And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the
flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he
said to him, Here am I.
And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well
with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word
again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came
to Shechem.
And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in
the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?
And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where
they feed their flocks.
And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them
say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren,
and found them in Dothan.
And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto
them, they conspired against him to slay him.
And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.
Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into
some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him:
and we shall see what will become of his dreams.
And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands;
and said, Let us not kill him.
And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into
this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him;
that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to
his father again.
And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren,
that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many
colours that was on him;
And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was
empty, there was no water in it.
And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes
and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from
Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh,
going to carry it down to Egypt.
And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay
our brother, and conceal his blood?
Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our
hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his
brethren were content.
Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and
lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the
Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought
Joseph into Egypt.
And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not
in the pit; and he rent his clothes.
And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not;
and I, whither shall I go?
And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats,
and dipped the coat in the blood;
And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to
their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether
it be thy son's coat or no.
And he knew it, and said, It is my son's coat; an evil beast
hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces.
And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins,
and mourned for his son many days.
And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him;
but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go
down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept
for him.
And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an
officer of Pharaoh's, and captain of the guard.
And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from
his brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose
name was Hirah.
And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose
name was Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her.
And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er.
And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his
name Onan.
And she yet again conceived, and bare a son; and called his
name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bare him.
And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was
Tamar.
And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the
LORD; and the LORD slew him.
And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and
marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.
And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to
pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled
it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his
brother.
And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he
slew him also.
Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow
at thy father's house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he
said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And
Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.
And in process of time the daughter of Shuah Judah's wife
died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his
sheepshearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the
Adullamite.
And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father in law goeth
up to Timnath to shear his sheep.
And she put her widow's garments off from her, and covered her
with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place,
which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was
grown, and she was not given unto him to wife.
When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; because
she had covered her face.
And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray
thee, let me come in unto thee; (for he knew not that she was
his daughter in law.) And she said, What wilt thou give me,
that thou mayest come in unto me?
And he said, I will send thee a kid from the flock. And she
said, Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it?
And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy
signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine
hand. And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she
conceived by him.
And she arose, and went away, and laid by her vail from her,
and put on the garments of her widowhood.
And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the
Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman's hand: but
he found her not.
Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where is the
harlot, that was openly by the way side? And they said, There
was no harlot in this place.
And he returned to Judah, and said, I cannot find her; and
also the men of the place said, that there was no harlot in
this place.
And Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be shamed:
behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.
And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told
Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the
harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And
Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.
When she was brought forth, she sent to her father in law,
saying, By the man, whose these are, am I with child: and she
said, Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and
bracelets, and staff.
And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more
righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my
son. And he knew her again no more.
And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold,
twins were in her womb.
And it came to pass, when she travailed, that the one put out
his hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a
scarlet thread, saying, This came out first.
And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold,
his brother came out: and she said, How hast thou broken
forth? this breach be upon thee: therefore his name was called
Pharez.
And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet
thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zarah.
And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer
of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of
the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down
thither.
And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and
he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the
LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.
And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he
made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put
into his hand.
And it came to pass from the time that he had made him
overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD
blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the
blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house,
and in the field.
And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand; and he knew not
ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was
a goodly person, and well favoured.
And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife
cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.
But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my
master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath
committed all that he hath to my hand;
There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he
kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his
wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against
God?
And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that
he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her.
And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the
house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the
house there within.
And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he
left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.
And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment
in her hand, and was fled forth,
That she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto
them, saying, See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to
mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a
loud voice:
And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice
and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled, and got
him out.
And she laid up his garment by her, until his lord came home.
And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The
Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto
me to mock me:
And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that
he left his garment with me, and fled out.
And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his
wife, which she spake unto him, saying, After this manner did
thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled.
And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a
place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there
in the prison.
But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave
him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all
the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did
there, he was the doer of it.
The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was
under his hand; because the LORD was with him, and that which
he did, the LORD made it to prosper.
And it came to pass after these things, that the butler of the
king of Egypt and his baker had offended their lord the king
of Egypt.
And Pharaoh was wroth against two of his officers, against the
chief of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers.
And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the
guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound.
And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he
served them: and they continued a season in ward.
And they dreamed a dream both of them, each man his dream in
one night, each man according to the interpretation of his
dream, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, which
were bound in the prison.
And Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and looked upon
them, and, behold, they were sad.
And he asked Pharaoh's officers that were with him in the ward
of his lord's house, saying, Wherefore look ye so sadly to
day?
And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is
no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not
interpretations belong to God? tell me them, I pray you.
And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to
him, In my dream, behold, a vine was before me;
And in the vine were three branches: and it was as though it
budded, and her blossoms shot forth; and the clusters thereof
brought forth ripe grapes:
And Pharaoh's cup was in my hand: and I took the grapes, and
pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into
Pharaoh's hand.
And Joseph said unto him, This is the interpretation of it:
The three branches are three days:
Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head, and
restore thee unto thy place: and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh's
cup into his hand, after the former manner when thou wast his
butler.
But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew
kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto
Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house:
For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews:
and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into
the dungeon.
When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he
said unto Joseph, I also was in my dream, and, behold, I had
three white baskets on my head:
And in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of
bakemeats for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the
basket upon my head.
And Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation
thereof: The three baskets are three days:
Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off
thee, and shall hang thee on a tree; and the birds shall eat
thy flesh from off thee.
And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh's
birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants: and he
lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker
among his servants.
And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again;
and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand:
But he hanged the chief baker: as Joseph had interpreted to
them.
Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him.
And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh
dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.
And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well
favoured kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow.
And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the
river, ill favoured and leanfleshed; and stood by the other
kine upon the brink of the river.
And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven
well favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke.
And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven
ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.
And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind
sprung up after them.
And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears.
And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.
And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was
troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of
Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his
dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto
Pharaoh.
Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do
remember my faults this day:
Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the
captain of the guard's house, both me and the chief baker:
And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each
man according to the interpretation of his dream.
And there was there with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant to
the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted
to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did
interpret.
And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he
restored unto mine office, and him he hanged.
Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him
hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed
his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh.
And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and
there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of
thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it.
And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God
shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.
And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood
upon the bank of the river:
And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine,
fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow:
And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and
very ill favoured and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all
the land of Egypt for badness:
And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first
seven fat kine:
And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that
they had eaten them; but they were still ill favoured, as at
the beginning. So I awoke.
And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one
stalk, full and good:
And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the
east wind, sprung up after them:
And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told
this unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare
it to me.
And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God
hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.
The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears
are seven years: the dream is one.
And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after
them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with
the east wind shall be seven years of famine.
This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God
is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh.
Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all
the land of Egypt:
And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and
all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and
the famine shall consume the land;
And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of
that famine following; for it shall be very grievous.
And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is
because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly
bring it to pass.
Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise,
and set him over the land of Egypt.
Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the
land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the
seven plenteous years.
And let them gather all the food of those good years that
come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them
keep food in the cities.
And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven
years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the
land perish not through the famine.
And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes
of all his servants.
And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as
this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?
And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed
thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:
Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall
all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater
than thou.
And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all
the land of Egypt.
And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon
Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and
put a gold chain about his neck;
And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had;
and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler
over all the land of Egypt.
And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee
shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of
Egypt.
And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave
him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On.
And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.
And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh
king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of
Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.
And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by
handfuls.
And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were
in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the
food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he
up in the same.
And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much,
until he left numbering; for it was without number.
And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine
came, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On
bare unto him.
And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God,
said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's
house.
And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath
caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.
And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of
Egypt, were ended.
And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as
Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all
the land of Egypt there was bread.
And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried
to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians,
Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do.
And the famine was over all the face of the earth: and Joseph
opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and
the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt.
And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn;
because that the famine was so sore in all lands.
Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said
unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?
And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt:
get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may
live, and not die.
And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt.
But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his
brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him.
And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came:
for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that
sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph's brethren
came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to
the earth.
And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made
himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he
said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land
of Canaan to buy food.
And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.
And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and
said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land
ye are come.
And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy
servants come.
We are all one man's sons; we are true men, thy servants are
no spies.
And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the
land ye are come.
And they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of
one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is
this day with our father, and one is not.
And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you,
saying, Ye are spies:
Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not
go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither.
Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall
be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether
there be any truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh
surely ye are spies.
And he put them all together into ward three days.
And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live;
for I fear God:
If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the
house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your
houses:
But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words
be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.
And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning
our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he
besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress
come upon us.
And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you,
saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear?
therefore, behold, also his blood is required.
And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake
unto them by an interpreter.
And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned
to them again, and communed with them, and took from them
Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.
Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to
restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them
provision for the way: and thus did he unto them.
And they laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence.
And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender
in the inn, he espied his money; for, behold, it was in his
sack's mouth.
And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and, lo,
it is even in my sack: and their heart failed them, and they
were afraid, saying one to another, What is this that God hath
done unto us?
And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan,
and told him all that befell unto them; saying,
The man, who is the lord of the land, spake roughly to us, and
took us for spies of the country.
And we said unto him, We are true men; we are no spies:
We be twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the
youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.
And the man, the lord of the country, said unto us, Hereby
shall I know that ye are true men; leave one of your brethren
here with me, and take food for the famine of your households,
and be gone:
And bring your youngest brother unto me: then shall I know
that ye are no spies, but that ye are true men: so will I
deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffick in the land.
And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold,
every man's bundle of money was in his sack: and when both
they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were
afraid.
And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of
my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will
take Benjamin away: all these things are against me.
And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if
I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will
bring him to thee again.
And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his
brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him
by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my
gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.
And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which
they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go
again, buy us a little food.
And Judah spake unto him, saying, The man did solemnly protest
unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother
be with you.
If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy
thee food:
But if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down: for the
man said unto us, Ye shall not see my face, except your
brother be with you.
And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell
the man whether ye had yet a brother?
And they said, The man asked us straitly of our state, and of
our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye another
brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these
words: could we certainly know that he would say, Bring your
brother down?
And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me,
and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both
we, and thou, and also our little ones.
I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him:
if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then
let me bear the blame for ever:
For except we had lingered, surely now we had returned this
second time.
And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now,
do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels,
and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little
honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:
And take double money in your hand; and the money that was
brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again in
your hand; peradventure it was an oversight:
Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man:
And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may
send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved
of my children, I am bereaved.
And the men took that present, and they took double money in
their hand and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt,
and stood before Joseph.
And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ruler
of his house, Bring these men home, and slay, and make ready;
for these men shall dine with me at noon.
And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men
into Joseph's house.
And the men were afraid, because they were brought into
Joseph's house; and they said, Because of the money that was
returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in;
that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and
take us for bondmen, and our asses.
And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house, and they
communed with him at the door of the house,
And said, O sir, we came indeed down at the first time to buy
food:
And it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened
our sacks, and, behold, every man's money was in the mouth of
his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it
again in our hand.
And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food:
we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks.
And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God
of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had
your money. And he brought Simeon out unto them.
And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave them
water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses
provender.
And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon:
for they heard that they should eat bread there.
And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which
was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves to him
to the earth.
And he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father
well, the old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive?
And they answered, Thy servant our father is in good health,
he is yet alive. And they bowed down their heads, and made
obeisance.
And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his
mother's son, and said, Is this your younger brother, of whom
ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my
son.
And Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his
brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his
chamber, and wept there.
And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself,
and said, Set on bread.
And they set on for him by himself, and for them by
themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by
themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the
Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.
And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his
birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the
men marvelled one at another.
And he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but
Benjamin's mess was five times so much as any of their's. And
they drank, and were merry with him.
And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the
men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put
every man's money in his sack's mouth.
And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the
youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the word
that Joseph had spoken.
As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they
and their asses.
And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet far off,
Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men; and
when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye
rewarded evil for good?
Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed
he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.
And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these same words.
And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these words?
God forbid that thy servants should do according to this
thing:
Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we
brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how then
should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold?
With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die,
and we also will be my lord's bondmen.
And he said, Now also let it be according unto your words: he
with whom it is found shall be my servant; and ye shall be
blameless.
Then they speedily took down every man his sack to the ground,
and opened every man his sack.
And he searched, and began at the eldest, and left at the
youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.
Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and
returned to the city.
And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house; for he was
yet there: and they fell before him on the ground.
And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have
done? wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine?
And Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we
speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the
iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are my lord's servants,
both we, and he also with whom the cup is found.
And he said, God forbid that I should do so: but the man in
whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as
for you, get you up in peace unto your father.
Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh my lord, let thy
servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let
not thine anger burn against thy servant: for thou art even as
Pharaoh.
My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a
brother?
And we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a
child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead,
and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him.
And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me,
that I may set mine eyes upon him.
And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father: for
if he should leave his father, his father would die.
And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest
brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.
And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my
father, we told him the words of my lord.
And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little food.
And we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be
with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the man's
face, except our youngest brother be with us.
And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife
bare me two sons:
And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in
pieces; and I saw him not since:
And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye
shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.
Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the
lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the
lad's life;
It shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with
us, that he will die: and thy servants shall bring down the
gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave.
For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father,
saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the
blame to my father for ever.
Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of
the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his
brethren.
For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with
me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my
father.
Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that
stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me.
And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself
known unto his brethren.
And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh
heard.
And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father
yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were
troubled at his presence.
And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray
you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your
brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.
Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that
ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve
life.
For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet
there are five years, in the which there shall neither be
earing nor harvest.
And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the
earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he
hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house,
and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.
Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith
thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down
unto me, tarry not:
And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be
near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children's
children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou
hast:
And there will I nourish thee; for yet there are five years of
famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast,
come to poverty.
And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother
Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you.
And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of
all that ye have seen; and ye shall haste and bring down my
father hither.
And he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck, and wept; and
Benjamin wept upon his neck.
Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and
after that his brethren talked with him.
And the fame thereof was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying,
Joseph's brethren are come: and it pleased Pharaoh well, and
his servants.
And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren, This do
ye; lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan;
And take your father and your households, and come unto me:
and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye
shall eat the fat of the land.
Now thou art commanded, this do ye; take you wagons out of the
land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and
bring your father, and come.
Also regard not your stuff; for the good of all the land of
Egypt is your's.
And the children of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them
wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them
provision for the way.
To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to
Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five
changes of raiment.
And to his father he sent after this manner; ten asses laden
with the good things of Egypt, and ten she asses laden with
corn and bread and meat for his father by the way.
So he sent his brethren away, and they departed: and he said
unto them, See that ye fall not out by the way.
And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of
Canaan unto Jacob their father,
And told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor
over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob's heart fainted, for he
believed them not.
And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said
unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to
carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived:
And Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I
will go and see him before I die.
And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to
Beersheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father
Isaac.
And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and
said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I.
And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go
down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation:
I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely
bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine
eyes.
And Jacob rose up from Beersheba: and the sons of Israel
carried Jacob their father, and their little ones, and their
wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him.
And they took their cattle, and their goods, which they had
gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob, and
all his seed with him:
His sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his
sons' daughters, and all his seed brought he with him into
Egypt.
And these are the names of the children of Israel, which came
into Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn.
And the sons of Reuben; Hanoch, and Phallu, and Hezron, and
Carmi.
And the sons of Simeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and
Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman.
And the sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
And the sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah, and Pharez,
and Zarah: but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the
sons of Pharez were Hezron and Hamul.
And the sons of Issachar; Tola, and Phuvah, and Job, and
Shimron.
And the sons of Zebulun; Sered, and Elon, and Jahleel.
These be the sons of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob in
Padanaram, with his daughter Dinah: all the souls of his sons
and his daughters were thirty and three.
And the sons of Gad; Ziphion, and Haggi, Shuni, and Ezbon,
Eri, and Arodi, and Areli.
And the sons of Asher; Jimnah, and Ishuah, and Isui, and
Beriah, and Serah their sister: and the sons of Beriah; Heber,
and Malchiel.
These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his
daughter, and these she bare unto Jacob, even sixteen souls.
The sons of Rachel Jacob's wife; Joseph, and Benjamin.
And unto Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and
Ephraim, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On
bare unto him.
And the sons of Benjamin were Belah, and Becher, and Ashbel,
Gera, and Naaman, Ehi, and Rosh, Muppim, and Huppim, and Ard.
These are the sons of Rachel, which were born to Jacob: all
the souls were fourteen.
And the sons of Dan; Hushim.
And the sons of Naphtali; Jahzeel, and Guni, and Jezer, and
Shillem.
These are the sons of Bilhah, which Laban gave unto Rachel his
daughter, and she bare these unto Jacob: all the souls were
seven.
All the souls that came with Jacob into Egypt, which came out
of his loins, besides Jacob's sons' wives, all the souls were
threescore and six;
And the sons of Joseph, which were born him in Egypt, were two
souls: all the souls of the house of Jacob, which came into
Egypt, were threescore and ten.
And he sent Judah before him unto Joseph, to direct his face
unto Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen.
And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel
his father, to Goshen, and presented himself unto him; and he
fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while.
And Israel said unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen
thy face, because thou art yet alive.
And Joseph said unto his brethren, and unto his father's
house, I will go up, and shew Pharaoh, and say unto him, My
brethren, and my father's house, which were in the land of
Canaan, are come unto me;
And the men are shepherds, for their trade hath been to feed
cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds,
and all that they have.
And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and
shall say, What is your occupation?
That ye shall say, Thy servants' trade hath been about cattle
from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers:
that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is
an abomination unto the Egyptians.
Then Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my
brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they
have, are come out of the land of Canaan; and, behold, they
are in the land of Goshen.
And he took some of his brethren, even five men, and presented
them unto Pharaoh.
And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your occupation?
And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both
we, and also our fathers.
They said morever unto Pharaoh, For to sojourn in the land are
we come; for thy servants have no pasture for their flocks;
for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan: now therefore,
we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen.
And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy
brethren are come unto thee:
The land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make
thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let
them dwell: and if thou knowest any men of activity among
them, then make them rulers over my cattle.
And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before
Pharaoh: and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How old art thou?
And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my
pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have
the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained
unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the
days of their pilgrimage.
And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.
And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a
possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in
the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded.
And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his
father's household, with bread, according to their families.
And there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was
very sore, so that the land of Egypt and all the land of
Canaan fainted by reason of the famine.
And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the
land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which
they bought: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's
house.
And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of
Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us
bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for the money
faileth.
And Joseph said, Give your cattle; and I will give you for
your cattle, if money fail.
And they brought their cattle unto Joseph: and Joseph gave
them bread in exchange for horses, and for the flocks, and for
the cattle of the herds, and for the asses: and he fed them
with bread for all their cattle for that year.
When that year was ended, they came unto him the second year,
and said unto him, We will not hide it from my lord, how that
our money is spent; my lord also hath our herds of cattle;
there is not ought left in the sight of my lord, but our
bodies, and our lands:
Wherefore shall we die before thine eyes, both we and our
land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will
be servants unto Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live,
and not die, that the land be not desolate.
And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the
Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine
prevailed over them: so the land became Pharaoh's.
And as for the people, he removed them to cities from one end
of the borders of Egypt even to the other end thereof.
Only the land of the priests bought he not; for the priests
had a portion assigned them of Pharaoh, and did eat their
portion which Pharaoh gave them: wherefore they sold not their
lands.
Then Joseph said unto the people, Behold, I have bought you
this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is seed for you,
and ye shall sow the land.
And it shall come to pass in the increase, that ye shall give
the fifth part unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own,
for seed of the field, and for your food, and for them of your
households, and for food for your little ones.
And they said, Thou hast saved our lives: let us find grace in
the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's servants.
And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto this day,
that Pharaoh should have the fifth part, except the land of
the priests only, which became not Pharaoh's.
And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of
Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew, and
multiplied exceedingly.
And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years: so the
whole age of Jacob was an hundred forty and seven years.
And the time drew nigh that Israel must die: and he called his
son Joseph, and said unto him, If now I have found grace in
thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal
kindly and truly with me; bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt:
But I will lie with my fathers, and thou shalt carry me out of
Egypt, and bury me in their buryingplace. And he said, I will
do as thou hast said.
And he said, Swear unto me. And he sware unto him. And Israel
bowed himself upon the bed's head.
And it came to pass after these things, that one told Joseph,
Behold, thy father is sick: and he took with him his two sons,
Manasseh and Ephraim.
And one told Jacob, and said, Behold, thy son Joseph cometh
unto thee: and Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the
bed.
And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at
Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,
And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and
multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people;
and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an
everlasting possession.
And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born
unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into
Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.
And thy issue, which thou begettest after them, shall be
thine, and shall be called after the name of their brethren in
their inheritance.
And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died by me in
the land of Canaan in the way, when yet there was but a little
way to come unto Ephrath: and I buried her there in the way of
Ephrath; the same is Bethlehem.
And Israel beheld Joseph's sons, and said, Who are these?
And Joseph said unto his father, They are my sons, whom God
hath given me in this place. And he said, Bring them, I pray
thee, unto me, and I will bless them.
Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he could not
see. And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them,
and embraced them.
And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy
face: and, lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed.
And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he
bowed himself with his face to the earth.
And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward
Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward
Israel's right hand, and brought them near unto him.
And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon
Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon
Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was
the firstborn.
And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers
Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life
long unto this day,
The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and
let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers
Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the
midst of the earth.
And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon
the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his
father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head unto
Manasseh's head.
And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this
is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head.
And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know
it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great:
but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and
his seed shall become a multitude of nations.
And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel
bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and
he set Ephraim before Manasseh.
And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but God shall be
with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers.
Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren,
which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and
with my bow.
And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves
together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in
the last days.
Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and
hearken unto Israel your father.
Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of
my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of
power:
Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest
up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to
my couch.
Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in
their habitations.
O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their
assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger
they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a
wall.
Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for
it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in
Israel.
Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand
shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children
shall bow down before thee.
Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone
up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion;
who shall rouse him up?
The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from
between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the
gathering of the people be.
Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the
choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes
in the blood of grapes:
His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with
milk.
Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be
for an haven of ships; and his border shall be unto Zidon.
Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens:
And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was
pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant
unto tribute.
Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.
Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that
biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.
I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD.
Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the
last.
Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal
dainties.
Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words.
Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well;
whose branches run over the wall:
The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and
hated him:
But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were
made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from
thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)
Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the
Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above,
blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the
breasts, and of the womb:
The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings
of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting
hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown
of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.
Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour
the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.
All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: and this is it that
their father spake unto them, and blessed them; every one
according to his blessing he blessed them.
And he charged them, and said unto them, I am to be gathered
unto my people: bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in
the field of Ephron the Hittite,
In the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before
Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the
field of Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a
buryingplace.
There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they
buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah.
The purchase of the field and of the cave that is therein was
from the children of Heth.
And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he
gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost,
and was gathered unto his people.
And Joseph fell upon his father's face, and wept upon him, and
kissed him.
And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his
father: and the physicians embalmed Israel.
And forty days were fulfilled for him; for so are fulfilled
the days of those which are embalmed: and the Egyptians
mourned for him threescore and ten days.
And when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spake unto
the house of Pharaoh, saying, If now I have found grace in
your eyes, speak, I pray you, in the ears of Pharaoh, saying,
My father made me swear, saying, Lo, I die: in my grave which
I have digged for me in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou
bury me. Now therefore let me go up, I pray thee, and bury my
father, and I will come again.
And Pharaoh said, Go up, and bury thy father, according as he
made thee swear.
And Joseph went up to bury his father: and with him went up
all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all
the elders of the land of Egypt,
And all the house of Joseph, and his brethren, and his
father's house: only their little ones, and their flocks, and
their herds, they left in the land of Goshen.
And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen: and it
was a very great company.
And they came to the threshingfloor of Atad, which is beyond
Jordan, and there they mourned with a great and very sore
lamentation: and he made a mourning for his father seven days.
And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the
mourning in the floor of Atad, they said, This is a grievous
mourning to the Egyptians: wherefore the name of it was called
Abelmizraim, which is beyond Jordan.
And his sons did unto him according as he commanded them:
For his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried
him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham
bought with the field for a possession of a buryingplace of
Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre.
And Joseph returned into Egypt, he, and his brethren, and all
that went up with him to bury his father, after he had buried
his father.
And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead,
they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will
certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him.
And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did
command before he died, saying,
So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the
trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto
thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the
servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they
spake unto him.
And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and
they said, Behold, we be thy servants.
And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of
God?
But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it
unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much
people alive.
Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little
ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.
And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he, and his father's house: and
Joseph lived an hundred and ten years.
And Joseph saw Ephraim's children of the third generation: the
children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were brought up
upon Joseph's knees.
And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely
visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which
he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God
will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from
hence.
So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old: and they
embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.