Lazada (Eng Bible NKJV)
1. Genesis
The Book of Genesis is
important because it describes the creation; gives the history of
the old world, and of the steps taken by God toward the formation of theocracy.
The major themes of the book of Genesis are all about what its
name implies; beginnings. The beginning of the universe and life on earth are
the primary subjects.
It also accounts for the beginnings of sin, the fallen state of the world, the
need for a redeemer, and the promise of His coming (Gen. 3:15).
The fact that Genesis
is a book that states many things for the first time: creation, man, woman,
sin, Sabbath, marriage, family, labor, flood, civilization, culture, murder,
sacrifice, races, languages, redemption, and cities.
Bible scholar believe
this book was wrote by Moses including another four book : Exodus,
Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. In Christian religions, these are called
the 'Pentateuch,' which means 'five books.'
You will also find
certain phrases that occur very frequently. For instance, “these are the
generations of” is an important expression used frequently because the Book of
Genesis gives the families of early history.
In this book you will
find mention of the covenant. There are frequent appearances of the Lord to the
patriarchs, especially to Abraham. The altar is prominent in this book.
One of the best
divisions which can be made of the Book of Genesis is according to the
genealogies—i.e., according to the families.
§ Gen. 1–2:6 Book of
Generations of Heavens and Earth
§ Gen. 2:7–6:8 Book of
Generations of Adam
§ Gen. 6:9–9:29
Generations of Noah
§ Gen. 10:1–11:9
Generations of Sons of Noah
§ Gen. 11:10–26
Generations of Sons of Shem
§ Gen. 11:27–25:11
Generations of Terah
§ Gen. 25:12–18
Generations of Ishmael
§ Gen. 25:19–35:29
Generations of Isaac
§ Gen. 36:1–37:1
Generations of Esau
§ Gen. 37:2–50:26
Generations of Jacob
All of these are given
to us in the Book of Genesis. It is a book of families.
All Storyline
The beginning of the world (Genesis
1:1-2:3)
“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.”
The first man and woman. Adam and
Eve (Genesis 2:8-25)
“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.”
Adam and Eve disobey God (Genesis
chapters 3)
“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.”
The story of Cain and Abel (Genesis
4:1-16)
“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.”
Noah (Genesis
6:1-10)
“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 big boat (Genesis
6:11-15)
“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.”
The big flood (Genesis
6:16-8:17)
“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 assuaged; 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.”
The rainbow & God Blesses
Noah (Genesis 8:20-9:17)
“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.”
Abram and his family move house (Genesis
11:26-32)
“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.”
Abram obeys God (Genesis
12:1-9)
“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.”
Abram goes to Egypt (Genesis
12:10-20)
“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.”
Abram goes back to Canaan (Genesis
13:1-10)
“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.”
Lot goes to live in Sodom (Genesis
13:11-13)
“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.”
Abram goes to Hebron (Genesis
13:14-18)
“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.”
Abram saves Lot (Genesis
14:1-16)
“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.”
The story of Hagar and Ishmael (Genesis
16:1-18)
“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.”
God saves Lot and his family (Genesis
18:16-19:38)
“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.
16 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.”
The story of two friends Abraham
& Abimelech (Genesis 20; 21:22-32)
“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 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.”
Isaac is born (Genesis 21:1-7)
“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.”
Hagar and Ishmael go away (Genesis 21:8-21)
“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.”
Abraham trusts God (Genesis
22 and 23)
“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.”
Isaac and Rebekah (Genesis 24)
“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.”
Abraham dies (Genesis 25:1-11)
“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.”
Isaac and Rebekah have two
sons (Genesis 25:19-34)
“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. “
Isaac and Abimelech (Genesis
26)
“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.”
Isaac blesses Jacob (Genesis
27:1-41)
“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.”
Jacob runs away to Laban (Genesis
27:42- 28:9)
“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.”
Jacob's dream at Bethel (Genesis
28:10-21)
“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: 22 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.”
Jacob meets Laban & His Two
Daughters (Genesis 29:1-20)
“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. “
Jacob gets married (Genesis
29:21-30)
“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.”
Jacob's sons (Genesis
29:31-30:24)
“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.”
Jacob goes home (Genesis
30:25-43)
“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.”
God gives Jacob a new name (Genesis
32)
“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.”
Jacob meets Esau (Genesis
33)
“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.”
The story of Jacob's daughter
Dinah (Genesis 34)
“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?
Jacob goes back to Bethel (Genesis
35:1-15)
“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.”
Benjamin is born & Rachel and
Isaac die (Genesis 35:16-27)
“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.”
Esau's family (Genesis
Chapter 36)
“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.”
Joseph's dreams (Genesis
37:3-11)
“Now Israel [Jacob]
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.”
Joseph's brothers sell him (Genesis
37:12-36)
“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.”
The story of Judah and
Tamar (Genesis 38)
“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.”
The story of Joseph and
Potiphar's wife (Genesis 39)
“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
anything that was under his hand; because the Lord was with him, and
that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper.”
The butler and the baker (Genesis
40)
“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.”
Pharaoh's dreams (Genesis
41:1-40)
“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.”
Joseph meets his brothers in
Egypt (Genesis 41:41-57 & 42)
“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.”
Joseph's brothers go back to
Egypt (Genesis 43)
“And the famine was sore in the land. 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.”
The silver cup in the sack (Genesis
44)
“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.”
Joseph tells his brothers who he
is (Genesis 45)
“ 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.”
Jacob meets Joseph again (Genesis
46:1-47:12)
“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.”
Joseph and the famine (Genesis
47:13-31)
“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.”
Ephraim and Manasseh (Genesis
48)
“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.”
Jacob dies (Genesis
49:1-50:21)
“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.”
Joseph dies (Genesis
50:22-26)
“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.”
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