1In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth— 2NowOr “And” the earth was formless and empty, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. 3And God said, “Let there be light!” And there was light. 4And God saw the light, that it was good, and God caused there to be a separation between the light and between the darkness. 5And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

6And God said, “Let there be a vaulted domeOr “expanse” in the midst of the waters, and let it cause a separation between the waters.”Literally “Let there be a separation made between waters to waters” 7SoOr “And” God made the vaulted dome,Or “expanse” and he caused a separation between the waters which were under the vaulted domeOr “expanse” and between the waters which were over the vaulted dome.Or “expanse” And it was so. 8And God called the vaulted domeOr “expanse” “heaven.”Or “sky” And there was evening, and there was morning, a second day.

9And God said, “Let the waters under heavenOr “the sky” be gathered to one place, and let the dry ground appear.” And it was so. 10And God called the dry ground “earth,” and he called the collection of the waters “seas.” And God saw that it was good. 11And God said, “Let the earth produce green plants that will bear seed—fruit trees bearing fruit in which there is seedLiterally “which its seed is in it”—according to itsOr “their” kind, on the earth.” And it was so. 12And the earth brought forth green plants bearing seed according to itsOr “their” kind, and trees bearing fruit in which there was seedLiterally “which its seed is in it” according to itsOr “their” kind. And God saw that it was good. 13And there was evening and there was morning, a third day.

14And God said, “Let there be lightsOr “light sources” in the vaulted domeOr “expanse” of heavenOr “the sky” to separate day from night,Literally “to make a separation between the day and between the night” and let them be as signs and for appointed times, and for days and years, 15and they shall be as lightsOr “light sources” in the vaulted domeOr “expanse” of heavenOr “the sky” to give light on the earth.” And it was so. 16And God made two lights,Or “light sources” the greater lightOr “light source” to ruleLiterally “as the authority of” the day and the smaller lightOr “light source” to ruleLiterally “as the authority of” the night, and the stars. 17And God placed them in the vaulted domeOr “expanse” of heavenOr “the sky” to give light on the earth 18and to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate light from darkness.Literally “make a separation between the light and between the darkness” And God saw that it was good. 19And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.

20And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly over the earth across the face of the vaulted domeOr “expanse” of heaven.Or “the sky” 21SoOr “And” God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kind, and every bird with wings according to itsOr “their” kind. And God saw that it was good. 22And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.” 23And there was evening, and there was morning, a fifth day.

24And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kind: cattle and moving things, and wild animalsLiterally “animals of the earth/land” according to their kind.” And it was so. 25SoOr “And” God made wild animalsLiterally “animals of the earth/land” according to their kind and the cattle according to their kind, and every creeping thing of the earth according to itsOr “their” kind. And God saw that it was good.

26And God said, “Let us make humankind inOr “as” our image and according toOr “as” our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of heaven,Or “the sky” and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every moving thing that moves upon the earth.” 27SoOr “And” God created humankind inOr “as” his image, inOr “as” the likeness of God he created him,Or “it” collective: humankind male and female he created them. 28And God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it, and rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of heaven,Or “the sky” and over every animal that moves upon the earth.”

29And God said, “Look—I am giving to you every plant that bears seed which is on the face of the whole earth, and every kind of tree that bears fruit.Literally “which in it fruit of a tree bears seed” They shall be yours as food.” 30And to every kind of animal of the earth and to every bird of heaven,Or “the sky” and to everything that moves upon the earth in which there is life I am giving every green plant as food.” And it was so. 31And God saw everything that he had made and, behold, it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning, a sixth day.

21 And heavenOr “the sky” and earthOr “the earth” and all their arrayOr “host” were finished. 2And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3And God blessed the seventh day, and he sanctifiedOr “hallowed” it, because on it he rested from all his work of creating that there was to do.Literally “which God created to do”

The Generations of Heaven and Earth

4These are the generationsOr “family records” of heavenOr “the sky” and earthOr “the earth” when they were created, in the day that Yahweh God made earth and heavenOr “sky”—5before any plant of the field wasLiterally “and every plant of the field not yet was” on earth, and before any plant of the fieldLiterally “and every plant of the field not yet” had sprung up, because Yahweh God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no human being to cultivate the ground, 6but a stream would rise from the earth and water the whole face of the ground—7whenOr “and” Yahweh God formed the man“The man” indicates the noun is singular and occurs with the definite article of dust from the ground, and he blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.

8And Yahweh God planted a garden in Eden in the east, and there he put the man“The man” indicates the noun is singular and occurs with the definite article whom he had formed. 9And Yahweh God caused to grow every tree that was pleasing to the sight and good for food. And the tree of life was in the midst of the garden, along withOr “and” the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

10NowOr “And” a river flowed out from Eden that watered the garden, and from there it diverged and became four branches. 11The name of the first is the Pishon. It went around all the land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12(The gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stones are there.) 13And the name of the second is Gihon. It went around all the land of Cush. 14And the name of the third is Tigris. It flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

15And Yahweh God took the man“The man” indicates the noun is singular and occurs with the definite article and set him in the garden of Eden to cultivate it and to keep it. 16And Yahweh God commanded the man,“The man” indicates the noun is singular and occurs with the definite article saying, “From every tree of the garden you may freely eat,Literally “eating you may eat” 17but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eatLiterally “of your eating” from it you shall surely die.”Literally “dying you shall die”

18ThenOr “And” Yahweh God said, “it is not good that the man“The man” indicates the noun is singular and occurs with the definite article is alone. I will make for him a helper as his counterpart.”Literally “as his opposite” 19And out of the ground Yahweh God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky,Or “the heavens” and he brought each to the man“The man” indicates the noun is singular and occurs with the definite article to see what he would call it. And whatever the man“The man” indicates the noun is singular and occurs with the definite article called that living creature was its name. 20And the man“The man” indicates the noun is singular and occurs with the definite article gave namesLiterally “called names” to every domesticated animal and to the birds of heavenOr “the sky” and to all the wild animals.Literally “animals of the earth/land” But for the man there was not found a helper as his counterpart.Literally “as his opposite” 21And Yahweh God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man.“The man” indicates the noun is singular and occurs with the definite article WhileOr “And” he slept, he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh where it had been.Literally “the flesh in the place of it” 22And Yahweh God fashioned the rib which he had taken from the man“The man” indicates the noun is singular and occurs with the definite article into a woman and brought her to the man.“The man” indicates the noun is singular and occurs with the definite article 23And the man“The man” indicates the noun is singular and occurs with the definite article said,

“She is nowLiterally “this one the time” bone from my bones and flesh from my flesh; sheLiterally “this one” shall be called ‘Woman,’ for she was takenLiterally “this one was taken” from man.”

24Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall cling to his wife, and they shall be as one flesh. 25And the man“The man” indicates the noun is singular and occurs with the definite article and his wife, both of them, were naked, and they were not ashamed.

1Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animalLiterally “animal of the field” which Yahweh God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God indeed say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat, 3but from the tree that is in the midst of the garden, God said, ‘You shall not eat from it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die’.” 4But the serpent said to the woman, “You shall not surely die. 5For God knows that on the day you both eat from it, then your eyes will be opened and you both shall be like gods,The plural is in the context of v. 22 “one of us” and the plural suffix pronouns 〚“you all”〛 throughout the verse knowing good and evil.” 6WhenOr “And” the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was a delight to the eyes, and the tree was desirable to make one wise, thenOr “and” she took from its fruit and she ate. And she gave it also to her husband with her, and he ate. 7ThenOr “And” the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed together fig leaves and they made for themselves coverings.

8ThenOr “And” they heard the sound of Yahweh God walking in the garden at the windy time of day.Literally “at the wind of the day” And the man“The man” indicates the noun is singular and occurs with the definite article and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Yahweh God among the trees of the garden. 9And Yahweh God called to the man“The man” indicates the noun is singular and occurs with the definite article and said to him, “Where are you?” 10And he replied,Literally “And he said”; “replied” distinguishes Adam as the speaker “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid because I am naked, so I hid myself.” 11Then heThat is, Yahweh God asked,Or “said” “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree from which I forbade you to eat?”Literally “the tree which I commanded to not eat from it” 12And the man“The man” indicates the noun is singular and occurs with the definite article replied,Or “said” “The woman whom you gave to be with me—she gave to me from the tree and I ate.” 13ThenOr “And” Yahweh God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” 14ThenOr “And” Yahweh God said to the serpent,

“Because you have done this, you will be cursed more than any domesticated animal and more than any wild animal.Literally “animal of the earth/land” On your belly you shall go and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. 15And I will put hostility between you and between the woman, and between your offspringLiterally “seed” and between her offspring;Literally “seed” he will strike you on the head, and you will strike him on the heel.”

16To the woman he said,

“I will greatly increase your pain in childbearing;Literally “your pain and your childbearing” in pain you shall bear children. And to your husband shall be your desire. And he shall rule over you.”

17And to AdamThe noun lacks the definite article and is taken as a proper noun in this context he said, “Because you listened to the voice of your wife and you ate from the tree from which I forbade you to eat,Literally “from the tree which I commanded saying not to eat from it”

the ground shall be cursed on your account. In pain you shall eat from it all the days of your life. 18And thorns and thistles shall sprout for you, and you shall eat the plants of the field. 19By the sweat of your browLiterally “your face” you shall eat bread, until your return to the ground. For from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

20And the man“The man” indicates the noun is singular and occurs with the definite article namedLiterally “called the name” his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all life. 21And Yahweh God made for AdamThe noun lacks the definite article and is taken as a proper noun in this context and for his wife garments of skin, and he clothed them.

22And Yahweh God said, “Look—the man has become as one of us, to know good and evil. What ifLiterally “And now lest” he stretches out his hand and takes also from the tree of life and eats, and lives forever?” 23And Yahweh God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken. 24SoOr “And” he drove the man out, and placed cherubim east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming, turning swordLiterally “a flame of the sword which was turning” to guard the way to the tree of life.

1Now Adam knewOr “had intercourse with” Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain. And she said, “I have given birth to a man with the help of Yahweh.” 2Then she boreLiterally “And she added to bear” his brother Abel. And Abel became a keeper of sheep, and Cain became a tiller of the ground. 3And in the course of timeLiterally “it came to pass at the end of days” Cain brought an offering from the fruit of the ground to Yahweh, 4and Abel also brought an offering from the choicest firstlings of his flock.Literally “from the firstlings of his flock and from their fat” And Yahweh looked with favor to Abel and to his offering, 5but to Cain and to his offering he did not look with favor. And Cain became very angry, and his face fell. 6And Yahweh said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why is your face fallen? 7If you do well will I not accept you?Literally “a lifting up”; this is an abbreviation of the Hebrew idiom “to lift up the face,” which means “to accept or regard with favor” But if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. And its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”

8ThenOr “And” Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out into the field.”This phrase is not present in the Hebrew; it is supplied in other versions Samaritan, Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. 9ThenOr “And” Yahweh said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” 10And he said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground. 11So now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive the blood of your brother from your hand. 12When you till the ground it shall no longer yield its strength to you.Literally “it shall not add to give its strength to you” You shall be a wanderer and a fugitive on the earth.” 13And Cain said to Yahweh, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. 14Look, you have driven me out today from the face of the ground, and from your face I must hide. I will be a wanderer and a fugitive on the earth, and it will happen that whoever finds me will kill me.” 15ThenOr “And” Yahweh said to him, “Therefore, whoever kills Cain will be avenged sevenfold.” ThenOr “And” Yahweh put a sign on Cain so that whoever found him would not kill him. 16And Cain went out from the presence of Yahweh, and he settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

17And Cain knewOr “had intercourse with” his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch. And when he built a city he named the city after his son, Enoch.Literally “he called the name of the city as the name of his son, Enoch” 18And to Enoch was born Irad, and Irad fathered Mehujael, and Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech. 19And Lamech took to himself two wives.Or “women” The name of the first was Adah, and the name of the second was Zillah. 20And Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and those who have livestock. 21And the name of his brother was Jubal; he was the father of all who play stringed instruments and wind instruments. 22ThenOr “And” Zillah also gave birth to Tubal-Cain who forged all kinds of tools of bronze and iron. And the sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah.

23ThenOr “And” Lamech said to his wives,

“Adah and Zillah, listen to my voice; O wives of Lamech, hear my words. I have killed a man for wounding me, Even a young man for injuring me. 24If Cain is avenged sevenfold, Then Lamech will be avenged seventy and seven times.

25ThenOr “And” Adam knewOr “had intercourse with” his wife again, and she gave birth to a son. And she called his name Seth, for she said “God has appointed to me another child in the place of Abel, because Cain killed him.” 26And as for Seth, he also fathered a son, and he called his name Enosh. At that time heOr “humankind,” if the 3ms form is considered collective began to call on the name of Yahweh.

1This is the record of the generationsOr “family records” of Adam. WhenLiterally “On the day” God created Adam,Or “humankind” he made him in the likeness of God. 2Male and female he created them. And he blessed them. And he called their name “Humankind” whenLiterally “on the day” they were created. 3And when Adam had lived one hundred and thirty years, he fathered a child in his likeness, according to his image. And he called his name Seth. 4And the days of Adam after he fathered Seth were eight hundred years. And he fathered sons and daughters. 5And all the days of Adam which he lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died.

6WhenLiterally “On the day” Seth had lived one hundred and five years, he fathered Enosh. 7And after Seth had fathered Enosh he lived eight hundred and seven years, and fathered sons and daughters. 8And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years, and he died.

9WhenLiterally “On the day” Enosh lived ninety years, he fathered Kenan. 10And after Enosh fathered Kenan he lived eight hundred and fifteen years, and fathered sons and daughters. 11And all the days of Enosh were nine hundred and five years, and he died.

12WhenLiterally “On the day” Kenan had lived seventy years, he fathered Mahalalel. 13And after Kenan had fathered Mahalalel, he lived eight hundred and forty years, and fathered sons and daughters. 14And all the days of Kenan were nine hundred and ten years, and he died.

15WhenLiterally “On the day” Mahalalel had lived sixty-five years, he fathered Jared. 16And after Mahalalel had fathered Jared, he lived eight hundred and thirty years, and fathered sons and daughters. 17And all the days of Mahalalel were eight hundred and ninety-five years, and he died.

18WhenLiterally “On the day” Jared had lived one hundred and sixty-two years, he fathered Enoch. 19And after Jared had fathered Enoch, he lived eight hundred years, and fathered sons and daughters. 20And all the days of Jared were nine hundred and sixty-two years, and he died.

21WhenLiterally “On the day” Enoch had lived sixty-five years, he fathered Methuselah. 22And Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah three hundred years, and fathered sons and daughters. 23And all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. 24And Enoch walked with God, and he was no more, for God took him.

25WhenLiterally “On the day” Methuselah had lived one hundred and eighty-seven years, he fathered Lamech. 26And after Methuselah had fathered Lamech, he lived seven hundred and eighty-two years, and fathered sons and daughters. 27And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred and sixty-nine years, and he died.

28WhenLiterally “On the day” Lamech had lived one hundred and eighty-two years, he fathered a son. 29And he called his name Noah, saying, “This one shall relieve usLiterally “shall comfort us” from our work, and from the hard labor of our hands, from the ground which Yahweh had cursed. 30And after Lamech had fathered Noah he lived five hundred and ninety-five years, and he fathered sons and daughters. 31All the days of Lamech were seven hundred and seventy-seven years, and he died.

32WhenLiterally “On the day” Noah was five hundred years old,Literally “was a son of five hundred years” Noah fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

1And it happened that, when humankind began to multiply on the face of the ground, daughters were born to them. 2ThenOr “And” the sons of God saw the daughters of humankind, that they were beautiful. And they took for themselves wives from all that they chose. 3And Yahweh said, “My Spirit shall not abide with humankind forever in that he is also flesh. And his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” 4The Nephilim were upon the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God went into the daughters of humankind, and they bore children to them.

5And Yahweh saw that the evil of humankind was great upon the earth, and every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was alwaysLiterally “every day” only evil. 6And Yahweh regretted that he had made humankind on the earth, and he was grieved in his heart.Literally “he was grieved to his heart” 7And Yahweh said, “I will destroy humankind whom I created from upon the face of the earth, from humankind, to animals, to creeping things, and to the birds of heaven,Or “the sky” for I regret that I have made them.” 8But Noah found favor in the eyes of Yahweh.

9These are the generationsOr “family records” of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, without defect in his generations. Noah walked with God. 10And Noah fathered three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 11And the earth was corrupted before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth. 13And God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before me, for the earth was filled with violence because of them. Now, look, I am going to destroy them along with the earth. 14Make for yourself an ark of cypress wood; you must make the ark with rooms, thenOr “and” you must cover it with pitch, inside and outside. 15And this is how you must make it: the length of the ark, three hundred cubits; its width fifty cubits; its height, thirty cubits. 16You must make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above.Literally “to one cubit you must finish it from above” And as for the door of the ark, you must put it in its side. You must make it with a lower, second, and a third deck.

17And I, behold, I am about to bring the flood waters over the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life from under the heaven;Or “the sky” everything that is on the earth shall perish. 18And I will establish my covenant with you, and you must go into the ark—you, and your sons, and your wife, and the wives of your sons with you. 19And of every living thing, from all flesh, you must bring two from every kind into the ark to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. 20From the birds according to theirOr “its” kind, and from the animals according to theirOr “its” kind, from every creeping thing on the ground according to itsOr “their” kind—two from every kind shall come to you to keep them alive. 21And as for you, take for yourself from every kind of food that is eaten. And you must gather it to yourself. And it shall be for you and for them for food.” 22And Noah did according to all that God commanded him; thus he did.

71 ThenOr “And” Yahweh said to Noah, “Go—you and all your household—into the ark, for I have seen you are righteous before me in this generation. 2From all the clean animals you must take for yourself seven pairs,Literally “seven, seven” a male and its mate. And from the animals that are not clean you must take two, a male and its mate, 3as well as from the birds of heavenOr “the sky” seven pairs,Literally “seven, seven” male and female, to keep their kind aliveLiterally “to keep seed alive” on the face of the earth. 4For within seven daysLiterally “to seven days still” I will send rain upon the earth for forty days and forty nights. And I will blot out all the living creatures that I have made from upon the face of the ground.” 5And Noah did according to all that Yahweh commanded him.

The Flood

6Noah was six hundred years oldLiterally “was a son of six hundred years” whenOr “and” the flood waters came upon the earth. 7And Noah and his sons and his wife, and the wives of his sons with him, went into the ark because of the waters of the flood. 8Of clean animals, and of animals which are not clean, and of the birds, and everything that creeps upon the ground, 9two of eachLiterally “two, two” went to Noah, into the ark, male and female, as God had commanded Noah. 10And it happened that after seven days the waters of the flood came over the earth. 11In the six hundredth year of the life of Noah, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month—on that day all the springs of the great deep were split open, and the windows of heaven were opened. 12And the rain came upon the earth forty days and forty nights. 13On this same day, Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and the wife of Noah and the three wives of his sons with them, went into the ark, 14they and all the living creatures according to theirOr “its” kind, and all the domesticated animals according to theirOr “its” kind, and all the creatures that creep upon the earth according to theirOr “its” kind, all the birds according to theirOr “its” kind, every winged creature. 15And they came to Noah to the ark, two of each,Literally “two, two” from every living thing in which was the breath of life. 16And those that came, male and female, of every living thing, came as God had commanded him. And Yahweh shut the door behind him. 17And the flood came forty days and forty nights upon the earth. And the waters increased, and lifted the ark, and it rose up from the earth. 18And the waters prevailed and increased greatly upon the earth. And the ark went upon the surfaceHebrew “face” of the waters. 19And the waters prevailed overwhelminglyLiterally “very very” upon the earth, and they covered all the high mountains which were under the entire heaven.Or “the sky” 20The waters swelled fifteen cubits above the mountains, covering them.Literally “Fifteen cubits above the waters swelled, and they covered the mountains” 21And every living thing that moved on the earth perished—the birds, and the domesticated animals, and the wild animals, and everything that swarmed on the earth, and all humankind. 22Everything in whose nostrils was the breath of life,Literally “a breath of spirit of life” among all that was on dry land, died. 23And heIn context, God blotted out every living thing upon the surface of the ground, from humankind, to animals, to creeping things, and to the birds of heaven;Or “the sky” they were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark remained. 24And the waters prevailed over the earth one hundred and fifty days.

1And God remembered Noah and all the wild animals, and all the domesticated animals that were with him in the ark. And God caused a wind to blowOr “go” over the earth, and the waters subsided. 2And the fountains of the deep and the windows of the heavensOr “the sky” were closed, and the rain from the heavensOr “the sky” was restrained. 3And the waters receded from the earth gradually,Literally “going and returning” and the waters abated at the end of one hundred and fifty days. 4And the ark came to rest in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the mountains of Ararat. 5And the waters continued to recedeLiterally “going and receding” to the tenth month; in the tenth month, on the first of the month, the tops of the mountains appeared. 6And it happened that at the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made. 7And he sent out aOr “the” raven;Or “crow” it went to and froLiterally “it went out, going out and returning” until the waters were dried up from upon the earth. 8And he sent out aOr “the” doveLiterally “and he sent out a dove from him” to see whether the waters had subsided from upon the ground. 9But the dove did not find a resting place for the sole of her foot, and she returned to him into the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the earth. And he stretched out his hand and took her, and brought her to himself into the ark. 10And he waited another seven days, and again he sent outLiterally “he added to send” the dove from the ark. 11And the dove came to him in the evening,Literally “at the time of the evening” and behold, a freshly-picked olive tree leaf was in her mouth. And Noah knew that the waters had subsided from upon the earth. 12And he waited seven more days,Literally “again another seven days” and he sent out the dove. But it did not return again to him. 13And it happened that, in the six hundred and first year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, the waters dried up from upon the earth. And Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked. And behold, the face of the ground was dried up. 14And in the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dry. 15And God spoke to Noah, saying: 16“Go out from the ark, you and your wife, and your sons, and your sons’ wives with you. 17Bring out with you all the living things which are with you, from all the living creatures—birds, and animals, and everything that creeps on the earth, and let them swarm on the earth and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.” 18SoOr “And” Noah went out, withOr “and” his sons and his wife, and the wives of his sons with him. 19Every animal, every creeping thing, and every bird, and everything that moves upon the earth, according to its families, went out from the ark. 20And Noah built an altar to Yahweh, and he took from all the clean animals and from all the clean birds, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21And Yahweh smelled the soothing fragrance, and Yahweh said to himself,Literally “to his heart” “Never again will I curseLiterally “I will not add to curse again” the ground for the sake of humankind, because the inclination of the heart of humankind is evil from his youth. Nor will I ever again destroyLiterally “And I will not add again to destroy” all life as I have done. 22As long as the earth endures,Literally “While all the days of the earth” seed and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will not cease.

1And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. 2And fear of you and dread of you shall be upon every animal of the earth, and on every bird of heaven,Or “the sky” and on everything that moves upon the ground, and on all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they shall be given. 3Every moving thing that lives shall be for you as food. As I gave the green plants to you, I have now given you everything. 4Only you shall not eat raw flesh with blood in it.Literally “flesh with its life, its blood” 5AndOr “only”; the same word that occurs at the beginning of v. 4 your lifebloodLiterally “your blood belonging to your life” I will require; from every animalLiterally “from the hand of every animal” I will require it. And from the hand of humankind, from the hand of each man to his brother I will require the life of humankind.

6“As for the one shedding the blood of humankind, by humankind his blood shall be shed, for God made humankind in his own image.

7“And you, be fruitful and multiply, swarm on the earth and multiply in it.” 8And God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9“As for me, behold, I am establishing my covenant with you and with your seed after you, 10and with every living creature that is with you—the birds, the animals, and every animal of the earth with you, from all that came out of the ark to all the animals of the earth. 11I am establishing my covenant with you, that never again will all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, nor will there ever be a flood that destroys the earth.” 12And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I am making between me and you, and between every living creature that is with you for future generations. 13My bow I have set in the clouds, and it shall be for a sign of the covenant between me and between the earth. 14And when I make clouds appear over the earth the bow shall be seen in the clouds. 15ThenOr “And” I will remember my covenant that is between me and you, and between every living creature, with all flesh. And the waters of a flood will never again cause the destructionLiterally “be to destroy” of all flesh. 16The bow shall be in the clouds, and I will see it, so as to remember the everlasting covenant between God and between every living creature, with all flesh that is upon the earth.” 17And God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant which I am establishing between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.

Noah’s Descendants

18NowOr “And” the sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) 19These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the whole earth was populated.Literally “all the earth branched out” 20And Noah began to be a man of the ground, and he planted a vineyard. 21And he drank some of the wine and became drunk, and he exposed himself in the midst of his tent. 22And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and he told his two brothers outside. 23ThenOr “And” Shem and Japheth took a garment, and the two of them put it on their shoulders and, walking backward, they covered the nakedness of their father. And their faces were turned backward, so thatOr “and” they did not see the nakedness of their father. 24ThenOr “And” Noah awoke from his drunkenness,Or “his wine” and he knew what his youngest son had done to him. 25And he said,

“Cursed be Canaan, a slave of slaves he shall be to his brothers.”

26ThenOr “And” he said,

“Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Shem, and let Canaan be a slave to them. 27May God make space for Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem, and let Canaan be a slave for him.”

28And Noah lived three hundred and fifty years after the flood. 29And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years, and he died.

1These are the generationsOr “family records” of the sons of Noah—Shem, Ham, and Japheth. ChildrenOr “sons” were born to them after the flood. 2The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. 3And the sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. 4And the sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. 5From these the coastland peoples spread out through their lands, each according to his own language by their own families, in their nations.

6And the sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. 7And the sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. 8And Cush fathered Nimrod. He was the first on earth to be a mighty warrior.Literally “He began to be a mighty warrior on the earth” 9He was a mighty hunter before Yahweh. Therefore it was said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before Yahweh.” 10Now,Or “And” the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Akkad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11From that land he went out to Assyria, and he built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, 12Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city. 13And Egypt fathered Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, 14Pathrusim, and Casluhim (from whom the Philistines came), and Caphtorim.

15Canaan fathered Sidon, his firstborn, and Heth, 16and the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, 17the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, 18the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Afterward the families of the Canaanites were spread abroad. 19And the territory of the Canaanites was from Sidon in the direction ofLiterally “in your going” Gerar as far as Gaza, and in the direction ofLiterally “in your going” Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. 20These are the descendantsOr “sons” (“descendants” was chosen since the proper names in this section are gentilic in form—that is, they indicate one’s place of origin—and have the definite article) of Ham, according to their families and their languages, in their lands, and in their nations.

21And to Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, the older brother of Japheth, children were also born. 22The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram. 23And the sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. 24And Arphaxad fathered Shelah, and Shelah fathered Eber. 25And to Eber two sons were born. The name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided, and the name of his brother was Joktan. 26And Joktan fathered Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan. 30And their dwelling place extended fromLiterally “was from” Mesha in the direction ofLiterally “in your going” Sephar to the hill country of the east. 31These are the sons of Shem, according to their families, according to their languages, in their lands, and according to their nations.

32These are the families of the sons of Noah, according to their generationsOr “family records” and in their nations. And from these the nations spread abroad on the earth after the flood.

1NowOr “And” the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2And as people migratedOr “set out” from the east they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3And they said to each other,Literally “each to his companion” “Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly.”Literally “burn to burning” And they had brick for stone and they had tar for mortar. 4And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower whose top reaches to the heavens. And let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

5ThenOr “And” Yahweh came down to see the city and the tower that humankindLiterally “sons of Adam” or “sons of humankind” was building. 6And Yahweh said, “Behold, they are one people with one language,Literally “one people and one language to all of them” and this is only the beginning of what they will do.Literally “and this they begin to do” SoOr “And” now nothing that they intend to do will be impossible for them. 7Come, let us go down and confuse their language there, so that they will not understand each other’s language.”Literally “each the language of his companion” 8So Yahweh scattered them from there over the face of the whole earth, and they stopped building the city. 9Therefore its name was called Babel, for there Yahweh confused the language of the whole earth, and there Yahweh scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

The Descendants of Shem

10These are the generationsOr “family records” of Shem. When Shem was one hundred years old,Literally “the son of one hundred years” he fathered Arphaxad, two years after the flood. 11And Shem lived five hundred years after he fathered Arphaxad, and he fathered other sons and daughters. 12When Arphaxad had lived thirty-five years, he fathered Shelah. 13And Arphaxad lived four hundred and three years after he fathered Shelah, and he fathered other sons and daughters. 14When Shelah had lived thirty years, he fathered Eber. 15And Shelah lived four hundred and three years after he fathered Eber, and he fathered other sons and daughters. 16When Eber had lived thirty-four years, he fathered Peleg. 17And Eber lived four hundred and thirty years after he fathered Peleg, and he fathered other sons and daughters. 18When Peleg had lived thirty years, he fathered Reu. 19And Peleg lived two hundred and nine years after he fathered Reu, and he fathered other sons and daughters. 20When Reu had lived thirty-two years, he fathered Serug. 21And Reu lived two hundred and seven years after he fathered Serug, and he fathered other sons and daughters. 22When Serug had lived thirty years, he fathered Nahor. 23And Serug lived two hundred years after he fathered Nahor, and he fathered other sons and daughters. 24When Nahor had lived twenty-nine years, he fathered Terah. 25And Nahor lived one hundred and nineteen years after he fathered Terah, and he fathered other sons and daughters. 26When Terah had lived seventy years, he fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

The Descendants of Terah

27NowOr “And” these are the generationsOr “family records” of Terah. Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran, and Haran fathered Lot. 28And Haran died in the presence of Terah his father in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldeans. 29And Abram and Nahor took wives for themselves. The name of the wife of Abram was Sarai, and the name of the wife of Nahor was Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah and Iscah. 30And Sarai was barren; she had no child. 31And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot, the son of Haran, his grandson,Literally “the son of his son” and Sarai his daughter-in-law, the wife of Abram his son, and went out with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan. And they went to Haran, and they settled there. 32And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years, and Terah died in Haran.

1And Yahweh said to Abram, “Go out from your land and from your relatives, and from the house of your father, to the land that I will show you. 2And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great. And you will be a blessing. 3And I will bless those who bless you, and those who curse you I will curse. And all families of the earth will be blessed in you.”

Abram’s Journey

4And Abram went out as Yahweh had told him, and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years oldLiterally “the son of five years and seventy years” when he went out from Haran. 5And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his nephew,Literally “the son of his brother” and all their possessions that they had gathered, and all the persons that they had acquired in Haran, and they went out to go to the land of Canaan. And they went to the land of Canaan. 6And Abram traveled through the land up to the place of Shechem, to the Oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanites were in the land at that time. 7And Yahweh appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” And he built an altar there to Yahweh, who had appeared to him. 8And he moved on from there to the hill country, east of Bethel. And he pitched his tent at Bethel on the west, and at Ai on the east. And he built an altar there to Yahweh. And he called on the name of Yahweh. 9And Abram kept moving on,Literally “And Abram moved on, going and moving on” toward the Negev. 10And there was a famine in the land. And Abram went down to Egypt to dwell as an alien there, for the famine was severe in the land. 11And it happened that as he drew near to enter into Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “Look now, I know that you are a woman beautiful of appearance, 12and it shall happen that, if the Egyptians see you, then they will say, ‘This is his wife,’ then they will kill me but let you live. 13Please say you are my sister so that it will go well for me on your account. Then I will liveLiterally “And my soul will live” on account of you.” 14And it happened that as Abram came into Egypt, the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful. 15And the officials of Pharaoh saw her, and they praised her beauty to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken to the house of Pharaoh. 16And he dealt well with Abram on account of her, and he had sheep, cattle, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels. 17ThenOr “And” Yahweh afflicted Pharaoh and his household with severe plagues on account of the matter of Sarai the wife of Abram. 18Then Pharaoh called for Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? 19Why did you say ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her to myself as a wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go.” 20And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him, and then sent him and his wife and all that was with him away.

1Then Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that was with him. And Lot went with him to the Negev. 2Now Abram was very wealthy in livestock, in silver, and in gold. 3And he went according to his journey from the Negev, then to Bethel, to the place where his tent was at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4to the place where he had made an altar at the beginning. And Abram called on the name of Yahweh there. 5And Lot, who went with Abram, also had herds and tents. 6And the land could not support themLiterally “lift them up” so as to live together, because their possessions were so many thatOr “and” they were not able to live together. 7And there was a quarrel between the herdsmen of the livestock of Abram and the herdsmen of the livestock of Lot. Now at that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land. 8Then Abram said to Lot, “Please, let there not be quarreling between me and you, and between my shepherds and your shepherds, for we men are brothers. 9Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you want what is on the left, then I will go right; if you want what is on the right, I will go left.” 10And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw the whole plain of the Jordan, that all of it was well-watered land—this was before Yahweh destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah—like the garden of Yahweh, like the land of Egypt in the direction ofLiterally “your going” Zoar. 11SoOr “And” Lot chose for himself all the plain of the Jordan. And Lot journeyed from the east, and so they separated from each other.Literally “each from his brother” 12Abram settled in the land of Canaan, and Lot settled in the cities of the plain. And he pitched his tent toward Sodom. 13Now the men of Sodom were extremely wicked sinners against Yahweh.Literally “were wicked and sinners against Yahweh very” 14And Yahweh said to Abram after Lot had separated from him, “Now, lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are to the north, and to the south, and to the east and to the west, 15for all the land which you see I will give to you, and to your descendants, forever. 16I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth which, if anyone were able to count the dust of the earth, your descendants would be so counted. 17Arise, go through the length of the land and through its breadth, for I will give it to you.” 18SoOr “And” Abram pitched his tent, and he came and settled at the oaks of Mamre, which were at Hebron. And there he built an altar to Yahweh.

1And it happened that in the days of Amraphel, the king of Shinar, Arioch, the king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer, the king of Elam, and Tidal, the king of Goiim, 2made war with Bera, the king of Sodom, and Birsha, the king of Gomorrah, Shinab, the king of Admah, and Shemeber, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). 3All these joined forces at the valley of Siddim (that is, the sea of the salt). 4Twelve years they had served Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled. 5In the fourteenth year Kedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth-Karnaim, and the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim in Shaveh-Kiriathaim, 6And the Horites in their hill country of Seir, as far as El-Paran, which is at the wilderness. 7ThenOr “And” they turned back and came to En-Mishpat (that is, Kadesh). And they defeated the whole territory of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who were living in Hazazon-Tamar. 8ThenOr “And” the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out, and they took up battle positionLiterally “And they took up position with them for battle” in the Valley of Siddim 9with Kedorlaomer, king of Elam, and Tidal, king of Goiim, and Amraphel, king of Shinar, and Arioch, king of Ellasar, four kings against five. 10NowOr “And” the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits.Literally “pits, pits of tar” And the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled and fell into them,Literally “they fell there” but the rest fled to the mountains. 11SoOr “And” theyIn context, the enemy took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their provisions, and they left. 12And theyIn context, the enemy took Lot, the son of the brother of Abram, and his possessions, and left. (Now he had been living in Sodom.) 13ThenOr “And” one who escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew. And he was living at the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner. They were allies with Abram.Literally “And they were owners of a covenant of Abram” 14WhenOr “And” Abram heard that his relativeLiterally “brother” was taken captive, he summoned his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen of them, and he went in pursuit up to Dan. 15And he divided his trained men against them at night, he and his servants. And he defeated them and pursued them to Hobah, which is north of Damascus. 16And he brought back all the possessions. And he also brought back Lot, his relative,Literally “brother” and his possessions, and the women and the people as well.

Abram Meets Melchizedek

17After his return from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the Valley of the King). 18And Melchizedek, the king of Salem, brought out bread and wine. (He was the priest of God Most High). 19And he blessed him and said,

“Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Maker of heaven and earth. 20And blessed be God Most High who delivered your enemies into your hand.”

And heThat is, Abram gave to him a tenth of everything. 21And the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people, but the possessions take for yourself.” 22And Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to Yahweh, God Most High, Maker of heaven and earth, 23that neither a thread norLiterally “that not from a thread and up to” a thong of a sandal would I take from all that belongs to you, that you might not say, ‘I made Abram rich.’ 24Nothing besides whatLiterally “besides me only which” the servants have eaten and the share of the men who went out with me will I take. Let Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre take their share.”

1After these things the word of Yahweh cameLiterally “was” to Abram in a vision, saying: “Do not be afraid, Abram; I am your shield, and your reward shall be very great.” 2ThenOr “And” Abram said, “O Yahweh, my Lord, what will you give me? I continue to beLiterally “I am going” childless, and my heirLiterally “the son of the inheritance of my house” is Eliezer of Damascus.” 3And Abram said, “Look, you have not given me a descendant, and here, a member of my householdLiterally “a son of my house” is my heir.”Literally “inheriting me” 4And behold, the word of Yahweh came to him saying, “This person will not be your heir,Literally “inherit you” but your own son will be your heir.”Literally “he who goes out from your body, he will inherit you” 5And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward the heavens and count the stars if you are able to count them.” And he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6And he believed in Yahweh, and he reckoned it to him as righteousness. 7And he said to him, “I am Yahweh, who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give this land to you, to possess it.” 8And he said, “O Yahweh God, how shall I know that I will possess it?” 9And he said to him, “Take for me a three-year-old heifer, and a three-year-old female goat, and a three-year-old ram, and a turtledove and a young pigeon.” 10And he took for him all these and cut them in pieces down the middle. And he put each piece opposite the other,Literally “its companion” but the birds he did not cut. 11And the birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. 12And it happened that, as the sun went down,Literally “to go” then a deep sleep fell upon Abram and, behold, a great terrifying darkness fell upon him. 13And he said to Abram, “You must surely knowLiterally “knowing you must know” that your descendants shall be as aliens in a land not their own.Literally “not to them” And they shall serve themSome nation hostile to Abram’s descendants (Egypt in later history) and theySome nation hostile to Abram’s descendants (Egypt in later history) shall oppress them four hundred years. 14And also that the nation which theyThat is, Abram’s descendants serve I will judge. ThenOr “And” afterward they shall go out with great possessions. 15And as for you, you shall go to your ancestorsOr “fathers” in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. 16And the fourth generation shall return here, for the guilt of the Amorites is not yet complete.”Literally “is not complete up to now” 17And after the sun had gone down and it was dusk, behold, a smoking firepot and a flaming torch passed between those half pieces. 18On that day Yahweh madeLiterally “cut” a covenant with Abram saying, “To your offspring I will give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates river, 19the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, 20the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.”

1NowOr “And” Sarai, the wife of Abram, had borne him no children. And she had a female Egyptian servant, and her name was Hagar. 2And Sarai said to Abram, “Look, please, Yahweh has prevented me from bearing children. Please go in to my servant; perhaps I will have children by her.”Literally “I will be built from her” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. 3ThenOr “And” Sarai, the wife of Abram, took Hagar, her Egyptian servant, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram her husband as his wife. 4And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when sheThat is, Hagar saw that she had conceived, then her mistress grew small in her eyes. 5And Sarai said to Abram, “may my harm be upon you. I had my servant sleep with you,Literally “I put my servant in your lap” and when she saw that she had conceived, she no longer respected me.Literally “I grew small in her eyes” May Yahweh judge between me and you!” 6And Abram said to Sarai, “Look, your servant is under your authority.Literally “in your hand” Do to her that which is good in your eyes.” And Sarai mistreated her, and sheThat is, Hagar fled from her presence.

Hagar and the Angel of Yahweh

7And the angel of Yahweh found her at a spring of water in the wilderness, at the spring by the road of Shur. 8And he said to Hagar, the servant of Sarai, “From whereLiterally “where from this” have you come, and where are you going?” And she said, “I am fleeing from the presence of Sarai my mistress.” 9ThenOr “And” the angel of Yahweh said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit yourself under her authority.”Literally “her hand” 10And the angel of Yahweh said to her, “I will greatly multiplyLiterally “multiplying I will multiply” your offspring, so that they cannot be counted for their abundance.” 11And the angel of Yahweh said to her:

“Behold, you are pregnant and shall have a son. And you shall call his name Ishmael, for Yahweh has listened to your suffering. 12And he shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand will be against everyone, and the hand of everyone will be against him, and he will live in hostility with all his brothers.”Literally “against the face of all his brothers”

13SoOr “And” she called the name of Yahweh who spoke to her, “You are El-Roi,”“God of seeing” for she said, “Here I have seen after he who sees me.” 14Therefore the well was called Beer-Lahai-Roi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered. 15And Hagar had a child for Abram, a son. And Abram called the name of his son whom Hagar bore to him, Ishmael. 16And Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

1WhenLiterally “And it happened that” Abram was ninety-nine years old Yahweh appeared to Abram. And he said to him, “I am El-Shaddai;Often translated, “God Almighty” walk before me and be blameless 2so thatOr “and” I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you exceedingly.”Literally “with very very” 3Then Abram fell upon his face and God spoke with him, saying, 4“As for me, behold, my covenant shall be with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. 5Your name shall no longer be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I will make you the father of a multitude of nations. 6And I will make you exceedinglyLiterally “with very very” fruitful. I will make you a nation, and kings shall go out from you. 7And I will establish my covenant between me and you, and between your offspring after you, throughout their generations as an everlasting covenant to be as God for you and to your offspring after you. 8And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land in which you are living as an alien,Literally “a land of your sojournings” all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting property. And I will be to them as God.”

9And God said to Abraham, “Now as for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you, throughout their generations. 10This is my covenant which you shall keep, between me and you, and also withOr “between” your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. 12And at eight days of ageLiterally “a son of eight days” you shall yourselves circumcise every male belonging to your generations and the servant born in your house and the one bought from any foreignerLiterally “those born of house and acquisition of money from every son of a foreigner” who is not from your offspring. 13You must certainly circumciseLiterally “circumcising you will circumcise” the servant born in your house and the one bought from any foreigner.Literally “those born of house and acquisition of money from every son of a foreigner” And my covenant shall be with your flesh as an everlasting covenant. 14And as for any uncircumcised male who has not circumcised the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from hisLiterally “her”; the reference is still to a male; the pronoun is feminine because “person” (nephesh) is grammatically feminine people. He has broken my covenant. 15And God said to Abraham, “as for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, for Sarah shall be her name. 16And I will bless her; moreover, I give to you from her a son. And I will bless her, and she shall give rise to nations.Literally “she shall become to nations” Kings of peoples shall comeOr “be” from her.” 17And Abraham fell upon his face and laughed. And he said in his heart, “Can a child be born to a man a hundred years old,Literally “to a man one hundred years old can he be born?” or can Sarah bear a child at ninety?”Literally “can ninety-year-old Sarah bear a child?” 18And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!” 19And God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear a son for you, and you shall call his name Isaac. And I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant to his offspring after him. 20And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I will bless him and I will make him fruitful, and I will multiply him exceedingly.Literally “with very very” He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. 21But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this appointed time next year.” 22WhenOr “And” he finished speaking with him, God went up from Abraham. 23And Abraham took Ishmael his son and all who were born of his house, and all those acquired by his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskin on the same day that God spoke with him. 24Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he circumcised the flesh of his foreskin. 25And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he circumcised the flesh of his foreskin. 26Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised on the same day. 27And all the men of his house, those born in the house, and those acquired by money from a foreigner,Literally “born of house and acquisition of money from the son of a foreigner” were circumcised with him.

1And Yahweh appeared to himAbraham by the oaks of Mamre. And he was sitting in the doorway of the tent at the heat of the day. 2And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, three men were standing nearOr “by”; the context requires some distance for Abraham to run to them him. And he saw them and ran from the doorway of the tent to meet them. And he bowed down to the ground. 3And he said, “My lord, if I have found favor in your eyes do not pass by your servant. 4Let a little water be brought and wash your feet, and rest under the tree. 5And let me bring a piece of bread, thenOr “and” refresh yourselves.Literally “your heart” Afterward you can pass on, onceLiterally “for therefore” you have passed by with your servant.” Then they said, “Do so as you have said.” 6ThenOr “And” Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and he said, “Quickly—make three seahs of fine flour for kneading and make bread cakes!” 7And Abraham ran to the cattle and took a calf,Literally “a son of cattle” tender and good, and gave it to the servant, and he made haste to prepare it. 8Then he took curds and milk, and the calf which he prepared, and set it before them. And he was standing by them under the tree whileOr “and” they ate. 9And they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “Here, in the tent.” 10And heYahweh said, “I will certainly return to you in the spring,Literally “at the time of life” and look, Sarah your wife will have a son.” Now Sarah was listening at the doorway of the tent, and which was behind him. 11Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age;Literally “going in the days” the way of womenLiterally “the road according to women” had ceased to be for Sarah. 12SoOr “And” Sarah laughed to herself saying, “After I am worn out and my husband is old, shall this pleasure be to me?” 13Then Yahweh said to Abraham, “What is this that Sarah laughed, saying, ‘Is it indeed true that I will bear a child, now that I have grown old?’ 14Is anything too difficult for Yahweh? At the appointed time I will return to you in the springLiterally “at the time of life” and Sarah shall have a son.” 15But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” because she was afraid. HeYahweh said, “No, but you did laugh.”

16Then the men set out from there, and they looked down upon Sodom. And Abraham went with them to send them on their way.Literally “to send them away” 17Then Yahweh said, “Shall I conceal from Abraham what I am going to do? 18Abraham will surely become a great and strong nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed on account of him. 19For I have chosenOr “have known” him, that he will command his children and his household after him that they will keep the way of Yahweh, to do righteousness and justice, so that Yahweh may bring upon Abraham that which he said to him.” 20Then Yahweh said, “Because the outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and because their sin is very serious,Literally “heavy” 21I will go down and I will see. Have they done altogether according to its cry of distress which has come to me? If not, I will know.”

Abraham Intercedes for Sodom

22And the men turned from there and went toward Sodom. And Abraham was still standing before Yahweh. 23And Abraham drew near to Yahweh and said, “Will you also sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24If perhaps there are fifty righteous in the midst of the city, will you also sweep them away and not forgive the place on account of the fifty righteous in her midst? 25Far be it from you to do such a thing as this, to kill the righteous with the wicked, thatOr “and” the righteous would be as the wicked! Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do justice?” 26And Yahweh said, “If I find fifty righteous in Sodom, in the midst of the city, then I will forgive the whole place for their sake.” 27Then Abraham answered and said, “Look, please, I was bold to speak to my Lord, but I am dust and ashes. 28Perhaps the fifty righteous are lacking five—will you destroy the whole city on account of the five?” And he answered, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” 29And once again he spokeLiterally “And he added again to speak” to him and said, “What ifOr “Perhaps” forty are found there?” And he answered, “I will not do it on account of the forty.” 30And he said, “Please, let not my Lord be angry, and I will speak. What ifOr “Perhaps” thirty be found there?” And he answered, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” 31And he said, “Please, now, I was bold to speak to my Lord. What ifOr “Perhaps” twenty be found there?” And he answered, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.” 32And he said, “Please, let not my Lord be angry, and I will speak only once more. What ifOr “Perhaps” ten are found there?” And he answered, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.” 33Then Yahweh left,Or “went” as he finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

1And the two angels came to Sodom in the evening. And Lot was sitting in the gateway of Sodom. Then Lot saw them and stood up to meet them. And he bowed down with his face to the ground. 2And he said, “Behold, my lords, please turn aside into the house of your servant and spend the night and wash your feet. Then you can rise early and go on your way.” And they said, “No, but we will spend the night in the square.” 3But he urged them strongly,Literally “he pressed upon them very” and they turned aside with him and came into his house. And he made a meal for them and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. 4Before they laid down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man,Literally “from the end” surrounded the house. 5And they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we may knowHebrew idiom for sexual intercourse (cp. Gen 4:1) them.” 6But Lot went out to them at the entrance, and he shut the door behind him. 7And he said, “No, my brothers, please do not do such a wrong thing. 8Behold, I have two daughters who have not knownHebrew idiom for sexual intercourse (cp. Gen 4:1) a man. Please, let me bring them out to you; then do to them as it seems good in your eyes. Only to these men do not do this thing, since they came under my roofLiterally “my beam” for protection.” 9But they said, “Step aside!” Then they said, “This fellowLiterally “the one” came to dwell as a foreigner and he acts as a judge! Now we shall do worse to you than them!” And they pressed very hard against the man, against Lot, and they drew near to break the door. 10Then the men reached out with their hands and brought Lot in to them, into the house, and they shut the door. 11And the men who were at the entrance of the house they struck with blindness, both small and great, and they were unable to find the entrance. 12Then the men said to Lot, “Who is here with you? Bring out from the place your sons-in-law, and your sons and your daughters, and all who are with you in the city. 13For we are about to destroy this place, because their cry has become great before Yahweh. Yahweh sent us to destroy it.” 14Then Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law who were takingThat is, marrying his daughters and said, “Get up! Go out from this place, because Yahweh is going to destroy the city!” But it seemed like a jokeLiterally “it was as one making fun” in the eyes of his sons-in-law. 15And as the dawn came up the angels urged Lot saying, “Get up, take your wife and your two daughters who are staying with you,Literally “who are found” lest you be destroyed with the punishment of the city.” 16But when he lingered, the men seized him by his hand and his wife’s hand, and his two daughters by hand, on account of the mercy of Yahweh upon him. And they brought him out and set him outside of the city. 17And after bringing them outside one said, “Flee for your life; do not look behind you, and do not stand anywhere in the plain. Flee to the mountains lest you be destroyed.” 18And Lot said to them, “No, please, my lords. 19Behold, your servant has found favor in your eyes and you have shown me great kindnessLiterally “your kindness which you have done to me you have made great” in saving my life. But I cannot flee to the mountains, lest the disaster overtake me and I die. 20Behold, this city is near enough to flee there, and it is a little one. Please, let me flee there. Is it not a little one? Then my life shall be saved.” 21And he said to him, “Behold, I will grant this favor as well;Literally “I am lifting up your face also concerning this thing” that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken. 22Escape there quickly, for I cannot do this thing until you get there.” Therefore, there name of the city was called Zoar.

The Destruction of Sodom

23After the sun had risenLiterally “had gone out” upon the earth and Lot had entered Zoar, 24Yahweh rained down from heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from Yahweh. 25And he overthrew those cities and the whole plain, and the inhabitants of the cities and the vegetation of the ground. 26But hisThat is, Lot’s wife looked back,Literally “behind him” and she became a pillar of salt. 27And Abraham arose early in the morning and went to the place where he had stood before Yahweh. 28And he looked down upon the surface of Sodom and Gomorrah, and upon the whole surface of the land, the plain. And he saw that,Or “and” behold, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a smelting furnace. 29So it was, when God destroyed the cities of the plain that God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out from the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in which Lot lived.

Lot and His Daughters

30And Lot went out from Zoar and settled in the hill countryOr “mountain” with his two daughters, for he was afraid to stay in Zoar. So he lived in a cave, he and his two daughters. 31And the firstborn daughter said to the younger one, “Our father is old, and there is no man in the land to come in to us according to the manner of all the land. 32Come, let us give our father wine to drink and let us lie with himIdiom for “have sexual intercourse with him” that we may secure descendants through our father.”Literally “that we might preserve offspring from our father” 33And they gave their father wine to drink that night, and the firstborn went and lay with her father, but he did not know when she lay down or when she got up. 34And it happened that, the next day the firstborn said to the younger one, “Look, I laid with my father last night. Let us give him wine to drink also tonight, then go and lie with him that we may secure descendants through our father.”Literally “that we might preserve offspring from our father” 35And they gave their father wine to drink again that night, and the younger got up and lay with him, but he did not know when she lay down or when she got up. 36And the two daughters of Lot became pregnant by their father. 37The firstborn gave birth to a son, and she called his name Moab. He is the father of Moab until this day. 38And the younger, she also gave birth to a son, and she called his name Ben-Ammi. He is the father of the AmmonitesLiterally “sons/children of Ammon” until this day.

1And Abraham journeyed from there to the land of the Negev, and he settled between Kadesh and Shur. And he dwelled as an alien in Gerar. 2And Abraham said about Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. 3And God came to Abimelech in a dream at night. And he said to him, “Look, you are a dead man on account of the woman you have taken. For she is a married woman.”Literally “married of a husband” or “a woman owned by a husband” 4Now Abimelech had not approached her, so he said, “my Lord, will you even kill a righteous people?” 5Did not he himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ With integrity of my heart and with cleanness of my hands I did this.” 6Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes,Or “Also” I know that in the integrity of your heart you did this, and I also kept you from sinningLiterally “kept back from sinning” against me. Therefore, I did not allow you to touch her. 7So now, return the wife of the man, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you and you will live. And if you do not return her,Literally “If there is not for you a returning” know that you will certainly die, and all that are yours.”

8So Abimelech rose early in the morning. And he called all his servants and told them all these things,Literally “said all these things in their ears” and the men were very afraid. 9And Abimelech called for Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you that you brought upon me and upon my kingdom a great sin? You have done things to me that should not be done.” 10And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What were you thinkingLiterally “What have you seen?” that you did this thing?” 11And Abraham said, “Because I thought, surely there is no fear of God in this place; they will kill me on account of the matter of my wife. 12Besides,Literally “And also moreover” she is my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother. And she became my wife. 13And it happened that as God caused me to wander from the house of my father I said to her, ‘This is your loyal kindness that you must do for me at every place where we come: say concerning me, “He is my brother.” ’ ” 14And Abimelech took sheep and cattle and male slaves and female slaves, and he gave them to Abraham. And he returned Sarah his wife to him. 15And Abimelech said, “Here is my land before you; settle where it pleases you.”Literally “in the good in your eyes” 16And to Sarah he said, “Look, I have given a thousand pieces of silver to your brother. It shall be an exoneration.Literally “a covering of the eyes” You are vindicated before all who are with you.”Literally “to all who are with you and with all you are vindicated” 17And Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his female servants so that they could bear children again. 18For Yahweh had completely closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of the matter of Sarah, the wife of Abraham.

1And Yahweh visited Sarah as he had said. And Yahweh did to Sarah as he had promised. 2And she conceived, and Sarah bore to Abraham a son in his old age at the appointed time that God had told him. 3And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac. 4And Abraham circumcised Isaac his son when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. 5And Abraham was one hundred years old when Isaac his son was born to him. 6And Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; all who hear will laugh for me.” 7And she said, “Who would announce to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne a son to Abraham in his old age.”

Hagar and Ishmael

8And the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned. 9And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne Abraham, mocking. 10Then she said to Abraham, “Drive out this slave woman and her son, for the son of this slave woman will not be heir with my son, with Isaac.” 11And the matter displeased Abraham very muchLiterally “was very bad in the eyes of Abraham” on account of his son. 12Then God said to Abraham, “Do not be displeasedLiterally “Do not let it be bad” on account of the boy and on account of the slave woman. Listen to everything that Sarah said to you,Literally “Everything Sarah said to you, listen with respect to her voice” for through Isaac your offspring will be named. 13And I will also make the son of the slave woman into a nation, for he is your offspring.” 14Then Abraham rose up early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder. And he sent her away with the child, and she went, wandering about in the wilderness, in Beersheba. 15And when the water was finished from the skin, she put the child under one of the bushes. 16And she went and she sat a good distance away,Literally “she sat with respect to her, opposite, far away, as the shooting of a bow” for she said, “Let me not see the child’s death.” So she sat away from him and lifted up her voice and wept. 17And God heard the cryOr “voice” of the boy and the angel of God called to Hagar from the heavens and said to her, “What is the matterLiterally “What to you” Hagar? Do not be afraid, for God has heard the cryOr “voice” of the boy from where he is.Literally “in which he is there” 18Get up, take up the boy and take him with your hand, for I will make him a great nation.” 19And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave a drink to the boy. 20And God was with the boy, and he grew and lived in the wilderness. And he became an expert with a bow.Literally “an archer with the bow” 21And he lived in the wilderness of Paran. And his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

The Covenant Between Abraham and Abimelech

22And it happened that at that time, Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, said to Abraham, “God is with you, in all that you do. 23So now, swear to me here by God that you will not deal with me falsely, or with my descendants, or my posterity. According to the kindness that I have done to you, you shall pledge to do with me and with the land where you have dwelled as an alien.” 24And Abraham said, “I swear.” 25Then Abraham complained to Abimelech on account of the well of water that servants of Abimelech had seized. 26And Abimelech said, “I do not know who did this thing, neither did you tell me, nor have I heard of it except for today.” 27And Abraham took sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech. And the two of them madeLiterally “cut” a covenant. 28Then Abraham set off seven ewe-lambs of the flock by themselves. 29And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe-lambs that you have set off by themselves?” 30And he said, “You shall take the seven ewe-lambs from my hand as proof on my behalfLiterally “for the sake that it shall be a witness for me” that I dug this well.” 31Therefore that place is called Beersheba, because there the two of them swore an oath. 32And they madeLiterally “cut” a covenant at Beersheba. And Abimelech, and Phicol his army commander stood and returned to the land of the Philistines. 33And heThat is, Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of Yahweh, the everlasting God.Literally “El-Olam” 34And Abraham dwelled as an alien in the land of the Philistines many days.

1And it happened that after these things, God tested Abraham. And he said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2And he said, “Take your son, your only child, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains whereOr “that” I will tell you.” 3And Abraham rose up early in the morning and saddled his donkey. And he took two of his servants with him, and Isaac his son. And he chopped wood for a burnt offering. And he got up and went to the place which God had told him. 4On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and he saw the place at a distance. 5And Abraham said to his servants, “You stay here with the donkey, and I and the boy will go up there. We will worship, then we will return to you.” 6And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and placed it on Isaac his son. And he took the fire in his hand and the knife, and the two of them went together. 7And Isaac said to Abraham his father, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” And he said, “Here is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8And Abraham said, “God will provideLiterally “God will see to it” or “God will see for himself” the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went together.

9And they came to the place that God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood. Then he bound Isaac his son and placed him on the altar atop the wood. 10And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11And the angel of Yahweh called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham! Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12And he said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the boy; do not do anything to him. For now I know that you are one who fearsLiterally “a fearer” God, since you have not withheld your son, your only child, from me.” 13And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked. And behold, a ram was caught in the thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14And Abraham called the name of that place “Yahweh will provide,”Literally “will see” for which reasonLiterally “which” it is said today, “on the mountain of Yahweh it shall be provided.”Literally “it/he shall be seen” 15And the angel of Yahweh called to Abraham a second time from heaven. 16And he said, “I swear by myself, declares Yahweh, that because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only child, 17that I will certainly bless you and greatly multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and as the sand that is by the shore of the sea. And your offspring will take possession of the gate of his enemies. 18All the nations of the earth will be blessed through your offspring, because you have listened to my voice.” 19And Abraham returned to his servants, and they got up and went together to Beersheba. And Abraham lived in Beersheba.

20And it happened that after these things, it was told to Abraham, “Look, Milcah has also borne children to your brother Nahor: 21Uz his firstborn and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram, 22and Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” 23(Now, Bethuel fathered Rebekah). These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, the brother of Abraham. 24And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.

1And Sarah livedLiterally “the lives of Sarah were” one hundred and twenty-seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. 2And Sarah died in Kiriath Arba; that is Hebron, in the land of Canaan. 3And Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. And Abraham rose up from his dead, and he spoke to the HittitesOr “sons of Heth” and said, 4“I am a stranger and an alien among you; give to me my own burial siteLiterally “ownership of a grave” among you so that I may bury my dead from before me.” 5And the HittitesOr “sons of Heth” answered Abraham and said to him, 6“Hear us, my lord, you are a mighty princeOr “prince of God” in our midst. Bury your dead in the choicest of our burial sites. None of us will withhold his burial siteLiterally “will withhold from himself his burial site from you for burying your dead.” 7And Abraham rose up and bowed to the people of the land, to the Hittites.Or “sons of Heth” 8And he spoke with them, saying, “If you are willingLiterally “if there is with your inner selves / souls” that I bury my dead from before me, hear me and intercede for me with Ephron the son of Zohar, 9that he may sellOr “give” to me the cave of Machpelah which belongs to him,Literally “which is to him” which is at the end of his field. At full value let him sellOr “give” it to me in your midstas a burial site.”Literally “ownership of a grave” 10Now Ephron was sitting among the Hittites.Or “sons of Heth” And Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the HittitesOr “sons of Heth” with respect to all who were entering the gate of his city, and said, 11“No, my lord, hear me. I give you the field and the cave which is in it, I also give it to you in the sight of the children of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead.” 12And Abraham bowed before the people of the land. 13And he spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, “If only you will hear meLiterally “Only if you perhaps hear me”—I give the price of the field. Take it from me that I may bury my dead there.” 14And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, 15“My lord, hear me. A piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver—what is that between me and you? Bury your dead.” 16Then Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed for Ephron the silver that he had namedOr “spoken” in the hearing of the Hittites:Or “sons of Heth” four hundred shekels of silver at the merchants’ current rate.Literally “passing to the merchant” 17So the field of Ephron which was in the Machpelah, which was near Mamre—the field and the cave which was in it, with all the trees that were in the field, which were within all its surrounding boundaries—passedLiterally “went up” 18to Abraham as a property in the presence of the Hittites,Or “sons of Heth” with respect to all who were entering the gate of his city. 19And thus afterward Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah near Mamre; that is Hebron, in the land of Canaan. 20And the field and the cave which was in it passedLiterally “went up” to Abraham as a burial siteLiterally “ownership of a grave” from the Hittites.Or “sons of Heth”

1Now Abraham was old, advanced in age,Literally “going in the days” and Yahweh had blessed Abraham in everything. 2And Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his house, who had charge of all he had, “Please put your hand under my thigh 3that I may make you swear by Yahweh, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites in whose midst I am dwelling, 4but that you will go to my land and to my family, and take a wife for my son, for Isaac.” 5And the servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman will not be willing to followLiterally “to go after” me to this land—must I then return your son to the land from whence you came?” 6Abraham said to him, “You must take careLiterally “let it be careful to you” that you do not return my son there. 7Yahweh, the God of heaven who took me from the house of my father and from the land of my family, and who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, ‘to your offspring I will give this land,’ he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. 8And if the woman is not willing to followLiterally “to go after” you, then you shall be released from this oath of mine—only you must not return my son there.” 9Then the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and he swore to him concerning this matter. 10And the servant took ten camels from his master’s camels, and he went with all kinds of his master’s good things in his hand. And he arose and went to Aram-Naharaim, to the city of Nahor. 11And he made the camels kneel outside the city at the well of water, at the time of evening, toward the time the women went out to draw water.12And he said, “O Yahweh, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show loyal love to my master Abraham. 13Behold, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are going out to draw water. 14And let it be that the girl to whom I shall say, ‘Please, offer your jar that I may drink’ and who says, ‘Drink—and I will also water your camels,’ she is the one you have chosen for your servant, for Isaac. By her I will know that you have shown loyal love to my master.” 15And it happened that before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah—who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, the brother of Abraham—came out, and her jar was on her shoulder. 16Now the girl was very pleasing in appearance. She was a virgin; no man had known her. And she went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came up. 17And the servant ran to meet her. And he said, “Please, let me drink a little of the water from your jar.” 18And she said, “Drink, my lord.” And she quickly lowered her jar in her hand and gave him a drink. 19WhenOr “And” she finished giving him a drink she said, “I will also draw water for your camels until they finish drinking.” 20And she quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran again to the well to draw water. And she drew water for all his camels. 21And the man was gazing at her silently to know if Yahweh had made his journey successful or not. 22And it happened that as the camels finished drinking the man took a gold ring of a half shekel in weight and two bracelets for her arms, ten shekels in weight, 23and said, “Please tell me, whose daughter are you? Is there a place at the house of your father for us to spend the night?” 24And she said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.” 25Then she said to him, “We have both straw and fodder in abundance, as well as a place to spend the night.” 26And the man knelt down and worshiped Yahweh. 27And he said, “Blessed be Yahweh, God of my master Abraham, who has not withheldOr “abandoned” his loyal love and his faithfulness from my master. I was on the way and Yahweh led me to the house of my master’s brother.” 28Then the girl ran and reported these things to the household of her mother.

29Now Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban. And Laban ran out to the man toward the spring. 30And when he saw the ring and the bracelets on the arms of his sister and heard the words of Rebekah his sister, who said, “Thus the man spoke to me,” he went to the man. And behold, he was standing with the camels at the spring. 31And he said, “Come, O blessed one of Yahweh. Why do you stand outside? Now I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.” 32And the man came to the house and unloaded the camels. And he gave straw and fodder to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 33And food was placed before himLiterally “And it was placed before him” to eat. And he said, “I will not eat until I have told my errand.”Literally “I have spoken my word” And he said, “Speak.” 34And he said, “I am the servant of Abraham. 35Now Yahweh has blessed my master exceedingly, and he has become great. He has given to him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male slaves and female slaves, and camels and donkeys. 36And Sarah, the wife of my master, has borne a son to my master after her old age. And heThat is, Abraham has given to him all that he has. 37And my master made me swear, saying, ‘Do not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites in whose land I am living. 38But you shall go to the house of my father, and to my family, and you shall take a wife for my son.’ 39And I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not followLiterally “go after” me.’ 40And he said to me, ‘Yahweh, before whom I have walked, shall send his angel with you and will make your journey successful. And you shall take a wife for my son from my family, and from the house of my father. 41Then you shall be released from my oath, when you come to my family. And if they will not give a woman to you, then you will be released from my oath.’ 42Then today I came to the spring, and I said, ‘O Yahweh, God of my master Abraham, if you would please make my journey successful,Literally “if there is you making successful my journey” upon which I am going. 43Behold, I am standing by the spring of water. Let it be that the young woman who comes out to draw water and to whom I say, “Please give me a little water to drink from your jar,” 44let her say to me, “Drink; I will also draw water for your camels,” she is the woman whom Yahweh has appointed for the son of my master.’ 45I had not yet finished speaking to myselfOr “to my heart” when, behold, Rebekah was coming out withOr “and” her jar on her shoulder. And she went down to the spring and drew water. And I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’ 46And she hastened and let down her jar from her shoulderLiterally “from upon her” and said, ‘Drink, and I will give a drink to your camels also.’ Then I drank and she gave a drink to the camels also. 47Then I asked her and said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ And she said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to him.’ And I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her arms. 48And I knelt down and worshiped Yahweh, and I praised Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, who led me on the right way, to take the daughter of the brother of my master for his son. 49So now, if you are going to deal loyally and trulyLiterally “if there is you doing loyal love and faithfulness” with my master, tell me. And if not, tell me, so that I may turn to the right or to the left.”An idiom for “so that I might know what to do” 50Then Laban and Bethuel answered, and they said, “The matter has gone out from Yahweh; we are not able to speak bad or good to you. 51Here is Rebekah before you. Take her and go; let her be a wife for the son of your master as Yahweh has spoken.” 52And it happened that when the servant of Abraham heard their words he bowed down to the ground to Yahweh. 53And the servant brought out silver jewelry and gold jewelry, and garments, and he gave them to Rebekah. And he gave precious gifts to her brother and to her mother. 54And he and the men who were with him ate and drank, and they spent the night. And they got up in the morning, and he said, “Let me go to my master.” 55And her brother and her mother said, “Let the girl remain with us ten days or so; after that she may go.” 56And he said to them, “Do not delay me. Now, Yahweh has made my journey successful. Let me go. I must go to my master.” 57And they said, “Let us call the girl and ask her opinion.”Literally “her mouth” 58And they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go.” 59So they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and the servant of Abraham and his men. 60And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, “You are our sister; may you become countless thousands; and may your offspring take possession of the gate of his enemies.” 61And Rebekah and her maidservants arose, and they mounted the camels and followedLiterally “went after” the man. And the servant took Rebekah and left.

62Now Isaac was coming from the direction of Beer-Lahai-Roi. And he was living in the land of the Negev. 63And Isaac went out to meditate in the field early in the evening,Literally “at the turning of evening” and he lifted up his eyes and saw—behold, camels were coming. 64And Rebekah lifted up her eyes and saw Isaac. And she got down from the camel. 65And she said to the servant, “Who is this man walking around in the field to meet us?” And the servant said, “That is my master.” And she took herOr “the” veil and covered herself. 66And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. 67And Isaac brought her to the tent of Sarah his mother. And he took Rebekah, and she became his wife. And Isaac loved her and was comforted after the death of his mother.

1Now Abraham again took a wife, and her name was Keturah. 2And she bore to him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3And Jokshan fathered Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim and Letushim and Leummim. 4And the sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abidah, and Eldaah. All of these were the children of Keturah. 5And Abraham gave all he had to Isaac. 6But to the sons of Abraham’s concubines Abraham gave gifts. And while he was still living he sent them away eastward, away from his son Isaac, to the land of the east. 7Now these are the days of the years of the life of Abraham:Literally “the years of the life of Abraham which he lived” one hundred and seventy-five years. 8And Abraham passed away and died in a good old age, old and full of years. And he was gathered to his people. 9And Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron, son of Zohar the Hittite, that was east of Mamre, 10the field that Abraham had bought from the Hittites.Or “sons of Heth” There Abraham was buried and Sarah his wife. 11And it happened that after the death of Abraham God blessed Isaac his son, and Isaac settled at Beer-Lahai-Roi.

12Now these are the generationsOr “family records” of Ishmael, the son of Abraham, that Hagar the Egyptian, the maidservant of Sarah, bore to Abraham. 13And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names according to their family records. The firstborn of Ishmael was Nebaioth, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.16These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names by their villages and by their encampments—12 leaders according to their tribes. 17Now these are the years of the life of Ishmael: 137 years. And he passed away and died, and was gathered to his people.18They settled from Havilah to Shur, which was oppositeOr “upon the face of” Egypt, going toward Asshur, opposite;Or “upon the face of” he settledLiterally “fell” oppositeOr “upon the face of” all his brothers.

Jacob and Esau

19Now these are the generationsOr “family records” of Isaac, the son of Abraham. Abraham fathered Isaac, 20And Isaac was forty years oldLiterally “a son of forty years” when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-Aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, as his wife. 21And Isaac prayed to Yahweh on behalf of his wife, for she was barren. And Yahweh responded to his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22And the children in her womb jostled each other, and she said, “If it is going to be like this, why be pregnant?”Literally “if so, why this I?” And she went to inquire of Yahweh. 23And Yahweh said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from birthLiterally “from your bowels” shall be divided. And one people shall be stronger than the other.Literally “people than people shall be stronger” And the elder shall serve the younger.” 24And when her days to give birth were completed,Or “full” then—behold—twins were in her womb. 25And the first came out red, all his bodyLiterally “of him” was like a hairy coat, so they called his name Esau. 26And afterward his brother came out, and his hand grasped the heel of Esau, so his name was called Jacob. And Isaac was sixty years oldLiterally “a son of sixty years” at their birth. 27And the boys grew up. And Esau was a skilledOr “knowing” (knowledgeable) hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a peaceful man, living in tents. 28And Isaac loved Esau because he could eat of his game,Literally “game in his mouth” but Rebekah loved Jacob. 29OnceOr “and” Jacob cooked a thick stew, and Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. 30And Esau said to Jacob, “Give me some of that red stuffLiterally “some of the red, this red” to gulp down, for I am exhausted!” (Therefore his name was called Edom). 31Then Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright first.”Literally “as the day” 32And Esau said, “Look, I am going to die; now what is this birthright to me?” 33Then Jacob said, “Swear to me first.”Literally “as the day” And he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34Then Jacob gave Esau bread, and thick lentil stew, and he ate and drank. Then he got up and went away. So Esau despised his birthright.

1And there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine which was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech, king of the Philistines, to Gerar. 2And Yahweh appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land which I will show to you. 3Dwell as an alien in this land, and I will be with you, and will bless you, for I will give all these lands to you and to your descendants, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham you father. 4And I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and I will give to your descendants all these lands. And all nations of the earth will be blessed through your offspring, 5because Abraham listened to my voice and kept my charge: my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.”

6So Isaac settled in Gerar. 7When the men of the place asked concerning his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” for he was afraid to say, “my wife,” thinkingOr “lest” “the men of the place will kill me on account of Rebekah, for she was beautiful.”Literally “good of appearance” 8And it happened that, when he had been there a long time,Literally “when the days there were long to him” Abimelech the king of the Philistines looked through the window, and saw—behold—Isaac was fondling Rebekah his wife. 9And Abimelech called IsaacOr “to Isaac” and said, “Surely she is your wife. Now why did you say ‘She is my sister’?” And Isaac said to him, “Because I thought I would die on account of her.” 10And Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have slept with your wife! Then you would have brought guilt upon us!” 11Then Abimelech instructed all the people, saying, “The one who touches this man or his wife shall certainly die.”

12And Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in that same year a hundredfold, and Yahweh blessed him. 13And the man became wealthier and wealthierLiterally “became great and went, going and became great” until he was exceedingly wealthy. 14And he possessed sheep and cattle and many servants, so that the Philistines envied him. 15And the Philistines stopped up all the wells that the servants of his father had dug in the days of Abraham his father. They filled them with earth. 16And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you have become much too powerful for us.” 17So Isaac departed from there and camped in the valley of Gerar, and settled there. 18And Isaac dug again the wells of water which they had dug in the days of his father Abraham, which the Philistines had stopped up after the death of Abraham. And he gaveOr “called” to them the same namesLiterally “names as names” which his father had givenOr “called” them. 19And when the servants of Isaac dug in the valley, they found a well of fresh water there. 20Then the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with the herdsmen of Isaac, saying, “The water is ours.” And he called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him. 21And they dug another well, and they quarreled over it also. And he called its name Sitnah. 22Then he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. And he called its name Rehoboth, and said, “Now Yahweh has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.” 23And from there he went up to Beersheba. 24And Yahweh appeared to him that night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you, and I will bless you and make your descendants numerous for the sake of my servant Abraham.” 25And he built an altar there and called on the name of Yahweh. And he pitched his tent there, and the servants of Isaac dug a well there. 26Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath his friend and Phicol his army commander. 27And Isaac said to them, “Why have you come to me? You hate me and sent me away from you.” 28And they said, “We see clearly that Yahweh has been with you, so we thoughtOr “said” let there be an oath between us—between us and you—and let us makeLiterally “cut” a covenant with you 29that you may not do us harm just as we have not touched you, but have only done good to you and sent you away in peace. You are now blessed by Yahweh.” 30So he made a meal for them, and they ate and drank. 31And they arose early in the morning and each one swore to the other,Or “to his brother” and Isaac sent them away. And they left him in peace. 32And it happened that on that same day the servants of Isaac came and told him about the well that they had dug. And they said, “We have found water!” 33And he called it Sheba. Therefore the name of the city is Beersheba unto this day.

34And when Esau was forty years old he took as wife Judith, daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath, daughter of Elon the Hittite. 35And they made life bitterLiterally “they caused bitterness of spirit” for Isaac and Rebekah.

1And it happened that when Isaac was old and his eyesight was weak,Literally “his eyes were weak from seeing” he called Esau his older son and said to him, “My son.” And heThat is, Esau said to him, “Here I am.” 2And he said, “Look, I am old; I do not know the day of my death. 3So now, take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt food for me. 4Then make for me tasty food like I love, and bring it to me. And I will eat it so that IOr “my soul” can bless you before I die.

5Now Rebekah was listening as Isaac spoke to Esau his son, and when Esau went to the field to hunt wild game to bring back, 6Rebekah said to Jacob her son, “Look, I heard your father speaking to Esau your brother saying, 7‘Bring wild game to me and prepare tasty food so I can eat it and bless you before Yahweh before my death.’ 8So now, my son, listen to my voice, to what I command you. 9Go to the flock and take two good young goats from it for me, and I will prepare them as tasty food for your father, just as he likes. 10Then you must take it to your father and he will eat it so that he may bless you before his death.” 11Then Jacob said to his mother, “Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, but I am a smooth man. 12Perhaps my father will feel me and I will be in his eyes as a mocker, and he will bring upon me a curse and not a blessing.” 13Then his mother said to him, “Your curse be upon me, my son, only listen to my voice—go and get them for me.” 14So he went and took them, and brought them to his mother, and his mother prepared tasty food as his father liked. 15Then Rebekah took some of her older son Esau’s best garments that were with her in the house, and she put them on Jacob her younger son. 16And she put the skins of the young goats over his hands and over the smooth part of his neck.17And she put the tasty food and the bread that she had made into the hand of Jacob, her son. 18And he went to his father and said, “My father.” And he said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?” 19And Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau, your firstborn. I have done as you told me. Please get up, sit up and eat from my wild game so that youOr “your soul” may bless me.” 20Then Isaac said to his son, “HowLiterally “what is this?” did you find it so quickly, my son?” And he said, “Because Yahweh your God caused me to find it.”Literally “made it to happen before me” 21Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please, come near and let me feel you, my son. Are you reallyLiterally “are you this one?” my son Esau or not?” 22And Jacob drew near to Isaac his father. And he felt him and said, “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” 23And he did not recognize him because his hands were hairy like the hands of Esau his brother. And he blessed him. 24And he said, “Are you reallyLiterally “are you this one?” my son Esau?” And he said, “I am.” 25Then he said, “Bring it near to me that I may eat from the game of my son, so that IOr “my soul” may bless you.” And he brought it to him, and he ate. And he brought wine to him, and he drank. 26Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come near and kiss me, my son.” 27And he drew near and kissed him. And heThat is, Isaac smelled the smell of his garments, and he blessed him and said,

“Look, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field that Yahweh has blessed! 28May God give you of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earth, and abundance of grain and new wine. 29Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you; Be lord of your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. Cursed be those cursing you, and blessed be those blessing you.”

30And as soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, immediately afterLiterally “it was only” Jacob had gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, Esau his brother came back from his hunting. 31He too prepared tasty food and brought it to his father. And he said to his father, “Let my father arise and eat from the wild game of his son, that youOr “your soul” may bless me.” 32And Isaac his father said to him, “Who are you?” And he said, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.” 33Then Isaac trembled violently.Literally “trembled a great trembling unto exceeding” Then he said, “Who then was he that hunted wild game and brought it to me, and I ate it all before you came, and I blessed him? Moreover, he will be blessed!” 34When Esau heard the words of his father he cried out with a great and exceedingly bitter cry of distress. And he said to his father, “Bless me as well, my father!” 35And he said, “Your brother came in deceit and took your blessing.” 36Then he said, “Isn’t that why he is named Jacob?Literally “that his name is called Jacob?” He has deceived me these two times. He took my birthright and, look, now he has taken my blessing!” Then he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?” 37Then Isaac answered and said to Esau, “Behold, I have made him lord over you and I have given him all his brothers as servants, and with grain and wine I have sustained him. Now what can I do for you, my son?” 38And Esau said to his father, “Have you only one blessing, my father? Bless me also, my father!” And Esau lifted up his voice and wept. 39Then Isaac his father answered and said to him,

“Your home shall be fromOr “away from” the fatness of the land, and from the dew of heaven above. 40But by your sword you shall live, and you shall serve your brother. But it shall be that when free yourself you shall tear off his yoke from your neck.

41Then Esau held a grudge against Jacob on account of the blessing with which his father had blessed him. And Esau said in his heart,That is, “to himself” “The days of mourning for my father are coming, then I will kill Jacob my brother.” 42But the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah. And she sent and called for her younger son Jacob. And she said to him, “Look, Esau your brother is consoling himself concerning you, intending to kill you. 43Now then, my son, listen to my voice; arise and flee to Haran to Laban my brother. 44Stay with him a few days until the wrath of your brother has turned—45until the anger of your brother turns from you and he has forgotten what you have done to him. Then I will send and bring you from there. Why should I lose the two of you in one day?” 46Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I loathe my life because of the Hittite women.Or “daughters of the Hittites” If Jacob takes a wife from Hittite womenOr “daughters of the Hittites” like these, from the native women,Literally “daughters of the land” what am I living for?”Literally “What is life to me?”

1Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him. And he instructed him and said to him, “You must not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan. 2Arise, go to Paddan-Aram, to the house of Bethuel, your mother’s father, and take for yourself a wife from there, from the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother. 3Now, may El-ShaddaiOften translated “God Almighty” bless you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, so that you become an assembly of peoples. 4And may he give you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your descendants with you, that you may take possession of the land of your sojourning, which God gave to Abraham.” 5Then Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Paddan-Aram, to Laban the son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau. 6Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan-Aram, to take for himself a wife from there, andOr “when” he blessed him and instructed him, saying, “You must not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan,” 7and that Jacob listened to his father and to his mother and went to Paddan-Aram. 8Then Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan were evil in the eyes of Isaac his father, 9then Esau went to Ishmael and took Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael, son of Abraham, sister of Nebaioth, as a wife, in addition to the wives he had.

Jacob’s Dream

10Then Jacob went out from Beersheba and went to Haran. 11And he arrived at a certain place and spent the night there, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of the place and put it under his head and slept at that place. 12And he dreamed, and behold, a stairway was set on the earth, and its top touched the heavens. And behold, angels of God were going up and going down on it. 13And behold, Yahweh was standing beside him,Or “above it” and he said, “I am Yahweh, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. The ground on which you were sleeping I will give to you and to your descendants. 14Your descendants shall be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west, and to the east, and to the north and to the south. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and through your descendants. 15Now behold, I am with you, and I will keep you wherever you go. And I will bring you to this land, for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised to you.” 16Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely Yahweh is indeedLiterally “there is” in this place and I did not know!” 17Then he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is nothing else than the house of God,Literally “there is not this but the house of God” and this is the gate of heaven!” 18And Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up as a stone pillar, and poured oil on top of it. 19And he called the name of that place Bethel; however, the name of the city was formerly Luz. 20And Jacob made a vowOr “vowed a vow” saying, “If God will be with me and protect me on this way that I am going, and gives me food to eat and clothing to wear, 21and if I return in peace to the house of my father, then Yahweh will become my God. 22And this stone that I have set up as a pillar shall be the house of God, and of all that you give to me I will certainly give a tenth to you.”

1And Jacob continued his journeyLiterally “lifted up his feet” and went to the land of the Easterners.Or “children of the east” 2And he looked, and behold, there was a well in the field, and behold, there were three flocks of sheep lying beside it, for out of that well the flocks were watered. And the stone on the mouth of the well was large. 3And when all the flocks were gathered there, they rolled away the stone from the mouth of the well. And they watered the sheep and returned the stone upon the mouth of the well to its place. 4And Jacob said to them, “My brothers, where are you from?” And they said, “We are from Haran.” 5And he said to them, “Do you know Laban, son of Nahor?” And they said, “We know him.” 6And he said to them, “Is he well?”Literally “Is it well for him?” And they said, “He is well. Now look, Rachel his daughter is coming with the sheep.” 7And he said, “Look, it is still broad daylight;Literally “high day” it is not the time for the livestock to be gathered. Give water to the sheep and go, pasture them.” 8And they said, “We are not able, until all the flocks are gathered. Then the stone is rolled away from the mouth of the well, and we water the sheep.” 9While he was speaking with them, Rachel came with the sheep which belonged to her father, for she was pasturing them. 10And it happened that, when Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban, his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban, his mother’s brother, Jacob drew near and rolled away the stone from the mouth of the well and watered the sheep of Laban, his mother’s brother. 11And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept. 12And Jacob told Rachel that he was the relative of her father, and that he was the son of Rebekah. And she ran and told her father.13And it happened that when Laban heard the message about Jacob, the son of his sister, he ran to meet him. And he embraced him and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things. 14And Laban said to him, “Surely you are my flesh and my bone!” And he stayed with him a month.

Jacob’s Marriages

15Then Laban said to Jacob, “Just because you are my brother should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wage should be.” 16Now Laban had two daughters. The name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17Now the eyes of Leah were dull, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance. 18And Jacob loved Rachel and said, “I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.” 19Then Laban said, “Better that I give her to you than I give her to another man. Stay with me.” 20And Jacob worked for Rachel seven years, but they were as a few days in his eyes because he loved her. 21And Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, that I may go in to her, for my timeLiterally “my days” is completed.” 22So Laban gathered all the men of the place and prepared a feast. 23And it happened that in the evening he took Leah his daughter and brought her to him, and he went in to her. 24And Laban gave Zilpah his female servant to her, to Leah his daughter as a female servant. 25And it happened that in the morning, behold, it was Leah! And he said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Now why did you deceive me?” 26Then Laban said, “It is not the customLiterally “it is not thus done” in our country to give the younger before the firstborn. 27Complete the week of this one,Leah; the wedding feast would last one week then I will also give you the other, on the condition that you will work for meLiterally “with respect to the work that you will work with me yet” another seven years.” 28And Jacob did so. So he completed the week of this one,That is, Leah then he gave Rachel his daughter to him as a wife. 29And Laban gave Bilhah his female servant to Rachel his daughter as a female servant. 30Then he also went in to Rachel, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. And he served with him yet another seven years.

Jacob’s Children

31When Yahweh saw that Leah was unloved he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. 32Then Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she called his name Reuben, for she said, “Because Yahweh has noticed my misery, that I am unloved. Now my husband will love me.” 33And she conceived again and gave birth to a son. And she said, “It is because Yahweh has heard that I am unloved that he gave me this son also.” And she called his name Simeon. 34And she conceived again and gave birth to a son. Then she said, “Now this time my husband will be joined to me, for I have borne him three sons.” Therefore, she called his name Levi. 35And she conceived again and gave birth to a son. And she said, “This time I will praise Yahweh.” Therefore she called his name Judah. And she ceased bearing children.

1When Rachel saw that she could not bear children to Jacob, Rachel envied her sister. And she said to Jacob, “Give me children—if not, I will die!” 2And Jacob became angryLiterally “became hot of nose” with Rachel. And he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” 3Then she said, “Here is my servant girl Bilhah; go in to her that she may bear children as my surrogate.Literally “upon my knees” Then I will even have childrenLiterally “be built up” by her.” 4Then she gave him Bilhah, her female servant, as a wife, and Jacob went in to her 5And Bilhah conceived and gave birth to a son for Jacob. 6Then Rachel said, “God has judged me, and has also heard my voice, and has given me a son.” Therefore she called his name Dan. 7And Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, conceived again and bore a second son to Jacob. 8And Rachel said, “I have struggled a mighty struggle with my sister and have prevailed.” And she called his name Naphtali. 9When Leah saw that she had ceased bearing children, she took Zilpah her female servant and gave her to Jacob as a wife. 10And Zilpah, the female slave of Leah, bore a son to Jacob. 11Then Leah said, “Good fortune!” And she called his name Gad. 12And Zilpah, Leah’s female servant, bore a second son to Jacob. 13Then Leah said, “How happy am I! For women have called me happy.” So she called his name Asher.

14And in the days of the wheat harvest, Reuben went and found mandrakes in the field and he brought them to Leah his mother. And Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” 15And she said to her, “Is your taking my husband such a small thing that you will also take the mandrakes of my son?” Then Rachel said, “Then he may sleep with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.” 16When Jacob came in from the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him. And she said, “Come in to me, for I have hiredLiterally “I have fully paid for” you with my son’s mandrakes.” And he slept with her that night. 17And God listened to Leah and she conceived and gave birth to a fifth son for Jacob. 18Then Leah said, “God has given me my wage since I gave my servant girl to my husband.” And she called his name Issachar. 19And Leah conceived again and gave birth to a sixth son for Jacob. 20And Leah said, “God has endowed me with a good gift. This time my husband will acknowledge me, because I bore him six sons.” And she called his name Zebulun. 21And afterward she gave birth to a daughter. And she called her name Dinah. 22Then God remembered Rachel and listened to her, and God opened her womb. 23And she conceived and gave birth to a son. And she said, “God has taken away my disgrace.” 24And she called his name Joseph, saying, “Yahweh has added to me another son.”

Jacob’s Prosperity

25And it happened that as soon as Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away that I may go to my place and my land. 26Give me my wives and my children for which I have served you, and let me go. For you yourself know my service that I have rendered to you.” 27But Laban said to him, “Please, if I have found favor in your eyes, I have learned by divination that Yahweh has blessed me because of you.” 28And he said, “Name your wage to me and I will give it.” 29Then he said to him, “You yourself know how I have served you and how your livestock have been with me.I.e., “How well they have done under my care” 30For you had little before me, and it has increased abundantly. And Yahweh has blessed you wherever I turned.Literally “to my foot” So then, when shall I provide for my own family also?” 31And he said, “What shall I give you?” And Jacob said, “Do not give me anything. If you will do this thing for me, I will again feed your flocks and keep them. 32Let me pass through all your flocks today, removing all the speckled and spotted sheep from them, along withOr “and” every dark-colored sheep among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats. ThatOr “it” shall be my wages. 33And my righteousness will answer for me laterLiterally “on the day tomorrow” when you come concerning my wages before you. Every one that is not speckled or spotted among the goats, or dark-colored among the sheep shall be stolen if it is with me.” 34Then Laban said, “Look! Very well. It shall be according to your word.” 35But that day heThat is, Laban removed the streaked and spotted male goats and all the speckled and spotted female goats, all that had white on it, and every dark-colored ram, and put them in the charge of his sons.Literally “he gave into the hands of his sons” 36And he put a journey of three days between him and Jacob, and Jacob pastured the remainder of Laban’s flock. 37Then Jacob took fresh branches of poplar, almond, and plane trees and peeled white strips on them, exposing the white which was on the branches. 38And he set the branches that he had peeled in front of the flocks, in the troughs and in the water containers. And they were in heat when they came to drink. 39And the flocks mated by the branches, so the flocks bore streaked, speckled, and spotted. 40And Jacob separated the lambs and turned the faces of the flocks toward the streaked and all the dark-colored in Laban’s flocks. And he put his own herds apart, and did not put them with the flocks of Laban. 41And whenever any of the stronger of the flocks were in heat, Jacob put the branches in full viewLiterally “before the eyes of” of the flock in the troughs that they might mate among the branches. 42But with the more feeble of the flock he would not put them there. So the feebler were Laban’s and the stronger were Jacob’s. 43And the man became exceedinglyLiterally “very, very” rich and had large flocks, female slaves, male slaves, camels, and donkeys.

1Now heThat is, Jacob heard the words of the sons of Laban, saying, “Jacob has taken all that our father has,” and “From that which was our father’s he has gained all this wealth.” 2Then Jacob saw the face of Laban and, behold, it was not like it had been in the past.Literally “there was not with him like yesterday or the day before” 3And Yahweh said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your ancestorsOr “fathers” and to your family, and I will be with you.” 4So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field, to his flocks, 5and he said to them, “Look, I see the face of your father, that it is not like it has been toward me in the past.Literally “it is not to me like yesterday or the day before” But the God of my father is with me. 6Now you yourselves know that I have served your father with all my strength, 7and your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times, but God has not allowed him to harm me. 8If thus he said, ‘Speckled shall be your wage,’ then all the flock bore speckled. And if he said, ‘Streaked shall be your wage,’ then all the flock bore streaked. 9God has taken away your father’s livestock and given them to me. 10Now it happened that at the time of the mating of the flock I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the rams mounting the flock were streaked, speckled, and dappled. 11Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am.’ 12And he said, ‘Lift up your eyes and see—all the rams mounting the flock are streaked, speckled, and dappled, for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you. 13I am the God of Bethel where you anointed a stone pillar, where you made a vow to me. Now get up, go out from this land and return to the land of your birth.’ ” 14Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, “Is there yet a portion for us, and an inheritance in the house of our father? 15Are we not regarded as foreigners by him, because he has sold us and completely consumed our money? 16For all the wealth that God has taken away from our father, it belongs to us and to our sons. So now, all that God has said to you, do.” 17Then Jacob got up and put his children and his wives on the camels. 18And he drove all his livestock and his possessions that he had acquired, the livestock of his possession that he had acquired in Paddan-Aram, in order to go to Isaac his father, to the land of Canaan.

19Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole the idolsHebrew teraphim that belonged to her father. 20And Jacob trickedLiterally “stole the heart of” Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he intended to flee. 21Then he fled with all that he had, and arose and crossed the EuphratesOr “the river” and set his face toward the hill country of Gilead. 22And on the third day it was told to Laban that Jacob had fled. 23Then he took his kinsmen with him and pursued after him, a seven-day journey, and he caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead. 24And God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and said to him, “Take careLiterally “watch to yourself” that you not speak with Jacob, whether good or evil.” 25And Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban and his kinsmen pitched their tents in the hill country of Gilead. 26Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done that you tricked meLiterally “stole my heart” and have carried off my daughters like captives of the sword? 27Why did you hide your intention to flee and trick me,Literally “steal my heart” and did not tell me so that I would have sent you away with joy and song and tambourine and lyre? 28And why did you not give me opportunity to kiss my grandsonsOr “sons” and my daughters goodbye? Now you have behaved foolishly by doing this. 29It is in my powerLiterally “there is power in my hand” to do harm to you, but the God of your father spoke to me last night saying, ‘Take careLiterally “watch to yourself” from speaking with Jacob, whether good or evil.’ 30Now, you have surely gone because you desperately longed for the house of your father, but why did you steal my gods?” 31Then Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I thought, ‘Lest you take your daughters from me by force.’ 32But with whomever you find your gods, he shall not live. In the presence of your kinsmen now identify what is with me that is yours and take it.” Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them. 33Then Laban went into Jacob’s tent and Leah’s tent and the tent of the two female servants and did not find his gods. And he came out of Leah’s tent and went into Rachel’s tent. 34Now Rachel had taken the idols and put them in the saddle bag of the camel and sat on them. And Jacob searched the whole tent thoroughly but did not find them. 35And she said to her father, “Let there not be anger in the eyes of my lord, for I am not able to rise before you, for the way of women is with me. And he searched carefully and did not find the idols. 36Then Jacob became angry and quarreled with Laban. Jacob answered and said to Laban, “What is my offense? What is my sin that you pursued after me? 37For you have searched all my possessions and what did you find among all the possessions of my household? Set it before my kinsmen and your kinsmen that they may decide between the two of us! 38These twenty years I was with you; your ewes and your female goats did not miscarry, and the rams of your flocks I did not eat. 39I brought no mangled carcass to you—I bore its loss. From my hand you sought it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night. 40There I was, during the day the heat consumed me, and the cold by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes. 41These twenty years I have been in your house. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times. 42If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac had not been with me, indeed now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God saw my misery and the labor of my hands and rebuked you last night.” 43Then Laban answered and said to Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters and the grandsonsOr “sons” are my grandsons,Or “sons” and the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see, it is mine. Now, what can I do for these my daughters today, or for their children whom they have borne? 44So now, come, let us makeLiterally “cut” a covenant, you and I, and let it be a witness between me and you.” 45And Jacob took a stone and set it up as a stone pillar. 46And Jacob said to his kinsmen, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a pile of stones, and they ate there by the pile of stones. 47And Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha,Aramaic for “the heap of witness” but Jacob called it Galeed.Hebrew for “the heap of witness” 48Then Laban said, “This pile of stones is a witness between me and you today.” Therefore its name is called Galeed,Hebrew for “the heap of witness” 49and Mizpah,Hebrew for “watchpost” because he said, “Yahweh watch between me and you when we are out of sight of each other.Literally “each from his neighbor is concealed” 50If you mistreat my daughters, and if you take wives besides my daughters, when there is no man with us, see—God is a witness between me and you.” 51And Laban said to Jacob, “See, this pile of stones, and see the pillar that I have set up between me and you. 52This pile of stones is a witness, and the pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond this pile of stones to you, and that you will not pass beyond this pile of stones and this pillar to me intending harm. 53May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their fatherThat is, Terah judge between us.” Then Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac. 54And Jacob sacrificed a sacrifice on the hill, and he called his kinsmen to eat the meal.Or “food, bread” And they ate the mealOr “food, bread” and spent the night on the hill. Genesis 31:55–32:32 in the English Bible is 32:1–33 in the Hebrew Bible And Laban arose early in the morning and kissed his grandsonsOr “sons” and his daughters, and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned to his homeland.

1And Jacob went on his way, and angels of God met him. 2And when he saw them, Jacob said, “This is the camp of God!” And he called the name of that place Mahanaim.

3Then Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother, to the land of Seir, the territory of Edom. 4And he instructed them, saying, “Thus you must say to my lord, to Esau, ‘Thus says your servant Jacob, I have dwelled as an alien with Laban, and I have remained there until now. 5And I have acquired cattle, male donkeys, flocks, and male and female slaves, and I have sent to tell my lord, to find favor in your eyes.’ ” 6And the messengers returned to Jacob and said, “We came to your brother, to Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.” 7Then Jacob was very frightened and distressed. So he divided the people, flocks, cattle, and camels that were with him into two companies. 8And he thought, “If Esau comes to one company and destroys it, the remaining company will be able to escape.” 9Then Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, O Yahweh, who said to me, ‘Return to your land and to your family, and I will deal well with you.’ 10I am not worthyLiterally “I am small” of all the loyal love and all the faithfulness that you have shownOr “done” your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps. 11Please rescue me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, lest he come and attack mother and children alike. 12Now you yourself said, ‘I will surely deal well with you and make your offspring as the sand of the sea that cannot be counted for abundance.’ ”

13And he lodged there that night. Then he took from what he had with himLiterally “from that which was going from his hand” a gift for Esau his brother: 14two hundred female goats, twenty male goats, two hundred ewes, twenty rams, 15thirty milk camels with their young, forty cows, ten bulls, twenty female donkeys, and ten male donkeys. 16And he put them under the hand of his servants, herd by herd,Literally “every herd by its own” and said to his servants, “Cross on ahead before me, and put some distance between herds.Literally “between a herd and between a herd” 17And he instructed the foremost, saying, “When Esau my brother comes upon you and asks you, saying, ‘Whose are you and where are you going? To whom do these animals belong ahead of you?’ 18Then you must say, ‘To your servant, to Jacob. It is a gift sent to my lord, to Esau. Now behold, he is also coming after us.’ ” 19And he also instructed the second servant and the third, and everyone else who was behind the herds, saying, “You must speak to Esau according to this word when you find him. 20And moreover, you shall say, ‘Look, your servant Jacob is behind us.’ ” For he thought, “Let me appease himLiterally “let me cover his face” with the gift going before me, and afterward I will see his face. Perhaps he will show me favor.”Literally “lift up my face” 21So the gift passed on before him, but he himself spent that night in the camp.

Jacob Wrestles with God

22That night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23And he took them and sent them across the stream. Then he sent across all his possessions. 24And Jacob remained alone, and a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the dawn. 25And when heThat is, the man saw that he could not prevail against him, he struck his hip socket, so that Jacob’s hip socket was sprained as he wrestled with him. 26Then heThat is, the man said, “Let me go, for dawn is breaking.” But he answered, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27Then he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28And he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel,“Israel” means “he struggles with God,” or “God struggles” for you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed.” 29Then Jacob asked and said, “Please tell me your name.” And he said, “Why do you ask this—for my name?” And he blessed him there. 30Then Jacob called the name of the place Peniel which means “I have seen God face to face and my life was spared.” 31Then the sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, and he was limping because of his hip. 32Therefore the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” do not eat the sinew of the sciatic nerve that is upon the socket of the hip unto this day, because he struck the socket of the thigh of Jacob at the sinew of the sciatic nerve.

1And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked. And behold, Esau was coming and four hundred men were with him. And heThat is, Jacob divided the children among Leah and among Rachel, and among the two of his female servants. 2And he put the female slaves and their children first, then Leah and her children next, then Rachel with Joseph last. 3And he himself passed on before them and bowed down to the ground seven times until he came to his brother. 4But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell upon his neck and kissed him, and they wept. 5Then Esau lifted up his eyes and saw the women and the children and said, “Who are these with you?” And he said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” 6Then the female servants drew near, they and their children, and they bowed down. 7Then Leah and her children drew near and bowed down, and afterward Joseph and Rachel drew near and they bowed down. 8And heThat is, Esau said, “What do you mean byLiterally “What to you?” all this company that I have met?” Then he said, “To find favor in the eyes of my lord.” 9Then Esau said, “I have enoughLiterally “There is to me abundance” my brother; keep what you have.”Literally “let what is to you be to you” 10And Jacob said, “No, please, if I have found favor in your eyes, you must take my gift from my hand, for then I have seen your face which is like seeing the face of God, and you have received me. 11Please take my gift which has been brought to you, for God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.”Literally “There is to me abundance” And he urged him, so he took it. 12Then heThat is, Esau said, “Let us journey and go on, and I will go ahead of you.” 13But he said to him, “My lord knows that the children are frail, and the flocks and the cattle which are nursing are a concern to me. Now if they drove them hard for a day all the flocks would die. 14Let my lord pass on before his servant and I will move along slowly at the paceOr “foot” of the livestock that are ahead of me, and at the paceOr “foot” of the children until I come to my lord in Seir.” 15And Esau said, “Let me leave some of my people with you.” But he said, “What need is there?Literally “What is this?” Let me find favor in the eyes of my lord.” 16So Esau turned that day on his way to Seir. 17But Jacob traveled on to Succoth, and he built for himself a house, and he made shelters for his livestock. Therefore he called the name of the place Succoth. 18And Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem which is in the land of Canaan, on his wayLiterally “at his coming” from Paddan-Aram. And he camped before the city. 19And he bought a piece of land where he pitched his tent for one hundred pieces of moneyHebrew kesitah from the hand of the sons of Hamor, father of Shechem. 20And there he erected an altar and called it “El Elohe Israel.”That is, “El the God of Israel”

1Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. 2And Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her. And he took her and lay with her and raped her. 3And his soul clung to Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the girl and spoke tenderlyLiterally “to the heart” to the girl. 4So Shechem said to Hamor his father, saying, “Get this girl for me as a wife.”

5And Jacob heard that Dinah his daughter had been defiled, but his sons were with his flocks in the field. And Jacob kept silent until they came. 6And Hamor, father of Shechem, went out to Jacob to speak with him. 7And the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it. And the men were distressed and very angry because he had done a disgraceful thing in Israel by having sexual relations with the daughter of Jacob—something thatLiterally “and thus” should not be done. 8And Hamor spoke with them saying, “Shechem my son is in love withLiterally “his soul longs for” your daughter. Please give her to him for a wife. 9Make marriages with us. Give us your daughters and take our daughters for yourselves. 10You shall dwell with us and the land shall be before you; settle and trade in it, and acquire property in it.” 11Then Shechem said to her father and to her brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever you say to me I will do. 12Make the bride price and gift as high as you like;Literally “Increase upon me very bride price and gift” I will give what you say to me. But give me the girl as a wife.” 13Then the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and his father Hamor speaking deceitfully, because he had defiled Dinah their sister. 14And they said to them, “We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to a man who is uncircumcised, for that is a disgrace for us. 15Only on this condition will we give consent to you; if you will become like us—every male among you to be circumcised. 16Then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take for ourselves your daughters, and we will live with you and become one family. 17But if you will not listen to us, to be circumcised, then we will take our daughters and we will go.” 18And their words were good in the eyes of Hamor and in the eyes of Shechem, the son of Hamor. 19And the young man did not delay to do the thing, for he wanted the daughter of Jacob. Now he was the most honored of his father’s house. 20Then Hamor and his son Shechem came to the gate of their city, and they spoke to the men of their city, saying, 21“These men are at peace with us. Let them dwell in the land and let them trade in it. Now, behold, the land is broad enough for them.Literally “broad on sides before them” Let us take their daughters as wives, and let us give our daughters to them. 22Only on this condition will they give consent to us, to live with us and to become one family—when every male among us is circumcised as they are circumcised. 23Will not their livestock and their property and all their animals be ours? Only let us give consent to them so they will live among us.” 24And all those who went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor and Shechem. Every male was circumcised, all those who went out of the gate of his city. 25And it happened that on the third day, while they were in pain, two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, the brothers of Dinah, each took his sword and came against the unsuspecting city and killed all the males. 26They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the edge of the sword, and they took Dinah from the house of Shechem and went out. 27The other sons of Jacob came upon the slain and plundered the city, because they had defiled their sister. 28They took their flocks and their cattle and their donkeys, and whatever was in the field. 29They captured and plundered all that was in the houses—all their wealth, their little ones, and their women. 30Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me, making me stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites! I am few in number! If they gather against me and attack me, I will be destroyed—I and my household!” 31But they said, “Shall he treat our sister like a prostitute?”

1And God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there, and make an altar to the God who appeared to you when you fled from before Esau your brother.” 2Then Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods that are in your midst and purify yourselves and change your garments. 3Then let us make ready and let us go up to Bethel, so that I can make an altar there to the God who answered me in the day of my trouble, and who has been with me on the way that I have gone.” 4So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods that were in their hands, and the ornamental rings that were in their ears. And Jacob buried them under the oak which was near Shechem. 5Then they set out on their journey, and the terror of God was upon the cities that were all around them, so that they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob. 6And Jacob came to Luz which was in the land of Canaan (that is Bethel), he and all the people that were with him. 7And he built an altar there and called the place El-Bethel, for there God had appeared to him when he fled before his brother. 8And Deborah, the nurse of Rebekah, died. And she was buried below Bethel, under the oak. And its name was called Allon-Bacuth.“The Oak of Weeping” 9And God appeared to Jacob again when he came from Paddan-Aram, and he blessed him. 10And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob. Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.” Then his name was called Israel. 11And God said to him, “I am El-Shaddai.Possibly “God Almighty,” but more likely “God of the Wilderness” Be fruitful and multiply. A nation and an assemblage of nations shall be from you, and kings shall go out from your loins. 12And as for the land that I gave to Abraham and to Isaac, I will give it to you. And to your descendants after you I will give the land. 13And God went up from him at the place where he spoke with him. 14And Jacob set up a pillar at the place where God had spoken with him, a pillar of stone. And he poured out a drink offering upon it, and poured oil on it. 15And Jacob called the name of the place where God had spoken with him Bethel.

The Death of Rachel

16Then they journeyed from Bethel. And when they were still some distanceLiterally “there was still the stretch of land” from Ephrath, Rachel went into labor. And she had hard labor. 17And when her labor was the most difficultLiterally “at her distress at giving birth” the midwife said to her, “Do not be afraid for you have another son.”Literally “for this one also to you is a son” 18And it happened that when her life was departing (for she was dying), she called his name Ben-Oni.“Son of my sorrow” But his father called him Benjamin.“Son of the right hand” 19And Rachel died and she was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). 20And Jacob erected a pillar at her burial site. That is the pillar of the burial site of Rachel unto this day. 21And Israel journeyed on and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder.Or “Migdal-Eder” 22And while Israel was living in that land Reuben went and had sexual relations with Bilhah, his father’s concubine. And Israel heard about it.

The Twelve Sons of Jacob

Now the sons of Jacob were twelve. 23The sons of Leah: The firstborn of Jacob was Reuben. Then Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. 24The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. 25The sons of Bilhah, the female servant of Rachel: Dan and Naphtali. 26The sons of Zilpah, the female servant of Leah: Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-Aram.

The Death of Isaac

27And Jacob came to Isaac his father at Mamre, or Kiriath-Arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac dwelled as aliens. 28Now the days of Isaac were one hundred and eighty years. 29And Isaac passed away and died, and was gathered to his people, old and full of days. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

1Now these are the descendants of Esau (that is, Edom). 2Esau took his wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah, daughter of Elon, the Hittite, and Oholibamah, daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon, the Hivite, 3and Basemath, the daughter of Ishmael, the sister of Nebaioth. 4And Adah bore to Esau Eliphaz; and Basemath bore Reuel; 5and Oholibamah bore Jeush and Jalam, and Korah. These are the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan. 6And Esau took his wives and his sons and his daughters, and all the persons of his household, and his sheep and goats, and all his cattle, and all the goods that he had acquired in the land of Canaan, and went to a land away from his brother Jacob. 7For their possessions were too many to live together,Literally “much from living together” so that the land of their sojourning was not able to support them on account of their livestock. 8So Esau dwelled in the hill country of Seir (Esau, that is Edom).

9Now these are the descendants of Esau, the father of Edom, in the hill country of Seir. 10These are the names of the sons of Esau: Eliphaz, the son of Adah, the wife of Esau; Reuel, the son of Basemath, the wife of Esau. 11The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz. 12(Now Timnah was the concubine of Eliphaz, the son of Esau. And she bore Amalek to Eliphaz.) These are the sons of Adah, the wife of Esau. 13Now these are the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These are the sons of Basemath, the wife of Esau. 14Now these are the sons of Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah, daughter of Zibeon, the wife of Esau: She bore to Esau Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. 15These are the chiefs of the sons of Esau. The sons of Eliphaz, the firstborn of Esau: the chiefs of Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz, 16Korah, Gatam, and Amalek. These are the chiefs of Eliphaz in the land of Edom. These are the sons of Adah. 17Now these are the sons Reuel, the son of Esau: the chiefs Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These are the chiefs of Reuel in the land of Edom. These are the sons of Basemath, the wife of Esau. 18Now these are the sons of Oholibamah, the wife of Esau: the chiefs Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These are the chiefs born of Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah, the wife of Esau. 19These are the sons of Esau, and these are their chiefs (that is, Edom). 20These are the sons of Seir, the Horite, the inhabitants of the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, 21Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These are the chiefs of the Horites, the sons of Seir in the land of Edom. 22And the sons of Lotan were Hori and Hemam. And Lotan’s sister was Timna. 23Now these are the sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam. 24Now these are the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah—he is Anah who found the hot springs in the desert while he pastured the donkeys of Zibeon his father. 25Now these are the sons of Anah: Dishon and Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah. 26Now these are the sons of Dishon: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Keran. 27These are the sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan. 28These are the sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran. 29These are the chiefs of the Horites: the chiefs Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, 30Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These are the chiefs of the Horites, according to their chiefs in the land of Seir.

The Kings of Edom

31Now these are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king ruled over the Israelites.Literally “sons/children of Israel” 32Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom. And the name of his city was Dinhabah. 33And Bela died, and Jobab, the son of Zerah from Bozrah, reigned in his place. 34And Jobab died, and Husham from the land of the Temanites reigned in his place. 35And Husham died, and Hadad, son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the fieldOr “country” of Moab reigned in his place. And the name of his city was Avith. 36And Hadad died, and Samlah from Masrekah reigned in his place. 37And Samlah died, and Shaul from Rehoboth on the EuphratesOr “the River” reigned in his place. 38And Shaul died, and Baal-Hanan, the son of Acbor, reigned in his place. 39And Baal-Hanan the son of Acbor died, and Hadar reigned in his place. And the name of his city was Pau, and the name of his wife was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, daughter of Mezahab. 40Now these are the names of the chiefs of Esau according to their families, according to their dwelling places, by their names: the chiefs Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, 41Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, 42Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, 43Magdiel, and Iram. These are the chiefs of Edom (that is, Esau, the father of Edom) according to their settlements in the land of their possession.

1And Jacob settled in the land of the sojourning of his father, in the land of Canaan. 2These are the generationsOr “family records” of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was shepherding the flock with his brothers. Now he was a helper with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, the wives of his father. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to his father. 3Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, for he was a son of his old age. And he made a robe with long sleevesOr “of many colors” for him. 4When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and were not able to speak peaceably to him.

5And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brothers. And they hated him even more.Literally “they added still to hate him” 6And he said to them, “Listen now to this dream that I dreamed. 7Now behold, we were binding sheaves in the midst of the field and, behold, my sheaf stood up and it remained standing. Then behold, your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8Then his brothers said to him, “Will you really rule over us?” And they hated him even moreLiterally “they added still to hate him” on account of his dream and because of his words. 9Then he dreamed yet another dream and told it to his brothers. And he said, “Behold, I dreamed a dream again, and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10And he told it to his father and to his brothers. And his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Will I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the ground to you?” 11And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

Joseph Sold Into Slavery by his Brothers

12Now his brothers went to pasture the flock of their father in Shechem. 13And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing in Shechem? Come, let me send you to them.” And he said, “Here I am.” 14Then he said to him, “Go now, see if it goes well for your brothers and for the flock,Literally “see the peace of your brothers and the peace of the flock” then return word to me.” And he sent him from the valley of Hebron, and he arrived at Shechem. 15And a man found him, and behold, heThat is, Joseph was wandering about in a field. And the man asked him, “What do you seek?” 16And he said, “I am seeking my brothers. Tell me, please, where they are pasturing.” 17And the man said, “They have moved on from here, for I heard them saying, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’ ” Then Joseph went after his brothers and found them in Dothan. 18And they saw him from a distance. And before he drew near to them, they conspired against him to kill him. 19And each said to his brothers, “Look, this master of dreams is coming. 20Now then, come, let us kill him and throw him in one of the pits. Then we will say a wild animal devoured him. Then we will see what his dreams become.” 21And Reuben heard it and delivered him from their hand and said, “We must not take his life.” 22And Reuben said to them, “You must not shed blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the desert, but do not lay a hand on him”—so that he might rescue him from their hand to return him to his father. 23And it happened that as Joseph came to his brothers they stripped Joseph of his robe, the robe with long sleeves,Or “of many colors” that was upon him. 24And they took him and threw him into the pit (the pit was empty; there was no water in it). 25Then they sat down to eat some food. And they lifted up their eyes and looked, and behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead. And their camels were carrying aromatic gum and balm and spices on the wayLiterally “going to bring down” to Egypt. 26Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, but our hand shall not be against him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers agreed. 28Then Midianite traders passed by. And theyThat is, the brothers drew Joseph up and brought him up from the pit, and they sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And they brought Joseph to Egypt. 29Then Reuben returned to the pit and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit. And he tore his clothes. 30And he returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is gone!Literally “is not” Now I, what can I do?”Literally “where am I going?” 31Then they took the robe of Joseph and slaughtered a goat, and dipped the robe in the blood. 32Then they sent the robe with long sleevesOr “of many colors” and they brought it to their father and said, “We found this; please examine it. Is it the robe of your son or not?” 33And he recognized it and said, “The robe of my son! A wild animal has devoured him! Joseph is surely torn to pieces!” 34And Jacob tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. 35And all his sons and daughters tried to console him, but he refused to be consoled. And he said, “No, I shall go down to my son, to Sheol, mourning.” And his father wept for him. 36And the Midianites sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, a court official of Pharaoh, a commander of the imperial guard.

1And it happened that at that time Judah went down from his brothers and pitched his tent near a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. 2And Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite there whose name was Shua. And he took her and went in to her. 3And she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er. 4And she conceived again and bore a son, and he called his name Onan. 5And once again she bore a son, and she called his name Shelah. And heThat is, Judah was in Chezib when she bore him. 6And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7And Er, the firstborn of Judah, was evil in the eyes of Yahweh, and Yahweh killed him. 8Then Judah said to Onan, “Go in to the wife of your brother and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother.” 9But Onan knew that the offspring would not be for him, so whenever he went in to the wife of his brother he would waste it on the groundMeaning he would spill his semen on the ground so as not to give offspring to his brother. 10And what he did was evil in the sight of Yahweh, so he killed him also. 11Then Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, “Stay a widow in your father’s house until Shelah my son grows up,” for he feared he would also dieLiterally “he thought lest he also will die” like his brother. So Tamar went and stayed in the house of her father. 12And in the course of timeLiterally “And the days increased” the daughter of Shua, the wife of Judah, died. When Judah was consoled he went up to his sheepshearers, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite, to Timnah. 13And it was told to Tamar, saying, “Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.” 14So she removed the clothes of her widowhood and covered herself with the veil and disguised herself. And she sat at the entrance to Eynayim, which is on the way to Timnah, for she saw that Shelah was grown but she had not been given to him as a wife. 15And Judah saw her and reckoned her to be a prostitute, for she had covered her face. 16And he turned aside to her at the roadside and said, “Please come, let me come in to you,” for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, “What will you give to me that you may come in to me?” 17And he said, “I will send a kid from the goats of the flock.” And she said, “Only if you give a pledge until you send it.” 18And he said, “What is the pledge that I must give to you?” And she said, “your seal, your cord, and your staff that is in your hand.” And he gave them to her and went in to her. And she conceived by him. 19And she arose and left, and she removed her veil from herself and put on the garments of her widowhood. 20And Judah sent the kid from the goats by the hand of his friend the Adullamite to take back the pledge from the hand of the woman, but he could not find her. 21So he asked the men of her place, saying, “Where is that cult prostitute that was at Eynayim by the roadside?” And they said, “There is no cult prostitute here.” 22Then he returned to Judah and said, “I could not find her. Morever, the men of the place said, ‘There is no cult prostitute here.’ ” 23And Judah said, “Let her take them for herself, lest we be laughed at.Literally “as contempt” Behold, I sent this kid, but you could not find her.” 24And about three months laterLiterally “it happened about three months” it was told to Judah, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has played the whore, and now, behold, she has conceived by prostitution.” And Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned.” 25She was brought out, but she sent to her father-in-law saying, “By the man to whom these belong I have conceived.” And she said, “Now discernOr “examine” to whom these belong: the seal and cord and the staff.” 26Then Judah recognized them and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not know“Know” is a euphemism for “have sexual relations with” her again. 27And it happened that at the time she gave birth that, behold, twins were in her womb. 28And it happened that at her labor one child put out a hand. And the midwife took it and tied a crimson thread on his hand saying, “This one came out first.” 29Then his hand drew back and, behold, his brother came out, and she said, “What a breach you have made for yourself!” And she called his name Perez. 30And afterward his brother who had the crimson thread on his hand came out. And his name was called Zerah.

1Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, a court official of Pharaoh, commander of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the hand of the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. 2And Yahweh was with Joseph, and he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. 3And his master observed that Yahweh was with him, and everything that was in his hand to do Yahweh made successful. 4And Joseph found favor in his eyes and he served him. Then he appointed himThat is, Joseph over his house and all that he owned he put into his hand. 5And it happened that from the time he appointed him over his house and over all that he had, Yahweh blessed the house of the Egyptian on account of Joseph. And the blessing of Yahweh was upon all that he had in the house and in the field. 6And he left all that he had in the hand of Joseph, and he did not worry about anythingLiterally “he did not know with him anything” except the food that he ate. Now Joseph was well built and handsome.Literally “beautiful of form and beautiful of appearance” 7And it happened that after these things his master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.” 8But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not worry aboutLiterally “does not know with me” what is in the house, and everything he owns he has put in my hand. 9He has no greater authority in this house than me, and he has not withheld anything from me except you, since you are his wife. Now how could I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” 10And it happened that as she spoke to Joseph day after day,Literally “day, day” he did not heed her to lie beside her or to be with her. 11But one particular dayLiterally “and it happened as this day” he came into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house were there in the house, 12she seized him by his garment and said, “Lie with me!” And he left his garment in her hand and fled, and he went outside. 13And it happened that when she saw that he left his garment in her hand and fled outside, 14she called to the men of her house and said to them, “Look! HeThat is, Potiphar brought a Hebrew man to us to mock us! He came to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. 15And when he heard me, that I raised my voice and called out, he left his garment beside me and fled, and he went outside.” 16Then she put his garment beside her until his master came to his house. 17Then she spoke to him according to these words, saying, “The Hebrew slave that you brought to us came to me to make fun of me. 18And it happened that as I raised my voice and called out, he left his garment beside me and fled outside.” 19And when his master heard the words of his wife that she spoke to him, “This is what your servant did to me,”Literally “according to these words your servant did to me” he became very angry.Literally “his nostrils became hot” 20And Joseph’s master took him and put him into prison, the place that the king’s prisoners were confined. And he was there in prison. 21And Yahweh was with Joseph, and showed loyal love to him, and gave him favor in the eyes of the chief of the prison. 22And the chief of the prison put all the prisoners that were in the prison into the hand of Joseph. And everything that was done there, he was the one who did it. 23The chief of the prison did not worry aboutLiterally “did not pay heed to” anything in hisThat is, Joseph’s hand, since Yahweh was with him. And whatever he did Yahweh made it successful.

1And it happened that after these things the cupbearer of the king of Egypt and his baker did wrong against their lord, against the king of Egypt. 2And Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, with the chief cupbearer and chief baker. 3And he put them in custody in the house of the chief of the guard, into the prison where Joseph was confined. 4And the chief of the guard appointed Joseph to be with them, and he attended them. And they were in custody many days.Literally “days” 5And the two of them, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, dreamed a dream, each his own dream, with its own interpretation. 6When Joseph came to them in the morning he looked at them, and behold, they were troubled. 7And he asked the court officials of Pharaoh that were with him in the custody of his master’s house, “Why are your faces sad today?” 8And they said to him, “We each dreamed a dream, but there is no one to interpret it.” And Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me.” 9Then the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph, and he said to him, “In my dream, now behold, there was a vine before me, 10and on the vine were three branches. And as it budded, its blossoms came up, and its clusters of grapes grew ripe. 11And the cup of Pharaoh was in my hand, and I took the grapes and squeezed them into the cup of Pharaoh. Then I placed the cup into the hand of Pharaoh.” 12Then Joseph said to him, “This is its interpretation: The three branches, they are three days. 13In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and will restore you to your office. And you shall put the cup of Pharaoh into his hand as was formerly the custom, when you were his cupbearer. 14But remember me when it goes well with you, and please may you show kindness with respect to me, and mention me to Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house. 15For I was surely kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they should put me in this pit.” 16And when the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good he said to Joseph, “I also dreamed. In my dream, now behold, there were three baskets of bread upon my head. 17And in the upper basket were all sorts of baked foods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket upon my head.” 18Then Joseph answered and said, “This is its interpretation: The three baskets, they are three days. 19In three days Pharaoh will lift your head from you and hang you on a pole,Or “tree” and the birds will eat your flesh from you.” 20And it happened that on the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he made a feast for all his servants. And he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker in the midst of his servants. 21And he restored the chief cupbearer to his cupbearing position. And he placed the cup in the hand of Pharaoh. 22But the chief baker he hanged as Joseph had interpreted to them. 23But the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.

1And it happened that after two full yearsLiterally “two years of days” Pharaoh dreamed, and behold, he was standing by the Nile. 2And behold, seven cows, well built and fat,Literally “beautiful of appearance and healthy of flesh” were coming up from the Nile, and they grazed among the reeds. 3And behold, seven other cows came up after them from the Nile, ugly and gaunt,Literally “Poor of appearance and thin of flesh” and they stood beside thoseOr “the” cows on the bank of the Nile. 4And the ugly and gauntLiterally “Poor of appearance and thin of flesh” cows ate the seven well built and fatLiterally “beautiful of appearance and healthy of flesh” cows. Then Pharaoh awoke. 5And he fell asleep and dreamed a second time, and behold, seven ears of grain, plump and good, were coming out of one stalk. 6And behold, seven thin ears of grain, scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them. 7And the thin ears of grain swallowed up the seven plump and full ears of grain. Then Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. 8And it happened that in the morning his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called all of the magiciansOr “soothsayer priests” of Egypt, and all its wise men, and Pharaoh told his dream to them. But they had no interpretationLiterally “there was no interpretation with them” for Pharaoh. 9Then the chief of the cupbearers spoke with Pharaoh, saying, “I remember my sins today. 10Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and he put me and the chief baker in the custody of the house of the chief of the guard. 11And we dreamed a dream one night, I and he, each with a dream that had a meaning.Literally “each according to his dream we dreamed” 12And there with us was a young man, a Hebrew servant of the chief of the guard, and we told him the dream, and he interpreted our dreams for us, each according to his dream he interpreted. 13And it happened just as he interpreted to us, so it was. HeThat is, Pharaoh restored me to my office, and himThat is, the chief baker heThat is, Pharaoh hanged.” 14Then Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph, and they brought him quickly from the prison. And he shaved and changed his clothing, and came to Pharaoh. 15Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I dreamed a dream, but there is none to interpret it. Now, I have heard concerning you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” 16Then Joseph answered Pharaoh saying, “It is not in my power;Literally “besides me” God will answer concerning the well-being of Pharaoh.” 17And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Now in my dream, behold, I was standing on the bank of the Nile, 18and behold, seven cows, well built and fat,Literally “beautiful of appearance and healthy of flesh” were coming up from the Nile, and they grazed among the reeds. 19And behold, seven other cows came up after them from the Nile, very ugly and gauntLiterally “Poor of appearance and thin of flesh”—never have I seen any as them in all the land of Egypt for ugliness. 20And the thin and ugly cows ate the former seven healthy cows. 21But when they went into their belliesOr “inner parts” it could not be known that they went into their bellies,Or “inner parts” for their appearance was as ugly as at the beginning. Then I awoke. 22Then I saw in my dream and behold, seven ears of grain were coming out of one stalk, full and good. 23And behold, seven withered ears of grain, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them. 24And the thin ears of grain swallowed up the seven good ears of grain. And I told the magicians,Or “soothsayer priests” but there was none to explain it to me.” 25Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26The seven good cows, they are seven years, and the seven good ears of grain, they are seven years. The dreams are one. 27And the seven thin and ugly cows coming up after them, they are seven years, and the seven empty ears of grain, scorched by the east wind, they are also seven years of famine. 28This is the word that I have spoken to Pharaoh; God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the whole land of Egypt. 30Then seven years of famine will arise after them, and all the abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgotten. The famine will consume the land. 31Abundance in the land will not be known because of the famine that follows,Literally “that thus afterwards” for it will be very heavy. 32Now concerning the repetition of the dream twice to Pharaoh, it is because the matter is established by God, and God will do it quickly. 33Now then, let Pharaoh select a man who is discerning and wise, and let him set him over the land of Egypt. 34Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint supervisors over the land, and let him take one-fifth from the land of Egypt in the seven years of abundance. 35Then let them gather all the food of these coming good years and let them pile up grain under the hand of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. 36Then the food shall be as a deposit for the land for the seven years of the famine that will be in the land of Egypt, that the land will not perish on account of the famine.”

Joseph Rises to Power

37And the planOr “word” was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants. 38Then Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this in whom is the spirit of God?” 39Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all of this known to you there is no one as discerning and wise as you. 40You shall be over my house, and to your wordOr “mouth” all my people shall submit. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.” 41Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” 42Then Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his finger and put it on the finger of Joseph. And he clothed him with garments of fine linen, and he put a chain of gold around his neck. 43And he had him ride in his second chariot. And they cried out before him, “Kneel!” And Pharaoh set him over all the land of Egypt. 44Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your consent no one will lift his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt.” 45And Pharaoh called the name of Joseph Zaphenath-paneah and gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, as a wife. And Joseph went out over the land of Egypt. 46Now Joseph was thirty years oldLiterally “a son of thirty years” when he stood before Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and traveled through the whole land of Egypt. 47And the land produced a plenty in the seven years of abundance. 48And he gathered all the food of the seven years which occurred in the land of Egypt. And he stored the food in the cities. The food of the field that surrounded each city he stored in its midst. 49And Joseph piled up grain like the sand of the sea in great abundance until he stopped counting it, for it could not be counted.Literally “there was no number” 50Before the years of famine came, Asenath, daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore two sons to him. 51And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh, for he said, “God has caused me to forget all my hardship and all my father’s house.” 52And the name of the second he called Ephraim, for he said, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my misfortune.” 53And the seven years of abundance which were in the land of Egypt came to an end. 54And the seven years of famine began to come as Joseph had said. And there was famine in all of the countries, but in the land of Egypt there was food. 55And when all the land of Egypt was hungry the people cried out to Pharaoh for food. And Pharaoh said to all the land of Egypt, “Go to Joseph; what he says to you, you must do.” 56And the famine was over the whole land, and Joseph opened all the storehousesHebrew “that which was in them” and sold food to the Egyptians. And the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. 57And every land came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, for the famine was severe in every land.

1When Jacob realized that there was grain in Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?” 2Then he said, “Look, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy grain for us there that we may live and not die.” 3And the ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain from Egypt. 4But Jacob did not send Benjamin, the brother of Joseph, for he feared harm would come to him.Literally “he thought, lest harm encounter him” 5Then the sons of Israel went to buy grain amid those other people who went as well, for there was famine in the land of Canaan. 6Now Joseph was the governor over the land. He was the one who sold food to all the people of the land. And the brothers of Joseph came and bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. 7And Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger to them. And he spoke with them harshly and said to them, “From where have you come?” And they said, “From the land of Canaan to buy food.” 8And Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. 9And Joseph remembered the dreams which he had dreamed concerning them, and he said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see the nakedness of the land!” 10And they said to him, “No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food. 11We all are sons of one man. We are honest men. We, your servants, are not spies.” 12Then he said to them, “No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land.” 13Then they said, “We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan, but behold, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no more.” 14But Joseph said to them, “It is what I said to you—you are spies. 15By this you shall be tested. By the life of Pharaoh you will not go out from here unless your youngest brother comes here. 16Send one of you, and let him bring your brother, but you will be kept in prison so that your words might be tested to see if there is truth with you. And if not, by the life of Pharaoh surely you are spies.” 17Then he gathered them into the prison for three days. 18On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live; I fear God. 19If you are honest, let one of your brothers be kept in prison where you are now being kept,Literally “in the house of your custody” but the rest of you go, carry grain for the famine for your households. 20You must bring your youngest brother to me, and then your words will be confirmed and you will not die.” And they did so. 21Then each said to his brother, “Surely we are guilty on account of our brother when we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded for mercy to us and we would not listen. Therefore this trouble has come to us.” 22Then Reuben answered them, saying, “Did I not say to you, do not sin against the boy? But you did not listen, and now, behold, his blood has been sought.” 23Now they did not know that Joseph understood, for the interpreter was between them. 24And he turned away from them and wept. Then he returned to them and spoke to them, and took Simeon from them and tied him up in front of them. 25Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain and to return their money to each sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. Thus he did for them. 26Then they loaded their grain upon their donkeys and went away from there. 27And one of them later opened his sack to give fodder to his donkey at the lodging place and saw his money—behold, it was in the mouth of his sack. 28And he said to his brothers, “My money was returned and moreover, behold, it is in my sack!” Then their hearts failed themLiterally “their heart went out” and each of them trembled and said, “What is this God has done to us?”

29And when they came to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan they told him everything that had happened to them, saying, 30“The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly to us and treated us as if we were spying out the land. 31But we said to him, ‘We are honest; we are not spies. 32We are twelve brothers, the sons of our father. One is no more and the youngest is with our father now in the land of Canaan.’ 33Then the man, the lord of the land, said to us, ‘By this I will know that you are honest. Leave one brother with me, and take food for the famine in your households and go. 34And bring your youngest brother to me. Then I will know that you are not spies but you are honest. And I will give your brother back to you, and you will trade in the land.’ ” 35And it happened that when they emptied their sacks, behold, each one’s pouch of money was in his sack. And when they and their father saw the pouches of their money, they were greatly distressed. 36And Jacob their father said to them, “You have bereaved me—Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and Benjamin you would take! All of this is against me! 37Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my hand and I myself will return him to you.” 38But he said, “My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead and he alone remains. If harm meets him on the journey that you would take, you would bring down my gray head in sorrow to Sheol.”

1Now the famine in the land was severe. 2And it happened that as they finished eating the grain which they had brought from Egypt their father said to them, “Return and buy a little food for us.” 3Then Judah said to him, “The man solemnly admonished us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ 4If you will sendLiterally “if there is a sending” our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you, 5but if you will not sendLiterally “if there is no sending” him, we will not go down, for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ ” 6Then Israel said, “Why did you bring trouble to me by telling the man you still had a brother?” 7And they said, “The man asked explicitly about us and about our family, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have a brother?’ And we answered him according to these words. How could we know that he would say, ‘Bring down your brother’?” 8Then Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me, and let us arise and go, so that we will live and not die—you, we, and our children. 9I myself will be surety for him. You may seek him from my hand. If I do not bring him back to you and present him before you, then I will stand guilty before you forever. 10Surely if we had not hesitated by this time we would have returned twice.” 11Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so then do this. Take some of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift—a little balm and honey, aromatic gum and myrrh, and pistachios and almonds. 12And take double the money in your hands. Take back the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake. 13And take your brother. Now arise and return to the man. 14And may El-ShaddaiOften translated “God Almighty” grant you compassion before the man that he may release your other brother to you and Benjamin. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”

15So the men took this gift, and they took double money in their hands, and Benjamin, and they rose up and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph. 16When Joseph saw Benjamin with them he said to the one who was over his household, “Bring the men into the house and slaughter and prepare an animal, for the men shall eat with me at noon.” 17And the man did as Joseph had said, and the man brought the men into the house of Joseph. 18And the men were afraid when they were brought into the house of Joseph. And they said “We were brought here on account of the money that was returned to our sacks the first time, that he might attack us and fall upon us to take us as slaves with our donkeys.” 19So they approached the man who was over Joseph’s house and spoke to him at the doorway of the house. 20And they said, “Please, my lord, we surely came down once before to buy food, 21but when we came to the place of lodging and we opened our sacks, then behold, each one’s money was in the mouth of his sack—our money in its full weight—so we have returned with it in our hands. 22Now, other money we have brought down in our hand to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.” 23And he said, “Peace to you; do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father must have given you a treasure in your sacks; your money came to me.” And he brought Simeon out to them. 24Then the man brought the men into Joseph’s house and he gave them water and washed their feet, and gave fodder to their donkeys. 25Then they laid outOr “prepared” the gift until Joseph came at noon, for they had heard that they were to eat food there. 26And when Joseph came into the house they brought the gift that was in their hand into the house to him, and they bowed down before him to the ground. 27And he greeted themLiterally “he asked peace for them” and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?” 28And they said, “Your servant our father is well; he is still alive.” And they knelt and bowed down. 29Then he lifted up his eyes and saw Benjamin his brother, the son of his mother, and said, “Is this your youngest brother of whom you told me?” And he continued,Or “said” “God be gracious to you, my son.” 30Then Joseph hurried away,Literally “made haste” being overcome with emotionLiterally “his compassion boiled up” toward his brother, and sought for a place to cry. Then he went into a room and wept there. 31Then he washed his face and went out, now controlling himself, and said, “Serve the food.” 32And they served himThat is, Joseph by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who were eating with him by themselves, for Egyptians could not dineLiterally “were not able to eat food” with Hebrews, because that was a detestable thing to Egyptians. 33And they were seated before him from the firstborn according to his birthright to the youngest according to his youth. And the men looked at one anotherLiterally “each to his companion” amazed. 34And portions were served to them from his table,Literally “his presence” and the portion of Benjamin was five times greater than the portion of any of them. And they drank and became drunk with him.

1Then he commanded the one who was over his household, saying, “Fill the sacks of the men with food as much as they are able to carry, and put each one’s money in the mouth of his sack. 2And my cup—the cup of silver—you shall put into the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and the money for his grain. And he did according to the word of Joseph that he had commanded. 3When the morning light came the men were sent away, they and their donkeys. 4They went out of the city, and had not gone far when Joseph said to the one who was over his house, “Arise! Pursue after the men and overtake them. Then you shall say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good? 5Is this not that from which my master drinks? Now he himself certainly practices divination with it. You have done evil in what you have done.’ ” 6When he overtook them he spoke these words to them. 7And they said to him, “Why has my lord spoken according to these words? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing! 8Behold, the money that we found in the mouth of our sacks we returned to you from the land of Canaan. Now why would we steal silver or gold from the house of my lord? 9Whoever is found with it from among your servants shall die. And moreover, we will become slaves to my lord.” 10Then he said, “Now also according to your words, thus will it be. He who is found with it shall be my slave, but you shall be innocent.” 11Then each man quickly brought down his sack to the ground, and each one opened his sack. 12And he searched, beginning with the oldest and finishing with the youngest. And the cup was found in the sack of Benjamin. 13Then they tore their clothes, and each one loaded his donkey and they returned to the city.

14And Judah and his brothers came to the house of Joseph—now he was still there—they fell before him to the ground. 15Then Joseph said to them, “What is this deed that you have done? Did you not know that a man who is like me surely practices divination?” 16And Judah said, “What can we say to my lord? What can we speak? Now how can we show ourselves innocent? God has found the guilt of your servants! Behold, we are slaves to my lord, both we and also he in whose hand the cup was found.” 17But he said, “Far be it from me to do this! The man in whose hand the cup was found, he will become my slave. But as for you, go up in peace to your father.” 18But Judah drew near to him and said, “Please my lord, let your servant speak a word in the ears of my lord, and let not your anger burnLiterally “let not your nose become hot” against your servant, for you are like Pharaoh himself.Literally “like you like Pharaoh” 19My lord had asked his servants, saying, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’ 20And we said to my lord, ‘We have an aged father, and a younger brother, the child of his old age, and his brother died, and he alone remains from his mother, and his father loves him.’ 21Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me that I may set my eyes upon him.’ 22Then we said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father; if he should leave his father, then heThat is, the father (Jacob/Israel) would die.’ 23Then you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall not again see my face.’ 24And it happened that we went up to your servant, my father, and told him the words of my lord. 25And when our father said, ‘Buy a little food for us,’ 26then we said, ‘We cannot go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we shall go down. For we will not be able to see the face of the man unless our youngest brother is with us.’ 27Then your servant, my father, said to us, ‘You yourselves know that my wife bore two sons to me. 28One went out from me, and I said, “Surely he must have been torn to pieces,” and I have never seen him since. 29And if you take this one also from me, and he encounters harm, you will bring down my gray head in sorrow to Sheol.’ 30So now, when I come to your servant, my father, and the boy is not with us—now his life is bound up with his life—31it shall happen that when he sees that the boy is gone, he will die. And your servants will bring down the gray head of your servant, our father, to Sheol with sorrow. 32For your servant is pledged as surety for the boy by my father, saying, If I do not bring him to you, then I shall be culpable to my father forever. 33So then, please let your servant remain in place of the boy as a slave to my lord, and let the boy go up with his brothers. 34For how can I go up to my father if the boy is not with me? I do not want to seeLiterally “lest I see” the misery which will find my father.”

1Then Joseph was not able to control himself before all who were standing by him. And he cried out, “Make every man go out from me!” So no one stood with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2And he wept loudly,Literally “he gave his voice with weeping” so that the Egyptians heard it and the household of Pharaoh heard it. 3Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” And his brothers were unable to answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence. 4So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they drew near. And he said, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. 5So now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselvesLiterally “in your eyes” that you sold me here, for God sent me as deliverance before you. 6For these two years the famine has been in the midst of the land, but there will be five more years where there is no plowing or harvest. 7And God sent me before you all to preserve for you a remnant in the land and to keep alive among you many survivors. 8So now, you yourselves did not send me here, but God put me here as father to Pharaoh and as master of all his household, and a ruler over all the land of Egypt. 9Hurry, and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me and do not delay. 10You shall settle in the land of Goshen so that you will be near me, you and your children and your grandchildren, and your flocks and your herds and all that you have. 11And I will provide for you there, because there are still five years of famine—lest you and your household and all that you have become destitute.’ 12Now behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is ILiterally “it is my mouth” who am speaking to you. 13And you must tell my father of all my honor in Egypt and all that you have seen. Now hurry and bring my father here.” 14Then he fell upon the neck of his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck. 15And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. And afterward his brothers spoke with him. 16Then the report was heard in the house of Pharaoh, saying, “Joseph’s brothers have come.” And it pleased Pharaoh and his servants. 17Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers: ‘Do this—load your donkeys and go back to the land of Canaan, 18and take your father and your households and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you shall eat the fat of the land.’ 19And you Joseph, are commanded to say this: ‘Do this! Take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and your wives, and bring your father and come! 20Do not worryLiterally “let not your eyes be troubled” about your possessions, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’ ”

21And the sons of Israel did so. And Joseph gave them wagons at the word of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey. 22To each and to all of them he gave sets of clothing, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five sets of clothing. 23And to his father he sent as follows:Literally “according to this” ten donkeys carrying the best of Egypt, and ten donkeys carrying grain and food and provisions for his father for the journey. 24Then he sent his brothers away, and when they departed he said to them, “Do not be agitated on the journey.” 25So they went up from Egypt and came to the land of Canaan to Jacob their father. 26And they spoke to him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” And his heart went numb,Or “became cold” because he did not believe him. 27Then they told him all the words of Joseph that he had spoken to them. And when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, then the spirit of Jacob their father revived. 28And Israel said, “It is enough. Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

1So Israel journeyed with all that he had, and he came to Beersheba and offered sacrifices to the God of his father, Isaac. 2And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here I am.” 3Then he said, “I am the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there. 4I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I myself will also bring you up. And Joseph will place his hand over your eyes.” 5So Jacob arose from Beersheba. And the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob, and their little ones and their wives in the wagons Pharaoh had sent to transport him. 6And they took their livestock and their possessions that they had acquired in the land of Canaan. And they came to Egypt, Jacob and all his offspring with him, 7his sons and his sons’ sons with him, his daughters and his daughters’ daughters with him, into Egypt.

8Now these are the names of the sons of Israel, who came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons. Reuben, the firstborn of Jacob 9and the sons of Reuben: Enoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. 10The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. 11The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 12The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan). And the sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. 13The sons of Issachar: Tolah, Puvah, Iob, and Shimron. 14The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. 15These are the sons of Leah that she bore to Jacob in Paddan-Aram, and Dinah his daughter. His sons and daughters were thirty-three persons in all. 16The sons of Gad: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. 17The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah, and their sister Serah. And the sons of Beriah: Heber and Malkiel. 18There are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter, and she bore these to Jacob—sixteen persons. 19The sons of Rachel, Jacob’s wife: Joseph and Benjamin. 20And Ephraim and Manasseh, whom Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, priest of On bore to him, were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt. 21The sons of Benjamin: Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. 22These are the sons of Rachel who were born to Jacob—fourteen persons in all. 23The sons of Dan: Hushim. 24The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. 25These are the sons of Bilhah whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter, and she bore these to Jacob—seven persons in all. 26All the persons belonging to Jacob who came to Egypt who were his descendants,Literally “those going out of his loins” not including the wives of the sons of Jacob were sixty-six persons in all. 27And the sons of Joseph who were born to him in Egypt were two persons. All the persons of the house of Jacob who came to Egypt were seventy.

28HeThat is, Jacob had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to appear before himThat is, Jacob in Goshen. And they came to the land of Goshen. 29Then Joseph harnessed his chariot and went up to meet Israel his father in Goshen. He presented himself to him and fell upon his neck and wept upon his neck a long time. 30Then Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die since I have seen your face, for you are still alive.” 31Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and report to Pharaoh, and I will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household who were in the land of Canaan have come to me. 32And the men are shepherds, for they are men of livestock, and they have brought their flocks and their cattle and all that they have.’ 33And it shall be that when Pharaoh calls you he will say, ‘What is your occupation?’ 34Then you must say, ‘You servants are men of livestock from our childhood until now, both we and also our ancestors,’Or “fathers” so that you may dwell in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd is a detestable thing to Egyptians.”

1So Joseph went and reported to Pharaoh. And he said, “My father and my brothers, with their flocks and their herds, and all that they have, have come from the land of Canaan. Now they are here in the land of Goshen.” 2And from among his brothers he took five men and presented them before Pharaoh. 3And Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?” And they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are keepers of sheep, both we and also our ancestors.”Or “fathers” 4And they said to Pharaoh, “We have come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for your servant’s flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. So now, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.” 5Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. 6The land of Egypt is before you. Settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land. Let them live in the land of Goshen, and if you know there is among them men of ability, then appoint them overseers of my own livestock.” 7Then Joseph brought his father Jacob and presented him before Pharaoh. And Jacob blessed Pharaoh. 8Then Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How old are you?”Literally “How many are the days of the years of your life?” 9And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my sojourning are one hundred and thirty years. Few and hard have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not reached the days of the years of the lives of my ancestorsOr “fathers” in the days of their sojourning.” 10And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and he went out from the presence of Pharaoh. 11And Joseph settled his father and his brothers, and he gave them property in the land of Egypt in the best part of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had instructed. 12And Joseph provided his father and his brothers and all the household of his father with food, according to the number of their children.

The Famine in Egypt Continues

13Now there was no food in all the land, for the famine was very severe. And the land of Egypt languished, with the land of Canaan, on account of the famine. 14And Joseph collected all the money found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan in exchange for the grain that they were buying. And Joseph brought the money into the house of Pharaoh. 15And when the money was spent in the land of Egypt and from the land of Canaan, all of Egypt came to Joseph, saying, “Give us food! Why should we die before you? For the money is used up.” 16And Joseph said, “Give your livestock and I will give you food in exchange for your livestock if your money is used up.” 17So they brought their herds to Joseph, and Joseph gave food to them in exchange for horses, their flocks, and their cattle and donkeys. And he provided them with food in exchange for all their livestock that year. 18When that year ended, they came to him in the following year and said to him, “We cannot hide from my lord that our money and livestock belong to my lord. Nothing remains before my lord except our bodies and our land. 19Why should we die in front of you, both we and our land? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, then we and our land will be servants to Pharaoh. Then give us seed and we shall live and not die, and the land will not become desolate.” 20So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for each Egyptian sold his field, for the famine was severe upon them. And the land became Pharaoh’s. 21As for the people, he transferred them to the cities, from one end of the territory of Egypt to the other. 22Only the land of the priests he did not buy, for there was an allotment for the priests from Pharaoh, and they lived onLiterally “ate” the allotment that Pharaoh gave to them. Therefore they did not sell their land. 23And Joseph said to the people, “Look, I have bought you and your land this day for Pharaoh. Here is seed for you so you can sow the land. 24And it shall happen that at the harvest, you must give a fifth to Pharaoh and four-fifths shall be yours, as seed for the field and for your food and for those who are in your households, and as food for your little ones.” 25And they said, “You have saved our lives. If we have found favor in the eyes of my lord, we will be servants to Pharaoh.” 26So Joseph made it a statute unto this day concerning the land of Egypt: one fifth to Pharaoh. Only the land of the priests alone did not belong to Pharaoh. 27So Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen. And they acquired possessions in it and were fruitful and multiplied greatly. 28And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. And the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were one hundred and forty-seven years. 29When the time of Israel’s death drew near,Literally “the days of Israel drew near to die” he called to his son, to Joseph. And he said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please put your hand under my thigh, that you might vow to deal kindlyOr “loyal love” and faithfully with me. Please do not bury me in Egypt, 30but let me lie with my ancestors.Or “fathers” Carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial site.” And he said, “I will do according to your word.” 31Then he said, “Swear to me.” And he swore to him. Then Israel bowed himself on the head of the bed.

1And it happened that after these things, it was said to Joseph, “Behold, your father is ill.” And he took his two sons with him, Ephraim and Manasseh. 2And it was told to Jacob, “Behold, your son Joseph has come to you.” Then Israel strengthened himself and he sat up in the bed. 3Then Jacob said to Joseph, “El-ShaddaiOften translated “God Almighty” appeared to me in Luz, in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, 4and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and make you numerous, and will make you a company of nations. And I will give this land to your offspring after you as an everlasting possession.’ 5And now, your two sons who were born to you in the land of Egypt before my coming to you in Egypt, are mine. Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine as Reuben and Simeon are. 6And your children whom you father after them shall be yours. By the name of their brothers they shall be called, with respect to their inheritance. 7As for me, when I came to Paddan-Aram Rachel died to my sorrowLiterally “to me” in the land of Canaan on the way when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath. And I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).” 8When Israel saw the sons of Joseph he said, “Who are these?” 9Then Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons whom God has given me here.” And he said, “Please bring them to me that I may bless them.” 10Now the eyes of Israel were dimOr “heavy” (i.e., his eyelids were heavy; his eyes were closed) on account of old age; he was not able to see. So he brought them near to him, and he kissed them and embraced them. 11And Israel said to Joseph, “I did not expect to see your face and behold, God has also shown me your offspring.” 12Then Joseph removed them from his knees and bowed down with his face to the ground. 13And Joseph took the two of them, Ephraim at his right to the left of Israel, and Manasseh at his left to the right of Israel. And he brought them near to him. 14And Israel stretched out his right hand and put it on the head of Ephraim (now he was the younger), and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands, for Manasseh was the firstborn. 15And he blessed Joseph and said,

“The God before whom my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, walked, The God who shepherded me all my lifeLiterally “since my duration” unto this day, 16The angel who redeemed me from all evil, may he bless the boys. And through them let my name be perpetuated,Or “called” and the name of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac. And let them multiply into many in the midst of the earth.

17When Joseph saw that his father put his right hand on the head of Ephraim, he was displeased. And he took hold of his father’s hand to remove it from the head of Ephraim over to the head of Manasseh. 18And Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father; because this one is the firstborn. Put your right hand upon his head.” 19But his father refused and said, “I know, my son; I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great, but his younger brother shall be greater than him, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.” 20So he blessed them that day, saying,

Through you Israel shall pronounce blessing, saying, ‘May God make you like Ephraim and like Manasseh.’ ”

So he put Ephraim before Manasseh. 21And Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you back to the land of your ancestors.Or “fathers” 22And I have given to you one slope of land rather than your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorites by my sword and with my bow.”

1Then Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather together so that I can tell you what will happen with you in days to come.Literally “the latter days”

2Assemble and hear, O sons of Jacob! Listen to Israel your father! 3Reuben, you are my firstborn, my strength, and the firstfruit of my vigor, excelling in rank and excelling in power. 4UnstableOr “reckless” as water, you shall not excel any longer, for you went up upon the bed of your father, then defiled it. You went up upon my couch! 5Simeon and Levi are brothers; weapons of violence are their swords. Let meOr “my soul” not come into their council. 6Let not my personOr “my glory” be joined to their company. For in their anger they killed men, and at their pleasure they hamstrung cattle. 7Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their wrath, for it is cruel. I will divide them in Jacob, and I will scatter them in Israel. 8Judah, as for you, your brothers shall praise you. Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies. The sons of your father shall bow down to you. 9Judah is a lion’s cub. From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bowed down; he crouched like a lion and as a lioness. Who shall rouse him? 10The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff between his feet, until Shiloh comes. And to him shall be the obedience of nations. 11Binding his donkey to the vine and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine, he washes his clothing in the wine and his garment in the blood of grapes. 12The eyes are darker than wine, and the teeth whiter than milk. 13Zebulun shall settle by the shore of the sea. He shall become a haven for ships, and his border shall be at Sidon. 14Issachar is a strong donkey, crouching between the sheepfolds. 15He saw a resting place that was good, and land that was pleasant. So he bowed his shoulder to the burden and became a servant of forced labor. 16Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. 17Dan shall be a serpent on the way, a viper on the road that bites the heels of a horse, so that its rider falls backward. 18I wait for your salvation, O Yahweh. 19Bandits shall attack Gad, but he shall attack their heels. 20Asher’s food is delicious, and he shall provide from the king’s delicacies. 21Naphtali is a doe running free that puts forth beautiful words. 22Joseph is the boughOr “son” of a fruitful vine, a fruitful boughOr “son” by a spring. His branches climb over the wall. 23The archersLiterally “the masters of the bow” fiercely attacked him. They shot arrows at him and were hostile to him. 24But his bow remained in a steady position; his armsLiterally “the arms of his hands” were made agile by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob. From there is the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel. 25Because of the God of your father he will help you and by ShaddaiOr “the Almighty” he will bless you with the blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that crouches beneath, blessings of the breasts and the womb. 26The blessings of your father are superior to the blessings of my ancestors, to the bounty of the everlasting hills. May they be on the head of Joseph, and on the forehead of the prince of his brothers. 27Benjamin is a devouring wolf, devouring the prey in the morning, and dividing the plunder in the evening.

The Death and Burial of Jacob

28All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, each according to their blessing. 29Then he instructed them and said to them, “I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me among my ancestorsOr “fathers” in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah that is beforeOr “east of” Mamre in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site. 31There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife. And there I buried Leah—32the purchase of the field and the cave which was in it from the Hittites.” 33When Jacob finished instructing his sons he drew his feet up to the bed. Then he took his last breath and was gathered to his people.

1Then Joseph fell on the face of his father and wept upon him and kissed him. 2And Joseph instructed his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. 3Forty days were required for it,Literally “were fulfilled for it” for thus are the days required forLiterally “fulfilled” embalming. And the Egyptians wept for him seventy days. 4When the days of his weeping had passed, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the hearing of Pharaoh, saying, 5‘My father made me swear, saying, “Behold, I am about to die. In the tomb that I have hewed out for myself in the land of Canaan—there you must bury me.” So then, please let me go up and let me bury my father; then I will return.’ ” 6Then Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father as he made you swear.” 7So Joseph went up to bury his father. And all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, went up with him, 8with all the household of Joseph, his brothers, and the household of his father. They left only their little children and their flocks and their herds in the land of Goshen. 9And there also went up with him chariots and horsemen. The company was very great. 10When they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which was beyond the Jordan, they lamented there with a very great and sorrowful wailing. And he made a mourning ceremony for his father seven days. 11And when the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land, saw the mourning ceremony at the threshing floor of Atad they said, “This is a severe mourning for the Egyptians.” Therefore its name was called Abel-Mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan.12Thus his sons did to him just as he had instructed them. 13And his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which field Abraham had bought as a burial site from Ephron the Hittite beforeOr “east of” Mamre. 14And after burying his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.

15And when the brothers of Joseph saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hold a grudge against us and pay us back dearly for all the evil that we did to him.” 16So they sent word to Joseph saying, “Your father commanded us before his death, saying, 17“Thus you must say to Joseph, ‘O, please now forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did evil to you.’ So now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18Then his brothers went also and fell before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” 19Then Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? 20As for you, you planned evil against me, but God planned it for good, in order to do this—to keep many people alive—as it is today. 21So then, do not be afraid. I myself will provide for you and your little ones. And he consoled them and spoke kindlyLiterally “spoke to their heart” to them.

The Death of Joseph

22So Joseph remained in Egypt, he and the house of his father. And Joseph lived one hundred and ten years. 23And Joseph saw Ephraim’s children to the third generation. Moreover, the children of Makir, son of Manasseh, were born on the knees of Joseph. 24And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will certainly visit you and bring you up from this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” 25Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall bring up my bones from here.” 26So Joseph died, being one hundred and ten years old. They embalmed him and he was placed in a coffin in Egypt.

1And these are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt; with Jacob, they each came with his family:Literally “house” 2Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; 3Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; 4Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. 5And all those who descended from JacobLiterally “every soul/individual/life, the ones going out from the loins of Jacob” were seventy individuals,Or “souls,” “lives” and Joseph was in Egypt. 6And Joseph died and all of his brothers and all of that generation. 7And the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” were fruitful and multiplied and were many and were very, very numerous, and the land was filled with them.

8And a new king rose over Egypt who did not know Joseph. 9And he said to his people, “Look, the people of the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” are greater and more numerous than us. 10Come, we must deal shrewdly with them, lest they become many, and when war happens, they also will join our enemies and will fight against us and go up from the land.” 11And they appointed commanders of forced labor over them in order to oppress them with their forced labor,Literally “burdens” or “burdensome labor” and they built storage cities for Pharaoh—Pithom and Rameses. 12And as he oppressed them, so they became many, and so they spread out, and the Egyptians were afraid because of the presence of the Israelites.Literally “sons/children of Israel” 13And the Egyptians ruthlessly compelled the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” to work. 14And they made their lives bitter with hard work with mortar and with bricks and with all sorts of work in the field—with all their work in which they ruthlessly enslaved them.

15And the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives—of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah and the name of the second was Puah—16and he said, “When you help the Hebrews give birth, you will look upon the pairs of testicles; if he is a son, you will put him to death, and if she is a daughter, she will live.” 17But the midwives feared God, and they did not do as the king of Egypt had said to them. They let the boys live. 18And the king of Egypt summoned the midwives, and he said to them, “Why have you done this thing and let the boys live?” 19And the midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, because they are vigorous; before the midwife comes to them, they have given birth.” 20And God did the midwives good, and the Israelite people became many and were very numerous. 21And soLiterally “and he/it was” because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.Literally “houses” 22And Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “Every son who is born you will throw into the Nile, and every daughter you will let live.”

1And a man from the familyLiterally “house” of Levi went, and he took a descendent of Levi.Literally “daughter of Levi” 2And the woman conceived, and she gave birth to a son, and she saw him, that he was a fine baby, and she hid him three months. 3But when she could no longer hide him, she got a papyrus basket for him, and she coated it with tar and with pitch, and she placed the boy in it, and she placed it among the reeds on the bank of the Nile. 4And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him. 5And the daughter of Pharaoh went down to wash at the Nile, while her maidservants were walking alongside the Nile, and she saw the basket in the midst of the reeds, and she sent her slave woman for it and took it 6and opened it and saw him—the boy—and it was a lad weeping, and she had compassion for him and said, “This must be from the boys of the Hebrews.”Each instance of the implied “she” in verses 5 and 6 is the daughter of Pharaoh 7And his sister said to the daughter of Pharaoh, “Shall I go and call for you a woman from the Hebrews who is nursing so that she will nurse the boy for you?” 8And the daughter of Pharaoh said to her, “Go.” And the girl went, and she called the mother of the boy. 9And the daughter of Pharaoh said, “Take this boy and nurse him for me, and I myself will give you wages, and the woman took the boy, and she nursed him. 10And the boy grew, and she brought him to the daughter of Pharaoh, and he became her son, and she called his name Moses, and she said, “Because I drew him out from the water.”

11And thenLiterally “and he/it was” in those days when Moses had grown up, he went out to his brothers, and he saw their forced labor,Literally “burdens” or “burdensome labor” and he saw an Egyptian man striking a Hebrew man, one of his brothers.Or “a Hebrew man from his brothers” 12And he turned here and there, and he saw no one,Literally “and he saw that there was not a man” and he struck the Egyptian, and he hid him in the sand. 13And he went out on the second day, and there were two Hebrew men fighting, and he said to the guilty one, “Why do you strike your neighbor?” 14And he said, “Who appointed you as a commanderLiterally “put you for a man, a commander” or “placed you for a man, a commander” and a judge over us? Are you intending to kill me like you killed the Egyptian?” And Moses was afraid, and he said, “Surely the matter has become known.” 15And Pharaoh heard this matter, and he sought to kill Moses, and Moses fled from Pharaoh, and he lived in the land of Midian, and he lived at a certain well.Literally “the well”

16Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and drew water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock.The Hebrew noun translated “flock” is used here and in verses 17 and 19 collectively for sheep or goats or a mix of the two 17And the shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and came to their rescue and watered their flock. 18And they came to Reuel, their father, and he said, “Why have you come so quicklyLiterally “why did you hasten coming” today?” 19And they said, “An Egyptian man delivered us from the hand of the shepherds, and he even drew water for us and watered the flock.” 20And he said to his daughters, “Where is he? Why thenLiterally “why this” have you left the man? Call him so that he can eat some food.”Literally “call to or “summon/invite” him and he will eat bread” 21And Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave Zipporah his daughter to Moses. 22And she bore a son, and he called his name Gershom because he said, “I am an alien in a foreign land.”The word translated “alien” sounds like the first syllable in the name Gershom. The second syllable sounds like the word for “there”

23And thenLiterally “and he/it was” during those many days, the king of Egypt died, and the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” groaned because of the work, and they cried out, and their cry for help because of the work went up to God. 24And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob, 25and God saw the Israelites,Literally “sons/children of Israel” and God took notice.Or “and God knew”

1And Moses was a shepherd with the flockThe Hebrew noun translated “flock” in this verse is used collectively for sheep or goats or a mix of the two. of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the west of the desert, and he came to the mountain of God, to Horeb. 2And the angel of Yahweh appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush, and he looked, and there was the bush burning with fire, but the bush was not being consumed. 3And Moses said, “Let me turn aside and see this great sight. Why does the bush not burn up?” 4And Yahweh saw that he turned aside to see, and God called to him from the midst of the bush, and he said, “Moses, Moses.” And he said, “Here I am.” 5And he said, “You must not come near to here. Take off your sandals from on your feet, because the place on which you are standing, it is holy ground.” 6And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face because he was afraid of looking at God.

7And Yahweh said, “Surely I have seen the misery of my people who are in Egypt, and I have heard their cry of distress because of their oppressors, for I know their sufferings. 8And I have come down to deliver them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up from this land to a good and wide land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the CanaanitesHebrew “Canaanite” and the HittitesHebrew “Hittite” and the AmoritesHebrew “Amorite” and the PerizzitesHebrew “Perizzite” and the HivitesHebrew “Hivite” and the Jebusites.Hebrew “Jebusite” 9And now, look, the cry of distress of the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” has come to me, and also I see the oppression with which the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10And now come, and I will send you to Pharaoh, and you must bring my people, the Israelites,Literally “sons/children of Israel” out from Egypt.”

11But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” out from Egypt?” 12And he said, “Because I am with you, and this will be the sign for you that I myself have sent you: When you bring the people out from Egypt, you will serve God on this mountain.” 13But Moses said to God, “Look, if I go to the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” and I say to them, ‘The God of your ancestorsOr “fathers” has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is his name?’ then what shall I say to them?” 14And God said to Moses, “I am that I am.” And he said, “So you must say to the Israelites,Literally “sons/children of Israel” ‘I am sent me to you.’ ”

15And God said again to Moses, “So you must say to the Israelites,Literally “sons/children of Israel” ‘Yahweh, the God of your ancestors,Or “fathers” the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is my name forever, and this is my remembrance from generation to generation.’ 16Go and gather the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘Yahweh, the God of your ancestors,Or “fathers” appeared to me, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, “I have carefully attended to you and what has been done to you in Egypt.” 17And I said, “I will bring you up from the misery of Egypt to the land of the CanaanitesHebrew “Canaanite” and the HittitesHebrew “Hittite” and the AmoritesHebrew “Amorite” and the PerizzitesHebrew “Perizzite” and the HivitesHebrew “Hivite” and the Jebusites,Hebrew “Jebusite” to a land flowing with milk and honey.” ’ 18And they will listen to your voice, and you will go, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt, and you will say to him, ‘Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews has met with us, and now let us please go on a journey of three days into the desert, and let us sacrifice to Yahweh our God.’

19But I myself know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go unless compelled by a strong hand.Literally “and not with a strong hand” 20And I will stretch out my hand, and I will strike Egypt with all of my wonders that I will do in its midst, and afterwardLiterally “after so” or “after I do so” he will release you. 21And I will give this people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians, and thenLiterally “and he/it will be” when you go, you will not go empty-handed. 22And a woman will ask from her neighbor and from the woman dwelling as an alien in her house for objects of silver and objects of gold and garments, and you will put them on your sons and on your daughters; and you will plunder Egypt.”

1And Moses answered, and he said, “And if they do not believe me and they do not listen to my voice, but they say, ‘Yahweh did not appear to you?’ ” 2And Yahweh said to him, “What is this in your hand?” And he said, “A staff.” 3And he said, “Throw it onto the ground.” And he threw it onto the ground, and it became a snake, and Moses fled from it. 4And Yahweh said to Moses, “Reach out your hand and grasp it by its tail”—” (And he reached out his hand and grabbed it, and it became a staff in his palm.)—5“so that they may believe that Yahweh, the God of their ancestors,Or “fathers” appeared to you, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”

6And Yahweh said to him again, “Put your hand into the fold of your garment.” And he put his hand into the fold of his garment, and he took it out, and, to his surprise,Literally “look” or “behold” his hand was afflicted with a skin disease, like snow. 7And he said, “Return your hand to the fold of your garment.” And he returned his hand to the fold of his garment, and he took it out from the fold of his garment, and, to his surprise,Literally “look” or “behold” it was restored like the rest of his body. 8“AndLiterally “and he/it will be” if they do not believe you and they will not listen to the voice of the former sign, then they will believe the voice of the latter sign. 9AndLiterally “and he/it will be” if they also do not believe the second of these signs and they will not listen to your voice, then you must take water from the Nile and pour it onto the dry ground, and the water that you take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground.”

10And Moses said to Yahweh, “Please, Lord, I am not a man of words, neither recently nor in the past nor since your speakingLiterally “also from yesterday also from the day before also from then your speaking” to your servant, because I am heavy of mouth and of tongue.” 11And Yahweh said to him, “Who gave a mouth to humankind, or who makes mute or deaf or sighted or blind? Is it not I, Yahweh? 12So then go, and I myself will be with your mouth, and I will teach you what you must speak.” 13And he said, “Please, Lord, do send anyone else whom you wish to send.”Literally “by the hand of someone you will send” 14And Yahweh was angry withLiterally “and the nose of Yahweh was hot against” Moses and said, “Is there not Aaron your brother the Levite? I know that he certainly can speak, and also there he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will rejoice in his heart. 15And you will speak to him, and you will put words in his mouth, and I myself will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will teach you what you must do. 16And he will speak for you to the people, and thenLiterally “and he/it will be” he will be to you as a mouth, and you will be to him as a god. 17And you must take this staff in your hand, with which you will do the signs.”

Moses Leaves Midian and Returns to Egypt

18And Moses went, and he returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and he said to him, “Please let me go, and let me return to my brothers who are in Egypt, and let me see whether they are yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.” 19And Yahweh said to Moses in Midian, “Go, return to Egypt because all the men have died who were seeking your life.”

20And Moses took his wife and his sons and had them ride on the donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt, and Moses took the staff of God in his hand. 21And Yahweh said to Moses, “When you go to return to Egypt, see all of the wonders that I have put in your hand, and do them before Pharaoh, and I myself will harden his heart, and he will not release the people. 22And you must say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “Israel is my son, my firstborn.” 23And I said to you, “Release my son and let him serve me,” but you refused to release him. Look, I am about to kill your son, your firstborn.’ ”

24AndLiterally “and he/it was” on the way, at the place of overnight lodging, Yahweh encountered him and sought to kill him. 25But Zipporah took a flint knife, and she cut off the foreskin of her son, and she touched his feet, and she said, “Yes, you are a bridegroom of blood to me.” 26And he left him alone. At that time she said, “A bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision.Hebrew “circumcisions”

27And Yahweh said to Aaron, “Go to the desert to meet Moses.” And he went and encountered him at the mountain of God and kissed him. 28And Moses told Aaron all the words of Yahweh, who had sent him—and all the signs that he had commanded him.

29And Moses and Aaron went, and they gathered all of the elders of the Israelites.Literally “sons/children of Israel” 30And Aaron spoke all the words that Yahweh had spoken to Moses, and he did the signs before the eyes of the people. 31And the people believed when they heard that Yahweh had attended to the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” and that he had seen their misery, and they knelt down and they worshiped.

1And afterward, Moses and Aaron went, and they said to Pharaoh, “Thus says Yahweh the God of Israel, ‘Release my people so that they may hold a festival for me in the desert.’ ” 2And Pharaoh said, “Who is Yahweh that I should listen to his voice to release Israel? I do not know Yahweh, and also I will not release Israel.”

3And they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go on a three-day journey into the desert, and let us sacrifice to Yahweh our God, lest he strike us with plague or with sword.” 4And the king of Egypt said, “Why, Moses and Aaron, do you takeOr “let loose,” “let run wild” (compare 32:25) the people from their work? Go to your forced labor!”Literally “burdens” or “burdensome labor” 5And Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are now many, and you want to stop them from their forced labor.”Literally “burdens” or “burdensome labor”

6And on that day Pharaoh commanded the slave drivers over the people and his foremen, saying, 7“You must no longer give straw to the people to make the bricks like before.Literally “yesterday three days ago” Let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8But the quota of the bricks that they were making beforeLiterally “yesterday three days ago” you must require of them.Literally “you will put on them” You must not reduce from it, because they are lazy. Therefore they are crying out, saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ 9Let the work be heavier on the men so that they will do it and not pay attention to words of deception.”

10And the slave drivers of the people and their foremen went out, and they spoke to the people, saying, “Thus says Pharaoh, ‘I am not giving you straw. 11You go, get straw for yourselves from whatever you find because not a thing is being reduced from your work.’ ” 12And the people spread out in all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for the straw. 13And the slave drivers were insisting, saying, “Finish your work for each dayLiterally “a thing of a day” on its day, as when there was straw.”Literally “in the being of the straw” 14And the foremen of the Israelites,Literally “sons/children of Israel” whom Pharaoh’s slave drivers had appointed over them, were beaten by men who were saying, “Why have you not completed your portion of brickmaking as before, both yesterday and today?”Literally “as yesterday three days ago also yesterday also the day”

The Foremen Complain to Pharaoh and Moses, and Moses Complains to Yahweh

15And the foremen of the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying, “Why do you treat your servants like this? 16Straw is not being given to your servants, but they are saying to us, ‘Make bricks!’ and, look, your servants are being beaten, but it is the fault ofThe expression is difficult. The word translated “fault” or “sin” has pointing for a second-person feminine singular subject (“you sinned”), which does not go well with either “Pharaoh” or “your people” as a subject; but the noun translated “sin of” has the same consonants, leading to the possibility that the word should be understood as a noun your people.” 17And he said, “You are lazy, lazy! Therefore you are saying, ‘Let us go; let us sacrifice to Yahweh.’ 18And now go, work, but straw will not be given to you, and you must give the full quota of bricks.”

19And the foremen of the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” saw they were in trouble with the saying,Literally “saying” “You will not reduce from your bricks for each dayLiterally “a thing of a day” on its day.” 20And they met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting to meet them when they were going out from Pharaoh. 21And they said to them, “May Yahweh look upon you and judge because you have caused our fragrance to stink in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants so as to put a sword into their hand to kill us.” 22And Moses returned to Yahweh and said, “Lord, why have you brought trouble to this people? Why ever did you send me? 23And from the time I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble to this people, and you have certainly not delivered your people.”

1And Yahweh said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh, because with a strong hand he will release them, and with a strong hand he will drive them out from his land.”

2And God spoke to Moses, and he said to him, “I am Yahweh. 3And I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Shaddai,Often translated as “Almighty” but by my name Yahweh I was not known to them. 4And I not only established my covenant with them to give to them the land of Canaan, the land of their sojournings, in which they dwelt as aliens, 5but also I myself heard the groaning of the Israelites,Literally “sons/children of Israel” whom the Egyptians are making to work, and I remembered my covenant. 6Therefore say to the Israelites,Literally “sons/children of Israel” ‘I am Yahweh, and I will bring you out from under the forced laborLiterally “burdens” or “burdensome labor” of Egypt, and I will deliver you from their slavery, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great punishments. 7And I will take you as my people,Literally “to/for me for a people” and I will be your God,Literally “to/for you for a God” and you will know that I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out from under the forced laborLiterally “burdens” or “burdensome labor” of Egypt. 8And I will bring you to the land that I sworeLiterally “that I raised my hand” to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, and I will give it to you as a possession. I am Yahweh.”

9And Moses spoke thus to the Israelites,Literally “sons/children of Israel” but they did not listen to Moses, because of discouragementLiterally “a lack of spirit” or “shortness of spirit” and because of hard work.

10And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 11“Go, speak to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and let him release the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” from his land.” 12And Moses spoke before Yahweh, saying, “Look, the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” do not listen to me, and how will Pharaoh listen to me, since I am a poor speaker?”Literally “uncircumcised of lips” 13And Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, and he commanded them to go to the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” and to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, to bring the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” out from the land of Egypt.

The Genealogy of Moses and Aaron

14These are the heads of their families.Literally “the house of their fathers”

The sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, are Enoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi. These are the clans of Reuben.

15And the sons of Simeon are Jemuel and Jamin and Ohad and Jakin and Zohar and Shaul the son of the Canaanitess.Or “the Canaanite woman.” The Hebrew word is feminine These are the clans of Simeon.

16And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to their genealogies:Or “generations” Gershon and Kohath and Merari, and the years of the life of Levi were one hundred and thirty-seven years.Literally “seven and thirty and hundred of year”

17The sons of Gershon are Libni and Shimei according to their clans.

18And the sons of Kohath are Amram and Izhar and Hebron and Uzziel, and the years of the life of Kohath were one hundred and thirty-three years.Literally “three and thirty and hundred of year”

19And the sons of Merari are Mahli and Mushi. These are clans of the Levites according to their genealogies.Or “generations”

20And Amram took Jochebed his aunt for himself as a wife, and she bore for him Aaron and Moses, and the years of the life of Amram were one hundred and thirty-seven years.Literally “seven and thirty and hundred of year”

21And the sons of Izhar are Korah and Nepheg and Zikri.

22And the sons of Uzziel are Mishael and Elzaphan and Sithri.

23And Aaron took Elisheba the daughter of Amminadab, the sister of Nahshon, for himself as a wife, and she bore for him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

24And the sons of Korah are Assir and Elkanah and Abiasaph. These are the clans of the Korahites.

25And Eleazar the son of Aaron took for himself one from the daughters of Putiel as a wife, and she bore for him Phinehas. These are the heads of the familiesLiterally “fathers” of the Levites according to their clans.

26It was that Aaron and Moses to whom Yahweh said, “Bring the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” out from the land of Egypt according to their divisions.” 27They were those who spoke to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, in order to bring the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” out from Egypt. It was that Moses and Aaron.

28And so it was on a certain dayLiterally “and it was on a day” Yahweh spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt. 29And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “I am Yahweh. Speak to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, all that I am speaking to you.” 30And Moses said before Yahweh, “Look, I am a poor speaker.Literally “uncircumcised of lips” And how will Pharaoh listen to me?”

1And Yahweh said to Moses, “See, I have made you as a god to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother will be your prophet. 2You will speak all that I will command you, and Aaron your brother will speak to Pharaoh, and he will release the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” from his land. 3And I myself will harden the heart of Pharaoh, and I will make my signs and my wonders numerous in the land of Egypt. 4And Pharaoh will not listen to you, and I will put my hand into Egypt and bring out my divisions, my people, the Israelites,Literally “sons/children of Israel” from the land of Egypt with great punishments. 5And the Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh when I stretch out my hand over Egypt and bring the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” out from their midst.”

6And Moses and Aaron did it; as Yahweh commanded them, so they did. 7(And Moses was eighty years old,Literally “a son of eighty year” and Aaron was eighty-three years oldLiterally “a son of three and eighty year” when they spoke to Pharaoh.)

Provision of a Wonder: Aaron’s Staff Becomes a Snake

8And Yahweh said to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 9“When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, ‘Do a wonder for yourselves,’ you will say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it before Pharaoh, and it will become a snake.’ ” 10And Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and they did so, as Yahweh had commanded. And Aaron threw his staff before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a snake.

11And Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers, and they also, the magicians of Egypt, did likewise with their secret arts. 12Each threw down his staff, and they became snakes, and Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. 13And Pharaoh’s heart was hard, and he did not listen to them, as Yahweh had said.

Plague One: Blood

14And Yahweh said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is insensitive;Literally “heavy” he refuses to release the people. 15Go to Pharaoh in the morning. Look, he is going out to the water, and you must wait to meet him on the bank of the Nile, and you must take in your hand the staff that was changed into a snake. 16And you must say to him, ‘Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to you, saying, “Release my people that they may serve me in the desert, and, look, you have not listened until now.” 17Thus says Yahweh, “By this you will know that I am Yahweh. Look, I am about to strike with the staff that is in my hand the water that is in the Nile, and it will be changed to blood. 18And the fish that are in the Nile will die, and the Nile will stink, and the Egyptians will be unable to drink water from the Nile.” ’ ”

19And Yahweh said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch your hand out over the waters of Egypt and over their rivers, over their canals, and over their pools and over all of their reservoirs of water, so that they become blood,’ and blood will be in all the land of Egypt and in vessels of wood and of stone.”

20And Moses and Aaron did so, as Yahweh had commanded, and he raised the staff and struck the water that was in the Nile before the eyes of Pharaoh and before the eyes of his servants, and all of the water that was in the Nile was changed to blood. 21And the fish that were in the Nile died, and the Nile stank, and the Egyptians were not able to drink water from the Nile, and the blood was in all the land of Egypt.

22And the magicians of Egypt did likewise with their secret arts, and Pharaoh’s heart was hard, and he did not listen to them, as Yahweh had spoken. 23And Pharaoh turned and went to his house, and he did not take also this to heart.Literally “he did not put his heart also to this” 24And all of the Egyptians dug around the Nile for water to drink, because they were unable to drink from the water of the Nile.

25And seven days passed after Yahweh struck the Nile.

1Exodus 8:1–32 in the English Bible is 7:26–8:28 in the Hebrew Bible And Yahweh said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, and say to him, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “Release my people so that they may serve me.” 2And if you are refusing to release, look, I am going to plague all of your territory with frogs. 3And the Nile will swarm with frogs, and they will go up and come into your house and into your bedroomLiterally “the inner room of your bed” and onto your bed and into the house of your servants and among your people and into your ovens and into your kneading troughs. 4And the frogs will go up against you and against your people and against all of your servants.’ ”

5And Yahweh said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the canals, and over the pools, and bring up the frogs on the land of Egypt.’ ” 6And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs went up and covered the land of Egypt. 7And the magicians did likewise with their secret arts, and they brought up frogs over the land of Egypt.

8And Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray to Yahweh, and let him remove the frogs from me and from my people, and let me release the people so that they can sacrifice to Yahweh.” 9And Moses said to Pharaoh, “I leave to you the honorLiterally “glorify yourself” over me. When shall I pray for you and for your servants and for your people to cut off the frogs from you and from your houses? They will be left only in the Nile.” 10And he said, “Tomorrow.” And he said, “Let it be according to your word so that you will know that there is no one like Yahweh our God. 11And the frogs will depart from you and from your house and from your servants. They will be left only in the Nile.”

12And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried out to Yahweh over the matter of the frogs that he had brought on Pharaoh. 13And Yahweh did according to the word of Moses, and the frogs died from the houses, from the courtyards, and from the fields. 14And they piled them in countless heaps,Literally “heaps, heaps” and the land stank. 15And Pharaoh saw that there was relief, and he made his heart insensitive,Literally “heavy” and he did not listen to them, as Yahweh had spoken.

Plague Three: Gnats

16And Yahweh said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the land, and it will become gnatsExactly what troublesome insect is uncertain in all the land of Egypt.’ ” 17And he did so, and Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff, and he struck the dust of the land, and it became gnats on the humans and on the animals; all of the dust of the land became gnats in all the land of Egypt. 18And the magicians did so with their secret arts to bring out the gnats, but they were not able, and the gnats were on the humans and on the animals. 19And the magicians said to Pharaoh, “It is the finger of God.” But the heart of Pharaoh was hard, and he did not listen to them, as Yahweh had spoken.

Plague Four: Flies

20And Yahweh said to Moses, “Start early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh. Look, he is going out to the water, and you must say to him, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “Release my people so that they may serve me.” 21But if you are not about to release my people, look, I am about to send out flies among you and among your servants and among your people and in your houses; and the houses of Egypt will fill up with the flies and also the ground that they are on. 22But on that day I will distinguishOr “deal differently with” the land of Goshen, where my people are staying, by there not being flies there, so that you will know that I am Yahweh in the midst of the land. 23And I will put a distinction between my people and your people; this sign will be tomorrow.’ ”

24And Yahweh did so, and a severeLiterally “heavy” swarm of flies came to the house of Pharaoh and the house of his servants and in all the land of Egypt; the land was ruined because of the flies. 25And Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron, and he said, “Go, sacrifice to your God in the land.” 26And Moses said, “To do so is not right, because we will sacrifice to Yahweh our God a thing detestable to the Egyptians. Look, if we sacrifice before their eyes the thing detestable to the Egyptians, will they not stone us? 27We will go a journey of three days into the desert, and we will sacrifice to Yahweh our God according to what he says to us.”

28And Pharaoh said, “I myself will release you, and you will sacrifice to Yahweh your God in the desert. Only surely you must not go far. Pray for me.” And Moses said, “Look, I am going out from you, and I will pray to Yahweh so that the flies depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people tomorrow. Only let not Pharaoh again deceive us by not releasing the people to sacrifice to Yahweh.”

And Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed to Yahweh. And Yahweh did according to the word of Moses and removed the flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; not one was left. And Pharaoh made his heart insensitiveLiterally “heavy” also this time, and he did not release the people.

1And Yahweh said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, “Release my people so that they may serve me.” 2But if you are refusing to release and you still are keeping hold of them, 3look, the hand of Yahweh is about to be present with a very severeLiterally “heavy” plague on your livestock that are in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the cattle, and on the sheep and goats. 4But Yahweh will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, and not a thing will die from all that belongs to the Israelites.’ ”Literally “sons/children of Israel” 5And Yahweh set an appointed time, saying, “Tomorrow Yahweh will do this thing in the land.”

6And Yahweh did this thing the next day; all the livestock of Egypt died, but from the livestock of the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” not one died. 7And Pharaoh sent to check, and it turned outLiterally “look” not even one from the livestock of Israel had died, but Pharaoh’s heart was insensitive,Literally “heavy” and he did not release the people.

Plague Six: Painful Sores

8And Yahweh said to Moses and to Aaron, “Take for yourselves full handfuls of soot from a smelting furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heavens before the eyes of Pharaoh. 9And it will become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and it will become on humans and on animals a skin sore sprouting blisters in all the land of Egypt.” 10And they took the soot of the smelting furnace, and they stood before Pharaoh, and Moses sprinkled it toward the heavens, and it became skin sores sprouting blisters on humans and on animals. 11And the magicians were not able to stand before Moses because of the skin sores, for the skin sores were on the magicians and on all the Egyptians. 12And Yahweh hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not listen to them, as Yahweh had spoken to Moses.

Plague Seven: Hail

13And Yahweh said to Moses, “Start early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh. Look, he is going out to the water, and you must say to him, ‘Thus says Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, “Release my people so that they may serve me. 14For at this time I am sending all of my plagues to you personallyLiterally “to your heart,” that is, in a way designed to receive attention and among your servants and among your people so that you will know that there is no one like me in all the earth. 15For now I could have stretched out my hand, and I could have struck you and your people with the plague, and you would have perished from the earth. 16But for the sake of this I have caused you to stand—for the sake of showing you my strength and in order to proclaim my name in all the earth. 17Still you are behaving haughtily to my people by not releasing them. 18Look, about this time tomorrow, I am going to cause very severeLiterally “heavy” hail to rain, the like of which has not been in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. 19And now send word; bring into safety your livestock and all that belongs to you in the field. The hail will come down on every human and animal that is found in the field and not gathered into the house, and they will die.” ’ ”

20Anyone from the servants of Pharaoh who feared the word of Yahweh caused his servants and livestock to flee to the houses. 21But whoever did not give regard toLiterally “put his heart to” the word of Yahweh abandoned his servants and his livestock in the field.

22And Yahweh said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand to the heavens, and let there be hail in all the land of Egypt, on human and on animal and on all the vegetation of the field in the land of Egypt.” 23And Moses stretched out his staff to the heavens, and Yahweh gave thunderThe word often translated “voice” or “sound” is also used to describe thunder, as in this chapter and hail, and fire went to the earth, and Yahweh caused hail to rain on the land of Egypt. 24And there was hail, and fire was flashing back and forth in the midst of the very severe hail, the like of which was not in all the land of Egypt since it had become a nation. 25And the hail struck in all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, from human to animal, and the hail struck all the vegetation of the field and smashed every tree of the field. 26Only in the land of Goshen, where the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” were, there was no hail.

27And Pharaoh sent and called Moses and Aaron and said to them, “I have sinned this time. Yahweh is the righteous one, and I and my people are the wicked ones. 28Pray to Yahweh. The thunder of God and hail are enough,Literally “much/great from the being of the voices/thunder” and I will release you, and you will no longer have to stay.”Literally “you will not add to stand/remain” 29And Moses said to him, “At my leaving the city, I will spread out my hands to Yahweh. The thunder will stop, and the hail will be no more, so that you will know that the earth belongs to Yahweh. 30But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear the presence of Yahweh God.”

31And the flax and the barley were struck, because the barley was in the ear and the flax was in bud. 32But the wheat and the spelt were not struck, because they are late-ripening.

33And Moses went from Pharaoh out of the city, and he spread his hands to Yahweh, and the thunder and the hail stopped, and rain did not pour on the earth. 34And Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder stopped, and he again sinnedLiterally “he added to sin” and made his heart insensitive,Literally “he made his heart heavy” he and his servants. 35And Pharaoh’s heart was hard, and he did not release the Israelites,Literally “sons/children of Israel” as Yahweh had said by the agency of Moses.Literally “by the hand of Moses”

1And Yahweh said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have made his heart insensitiveLiterally “heavy” and the heart of his servants in order to put these signs of mine in his midst, 2so that you will tell in the ears of your child and your grandchildLiterally “the son of your son” that I dealt harshly with the Egyptians and so that you will tell about my signs that I have done among them, and so you will know that I am Yahweh.”

3And Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and they said to him, “Thus says Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, ‘Until when will you refuse to submit before me? Release my people so that they may serve me. 4But if you are refusing to release my people, look, I am about to bring locusts into your territory tomorrow. 5And they will cover the surface of the land, and no one will be able to see the land, and they will eat the remainder of what is left—what is left over for you from the hail—and they will eat every sprouting tree belonging to you from the field. 6And your houses will be full, and the houses of all your servants and the houses of all Egypt, something that your fathers and your grandfathersLiterally “the fathers of your fathers” never saw from the day they were on the earth until this day.’ ” And he turned and went out from Pharaoh.

7And the servants of Pharaoh said to him, “Until when will this be a snare for us? Release the men so that they may serve Yahweh their God. Do you not yet know that Egypt is destroyed?” 8And Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh, and he said to them, “Serve Yahweh your God. Who are the ones going?Literally “who and who the goers?” 9And Moses said, “With our young and with our old we will go; with our sons and with our daughters, with our sheep and goats and with our cattle we will go because it is the feast of Yahweh for us.” 10And he said to them, “Let Yahweh be thus with you as soon as I release you and your dependents.Or “little children” or “little ones” See that evil is before your faces. 11No indeed;Literally “not so” just the menThis word for “men” indicates that Pharaoh means only the able-bodied men can go go and serve Yahweh, since this is what you are seeking.” And he drove them out from the presence of Pharaoh.

12And Yahweh said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt with the locusts so that they may come up over the land of Egypt, and let them eat all the vegetation of the land, all that the hail left behind.” 13And Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and Yahweh drove an east wind into the land all that day and all night. The morning came, and the east wind had brought the locusts. 14And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and they settled in all the territory of Egypt, very severe.Literally “heavy” Before it there were not locusts like them, nor will there be after it. 15And they covered the surface of all the land, and the land was dark with them, and they ate all the vegetation of the land and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left, and no green was left in the trees nor in the vegetation of the field in all the land of Egypt.

16And Pharaoh hurried to call Moses and Aaron, and he said, “I have sinned against Yahweh your God and against you. 17And now forgive my sin surely this time, and pray to Yahweh your God so that he may only remove from me this death.” 18And he went out from Pharaoh, and he prayed to Yahweh. 19And Yahweh turned a very strong west windLiterally “sea wind,” a wind from the Mediterranean Sea to the west and lifted up the locusts and thrust them into the Red Sea,Literally “sea of reed” and not one locust remained in all the territory of Egypt. 20And Yahweh hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not release the Israelites.Literally “sons/children of Israel”

Plague Nine: Darkness

21And Yahweh said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the heavens so that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt and so that a person can feel darkness.” 22And Moses stretched out his hand toward the heavens, and there was darkness of night in all the land of Egypt for three days. 23No one could see his brother, and because of it no one could move from where they wereLiterally “a man did not rise from under it” for three days, but there was light for the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” in their dwellings.

24And Pharaoh called Moses and said, “Go, serve Yahweh. Only your sheep and goats and your cattle must be left behind. Your dependentsOr “little children” or “little ones”; the term here includes women and children and men too old or ill to fight may also go with you.” 25And Moses said, “Even if you yourself put into our hand sacrifices and burnt offerings and we offer them to Yahweh our God, 26our livestock must also go with us. Not a hoof can be left because we must take from them to serve Yahweh our God. And we will not know with what we are to serve Yahweh until we come there.” 27And Yahweh hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he was not willing to release them. 28And Pharaoh said to him, “Go from me. Be carefulLiterally “watch for you” not to see my face again, because on the day of your seeing my face you will die.” 29And Moses said, “That is right.Literally “right you said” I will not again see your face.”Literally “I will not add again seeing of your face”

1And Yahweh said to Moses, “Still one plague I will bring upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt; afterward he will release you from here. At the moment of his releasing, he will certainly drive you completely out from here. 2Speak in the ears of the people, and let them ask, a man from his neighbor and a woman from her neighbor, for objects of silver and objects of gold.” 3And Yahweh gave the people favor in the eyes of Egypt. Also the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the eyes of the servants of Pharaoh and in the eyes of the people.

4And Moses said, “Thus says Yahweh, ‘About the middle of the night I will go out through the midst of Egypt, 5and every firstborn in the land of Egypt will die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne to the firstborn of the slave woman who is behind the pair of millstones and every firstborn animal.The Hebrew word often refers to domestic animals 6And there will be a great cry of distress in all the land of Egypt, the like of which has not been nor will be again.Literally “which like it has not been and like it will not be again” 7But against all the Israelites,Literally “sons/children of Israel” from a man to an animal, a dog will not even bark,Literally “move his tongue” or “sharpen his tongue” so that you will know that Yahweh makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.’ 8And all of these your servants will come down to me and bow to me, saying, ‘Go out, you and all the people who are at your feet.’ And afterward I will go out.” And he went out from Pharaoh in great anger.Literally “with heat of nose”

9And Yahweh said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not listen to you, so that my wonders may multiplyLiterally “for the sake of the multiplying of my wonders” in the land of Egypt.” 10And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, and Yahweh hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not release the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” from his land.

1And Yahweh said to Moses and to Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, 2“This month will be the beginning of months; it will be for you the first of the months of the year. 3Speak to all the community of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth of this month, they will each take for themselves a lamb for the family,Literally “a lamb/kid for the house of fathers.” The word translated “lamb” refers to a small livestock animal and could be either a young sheep or a young goat a lamb for the household. 4And if the household is too small for a lamb, he and the neighbor nearest to his house will take one according to the number of persons;Or “the number of selves” you will count out portions of the lamb according to how much each one can eat.Literally “a man for the mouth of his eating” 5The lamb for you must be a male, without defect, in its first year; you will take it from the sheep or from the goats.

6“You will keep itLiterally “It will be for you for observation” until the fourteenth day of this month, and all the assembly of the community of Israel will slaughter it at twilight.Literally “between the evenings” 7And they will take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel on the houses in which they eat it. 8And they will eat the meat on this night; they will eat it fire-roasted and with unleavened bread on bitter herbs.Literally “bitter things” 9You must not eat any of it raw or boiled, boiled in the water, but rather roasted with fire, its head with its legs and with its inner parts. 10And you must not leave any of it until morning; anything left from it until morning you must burn in the fire. 11And this is how you will eat it—with your waists fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand, and you will eat it in haste. It is Yahweh’s Passover.

12“And I will go through the land of Egypt during this night, and I will strike all of the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from human to animal, and I will do punishments among all of the gods of Egypt. I am Yahweh. 13And the blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and I will see the blood, and I will pass over you, and there will not be a destructive plague among you when I strike the land of Egypt.

14“And this day will become a memorial for you, and you will celebrate it as a religious feast for Yahweh throughout your generations; you will celebrate it as a lasting statute. 15You will eat unleavened bread for seven days. Surely on the first day you shall remove yeast from your houses, because anyone who eats food with yeast from the first day until the seventh day—that person will be cut off from Israel. 16It will be for you on the first day a holy assemblyOr “summons,” “convocation” and on the seventh day a holy assembly;Or “summons,” “convocation” no work will be done on them; only what is eaten by every person, it alone will be prepared for you.

17“And you will keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because on this very day I brought out your divisions from the land of Egypt, and you will keep this day for your generations as a lasting statute. 18On the first day, on the fourteenth day of the month, in the evening, you will eat unleavened bread until the evening of the twenty-first day of the month. 19For seven days yeast must not be found in your houses, because anyone eating food with yeastLiterally “anyone eating yeasted food, that person” will be cut off from the community of Israel—whether an alien or a native of the land. 20You will eat no food with yeast; in all of your dwellings you will eat unleavened bread.”

21And Moses called all the elders of Israel, and he said to them, “Select and take for yourselves sheep for your clans and slaughter the Passover sacrifice. 22And take a bunch of hyssop and dip it into the blood that is in the basin and apply some of the blood that is in the basin to the lintel and the two doorposts. And you will not go out, anyone from the doorway of his house, until morning. 23And Yahweh will go through to strike Egypt, and he will see the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, and Yahweh will pass over the doorway and will not allow the destroyer to come to your houses to strike you.

24“And you will keep this event as a rule for you and for your children forever.Or “until eternity” 25AndLiterally “and it will be” when you come into the land that Yahweh will give to you, as he said, you will keep this religious custom.Literally “service” or “work” 26AndLiterally “and it will be” when your children say to you, ‘What is this religious customLiterally “service” or “work” for you?’Or “What does this service mean to you?” 27you will say, ‘It is a Passover sacrifice for Yahweh, who passed over the houses of the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” in Egypt when he struck Egypt; and he delivered our houses.’ ” And the people knelt down and they worshiped. 28And the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” went, and they did as Yahweh had commanded Moses and Aaron; so they did.

Death of Firstborn and Deliverance from Egypt

29AndLiterally “and it was” in the middle of the night, Yahweh struck all of the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh sitting on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the prison house and every firstborn of an animal. 30And Pharaoh got up at night, he and all his servants and all Egypt, and a great cry of distress was in Egypt because there was not a house where there was no one dead. 31And he called Moses and Aaron at night, and he said, “Get up, go out from the midst of my people, both you as well as the Israelites,Literally “sons/children of Israel” and go, serve Yahweh, as you have said. 32Take both your sheep and goats as well as your cattle, and go, and bless also me.”

33And the Egyptians urged the people in order to hurry their releaseOr “to hasten to release them” from the land, because they said, “All of us will die!”Or “We all are dead!” 34And the people lifted up their dough before it had yeast; their kneading troughs were wrapped up in their cloaks on their shoulder. 35And the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” did according to the word of Moses, and they asked from the Egyptians for objects of silver and objects of gold and for clothing. 36And Yahweh gave the people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians, and they granted their requests, and they plundered the Egyptians.

37And the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” set out from Rameses to Succoth; the men were about six hundred thousand on foot,Or “footmen,” “infantrymen.” The word probably has military connotations, as when it is used elsewhere in the numbering of soldiers (compare 2 Sam 10:6; 1 Kgs 20:29; 2 Kgs 13:7) besides dependents. 38And also a mixed multitudeLiterally “a large mixture” (compare Jer 25:20; Ezek 30:5) went up with them and sheep and goats and cattle, very numerous livestock. 39And they baked the dough that they had brought out from Egypt as cakes, unleavened bread, because it had no yeast when they were driven out from Egypt, and they were not able to delay, and also they had not made provisions for themselves.

40And the period of dwelling of the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” that they dwelled in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. 41And at the end of four hundred and thirty years, on this exact day, all of Yahweh’s divisions went out from the land of Egypt. 42It is a night of vigilsOr “observances” belonging to Yahweh for bringing them out from the land of Egypt; it is this night belonging to Yahweh with vigils for all of the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” throughout their generations.

43And Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the statute of the Passover: No foreigner may eat it. 44But any slave of a man, an acquisition by money, and you have circumcised him, then he may eat it. 45A temporary resident and a hired worker may not eat it. 46It will be eaten in one house; you will not bring part of the meat out from the house to the outside; and you will not break a bone of it. 47All of the community of Israel will prepare it. 48And when an alien dwells with you and he wants to prepare the Passover for Yahweh, every male belonging to him must be circumcised, and then he may come near to prepare it, and he will be as the native of the land, but any uncircumcised man may not eat it. 49One law will be for the native and for the alien who is dwelling in your midst.”

50And all the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” did as Yahweh had commanded Moses and Aaron; so they did. 51And it was on exactly this day Yahweh brought the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” out from the land of Egypt by their divisions.

1And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Consecrate to me every firstborn, the first offspring of every womb among the Israelites,Literally “sons/children of Israel” among humansHebrew “human” and among domestic animals;Hebrew “animal” it belongs to me.”Literally “to/for me it” 3And Moses said to the people, “Remember this day when you went out from Egypt, from a house of slaves, because with strength of hand Yahweh brought you out from here, and food with yeast will not be eaten. 4Today you are going out in the month of Abib. 5And when Yahweh brings you to the land of the CanaanitesHebrew “Canaanite” and the HittitesHebrew “Hittite” and the AmoritesHebrew “Amorite” and the HivitesHebrew “Hivite” and the JebusitesHebrew “Jebusite”—which he swore to your ancestorsOr “fathers” to give to you, a land flowing with milk and honey—you will perform this service in this month. 6Seven days you will eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day will be a feast for Yahweh. 7Unleavened bread will be eaten the seven days; food with yeast will not be seen for you; and yeast will not be seen for you in all your territory. 8And you shall tell your son on that day, saying, ‘This is because of what Yahweh did for me when I came out from Egypt.’ 9And it will be as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes so that the law of Yahweh will be in your mouth, that with a strong hand Yahweh brought you out from Egypt. 10And you will keep this statute at its appointed time from year to year.Literally “from days to days”

11“And when Yahweh brings you to the land of the Canaanite, as he swore to you and to your ancestors,Or “fathers” and he gives it to you, 12you will hand over every first offspring of a womb to Yahweh, and every first offspring dropped by a domestic animal that will belong to you, the males will be for Yahweh. 13And every first offspring of a donkey you will redeem with small livestock, and if you will not redeem it, then you will break its neck, and every firstborn human among your sons you will redeem. 14And when your son asks you in the future,Literally “tomorrow” saying, ‘What is this?’ you will say to him, ‘With strength of hand Yahweh brought us out from Egypt, from a house of slaves. 15And when Pharaoh was stubborn to release us, Yahweh killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from firstborn human to firstborn domestic animal. Therefore I am sacrificing to Yahweh every first offspring of a womb, the males, and every firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ 16And it will be as a sign on your hand and as symbolic ornaments between your eyes that with strength of hand Yahweh brought us out from Egypt.”

Summary of Travel

17And when Pharaoh released the people, God did not lead them the way of the land of the Philistines, though it was nearer, because God said, “Lest the people change their mind when they see war and return to Egypt.” 18So God led the people around by the way of the desert to the Red Sea,Literally “sea of reed” and the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” went up in battle array from the land of Egypt. 19And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because JosephHebrew “he” had made the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” solemnly swear an oath, saying, “God will surely attend to you, and you will take up my bones from here with you.” 20And they set out from Succoth, and they encamped at Etham on the edge of the desert. 21And Yahweh was going before them by day in a column of cloud to lead them on the way and by night in a column of fire to give light to them to go by day and night. 22The column of cloud by day and the column of fire by night did not depart from before the people.

1And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Speak to the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” so that they turn and encamp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea;Literally “and between the sea” before Baal Zephon, which is opposite it, you will camp by the sea. 3And Pharaoh will say of the Israelites,Literally “sons/children of Israel” ‘They are wandering around in the land. The desert has closed in on them.’ 4And I will harden the heart of Pharaoh, and he will chase after them, and I will be glorified through Pharaoh and through all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh.” And they did so.

5And it was told to the king of Egypt that the people fled, and the heart of Pharaoh was changed and that of his servants toward the people, and they said, “What is this we have done, that we have released Israel from serving us!” 6And he harnessed his chariot and took with him his people. 7And he took six hundred select chariots and all the chariots of Egypt and officers over all of them. 8And Yahweh hardened the heart of Pharaoh the king of Egypt, and he chased after the Israelites.Literally “sons/children of Israel” (Now the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” were going out boldly.Literally “with a raised/high hand”) 9And the Egyptians chased after them, and they overtook them encamped at the sea—all the horses of the chariots of Pharaoh and his charioteers and his army—at Pi-hahiroth before Baal Zephon.

10And Pharaoh approached, and the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” lifted their eyes, and there were the Egyptians traveling after them! And they were very afraid, and the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” cried out to Yahweh. 11And they said to Moses, “Because there are no graves in Egypt? Is that why you have taken us to die in the desert? What is this you have done to us by bringing us out from Egypt! 12Isn’t this the word we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, ‘Leave us alone so that we can serve Egypt!’ because serving Egypt is better for us than our dying in the desert.” 13And Moses said to the people, “You must not be afraid. Stand still and see the salvation of Yahweh, which he will accomplish for you today, because the Egyptians whom you see today you will see never again. 14Yahweh will fight for you, and you must be quiet.”

15And Yahweh said to Moses, “Why do you cry out to me? Speak to the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” so that they set out.Or “journey,” “move on,” “travel” 16And you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it so that the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” can go in the middle of the sea on the dry land. 17And as for me, look, I am about to harden the heart of the Egyptians so that they come after them, and I will display my glory through Pharaoh and through all of his army, through his chariots and through his charioteers. 18And the Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh when I display my glory through Pharaoh, through his chariots, and through his charioteers.”

19And the angel of God who was going before the camp of Israel set out and went behind them. And the column of cloud set out ahead of them, and it stood still behind them, 20so that it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel. And it was a dark cloud,Literally “the cloud was and the darkness” but it gave light to the night,Or “it illumined the night” so that neither approached the otherLiterally “this did not come near to this” all night.

21And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and Yahweh moved the seaOr “caused the sea to go,” “drove the sea” with a strong east wind all night, and he made the sea become dry ground, and the waters were divided. 22And the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” entered the middle of the sea on the dry land. The waters were a wall for them on their right and on their left. 23And the Egyptians gave chaseOr “pursued,” “chased” and entered after them—all the horses of Pharaoh, his chariots, and his charioteers—into the middle of the sea. 24And during the morning watch, Yahweh looked down to the Egyptian camp from in the column of fire and cloud, and he threw the Egyptian camp into a panic. 25And he removedOr “let turn aside” the wheels of their chariots so that they drove them with difficulty, and the Egyptians said, “We must flee awayOr “let us flee,” “let me run away”; the verb is singular, but it is plural in context from Israel because Yahweh is fighting for them against Egypt.”

26And Yahweh said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, and let the waters return over the Egyptians, over their chariots, and over their charioteers.” 27And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned at daybreakLiterally “at the turning of morning” to its normal level, and the Egyptians were fleeing because of it,Literally “to/for/from the meeting of it” and Yahweh swept the Egyptians into the middle of the sea. 28And the waters returned and covered the chariots and the charioteers—all the army of Pharaoh coming after them into the sea. Not evenLiterally “up to,” “as far as” one survived among them. 29But the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” walked on the dry land in the middle of the sea. The waters were a wall for them on their right and on their left. 30And Yahweh saved Israel on that day from the handOr “power” of Egypt, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the shore of the sea. 31And Israel saw the great handOr “power” that Yahweh displayed against Egypt, and the people feared Yahweh, and they believed in Yahweh and in Moses his servant.

1Then Moses and the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” sang this song to Yahweh, and they said,Literally “and they said, saying”

“Let me sing to Yahweh because he is highly exalted; the horse and its rider he hurled into the sea. 2Yaha shortened form of “Yahweh” is my strength and song, and he has become my salvation;Literally “he was for me for salvation” this is my God, and I will praise him—the God of my father—and I will exalt him. 3Yahweh is a man of war; Yahweh is his name. 4The chariots of Pharaoh and his army he cast into the sea, and his choice adjutants were sunk in the Red Sea.Literally “sea of reed” 5The deep waters covered them; they went down into the depths like a stone. 6Yahweh, your right hand is glorious in power; Yahweh, your right hand destroyed the enemy. 7And in the greatness of your majesty you overthrew those standing up to you; you released your fierce anger, and it consumed them like stubble. 8And by the breath of your nostrils waters were piled up; waves stood like a heap; deep waters in the middle of the sea congealed. 9The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide plunder, my desire will be full of them, I will draw my sword, my hand will destroy them.’ 10You blew with your breath; the sea covered them; they dropped like lead in the mighty waters. 11Who is like you among the gods, Yahweh? Who is like you—glorious in holiness, awesome in praiseworthy actions, doing wonders?Hebrew “wonder” 12You stretched out your right hand; the earth swallowed them. 13In your loyal love you led the people whom you redeemed; in your strength you guided them to the abode of your holiness.Or “your holy dwelling” 14Peoples heard; they trembled; anguish seized the inhabitants of Philistia. 15Then the chiefs of Edom were horrified; great distress seized the leaders of Moab; all of the inhabitants of Canaan melted away. 16Terror and dread fell on them; at the greatness of your arm they became silent like the stone, until your people passed by, Yahweh, until the people whom you bought passed by. 17You brought them and planted them on the mountain of your inheritance, a place you made for yourself to inhabit, Yahweh, a sanctuary, Lord, that your hands established. 18Yahweh will reign as king forever and ever.”

19When the horsesHebrew “horse” of Pharaoh came into the sea with his chariotsHebrew “chariot” and with his charioteers, Yahweh brought back upon them the waters of the sea, and the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” traveled on dry ground through the middle of the sea. 20And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took herLiterally “the tambourine” tambourine in her hand, and all of the women went out after her with tambourines and with dances. 21And Miriam answered,Literally “answered to them” “Sing to Yahweh because he is highly exalted; the horse and its rider he hurled into the sea.”

Yahweh Provides Water at Marah

22And Moses caused Israel to set out from the Red Sea,Literally “sea of reed” and they went out into the desert of Shur, and they traveled three days in the desert, and they did not find water. 23And they came to Marah, and they were not able to drink water from Marah because it was bitter. Therefore it was namedLiterally “its name was called”; the Hebrew word for “bitter” is pronounced “marah” Marah. 24And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25And he cried out to Yahweh, and Yahweh showed him a piece of wood, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There he made a rule and regulation for them, and there he tested them. 26And he said, “If you carefully listen to the voice of Yahweh your God and you do what is right in his eyes and give heed to his commands and you keep all his rules, then I will not bring about on you any of the diseasesHebrew “disease” that I brought about on Egypt, because I am Yahweh your healer.

27And they came to Elim, and twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees were there, and they encamped there at the water.

1And they set out from Elim, and all the community of the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” came to the desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai,Literally “and between Sinai” in the fifteenth day of the second month of their going out from the land of Egypt. 2And all the community of the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” grumbled against Moses and against Aaron in the desert. 3And the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” said to them, “If only we had diedLiterally “who will give our dying” by the hand of Yahweh in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the potsHebrew “pot” of meat, when we ate bread until we were full,Literally “to contentment” or “to satisfaction” because you have brought us out to this desert to kill all of this assembly with hunger.” 4And Yahweh said to Moses, “Look, I am going to rain down for you bread from the heavens, and the people will go out and gather enough for the day on its day; in that way I will test them: Will they go according to my law or not? 5And then on the sixth day, they will prepare what they bring, and it will be twice over what they will gather every other day.”

6And Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites,Literally “sons/children of Israel” “In the evening, you will know that Yahweh has brought you out from the land of Egypt, 7and in the morning, you will see the glory of Yahweh, for he hearsLiterally “at/in his hearing” your grumblings against Yahweh, and what are we that you grumble against us?” 8And Moses said, “When in the evening Yahweh gives you meat to eat and bread in the morning to fill up on,Literally “to be satisfied” for he hearsLiterally “at/in his hearing” your grumblings that you grumble against him—and what are we? Your grumblings are not against us but against Yahweh.” 9And Moses said to Aaron, “Say to all the community of the Israelites,Literally “sons/children of Israel” ‘Come near before Yahweh because he has heard your grumblings.’ ”

10And at the moment of Aaron’s speaking to all the community of the Israelites,Literally “sons/children of Israel” they turned to the desert, and just thenLiterally “look” or “behold” the glory of Yahweh appeared in the cloud. 11And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 12“I have heard the grumblings of the Israelites.Literally “sons/children of Israel” Speak to them, saying, ‘At twilightLiterally “between the evenings” you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be full with bread, and you will know that I am Yahweh your God.’ ”

13And so it was, in the evening, the quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning, a layer of dew was all around the camp. 14And the layer of dew came up, and thereLiterally “look” or “behold” on the face of the desert was a fine granular substance, fine like frost on the ground. 15And the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” saw, and they said to each other,Literally “a man to his brother” “What is this?” because they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “That is the bread that Yahweh has given to you as food. 16This is the word that Yahweh commanded, ‘Gather from it, each according to what he can eat,Literally “a man for the mouth of his eating” an omer per personLiterally “skull” or “head” according to the number of you.Or “the number of your selves” You each shall take enough for whoever is in his tent.’ ”

17And the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” did so, and they gathered, some more and some less. 18And when they measured with the omer, the one gathering more had no surplus, and the one gathering less had no lack; they gathered each according to what he could eat.Literally “a man for the mouth of his eating” 19And Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it until morning.” 20But they did not listen to Moses. Some peopleLiterally “men” left some of it until morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. 21And they gathered it morning by morning, each according to what he could eat,Literally “a man according to the mouth of his eating” and it melted when the sun was hot.Literally “and the sun was hot, and he/it melted”

22And when it was the sixth day, they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one person, and all the leaders of the community came and told Moses. 23And he said to them, “This is what Yahweh has said. Tomorrow is a rest period, a holy Sabbath for Yahweh. Bake what you want to bake, and boil what you want to boil. Put aside all the surplus for yourselves for safekeeping until the morning.” 24And they put it aside until the morning, as Moses had commanded, and it did not make a stench, and not a maggot was in it. 25And Moses said, “Eat it today, because today is a Sabbath for Yahweh. Today you will not find it in the field. 26Six days you will gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, it will not be present on it.”

27And on the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, and they did not find any. 28And Yahweh said to Moses, “How long do youPlural refuse to keep my commands and my laws? 29See, because Yahweh has given to you the Sabbath, therefore he is giving to you on the sixth day bread for two days. Stay, each in his location;Literally “a man under him/it” let no one go from his place on the seventh day.” 30And the people rested on the seventh day.

31And the house of Israel called its name “manna.” And it was like coriander seed, white, and its taste was like a wafer with honey. 32And Moses said, “This is the word that Yahweh has commanded. ‘A full omer of it is for safekeeping for your generations so that they will see the bread that I fed you in the desert when I brought you from the land of Egypt.’ ” 33And Moses said to Aaron, “Take one jar and put there a full omer of manna. Leave it before Yahweh for safekeeping for your generations.” 34As Yahweh had commanded Moses, so Aaron left it before the testimony for safekeeping. 35And the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” ate the manna forty years, until their coming to an inhabited land; they ate the manna until their coming to the border of the land of Canaan. 36(And an omer is a tenth of an ephah.)

1And all the community of the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” set out from the desert of Sin for their journeys according to the command of Yahweh, and they camped in Rephidim, and there was no water for the people to drink. 2And the people quarreled with Moses, and they said, “Give us water so that we can drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test Yahweh?” 3And the people thirsted for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why everOr “at all”; literally “this” did you bring us up from Egypt to kill meThe unexpected switch to first-person singular pronouns reflects the fact that the question summarizes a host of angry accusations and self-centered concern and my sons and my cattle with thirst?”

4And Moses cried out to Yahweh, saying, “What will I do with this people? A little longer and they will stone me.” 5And Yahweh said to Moses, “Go on before the people and take with you some from the elders of Israel, and the staff with which you struck the Nile take in your hand, and go. 6Look, I will be standing before you there on the rock in Horeb, and you will strike the rock, and water will come out from it, and the people will drink.”

And Moses did so before the eyes of the elders of Israel. 7And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah because of the quarrel of the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” and because of their testing Yahweh by saying, “Is Yahweh in our midst or not?”

Battle with the Amalekites

8And Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. 9And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose men for us, and go out, fight against Amalek tomorrow. I will be standing on the top of the hill, and the staff of God will be in my hand.”

10And Joshua did as Moses had said to him to fight with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11AndLiterally “and it would be” when Moses raised his hand, Israel would prevail, but when he rested his hand, Amalek would prevail. 12But the hands of Moses were heavy, and they took a stone and placed it under him, and he sat on it; Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on each side,Or “one on one side and one on the other”; literally “one from this and one from this” and his hands were steady until sundown.Literally “the coming in of the sun” 13And Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.Literally “mouth of the sword”

14And Yahweh said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in the scroll and recite it in the hearing ofLiterally “and put in the ears of” Joshua, because I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under the heavens.”

15And Moses built an altar, and he called its name Yahweh Is My Banner. 16And he said, “Because a hand was against the throne of Yah,Or “indeed a hand on the throne of Yah”; the phrase is unclear a war will be for Yahweh with Amalek from generation to generation.”

1And Jethro, the priest of Midian, the father-in-law of Moses, heard all that God had done for Moses and for Israel, his people, that Yahweh had brought Israel out from Egypt. 2And Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, took Zipporah the wife of Moses after her sending away, 3and her two sons—the one whose name was Gershom, for he had said, “I have been an alien in a foreign land,” 4and the one whose name was Eliezer, for “the God of my father was my help, and he delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.” 5And Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, came and his sons and his wife to Moses, to the desert where he was camping there at the mountain of God. 6And he said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you and your wife and her two sons with her.” 7And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and he bowed, and he kissed him, and they each asked about the other’s welfare,Literally “they asked a man to his neighbor to welfare” and they came into the tent.

8And Moses told his father-in-law all that Yahweh had done to Pharaoh and to Egypt on account of Israel, all the hardship that had found them on the way, and how Yahweh delivered them. 9And Jethro rejoiced over all the good that Yahweh had done for Israel when he delivered them from the hand of Egypt. 10And Jethro said, “Blessed be Yahweh, who has delivered you from the hand of Egypt and from the hand of Pharaoh—who has delivered the people from under the hand of Egypt. 11Now I know that Yahweh is greater than all the gods, even in the matter where they the Egyptians dealt arrogantly against the Israelites.”Literally “because in the thing that they dealt arrogantly over them” 12And Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God, and Aaron and all the elders of Israel came to eat bread with the father-in-law of Moses before God.

13AndLiterally “And it was” the next day, Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood before Moses from the morning until the evening. 14And the father-in-law of Moses saw all that he was doing for the people, and he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why are you sitting alone and all the people are standing by you from morning until evening?” 15And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to seek God. 16When they have an issue,Literally “a thing is to them” it comes to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and I make known God’s rule and his instructions.”

17And the father-in-law of Moses said to him, “The thing that you are doing is not good. 18Surely you will wear out, both you and this people who are with you, because the thing is too difficultLiterally “heavy” for you. You are not able to do it alone. 19Now listen to my voice; I will advise you, and may God be with you. You be for the people before God, and you bring the issues to God. 20And you warn them of the rules and the instructions, and you make known to them the way in which they must walk and the work that they must do. 21And you will select from all the people men of ability, fearers of God, trustworthy men, haters of dishonest gain,Or “unjust profit” and you will appoint such men over them as commanders of thousands, commanders of hundreds, commanders of fifties, and commanders of tens. 22And let them judge the people all the time, andLiterally “and it will be” every major issue they will bring to you, and every minor issue they will judge themselves. And so lighten it for yourself, and they will bear it with you. 23If you will do this thing and God will command you, then you will be able to endure, and also each of the people will go to his homeOr “his place” in peace.”

24And Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law, and he did all that he had said. 25And Moses chose men of ability from all Israel, and he appointed them as heads over the people, as commanders of thousands, commanders of hundreds, commanders of fifties, and commanders of tens. 26And they judged the people all the time; the difficult issuesHebrew “issue” they would bring to Moses, and every minor issue they would judge themselves. 27And Moses let his father-in-law go, and he went to his land.

1In the third month after the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” went out from the land of Egypt, on this day they came to the Sinai desert. 2They set out from Rephidim, and they came to the desert of Sinai, and they camped in the desert, and Israel camped there in front of the mountain.

3And Moses went up to God, and Yahweh called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you will say to the house of Jacob and you will tell the Israelites,Literally “sons/children of Israel” 4‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and I brought you to me. 5And now if you will carefully listen to my voice and keep my covenant, you will be a treasured possession for me out of all the peoples, for all the earth is mine,Literally “because all of the earth is for me” 6but you, you will belong to me as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you will speak to the Israelites.”Literally “sons/children of Israel”

7And Moses came and called the elders of the people, and he placed before them all these words that Yahweh had commanded him. 8And all the people together answered and said, “All that Yahweh has spoken we will do.” And Moses brought back the words of the people to Yahweh. 9And Yahweh said to Moses, “Look, I am going to come to you in a thick cloudLiterally “the cloud of the cloud” in order that the people will hear when I speak with you and will also trust in you forever.” And Moses told the words of the people to Yahweh.

10And Yahweh said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. They must wash their clothes, 11and they must be prepared for the third day, because on the third day, Yahweh will go down on Mount Sinai before the eyes of all the people. 12And you must set limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Guard yourselves againstLiterally “watch to/for you” going up to the mountain and touching its edge. Anyone touching the mountain will certainly be put to death. 13Not a hand will touch it, because he will certainly be stoned or certainly be shot; whether an animal or a man, he will not live.’ At the blowing of the ram’s horn they may go up to the mountain.”

14And Moses went down from the mountain to the people, and he consecrated the people, and they washed their clothes. 15And he said to the people, “Be ready for the third day.Literally “for third of days” Do not go near to a woman.”

16AndLiterally “and it was” on the third day, when it was morning, there was thunder and lightning, and a heavy cloud over the mountain and a very loud ram’s horn sound, and all the people who were in the camp trembled. 17And Moses brought the people out from the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. 18And Mount Sinai was all wrapped in smoke because Yahweh went down on it in the fire, and its smoke went up like the smoke of a smelting furnace, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. 19And the sound of the ram’s horn became louder and louder,Literally “was going and strong very” (compare 2 Sam 3:1) and Moses would speak, and God would answer him with a voice.

20And Yahweh went down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain, and Yahweh called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. 21And Yahweh said to Moses, “Go down, warn the people, lest they break through to Yahweh to see and many from them fall. 22And even the priests who come near Yahweh must consecrate themselves, lest Yahweh break out against them.” 23And Moses said to Yahweh, “The people are not able to go up to Mount Sinai, because you yourself warned us, saying, ‘Set limits around the mountain and consecrate it.’ ” 24And Yahweh said to him, “Go, go down, and come up, you and Aaron with you and the priests, but the people must not break through to go up to Yahweh, lest he break out against them.” 25And Moses went down to the people, and he told them.Or “and he said to them”

1And God spoke all these words, saying, 2“I am Yahweh, your God, who brought you out from the land of Egypt, from the house of slaves.

3“There shall be for you no other gods before me.

4“You shall not make for yourself a divine image with any form that is in the heavens above or that is in the earth below or that is in the water below the earth. 5You will not bow down to them, and you will not serve them, because I am Yahweh your God, a jealous God, punishing the guilt of the parents on the children on the third and on the fourth generations“Generations” is understood from comparison with parallel verses (compare Exod 34:6–7; Deut 7:9) of those hating me, 6and showing loyal love to thousands of generations“Generations” is understood from comparison with parallel verses ( compare Exod 34:6–7; Deut 7:9) of those loving me and of those keeping my commandments.

7“You shall not misuse the name of Yahweh your God,Literally “take up/bear/carry the name of Yahweh your God for what is worthless/false/empty” because Yahweh will not leave unpunished anyone who misuses his name.Literally “bears his name for what is false”

8“Remember the day of the Sabbath, to consecrate it. 9Six days you will work, and you will do all your work. 10But the seventh day is a Sabbath for Yahweh your God; you will not do any work—you or your son or your daughter, your male slave or your female slave, or your animal, or your alien who is in your gates—11because in six days Yahweh made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and on the seventh day he rested. Therefore Yahweh blessed the seventh day and consecrated it.

12“Honor your father and your mother, so that your days can be long on the land that Yahweh your God is giving you.

13“You shall not murder.

14“You shall not commit adultery.

15“You shall not steal.

16“You shall not testify against your neighbor with a false witness.

17“You shall not covet the house of your neighbor; you will not covet the wife of your neighbor or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that is your neighbor’s.”

18And all the people were seeing the thunder and the lightning and the sound of the ram’s horn and the mountain smoking, and the people saw, and they trembled, and they stood at a distance. 19And they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will listen, but let not God speak with us, lest we die.” 20And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you so that his fear will be before you so that you do not sin.” 21And the people stood at a distance, and Moses approached the very thick cloud where God was.

Instructions for Building Altars

22And Yahweh said to Moses, “Thus you will say to the Israelites,Literally “sons/children of Israel” ‘You yourselves have seen that I have spoken to you from the heavens. 23You will not make alongside me gods of silver, and gods of gold you will not make for yourselves. 24An altar of earth you will make for me, and you will sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your fellowship offerings, your sheep and your cattle. In every place where I cause my name to be remembered,Or “proclaimed” I will come to you, and I will bless you. 25And if you make an altar of stones for me, you will not build them as hewn stone, because if you use your chisel on it, you have defiled it. 26You will not go up with steps onto my altar, that your nakedness not be exposed on it.’

1“And these are the regulations that you will set before them.

2‘If you buy a Hebrew slave, he will serve six years, and in the seventh he will go out as free for nothing.Or “for no payment” 3If he comes in single, he will go out single. If he is the husband of a wife, his wife will go out with him. 4If his master gives him a wife and she bears for him sons or daughters, the wife and her children will belong to her master, and the slave will go out single. 5But if the slave explicitly says, “I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,” 6his master will present him to GodOr “present him to the judges” and bring him to the door or to the doorpost, and his master will pierce his ear with an awl, and he will serve him forever.

7“ ‘And if a man sells his daughter as a slave woman, she will not go out as male slaves go out. 8If she does not please her masterLiterally “bad in the eyes of her master” who selected her, he will allow her to be redeemed; he has no authority to sell her to foreign people, since he has dealt treacherously with her. 9And if he selects her for his son, he shall do for her according to the regulations for daughters. 10If he takes for himself another, he will not reduce her food, her clothing, or her right of cohabitation. 11And if he does not do for her these three, she shall go out for nothing; there will not be silverOr “money” paid for her.

Regulations Regarding Murder, Manslaughter, and Various Injuries

12“ ‘Whoever strikes someoneLiterally “A striker of a man” and he dies will surely be put to death. 13But if he did not lie in wait and it was an accident,Literally “and God let him happen to his hand” I will appoint for you a place to which he may flee. 14But if a man schemes against his neighbor to kill him by treachery,Or “with cunning” or “craftily” you will take him from my altar to die. 15And whoever strikesLiterally “a striker of” his father or his mother will surely be put to death.

16“ ‘And whoever kidnaps someoneLiterally “a stealer of a man” and sells him, or he is found in his possession,Literally “in his hand” he will surely be put to death.

17“ ‘And one who curses his father or his mother will surely be put to death.

18“ ‘And if men quarrel and a man strikes his neighbor with a stone or with a fist and he does not die, but he is confined to bed,Literally “he falls to bed” 19if he stands and walks about in the outside on his staff, the striker will be unpunished; he will only pay for his inactivityLiterally “his sitting” toward his full recovery.”Literally “and he indeed will recover” 20And if a man strikes his male slave or his female slave with the rod and he dies under his hand, he will surely be avenged. 21Yet if he survives a day or two days, he will not be avenged, because he is his money.Or “property”; literally “his silver”

22“ ‘And if men fight and they injure a pregnant woman, and her children go out and there is not serious injury, he will surely be fined as the woman’s husband demands concerning him and as the judges determine.Literally “and he will give according to judgments” or “judges” or “arbitrators” 23And if there is serious injury, you will give life in place of life, 24eye in place of eye, tooth in place of tooth, hand in place of hand, foot in place of foot, 25burn in place of burn, wound in place of wound, bruise in place of bruise.

26“ ‘And if a man strikes the eye of his male slave or the eye of his female slave and destroys it, he shall release him as free in place of his eye. 27And if he causes the tooth of his male slave or the tooth of his female slave to fall out, he will release him as free in place of his tooth.

28“ ‘And if an ox gores a man or a woman and he dies, the ox will surely be stoned, and its meat will not be eaten, and the owner of the ox is innocent. 29But if it was a goring ox beforeLiterally “yesterday three days ago” and its owner was warned and did not restrain it and it kills a man or a woman, the ox will be stoned, and the owner also will be put to death. 30If a ransom is set on him, he will pay the redemption money for his life according to all that is set on him. 31If it gores a son or it gores a daughter, according to this regulation it shall be done to him. 32If the ox gores a male slave or a female slave, he will give thirty shekels of silver to his master, and the ox will be stoned.

33“ ‘If a man opens a pit or if a man digs a pit and he does not cover it and an ox or a donkey falls into it, 34the owner of the pit will pay restitution; he will pay silver to its owner, but the dead animal will be for him.Or “will belong to him” 35And if a man’s ox injures the ox of his neighbor and it dies, they will sell the living ox and divide the money,Literally “its silver” and they will also divide the dead one. 36Or if it was known that it was a goring ox beforeLiterally “yesterday three days ago” and its owner did not restrain it, he will surely make restitution, an ox in place of the ox, and the dead one will be for him.

1Exodus 22:1–31 in the English Bible is 21:37–22:30 in the Hebrew Bible “ ‘If a man steals an ox or small livestock and slaughters it or sells it, he will make restitution with five cattle in place of the ox and with four sheep or goats in place of the small livestock. 2“ ‘If a thief is found in the act of breaking in and he is struck and he dies, there is not bloodguilt for him. 3(If the sun has risen over him, there is bloodguilt for him. He will make full restitution. If he does not have enough,Literally “there is not to him” he will be sold for his theft. 4If indeed the stolen item is found in his possessionLiterally “in his hand” alive, from ox to donkey to small livestock, he will make double restitution.

5“ ‘If a man grazes his livestock in a field or a vineyard and he releases his livestock and it grazes in the field of another, he will make restitution from the best of his field and the best of his vineyard.

6“ ‘If a fire is started and finds thorn bushes and a stack of sheaves or the standing grain or the field is consumed, the one who started the fire will surely make restitution.

7“ ‘If a man gives to his neighbor money or objects to watch over and it is stolen from the house of the man, if the thief is found, he will make double restitution. 8If the thief is not found, the owner of the house will be brought to the sanctuaryLiterally “to God” or perhaps “to the judges” to learn whether or not he reached out his hand to his neighbor’s possession. 9Concerning every account of transgression—concerning an ox, concerning a donkey, concerning small livestock, concerning clothing, concerning all lost property—where someone says, “This belongs to me,” the matter of the two of them will come to God;Or “the judges” whomever God declares guilty will make double restitution to his neighbor.

10“ ‘If a man gives to his neighbor a donkey or an ox or small livestock or any beast to watch over and it dies or is injured or is captured when there is no one who sees, 11the oath of Yahweh will be between the two of them concerning whether or not he has reached out his hand to his neighbor’s possession, and its owner will accept this, and he will not make restitution. 12But if indeed it was stolen from him, he will make restitution to its owner. 13If indeed it was torn to pieces, he will bring it as evidence—the mangled carcass; he will not make restitution.

14“ ‘If a man borrows from his neighbor and it is injured or dies while its owner is not with it, he will make restitution. 15If its owner was with it, he will not make restitution; if it was hired, it came with its hiring fee.

Regulations Regarding Various Offences

16“ ‘If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged and he lies with her, he surely will give her bride price to have her as his wife.Literally “for him for a woman” 17If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he will weigh out money according to the bride price for the virgin.

18“ ‘You will not let a witch live.

19“ ‘Anyone lying with an animal will surely be put to death.

20“ ‘Whoever sacrifices to the gods—not to Yahweh, to him alone—will be destroyed.

Regulations Regarding Foreigners and the Poor

21“ ‘You will not mistreat an alien, and you will not oppress him, because you were aliens in the land of Egypt.

22“ ‘You will not afflict any widow or orphan. 23If you indeed afflict him, yes, if he cries out at all to me, I will certainly hear his cry of distress. 24And I will become angry,Literally “my nose will burn” and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives will be widows and your children orphans.

25“ ‘If you lend money to my people, to the needy with you, you will not be to him as a creditor; you will not charge him interest.Literally “put on him interest” 26If indeed you require the cloak of your neighbor as a pledge, you will return it to him at sundown, 27because it is his only garment; it is his cloak for his skin. In what will he sleep? AndLiterally “And it will be” when he cries out to me, I will hear, because I am gracious.

Regulations Regarding Tribute and Holiness

28“ ‘You will not curse God,Or “a judge” and you will not curse a leader among your people.

29“ ‘You will not delay the fullness of your harvest and the juice from your press; you will give me the firstborn of your sons. 30You will do likewise for your ox and for your sheep and goats; seven days it will be with its mother; on the eighth, you will give it to me. And you will be men of holiness for me; and you will not eat meat from a carcass mangled in the field; you will throw it to the dog.

1“ ‘You will not spreadLiterally “lift” a false report. Do not lift your hand with the wicked to be a malicious witness. 2You will not followLiterally “be behind” a majorityOr “many” or “the many” for evil, and you will not testify concerning a legal dispute to turn aside after a majorityOr “many” or “the many” to pervert justice. 3You will not be partial to a powerless personOr “a poor person” in his legal dispute.

4“ ‘If you come upon the ox of your enemy or his donkey going astray, you will certainly bring it back to him. 5If you see the donkey of your enemy lying down under its burden, you will refrain from abandoning him. You will surely arrangeOr “restore” or “put in order” it with him.

6“ ‘You will not pervert the justice of your poor in his legal dispute. 7You will stay far from a false charge,Literally “word of deception” and do not kill the innocent and the righteous, because I will not declare the wicked righteous.Or “treat as innocent” or “acquit” 8And you will not take a bribe, because the bribe makes the sighted blind and ruins the words of the righteous. 9And you will not oppress an alien; you yourselves know the feelingsOr “inner self” or “soul” of the alien, because you were aliens in the land of Egypt.

Regulations Regarding Work and Festivals

10“ ‘And six years you will sow your land and gather its yield. 11But the seventh you will let it rest and leave it fallow, and the poor of your people will eat, and their remainder the animalsHebrew “animal” of the field will eat. You will do likewise for your vineyard and for your olive trees.

12“ ‘Six days you will do your work, but on the seventh day you will stop so that your ox and your donkey will rest and the son of your slave woman and the alien will be refreshed.

13“ ‘And you will be attentive to all that I have said to you, and you will not professLiterally “cause to remember,” “bring to remembrance,” or “mention” in prayer or praise the name of other gods; it will not be heard in your mouth.

14“ ‘Three times in the year you will hold a festival for me. 15You will keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread; for seven days you will eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you at the appointed time, the month of Abib, because in it you came out from Egypt, and no one willLiterally “they will not” appear before me empty-handed. 16And you will keep the Feast of Harvest, with the firstfruits of your work, what you sow in the field. And you will keep the Feast of Harvest Gathering when the year goes out, when you gather your work from the field. 17Three times in the year all your men will appear before the Lord Yahweh.

18“ ‘You will not sacrifice the blood of my sacrifice together with food with yeast, and you will not leave the fat of my feast overnight until morning.

19“ ‘The best of the firstfruits of your land you will bring to the house of Yahweh your God.

“ ‘You will not boil a young goatOr “kid” in its mother’s milk.

Reasons for Loyal Obedience

20“ ‘Look, I am about to send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. 21Be attentive to him and listen to his voice; do not rebel against him, because he will not forgive your transgression, for my name is in him. 22But if you listen attentively to his voice and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes. 23When my angel goes before you and brings you to the AmoritesHebrew “Amorite” and the HittitesHebrew “Hittite” and the PerizzitesHebrew “Perizzite” and the CanaanitesHebrew “Canaanite” and the HivitesHebrew “Hivite” and the Jebusites,Hebrew “Jebusite” I will wipe them out.

24“ ‘You will not bow to their gods, and you will not serve them, and you will not act according to their actions, because you will utterly demolish them, and you will utterly break their stone pillars. 25And you will serve Yahweh your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will remove sickness from among you. 26There will be no one suffering miscarriage or infertile in your land. I will make full the number of your days.Or “give you a full life span”

27“ ‘I will release my terror before you, and I will throw into confusion all the people against whom you come, and I will make all your enemies turn their back to you.Literally “give all your enemies to you back” 28And I will send the hornet before you, and it will drive out the Hivites,Hebrew “Hivite” the Canaanites,Hebrew “Canaanite” and the HittitesHebrew “Hittite” from before you. 29I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become a desolation and the wild animalsLiterally “the animal of the field” multiply against you. 30Little by little I will drive them out from before you until you are fruitful and take possession of the land.

31“ ‘And I will set your boundary from the Red SeaLiterally “sea of reed” and up to the sea of the Philistines and from the desert up to the river,Or “the Euphrates” because I will give the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you will drive them out from before you. 32You will not make a covenant with them and with their gods. 33They will not live in your land, lest they cause you to sin against me when you serve their gods, for it will be a snare to you.’ ”

1And to Moses he said, “Go up to Yahweh—you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy from the elders of Israel—and you will worship at a distance. 2And Moses aloneOr “by himself”; literally “to the solitude of him” will come near to Yahweh, and they will not come near, and the people will not go up with him.”

3And Moses came, and he told the people all the words of Yahweh and all the regulations. And all the people answered with one voice, and they said, “All the words that Yahweh has spoken we will do.”

4And Moses wrote all the words of Yahweh, and he rose early in the morning, and he built an altar at the base of the mountain and set up twelve memorial stones for the twelve tribes of Israel. 5And he sent young men from the Israelites,Literally “sons/children of Israel” and they offered burnt offerings, and they sacrificed sacrifices as fellowship offerings to Yahweh using bulls. 6And Moses took half of the blood, and he put it in bowls, and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. 7And he took the scroll of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people, and they said, “All that Yahweh has spoken we will do, and we will listen.”Or “we will attentively do” or “we will obediently do” 8And Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and he said, “Look, the blood of the covenant that Yahweh has made with you in accordance with all these words.”

9And Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy from the elders of Israel went up. 10And they saw the God of Israel, and what was under his feet was like sapphire tile work and like the very heavens for clearness. 11And toward the leaders of the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” he did not stretch out his hand, and they beheld God, and they ate, and they drank.

The Start of Forty Days and Nights on Mount Sinai

12And Yahweh said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain, and be there, and I will give you the tablets of stone and the law and the commandments that I have written to instruct them.” 13And Moses got up, and Joshua, his assistant, and Moses went up to the mountain of God.

14And to the elders he said, “Wait for us here until we return to you. And look, Aaron and Hur are with you. Whoever has a disputeLiterally “is owner of words” will bring it to you.”

15And Moses went up to the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16And the glory of Yahweh settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days, and he called to Moses on the seventh day from the midst of the cloud. 17And the appearance of the glory of Yahweh was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain to the eyes ofOr “in the sight of” the Israelites.Literally “sons/children of Israel” 18And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and he went up the mountain, and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

1And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Speak to the Israelites,Literally “sons/children of Israel” and let them bring to me a contribution. You will receive my contribution from every man whose heart prompts him. 3And this is the contribution that you will receive from them—gold and silver and bronze, 4blue, purple, and crimson yarns, and fine linen and goat hair, 5and red-dyed ram skins, and fine leather,The particular kind of leather is uncertain and acacia wood, 6oil for the lamp, balsam oils for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, 7onyx stones and stones for mountings on the ephod and the breast piece. 8And make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell in the midst of them, 9according to all that I show you—the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its equipment—and so you will do.

Instructions for Making the Ark of the Covenant

10“And they will make an ark of acacia wood, two and a half cubits its length and a cubit and a half its width and a cubit and a half its height. 11And you will overlay it with pure gold, inside and outside you will overlay it, and you will make on it a gold molding all around. 12And you will cast for it four gold rings, and you will put them on its four feet, with two rings on its one side and two rings on its second side. 13And you will make poles of acacia wood, and you will overlay them with gold. 14And you will put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark with them. 15In the rings of the ark will be the poles; they will not be removed from it.Literally “they will not turn aside from it” 16And you will put into the ark the testimony that I will give to you.

17“And you will make an atonement cover of pure gold, two and a half cubits its length and a cubit and a half its width. 18And you will make two cherubim of gold; you will make them of hammered work at the two ends of the atonement cover. 19And make one cherub at one endLiterally “from end from this” and one cherub at the other endLiterally “from end from this” of the atonement cover; you will make the cherubim on its two ends. 20And the cherubim will be with outspread wings above, covering with their wings over the atonement cover and facing each other;Literally “and their faces a man to his brother” the faces of the cherubim will be toward the atonement cover. 21And you will put the atonement cover above onto the ark, and into the ark you will put the testimony that I will give you. 22And I will meet you there, and I will speak with you from over the atonement cover, from between the two cherubim that are to be on the ark of the testimony—all that I will command you to the Israelites.Literally “sons/children of Israel”

Instructions for Making a Table and a Lampstand

23“And you will make a table of acacia wood, two cubits its length and a cubit its width and a cubit and a half its height. 24And you will overlay it with pure gold, and you will make for it a gold molding all around. 25And you will make for it a handbreadth rim all around, and you will make a gold molding for its rim all around. 26And you will make four gold rings for it, and you will put the rings on the four corners where its four legsLiterally “feet” are. 27The rings will be near the rim as holdersLiterally “houses” for poles to carry the table. 28And you will make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold, and the table will be carried with them. 29And you will make its plates and its ladlesOr “bowls” and its pitchers and its bowls with which libations will be poured; of pure gold you will make them. 30And you will put on the table the bread of presence to be before me continually.

31“And you will make a lampstand of pure gold; the lampstand will be made of hammered work—its base and its branch,Or “reed” its cups, its buds, and its blossoms will be from it. 32And six branches will be going out from its sides, three branches of the lampstand from its one side and three branches of the lampstand from its second side. 33Three almond-flower cups will be on the one branch with a bud and a blossom, and three almond-flower cups will be on the one branch with a bud and a blossom—likewise for the six branches going out from the lampstand. 34And on the lampstand will be four almond-flower cups, with its buds and its blossoms. 35And a bud will be under the two branches that come from it, and a bud under the two branches from it, and a bud under the two branches from it, likewise for the six branches coming out from the lampstand. 36Their buds and their branches will be from it, all of it one piece of pure gold hammered work. 37And you will make its seven lamps, and its lamps will be set up, and it will give light in the space in front of it.Literally “on beyond its face” 38And its snuffers and its fire pans will be pure gold. 39It will be made from a talent of pure gold, with all these pieces of equipment. 40And see and make all according to their pattern, which you were shown in the mountain.

1“And the tabernacle you will make with ten curtains; you will make them of finely twisted linen and blue and purple and crimson yarns, with cherubim, the work of a skilled craftsman. 2The length of the one curtain will be twenty-eight cubits, and the width will be four cubits for the one curtain; one measure will be for all the curtains. 3Five curtains will be joined to one another,Literally “a woman to her sister” and five curtains joined to one another.Literally “a woman to her sister” 4And you will make loops of blue on the edge of the one curtain, at the end in the set; and you will do so on the edge of the end curtain in the second set. 5You will make fifty loops on the one curtain, and you will make fifty loops on the end of the curtain that is in the second set; the loops are to be oppositeOr “interlinked” or “matching” to one another.Literally “a woman to her sister” 6And you will make fifty gold clasps and join the curtains to one anotherLiterally “a woman to her sister” with the clasps, so that the tabernacle will be one.

7“And you will make curtains of goat hair for a tent over the tabernacle; you will make them eleven curtains. 8The length of the one curtain will be thirty cubits, and the width will be four cubits for the one curtain; one measure will be for the eleven curtains. 9And you will join five curtains together and six curtains together, and you will fold double the sixth curtain at the front of the tent. 10And you will make fifty loops on the edge of the one curtain at the end of the first set and fifty loops on the edge of the curtain in the second set. 11And you will make fifty bronze clasps, and you will put the clasps in the loops and join the tent, so that it will be one.

12“And the surplus in the curtains of the tent will be an overhang; the surplus half curtain will hang over the back of the tabernacle. 13And a cubit from one sideLiterally “from this” and a cubit from the other sideLiterally “from this” in the surplus in the length of the curtains of the tent will be hung over the sides of the tabernacle equallyLiterally “from this and from this” to cover it.

14“And you will make a covering for the tent of red-dyed ram skins and a covering of fine leather to go above.

15“And you will make the framesOr “boards” or “planks” for the tabernacle of acacia wood as uprights.Literally “standing” 16The length of the frameOr “board” or “plank” will be ten cubits, and the width of the one frameOr “board” or “plank” will be one and a half cubits. 17You will make two pegsLiterally “hands” for the one frameOr “board” or “plank” for joining each to anotherLiterally “a woman to her sister” and likewise for all the framesOr “boards” or “planks” of the tabernacle. 18And you will make the framesOr “boards” or “planks” for the tabernacle with twenty framesOr “boards” or “planks” for the southLiterally “south southward” side. 19And you will make forty silver bases under the twenty frames,Or “boards” or “planks” with two bases under the one frameOr “board” or “plank” for its two pegsLiterally “hands” and two bases under the nextLiterally “one” frameOr “board” or “plank” for its two pegs.Literally “hands” 20And for the second side of the tabernacle, the north side, there will be twenty framesOr “boards” or “planks” 21and their forty silver bases, with two bases under the one frameOr “board” or “plank” and two bases under the nextLiterally “one” frame.Or “board” or “plank”

22“And for the rear of the tabernacle on the westOr “westward,” literally “seaward,” toward the Mediterranean Sea you will make six frames.Or “boards” or “planks” 23And you will make two framesOr “boards” or “planks” for the tabernacle corners at the rear. 24They will be double at the bottom, and they will be completely together on its top to the one ring; it will be likewise for the two of them; they will be for the two corners. 25And there will be eight framesOr “boards” or “planks” and their silver bases, sixteen bases, with two bases under the one frameOr “board” or “plank” and two bases under the nextLiterally “one” frame.Or “board” or “plank”

26“You will make five bars of acacia wood for the framesOr “boards” or “planks” on the one side of the tabernacle, 27and five bars for the framesOr “boards” or “planks” on the second side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the framesOr “boards” or “planks” on the side of the tabernacle at the rear on the west.Or “westward,” literally “seaward,” toward the Mediterranean Sea 28And the bar in the middle, in the midst of the framesOr “boards” or “planks” will run from end to end. 29And you will overlay the framesOr “boards” or “planks” with gold, and you will make their rings of gold as holdersLiterally “houses” for the bars, and you will overlay the bars with gold. 30And you will erect the tabernacle according to its plan, which you have been shown on the mountain.

31“And you will make a curtain of blue and purple and crimson yarns and finely twisted linen, the work of a skilled craftsman; he will make it with cherubim. 32And you will put it on four acacia pillars overlaid with gold with their gold hooks on four silver bases. 33And you will put the curtain under the clasps, and you will bring the ark of the testimony there inside the curtain, and the curtain will separate for you between the holy and the most holy place.Literally “holy place of the holiness” 34And you will put the atonement cover on the ark of the testimony in the most holy place.Literally “holy place of the holiness” 35And you will place the table outside the curtain and the lampstand opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle, and you will put the table on the north side.

36“And you will make for the entrance of the tent a screen of blue and purple and crimson yarns and finely twisted linen, the work of an embroiderer. 37And you will make for the screen five acacia pillars, and you will overlay them with gold with their gold hooks, and you will cast for them five bronze bases.

1“And you will make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits wide; the altar will be square, and its height will be three cubits. 2And you will make its horns on its four corners; its horns will be of one piece with it,Literally “from it” and you will overlay it with bronze. 3And you will make its pots for removing its fat-soaked ashes and its shovels and its sprinkling bowls and its forks1 Samuel 2:13 mentions a fork with “three teeth” used by priests and its fire pans; you will make all its equipment with bronze. 4And you will make for it a grating, a work of bronze network, and you will make on the network four bronze rings on its four ends. 5And you will put it under the ledge of the altar, below, and the network will be up to the middle of the altar. 6And you will make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and you will overlay them with bronze. 7And the poles will be put into the rings, and the poles will be on the two sides of the altar when carrying it. 8You will make it hollow with boards. As it was shown you on the mountain, so they will do.

Instructions for Making the Courtyard

9“You will make the courtyard of the tabernacle; for the southLiterally “south southward” side will be hangings for the courtyard of finely twisted linen, one hundred cubits long for the one side. 10And its twenty pillars and their twenty bases will be bronze; the hooks of the pillars and their bands will be silver. 11And likewise for the north side along the length will be hangings one hundred cubits long; and its twenty pillars and their bases will be bronze; the hooks of the pillars and their bands will be silver. 12And the width of the courtyard for the westOr “sea” side will be hangings of fifty cubits, their ten pillars and their ten bases. 13And the width of the courtyard for the east side, toward sunrise, will be fifty cubits. 14And hangings for the shoulderOr “side,” referring to the span on one side of the courtyard’s entry will be fifteen cubits with their three pillars and their three bases. 15And fifteen cubits of hangings will be for the second shoulderOr “side,” referring to the span on one side of the courtyard’s entry with their three pillars and their three bases. 16And for the gate of the courtyard there will be a screen of twenty cubits of blue and purple and crimson yarns and finely twisted linen, the work of an embroiderer; with their four pillars and their four bases.

17“All the pillars of the courtyard all around will be banded with silver, and their hooks will be silver, and their bases will be bronze. 18The length of the courtyard will be one hundred cubits and the width fifty cubitsOr “fifty with fifty.” Some suggest that the word for cubits has been accidentally omitted and the number fifty repeated in the Hebrew text. Others suggest that repetition of the number is original and indicates that the two ends of the courtyard are the same size and the height five cubits, of finely twisted linen, with their bronze bases. 19Bronze will be for all the equipment of the tabernacle in all its service and all its pegsLiterally “hands” and all the pegsLiterally “hands” of the courtyard.

Instructions for Making Oil for the Lampstand

20“And you will command the Israelites,Literally “sons/children of Israel” and they will bring to you pure, beaten olive oil for the light, to cause a lamp to burn continually. 21In the tent of assembly outside the curtain that is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons will arrange it, from evening until morning, before Yahweh as a lasting statute throughout their generations from the Israelites.Literally “sons/children of Israel”

1“And bring near to you Aaron, your brother, and his sons with him from the midst of the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” to serve as priests for me—Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron. 2And you will make holy garmentsOr “garments of holiness” for Aaron, your brother, for glory and for splendor.Or “beauty” 3And you will speak to all the skilled of heart, whom I have given a gift of skill,Literally “a spirit of wisdom” and they will make the garments of Aaron to consecrate him for his serving as my priest. 4And these are the garments that they will make: A breast piece and an ephod and a robe and a tunic of specially woven fabric,Precisely what kind of fabric this was is debated a turban and a sash. And they will make holy garmentsOr “garments of holiness” for Aaron your brother, and for his sons to serve as priests for me.

5“And they will take the gold and the blue and the purple and the crimson yarns and the fine linen, 6and they will make the ephod of gold, blue and purple, and crimson yarns, and finely twisted linen, the work of a skilled craftsman. 7It will have two joining shoulder pieces at its two edges, so that it can be fastened. 8And the waistband of his ephod, which is on it, will be of like work to it—gold, blue, and purple and crimson yarns and finely twisted linen.

9“And you will take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the Israelites,Literally “sons/children of Israel” 10with six of their names on the one stone and the remaining six on the second, according to their genealogies.In other words, “according to their birth order” 11As the work of a skilled stone craftsman, with seal engravings you will engrave on the two stones the names of the Israelites;Literally “sons/children of Israel” you will make them mounted in gold filigree settings. 12And you will set the two stones on the ephod’s shoulder pieces as stones of remembrance for the Israelites,Literally “sons/children of Israel” and Aaron will bear their names before Yahweh on his two shoulder pieces for remembrance.

13“And you will make gold filigree settings. 14And you will make two braided chains of pure gold ornamental cord work, and you will put the chains of the ornamental cords on the filigree settings. 15And you will make a breast piece of judgment, a work of a skilled craftsman; you will make it like the work of the ephod; you will make it of gold, blue and purple and crimson yarns, and finely twisted linen. 16It will be squared, doubled, a span its length and a span its width. 17And you will fill it with stone mounting, four rows of stone, a row of carnelian, topaz, and emerald is the first row; 18and the second row is a malachite, a sapphire, and a moonstone; 19and the third row is a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 20and the fourth row is a turquoise and an onyx and a jasper. Their settings will be woven with gold. 21The stones will be according to the names of the Israelites,Literally “sons/children of Israel” twelve according to their names, with seal engravings, each according to its name they will be for the twelve tribes.

22“And you will make on the breast piece braided chains, a work of pure gold ornamental cord. 23And you will make on the breast piece two gold rings, and you will put the two rings on the two edges of the breast piece. 24And you will put the two gold ornamental cords on the two rings on the edges of the breast piece. 25And you will put the two ends of the two ornamental cords on the two filigree settings, and you will put them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front of it. 26And you will make two gold rings, and you will place them on the two ends of the breast piece, on its edge that is on the other sideLiterally “beyond” of the ephod, to the inside.Literally “houseward,” “to house,” meaning “inward” 27And you will make two rings and put them on the two shoulder pieces of the ephod below at its front near its seam above the waistband of the ephod. 28And they will tie the breast piece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord to be on the waistband of the ephod, and the breast piece will not come loose from the ephod. 29And Aaron will bear the names of the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” in the breast piece of judgment on his heart, when he comes to the sanctuary, for a remembrance before Yahweh continually. 30And you will put the Urim and the Thummim on the breast piece of judgment, and they will be on the heart of Aaron when he comes before Yahweh, and Aaron will bear the judgment of the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” on his heart before Yahweh continually.

31“And you will make the robe of the ephod totally of blue yarn. 32And the opening for his head will be in the middle of it; its opening will have an edge all around, the work of a weaver; it will be like the opening of a sturdy garment for it, so that it will not be torn. 33And you will make on its hem pomegranates of blue and purple and crimson yarns on its hem all around and bells of gold in the midst of them all around, 34a gold bell and a pomegranate, a gold bell and a pomegranate, on the hem of the robe all around. 35And it will be on Aaron for serving, and its sound will be heard at his coming into the sanctuary before Yahweh and at his going out, so that he will not die.

36“And you will make a pure gold rosette,Or “medallion” and you will engrave on it with seal engravings: “A holy object for Yahweh.” 37And you will place it on a blue cord, and it will be on the turban, at the front of the turban it will be. 38And it will be on the forehead of Aaron, and Aaron will bear the guilt of the holy objects that the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” will consecrate for all their holy gifts, and it will be on his forehead continually for acceptance for them before Yahweh.

39“And you will weave the tunic of fine linen, and you will make a turban of fine linen, and you will make a sash, the work of an embroiderer. 40And for the sons of Aaron you will make tunics, and you will make for them sashes and headdresses; you will make them for glory and for splendor.Or “beauty” 41And you will clothe them—Aaron, your brother, and his sons with him—and you will anoint them and ordain themLiterally “fill their hand” and consecrate them, and they will serve as priests for me. 42And make for them undergarments of linen to cover naked flesh; they will be from loins to thigh. 43And they will be on Aaron and on his sons when they come to the tent of assembly or when they approach the altar to serve in the sanctuary, so that they will not bear guilt and die. It is a lasting statute for him and for his offspring after him.

1“And this is the thing that you will do for them to consecrate them to serve as a priest for me: Take one young bullLiterally “a son of cattle” and two rams without defect 2and unleavened bread and unleavened, ring-shaped bread cakes mixed with oil, and wafers of unleavened breads smeared with oil. You will make them with finely milled wheat flour, 3and you will put them on one basket, and you will bring them on the basket and bring the bull and the two rams. 4And you will bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of assembly, and you will wash them with water. 5And you will take the garments and clothe Aaron with the tunic and the robe of the ephod, and you will fasten to him the ephod and the breast piece with the waistband of the ephod. 6And you will set the turban on his head, and you will put the holy diadem on the turban. 7And you will take the anointing oil and pour it on his head and anoint him. 8And you will bring his sons and clothe them with tunics. 9And you will gird Aaron and his sons with sashes and wrap headdresses on them. And priesthood will be theirs as a lasting rule, and you will ordain Aaron and his sons.Literally “you will fill the hand of Aaron and the hands of his sons”

10“And you will bring the bull before the tent of assembly, and Aaron and his sons will lay their hands on the head of the bull. 11And you will slaughter the bull before Yahweh at the entrance of the tent of assembly. 12And you will take some of the blood of the bull and with your finger put it on the horns of the altar, and you will pour out all the blood at the base of the altar. 13And you will take and turn into smoke on the altar all the fat covering the inner parts and the lobe on the liver and the two kidneys and the fat that is on them. 14And the flesh of the bull and its skin and its offal you will burn with fire outside the camp; it is a sin offering.

15“And you will take the one ram, and Aaron and his sons will lay their hands on the head of the ram. 16And you will slaughter the ram and take its blood and sprinkle it on the altar all around. 17And you will cut the ram into pieces and wash its inner parts, and you will put its legs with its pieces and with its head. 18And you will turn into smoke on the altar all of the ram; it is a burnt offering for Yahweh; it is a smell of appeasement, an offering by fire for Yahweh.

19“And you will take the second ram, and Aaron and his sons will lay their hands on the head of the ram. 20And you will slaughter the ram and take some of its blood and put it on Aaron’s right earlobe and on the right earlobe of his sons and on the thumb of their right hand and on the big toeLiterally “the thumb of” of their right foot, and you will sprinkle the blood at the base of the altar all around. 21And you will take some of the blood that is on the altar and some of the anointing oil, and you will spatter it on Aaron and on his garments and on his sons and on his sons’ garments with him, and he will be sacred, and his garments and his sons and his sons’ garments with him. 22And you will take from the ram the fat and the fat tail and the fat covering the inner parts and the lobe of the liver and the two kidneys and the fat that is on them and the right thigh, because it is the ram of ordination.

23“And one loaf of bread and one ring-shaped bread cake of oiled bread and one wafer from the basket of unleavened bread that is before Yahweh— 24you will put them all on the palms of Aaron and on the palms of his sons, and you will wave them as a wave offering before Yahweh. 25And you will take them from their hand and turn them to smoke on the altar beside the burnt offering as a fragrance of appeasement before Yahweh; it is an offering made by fire before Yahweh.

26“And you will take the breast section from the ram of ordination that is for Aaron, and you will wave it as a wave offering before Yahweh. It will be your portion. 27And you will consecrate the wave offering breast section and the thigh of the contribution that was waved and that was presentedLiterally “lifted up” from the ram of the ordination that is for Aaron and for his sons. 28And it will be forOr “belong to” Aaron and for his sons as a lasting rule from the Israelites,Literally “sons/children of Israel” because it is a contribution, and it will be a contribution from the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” from their sacrifices of fellowship, their contribution to Yahweh.

29“And the holy garments that are for Aaron will be for his sons after him in which to anoint them and to ordain them.Literally “to fill in them their hands” 30Seven days the priest who replaces him from among his sons will wear them, who comes to the tent of assembly to serve in the sanctuary. 31And you will take the ram of ordination and boil its meat in a holy place. 32And Aaron and his sons will eat the meat of the ram and the bread that is in the basket at the entrance of the tent of assembly. 33And they will eat them—the things by which atonement was made for them to ordain them to consecrate them—and a stranger will not eat them because they are holy objects. 34If any remains until morning from the ordination meat or from the bread, you will burn the remainder in fire; it will not be eaten, because it is a holy object. 35And you will do so for Aaron and for his sons, according to all that I have commanded you; seven days you will ordain them.

Instructions for Regular Offerings at the Tabernacle

36“And you will offer a bull for a sin offering every day for the atonement; and you will offer a sin offering on the altarOr “you will purify the altar” when you make atonement for it, and you will anoint it to consecrate it. 37Seven days you will make atonement for the altar, and you will consecrate it, and the altar will be a most holy thing.Literally “a holiness of holinesses” or “a holy thing among holy things,” a thing of utmost holiness Anyone whoOr “anything that”; literally “all touching” touches the altar will be holy.

38“And this is what you shall offer on the altar: Two one-year-oldLiterally “sons of a year” male lambs every dayLiterally “for the day,” or per day continually. 39The first lamb you will offer in the morning, and the second lamb you will offer at twilight.Literally “between the evenings” 40And a tenth of finely milled flour mixed with a fourth of a hin of beaten oil, and a fourth of a hin of wine as a libation with the first lamb. 41And the second lamb you will offer at twilight;Literally “between the evenings” you will offer a grain offering and its libation like that of the morning for a fragrance of appeasement, an offering made by fire for Yahweh. 42It will be a burnt offering of continuity throughout your generations at the entrance of the tent of assembly before Yahweh, where I will meet with you to speak to you there.

43“And I will meet with the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” there, and it will be consecrated by my glory. 44And I will consecrate the tent of assembly and the altar, and Aaron and his sons I will consecrate to serve as priests for me. 45And I will dwell in the midst of the Israelites,Literally “sons/children of Israel” and I will be their God. 46And they will know that I am Yahweh, their God, who brought them out from the land of Egypt in order to dwell in their midst. I am Yahweh their God.

1“And you will make an altar for burning incense; you will make it of acacia wood, 2a cubit its length and a cubit its width—it will be square—and two cubits its height, its horns of one piece with it.Literally “from it” 3And you will overlay it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around and its horns, and you will make for it a gold molding all around. 4And you will make two gold rings for it; under its molding on two opposite sidesLiterally “on two of its sides you will make on two of its sides” you will make them as holdersLiterally “houses” for poles to carry it with them. 5You will make the poles of acacia wood, and you will overlay them with gold. 6And you will put it before the curtain that is upon the ark of the testimony, before the atonement cover, which is on the testimony, there where I will meet with you.

7“And on it Aaron will turn fragrant incense into smoke; each morningLiterally “in the morning in the morning” when he tends the lamps, he will turn it into smoke. 8And when Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight,Literally “between the two evenings” he will turn it into smoke—incense of continuity—before Yahweh throughout your generations. 9You will not offer on it strange incense or a burnt offering or a grain offering, and you will not pour a libation on it. 10And Aaron will make atonement on its horns one time in the year from the blood of the sin offering of the atonement; one time in the year he will make atonement on it throughout your generations; it is a most holy thing for Yahweh.”

Instructions for Numbering the People

11And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 12“When you take a census ofLiterally “when you lift up the heads of” the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” to count them, they will each give the ransom of his life for Yahweh when counting them, and a plague will not be among them when counting them. 13This they will give, everyone who is counted,Literally “all of the going over to the being counted” the half shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, which is twenty gerahs per shekel. The half shekel is a contribution for Yahweh. 14Everyone who is countedLiterally “all of the going over to the being counted” from twenty years oldLiterally “a son of twenty years” and above will give the contribution of Yahweh. 15The rich will not give more, and the poor will not give less than the half shekel to give the contribution of Yahweh to make atonement for their lives. 16And you will take the atonement money from the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” and give it to the service of the tent of assembly, and it will be as a memorial for the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” before Yahweh to make atonement for your lives.”

Instructions for Making the Basin

17And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 18“And you will make a basin of bronze and its bronze stand for washing, and you will put it between the tent of assembly and the altar, and you will put water there. 19And Aaron and his sons will wash their hands and their feet with it. 20When they come to the tent of assembly, they will wash with water so that they do not die, or when they approach the altar to serve by turning to smoke an offering made by fire to Yahweh. 21And they will wash their hands and their feet so that they do not die, and it will be a lasting rule for them—to him and to his offspring throughout their generations.

Instructions for Making Anointing Oil and Incense

22And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 23“And take for yourself top quality balsam oils, five hundred shekels of flowing myrrh, half as much—two hundred and fifty shekels of fragrant cinnamon, and two hundred and fifty shekels of fragrant reed, 24and five hundred shekels of cassia, according to the sanctuary shekel, and a hin of olive oil. 25And you will make it into holy anointing oil, a spice blend of a fragrant ointment the work of a perfumer; it will be holy anointing oil. 26And you will anoint with it the tent of assembly and the ark of the testimony, 27and the table and all its equipment and the lampstand and its equipment and the incense altar, 28and the altar of burnt offering and all its equipment and the basin and its stand. 29And you will consecrate them, and they will be most holy things; anyone whoOr “anything that”; literally “all touching” touches them will be holy. 30And you will anoint Aaron and his sons, and you will consecrate them to serve as priests for me.

31“And you will speak to the Israelites,Literally “sons/children of Israel” saying, ‘This will be my holy anointing oil throughout your generations. 32It will not be poured on human flesh, and with its measurementsOr “recipe” or “formula” you will not make any like it; it is holy; it will be holy to you. 33Anyone who compounds perfume like it and who puts it on a stranger will be cut off from his people.’ ”

34And Yahweh said to Moses, “Take for yourself fragrant perfumes—stacte resin and onycha and galbanum—fragrant perfumes and pure frankincense, an equal part of each,Literally “part by part it will be” 35and make it into a compound of incense, the work of a perfumer, salted, pure, holy. 36And you will grind part of it to powder, and you will put part of it before the testimony in the tent of assembly where I will meet with you; it will be a most holy thing to you. 37And the incense that you will make with its measurementsOr “recipe” or “formula” you will not make for yourselves; it will be holy to you for Yahweh. 38Anyone who makes any like it to smell it will be cut off from his people.”

1And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2“See, I have called by nameIn other words, “specifically chosen” Bezalel the son of Uri the son of Hur, from the tribe of Judah. 3And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom and with skillOr “understanding,” “discernment,” “cleverness” and with knowledge and with every kind of craftsmanship, 4to devise designs, to work with gold and with silver and with bronze, 5and in stonecutting for setting and in cutting wood, for doing every kind of craftsmanship. 6And, look, I have given with him Oholiab the son of Ahisamach, from the tribe of Dan, and I have put skill in the heart of all the skilled of heart, and they will make all that I have commanded you— 7the tent of assembly and the ark of the testimony and the atonement cover that is on it and all the equipment of the tent, 8and the table and all its equipment, and the pure gold lampstand and all its equipment, and the incense altar, 9and the altar of burnt offering and all its equipment, and the basin and its stand, 10and the garments of woven material, and the garments of the sanctuaryLiterally “the garments of the holiness” or “the holy garments” for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons to serve as priests, 11and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense for the sanctuary. According to all that I have commanded you, they will make it.

Provision of Rest from Work

12And Yahweh spoke to Moses and said, 13“And you, speak to the Israelites,Literally “sons/children of Israel” saying, ‘Surely you must keep my Sabbaths, because it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, in order to know that I am Yahweh, who consecrates you. 14And you must keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you; defilersOr “profaners,” those who treat it as common of it will surely be put to death, because anyone who does work on it—that person will be cut off from among his people. 15On six days work can be done, and on the seventh is a Sabbath of complete rest,Literally “a Sabbath of ‘Sabbathation.’ ” “Sabbathation” is not a real word, but devised as an attempt to convey the sounds of the related nouns in the Hebrew phrase a holy dayLiterally “holiness” for Yahweh; anyone doing work on the Sabbath day will surely be put to death. 16The IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” will pay attention to the Sabbath in order to fulfill the SabbathOr “keep the Sabbath to do/observe the Sabbath” throughout their generations as a lasting covenant. 17It is a sign between me and the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” forever, because in six days Yahweh made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh he ceasedOr “rested” and recovered.”Or “breathed freely,” “got his breath”

18And when he finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, he gave to Moses the two tablets of the testimony, stone tablets, written with the finger of God.

1And the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, and the people gathered opposite Aaron, and they said to him, “Come,Or “arise” or “get up” make for us gods who will go before us, because this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.”

2And Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring it to me.” 3And all the people took off the rings of gold that were on their ears and brought it to Aaron. 4And he took from their hand, and he shaped it with a tool, and he made it a cast-image bull calf, and they said, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.”

5And Aaron saw, and he built an altar before it, and Aaron called, and he said, “A feast for Yahweh tomorrow.” 6And they started early the next day, and they offered burnt offerings, and they presented fellowship offerings, and the people sat to eat and drink, and they rose up to revel.

7And Yahweh spoke to Moses, “Go, go down because your people behave corruptly, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt. 8They have turned aside quickly from the way that I commanded them; they have made for themselves a cast-image bull calf, and they bowed to it, and they sacrificed to it, and they said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.’ ”

9And Yahweh said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and, indeed, they are a stiff-necked people. 10And now leave me alone so that my anger may blazeLiterally “my nose may become hot” against them, and let me destroy them, and I will make you into a great nation.”

11And Moses implored YahwehLiterally “implored the face of Yahweh” his God, and he said, “Why, Yahweh, should your anger blazeLiterally “your nose become hot” against your people whom you brought up from the land of Egypt with great power and with a strong hand? 12Why should the Egyptians sayLiterally “say, saying”, ‘With evil intent he brought them out to kill them in the mountains and wipe them from the face of the earth’?Or “ground” Turn from your fierce angerLiterally “the heat of your nose” and relent concerning the disaster for your people. 13Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by yourself, and you told them, ‘I will multiply your offspring like the stars of the heavens, and all this land that I promised I will give to your offspring, and they will inherit it forever.’ ”

14And Yahweh relented concerning the disaster that he had threatenedLiterally “spoken” to do to his people. 15And Moses turned and went down from the mountain, and the two tablets of the testimony were in his hand, tablets written on their two sides; on the front and on the backLiterally “from this and from this” they were written. 16And the tablets, they were the work of God; and the writing, it was the writing of God engraved on the tablets.

17And Joshua heard the sound of the people in their shouting, and he said to Moses, “A sound of war is in the camp.”

18But he said, “There is not a sound of shouting of victory, and there is not a sound of shouting of defeat. I hear a sound of singing.”

19AndLiterally “and it was” as he came near to the camp, he saw the bull calf and dancing, and Moses became angry,Literally “the nose of Moses became hot” and he threw the tablets from his hand, and he broke them under the mountain. 20And he took the bull calf that they had made, and he burned it with the fire, and he crushed it until it became fine, and he scattered it on the surface of the water, and he made the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” drink.

21And Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you that you brought on them such a great sin?” 22And Aaron said, “Let not my lord become angry.Literally “let not the nose of my lord become hot” You yourself know the people, that they are intent on evil.Literally “they in evil” 23And they said to me, ‘Make for us gods who will go before us, because this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 24And I said to them, ‘Whoever has gold, take it off.’ And they gave it to me, and I threw it in the fire, and out came this bull calf.”

25And Moses saw the people, that they were running wildOr “out of control,” “running loose” because Aaron had allowed them to run wild,Or “to be out of control,” “to run loose” for a laughingstock among their enemies.Literally “those arising against them” 26And Moses stood at the entrance of the camp, and he said, “Whoever is for Yahweh, to me.” And all the sons of Levi were gathered to him. 27And he said to them, “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘Put each his sword on his side. Go back and forthLiterally “through and come back” from gate to gate in the camp, and kill, each his brother and each his friend and each his close relative.’ ” 28And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses, and from the people on that day about three thousand persons fell.Literally “three thousands of man” 29And Moses said, “You are ordainedLiterally “your hands are filled” today for Yahweh, because each has been against his son and against his brother and so bringing on you today a blessing.”

30AndLiterally “and it was” the next day Moses said to the people, “You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to Yahweh. Perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.”

31And Moses returned to Yahweh, and he said, “Alas, this people has sinned a great sin and made for themselves gods of gold. 32And now if you will forgive their sin—and if not, please blot me from your scroll that you have written.” 33And Yahweh said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me I will blot him from my scroll. 34And now go, lead the people to where I spoke to you. Look, my angel will go before you, and on the day when I punish I will punish them for their sin.” 35And Yahweh afflicted the people because they had made the bull calf that Aaron had made.

1And Yahweh spoke to Moses, “Go, go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up from the land of Egypt, to the land that I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your offspring.’ 2And I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites,Hebrew “Canaanite” the Amorites,Hebrew “Amorite” and the HittitesHebrew “Hittite” and the Perizzites,Hebrew “Perizzite” the Hivites,Hebrew “Hivite” and the Jebusites,Hebrew “Jebusite” 3Go to a land flowing with milk and honey, but I will not go up among you, because you are a stiff-necked people, lest I destroy you on the way.” 4And the people heard this troublingOr “bad,” “disastrous,” “calamitous” word, and they mourned, and they each did not put their ornaments on themselves.

5And Yahweh said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites,Literally “sons/children of Israel” ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if one moment I were to go up among you, I would destroy you. And now take down your ornaments from on you, and I will decideLiterally “know” what I will do to you.” 6And the IsraelitesLiterally “sons/children of Israel” stripped themselves of their ornaments from Mount Horeb onward.

The Tent outside the Camp

7And Moses took the tent and pitched it outside the camp far from the camp, and he called it the tent of assembly, andLiterally “and it would be” all seeking Yahweh would go out to the tent of assembly, which was outside the camp. 8AndLiterally “and it would be” at the going out of Moses to the tent, all the people would rise and stand, each at the opening of his tent, and gaze after Moses until his entering the tent. 9AndLiterally “and it would be” at the entering of Moses into the tent the column of cloud would descend and stand at the opening of the tent, and he would speak with Moses. 10And all the people would see the column of cloud standing at the opening of the tent, and all the people would rise and bow in worship, each at the opening of his tent. 11And Yahweh would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his neighbor. And he would return to the camp, and his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not leave the middle of the tent.

Presence and Glory

12And Moses said to Yahweh, “See, you are saying to me, ‘Take this people up.’ But you have not let me know whom you will send with me, and you yourself have said, ‘I know you by name, and you also have found favor in my eyes.’ 13And now if I have found favor in your eyes, make known to me, please, your way, and so I may know you so that I can find favor in your eyes. And see that this nation is your people.” 14And he said, “My presence will go, and I will give you rest.” 15And he said to him, “If your presence is not going, do not bring us up from here. 16And by what will it be known then that I have found favor in your eyes, I and your people? Is it not by your going with us? And so we will be distinguished, I and your people, from all the people who are on the face of the ground.”

17And Yahweh said to Moses, “Also I will do this thing that you have spoken, because you have found favor in my eyes and I have known you by name.”

18And he said, “Please show me your glory.”

19And he said, “I myself will cause all my goodness to pass over before you, and I will proclaim the name of Yahweh before you, and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will show compassion to whom I will show compassion.” 20But he said, “You are not able to see my face, because a human will not see me and live.” 21And Yahweh said, “There is a place with me, and you will stand on the rock. 22AndLiterally “and it will be” when my glory passes over, I will put you in the rock’s crevice, and I will cover you with my hand until I pass over. 23And I will remove my hand, and you will see my back, but my face will not be visible.”

1And Yahweh said to Moses, “Cut for yourself two stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. 2And be ready for the morning, and go up in the morning to Mount Sinai and present yourself to me there on the top of the mountain. 3And no one will go up with you, and neither let anyone be seen on all the mountain, nor let the sheep and goats and the cattle graze oppositeLiterally “to the front of” that mountain.”

4And Moses cut two stone tablets like the first ones, and he started early in the morning, and he went up to Mount Sinai, as Yahweh had commanded him, and he took in his hand the two stone tablets. 5And Yahweh descended in the cloud, and he stood with him there, and he proclaimed the name of Yahweh. 6And Yahweh passed over before him, and he proclaimed, “Yahweh, Yahweh, God, who is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger,Literally “long of nose” and abounding withOr “rich in” or “great of” loyal love and faithfulness, 7keeping loyal love to the thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and he does not leave utterly unpunished, punishing the guilt of fathers on sons and on sons of sons on third and fourth generations.”

8And Moses hurried and knelt down to the earth and worshiped. 9And he said, “Please, if I have found favor in your eyes, Lord, let my Lord, please, go among us—indeed it is a stiff-necked people—and forgive our iniquity and our sin and take us as your possession.”Or “take possession of us,” “make us your inheritance”

Covenant Stipulations

10And he said, “Look, I am about to make a covenant. In front of all your people I will do wonders that have not been created on all the earth and among all the nations, and all the people among whom you are will see Yahweh’s work, because what I am about to do with you will be awesome.

11“Keep for yourself what I myself have commanded you today. Look, I am about to drive from before you the Amorites and the CanaanitesHebrew “Canaanite” and the HittitesHebrew “Hittite” and the PerizzitesHebrew “Perizzite” and the HivitesHebrew “Hivite” and the Jebusites.Hebrew “Jebusite” 12Be careful for yourself, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land to which you are going, lest it be a snare among you. 13Rather, you will tear down their altars, and you will break their stone pillars, and you will cut off their Asherah poles. 14For you will not bow in worship to another god, for ‘Yahweh Is Jealous’ is his name, he is a jealous God, 15lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they prostitute themselves after their gods, and they sacrifice to their gods, and they invite you, and you eat their sacrifice, 16and you take from their daughters for your sons, and their daughters prostitute themselves after their gods, and they cause your sons to prostitute themselves after their gods. 17You will not make gods of cast metal for yourself.

18“You will keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Seven days you will eat unleavened bread, which I commanded you, at the appointed time of the month of Abib, for in the month of Abib you came out from Egypt. 19Every first offspring of a womb is for me—all of your male livestock, the first offspring of cattle and small livestock. 20But the first offspring of a donkey you will redeem with small livestock, and if you will not redeem it, you will break its neck. Every firstborn of your sons you will redeem, and you will not appear before me empty-handed. 21Six days you will work, and on the seventh day you will rest; in the time of plowing and in the time of harvest you will rest. 22And you yourselfLiterally “for yourself” or “as for you, you will observe” will observe the Feast of Weeks—the firstfruits of the wheat harvest—and the Feast of Harvest Gathering at the turn of the year. 23Three times in the year all your males will appear before the Lord, Yahweh, the God of Israel, 24because I will evict nations before you, and I will enlarge your territory, and no one will covet your land when you go up to appear before Yahweh your God three times in the year.

25“You will not slaughter the blood of my sacrifice on food with yeast, and the sacrifice of the Feast of the Passover will not stay overnight to the morning. 26The beginning of the firstfruits of your land you will bring to the house of Yahweh your God. You will not boil a young goatOr “kid” in its mother’s milk.”

27And Yahweh said to Moses, “Write for yourself these words, because according toLiterally “on the mouth of” these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.”