3:1 Now 1 the serpent 2 was more shrewd 3
than any of the wild animals 4 that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Is it really true that 5 God 6 said, ‘You must not eat from any tree of the orchard’?” 7 3:2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat 8 of the fruit from the trees of the orchard; 3:3 but concerning the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the orchard God said, ‘You must not eat from it, and you must not touch it, 9 or else you will die.’” 10 3:4 The serpent said to the woman, “Surely you will not die, 11 3:5 for God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will open 12 and you will be like divine beings who know 13 good and evil.” 14
3:6 When 15 the woman saw that the tree produced fruit that was good for food, 16 was attractive 17 to the eye, and was desirable for making one wise, 18 she took some of its fruit and ate it. 19 She also gave some of it to her husband who was with her, and he ate it. 20 3:7 Then the eyes of both of them opened, and they knew they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
3:8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God moving about 21 in the orchard at the breezy time 22 of the day, and they hid 23 from the Lord God among the trees of the orchard. 3:9 But the Lord God called to 24 the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 25 3:10 The man replied, 26 “I heard you moving about 27 in the orchard, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.” 3:11 And the Lord God 28 said, “Who told you that you were naked? 29 Did you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” 30 3:12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave me, she gave 31 me some fruit 32 from the tree and I ate it.” 3:13 So the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this 33 you have done?” And the woman replied, “The serpent 34 tricked 35 me, and I ate.”
3:14 The Lord God said to the serpent, 36
“Because you have done this,
cursed 37 are you above all the wild beasts
and all the living creatures of the field!
On your belly you will crawl 38
and dust you will eat 39 all the days of your life.
3:15 And I will put hostility 40 between you and the woman
and between your offspring and her offspring; 41
her offspring will attack 42 your head,
and 43 you 44 will attack her offspring’s heel.” 45
3:16 To the woman he said,
“I will greatly increase 46 your labor pains; 47
with pain you will give birth to children.
You will want to control your husband, 48
but he will dominate 49 you.”
3:17 But to Adam 50 he said,
“Because you obeyed 51 your wife
and ate from the tree about which I commanded you,
‘You must not eat from it,’
cursed is the ground 52 thanks to you; 53
in painful toil you will eat 54 of it all the days of your life.
3:18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you,
but you will eat the grain 55 of the field.
3:19 By the sweat of your brow 56 you will eat food
until you return to the ground, 57
for out of it you were taken;
for you are dust, and to dust you will return.” 58
3:20 The man 59 named his wife Eve, 60 because 61 she was the mother of all the living. 62 3:21 The Lord God made garments from skin 63 for Adam and his wife, and clothed them. 3:22 And the Lord God said, “Now 64 that the man has become like one of us, 65 knowing 66 good and evil, he must not be allowed 67 to stretch out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” 3:23 So the Lord God expelled him 68 from the orchard in Eden to cultivate the ground from which he had been taken. 3:24 When he drove 69 the man out, he placed on the eastern side 70 of the orchard in Eden angelic sentries 71 who used the flame of a whirling sword 72 to guard the way to the tree of life.
4:1 Now 73 the man had marital relations with 74 his wife Eve, and she became pregnant 75 and gave birth to Cain. Then she said, “I have created 76 a man just as the Lord did!” 77 4:2 Then she gave birth 78 to his brother Abel. 79 Abel took care of the flocks, while Cain cultivated the ground. 80
4:3 At the designated time 81 Cain brought some of the fruit of the ground for an offering 82 to the Lord. 4:4 But Abel brought 83 some of the firstborn of his flock – even the fattest 84 of them. And the Lord was pleased with 85 Abel and his offering, 4:5 but with Cain and his offering he was not pleased. 86 So Cain became very angry, 87 and his expression was downcast. 88
4:6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why is your expression downcast? 4:7 Is it not true 89 that if you do what is right, you will be fine? 90 But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching 91 at the door. It desires to dominate you, but you must subdue it.” 92
4:8 Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” 93 While they were in the field, Cain attacked 94 his brother 95 Abel and killed him.
4:9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” 96 And he replied, “I don’t know! Am I my brother’s guardian?” 97 4:10 But the Lord said, “What have you done? 98 The voice 99 of your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground! 4:11 So now, you are banished 100 from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 4:12 When you try to cultivate 101 the
ground it will no longer yield 102 its best 103 for you. You will be a homeless wanderer 104 on the earth.” 4:13 Then Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment 105 is too great to endure! 106 4:14 Look! You are driving me off the land 107 today, and I must hide from your presence. 108 I will be a homeless wanderer on the earth; whoever finds me will kill me.” 4:15 But the Lord said to him, “All right then, 109 if anyone kills Cain, Cain will be avenged seven times as much.” 110 Then the Lord put a special mark 111 on Cain so that no one who found him would strike him down. 112 4:16 So Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and lived in the land of Nod, 113 east of Eden.
4:17 Cain had marital relations 114 with his wife, and she became pregnant 115 and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was building a city, and he named the city after 116 his son Enoch. 4:18 To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father 117 of Mehujael. Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech.
4:19 Lamech took two wives for himself; the name of the first was Adah, and the name of the second was Zillah. 4:20 Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the first 118 of those who live in tents and keep 119 livestock. 4:21 The name of his brother was Jubal; he was the first of all who play the harp and the flute. 4:22 Now Zillah also gave birth to Tubal-Cain, who heated metal and shaped 120 all kinds of tools made of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah.
4:23 Lamech said to his wives,
“Adah and Zillah! Listen to me!
You wives of Lamech, hear my words!
I have killed a man for wounding me,
a young man 121 for hurting me.
4:24 If Cain is to be avenged seven times as much,
then Lamech seventy-seven times!” 122
4:25 And Adam had marital relations 123 with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son. She named him Seth, saying, “God has given 124 me another child 125 in place of Abel because Cain killed him.” 4:26 And a son was also born to Seth, whom he named Enosh. At that time people 126 began to worship 127 the Lord.
5:1 This is the record 128 of the family line 129 of Adam.
When God created humankind, 130 he made them 131 in the likeness of God. 5:2 He created them male and female; when they were created, he blessed them and named them “humankind.” 132
5:3 When 133 Adam had lived 130 years he fathered a son in his own likeness, according to his image, and he named him Seth. 5:4 The length of time Adam lived 134 after he became the father of Seth was 800 years; during this time he had 135 other 136 sons and daughters. 5:5 The entire lifetime 137 of Adam was 930 years, and then he died. 138
5:6 When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father 139 of Enosh. 5:7 Seth lived 807 years after he became the father of Enosh, and he had 140 other 141 sons and daughters. 5:8 The entire lifetime of Seth was 912 years, and then he died.
5:9 When Enosh had lived 90 years, he became the father of Kenan. 5:10 Enosh lived 815 years after he became the father of Kenan, and he had other sons and daughters. 5:11 The entire lifetime of Enosh was 905 years, and then he died.
5:12 When Kenan had lived 70 years, he became the father of Mahalalel. 5:13 Kenan lived 840 years after he became the father of Mahalalel, and he had other sons and daughters. 5:14 The entire lifetime of Kenan was 910 years, and then he died.
5:15 When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he became the father of Jared. 5:16 Mahalalel lived 830 years after he became the father of Jared, and he had other sons and daughters. 5:17 The entire lifetime of Mahalalel was 895 years, and then he died.
5:18 When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of Enoch. 5:19 Jared lived 800 years after he became the father of Enoch, and he had other sons and daughters. 5:20 The entire lifetime of Jared was 962 years, and then he died.
5:21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. 5:22 After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 142 for 300 years, 143 and he had other 144 sons and daughters. 5:23 The entire lifetime of Enoch was 365 years. 5:24 Enoch walked with God, and then he disappeared 145 because God took 146 him away.
5:25 When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he became the father of Lamech. 5:26 Methuselah lived 782 years after he became the father of Lamech, and he had other 147 sons and daughters. 5:27 The entire lifetime of Methuselah was 969 years, and then he died.
5:28 When Lamech had lived 182 years, he had a son. 5:29 He named him Noah, 148 saying, “This one will bring us comfort 149 from our labor and from the painful toil of our hands because of the ground that the Lord has cursed.” 5:30 Lamech lived 595 years after he became the father of Noah, and he had other 150 sons and daughters. 5:31 The entire lifetime of Lamech was 777 years, and then he died.
5:32 After Noah was 500 years old, he 151 became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
20:1 Abraham journeyed from there to the Negev 152 region and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he lived as a temporary resident 153 in Gerar, 20:2 Abraham said about his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent for Sarah and took her.
20:3 But God appeared 154 to Abimelech in a dream at night and said to him, “You are as good as dead 155 because of the woman you have taken, for she is someone else’s wife.” 156
20:4 Now Abimelech had not gone near her. He said, “Lord, 157 would you really slaughter an innocent nation? 158 20:5 Did Abraham 159 not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, 160 ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this with a clear conscience 161 and with innocent hands!”
20:6 Then in the dream God replied to him, “Yes, I know that you have done this with a clear conscience. 162 That is why I have kept you 163 from sinning against me and why 164 I did not allow you to touch her. 20:7 But now give back the man’s wife. Indeed 165 he is a prophet 166 and he will pray for you; thus you will live. 167 But if you don’t give her back, 168 know that you will surely die 169 along with all who belong to you.”
20:8 Early in the morning 170 Abimelech summoned 171 all his servants. When he told them about all these things, 172 they 173 were terrified. 20:9 Abimelech summoned Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? What sin did I commit against you that would cause you to bring such great guilt on me and my kingdom? 174 You have done things to me that should not be done!” 175 20:10 Then Abimelech asked 176 Abraham, “What prompted you to do this thing?” 177
20:11 Abraham replied, “Because I thought, 178 ‘Surely no one fears God in this place. They will kill me because of 179 my wife.’ 20:12 What’s more, 180 she is indeed my sister, my father’s daughter, but not my mother’s daughter. She became my wife. 20:13 When God made me wander 181 from my father’s house, I told her, ‘This is what you can do to show your loyalty to me: 182 Every place we go, say about me, “He is my brother.”’”
20:14 So Abimelech gave 183 sheep, cattle, and male and female servants to Abraham. He also gave his wife Sarah back to him. 20:15 Then Abimelech said, “Look, my land is before you; live wherever you please.” 184
20:16 To Sarah he said, “Look, I have given a thousand pieces of silver 185 to your ‘brother.’ 186 This is compensation for you so that you will stand vindicated before all who are with you.” 187
20:17 Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, as well as his wife and female slaves so that they were able to have children. 20:18 For the Lord 188 had caused infertility to strike every woman 189 in the household of Abimelech because he took 190 Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
21:1 The Lord visited 191 Sarah just as he had said he would and did 192 for Sarah what he had promised. 193 21:2 So Sarah became pregnant 194 and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the appointed time that God had told him. 21:3 Abraham named his son – whom Sarah bore to him – Isaac. 195 21:4 When his son Isaac was eight days old, 196 Abraham circumcised him just as God had commanded him to do. 197 21:5 (Now Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.) 198
21:6 Sarah said, “God has made me laugh. 199 Everyone who hears about this 200 will laugh 201 with me.” 21:7 She went on to say, 202 “Who would 203 have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have given birth to a son for him in his old age!”
21:8 The child grew and was weaned. Abraham prepared 204 a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. 205 21:9 But Sarah noticed 206 the son of Hagar the Egyptian – the son whom Hagar had borne to Abraham – mocking. 207 21:10 So she said to Abraham, “Banish 208 that slave woman and her son, for the son of that slave woman will not be an heir along with my son Isaac!”
21:11 Sarah’s demand displeased Abraham greatly because Ishmael was his son. 209 21:12 But God said to Abraham, “Do not be upset 210 about the boy or your slave wife. Do 211 all that Sarah is telling 212 you because through Isaac your descendants will be counted. 213 21:13 But I will also make the son of the slave wife into a great nation, for he is your descendant too.”
21:14 Early in the morning Abraham took 214 some food 215 and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He put them on her shoulders, gave her the child, 216 and sent her away. So she went wandering 217 aimlessly through the wilderness 218 of Beer Sheba. 21:15 When the water in the skin was gone, she shoved 219 the child under one of the shrubs. 21:16 Then she went and sat down by herself across from him at quite a distance, about a bowshot 220 away; for she thought, 221 “I refuse to watch the child die.” 222 So she sat across from him and wept uncontrollably. 223
21:17 But God heard the boy’s voice. 224 The angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and asked her, “What is the matter, 225 Hagar? Don’t be afraid, for God has heard 226 the boy’s voice right where he is crying. 21:18 Get up! Help the boy up and hold him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” 21:19 Then God enabled Hagar to see a well of water. 227 She went over and filled the skin with water, and then gave the boy a drink.
21:20 God was with the boy as he grew. He lived in the wilderness and became an archer. 21:21 He lived in the wilderness of Paran. 228 His mother found a wife for him from the land of Egypt. 229
21:22 At that time Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, said to Abraham, “God is with you 230 in all that you do. 21:23 Now swear to me right here in God’s name 231 that you will not deceive me, my children, or my descendants. 232 Show me, and the land 233 where you are staying, 234 the same loyalty 235 that I have shown you.” 236
21:24 Abraham said, “I swear to do this.” 237 21:25 But Abraham lodged a complaint 238 against Abimelech concerning a well 239 that Abimelech’s servants had seized. 240 21:26 “I do not know who has done this thing,” Abimelech replied. “Moreover, 241 you did not tell me. I did not hear about it until today.”
21:27 Abraham took some sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech. The two of them made a treaty. 242 21:28 Then Abraham set seven ewe lambs apart from the flock by themselves. 21:29 Abimelech asked Abraham, “What is the meaning of these 243 seven ewe lambs that you have set apart?” 21:30 He replied, “You must take these seven ewe lambs from my hand as legal proof 244 that I dug this well.” 245 21:31 That is why he named that place 246 Beer Sheba, 247 because the two of them swore 248 an oath there.
21:32 So they made a treaty 249 at Beer Sheba. Then Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, returned 250 to the land of the Philistines. 251 21:33 Abraham 252 planted a tamarisk tree 253 in Beer Sheba. There he worshiped the Lord, 254 the eternal God. 21:34 So Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for quite some time. 255
31:1 Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were complaining, 256 “Jacob has taken everything that belonged to our father! He has gotten rich 257 at our father’s expense!” 258 31:2 When Jacob saw the look on Laban’s face, he could tell his attitude toward him had changed. 259
31:3 The Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers 260 and to your relatives. I will be with you.” 261 31:4 So Jacob sent a message for Rachel and Leah 262 to come to the field 263 where his flocks were. 264 31:5 There he said to them, “I can tell that your father’s attitude toward me has changed, 265 but the God of my father has been with me. 31:6 You know that I’ve worked for your father as hard as I could, 266 31:7 but your father has humiliated 267 me and changed my wages ten times. But God has not permitted him to do me any harm. 31:8 If he said, 268 ‘The speckled animals 269 will be your wage,’ then the entire flock gave birth to speckled offspring. But if he said, ‘The streaked animals will be your wage,’ then the entire flock gave birth to streaked offspring. 31:9 In this way God has snatched away your father’s livestock and given them to me.
31:10 “Once 270 during breeding season I saw 271 in a dream that the male goats mating with 272 the flock were streaked, speckled, and spotted. 31:11 In the dream the angel of God said to me, ‘Jacob!’ ‘Here I am!’ I replied. 31:12 Then he said, ‘Observe 273 that all the male goats mating with 274 the flock are streaked, speckled, or spotted, for I have observed all that Laban has done to you. 31:13 I am the God of Bethel, 275 where you anointed 276 the sacred stone and made a vow to me. 277 Now leave this land immediately 278 and return to your native land.’”
31:14 Then Rachel and Leah replied to him, “Do we still have any portion or inheritance 279 in our father’s house? 31:15 Hasn’t he treated us like foreigners? He not only sold us, but completely wasted 280 the money paid for us! 281 31:16 Surely all the wealth that God snatched away from our father belongs to us and to our children. So now do everything God has told you.”
31:17 So Jacob immediately put his children and his wives on the camels. 282 31:18 He took 283 away all the livestock he had acquired in Paddan Aram and all his moveable property that he had accumulated. Then he set out toward the land of Canaan to return to his father Isaac. 284
31:19 While Laban had gone to shear his sheep, 285 Rachel stole the household idols 286 that belonged to her father. 31:20 Jacob also deceived 287 Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was leaving. 288 31:21 He left 289 with all he owned. He quickly crossed 290 the Euphrates River 291 and headed for 292 the hill country of Gilead.
31:22 Three days later Laban discovered Jacob had left. 293 31:23 So he took his relatives 294 with him and pursued Jacob 295 for seven days. 296 He caught up with 297 him in the hill country of Gilead. 31:24 But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and warned him, 298 “Be careful 299 that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.” 300
31:25 Laban overtook Jacob, and when Jacob pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead, Laban and his relatives set up camp there too. 301 31:26 “What have you done?” Laban demanded of Jacob. “You’ve deceived me 302 and carried away my daughters as if they were captives of war! 303 31:27 Why did you run away secretly 304 and deceive me? 305 Why didn’t you tell me so I could send you off with a celebration complete with singing, tambourines, and harps? 306 31:28 You didn’t even allow me to kiss my daughters and my grandchildren 307 good-bye. You have acted foolishly! 31:29 I have 308 the power to do you harm, but the God of your father told me last night, ‘Be careful 309 that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.’ 310 31:30 Now I understand that 311 you have gone away 312 because you longed desperately 313 for your father’s house. Yet why did you steal my gods?” 314
31:31 “I left secretly because I was afraid!” 315 Jacob replied to Laban. “I thought 316 you might take your daughters away from me by force. 317 31:32 Whoever has taken your gods will be put to death! 318 In the presence of our relatives 319 identify whatever is yours and take it.” 320 (Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.) 321
31:33 So Laban entered Jacob’s tent, and Leah’s tent, and the tent of the two female servants, but he did not find the idols. 322 Then he left Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s. 323 31:34 (Now Rachel had taken the idols and put them inside her camel’s saddle 324 and sat on them.) 325 Laban searched the whole tent, but did not find them. 326 31:35 Rachel 327 said to her father, “Don’t be angry, 328 my lord. I cannot stand up 329 in your presence because I am having my period.” 330 So he searched thoroughly, 331 but did not find the idols.
31:36 Jacob became angry 332 and argued with Laban. “What did I do wrong?” he demanded of Laban. 333 “What sin of mine prompted you to chase after me in hot pursuit? 334 31:37 When you searched through all my goods, did you find anything that belonged to you? 335 Set it here before my relatives and yours, 336 and let them settle the dispute between the two of us! 337
31:38 “I have been with you for the past twenty years. Your ewes and female goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten rams from your flocks. 31:39 Animals torn by wild beasts I never brought to you; I always absorbed the loss myself. 338 You always made me pay for every missing animal, 339 whether it was taken by day or at night. 31:40 I was consumed by scorching heat 340 during the day and by piercing cold 341 at night, and I went without sleep. 342 31:41 This was my lot 343 for twenty years in your house: I worked like a slave 344 for you – fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks, but you changed my wages ten times! 31:42 If the God of my father – the God of Abraham, the one whom Isaac fears 345 – had not been with me, you would certainly have sent me away empty-handed! But God saw how I was oppressed and how hard I worked, 346 and he rebuked you last night.”
31:43 Laban replied 347 to Jacob, “These women 348 are my daughters, these children are my grandchildren, 349 and these flocks are my flocks. All that you see belongs to me. But how can I harm these daughters of mine today 350 or the children to whom they have given birth? 31:44 So now, come, let’s make a formal agreement, 351 you and I, and it will be 352 proof that we have made peace.” 353
31:45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a memorial pillar. 31:46 Then he 354 said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” So they brought stones and put them in a pile. 355 They ate there by the pile of stones. 31:47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, 356 but Jacob called it Galeed. 357
31:48 Laban said, “This pile of stones is a witness of our agreement 358 today.” That is why it was called Galeed. 31:49 It was also called Mizpah 359 because he said, “May the Lord watch 360 between us 361 when we are out of sight of one another. 362 31:50 If you mistreat my daughters or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one else is with us, realize 363 that God is witness to your actions.” 364
31:51 “Here is this pile of stones and this pillar I have set up between me and you,” Laban said to Jacob. 365 31:52 “This pile of stones and the pillar are reminders that I will not pass beyond this pile to come to harm you and that you will not pass beyond this pile and this pillar to come to harm me. 366 31:53 May the God of Abraham and the god of Nahor, 367 the gods of their father, judge between us.” Jacob took an oath by the God whom his father Isaac feared. 368 31:54 Then Jacob offered a sacrifice 369 on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat the meal. 370 They ate the meal and spent the night on the mountain.
31:55 (32:1) 371 Early in the morning Laban kissed 372 his grandchildren 373 and his daughters goodbye and blessed them. Then Laban left and returned home. 374
1:1 From Jude, 375 a slave 376 of Jesus Christ and brother of James, 377 to those who are called, wrapped in the love of 378 God the Father and kept for 379 Jesus Christ.