Jan 7 - Genesis 20-32
Genesis
1Abraham advanced from there into the southern land, and he lived between Kadesh and Shur. And he sojourned in Gerar2And he said about his wife Sarah: "She is my sister." Therefore, Abimelech, the king of Gerar, sent for her and took her3Then God came to Abimelech through a dream in the night, and he said to him: "Lo, you shall die because of the woman that you have taken. For she has a husband.4In truth, Abimelech had not touched her, and so he said: "Lord, would you put to death a people, ignorant and just5Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister,’ and did she not say, ‘He is my brother?’ In the sincerity of my heart and the purity of my hands, I have done this.6And God said to him: "And I know that you have acted with a sincere heart. And therefore I kept you from sinning against me, and I did not release you to touch her7Now therefore, return his wife to the man, for he is a prophet. And he will pray for you, and you will live. But if you are not willing to return her, know this: you shall die a death, you and all that is yours.8And immediately Abimelech, rising up in the night, called all his servants. And he spoke all these words in their hearing, and all the men were very afraid9Then Abimelech called also for Abraham, and he said to him: "What have you done to us? How have we sinned against you, so that you would bring so great a sin upon me and upon my kingdom? You have done to us what you ought not to have done.10And remonstrating him again, he said, "What did you see, so that you would do this?11Abraham responded: "I thought to myself, saying: Perhaps there is no fear of God in this place. And they will put me to death because of my wife12Yet, in another way, she is also truly my sister, the daughter of my father, and not the daughter of my mother, and I took her as a wife13Then, after God led me out of my father’s house, I said to her: ‘You will show this mercy to me. In every place, to which we will travel, you will say that I am your brother.’ 14Therefore, Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and men servants and women servants, and he gave them to Abraham. And he returned his wife Sarah to him15And he said, "The land is in your sight. Dwell wherever it will please you.16Then to Sarah he said: "Behold, I have given your brother one thousand silver coins. This will be for you as a veil for your eyes, to all who are with you and wherever you will travel. And so, remember that you were taken.17Then when Abraham prayed, God healed Abimelech and his wife, and his handmaids, and they gave birth18For the Lord had closed every womb of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah, the wife of Abraham
1Then the Lord visited Sarah, just as he had promised; and he fulfilled what he had spoken2And she conceived and gave birth to a son in her old age, at the time that God had foretold to her3And Abraham called the name of his son, whom Sarah bore for him, Isaac4And he circumcised him on the eighth day, just as God had instructed him5when he was one hundred years old. Indeed, at this stage of his father’s life, Isaac was born6And Sarah said: "God has brought laughter to me. Whoever will hear of it will laugh with me.7And again, she said: "Hearing this, who would believe Abraham, that Sarah breast-fed a son, to whom she gave birth, despite being elderly?8And the boy grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day of his weaning9And when Sarah had seen the son of Hagar the Egyptian playing with her son Isaac, she said to Abraham10"Cast out this woman servant and her son. For the son of a woman servant will not be heir with my son Isaac.11Abraham took this grievously, for the sake of his son12And God said to him: "Let it not seem harsh to you concerning the boy and your woman servant. In all that Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice. For your offspring will be invoked in Isaac13Yet I will also make the son of the woman servant into a great nation, for he is your offspring.14And so Abraham arose in the morning, and taking bread and a skin of water, he placed it upon her shoulder, and he handed over the boy, and he released her. And when she had departed, she wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba15And when the water in the skin had been consumed, she set aside the boy, under one of the trees that were there16And she moved away and sat in a distant area, as far as a bow can reach. For she said, "I shall not see the boy die." And so, sitting opposite her, he lifted up his voice and wept17But God heard the voice of the boy. And an Angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, saying: "What are you doing, Hagar? Do not be afraid. For God has heeded the voice of the boy, from the place where he is18Rise up. Take the boy and hold him by the hand. For I will make of him a great nation.19And God opened her eyes. And seeing a well of water, she went and filled the skin, and she gave the boy to drink20And God was with him. And he grew, and he stayed in the wilderness, and he became a young man, an archer21And he lived in the desert of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt22At the same time, Abimelech and Phicol, the leader of his army, said to Abraham: "God is with you in everything that you do23Therefore, swear by God that you will do no harm to me, and to my posterity, and to my stock. But according to the mercy that I have done to you, you will do to me and to the land, to which you have turned as a newcomer.24And Abraham said, "I will swear.25And he reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which his servants had taken away by force26And Abimelech responded, "I do not know who did this thing, but you also did not reveal it to me, nor have I heard of it, before today.27And so Abraham took sheep and oxen, and he gave them to Abimelech. And both of them struck a pact28And Abraham set aside seven female lambs from the flock29Abimelech said to him, "What purpose have these seven female lambs, which you have caused to stand separately?30But he said, "You will receive seven female lambs from my hand, so that they may be a testimony for me, that I dug this well.31For this reason, that place was called Beersheba, because there both of them did swear32And they initiated a pact on behalf of the well of oath33Then Abimelech and Phicol, the leader of his army, rose up, and they returned to the land of the Palestinians. In truth, Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and there he called upon the name of the Lord God Eternal34And he was a settler in the land of the Palestinians for many days
1After these things occurred, God tested Abraham, and he said to him, "Abraham, Abraham." And he answered, "Here I am.2He said to him: "Take your only begotten son Isaac, whom you love, and go into the land of vision. And there you shall offer him as a holocaust upon one of the mountains, which I will show to you.3And so Abraham, getting up in the night, harnessed his donkey, taking with him two youths, and his son Isaac. And when he had cut wood for the holocaust, he traveled toward the place, as God had instructed him4Then, on the third day, lifting up his eyes, he saw the place at a distance5And he said to his servants: "Wait here with the donkey. I and the boy will hurry further ahead to that place. After we have worshipped, will return to you.6He also took the wood for the holocaust, and he imposed it upon his son Isaac. And he himself carried in his hands fire and a sword. And as the two continued on together7Isaac said to his father, "My father." And he answered, "What do you want, son?" "Behold," he said, "fire and wood. Where is the victim for the holocaust?8But Abraham said, "God himself will provide the victim for the holocaust, my son." Thus they continued on together9And they came to the place that God had shown to him. There he built an altar, and he set the wood in order upon it. And when he had bound his son Isaac, he laid him on the altar upon the pile of wood10And he reached out his hand and took hold of the sword, in order to sacrifice his son11And behold, an Angel of the Lord called out from heaven, saying, "Abraham, Abraham." And he answered, "Here I am.12And he said to him, "Do not extend your hand over the boy, and do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, since you have not spared your only begotten son for my sake.13Abraham lifted up his eyes, and he saw behind his back a ram among the thorns, caught by the horns, which he took and offered as a holocaust, instead of his son14And he called the name of that place: ‘The Lord Sees.’ Thus, even to this day, it is said: ‘On the mountain, the Lord will see.15Then the Angel of the Lord called out to Abraham a second time from heaven, saying16"By my own self, I have sworn, says the Lord. Because you have done this thing, and have not spared your only begotten son for my sake17I will bless you, and I will multiply your offspring like the stars of heaven, and like the sand which is on the seashore. Your offspring will possess the gates of their enemies18And in your offspring, all the nations of the earth will be blessed, because you obeyed my voice.19Abraham returned to his servants, and they went to Beersheba together, and he lived there20After these things occurred, it was reported to Abraham that Milcah, likewise, had borne sons for his brother Nahor21Uz, the firstborn, and Buz, his brother, and Kemuel, the father of the Syrians22and Chesed, and Hazo, likewise Pildash, and Jidlaph23as well as Bethuel, of whom was born Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore for Nahor, the brother of Abraham24In truth, his concubine, named Reumah, bore Tebah, and Gaham, and Tahash, and Maacah
1Now Sarah lived for one hundred and twenty-seven years2And she died in the city of Arba, which is Hebron, in the land of Canaan. And Abraham came to mourn and weep for her3And when he had risen up from the funeral duties, he spoke to the sons of Heth, saying4"I am a newcomer and a sojourner among you. Give me the right of a sepulcher among you, so that I may bury my dead.5The sons of Heth responded by saying6"Hear us, O lord, you are a leader of God among us. Bury your dead in our chosen sepulchers. And no man shall be able to prohibit you from burying your dead within his memorial.7Abraham arose, and he reverenced the people of the land, namely, the sons of Heth8And he said to them: "If it pleases your soul that I should bury my dead, hear me, and intercede on my behalf with Ephron, the son of Zohar9so that he may give me the double cave, which he has at the far end of his field. He may transfer it to me for as much money as it is worth in your sight, for the possession of a sepulcher.10Now Ephron dwelt in the midst of the sons of Heth. And Ephron responded to Abraham in the hearing of everyone who was entering at the gate of his city, saying11"Let it never be so, my lord, but you should pay greater heed to what I say. The field I will transfer to you, and the cave that is in it. In the presence of the sons of my people, bury your dead.12Abraham reverenced in the sight of the people of the land13And he spoke to Ephron, standing in the midst of the people: "I ask you to hear me. I will give you money for the field. Take it, and so I will bury my dead in it.14And Ephron responded: "My lord, hear me15The land that you request is worth four hundred shekels of silver. This is the price between me and you. But how much is this? Bury your dead.16And when Abraham had heard this, he weighed out the money that Ephron had requested, in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, of the approved public currency17And having confirmed that the field, in which there was a double cave overlooking Mamre, formerly belonged to Ephron, both it and the sepulcher, and all its trees, with all its surrounding limits18Abraham took it as a possession, in the sight of the sons of Heth and of everyone who was entering at the gate of his city19So then, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the double cave of the field that overlooked Mamre. This is Hebron in the land of Canaan20And the field was confirmed to Abraham, with the cave that was in it, as a memorial possession before the sons of Heth
1Now Abraham was old and of many days. And the Lord had blessed him in all things2And he said to the elder servant of his house, who was in charge of all that he had: "Place your hand under my thigh3so that I may make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live4But that you will proceed to my land and kindred, and from there take a wife for my son Isaac.5The servant responded, "If the woman is not willing to come with me into this land, must I lead your son back to the place from which you departed?6And Abraham said: "Beware that you never lead my son back to that place7The Lord God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my nativity, who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give this land,’ himself will send his Angel before you, and you will take from there a wife for my son8But if the woman is not willing to follow you, you will not be held by the oath. Only do not lead my son back to that place.9Therefore, the servant placed his hand under the thigh of Abraham, his lord, and he swore to him on his word10And he took ten camels from his lord’s herd, and he went forth, carrying with him things from all of his goods. And he set out, and continued on, to the city of Nahor, in Mesopotamia11And when he had made the camels lie down outside of the town, near a well of water, in the evening, at the time when women are accustomed to go out to draw water, he said12"O Lord, the God of my lord Abraham, meet with me today, I beg you, and show mercy to my lord Abraham13Behold, I stand near the fountain of water, and the daughters of the inhabitants of this city will go forth to draw water14Therefore, the girl to whom I will say, ‘Tip your pitcher, so that I may drink,’ and she will respond, ‘Drink. In fact, I will give your camels a drink also,’ the same one is she whom you have prepared for your servant Isaac. And by this, I will understand that you have shown mercy to my lord.15But he had not yet completed these words within himself, when, behold, Rebekah went out, the daughter of Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, the brother of Abraham, having a pitcher on her shoulder16She was an exceedingly elegant girl, and a most beautiful virgin, and unknown by man. And she descended to the spring, and she filled her pitcher, and then was returning17And the servant ran to meet her, and he said, "Provide me with a little water to drink from your pitcher.18And she responded, "Drink, my lord." And she quickly brought down the pitcher on her arm, and she gave him a drink19And after he drank, she added, "In fact, I will draw water for your camels also, until they all drink.20And pouring out the pitcher into the troughs, she ran back to the well to draw water; and having drawn, she gave it to all the camels21But he was contemplating her silently, wanting to know whether the Lord had caused his journey to prosper or no22Then, after the camels drank, the man took out gold earrings, weighing two shekels, and the same number of bracelets, ten shekels in weight23And he said to her: "Whose daughter are you? Tell me, is there any place in your father’s house to lodge?24She responded, "I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, to whom she gave birth for Nahor.25And she continued, saying, "There is very much straw and hay with us, and a spacious place to stay.26The man bowed himself down, and he adored the Lord27saying, "Blessed be the Lord, the God of my lord Abraham, who has not taken away his mercy and truth from my lord, and who has led me on a direct journey to the house of the brother of my lord.28And so the girl ran, and she reported all that she had heard in the house of her mother29Now Rebekah had a brother, named Laban, who went out quickly to the man, where the spring was30And when he had seen the earrings and bracelets in his sister’s hands, and he had heard all the words being repeated, "This is what the man spoke to me," he came to the man who stood by the camels and near the spring of water31and he said to him: "Enter, O blessed of the Lord. Why do you stand outside? I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels.32And he brought him into his guest quarters. And he unharnessed the camels, and he distributed straw and hay, and water to wash his feet and that of the men who arrived with him33And bread was set out in his sight. But he said, "I will not eat, until I have spoken my words." He answered him, "Speak.34Then he said: "I am the servant of Abraham35And the Lord has blessed my lord greatly, and he has become great. And he has given him sheep and oxen, silver and gold, men servants and women servants, camels and donkeys36And Sarah, the wife of my lord, has given birth to a son for my lord in her old age, and he has given him all that he had37And my lord made me swear, saying: ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell38But you shall travel to my father’s house, and you shall take a wife of my own kindred for my son.39But truly, I answered my lord, ‘What if the woman is not willing to come with me?40‘The Lord,’ he said, ‘in whose sight I walk, will send his Angel with you, and he will direct your way. And you shall take a wife for my son from my own kindred and from my father’s house41But you will be innocent of my curse, if, when you will arrive at my close relatives, they will not grant this to you.42And so, today I arrived at the well of water, and I said: ‘O Lord, the God of my lord Abraham, if you have directed my way, in which I now walk43behold, I stand next to the well of water, and the virgin, who will go forth to draw water, will hear from me, "Give me a little water to drink from your pitcher.44And she will say to me, "You drink, and I will also draw for your camels." Let the same be the woman, whom the Lord has prepared for the son of my lord.45And while I thought over these things silently within myself, Rebekah appeared, arriving with a pitcher, which she carried on her shoulder. And she descended to the spring and drew water. And I said to her, ‘Give me a little to drink.46And she quickly let down the pitcher from her arm, and said to me, ‘You drink, and to your camels I will also distribute drinking water.’ I drank, and she watered the camels47And I questioned her, saying, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ And she responded, ‘I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to him.’ And so, I hung the earrings on her, to adorn her face, and I put the bracelets on her hands48And falling prostrate, I adored the Lord, blessing the Lord, the God of my lord Abraham, who has led me along the straight path so as to take the daughter of my lord’s brother to his son49For this reason, if you would act according to mercy and truth with my lord, tell me so. But if it pleases you otherwise, say that to me also, so that I may go either to the right, or to the left.50And Laban and Bethuel responded: "A word has proceeded from the Lord. We are not able to speak anything else to you, beyond what pleases him51Lo, Rebekah is in your sight. Take her and continue on, and let her be the wife of the son of your lord, just as the Lord has spoken.52When Abraham’s servant had heard this, falling down to the ground, he adored the Lord53And bringing forth vessels of silver and gold, as well as garments, he gave them to Rebekah as a tribute. Likewise, he offered gifts to her brothers and her mother54And a banquet began, and they feasted and drank together, and they lodged there. And rising up in the morning, the servant said, "Release me, so that I may go to my lord.55And her brothers and mother responded, "Let the girl remain for at least ten days with us, and after that, she will continue on.56"Do not be willing," he said, "to delay me, for the Lord has directed my way. Release me, so that I may journey to my lord.57And they said, "Let us call the girl, and ask her will.58And when, having been called, she arrived, they wanted to know, "Will you go with this man?" And she said, "I will go.59Therefore, they released her and her nurse, and the servant of Abraham and his companions60wishing prosperity for their sister, by saying: "You are our sister. May you increase to thousands of thousands. And may your offspring possess the gates of their enemies.61And so, Rebekah and her maids, riding upon camels, followed the man, who quickly returned to his lord62Then, at the same time, Isaac was walking along the way that leads to the well, whose name is: ‘of the One who lives and who sees.’ For he dwelt in the southern land63And he had gone out to meditate in the field, as daylight was now declining. And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw camels advancing from afar64Likewise, Rebekah, having seen Isaac, descended from the camel65And she said to the servant, "Who is that man who advances to meet us through the field?" And he said to her, "That is my lord." And so, quickly taking up her cloak, she covered herself66Then the servant explained to Isaac all that he had done67And he led her into the tent of Sarah his mother, and he accepted her as wife. And he loved her so very much, that it tempered the sorrow which befell him at his mother’s death
1In truth, Abraham took another wife, named Keturah2And she bore to him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah3Likewise, Jokshan conceived Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim4And truly, from Midian was born Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the sons of Keturah5And Abraham gave everything that he possessed to Isaac6But to the sons of the concubines he gave generous gifts, and he separated them from his son Isaac, while he still lived, toward the eastern region7Now the days of Abraham’s life were one hundred and seventy-five years8And declining, he died in a good old age, and at an advanced stage of life, and full of days. And he was gathered to his people9And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the double cave, which was situated in the field of Ephron, of the son of Zohar the Hittite, across from the region of Mamre10which he had bought from the sons of Heth. There he was buried, with his wife Sarah11And after his passing, God blessed his son Isaac, who lived near the well named ‘of the One who lives and who sees.12These are the generations of Ishmael, the son of Abraham, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s servant, bore to him13And these are the names of his sons according to their language and generations. The firstborn of Ishmael was Nebaioth, then Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam14likewise Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa15Hadad, and Tema, and Jetur, and Naphish, and Kedemah16These are the sons of Ishmael. And these are their names throughout their fortresses and towns: the twelve princes of their tribes17And the years of the life of Ishmael that passed were one hundred and thirty-seven. And declining, he died and was placed with his people18Now he had lived from Havilah as far as Shur, which overlooks Egypt as it approaches the Assyrians. He passed away in the sight of all his brothers19Likewise, these are the generations of Isaac, the son of Abraham. Abraham conceived Isaac20who, when he was forty years old, took Rebekah, the sister of Laban, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian from Mesopotamia, as a wife21And Isaac beseeched the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. And he heard him, and he gave conception to Rebekah22But the little ones struggled in her womb. So she said, "If it was to be so with me, what need was there to conceive?" And she went to consult the Lord23And responding, he said, "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples will be divided out of your womb, and one people will overcome the other people, and the elder will serve the younger.24Now the time had arrived to give birth, and behold, twins were discovered in her womb25He who departed first was red, and entirely hairy like a pelt; and his name was called Esau. At once the other departed and he held his brother’s foot in his hand; and because of this he was called Jacob26Isaac was sixty years old when the little ones were born to him27And as adults, Esau became a knowledgeable hunter and a man of agriculture, but Jacob, a simple man, dwelt in tents28Isaac was fond of Esau, because he was fed from his hunting; and Rebekah loved Jacob29Then Jacob boiled a small meal. Esau, when he had arrived weary from the field30said to him, "Give me this red stew, for I am very tired." For this reason, his name was called Edom31Jacob said to him, "Sell me your right of the firstborn.32He answered, "Lo, I am dying, what will the right of the firstborn provide for me?33Jacob said, "So then, swear to me." Esau swore to him, and he sold his right of the firstborn34And so, taking bread and the food of lentils, he ate, and he drank, and he went away, giving little weight to having sold the right of the firstborn
1Then, when a famine arose over the land, after that barrenness which had happened in the days of Abraham, Isaac went to Abimelech, king of the Palestinians, in Gerar2And the Lord appeared to him, and he said: "Do not descend into Egypt, but rest in the land that I will tell you3and sojourn in it, and I will be with you, and I will bless you. For to you and to your offspring I will give all these regions, completing the oath that I promised to Abraham your father4And I will multiply your offspring like the stars of heaven. And I will give to your posterity all these regions. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth will be blessed5because Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my precepts and commandments, and observed the ceremonies and the laws.6And so Isaac remained in Gerar7And when he was questioned by the men of that place about his wife, he answered, "She is my sister." For he was afraid to confess her to be his mate, thinking that perhaps they would put him to death because of her beauty8And when very many days had passed, and he had remained in the same place, Abimelech, king of the Palestinians, gazing through a window, saw him being playful with Rebekah, his wife9And summoning him, he said: "It is clear that she is your wife. Why did you falsely claim her to be your sister?" He answered, "I was afraid, lest I might die because of her.10And Abimelech said: "Why have you burdened us? Someone from the people could have lain with your wife, and you would have brought a great sin upon us." And he instructed all the people, saying11"Whoever will touch the wife of this man will die a death.12Then Isaac sowed in that land, and he found, in that same year, one hundredfold. And the Lord blessed him13And the man was enriched, and he continued prospering as well as increasing, until he became very great14Likewise, he had possessions of sheep and of herds, and a very large family. Because of this, the Palestinians envied him15so, at that time, they obstructed all the wells that the servants of his father Abraham had dug, filling them with soil16It reached a point where Abimelech himself said to Isaac, "Move away from us, for you have become very much more powerful than we.17And departing, he then went toward the torrent of Gerar, and he dwelt there18Again, he dug up other wells, which the servants of his father Abraham had dug, and which, after his death, the Philistines had formerly obstructed. And he called them by the same names that his father had called them before19And they dug in the torrent, and they found living water20But in that place also the shepherds of Gerar argued against the shepherds of Isaac, by saying, "It is our water." For this reason, he called the name of the well, because of what had happened, ‘Calumny.21Then they dug up yet another one. And over that one also they fought, and he called it, ‘Enmity.22Advancing from there, he dug another well, over which they did not contend. And so he called its name, ‘Latitude,’ saying, "Now the Lord has expanded us and caused us to increase across the land.23Then he ascended from that place into Beersheba24where the Lord appeared to him on the same night, saying: "I am the God of Abraham your father. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will bless you, and I will multiply your offspring because of my servant Abraham.25And so he built an altar there. And he invoked the name of the Lord, and he stretched out his tent. And he instructed his servants to dig a well26When Abimelech, and Ahuzzath, his friend, and Phicol, the leader of the military, had arrived from Gerar to that place27Isaac said to them, "Why have you come to me, a man whom you hate, and whom you have expelled from among you?28And they responded: "We saw that the Lord is with you, and therefore we said: Let there be an oath between us, and let us initiate a pact29so that you may not do us any kind of harm, just as we have touched nothing of yours, and have not caused any injury to you, but with peace we released you, augmented by the blessing of the Lord.30Therefore, he made them a feast, and after the food and drink31arising in the morning, they swore to one another. And Isaac sent them away peacefully to their own place32Then, behold, on the same day the servants of Isaac came, reporting to him about a well which they had dug, and saying: "We have found water.33Therefore, he called it, ‘Abundance.’ And the name of the city was established as ‘Beersheba,’ even to the present day34In truth, at forty years of age, Esau took wives: Judith, the daughter of Beeri, the Hittite, and Basemath, the daughter of Elon, of the same place35And they both offended the mind of Isaac and Rebekah
1Now Isaac was old, and his eyes were cloudy, and so he was not able to see. And he called his elder son Esau, and he said to him, "My son?" And he responded, "Here I am.2His father said to him: "You see that I am old, and I do not know the day of my death3Take your weapons, the quiver and the bow, and go out. And when you have taken something by hunting4make from it a small meal for me, just as you know I like, and bring it, so that I may eat and my soul may bless you before I die.5And when Rebekah had heard this, and he had gone out into the field to fulfill his father’s order6she said to her son Jacob: "I heard your father speaking with your brother Esau, and saying to him7‘Bring to me from your hunting, and make me foods, so that I may eat and bless you in the sight of the Lord before I die.8Therefore, now my son, agree to my counsel9and go straight to the flock, and bring me two of the best young goats, so that from them I may make meat for your father, such as he willingly eats10Then, when you have brought these in and he has eaten, he may bless you before he dies.11He answered her: "You know that my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I am smooth12If my father should lay hands on me and perceive it, I am afraid lest he think me willing to mock him, and I will bring a curse upon myself, instead of a blessing.13And his mother said to him: "Let this curse be upon me, my son. Yet listen to my voice, and go directly to bring what I said.14He went out, and he brought, and he gave to his mother. She prepared the meats, just as she knew his father liked15And she clothed him with the very fine garments of Esau, which she had at home with her16And she encircled his hands with little pelts from the young goats, and she covered his bare neck17And she gave him the small meal, and she handed him the bread that she had baked18When he had carried these in, he said, "My father?" And he answered, "I’m listening. Who are you, my son?19And Jacob said: "I am Esau, your firstborn. I have done as you instructed me. Arise; sit and eat from my hunting, so that your soul may bless me.20And again Isaac said to his son, "How were you able to find it so quickly, my son?" He answered, "It was the will of God, so that what I sought met with me quickly.21And Isaac said, "Come here, so that I may touch you, my son, and may prove whether you are my son Esau, or not.22He approached his father, and when he had felt him, Isaac said: "The voice indeed is the voice of Jacob. But the hands are the hands of Esau.23And he did not recognize him, because his hairy hands made him seem similar to the elder one. Therefore, blessing him24he said, "Are you my son Esau?" He answered, "I am.25Then he said, "Bring me the foods from your hunting, my son, so that my soul may bless you." And when he had eaten what was offered, he also brought forth wine for him. And after he finished it26he said to him, "Come to me and give me a kiss, my son.27He approached and kissed him. And immediately he perceived the fragrance of his garments. And so, blessing him, he said: "Behold, the smell of my son is like the smell of a plentiful field, which the Lord has blessed28May God give to you, from the dew of heaven and from the fatness of the earth, an abundance of grain and wine29And may the peoples serve you, and may the tribes reverence you. May you be the lord of your brothers, and may your mother’s sons bow down before you. Whoever curses you, may he be cursed, and whoever blesses you, may he be filled with blessings.30Scarcely had Isaac completed his words, and Jacob departed, when Esau arrived31And he brought his father foods cooked from his hunting, saying, "Arise, my father, and eat from your son’s hunting, so that your soul may bless me.32And Isaac said to him, "But who are you?" And he answered, "I am your firstborn son, Esau.33Isaac became frightened and very astonished. And wondering beyond what can be believed, he said: "Then who is he that a while ago brought me the prey from his hunting, from which I ate, before you arrived? And I blessed him, and he will be blessed.34Esau, having heard his father’s words, roared out with a great outcry. And, being confounded, he said, "But bless me also, my father.35And he said, "Your twin came deceitfully, and he received your blessing.36But he responded: "Justly is his name called Jacob. For he has supplanted me yet another time. My birthright he took away before, and now, this second time, he has stolen my blessing." And again, he said to his father, "Have you not reserved a blessing for me also?37Isaac answered: "I have appointed him as your lord, and I have subjugated all his brothers as his servants. I have reinforced him with grain and wine, and after this, my son, what more shall I do for you?38And Esau said to him: "Have you only one blessing, father? I beg you, bless me also." And when he wept with a loud wail39Isaac was moved, and he said to him: "In the fatness of the earth, and in the dew of heaven from above40will your blessing be. You will live by the sword, and you will serve your brother. But the time will arrive when you will shake off and release his yoke from your neck.41Therefore, Esau always hated Jacob, for the blessing with which his father had blessed him. And he said in his heart, "The days will arrive for the mourning of my father, and I will kill my brother Jacob.42These things were reported to Rebekah. And sending and calling for her son Jacob, she said to him, "Behold, your brother Esau is threatening to kill you43Therefore, now my son, listen to my voice. Rise up and flee to my brother Laban, in Haran44And you will dwell with him for a few days, until the fury of your brother subsides45and his indignation ceases, and he forgets the things that you have done to him. After this, I will send for you and bring you from there to here. Why should I be bereaved of both my sons in one day?46And Rebekah said to Isaac, "I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth. If Jacob accepts a wife from the stock of this land, I would not be willing to live.
1And so Isaac called for Jacob, and he blessed him, and he instructed him, saying: "Do not be willing to accept a mate from the family of Canaan2But go, and journey to Mesopotamia of Syria, to the house of Bethuel, your mother’s father, and there accept for yourself a wife from the daughters of Laban, your maternal uncle3And may God almighty bless you, and may he cause you to increase and also to multiply, so that you may be influential among the people4And may he give the blessings of Abraham to you, and to your offspring after you, so that you may possess the land of your sojourning, which he promised to your grandfather.5And when Isaac had dismissed him, setting out, he went to Mesopotamia of Syria, to Laban, the son of Bethuel, the Syrian, the brother to Rebekah, his mother6But Esau, seeing that his father had blessed Jacob and had sent him into Mesopotamia of Syria, to take a wife from there, and that, after the blessing, he had instructed him, saying: ‘You shall not accept a wife from the daughters of Canaan,7and that Jacob, obeying his parents, had gone into Syria8having evidence also that his father did not look with favor upon the daughters of Canaan9he went to Ishmael, and he took as a wife, beside those he had before, Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth10Meanwhile Jacob, having departed from Beersheba, continued on to Haran11And when he had arrived at a certain place, where he would rest after the setting of the sun, he took some of the stones that lay there, and placing them under his head, he slept in the same place12And he saw in his sleep: a ladder standing upon the earth, with its top touching heaven, also, the Angels of God ascending and descending by it13and the Lord, leaning upon the ladder, saying to him: "I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. The land, in which you sleep, I will give to you and to your offspring14And your offspring will be like the dust of the earth. You will spread abroad to the West, and to the East, and to the North, and to the Meridian. And in you and in your offspring, all the tribes of the earth shall be blessed15And I will be your guardian wherever you will journey, and I will bring you back into this land. Neither will I dismiss you, until I have accomplished all that I have said.16And when Jacob had awakened from sleep, he said, "Truly, the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.17And being terrified, he said: "How terrible this place is! This is nothing other than the house of God and the gateway of heaven.18Therefore, Jacob, arising in the morning, took the stone which he had placed under his head, and he set it up as monument, pouring oil over it19And he called the name of the city, ‘Bethel,’ which before was called Luz20And then he made a vow, saying: "If God will be with me, and will guard me along the way by which I walk, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear21and if I will return prosperously to my father’s house, then the Lord will be my God22and this stone, which I have set up as a monument, will be called ‘the House of God.’ And from all the things that you will give to me, I will offer tithes to you.
1And so Jacob, setting out, arrived in the eastern land2And he saw a well in a field, and also three flocks of sheep reclining near it. For the animals were watered from it, and its mouth was closed with a great stone3And the custom was, when all the sheep were gathered together, to roll away the stone. And when the flocks had been refreshed, they placed it over the mouth of the well again4And he said to the shepherds, "Brothers, where are you from?" And they answered. "From Haran.5And questioning them, he said, "Do you know Laban, the son of Nahor?" They said, "We know him.6He said, "Is he well?" "He is very well," they said. "And behold, his daughter Rachel approaches with his flock.7And Jacob said, "There is still much daylight remaining, and it is not time to return the flocks to the sheepfold. Give the sheep to drink first, and then lead them back to pasture.8They responded, "We cannot, until all the animals are gathered together and we remove the stone from the mouth of the well, so that we may water the flocks.9They were still speaking, and behold, Rachel arrived with her father’s sheep; for she pastured the flock10When Jacob had seen her, and he realized that she was his maternal first cousin, and that these were the sheep of his uncle Laban, he removed the stone which closed the well11And having watered the flock, he kissed her. And lifting up his voice, he wept12And he revealed to her that he was a brother of her father, and the son of Rebekah. And so, hurrying, she announced it to her father13And when he had heard that Jacob, his sister’s son, had arrived, he ran to meet him. And embracing him, and kissing him heartily, he brought him into his house. But when he had heard the reasons for his journey14he responded, "You are my bone and my flesh." And after the days of one month were completed15he said to him: "Though you are my brother, will you serve me for nothing? Tell me what wages you would accept.16In truth, he had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah; and truly the younger was called Rachel17But while Leah was bleary-eyed, Rachel had an elegant appearance and was attractive to behold18And Jacob, loving her, said, "I will serve you for seven years, for your younger daughter Rachel.19Laban responded, "It is better that I give her to you than to another man; remain with me.20Therefore, Jacob served for seven years for Rachel. And these seemed like only a few days, because of the greatness of love21And he said to Laban, "Give my wife to me. For now the time has been fulfilled, so that I may go in to her.22And he, having called a great crowd of his friends to the feast, agreed to the marriage23And at night, he brought in his daughter Leah to him24giving his daughter a handmaid named Zilpah. After Jacob had gone in to her, according to custom, when morning had arrived, he saw Leah25And he said to his father-in-law, "What is it that you intended to do? Did I not serve you for Rachel? Why have you deceived me?26Laban responded, "It is not the practice in this place to give the younger in marriage first27Complete a week of days with this mating. And then I will give this one to you also, for the service that you will provide to me for another seven years.28He agreed to his pleading. And after the week had passed, he took Rachel as a wife29To her, the father had given Bilhah as her servant30And, having at last obtained the marriage he desired, he preferred the love of the latter before the former, and he served with him another seven years31But the Lord, seeing that he despised Leah, opened her womb, but her sister remained barren32Having conceived, she gave birth to a son, and she called his name Reuben, saying: "The Lord saw my humiliation; now my husband will love me.33And again she conceived and bore a son, and she said, "Because the Lord heard that I was treated with contempt, he has also given this one to me." And she called his name Simeon34And she conceived a third time, and she gave birth to another son, and she said: "Now likewise my husband will unite with me, because I have borne him three sons." And because of this, she called his name Levi35A fourth time she conceived and bore a son, and she said, "Only now will I confess to the Lord." And for this reason, she called him Judah. And she ceased from child-bearing
1Then Rachel, discerning that she was infertile, envied her sister, and so she said to her husband, "Give me children, otherwise I will die.2Jacob, being angry, responded to her, "Am I in the place of God, who has deprived you of the fruit of your womb?3But she said: "I have a handmaid Bilhah. Go in to her, so that she may give birth upon my knees, and I may have sons by her.4And she gave him Bilhah in marriage5And when her husband had gone in to her, she conceived and bore a son6And Rachel said, "The Lord has judged for me, and he has heeded my voice, giving me a son." And because of this, she called his name Dan7And conceiving again, Bilhah bore another8about whom Rachel said, "God has compared me with my sister, and I have prevailed." And she called him Naphtali9Leah, perceiving that she had desisted from child-bearing, delivered Zilpah, her handmaid, to her husband10And she, after having borne a son with difficulty11said: "Happiness!" And for this reason, she called his name Gad12Likewise, Zilpah bore another13And Leah said, "This one is for my happiness. Indeed, women will call me blessed." Because of this, she called him Asher14Then Reuben, going out into the field at the time of the wheat harvest, found mandrakes. These he brought to his mother Leah. And Rachel said, "Give me a portion of your son’s mandrakes.15She responded, "Does it seem like such a small matter to you, that you have usurped from me my husband, unless you will also take my son’s mandrakes?" Rachel said, "He will sleep with you this night because of your son’s mandrakes.16And when Jacob returned from the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him, and she said, "You will enter to me, because I have hired you for the reward of my son’s mandrakes." And he slept with her that night17And God heard her prayers. And she conceived and bore a fifth son18And she said, "God has given a reward to me, because I gave my handmaid to my husband." And she called his name Issachar19Conceiving again, Leah bore a sixth son20And she said: "God has endowed me with a good dowry. And now, at this turn, my husband will be with me, because I have conceived six sons for him." And therefore she called his name Zebulun21After him, she bore a daughter, named Dinah22The Lord, likewise remembering Rachel, heeded her and opened her womb23And she conceived and bore a son, saying, "God has taken away my reproach.24And she called his name Joseph, saying, "The Lord has added to me another son.25But when Joseph was born, Jacob said to his father-in-law: "Release me, so that I may return to my native country and to my land26Give me my wives, and my children, for whom I have served you, so that I may depart. You know the servitude with which I have served you.27Laban said to him: "May I find grace in your sight. I have learned by experience that God has blessed me because of you28Choose your wages, which I will give you.29But he responded: "You know how I have served you, and how great your possession became in my hands30You had little before I came to you, and now you have achieved riches. And the Lord has blessed you since my arrival. It is just, therefore, that at sometime I also should provide for my own house.31And Laban said, "What shall I give to you?" But he said, "I want nothing. But if you will do what I ask, I will feed and guard your sheep again32Go around through all your flocks and separate all the sheep of variegated or spotted fleece; and whatever will be darkened or blemished or variegated, as much among the sheep as among the goats, will be my wages33And my justice will answer on my behalf tomorrow, when the time of settlement arrives before you. And all that is not variegated or blemished or darkened, as much among the sheep as among the goats, these will prove me to be a thief.34And Laban said, "I hold favor for this request.35And on that day he separated the she-goats, and the sheep, and the he-goats, and the rams with variegations or with blemishes. But every one of the flock which was of one color, that is, of white or of black fleece, he delivered into the hands of his sons36And he established a distance of three days journey between himself and his son-in-law, who pastured the remainder of his flock37Then Jacob, taking green branches of poplar, and almond, and sycamore trees, debarked them in part. And when the bark was pulled off, in the parts that were stripped, there appeared whiteness, yet the parts that were left whole, remained green. And so, in this way the color was made variegated38And he placed them in the troughs, where the water was poured out, so that when the flocks had arrived to drink, they would have the branches before their eyes, and in their sight they might conceive39And it happened that, in the very heat of joining together, the sheep looked upon the branches, and they bore the blemished and the variegated, those speckled with diverse color40And Jacob divided the flock, and he set the branches in the troughs before the eyes of the rams. Now whatever was white or black belonged to Laban, but, in truth, the others belonged to Jacob, for the flocks were dispersed among one another41Therefore, when the first to arrive were climbing on the ewes, Jacob placed the branches in the troughs of water before the eyes of the rams and the sheep, so that they might conceive while they were gazing upon them42Yet when the late arrivals and the last to conceive were let in, he did not place these. And so those that arrived late became Laban’s, and those that arrived first became Jacob’s43And the man was enriched beyond limit, and he had many flocks, women servants and men servants, camels and donkeys
1But afterwards, he heard the words of the sons of Laban, saying, "Jacob has taken all that was our father’s, and being enlarged by his ability, he has become famous.2Likewise, he observed that Laban’s face was not the same toward him as it was yesterday and the day before3Most importantly, the Lord was saying to him, "Return to the land of your fathers and to your generation, and I will be with you.4He sent and called for Rachel and Leah, in the field where he pastured the flocks5and he said to them: "I see that your father’s face is not the same toward me as it was yesterday and the day before. But the God of my father has been with me6And you know that I have served your father with all my strength7Even so, your father has circumvented me, and he has changed my wages ten times. And yet God has not permitted him to harm me8Whenever he said, ‘The speckled will be your wages,’ all the sheep gave birth to speckled newborns. Yet truly, when he said the contrary, ‘You will take whatever is white for your wages,’ all the flocks gave birth to white ones9And it is God who has taken your father’s substance and given it to me10For after the time had arrived for the ewes to conceive, I lifted up my eyes, and I saw in my sleep that the males climbing on the females were of variegated, and spotted, and diverse colors11And the Angel of God said to me in my sleep, ‘Jacob.’ And I responded, ‘Here I am.12And he said: ‘Lift up your eyes, and see that all the males climbing on the females are variegated, spotted, and also speckled. For I have seen all that Laban has done to you13I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the stone and made a vow to me. Now therefore arise, and depart from this land, returning to the land of your nativity.’ 14And Rachel and Leah responded: "Have we anything left behind among the resources and inheritance of our father’s house15Has he not considered us as foreigners, and sold us, and consumed our price16But God has taken our father’s riches and handed these to us and to our sons. Therefore, do all that God has instructed you.17And so Jacob rose up, and having placed the children and his wives upon camels, he went forth18And he took all his substance and flocks, and whatever he had acquired in Mesopotamia, and he journeyed to his father Isaac, in the land of Canaan19At that time, Laban had gone to shear the sheep, and so Rachel stole her father’s idols20And Jacob was not willing to confess to his father-in-law that he was fleeing21And when he had gone away with all such things that were justly his, and, having crossed the river, was continuing on toward Mount Gilead22it was reported to Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled23And taking his brothers with him, he pursued him for seven days. And he overtook him at Mount Gilead24And he saw in a dream, God saying to him, "Beware that you not speak anything harsh against Jacob.25And now Jacob had pitched his tent at the mountain. And when he, with his brothers, had overtaken him, he set his tent at the same place at Mount Gilead26And he said to Jacob: "Why have you acted this way, departing from me in secret, with my daughters like captives of the sword27Why would you want to flee without my knowledge and without telling me, though I might have led you forward with gladness, and songs, and timbrels, and lyres28You have not permitted me to kiss my sons and daughters. You have acted foolishly. And now, indeed29my hand has power to repay you with harm. But the God of your father said to me yesterday, ‘Beware that you not speak anything stern against Jacob.30It may be that you desired to go to your own, and that you longed for the house of your father. But why have you stolen my gods?31Jacob answered: "I set out, unknown to you, because I feared that you might take away your daughters by violence32But, since you accuse me of theft, with whomever you will find your gods, let him be slain in the sight of our brothers. Search; anything of yours that you will find with me, take it away." Now when he said this, he did not know that Rachel had stolen the idols33And so Laban, entering the tent of Jacob, and of Leah, and of both the handmaids, did not find them. And when he had entered the tent of Rachel34she quickly hid the idols under the camel’s bedding, and she sat upon them. And when he had searched the entire tent and found nothing35she said: "Do not be angry, my lord, that I am unable to rise up in your sight, because it has now happened to me according to the custom of women." So his careful search was thwarted36And Jacob, being inflated, said with contention: "For which fault of mine, or for what sin of mine, have you become so enraged against m37and searched all the items of my house? What have you found from all the substance of your house? Place it here before my brothers, and your brothers, and let them judge between me and you38For what reason have I been with you for twenty years? Your ewes and she-goats were not barren; the rams of your flocks I did not consume39Neither did I reveal to you what was seized by the wild beast. I replaced all that was damaged. Whatever was lost by theft, you collected it from me40Day and night, I was burned by heat and by frost, and sleep fled from my eyes41And in this way, for twenty years, I have served you in your house: fourteen for your daughters, and six for your flocks. You have also changed my wages ten times42If the God of my father Abraham and the fear of Isaac had not been close to me, perhaps by now you would have sent me away naked. But God looked kindly on my affliction and the labor of my hands, and he rebuked you yesterday.43Laban answered him: "My daughters and sons, and your flocks, and all that you discern are mine. What can I do to my sons and grandchildren44Come, therefore, let us enter into a pact, so that it may be a testimony between me and you.45And so Jacob took a stone, and he set it up as a memorial46And he said to his brothers, "Bring stones." And they, gathering together stones, made a tomb, and they ate upon it47And Laban called it, ‘Tomb of Witness,’ and Jacob, ‘Pile of Testimony;’ each of them according to the fitness of his own language48And Laban said: "This tomb will be a witness between me and you this day." (And for this reason, its name has been called Gilead, that is, ‘Tomb of Witness.’49"May the Lord consider and judge between us, when we will have withdrawn from one another50If you afflict my daughters, and if you bring in other wives over them, no one is a witness of our words except God, who understands beforehand.51And again he said to Jacob. "Lo, this tomb and the stone that I have set up between me and you52will be a witness. This tomb," I say, "and the stone, they are for testimony, in case either I cross beyond it going toward you, or you cross beyond it thinking to harm me53May the God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us." Therefore, Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac54And after he had immolated sacrifices on the mountain, he called his brothers to eat bread. And when they had eaten, they lodged there55In truth, Laban rose up in the night, and he kissed his sons and daughters, and he blessed them. And he returned to his place
1Likewise, Jacob continued on the journey that he had begun. And the Angels of God met him2When he had seen them, he said, "These are the Encampments of God." And he called the name of that place Mahanaim, that is, ‘Encampments.3Then he also sent messengers before him to his brother Esau, in the land of Seir, in the region of Edom4And he instructed them, saying: "You shall speak in this way to my lord Esau: ‘Your brother Jacob says these things: "I have sojourned with Laban, and I have been with him until the present day5I have oxen, and donkeys, and sheep, and men servants, and women servants. And now I send an ambassador to my lord, so that I may find favor in your sight." ’ 6And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, "We went to your brother Esau, and behold, he rushes to meet you with four hundred men.7Jacob was very afraid. And in his terror, he divided the people who were with him, likewise the flocks, and the sheep, and the oxen, and the camels, into two companies8saying: "If Esau goes to one company, and strikes it, the other company, which is left behind, will be saved.9And Jacob said: "God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, O Lord who said to me: ‘Return to your land, and to the place of your nativity, and I will do well for you.10I am less than any of your compassions and your truth, which you have fulfilled to your servant. With my staff I crossed over this Jordan. And now I go back with two companies11Rescue me from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am very afraid of him, lest perhaps he may come and strike down the mother with the sons12You did say that you would do well by me, and that you would expand my offspring like the sand of the sea, which, because of its multitude, cannot be numbered.13And when he had slept there that night, he separated, from the things that he had, gifts for his brother Esau14two hundred she-goats, twenty he-goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams15thirty milking camels with their young, forty cows, and twenty bulls, twenty she-donkeys, and ten of their young16And he sent them by the hands of his servants, each flock separately, and he said to his servants: "Pass before me, and let there be a space between flock and flock.17And he instructed the first, saying: "If you happen to meet my brother Esau, and he questions you: "Whose are you?" or, "Where are you going?" or, "Whose are these which follow you?18you shall respond: "Your servant Jacob’s. He has sent them as a gift to my lord Esau. And he is also coming after us.19Similarly, he gave orders to the second, and the third, and to all who followed the flocks, saying: "Speak these same words to Esau, when you find him20And you will add: ‘Your servant Jacob himself also follows after us, for he said: "I will appease him with the gifts that go ahead, and after this, I will see him; perhaps he will be gracious to me." ’ 21And so the gifts went before him, but he himself lodged that night in the camp22And when he had arisen early, he took his two wives, and the same number of handmaids, with his eleven sons, and he crossed over the ford of Jabbok23And having delivered over all the things that belonged to him24he remained alone. And behold, a man wrestled with him until morning25And when he saw that he would not be able to overcome him, he touched the nerve of his thigh, and immediately it withered26And he said to him, "Release me, for now the dawn ascends." He responded, "I will not release you, unless you bless me.27Therefore he said, "What is your name?" He answered, "Jacob.28But he said, "Your name will not be called Jacob, but Israel; for if you have been strong against God, how much more will you prevail against men?29Jacob questioned him, "Tell me, by what name are you called?" He responded, "Why do you ask my name?" And he blessed him in the same place30And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, "I have seen God face to face, and my soul has been saved.31And immediately the sun rose upon him, after he had crossed beyond Peniel. Yet in truth, he limped on his foot32For this reason, the sons of Israel, even to the present day, do not eat the nerve that withered in Jacob’s thigh, because he touched the nerve of his thigh and it was obstructed