Genesis

God created the universe, starting with light, then separating the light from darkness, and naming them day and night. He then created a firmament to divide the waters, calling it heaven, and gathered the waters under the firmament, creating the seas and dry land, which he called earth. God continued to create, making plants, lights in the firmament, including the sun, moon, and stars, and filling the waters and land with living creatures. Finally, God created man in his own image, male and female, and gave them dominion over the earth and all its creatures, providing them with food and instructing them to multiply and fill the earth.

God completed creation and rested on the seventh day, blessing and sanctifying it. The earth was initially barren, but a fountain brought forth water to irrigate the land, and God formed man from the earth's clay, breathing life into him. God planted a paradise, placing the man in it to care for it, and instructed him not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. God created animals and brought them to Adam to name, but none were a suitable helper for him, so God created a woman from one of Adam's ribs while he was in a deep sleep.

The serpent deceived Eve into eating the forbidden fruit from the tree in the middle of Paradise, and she gave some to Adam, who also ate. As a result, they realized they were naked and hid from God. When questioned, Adam blamed Eve, and Eve blamed the serpent. God then cursed the serpent, and also punished Adam and Eve, declaring that Eve would experience pain in childbirth and be under Adam's power, and that Adam would have to work hard to eat from the land. God then expelled Adam and Eve from Paradise, placing Cherubim to guard the tree of life.

Eve gave birth to Cain and Abel, with Cain working as a farmer and Abel as a shepherd. The Lord accepted Abel's offering but not Cain's, leading to Cain's anger and ultimately the murder of Abel. The Lord cursed Cain, condemning him to be a vagrant and fugitive, but also placed a seal on him to protect him from being killed. Cain went on to have a son named Enoch and built a city, while Adam had another son named Seth after Abel's death.

The passage describes the lineage of Adam, listing the descendants from Adam to Noah, including their ages at the time of the birth of their sons and the total number of years they lived. Each descendant is mentioned along with the years they lived after the birth of their son, and the total years of their life. Enoch is noted for walking with God and being taken by God without dying. The passage concludes with Lamech's son Noah, who is born when Lamech is 182 years old, and Noah's sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth are born when Noah is 500 years old.

The sons of God took wives from the daughters of men, and their offspring became powerful men of renown. God saw the wickedness of men and regretted creating them, deciding to eliminate them along with the other living things on earth. However, Noah found favor with God, who instructed him to build an ark to save himself, his family, and two of every kind of animal from a great flood that would destroy the earth. Noah obeyed God's instructions and prepared the ark for the coming flood.

The Lord instructed Noah to enter the ark with his household and to take seven pairs of clean animals and two pairs of unclean animals, as well as seven pairs of birds, to preserve their offspring. Noah obeyed the Lord's command and entered the ark with his family and the animals. The Lord then sent a great flood that lasted for 40 days and 40 nights, destroying every living thing on earth, except for Noah and those with him in the ark. The floodwaters covered the earth for 150 days.

God remembered Noah and the creatures in the ark, causing the floodwaters to recede, and the ark came to rest on the mountains of Armenia. Noah released a raven and a dove to determine if the waters had receded, and after the dove returned with an olive branch, he knew the waters had ceased. After waiting, Noah opened the ark and saw the dry earth, and God told him to exit the ark with his family and the animals, instructing them to multiply and fill the earth. Noah then built an altar and offered sacrifices to the Lord, who vowed never to curse the earth again due to humanity's evil nature.

God blessed Noah and his sons, instructing them to multiply and fill the earth, and giving them dominion over the animals, with the exception that they were not to eat flesh with blood. God also established a covenant with Noah and his descendants, promising never again to destroy the earth with a flood, and designating the rainbow as a sign of this covenant. After the flood, Noah became a farmer, planted a vineyard, and became drunk, leading to an incident in which his son Ham saw him naked, while his other sons, Shem and Japheth, covered him without looking. As a result, Noah cursed Ham's son Canaan, declaring that he would be a servant to his brothers.

The descendants of Noah's three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, are listed, along with their various offspring and the regions they inhabited. The sons of Japheth are Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras, while the sons of Ham are Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. Cush's descendants include Nimrod, a powerful hunter, and the founders of various cities in the land of Shinar. The sons of Shem are Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram, and their descendants include the ancestors of the Hebrews. The chapter concludes by noting that the nations of the earth were divided according to these descendants after the great flood.

The people of the earth, united in one language, built a city and tower in the land of Shinar, intending to reach heaven and make a name for themselves. God, seeing their unity and determination, decided to confound their language and scatter them across the earth, thus halting the construction of the city, which was then called Babel. The chapter then shifts to the genealogy of Shem, listing his descendants, including Abram, Nahor, and Haran, and their wives and children. The chapter concludes with Terah, Abram's father, leading his family from Ur of the Chaldeans to Haran, where he eventually dies.

The Lord instructed Abram to leave his homeland and family, promising to make him a great nation, bless him, and bless those who bless him. Abram obeyed, taking his wife Sarai and nephew Lot with him to the land of Canaan, where the Lord appeared to him and promised the land to his offspring. However, a famine led Abram to Egypt, where he asked Sarai to pretend to be his sister to protect himself from the Egyptians. The Egyptians took Sarai into Pharaoh's house, but the Lord afflicted Pharaoh's household with plagues until Pharaoh discovered the truth and ordered Abram to leave with his wife and possessions.

Abram and Lot, who had become wealthy, returned to the region between Bethel and Hai, but their combined possessions were too great for them to live together. A conflict arose between their shepherds, so Abram proposed that they separate, offering Lot the choice of land. Lot chose the region around the Jordan, which was fertile and resembled the Paradise of the Lord, and settled in Sodom, while Abram remained in Canaan. The Lord then appeared to Abram, promising to give him and his offspring all the land he could see, and Abram built an altar to the Lord in Hebron.

Chedorlaomer, king of the Elamites, and three other kings went to war against five kings of the region, including the king of Sodom, and defeated them. The king of Sodom and the king of Gomorrah fell into pits of bitumen, and the victors took Lot, Abram's nephew, and his possessions. Abram gathered 318 men and pursued the enemy, defeating them and rescuing Lot. After the battle, Abram was blessed by Melchizedek, the king of Salem, and refused to take any spoils from the king of Sodom, except for what his men had eaten.

God appeared to Abram in a vision, promising to protect him and give him a great reward, but Abram expressed concern about not having an heir. God reassured Abram that his heir would be a biological son, and to illustrate the multitude of his offspring, God told Abram to count the stars. Abram believed God and was considered righteous. God then made a covenant with Abram, promising to give his offspring the land from the Nile to the Euphrates, and Abram was told that his descendants would be enslaved in a foreign land for 400 years before returning to the promised land.

Sarai, Abram's wife, unable to conceive, gave her Egyptian handmaid Hagar to Abram as a wife, and Hagar became pregnant. However, Hagar began to despise Sarai, who then afflicted her, causing Hagar to flee. The Angel of the Lord found Hagar and instructed her to return to Sarai and humble herself, also promising to multiply her offspring and naming her unborn son Ishmael. Hagar returned and gave birth to Ishmael when Abram was 86 years old.

God appeared to 99-year-old Abraham, establishing a covenant with him, promising to multiply him and make him the father of many nations, and renaming him from Abram to Abraham. God also promised to give Abraham and his offspring the land of Canaan as an eternal possession. As a sign of the covenant, God instructed Abraham to circumcise all the males in his household, including himself and his 13-year-old son Ishmael. Abraham obeyed God's instructions, circumcising himself, Ishmael, and all the males in his household on the same day.

The Lord appeared to Abraham in the form of three men, and Abraham showed them hospitality by offering them food and drink. The Lord then revealed to Abraham that his wife Sarah would have a son, despite her advanced age, and Sarah laughed in disbelief. The Lord then discussed with Abraham the impending destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah due to their great sin, and Abraham interceded for the cities, asking the Lord to spare them if there were any righteous people present. The Lord agreed to spare the cities if a certain number of righteous people could be found, and Abraham continued to negotiate with the Lord, eventually getting the number down to ten.

Two angels visited Lot in Sodom, and he welcomed them into his home, but the men of the city surrounded the house, demanding that Lot hand over the angels so they could abuse them. Lot refused and offered his daughters instead, but the angels intervened, striking the men with blindness. The angels then warned Lot to leave the city with his family, as the Lord was about to destroy it. Lot's sons-in-law did not take the warning seriously, but the angels forced Lot, his wife, and daughters to flee. Lot's wife looked back and was turned into a statue of salt. The Lord then destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and sulfur. Lot and his daughters eventually settled in a cave, where the daughters got their father drunk and slept with him, resulting in the births of Moab and Ammon, the ancestors of the Moabites and Ammonites.

Abraham told Abimelech, the king of Gerar, that his wife Sarah was his sister, and Abimelech took her as his own. However, God appeared to Abimelech in a dream and warned him that he would die if he did not return Sarah to Abraham, as she was a married woman. Abimelech, realizing his mistake, returned Sarah to Abraham and also gave him gifts of livestock and servants. Abraham then prayed for Abimelech, and God healed him and his household, restoring their fertility.

Sarah gave birth to Isaac, as God had promised, and Abraham circumcised him on the eighth day. When Isaac was weaned, Sarah saw Ishmael, the son of Hagar, playing with Isaac and told Abraham to cast out Hagar and Ishmael, which Abraham did reluctantly. However, God reassured Abraham that Ishmael would also become a great nation. Hagar and Ishmael wandered in the wilderness until they ran out of water, but God heard Ishmael's cry and led Hagar to a well, and Ishmael grew up to become a skilled archer. Meanwhile, Abraham made a pact with Abimelech, king of the Philistines, over a disputed well, and they swore an oath of peace.

God tested Abraham by instructing him to offer his only son Isaac as a sacrifice on a mountain. Abraham obeyed, taking Isaac and two servants to the mountain, where he prepared to sacrifice Isaac, but an angel intervened, stopping him from harming his son. Instead, Abraham offered a ram caught in thorns as a sacrifice, and God blessed him, promising to multiply his offspring and bless all nations through them. After the event, Abraham returned to Beersheba, and news of his brother Nahor's family, including the birth of Rebekah, was reported to him.

Sarah died at the age of 127 in Hebron, and Abraham mourned her death. He asked the sons of Heth for a place to bury her, and they offered him any of their sepulchers. Abraham instead asked to purchase a field with a double cave from Ephron, and after some negotiations, Ephron agreed to sell it to him for 400 shekels of silver. Abraham then buried Sarah in the cave and the field was confirmed to him as a possession.

Abraham instructed his servant to find a wife for Isaac from among his relatives in Mesopotamia, warning him not to take a wife from the Canaanites. The servant traveled to the city of Nahor and prayed for guidance, asking that the woman who would offer him a drink and also offer to water his camels would be the one chosen by God for Isaac. Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel, fulfilled this request, and the servant gave her gifts and asked her family for permission to take her as a wife for Isaac. After receiving their blessing, Rebekah agreed to go with the servant, and they set out for Abraham's home. When they arrived, Isaac met Rebekah and took her as his wife, and he loved her deeply.

Abraham took another wife, Keturah, who bore him six sons, and Abraham gave all his possessions to Isaac, but gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them away. Abraham died at 175 years old and was buried by his sons Isaac and Ishmael in the cave he had bought from the Hittites. Ishmael lived to be 137 years old and had 12 sons who became princes of their tribes. Isaac married Rebekah at 40 years old and she gave birth to twins, Esau and Jacob, with Esau being born first but Jacob holding onto his heel, and Esau later sold his birthright to Jacob for a meal.

Isaac went to Abimelech, king of the Palestinians, in Gerar during a famine, but God told him not to go to Egypt and instead to stay in the land and be blessed. Isaac obeyed, but when questioned about his wife Rebekah, he claimed she was his sister, fearing for his life. Abimelech discovered the truth and warned his people not to touch Rebekah. Isaac prospered in the land, but the Palestinians envied him and obstructed his wells, leading Abimelech to ask Isaac to leave. Isaac dug new wells, but the shepherds of Gerar argued over them until he finally found a well without contention, which he named 'Latitude.' Later, Abimelech and his men came to Isaac to make a pact, acknowledging that the Lord was with him, and Isaac sent them away peacefully.

Isaac, now old and blind, asked Esau to hunt and prepare a meal for him so he could bless him before he died. However, Rebekah overheard the conversation and instructed Jacob to disguise himself as Esau and bring her a meal to give to Isaac instead. Jacob did as his mother said, and Isaac, deceived by Jacob's disguise, blessed him with the firstborn's blessing. When Esau returned with his own meal, Isaac realized his mistake and told Esau that the blessing had already been given to Jacob. Esau was furious and vowed to kill Jacob, prompting Rebekah to send Jacob to live with her brother Laban in Haran until Esau's anger subsided.

Isaac instructed Jacob not to marry a Canaanite woman, but instead to go to Mesopotamia and find a wife among the daughters of Laban, his maternal uncle. Jacob obeyed and set out for Mesopotamia, while Esau, seeing this, took another wife from the daughters of Ishmael to try to gain favor with his father. Jacob stopped to rest at a place where he had a dream in which God promised to give him the land, make his offspring numerous, and be his guardian. Upon waking, Jacob set up a monument and made a vow to God, promising to worship and tithe to Him if He would be with him and protect him on his journey.

Jacob arrived in Haran and met Rachel, the daughter of his uncle Laban, at a well. He worked for Laban for seven years to marry Rachel, but Laban tricked him into marrying his older daughter Leah instead. After a week, Jacob married Rachel as well, but he preferred her over Leah. Leah, however, bore Jacob four sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah.

Rachel, unable to bear children, gave her handmaid Bilhah to Jacob, and Bilhah bore two sons, Dan and Naphtali. Leah, seeing Rachel's actions, gave her handmaid Zilpah to Jacob, and Zilpah bore two sons, Gad and Asher. Leah then bore three more sons, Issachar, Zebulun, and a daughter, Dinah. God eventually opened Rachel's womb, and she bore a son, Joseph. Jacob then asked Laban to release him and his family, and they agreed on a deal where Jacob would receive any variegated or blemished sheep as his wages. Jacob used a clever trick with branches to ensure the sheep would bear variegated offspring, and he became wealthy as a result.

Jacob, aware of Laban's changed attitude towards him, decides to leave with his wives, children, and possessions. Before departing, he shares his concerns with Rachel and Leah, who agree to leave with him. Unbeknownst to Jacob, Rachel steals her father's idols. Laban discovers Jacob's departure and pursues him, but is warned by God in a dream not to harm him. When Laban catches up to Jacob, he accuses him of stealing his idols and daughters, but Jacob denies the accusations and proposes a pact to ensure their separation. They set up a stone monument as a witness to their agreement, and Laban returns home after blessing his children and grandchildren.

Jacob, continuing his journey, encounters angels of God and sends messengers to his brother Esau, informing him of his return and offering gifts in an attempt to appease him. However, upon learning that Esau is approaching with 400 men, Jacob becomes fearful and divides his people and livestock into two groups, hoping to save one if the other is attacked. Jacob then prays to God for protection and separates gifts for Esau, sending them ahead with his servants. That night, Jacob wrestles with a mysterious man, who touches his thigh and renames him Israel, and Jacob names the place Peniel, saying he has seen God face to face.

Jacob, seeing Esau approaching with 400 men, divided his family into groups and placed the handmaids and their children first, followed by Leah and her sons, and finally Rachel and Joseph. Esau ran to meet Jacob, embracing and kissing him, and Jacob presented his family to Esau. Jacob offered Esau a gift, which Esau initially refused but eventually accepted, and Esau invited Jacob to travel with him, but Jacob declined, citing the need to care for his flocks and children. Esau returned to Seir, and Jacob settled in Succoth, then moved to Salem, where he bought a field and built an altar to God.

Shechem, the son of Hamor, saw Dinah, Jacob's daughter, and took her by force, then asked for her hand in marriage. Jacob's sons were outraged and agreed to let Shechem marry Dinah if he and all the males in the city were circumcised. Shechem and the men of the city agreed, but on the third day after the circumcision, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, killed all the males in the city, including Shechem and Hamor, and took Dinah back. The other sons of Jacob then plundered the city, taking livestock, wives, and children captive.

God instructed Jacob to go to Bethel and build an altar, so Jacob gathered his household and told them to get rid of their foreign gods and purify themselves. They gave Jacob their foreign gods and earrings, which he buried under a terebinth tree near Shechem. Jacob then built an altar at Luz, also known as Bethel, and God appeared to him again, renaming him Israel and promising to make him the father of many nations. Jacob's wife Rachel died in childbirth and was buried on the way to Ephrath, and Jacob later went to visit his father Isaac, who died at the age of 180 and was buried by his sons Esau and Jacob.

Esau, also known as Edom, married three women: Adah, Basemath, and Oholibamah, and had several sons with them. He and his family became wealthy and moved to Mount Seir, separating from his brother Jacob. The chapter lists the descendants of Esau, including his sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons, as well as the leaders of the Edomites. It also lists the kings of Edom, who ruled before the Israelites had a king, and the leaders of the Horites, the original inhabitants of the land of Edom.

Jacob's son Joseph, 17 years old, was hated by his brothers due to their father's favoritism towards him. Joseph shared two dreams with his brothers, which they interpreted as a sign that he would rule over them, further fueling their hatred. Jacob sent Joseph to check on his brothers who were pasturing their flocks at Shechem, but they conspired to kill him when they saw him approaching. However, they decided to sell him to Ishmaelite merchants instead, who took him to Egypt and sold him to Potiphar, a eunuch of Pharaoh. Meanwhile, Jacob was deceived into believing that Joseph had been killed by a wild beast.

Judah married a Canaanite woman and had three sons, Er, Onan, and Shelah. Er married Tamar but was wicked and killed by the Lord. Judah told Onan to marry Tamar, but Onan refused to give her children, and the Lord also killed him. Judah promised Tamar that she could marry Shelah when he grew up, but he did not keep his promise. Tamar disguised herself as a prostitute and had sex with Judah, who did not recognize her, and she became pregnant. When Judah discovered Tamar was pregnant, he ordered her to be burned, but she revealed that the father was the owner of a ring, bracelet, and staff that Judah had given her. Judah acknowledged his guilt and took responsibility for Tamar's pregnancy. Tamar gave birth to twins, Perez and Zerah.

Joseph was purchased by Potiphar, an Egyptian army leader, and prospered under his care due to God's presence with him. Joseph found favor with Potiphar and was put in charge of his household, which God blessed and prospered as a result. However, Potiphar's wife attempted to seduce Joseph, who refused, citing his loyalty to Potiphar and his fear of sinning against God. After Joseph fled from her advances, she falsely accused him of attempting to seduce her, and as a result, Joseph was imprisoned, where he again found favor with the prison leader due to God's presence with him.

Pharaoh's cupbearer and miller of grain offended him and were imprisoned, where they met Joseph. Both men had dreams on the same night, and Joseph interpreted them: the cupbearer would be restored to his position in three days, while the miller would be executed in three days. Joseph asked the cupbearer to remember him and help him get out of prison. The interpretations came true on Pharaoh's birthday, but the cupbearer forgot about Joseph.

Pharaoh had two dreams that no one could interpret, so the chief cupbearer remembered Joseph, who had accurately interpreted his dream in prison. Joseph was brought before Pharaoh and interpreted the dreams, explaining that seven years of abundance would be followed by seven years of famine. Joseph advised Pharaoh to store a fifth of the grain from the abundant years to prepare for the famine. Pharaoh was pleased with Joseph's wisdom and appointed him as governor over Egypt, giving him authority over the entire land. Joseph was 30 years old when he took this position and he traveled throughout Egypt, storing grain in every city. During the seven years of abundance, Joseph had two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, and when the famine arrived, he sold grain to the Egyptians and people from other provinces who came to buy food.

Jacob sends ten of his sons to Egypt to buy grain, keeping Benjamin at home for fear of harm. Joseph, now governor of Egypt, recognizes his brothers but they do not recognize him, and he accuses them of being scouts, testing their honesty by imprisoning them for three days. He then releases them, keeping Simeon as a hostage, and orders them to return with their youngest brother to prove their story. The brothers return to Jacob, telling him of their encounter with the Egyptian governor, and Jacob is reluctant to let Benjamin go, fearing for his safety.

Jacob sends his sons back to Egypt to buy food, but they must take Benjamin with them as Joseph had demanded. The brothers return with gifts and double the money, and they are welcomed into Joseph's house. Joseph is overjoyed to see Benjamin and weeps in his chamber before composing himself and joining his brothers for a meal. The brothers are amazed by the seating arrangement and the generous portions they receive, with Benjamin receiving the largest portion.

Joseph instructed his steward to fill the brothers' sacks with grain and secretly place his silver cup in Benjamin's sack. When the brothers departed, Joseph sent his steward to accuse them of stealing the cup. The brothers denied the accusation, but the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. The brothers returned to Joseph, who declared that Benjamin would be his servant, but the others could go free. Judah pleaded with Joseph to spare Benjamin, explaining that their father would be devastated if Benjamin did not return, and offered to take Benjamin's place as Joseph's servant.

Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers, telling them not to be afraid for selling him into Egypt, as God had sent him ahead to preserve them during the famine. He instructed them to hurry and bring their father Jacob to Egypt, where he would provide for them in the land of Goshen. Joseph then sent his brothers back to Canaan with wagons, provisions, and gifts for their father, and they eventually returned to Jacob, telling him that Joseph was alive and ruler of Egypt. Jacob's spirit was revived when he saw the gifts and heard the news, and he decided to go to Egypt to see Joseph before he died.

Jacob, at God's instruction, sets out for Egypt with his family, and God promises to make him a great nation there. Jacob's sons and their families, a total of 66 people, travel to Egypt, along with two sons born to Joseph in Egypt, making a total of 70 people in Jacob's household. Jacob sends Judah ahead to report to Joseph, who then meets his father in Goshen and weeps with joy. Jacob instructs his sons to tell Pharaoh that they are shepherds, so they can live in the land of Goshen, as the Egyptians despise shepherds.

Joseph presented his brothers to Pharaoh, who granted them the land of Goshen to live and graze their flocks. Joseph's father, Jacob, also met Pharaoh and blessed him. Joseph provided for his family and the Egyptians during the famine, eventually collecting all the money and then the cattle in exchange for food. When the people had no more money or cattle, Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, except for the priests' land, and the people became Pharaoh's servants, giving one-fifth of their crops to the king. Jacob lived in Egypt for 17 years, and before his death, he asked Joseph to promise to bury him in the sepulcher of his ancestors in Canaan.

Jacob, strengthened by the news of Joseph's arrival, sat up in bed and told Joseph about God's promise to increase and multiply his descendants and give them the land of Canaan as an everlasting possession. Jacob then adopted Joseph's two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, as his own, treating them like Reuben and Simeon. Jacob blessed the two boys, crossing his hands to place his right hand on Ephraim's head, despite Joseph's protest that the elder son Manasseh should receive the blessing. Jacob then told Joseph that God would be with him and lead him back to the land of his fathers, and gave him a special portion of land that he had taken from the Amorites.

Jacob gathers his sons to announce what will happen to them in the last days, and he begins by rebuking Reuben for his past transgressions and Simeon and Levi for their violent actions. He then blesses Judah, predicting that he will be a leader and that the scepter will not be taken away from him until the one who is to be sent arrives. Jacob also blesses the other sons, describing their futures and characteristics, before instructing them to bury him with his fathers in the double cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite.

Joseph had his father Jacob embalmed and mourned for 70 days, then asked Pharaoh for permission to bury him in Canaan as Jacob had requested. Pharaoh granted permission, and Joseph, accompanied by Egyptian elders and his family, traveled to Canaan for the burial. After the funeral, Joseph's brothers feared he would seek revenge for their past wrongdoings, but Joseph reassured them that God had turned their evil into good and promised to care for them. Joseph lived in Egypt for 110 years, saw his great-grandchildren, and before his death, made his brothers promise to take his bones with them when they left Egypt.