Chapter 1
1 In an ancient time God created the heavens and the earth. 2 But the earth was unsightly and unfinished, darkness covered its depths, and God’s Breath moved over its waters. 3 Then God spoke, saying, ‘May there be light,’ and light came to be. 4 And God saw that the light was good. Then God created a division between the light and the darkness. 5 He called the light day and the darkness night. So came the evening and morning of day one.
6 And God spoke, saying, ‘May there be space between all the water, and a dividing of the waters and the waters,’ and that’s what happened. 7 God made the space and [He] divided the waters that were under the space from the waters that were over the space. 8 And God called that space the sky. And God saw that this was good. So came the evening and morning of day two.
9 Then God said, ‘May the waters under the sky be brought together in one place so the land can be seen,’ and that’s what happened. 10 God called the land earth and the collected waters the seas, and God saw that this was good. 11 Then God spoke, saying, ‘May the land sprout with pastures of grasses that bear seeds [each] of its own kind and appearance. And may there be fruit trees that bear fruit with its seeds, [each] of its own kind.’ And that’s what happened. 12 The ground sprouted with pastures of grass that [each] bore seeds of its own kind and appearance, and the fruit trees bore fruit with their seeds, [each] of its own kind, upon the earth. And God saw that this was good. 13 So came the evening and morning of day three.
14 Then God spoke, saying, ‘May there be lights in the heavenly space to illuminate the earth and to make the division between day and night. And may they serve as signs for the seasons, days, and years. 15 May they also serve as lights for the space in heaven and on the earth, and that’s what happened. 16 God made the two huge lights; the greater light to dominate the day, and the lesser light and stars to dominate the night. 17 And God assigned them space in the heavens to shine on the earth, 18 to dominate over the day and night, and to make the division between light and darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 So came the evening and morning of day four.
20 And God spoke, saying, ‘Let the water give birth to living, slithering animals, as well as to winged creatures to fly above the earth in the space of the skies.’ And that’s what happened. 21 God made the huge sea creatures and all the living, slithering animals, which the seas gave birth to, each of its own kind, and all the winged creatures that fly, each of its own kind. And God saw that they were good. 22 Then God blest them, saying, ‘Reproduce and multiply in the water until you fill the seas. And let the winged creatures multiply on the earth.’ 23 So came the evening and morning of day five.
24 And God spoke, saying, ‘Let the land give birth to living animals, each of its own kind… four-footed animals, slithering animals, and wild animals of the earth, each of its own kind.’ And that’s what happened. 25 Then God made the wild animals of the earth, each of its own kind; the herding animals, each of its own kind; and all the earth’s slithering animals, each of its own kind. And God saw that they were good.
26 Then God spoke, saying, ‘Let’s make man like us and in our image. Then [we will] appoint him to be over the fish of the seas, the winged creatures of the skies, the herding animals of the ground, and all the slithering animals that crawl on the ground.’
27 So, God made man. He made him in the image of God. He made them both – the male and the female – 28 and God blest them, saying, ‘Reproduce and multiply… fill the earth and control it. Rule over the fish of the seas, the winged creatures of the skies, all the herding animals of the ground, all the slithering animals that crawl on the ground, and the whole earth.’
29 Then God said, ‘Look, I have given you all the seed-bearing plants upon the entire earth for [you to] plant, as well as all the seed-bearing trees for [you to] plant as your food. 30 And [I have given] greenish-yellow plants as food to all the earth’s wild animals, all the winged creatures of the sky, and all the slithering animals that crawl on the ground and have life’s breath.’ And that’s what happened.
31 Then God viewed everything He made, and Look; it was very good. So came the evening and morning of day six.
Chapter 2
1 So God finished the earth and sky, and all the arranging of them. 2 God completed his work of making these things on the sixth day. And on the seventh day, He stopped making them. 3 Then God blest the seventh day and made it holy, because He had finished all the work that He started out to do.
4 This was the book of the origins of the earth and the sky – when they became – in the day that God made the earth and sky; 5 when all the greenish-yellow plants on it began on the earth, and all the grasses of the fields sprung up.
[Until that time] it had never rained on the earth and there were no men to cultivate it, 6 for springs poured from the ground and watered the entire face of the earth.
7 Then God formed man from the dust of the ground, breathed the breath of life against his face, and He became a living creature.
8 Then God planted a Paradise on the east side of Edem, where He put the man who He had formed. 9 There God caused every tree that was attractive to look at and good for food to spring from the ground. [He also] put the Tree of Life in the middle of the Paradise, as well as the tree of the Knowledge Good and Evil.
10 A river flowed from Edem to water the Paradise. And from there [came the] head [waters] of four [rivers]. 11
The name of the [first river] is Phison. It circles the entire land of
15 Then Jehovah God took the man that He had formed and put him in the Paradise of Delights, so He could cultivate and care for it. 16 And Jehovah God gave these instructions to Adam: ‘You are free to eat from all the trees of Paradise, 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Bad. Because, on whatever day you eat from it, your life will end and you will die.’
18 And Jehovah God said: ‘It isn’t good for the man to be alone. Let’s make a helper for him.’
19 Thereafter, God had made all the wild animals of the plains and all the winged creatures of the skies from the earth. Then He brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living animal was what its name became. 20 So, Adam named all the cattle, all the winged creatures of the sky, and all the wild animals of the plains. Yet, a suitable helper that was like Adam couldn’t be found.
21 God then put Adam into a trance, and while he was sleeping, took one of his ribs and filled the place where it was with flesh. 22 So, God built the rib that He took from Adam into a woman and brought her to Adam. 23 And Adam said, ‘This is now bone from my bones and flesh from my flesh. She will be called woman, because she was taken from man. 24 And because of this, a man will leave his father and mother and bond with his wife; and the two will become one flesh.’
Chapter 3
1 Now, both of them (the man and the woman) were naked and unashamed.
2 And the snake was the wiliest animal that Jehovah had made on the earth. Then the snake asked the woman, ‘Why did God tell you that you shouldn’t eat from all the trees of Paradise?’
3 And the woman replied to the snake: ‘We can eat the fruit from the trees of Paradise, but God said that we shouldn’t eat the fruit from the tree in the middle of Paradise – that we shouldn’t even touch it – or we will die.’
4 Then the snake told the woman, ‘You won’t stop living and die, 5 for God knows that on whatever day you eat from it your eyes will be opened wide and you will be like gods knowing good and evil.’
6 Well, the woman saw that the tree was good for food; it was a pleasant sight to her eyes; and it was a beautiful thing to think about. So, after picking its fruit, she ate it. Then she gave some to her husband (who was with her), and they ate it [together]. 7 And thereafter, the eyes of both of them were opened wide and they realized that they were naked. So, they sewed fig leaves together and made skirts to go around themselves.
8 Then they heard the voice of God Jehovah as He walked around in Paradise that afternoon. So, Adam and his wife hid from the face of God Jehovah, among the trees of Paradise.
9 And Jehovah God called to Adam, saying, ‘Where are you Adam?’
10 And [Adam] replied to God: ‘I heard Your voice as You were walking through Paradise, but I was afraid because of my nakedness, so I hid myself.’
11 Then God asked him: ‘If you haven’t eaten from the only tree that I commanded you not to eat from, then, who told you that you were naked?’
12 And Adam replied: ‘That woman You gave me as a companion; she gave me some [fruit] from the tree, and I ate it.’
13 Then Jehovah God asked the woman: ‘Why did you do this?’
And the woman replied: ‘The snake deceived me, so I ate it.’
14 Then Jehovah God said to the snake: ‘Because you did this, you [alone] are doomed to punishment among all the cattle and wild animals of the earth. You will travel on your chest and belly, and you will eat from the ground all the days of your life. 15 I will create hatred between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will watch for your head and you will watch for his heel.’
16 Then He said to the woman: ‘I will make your sorrow and groaning [much] worse. For, you will give birth to children and groan, And your husband will turn away from you and he will become your master.’
17 Then He said to Adam: ‘Because you listened to your wife’s voice and ate from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from (and from which you went ahead and ate), the work that you will do on the earth is cursed. You will groan as you eat from it all the days of your life. 18 Briars and thistles will grow for you, and your food will be plants in the fields. 19 You will eat your bread through the sweat on your face until you return to the ground from which you were taken… you were taken from the ground and that’s where you will return.’
20 So, Adam called his wife’s name Life, because she was the mother of all [human] life.
21 Then Jehovah God made leather clothing for Adam and his wife, and dressed them. 22 And God said, ‘Look, Adam has become one of us now in knowing good and evil. So, to prevent him from reaching his hand out to take and eat from the Tree of Life and seeking life for the ages…’ 23 Then Jehovah God put Adam outside the Paradise of Delights to work the ground that he was taken from. 24 He threw Adam out and made him live next to the Paradise of Delights. Then He stationed the [heavenly] cherubs with their flaming, spinning swords to keep watch over the Tree of Life.
Chapter 4
1 Adam had [sexual relations] with his wife so she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. And she said, ‘I have gained a man through God.’ 2 Then she again gave birth to his brother, Abel. Able [grew up to be] a herder of sheep, while Cain worked the ground.
3 After many days, Cain brought some of the fruit of the ground as a sacrifice to Jehovah, 4 while Able brought the first-born of his sheep and of his belongings. And God looked favorably upon Able and his gifts, 5 but He didn’t pay any attention to Cain and to his sacrifices. So, Cain was very sad and his face [reflected] this. 6 Then Jehovah God asked Cain: ‘Why are you so sad and why is your face so long? 7 Stop being so offended and take your stand for an end to sins, because, [Able] will submit to you and you will [rule] over him.’
8 But thereafter, Cain said to his brother Able: ‘Let’s go into the fields.’ Then, while they were in their fields, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
9 And when Jehovah God asked Cain, ‘Where is your brother?’, he replied, ‘I don’t know. Am I my brother’s bodyguard?’
10 Then Jehovah asked, ‘What have you done? I hear the blood of your brother calling to me from the ground. 11 Now you are cursed by the earth that has opened her mouth to [drink] the blood of your brother from your hand. 12 So, when you work the ground it will [no longer] give you its strength and you will groan and shake on the earth.’
13 Then Cain told Jehovah God, ‘My crime is too great for me to [ever] be forgiven. 14 And Cain said to Jehovah God, ‘If you [drive me away] into the land today – away from Your face today where I will be hidden from You and where I must groan and tremble on the land – then anyone who finds me will kill me.’
15 And Jehovah God replied, ‘That isn’t so. Whoever kills Cain will pay seven penalties.’ Then Jehovah God put a mark on Cain, so that nobody who found him would kill him.
16 At that, Cain left the presence of God and lived in Nod, which borders Edem.
17 Next, Cain [had sex] with his wife and she became pregnant,
giving birth to Enoch. [Then Cain] built a city, which he named after his son, Enoch. 18
Enoch fathered GaiDad; GaiDad fathered MalaleEl; MalaleEl fathered MethuSelah;
MethuSelah fathered Lamech. 19 Lamech married two wives; the first was
23 Then Lamech told his wives (
25 Adam [again had sex with] his wife Eue and she became pregnant, giving birth to a son who she named Seth. For she said: ‘God has [provided me with] another son to replace Abel, who was killed by Cain.’
26 Then Seth had a son who he named Enosh. He’s the one who hoped to [start] calling on the Name of God Jehovah.
Chapter 5
1 This was the book of the early [days] of man, when God made Adam, forming him in [His] image. 2 He made both the male and the female and blest them. And in the day that He made them, He called his name Adam.
3 Adam was two-hundred and thirty years old when he fathered a son – who was just like him and looked like him – that he named Seth. 4 Then after fathering Seth, Adam lived on for seven-hundred years, as he fathered other sons and daughters. 5 So, Adam was nine-hundred and thirty years old when he died.
6 Now, Seth was two-hundred and five years old when he fathered Enos. 7 And after fathering Enos, he lived on for seven-hundred and seven years, as he fathered other sons and daughters. 8 So, Seth was nine-hundred and twelve years old when he died.
9 Enos was a hundred and ninety years old when he fathered Cainen. 10 Then after fathering Cainen, he lived on for another seven-hundred and fifteen years, as he fathered other sons and daughters. 11 So, Enos was nine-hundred and five years old when he died.
12 Cainen was a hundred and seventy years old when he fathered MaleleEl. 13 Then after fathering MaleleEl, he lived on for some seven-hundred and forty years, as he fathered other sons and daughters. 14 So, Cainen was nine-hundred and ten years old when he died.
15 Now, MaleleEl was a hundred and sixty five years old when he fathered Jared. 16 And after fathering Jared, he lived on for seven-hundred and thirty years, as he fathered other sons and daughters. 17 So, MaleleEl was eight-hundred and ninety-five years old when he died.
18 Jared was a hundred and sixty-two years old when he fathered Enoch. 19 Then after fathering Enoch, he lived on for another eight-hundred years, as he fathered other sons and daughters. 20 So, Jared was nine-hundred and sixty-two years old when he died.
21 Enoch was a hundred and sixty-five years old when he fathered MethuSelah. 22 After fathering MethuSelah, God found Enoch righteous; and he lived on for some two-hundred years, as he fathered other sons and daughters. 23 Then, when Enoch was three-hundred and sixty-five years old, 24 because he pleased God, God transported him and he disappeared.
25 MethuSelah was a hundred and eighty-seven years old when he fathered Lamech. 26 Then after fathering Lamech, he lived on for another seven-hundred and eighty-two years, as he fathered other sons and daughters. 27 So, MethuSelah was nine-hundred and sixty-nine years old when he died.
28 Lamech was a hundred and eighty eight years old when he fathered a son 29 who he named Noah. And he said: ‘He will stop us from doing the things we do, from working with our hands, and from [living on] the ground (which Jehovah has cursed). 30 Then, after fathering Noah, he lived on for some five-hundred and sixty-five years, as he fathered other sons and daughters. 31 So, Lamech was seven-hundred and fifty-three years old when he died.
32 When Noah was five-hundred years old, he had fathered three sons; Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Chapter 6
1 Now, as the population of men grew on the earth and they fathered daughters, 2 the sons of God noticed that the daughters of men were beautiful; so they took all whom they chose to be their wives.
3 Then Jehovah God said: ‘I won’t allow them to retain their breath that allows them to be flesh through the [rest of] the age. So, their [lives] will only last one-hundred and twenty [more] years.’
4 Back then, there were giants on the earth, [because], after the sons of God [had sex with] the daughters of men, the [women] bore children, and these [children] became the giants of that age – the famous men.
5 Now, Jehovah God saw that all the badness that men were doing on the earth was increasing, and that the entire motivation of their hearts was always twisted toward evil. 6 So, God became angry over the fact that He had created man on the earth, and He started thinking it over. 7 And God said: ‘I will wipe these men that I made off the face of the earth – from men, to cattle, and winged creatures of the sky – for I have reconsidered the fact that I made them.’
8 However, Noah found mercy in the eyes of God Jehovah.
9 This is the account of Noah’s generation: Noah was a righteous man… perfect [when compared to] that generation. Noah pleased God well, 10 and he fathered three sons; Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
11 As God saw it, the land had become unclean and the earth was filled with unrighteousness. 12 So, when Jehovah God looked at the earth, all He saw was corruption, because all flesh had become dirty in the things they were doing. 13 So, Jehovah God told Noah: ‘A season is now before me [that will lead to the end of] all men, because the earth is filled with their unrighteousness. Look! I’m going to destroy both them and the ground. 14 So, make a chest of square timbers for yourself and [divide the] chest into stalls. Then cover both the inside and outside of it with tar.
15 ‘This is how you should build the chest: [Make it] five-hundred feet long, eighty feet wide, and fifty feet tall. 16 Then cover it and leave about 20-inches of headroom at the top. Also, put a door in the side of the chest and make a bottom floor, a second floor, and a third floor inside.
17 ‘Then {Look!} I’m going to bring a Downpour of water onto the ground to destroy all flesh under the sky that has the breath of life; and whatever is on the ground will end. 18 Thereafter, I will initiate a Sacred Agreement between you and Me.’
19 ‘[I want you to] bring all [types of] cattle, slithering animals, and wild animals – all [types of] flesh – into the chest, by pairs of males and females. Then bring food for them and yourselves. 20 They should all eat with you, both the males and females… all types of winged creatures, all types of cattle, and all types of slithering animals that crawl along the ground. 21 Gather all types of food for yourselves, so you all will have something eat.’
22 And Noah did everything that Jehovah God told him to do.
Chapter 7
1 Then Jehovah God said to Noah: ‘Now, you and your family must go into the chest, because I have found [just] you to be righteous among this generation. 2 Take the clean cattle in with you by sevens (males and females), and bring in pairs of unclean cattle (males and females). 3 And [do the same with] the winged creatures of the sky. Bring in the clean by sevens (males and females), and [just] pairs of all the unclean winged creatures (males and females), so their seed will remain on the earth. 4 For, in just seven days I will bring rain on the earth [that will last for] forty days and forty nights, and I will blot out every creature that I have made from the face of the entire earth.’
5 So, Noah did everything that Jehovah God commanded him.
6 Noah was six-hundred years old when the Downpour of water started on the earth. 7 Then Noah, his wife, his sons, and their wives, went into the chest with him (because of the Downpour of water). 8 And the clean winged creatures, the unclean winged creatures, the clean cattle, the unclean cattle, as well as all the things that crawl on the earth, 9 came to Noah and entered the chest in pairs of males and females, just as God had commanded Noah. 10 Then after seven days, the water from the Downpour came to the earth.
11 It was in the six-hundredth year of Noah’s life, on the twenty-seventh day of the second month, that all the springs which were under the ground broke open, and the floodgates of the sky were opened. 12 Then it rained on the earth for forty days and forty nights. 13 And it started on the very day that Noah, his wife, Shem, Ham, Japheth (the sons of Noah and his wife), and their three wives went into the chest with him.
14 Also, all the wild animals (each of its kind), all cattle (each of its kind), all the slithering animals that move on the earth (each of its kind), 15 and all the winged creatures (each of its kind) went inside the chest to Noah, in pairs of males and females… everything that had the breath of life. 16 Males and females of all flesh went inside, just as God commanded Noah; then Jehovah God closed the chest from the outside.
17 Thereafter, the Downpour continued on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and the water got so deep that it lifted the chest high above the ground. 18 The water dominated and totally covered the earth, and the chest was carried along on top of the water. 19 Why, the water dominated and covered even the tallest mountains that were under the whole sky. 20 It covered the highest mountains by at least twenty-five feet.
21 So, every moving thing on the earth died… all the men, winged creatures, cattle, wild animals, and all the slithering animals that moved across the ground. 22 Everything that lived on land and had the breath of life, died. 23 God blotted out all His creatures on the face of the earth – men, animals, winged creatures, and slithering animals. He blotted them off the earth. And the only ones left were Noah and those who were with him in the chest. 24 Altogether, the water covered the earth for a hundred and fifty days.
Chapter 8
1 God didn’t forget Noah, or any of the wild animals, the
cattle, the winged creatures, or the crawling, slithering animals that were inside
the chest. So, God sent a wind to the earth that stopped the water… 2 the
springs that were under the ground closed and the
floodgates of the sky and the rain from the skies were held back. 3 Then the
water level started to drop, flowing off the ground. And after a hundred and
fifty days, the flood was pretty well over, and the chest came to rest on
6 Then after forty days, Noah opened the window that he made in the chest 7 and he sent out a raven… which left and didn’t return until the water had dried off the ground. 8 And after that, he sent out a dove, to see if the earth was still flooded. 9 But the dove couldn’t find a place to rest its feet, because the water was still covering all the ground, and it returned to the chest. So, [Noah] stuck out his hand and took [the dove], and brought it to him, back into the chest.
10 So, he waited another week, and then he sent the dove out from the chest again. 11 Then that evening, the dove returned to him with a stem and leaf from an olive tree in its beak. That’s when Noah knew [for sure] that the water had left the ground. 12 But he waited another week, and then he released the dove once more. However, this time it didn’t return at all.
13 In the six-hundred and first year of Noah’s life, on the first day of the first month, the water had poured off the earth. So, Noah opened the roof that he made for the chest, and he could see that the water had left the ground. 14 And by the twenty-second day of the second month, the ground was dry.
15 Then Jehovah God spoke to Noah and said: 16 ‘Come out of the chest… you, your wife, your sons, their wives who are with you, 17 and all the wild animals that are with you. Bring out all flesh that is with you; from the winged creatures to the cattle, and the slithering animals that move on the ground, then reproduce and multiply on the earth.’
18 So, Noah, his wife, his sons, and his son’s wives who were with him, came out. 19 And the all wild animals, all the cattle, all the winged creatures, and all the slithering animals that crawl on the ground (according to their kinds) came out of the chest.
20 Then Noah built an altar to Jehovah, and he took some of the clean animals as well as some from among all the clean winged creatures, and offered them whole… burning them on the altar. 21 And as Jehovah noticed the sweet smell, He thought about it and said, ‘I will never curse the ground again for the bad things that men do. Because, the imagination of men is totally bent toward doing bad things from the time they are young. So, I will never again [destroy] all living flesh as I have just done. 22 And for all the days of the earth, planting and harvesting, heat and cold, spring and summer, day and night, will never be caused to end.’
Chapter 9
1 Thereafter, God blest Noah and his sons, and told them: ‘Reproduce and multiply… fill the earth and rule over it. 2 All the wild animals of the earth, the winged creatures in the sky, and everything that moves on the earth – including the fish of the sea – will dread and fear you. And I have put you in charge over all of them.
3 ‘All living and slithering animals can serve as meat for you. I have given them all to you as though they were green vegetation. 4 But you must not eat flesh with its blood of life. 5 Otherwise, I will require your blood at the hand of all the wild animals. I will also require a man’s life at the hand of his brothers. 6 For, whoever spills the blood of men will also have their blood spilled, because I made man in the image of God. 7 So, reproduce and multiply. Fill the earth and rule over it!’
8 Then God spoke to Noah and his sons (who were with him) and said, 9 ‘Look, I am establishing an Agreement between you and Me… with your seed [that comes] after you, 10 and with everything that lives (the winged creatures, the [domesticated] animals, and all the wild animals of the earth)… all that are with you and came out of the chest. 11 This is the Agreement that I’m making with you and with all flesh: Never again will a Downpour of water kill all flesh, and never again will a water Downpour destroy the whole earth.’
12 Then, Jehovah God told Noah, ‘This is the sign that I have set [as a reminder] of the Agreement between you and Me, and every living creature that is with you for ages of generations: 13 I have put My bow in the clouds. This will serve as the sign of the Agreement between the earth and Me. 14 So, whenever I gather clouds over the earth, My bow will be seen in the clouds. 15 And this will remind Me of My Agreement between you and Me, and with every living creature and all flesh; that never again will there be a Downpour of water that will blot out all flesh. 16 My bow will be in the clouds, and when I see it I will remember the Agreement of the ages between the earth and Me, and with every living creature among all flesh that is on the earth.’
17 Then God told Noah: ‘This is the sign of the Agreement that I have made between all flesh that is on the earth and Myself.’
18 Now, the sons of Noah (who came out of the chest) were
[named] Shem, Ham, and
Japheth. Ham was the father of
20 Noah took up farming and he planted grapes. 21 [Then,
one day], Noah was drinking some wine (while he was naked in his house), and he
got drunk. 22 Then Ham (
24 Well, after Noah recovered from the wine, he realized
what his [grand]son had done to him. 25 So, he said: ‘The servant
28 Well, after the Downpour, Noah lived on for another three-hundred and fifty years. 29 So, he lived for nine-hundred and fifty years, and then he died.
Chapter 10
1 Now, these are the generations of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, Japheth. And these are the sons that were born to them after the Downpour:
2 Japheth’s sons were Gamer,
Magog [the Sythians], Madoi [the Medes], Jovan,
EliSa, Thobel [of Tubal], Mosoch [of Meshech], and Thiras [
3 Gamer’s sons were AsChanaz [Germans], Riphath [of
4 Jovan’s sons were EliShah [of
6 Ham’s sons were Cush [blacks], Mesrain [Egyptian
tribes], Phud [Libyans], and
7 The sons of
The sons of Rhegma were
8
13 Mesrain fathered the Lydim [Lydians], the Maphtuhim
[Egyptians], the AnaMim [Libyans], the Lehabim [people of
15
20 These were the descendents of Ham by tribe, country, language, and nation.
21 Shem
(who was the ancestor of all the sons of Heber and the brother of
[Noah’s] eldest son Japheth) also had children born to him. 22 Shem’s sons were
23
24 Arphaxad fathered Cainan, and he fathered Sala, who fathered Heber. 25 Heber had two sons, the first was named Phaled (because the earth became divided in his day), and his brother’s name was Jektan.
26 Jektan fathered ElModad, Saleth, SarMoth, Jarach, 27
OdorRha, AiBel, Decla, 28 Eval, AbimaEl,
31 So, those were the sons of Shem by tribe, language, country, and nation. 32 And these were the tribes of the sons of Noah by generations and nations. From them came the people of the islands and nations that were scattered around the earth after the Downpour.
Chapter 11
1 [At the time], the whole earth shared the same lips,
because they all spoke the same language. 2 And as they migrated from the east,
they found a flat area of land in
4 Then they said, ‘Come on, let’s build ourselves a city with a tower that reaches into the sky. And let’s create a name for ourselves, before we end up being scattered all over the face of the earth.’
5 Then Jehovah came down to see this city and its tower, which the sons of men had built. 6 And Jehovah said, ‘Look, they are all the same race and they share the same lips, and now they’ve started doing this. [Before long], they will be able to accomplish anything they set out to do. 7 So, let’s go down there and change their language so none of them will be able to understand the voice of his neighbor.’
8 And Jehovah scattered them from there over the entire
face of the earth, so they stopped building the city and its tower. 9 That is
why [the city] is named Confusion (
10 These are the generations of Shem:
Shem was a hundred years old when he became father to
Arphaxad, which was in the second year after the Downpour. 11 And after Shem
became father to Arphaxad, he lived five-hundred more years (fathering other
sons and daughters), and then he died. 12 Arphaxad was a hundred and thirty-five
years old when became father to Cainan. 13 And after Arphaxad became the father to
Cainan, he lived four-hundred years more (as he fathered other sons and
daughters), and then he died. Cainan was a hundred and thirty years old when he became
father to Sala. And after he became father to Sala, he lived three-hundred and
thirty years (as he fathered other sons and daughters), and then he died.
14 Sala was a hundred and thirty years old when he became father to Heber. 15 And after he became father to Heber, he lived three-hundred and thirty years more (as he fathered other sons and daughters), and then he died. 16 Heber was a hundred and thirty-four years old when he became father to Phaleg. 17 After he became father to Phaleg, he lived two-hundred and seventy years (as he fathered other sons and daughters), and then he died. 18 Phaleg was a hundred and thirty years old when he became father to Ragau. 19 After he became father to Ragau, he lived two-hundred and nine years (as he fathered other sons and daughters), and then he died. 20 Ragau was a hundred and thirty-two years old when he became father to Seruch. 21 After he became father to Seruch, he lived two-hundred and seven years (as he fathered other sons and daughters), and then he died.
22 Seruch was a hundred and thirty years old when he
became father to Nahor. 23 And after he became father to Nahor, he lived
two-hundred years (as he fathered other sons and daughters), and then he died. 24 Nahor
was a hundred and seventy-nine years old when he became father to Terah. 25 And
after he became father to Terah, he lived a hundred and twenty-five years (as
he fathered other sons and daughters), and then he died. 26 Terah was seventy years old
when he became father to Abram, Nahor, and
27 These are the generations of Terah:
Terah became father
to Abram, Nahor, and
29 Both Abram and Nahor took wives for themselves. Abram’s
wife was named Sarah, and Nahor’s wife was named Malcha. She was the daughter
of
30 Now, Sara was sterile, so she didn’t have any children.
31 Then Terah took Abram (his son), along with Abram’s
wife Sarah (his daughter-in-law), his grandson
Chapter 12
1 Then Jehovah said to Abram, ‘Leave this land, your family, and your father’s home, and go to a land that I’m going to show you, 2 because I’m going to make a great nation of you. I will praise you, make your name famous, and you will be blest. 3 I will bless those who praise you and curse those who curse you. All nations will be blest because of you.’
4 So, Abram did just as Jehovah told him, and
7 Then Jehovah appeared to Abram and said, ‘I will give this land to your seed.’
So, Abram built an altar there to Jehovah, who had appeared to him.
8 Then he moved on from there to a mountain that was east
of
10 Then there came a famine in the land, so Abram went
down to
14 And so it happened that; when Abram entered
17 However, God cursed Pharaoh and his house with some very serious and difficult problems, because of Sara (Abram’s wife). 18 So, Pharaoh called Abram and asked, ‘What have you done to me? You didn’t tell me that she’s your wife. 19 Why did you tell us that she was your sister? Look, I’ve already taken her as my wife. Now, there’s your wife standing before you. She’s yours, so take her and leave quickly!’
20 Then Pharaoh gave his men instructions about Abram, to accompany him and his wife on their way, along with all the things that they had.
Chapter 13
1 So, Abram left
6
10 So,
Now, as Abram lived in the
14 So, God said to Abram (after
18 Then Abram packed up his tent and took up living by the
big tree of Mamre (in
Chapter 14
1 It was during the reign of Amarphal (the king of
Shinaar) and Arioch (the king of ElLasar), that ChodolLogomor 2 (the king of
Elam) and Thargal (the king of the Gentiles)
went to war against Balla (the king of Sodom), Barsa (the king of Gomorrah),
Shinar (the king of Adama), Symobor (the king of Seboim), and Segor (the king
of Balac). 3 So, they all agreed to meet together at the
5 So, in the fourteenth year, ChodolLogomor and his allies attacked, cutting the giants in AstarOth and Carnain to pieces, along with the strong nations that were their allies, the Ommeans in the city Saue, 6 the Chorrheans in the mountains of Seir, all the way to the turpentine trees of Pharan (in the desert). 7 And on their return, they stopped at the Well of Judgment (Cades), where they cut to pieces all the princes of Amalec and the Amorites who were living in AsasonThamar.
8 And then the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Adama, Seboim, and Balac (Segor), went out and set up battle lines against them in the Salt Valley 9 – against ChodolLogomor (king of Elam), Thargal (king of the Gentiles), Amarphal (king of Shinaar), and Arioch (the king of ElLasar) – the four against five.
10 Now, there were slime pits in the
13 Then one of those who had been rescued came and told
Abram (the Hebrew) [what had
happened], while he
was living by the large tree of Mamre. ([Mamre] was an Amorite,
the brother of Eschol and Aunan, who were allies of Abram). 14 And when Abram
heard that his nephew Lot had been captured, he gathered
three hundred and eighteen of his personal home-born servants, and
pursued them all the way to Dan. 15 Then he and his servants caught up
with them at night and attacked them, then they pursued them all the way to Choba, which is to the left of
Damascus. 16 Finally, he recovered all the horses of
17 And after he returned from the slaughter of ChodolLogomor and the kings that were with him, the king of Sodom went out to the valley of Saby (the Plain of the King) to meet him.
18 Then, MelchiZedek (the king of
Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
21 And the king of
22 And Abram said to the king of Sodom, ‘I swear by Jehovah the Most High God who made the heavens and the earth, 23 that I won’t take anything from you – from a piece of string to a shoe lace – so you can’t say, I made Abram rich. 24 [I will take] nothing other that what the young men have eaten, and the share that belongs to the men that went with me… Eschol, Aunan, and Mamre… they will take a portion.’
Chapter 15
1 After that, Jehovah sent word to Abram in a vision, saying: ‘Don’t be afraid, Abram, for I am your shield! You will have a huge reward.’ 2 Then, Abram said, ‘Almighty Jehovah, what can You give me, since I’m about to die without a son? EliEzer of Damascus, the son of my home-born female slave Masek, is my heir.’ 3 And Abram continued, ‘I’m so very sad, because You haven’t given me a seed. So, my home-born servant will be my heir.’
4 And immediately, Jehovah said to him, ‘He won’t be your heir. The one who comes from you will be your heir.’ 5 Then He took him outside and said, ‘Look up into the sky and count the stars… that is, if you can come up with an accurate count.’ And He said, ‘This is how your seed will be.’
6 So, Abram believed God, and that was counted to him as righteousness.
7 Then [God] said to him: ‘I am the God that brought you out of the land of the Chaldeans to give you this land as an inheritance.’
8 And [Abram] said: ‘My Lord and Master, how can I know [for sure] that I will inherit it?’
9 And He replied: ‘Collect for Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old nanny goat, a three-year-old billy goat, a dove, and a pigeon.’
10 So, he brought all three of [the animals] to Him, cut them in half, and set them opposite each other. However, he didn’t cut the winged creatures in half. 11 Then birds started landing on the bodies, even on the cut-up parts. And Abram sat down next to them.
12 It was about sunset that Abram fell into a trance and {Look!} he had an ominous premonition. 13 Then Abram was told, ‘You must know this for a fact; that your seed will have to live as aliens in a foreign land where they will be slaves who are treated badly and humbled for four-hundred years. 14 Then I will judge the nation that they are to serve, and following that, [your seed] will return here with many possessions. 15 However, you will return to your fathers in peace, well fed, at a ripe old age. 16 Then they will return here after four generations, because; even to this point the sins of the Amorites haven’t reached their climax.’
17 And as the sun was setting, {look!} there was a flame that looked like a smoking furnace, and like lamp fires that moved between the divided pieces [of the animals]. 18 This was the day when Jehovah made a Sacred Agreement with Abram. He said, ‘I will give this land – from the [Nile] River of Egypt to the great Euphrates River – to your seed, 19 as well as the Kenites, the Kenezites, the Kedmoneans, the Hittites, the Pherezites, the Raphaim, 20 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Evites, the Gergesites and the Jebusites.’
Chapter 16
1 Sara, Abram’s wife, hadn’t given him any children. However, she had an Egyptian handmaid whose name was Hagar. 2 And Sara said to Abram: ‘Look, Jehovah has kept me from getting pregnant, so, [sleep with] my maid so I can have my children through her.’
Well, Abram accepted Sara’s advice. 3 So Sara (Abram’s
wife) took Hagar her Egyptian handmaid (after Abram had lived in the
5 So Sara said to Abram: ‘I have really been hurt by you, for I gave you my handmaid [to sleep with], and when I saw that she was pregnant I was treated disrespectfully by her. May Jehovah judge between me and you.’
6 Then Abram told Sarah, ‘Look, your handmaid is yours; treat her any way that seems right to you.’
So, Sara started treating [Hagar] badly, and she ran away.
7 Then a messenger from Jehovah found [Hagar] by a spring of water in the desert (the spring on the way to Sur). 8 And Jehovah’s messenger said to her, ‘Hagar, Sarah’s maid; where are you coming from and where are you going?’
And she replied, ‘I’m running away from my mistress, Sara.’
9 Then Jehovah’s messenger said: ‘Return to your mistress and obey her.’ 10 And the messenger of Jehovah told her: ‘I will make your seed grow, and there will be so many that they can’t be counted.’
11 And the messenger of Jehovah said to her: ‘Look! You are pregnant with a child. You will give birth to a son; and you should name him IshMaEl, because Jehovah has noticed how you have been humiliated. 12 He will be a wild man, for his fists [will be lifted] against everyone, and everyone [will lift] their fists against him. However, he will live in the midst of all his brothers.
13 Then she called out the Name of the Lord God who was speaking to her, saying, ‘You are the God who watches over me,’ adding, ‘because, I openly saw the One who appeared to me.’ 14 [And from that point on], she called the well, ‘the Well of Him Who I Openly Saw.’ Look! It [still can be found] between Cades and Barad.
15 So, Hagar bore a son to Abram; and Abram named the son that Hagar bore to him, IshMaEl. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore IshMaEl to Abram.
Chapter 17
1 Then, when Abram was ninety-nine years old Jehovah appeared to him [again], and said, ‘I am your God. Be pleasing to Me and don’t do anything that you can be blamed for, 2 and I will establish a Sacred Agreement between you and Me. I will also give you great prosperity.’
3 At that, Abram fell with his face [to the ground]. Then God spoke to him [again], saying, 4 ‘Look, I am making My Sacred Agreement with you. You will become the father of many nations. And your name will no longer be called Abram… it will be Abraham, 5 for I have made you the father of many nations. 6 I will make you grow tremendously; I will make nations come from you; and kings will descend from you.
7 ‘I will also extend my Sacred Agreement between you and
Me to the seed that comes from you, through [all] its generations. It is a
Sacred Agreement through the ages that [I] will be your
God and the God of the seed that comes from you. 8 Also, I will give the
land where you are [now] living as an alien, to you and to your seed. This
includes the entire
9 Then God told Abraham: ‘You must fully keep my Sacred Agreement – both you and your seed that descends from you, through all their generations.
10 ‘This is the Sacred Agreement between you and your seed through all its generations, and Me: All of your males must be circumcised. 11 The foreskin of your flesh must be circumcised. This will be the sign of the Sacred Agreement between you and Me. 12 All of your male children must be circumcised by you when they are eight-days old, throughout all your generations. [This includes all the] servants who are born in your house, those who are bought with money, and it includes the sons of aliens who are not your seed.
13 ‘Those who are born in your house and those who are bought with money must surely be circumcised. And My Sacred Agreement will be there in their flesh as [a sign of the] Sacred Agreement through the ages. 14 As for the uncircumcised males who aren’t circumcised in the flesh of their foreskin on the eighth day, such individuals must be totally destroyed from among their families for breaking My Sacred Agreement.’
15 Then God told Abraham: ‘Your wife Sara will no longer be called Sara. Sarah will be her name. 16 I will bless her and give you a son from her. I will also bless him… nations and kings of nations will come from him.’
17 With that, Abraham fell to his face and laughed, asking in his heart, ‘Will a hundred-year-old [man] father a child? And will Sarah (who is ninety years old) give birth to it?’
18 Then Abraham said to God, ‘Accept IshMaEl to [stand] before You.’
19 But God told Abraham: ‘Look, your wife Sarah will give birth to your son; and you should name him Isaac. I will make my Sacred Agreement [with you] firm through him… a Sacred Agreement through the ages, that I will be his God and [the God] of his seed that descends from him.
20 ‘As for IshMaEl; {Look!} I have heard you and I have blest him. I will make him grow and multiply tremendously. He will become the father of twelve nations, and I will make them a great people. 21 However, My Sacred Agreement will be established with Isaac, who Sarah will bear to you at this time next year.’
22 At that, God stopped talking to him, and He left Abraham.
23 Then Abraham took his son IshMaEl, all of his home-born servants, all those who he bought with money, and all the males in Abraham’s house, and circumcised their foreskins on that very day, just as God told him. 24 So, Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 25 And his son IshMaEl was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
26 Both Abraham and his son IshMaEl were circumcised that very day, 27 along with all the men of his house… those who were born there and those from foreigners who were bought with money.
Chapter 18
1 God [next] appeared to [Abraham] by the big tree at
Mamre, as he was sitting at the entrance to his tent, around
3 Then he said, ‘Lord, if I have indeed found favor in your sight, don’t pass your servant by. 4 ‘[I will have] water brought and [my servants] will was