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Bereshit (Genesis)

Chapter 1

1 In the Bereshit [Beginning], Elohim created the Shamayim [Heavens] and the Aretz [Earth].
2 The earth she became Tohu va-Vohu [formless and void], and darkness was over the face of the deep; and the Ruach Elohim [Spirit of God] was hovering over the waters.
3 Elohim said: “Let there be Or [Light],” and there was Or.
4 Elohim saw the Or, that it was good; and Elohim divided between the Or and the Choshech [Darkness].
5 Elohim called the Or “Yom [Day],” and the Choshech He called “Laylah [Night].” And there was evening and there was morning — Yom Echad [Day One].
6 Elohim said: “Let there be a Raqia [Firmament] in the midst of the waters, dividing water from water.”
7 Elohim made the Raqia, dividing the waters under the Raqia from the waters above the Raqia. And it was so.
8 Elohim called the Raqia “Shamayim [Heavens].” And there was evening and there was morning — Yom Sheni [Day Two].
9 Elohim said: “Let the waters under the Shamayim be gathered into one place, and let dry land appear.” And it was so.
10 Elohim called the dry land “Aretz [Earth],” and the gatherings of the waters He called “Yamim [Seas].” Elohim saw that it was good.
11 Elohim said: “Let the Aretz sprout vegetation: seed-bearing plants, and fruit trees bearing fruit with seed in them, each according to its Min [kind].” And it was so.
12 The Aretz brought forth vegetation: seed-bearing plants according to their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them according to their kind. Elohim saw that it was good.
13 And there was evening and there was morning — Yom Shlishi [Day Three].
14 Elohim said: “Let there be Me’orot [Lights] in the Raqia of the Shamayim to divide between Yom and Laylah, and let them be for otot [signs], for mo'adim [appointed times/seasons], for days and years.
15 Let them be lights in the Raqia of the Shamayim to give light upon the Aretz.” And it was so.
16 Elohim made the two great Me’orot: the greater Me’or to govern the Yom, and the lesser Me’or to govern the Laylah — and also the stars.
17 Elohim set them in the Raqia of the Shamayim to give light upon the Aretz,
18 To govern the Yom and the Laylah, and to divide between the Or and the Choshech. Elohim saw that it was good.
19 And there was evening and there was morning — Yom Revi’i [Day Four].
20 Elohim said: “Let the waters swarm with living creatures, and let flying creatures soar above the Aretz across the Raqia of the Shamayim.” And it was so.
21 Elohim created the great sea creatures and every living thing that swarms in the waters according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. Elohim saw that it was good.
22 Elohim blessed them, saying: “Be fruitful and multiply, fill the waters in the Yamim, and let the birds multiply on the Aretz.”
23 And there was evening and there was morning — Yom Chamishi [Day Five].
24 Elohim said: “Let the Aretz bring forth living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creeping things, and wild beasts.” And it was so.
25 Elohim made the wild beasts according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the Aretz according to its kind. Elohim saw that it was good.
26 Elohim said: “Let Us make Adam [Man] in Our tzelem [image], according to Our demut [likeness]. Let them rule over the fish of the Yam [sea], the birds of the Shamayim [heaven], the livestock, all the Aretz [earth], and every creeping thing.”
27 Elohim created Adam in His tzelem; in the tzelem Elohim

[image of God]
He created him; male and female He created them.
28 Elohim blessed them, saying: “Be fruitful and multiply, fill the Aretz and subdue it; rule over the fish of the Yam, the birds of the Shamayim, and every living thing that creeps on the Aretz.”
29 Elohim said: “Behold, I give you every seed-bearing plant on the Aretz, and every tree with seed-bearing fruit; they shall be food for you.
30 And to every beast of the Aretz, every bird of the Shamayim, and everything that creeps on the Aretz that has the Nephesh Chayah [living soul/breath of life], I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.
31 Elohim saw all that He had made, and behold, it was tov me’od [very good]. And there was evening and there was morning — Yom Shishi [Day Six].

— End of Chapter 1 —

Chapter 2

1 Thus the Shamayim [Heavens] and the Aretz [Earth] were finished, and all their host.
2 On the Yom HaShishi [Sixth Day], Elohim completed His work which He had made; and on the Yom HaShevi’i [Seventh Day] He ceased from all His work.
3 Elohim blessed the Yom HaShevi’i and set it apart as Kadosh [holy], because on it He ceased from all His work which Elohim had created and made.
4 These are the toledot [generations] of the Shamayim and the Aretz when they were created, in the day that YHWH (YAHUAH) Elohim made the Shamayim and the Aretz.
5 No shrub of the field had yet appeared, and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for Yahuah Elohim had not sent rain upon the Aretz, and there was no Adam to till the ground.
6 But a mist rose from the Aretz and watered the whole face of the ground.
7 Yahuah Elohim formed Adam [Man] from the dust of the Aretz, and breathed into his nostrils the neshamah chayim [breath of life]; and Adam became a nefesh chayah [living soul].
8 Yahuah Elohim planted a gan [garden] eastward in Eden, and there He placed Adam whom He had formed.
9 Out of the ground Yahuah Elohim made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food; the Etz Chayim [Tree of Life] was in the midst of the garden, and the Etz HaDa’at Tov v’Ra [Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil].
10 A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it divided into four heads.
11 The name of the first is Pishon, which encircles the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold.
12 The gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there.
13 The name of the second river is Gihon, which encircles the whole land of Cush.
14 The third river is Hiddekel [Tigris], which flows east of Assyria. The fourth river is Perat [Euphrates].
15 Yahuah Elohim took Adam and placed him in the Gan Eden l'avad [to work/serve it] and l'shamar [to guard/protect it].
16 Yahuah Elohim commanded Adam, saying: “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat,
17 But of the Etz HaDa’at Tov v’Ra you shall not eat, for in the day you eat of it you shall surely die.”
18 Yahuah Elohim said: “It is not good for Adam to be alone; I will make for him an ezer kenegdo [an ally / counterpart opposite him].”
19 Yahuah Elohim formed out of the ground every beast of the field and every bird of the Shamayim, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. Whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name.
20 Adam gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the Shamayim, and every beast of the field. But for Adam no ezer kenegdo [an ally / counterpart opposite him] was found.
21 Yahuah Elohim caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept. He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh in its place.
22 Yahuah Elohim built the rib He had taken from Adam into a ishah [woman], and brought her to Adam.
23 Adam said: “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ishah [woman], because she was taken out of ish [man].”
24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother, and dabaq [cleave/bond] to his wife, and they shall become basar echad [one flesh].

— End of Chapter 2 —

Chapter 3

1 Now the nachash [serpent] was more cunning than any beast of the field which Yahuah Elohim had made. He said to the ishah [woman]: “Did Elohim really say, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the gan [garden]'?”
2 The ishah said to the nachash: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the gan,
3 But of the fruit of the Etz HaDa’at Tov v’Ra [Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil] in the midst of the gan, Elohim said: 'You shall not eat of it, nor touch it, lest you die.'”
4 The nachash said to the ishah: “You shall not surely die.
5 For Elohim knows that in the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like Elohim, knowing tov [good] and ra [evil].”
6 The ishah saw that the tree was good for food, pleasant to the eyes, and desirable to make one wise. She took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave to her ish [husband] with her, and he ate.
7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. They sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
8 They heard the voice of Yahuah Elohim walking in the gan in the ruach [wind/breeze] of the day. Adam and his ishah hid themselves among the trees of the gan from the presence of Yahuah Elohim.
9 Yahuah Elohim called to Adam: “Where are you?”
10 He said: “I heard Your voice in the gan, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.”
11 Yahuah Elohim said: “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree I commanded you not to eat?”
12 Adam said: “The ishah You gave to be with me — she gave me of the tree, and I ate.”
13 Yahuah Elohim said to the ishah: “What is this you have done?” The ishah said: “The nachash deceived me, and I ate.”
14 Yahuah Elohim said to the nachash: “Because you have done this, You are cursed above all livestock and beasts of the field. On your belly you shall go, And dust you shall eat all the days of your life.
15 I will put eyvah [enmity] between you and the ishah, between your zera [seed/descendants] and her zera [seed/descendants]; He shall crush your head, And you shall strike his heel.”
16 To the ishah He said: “I will greatly multiply your pain and travail; In sorrow you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your ish, And he shall rule over you.”
17 To Adam He said: “Because you listened to your ishah and ate from the tree I commanded you not to eat, Cursed is the adamah [ground] because of you. In toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life.
18 Thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the plants of the field.
19 By the sweat of your face you shall eat lechem [bread], Until you return to the adamah, For from it you were taken; Dust you are, and to dust you shall return.”
20 Adam called his ishah's name Chavah [Eve, Life], because she was the mother of all living.
21 Yahuah Elohim made begadim [garments]. of skin for Adam and his ishah, and clothed them.
22 Yahuah Elohim said: “Behold, Adam has become like one away from Us, knowing tov (good) and ra (evil). Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also from the Etz Chayim [Tree of Life] and eat, and live forever.”
23 So Yahuah Elohim sent him out from the Gan Eden to l'avad [to work/serve] the adamah [ground] from which he was taken.
24 He drove out Adam, and He placed keruvim [cherubim] and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the Etz Chayim.

— End of Chapter 3 —

Chapter 4

1 And Adam knew Chavah [Eve] his wife, and she conceived and bore Qayin [Cain], and said, “I have gained an ish [man] through YAHUAH.”
2 And she again bore his brother Hevel [Abel]. And Hevel was a keeper of sheep, but Qayin was a tiller of the ground.
3 And it came to pass after yamim [days], that Qayin brought of the fruits of the ground a minchah [offering/present] to Yahuah.
4 And Hevel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions; and Elohim looked upon Hevel and his gifts.
5 But Qayin and his offering He did not regard; and Qayin was exceedingly sorrowful, and his countenance fell.
6 And YAHUAH Elohim said to Qayin, “Why are you very sorrowful, and why has your countenance fallen?
7 Have you not sinned if you brought it rightly, but did not rightly divide it? Be still; to you shall be his submission, and you shall rule over him.” (LXX wording preserved — not the Masoretic form)
8 And Qayin said to Hevel his brother, “Let us go out into the field.” And it came to pass, when they were in the field, Qayin rose up against Hevel his brother and slew him.
9 And YAHUAH Elohim said to Qayin, “Where is Hevel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?”
10 And Yahuah said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries to Me from the ground.
11 And now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.
12 When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you; you shall be a fugitive and a wanderer upon the earth.”
13 And Qayin said to Yahuah Elohim, “My avon [guilt/iniquity] is too great for me to be forgiven.”
14 Behold, You have driven me out this Yom [day] from the face of the earth, and I shall be hidden from Your presence; I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer upon the earth, and it will be that whoever finds me will kill me.”
15 And YAHUAH Elohim said to him, “Not so; whoever kills Qayin, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And Yahuah set a mark upon Qayin, lest anyone finding him should kill him.
16 So Qayin went out from the presence of Elohim, and dwelt in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
17 And Qayin knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Chanokh [Enoch]; and he built a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son, Chanokh.
18 And to Chanokh was born Irad [Gaidad]; and Irad begot Mechuya’el [Maleleel]; and Mechuya’el begot Metusha’el [Mathusala]; and Metusha’el begot Lamech.
19 And Lamech took two wives; the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other was Tzillah [Sella].
20 And Adah bore Yaval [Jobel]; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock.
21 And the name of his brother was Yuval [Jubal]; he was the father of all who play the lyre and pipe.
22 And Tzillah bore Tuval-Qayin [Thobel], the forger of every cutting instrument of bronze and iron; and the sister of Tuval-Qayin was Na’amah [Noëma].
23 And Lamech said to his wives, Adah and Tzillah, “Hear my voice, you wives of Lamech; listen to my words: I have slain a man for wounding me, and a young man for striking me.
24 If Qayin shall be avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy times seven.”
25 And Adam knew Chavah his wife again, and she bore a son, and called his name Shet [Seth], saying, “For Elohim has appointed me another zera [seed/descendant] instead of Hevel, whom Qayin slew.”
26 And to Shet also was born a son, and he called his name Enosh; then men began to call upon the name of Yahuah Elohim.

— End of Chapter 4 —

Chapter 5

1 This is the sefer toledot [book of generations] of Adam. In the day that Elohim created Adam, He made him in the tzelem Elohim

[image of God]
.
2 Male and female He created them, and He blessed them, and He called their name Adam [Mankind] in the day they were created.
3 Adam lived 230 years and yalad [fathered] a son in his own likeness, after his image, and called his name Shet [Seth].
4 After he yalad Shet, Adam lived 700 years and yalad sons and daughters.
5 All the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died.
6 Shet lived 205 years and yalad Enosh.
7 After he yalad Enosh, Shet lived 707 years and yalad sons and daughters.
8 All the days of Shet were 912 years, and he died.
9 Enosh lived 190 years and yalad Qenan [Cainan].
10 After he yalad Qenan, Enosh lived 715 years and yalad sons and daughters.
11 All the days of Enosh were 905 years, and he died.
12 Qenan lived 170 years and yalad Mahalal’el.
13 After he yalad Mahalal’el, Qenan lived 740 years and yalad sons and daughters.
14 All the days of Qenan were 910 years, and he died.
15 Mahalal’el lived 165 years and yalad Yered [Jared].
16 After he yalad Yered, Mahalal’el lived 730 years and yalad sons and daughters.
17 All the days of Mahalal’el were 895 years, and he died.
18 Yered lived 162 years and yalad Chanokh [Enoch].
19 After he yalad Chanokh, Yered lived 800 years and yalad sons and daughters.
20 All the days of Yered were 962 years, and he died.
21 Chanokh lived 165 years and yalad Metushelach [Methuselah].
22 After he yalad Metushelach, Chanokh walked with Elohim 200 years and yalad sons and daughters.
23 All the days of Chanokh were 365 years.
24 Chanokh walked with Elohim, and he was not, for Elohim took him.
25 Metushelach lived 167 years and yalad Lamekh.
26 After he yalad Lamekh, Metushelach lived 802 years and yalad sons and daughters.
27 All the days of Metushelach were 969 years, and he died.
28 Lamekh lived 188 years and yalad a son.
29 He called his name Noach [Noah], saying: “This one will comfort us in our work and the toil of our hands, from the adamah which Yahuah has cursed.”
30 After he yalad Noach, Lamekh lived 565 years and yalad sons and daughters.
31 All the days of Lamekh were 753 years, and he died.

— End of Chapter 5 —

Chapter 6

1 And it came to pass when Adam began to multiply upon the Aretz [earth], and daughters were born to them,
2 that the b'nei Elohim [sons of God / angels of God] saw the daughters of Adam that they were beautiful, and they took to themselves wives of all whom they chose.
3 And YAHUAH Elohim said: “My Ruach [Spirit] shall not remain among these men forever, because they are flesh, but their days shall be 120 years.”
4 Now the Nephilim [giants/fallen ones] were upon the Aretz [earth] in those days; and after that, when the b'nei Elohim were wont to go in to the daughters of Adam, and they bore children to them, those were the mighty men of old, the men of renown.
5 And YAHUAH Elohim, having seen that the wicked deeds of Adam were multiplied upon the Aretz, and that everyone in his heart was intently brooding over ra [evil] continually,
6 then Elohim purposed in His heart that He had made Adam upon the Aretz[earth], and He pondered it deeply.
7 And Elohim said: “I will blot out Adam whom I have made from the face of the Aretz, even from Adam to cattle, and from creeping things to the flying creatures of the shamayim [heavens], because I am grieved that I have made them.”
8 But Noach found chen [favor/grace] before YAHUAH Elohim.
9 And these are the toledot [generations] of Noach. Noach was a tzaddik [righteous man], being perfect in his generation; Noach was well-pleasing to Elohim.
10 And Noach yalad [fathered] three sons: Shem, Cham, and Yafet [Japheth].
11 And the Aretz was corrupted before Elohim, and the Aretz was filled with chamas [violence].
12 And YAHUAH Elohim saw the Aretz, and it was corrupted; because all flesh had corrupted its way upon the Aretz.
13 And Elohim said to Noach: “The time of all flesh is come before Me, because the Aretz is filled with chamas by them, and behold, I destroy them and the Aretz.
14 Make therefore for yourself a teivah [ark] of square timber; you shall make the teivah in compartments, and you shall pitch it within and without with pitch.
15 And thus you shall make the teivah: 300 cubits the length of the teivah, and 50 cubits the breadth, and 30 cubits the height of it.
16 You shall narrow the teivah in making it, and you shall complete it above to a cubit; and you shall make the door of the teivah in the side; with lower, second, and third stories you shall make it.
17 And behold, I bring a mabul [flood] of water upon the Aretz, to destroy all flesh in which is the ruach chayim [breath of life] under the shamayim, and whatsoever things are upon the Aretz shall die.
18 And I will establish My berit [covenant] with you; and you shall enter into the teivah, you, and your sons, and your wife, and your sons’ wives with you.
19 And of all cattle, and of all creeping things, and of all beasts, even of all flesh, you shall bring into the teivah two of every kind, that you may feed them with yourself; male and female they shall be.
20 Of flying creatures after their Min [kind], and of cattle after their Min, and of all creeping things that creep upon the Aretz after their Min, two of every kind shall enter in to you, male and female, to be fed with you.
21 And you shall take to yourself of all kinds of food which you eat, and you shall gather it to yourself, and it shall be for food for you and them.”
22 And Noach did all things whatsoever YAHUAH Elohim commanded him; so, did he.

— End of Chapter 6 —

Chapter 7

1 And YAHUAH Elohim said to Noach: “Enter you and all your family into the teivah [ark], for you have I seen righteous before Me in this generation.
2 And of the clean cattle take to yourself seven pairs, male and female, and of the unclean cattle pairs, male and female.
3 And of clean flying creatures of the shamayim [heavens] seven pairs, male and female, and of all unclean flying creatures two pairs, male and female, to maintain zera [seed/descendants] upon all the Aretz [earth].
4 For yet seven days being past, I bring rain upon the Aretz forty days and forty nights, and I will blot out every living thing which I have made from the face of all the Aretz.”
5 And Noach did all things whatsoever YAHUAH Elohim commanded him.
6 And Noach was 600 years old when the mabul [flood] of water was upon the Aretz.
7 And then went in Noach, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him into the teivah, because of the water of the mabul.
8 And of clean cattle, and of unclean cattle, and of clean flying creatures, and of unclean flying creatures, and of everything that creeps upon the Aretz,
9 two by two went they in to Noach into the teivah, male and female, as Elohim commanded Noach.
10 And it came to pass after the seven days that the water of the mabul was upon the Aretz.
11 In the 600th year of Noach's life, in the second month, on the 27th day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the shamayim [heavens] were opened.
12 And the rain was upon the Aretz forty days and forty nights.
13 On that very day entered Noach, Shem, Cham, Yafet, the sons of Noach, and the wife of Noach, and the three wives of his sons with him into the teivah [ark].
14 And all the wild beasts after their Min [kind], and all cattle after their Min, and every creeping thing moving upon the Aretz after its Min, and every flying creature after its Min,
15 went in to Noach into the teivah, two by two, male and female of all flesh, in which was the nishmat chayim [breath of life].
16 And they that entered went in male and female of all flesh, as Elohim commanded Noach; and YAHUAH Elohim shut the teivah from without him.
17 And the mabul was upon the Aretz forty days and forty nights, and the water multiplied exceedingly, and lifted up the teivah, and it was raised aloft from off the Aretz.
18 And the water prevailed and multiplied exceedingly upon the Aretz, and the teivah floated upon the water.
19 And the water prevailed exceedingly more and more upon the Aretz, and covered all the high mountains which were under the shamayim.
20 Fifteen cubits aloft was the water raised, and it covered all the high mountains.
21 And all flesh died that moved upon the Aretz, of flying creatures and of cattle, and of wild beasts, and every creeping thing moving upon the Aretz, and every man.
22 And all things which had the nishmat chayim [breath of life], and everyone that was upon the dry land, died.
23 And He blotted out every living thing which was upon the face of the Aretz, from man to cattle, and creeping things, and the flying creatures of the shamayim, and they were blotted out from the Aretz; and Noach alone was left, and they that were with him in the teivah.
24 And the water was raised aloft over the Aretz 150 days.

— End of Chapter 7 —

Chapter 8

1 And Elohim remembered Noach, and all the wild beasts, and all the cattle, and all the flying creatures, and all the creeping things as many as were with him in the teivah [ark]; and Elohim brought a ruach [wind] over the Aretz [earth], and the water subsided.
2 And the fountains of the deep were covered, and the floodgates of the shamayim [heavens] were stopped, and the rain from the shamayim was withheld.
3 And the water receded, continually going off from the Aretz, and the water diminished after 150 days.
4 And the teivah rested in the seventh month, on the 27th day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.
5 And the water went on diminishing until the tenth month; and in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen.
6 And it came to pass after forty days Noach opened the window of the teivah which he had made.
7 And he sent forth an orev [raven]; and it went forth and returned not until the water was dried up from off the face of the Aretz.
8 And he sent forth a yonah [dove] after him, to see if the water had ceased from off the Aretz.
9 And the yonah finding no rest for her feet, returned to him into the teivah, because the water was on all the face of the Aretz; and he stretched out his hand, and took her, and brought her to himself into the teivah.
10 And having waited yet seven other days, he again sent forth the yonah from the teivah.
11 And the yonah returned to him toward evening, and had an olive leaf, a dry twig, in her mouth; and Noach knew that the water had ceased from off the Aretz.
12 And having waited yet seven other days, he again sent forth the yonah, and she returned to him no more.
13 And it came to pass in the 601st year of Noach's life, in the first month, on the first day of the month, the water failed from off the Aretz; and Noach removed the covering of the teivah which he had made, and saw that the water had ceased from the face of the Aretz.
14 And in the second month, on the 27th day of the month, the Aretz was dry.
15 And YAHUAH Elohim spoke to Noach, saying:
16 “Come out from the teivah, you, and your wife, and your sons, and your sons’ wives with you.
17 And all the wild beasts as many as are with you, and all flesh from flying creatures to cattle, and every creeping thing moving upon the Aretz, bring out with you; and be fruitful and multiply upon the Aretz.”
18 And Noach came out, and his wife, and his sons, and his sons’ wives with him.
19 And all the wild beasts, and all the cattle, and every flying creature, and every creeping thing moving upon the Aretz, according to their Min [kind], came out of the teivah.
20 And Noach built a mizbeach [altar] to YAHUAH, and took of all clean cattle, and of all clean flying creatures, and offered olah [burnt offerings] upon the mizbeach.
21 And YAHUAH Elohim smelled a smell of sweetness; and YAHUAH Elohim having reflected, said: “I will no more curse the Aretz because of the deeds of Adam, because the yetzer [inclination/intent] of man's heart is intently set upon ra [evil] from his youth; I will not therefore again strike all living flesh as I have done.
22 All the days of the Aretz, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”

— End of Chapter 8 —

Chapter 9

1 And Elohim blessed Noach and his sons, and said to them: “Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the Aretz [earth], and have dominion over it.
2 And the dread and the fear of you shall be upon all the wild beasts of the Aretz, and upon all the flying creatures of the shamayim [heavens], and upon all things moving upon the Aretz, and upon all the fish of the sea; I have placed them under your power.
3 And every creeping thing which is alive shall be food for you; as the green herbs I have given you all things.
4 But flesh with its dam [blood], which is its life, you shall not eat.
5 For your own dam also will I require of all wild beasts, and I will require the life of Adam at the hand of his brother man.
6 He that sheds Adam's dam, for his dam shall his own be shed; for in the tzelem Elohim

[image of God]
I made Adam.
7 But you, be fruitful and multiply, and fill the Aretz, and multiply upon it.”
8 And Elohim spoke to Noach, and to his sons with him, saying:
9 “Behold I establish My berit [covenant] with you, and with your zera [seed/descendants] after you,
10 and with every living soul with you, of flying creatures and of cattle, and with all the wild beasts of the Aretz as many as are with you, of all that came out of the teivah [ark].
11 And I will establish My berit with you, and all flesh shall not die by the water of the mabul [flood], and there shall no more be a mabul of water to destroy all the Aretz.”
12 And YAHUAH Elohim said to Noach: “This is the ot [sign] of the berit which I make between Me and you, and every living soul which is with you for perpetual generations.
13 I set My keshet [bow/rainbow] in the cloud, and it shall be for an ot of the berit between Me and the Aretz.
14 And it shall be when I bring clouds over the Aretz, that My keshet shall appear in the cloud.
15 And I will remember My berit, which is between Me and you, and every living soul in all flesh; and the water shall no more become a mabul to destroy all flesh.
16 And My keshet [bow/rainbow] shall be in the cloud, and I will look upon it to remember the everlasting berit between Elohim and every living soul in all flesh, which is upon the Aretz.”
17 And Elohim said to Noach: “This is the ot of the berit, which I have established between Me and all flesh, which is upon the Aretz.”
18 Now the sons of Noach who came out of the teivah were Shem, Cham, and Yafet; and Cham was the father of Kena’an [Canaan].
19 These three are the sons of Noach, from these were men scattered over all the Aretz.
20 And Noach began to be a man of the adamah [husbandman / man of the ground], and he planted a vineyard.
21 And he drank of the wine, and was drunk, and was uncovered in his tent.
22 And Cham the father of Kena’an saw the nakedness of his father, and went out and told his two brothers without.
23 And Shem and Yafet took a beged [garment/robe], and laid it on their two shoulders, and walked backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were turned away, and they saw not the nakedness of their father.
24 And Noach recovered from his wine, and knew all that his younger son had done to him.
25 And he said: “Cursed be Kena’an the servant; a servant shall he be to his brothers.”
26 And he said: “Blessed be YAHUAH Elohim of Shem, and Kena’an shall be his servant.
27 May Elohim enlarge Yafet, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem, and let Kena’an be his servant.”
28 And Noach lived after the mabul 350 years.
29 And all the days of Noach were 950 years, and he died.

— End of Chapter 9 —

Chapter 10

1 These are the toledot [generations] of the sons of Noach: Shem, Cham, and Yafet. Sons were born to them after the mabul [flood].
2 The sons of Yafet: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Yavan, Elishah, Tuval, Meshekh, and Tiras.
3 And the sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Rifat, and Togarmah.
4 And the sons of Yavan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim [Cetians], and Rodanim [Rhodians].
5 From these were the coastlands of the nations divided in their lands, each according to his lashon [tongue/language], in their tribes and in their nations.
6 And the sons of Cham: Kush [Chus], Mitzrayim [Mesrain], Put [Phud], and Kena’an [Chanaan].
7 And the sons of Kush: Seba [Saba], Havilah [Evila], Sabtah, Ra’amah [Rhegma], and Sabteka. And the sons of Ra’amah: Sheba and Dedan [Dadan].
8 And Kush yalad [fathered] Nimrod [Nebrod]; he began to be a Nephilim [giant] upon the earth.
9 He was a Nephilim [giant] hunter before YAHUAH Elohim; therefore, they say: “As Nimrod the Nephilim hunter before YAHUAH.”
10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Bavel [Babylon], Erekh [Orech], Akkad [Archad], and Kalneh [Chalanne], in the land of Shinar [Senaar].
11 Out of that land came Asshur [Assur], and built Nineveh [Ninevi], Rehovot-Ir [the city Rhooboth], and Kalach [Chalach],
12 And Resen [Dase] between Nineveh and Kalach — that is the great city.
13 And Mitzrayim yalad [fathered] the Ludim [Ludiim], the Anamim [Enemetiim], the Lehabim [Labiim], and the Naftuhim [Nephthalim],
14 And the Patrusim [Patrosoniim], and the Kasluhim [Chasmoniim] (from whence came forth the Pelishtim [Phylistiim / Philistines]), and the Kaftorim [Gaphthoriim].
15 And Kena’an yalad [fathered] Tzidon his firstborn, and the Hittite [Chettite],
16 And the Yevusite [Jebusite], and the Emorite [Amorite], and the Girgashite,
17 And the Hivite [Evite], and the Arkite [Arukite], and the Sinite [Asennite],
18 And the Aradite [Aradian], and the Zemarite [Samarean], and the Hamathite [Amathite]; and after this the tribes of the Kena’anim [Chananites] were dispersed.
19 And the boundaries of the Kena’anim were from Tzidon till one comes to Gerar [Gerara] and Aza [Gaza], till one comes to Sedom [Sodom] and Amorah [Gomorrha], Admah and Tzeboim [Seboim], as far as Lesha [Dasa].
20 These were the sons of Cham in their clans according to their lashon [tongues/languages], in their countries, and in their nations.
21 And to Shem [Sem] himself also were children born, the father of all the sons of Ever [Heber], the brother of Yafet the elder.
22 Sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpakhshad [Arphaxad], Lud, Aram, and Kenan [Cainan].
23 And the sons of Aram: Uz, Hul [Ul], Gether [Gater], and Meshekh [Mosoch].
24 And Arpakhshad yalad [fathered] Kenan [Cainan], and Kenan yalad Shelach [Sala]. And Shelach yalad Ever [Heber].
25 And to Ever were born two sons, the name of the one, Peleg [Phaleg], because in his days the earth was divided, and the name of his brother Yoktan [Jektan].
26 And Yoktan yalad [fathered] Almodad, Shelef [Saleth], Hazarmavet [Sarmoth], Yered [Jarach],
27 Hadoram [Odorrha], Uzal [Aibel], Diklah [Decla],
28 Oval [Eval], Avimael, Sheba [Saba],
29 Ofir [Uphir], Havilah [Evila], and Yovav [Jobab] — all these were the sons of Yoktan.
30 And their dwelling was from Mesha [Masse], till one comes to Sephar [Saphera], a mountain of the east.
31 These were the sons of Shem in their clans, according to their lashon [tongues/languages], in their countries, and in their nations.
32 These are the clans of the sons of Noach, according to their generations, according to their nations: of them were the coastlands of the nations scattered over the earth after the mabul.

— End of Chapter 10 —

Chapter 11

1 All the Aretz had one safah [lip, speech] and one lashon [language].
2 As they journeyed from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they settled there.
3 They said to one another: “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick for stone, and chemar [bitumen] for mortar.
4 They said: “Come, let us build for ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the shamayim [heavens], and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered over the face of all the Aretz.”
5 Yahuah came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of Adam had built.
6 Yahuah said: “Behold, they are one people, and they all have one safah. This is only the beginning of what they will do, and now nothing they plan will be withheld from them.
7 Come, let Us go down and confuse their safah, so that they will not understand one another’s lashon.”
8 So Yahuah scattered them from there over the face of all the Aretz, and they stopped building the city.
9 Therefore its name was called Bavel [Confusion], because there Yahuah confused the safah of all the Aretz, and from there Yahuah scattered them over the face of all the Aretz.
10 These are the toledot [generations] of Shem. Shem was 100 years old and yalad [fathered] Arpakhshad two years after the mabul [flood].
11 After he yalad [fathered] Arpakhshad, Shem lived 500 years and yalad sons and daughters.
12 Arpakhshad lived 135 years and yalad [fathered] Kenan.
13 After he yalad Kenan, Arpakhshad lived 400 years and fathered sons and daughters.
14 Kenan lived 130 years and yalad Shelach.
15 After he yalad Shelach, Kenan lived 330 years and yalad [fathered] sons and daughters.
16 Shelach lived 130 years and Yalad [fathered] Ever [Eber].
17 After he yalad Ever, Shelach lived 330 years and yalad [fathered] sons and daughters.
18 Ever lived 134 years and yalad Peleg.
19 After he yalad [fathered] Peleg, Ever lived 270 years and yalad sons and daughters.
20 Peleg lived 130 years and yalad Re’u.
21 After he yalad [fathered] Re’u, Peleg lived 209 years and yalad sons and daughters.
22 Re’u lived 132 years and yalad Serug.
23 After he yalad [fathered] Serug, Re’u lived 207 years and yalad sons and daughters.
24 Serug lived 130 years and yalad [fathered] Nahor.
25 After he yalad Nahor, Serug lived 200 years and yalad sons and daughters.
26 Nahor lived 179 years and yalad [fathered] Terach.
27 These are the toledot of Terach: Terach yalad [fathered]Avram [Abram], Nahor, and Haran. Haran yalad [fathered] Lot.
28 Haran died before his father Terach in the land of his birth, in Ur Kasdim [Ur of the Chaldees].
29 Avram and Nahor took wives: the name of Avram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milkah, daughter of Haran, father of Milkah and Yiskah.
30 Sarai was barren; she had no child.
31 Terach took Avram his son, Lot son of Haran, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, the wife of Avram his son, and they went forth together from Ur Kasdim to go to the land of Kena’an. They came to Charan [Haran] and settled there.
32 The days of Terach were 205 years, and Terach died in Charan.

— End of Chapter 11 —

Chapter 12

1 Yahuah said to Avram [Abram]: “Lech Lecha [Go forth] from your land, from your kindred, and from your father’s house, to the land that I will show you.
2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you, I will magnify your name, and you shall be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you. In you all the families of the Aretz shall be blessed.”
4 So Avram went, as Yahuah had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. Avram was 75 years old when he departed from Charan [Haran].
5 Avram took Sarai his wife, Lot his brother’s son, all their possessions they had gathered, and the people they had acquired in Charan. They set out for the land of Kena’an [Canaan], and they came into the land of Kena’an.
6 Avram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Kena’anim were in the land.
7 Yahuah appeared to Avram and said: “To your zera [seed/descendants] I will give this land.” So Avram built a mizbeach [altar] there to Yahuah who had appeared to him.
8 From there he moved to the mountain east of Beit-El [Bethel], and pitched his ohel [tent], with Beit-El on the west and Ai on the east. There he built another mizbeach to Yahuah and called on the Name of Yahuah.
9 Then Avram journeyed on, continuing toward the Negev.
10 There was a famine in the land, so Avram went down to Mitzrayim [Egypt] to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land.
11 As he was about to enter Mitzrayim, Avram said to Sarai his wife: “I know that you are a woman of beautiful appearance.
12 When the Mitzrim [Egyptians] see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me, but let you live.
13 Say, I am his sister, so that it may go well with me because of you, and my life will be spared on your account.”
14 When Avram entered Mitzrayim, the Mitzrim saw that Sarai was very beautiful.
15 The princes of Pharaoh saw her and praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into Pharaoh’s house.
16 Because of her, Pharaoh treated Avram well, giving him sheep, oxen, donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.
17 But Yahuah afflicted Pharaoh and his house with nega’im [plagues/strokes] because of Sarai, Avram’s wife.
18 Pharaoh called Avram and said: “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me she was your wife?
19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her as my wife? Now, here is your wife; take her and go.”
20 Pharaoh gave orders to his men concerning Avram, and they sent him away with his wife and all that he had.

— End of Chapter 12 —

Chapter 13

1 Avram went up out of Mitzrayim [Egypt], he and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the Negev wilderness.
2 Avram was very rich in livestock, kesef [silver/money], and gold.
3 He journeyed back to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Beit-El [Bethel] and Ai,
4 To the place of the mizbeach [altar] which he had made there at first. There Avram called on the Name of Yahuah.
5 Lot, who went with Avram, also had flocks, herds, and tents.
6 The land could not support them dwelling together, for their possessions were great, and they could not remain together.
7 There was strife between the herdsmen of Avram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. The Kena’anim [Canaanites] and the Perizzites were dwelling in the land at that time.
8 Avram said to Lot: “Let there be no strife between me and you, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are achim [brothers].
9 Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you go to the left, I will go to the right; if you go to the right, I will go to the left.”
10 Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the plain of the Yarden [Jordan], that it was well watered everywhere — before Yahuah destroyed Sedom [Sodom] and Amorah [Gomorrah] — like the Gan Yahuah [Garden of Yahuah], like the land of Mitzrayim, as you go toward Tzoar [Zoar].
11 Lot chose for himself all the plain of the Yarden, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other.
12 Avram dwelt in the land of Kena’an, while Lot dwelt among the cities of the plain and pitched his tent near Sedom.
13 But the men of Sedom were exceedingly ra [wicked/evil] and chata’im [sinful/missing the mark] against Yahuah.
14 Yahuah said to Avram, after Lot had separated from him: “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are — northward, southward, eastward, and westward.
15 For all the land that you see I will give to you and to your zera [seed/descendants]forever.
16 I will make your zera like the afar ha’aretz [dust of the earth]; if anyone can count the dust of the earth, then your seed also shall be counted.
17 Arise, walk through the land in its length and breadth, for I will give it to you.”
18 Avram moved his ohel [tent] and came to dwell by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Chevron [Hebron]. There he built a mizbeach to Yahuah.

— End of Chapter 13 —

Chapter 14

1 In the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Aryokh king of Ellasar, Kedorla’omer king of Elam, and Tid’al king of nations,
2 They made war against Bera king of Sedom [Sodom], Birsha king of Amorah [Gomorrah], Shinav king of Admah, Shemever king of Tzeboim, and the king of Bela (that is Tzoar).
3 All these joined together in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea).
4 Twelve years they served Kedorla’omer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
5 In the fourteenth year, Kedorla’omer and the kings with him came and struck the Refa’im in Ashterot-Karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh-Kiryatayim,
6 And the Horites in their hill country of Se’ir, as far as El-Paran by the wilderness.
7 Then they turned back and came to Ein-Mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and struck all the territory of Amalek, and also the Emori dwelling in Hazazon-Tamar.
8 The kings of Sedom, Amorah, Admah, Tzeboim, and Bela (Tzoar) went out and joined battle in the Valley of Siddim
9 Against Kedorla’omer king of Elam, Tid’al king of nations, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Aryokh king of Ellasar — four kings against five.
10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits. The kings of Sedom and Amorah fled, and some fell into them, while the rest fled to the hill country.
11 The four kings took all the goods of Sedom and Amorah, and all their food, and went their way.
12 They also took Lot, Avram’s nephew, who dwelt in Sedom, and his possessions, and departed.
13 One who escaped came and told Avram the Ivri [Hebrew], who was dwelling by the oaks of Mamre the Emori, brother of Eshkol and Aner, who were allies of Avram.
14 When Avram heard that his nephew had been taken captive, he armed his 318 trained men born in his household, and pursued as far as Dan.
15 He divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and struck them, pursuing them as far as Chovah, north of Damascus.
16 He brought back all the goods, also brought back Lot his nephew, his possessions, and the women and the people.
17 The king of Sedom went out to meet him after his return from the defeat of Kedorla’omer and the kings with him, at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).
18 Malki-Tzedek [Melchizedek], king of Shalem [Salem], brought out lechem [bread] and yayin [wine]. He was kohen [priest] of El Elyon [The Most High Mighty One].
19 He blessed Avram and said: “Blessed be Avram of El Elyon, Maker of shamayim and aretz [heaven and earth].
20 And blessed be El Elyon, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” And Avram gave him a ma’aser [tithe/tenth part] of all.
21 The king of Sedom said to Avram: “Give me the people, but take the goods for yourself.”
22 But Avram said to the king of Sedom: “I have lifted my hand to Yahuah El Elyon, Maker of shamayim and aretz,
23 That I will not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Avram rich.’
24 Only what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me — Aner, Eshkol, and Mamre — let them take their cheleq [portion/allotment].”

— End of Chapter 14 —

Chapter 15

1 After these things, the davar Yahuah [word of Yahuah] came to Avram in a vision, saying: “Do not fear, Avram. I am your shield; your reward shall be exceedingly great.”
2 Avram said: “Adonai Yahuah, what will You give me, since I remain childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”
3 Avram continued: “Behold, You have given me no zera[seed]; a servant born in my house will be my heir.”
4 Then the davar Yahuah came to him, saying: “This man shall not be your heir; but one who comes forth from your own body shall be your heir.”
5 He brought him outside and said: “Look now toward the shamayim [heavens], and count the stars, if you are able to number them.” And He said: “So shall your zera [seed/descendants] be.”
6 Avram believed Yahuah, and He counted it to him as tzedakah [righteousness].
7 Yahuah said to him: “I am Yahuah who brought you out of Ur Kasdim, to give you this land to inherit.”
8 Avram said: “Adonai Yahuah, how shall I know that I will inherit it?”
9 Yahuah said: “Take for Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old goat, a three-year-old ram, a dove, and a young pigeon.”
10 Avram brought all these, cut them in two, and laid each half opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds.
11 Birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, but Avram drove them away.
12 As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Avram; and behold, a great dread and darkness fell upon him.
13 Yahuah said to Avram: “Know for certain that your seed will be strangers in a land not theirs, and they will be enslaved and afflicted 400 years.
14 But the nation whom they serve I will judge, and afterward they will come out with great possessions.
15 You shall go to your fathers in shalom [peace/rest]; you shall be buried in a good old age.
16 In the fourth generation they shall return here, for the avon [iniquity/guilt] of the Emori [Amorites] is not yet complete.”
17 When the sun had set and it was dark, behold, a smoking furnace and a flaming torch passed between the pieces.
18 On that day Yahuah cut a berit [covenant] with Avram, saying: “To your seed I give this land, from the river of Mitzrayim [Egypt] to the great river, the Euphrates:
19 The **Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites,
20 Hittites, Perizzites, Refa’im,
21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Yevusites [Jebusites].”

— End of Chapter 15 —

Chapter 16

1 Sarai, Avram’s wife, had borne him no children. She had a Mitzrit [Egyptian] maidservant whose name was Hagar.
2 Sarai said to Avram: “Behold, Yahuah has restrained me from bearing. Go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children through her.” Avram listened to Sarai’s voice.
3 So Sarai, Avram’s wife, took Hagar the Mitzrit, her maid, after Avram had dwelt ten years in the land of Kena’an, and gave her to her husband Avram as a wife.
4 He went in to Hagar, and she conceived. When she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.
5 Sarai said to Avram: “My wrong be upon you! I gave my maid into your bosom, and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes. Yahuah judge between me and you.”
6 Avram said to Sarai: “Behold, your maid is in your hand; do to her as you please.” Sarai anah [afflicted/humbled] her, and she fled from her presence.
7 The malakh Yahuah [angel of Yahuah] found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur.
8 He said: “Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where have you come from, and where are you going?” She said: “I am fleeing from the face of my mistress Sarai.”
9 The malakh Yahuah said to her: “Return to your mistress and submit yourself under her hand.”
10 The malakh Yahuah said: “I will greatly multiply your zera [seed/descendants], so that it shall not be numbered for multitude.”
11 The malakh Yahuah said: “Behold, you are with child, And shall bear a son, And you shall call his name Yishma’el [El Shama / God Has Heard], Because Yahuah has heard your affliction.
12 He shall be a wild man; His hand against every man, And every man’s hand against him; He shall dwell in the presence of all his brothers.”
13 She called the Name of Yahuah who spoke to her: “You are El-Ro’i [The Mighty One who sees me].” For she said: “Have I also seen Him who sees me?”
14 Therefore the well was called Be’er-Lachai-Ro’i [Well of the Living One who sees me]; it is between Kadesh and Bered.
15 Hagar bore Avram a son, and Avram called the name of his son whom Hagar bore, Yishma’el.
16 Avram was 86 years old when Hagar bore Yishma’el to him.

— End of Chapter 16 —

Chapter 17

1 When Avram was 99 years old, Yahuah appeared to him and said: “I am El Shaddai. Walk before Me and be blameless.
2 I will establish My berit [covenant] between Me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly.”
3 Avram fell on his face, and Elohim spoke with him, saying:
4 “Behold, My berit is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations.
5 No longer shall your name be called Avram, but your name shall be Avraham, for I have made you the father of many nations.
6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful; nations and kings shall come forth from you.
7 I will establish My berit between Me and you and your zera [seed] after you throughout their generations for an everlasting berit, to be Elohim to you and to your zera after you.
8 I will give to you and to your zera [seed] after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Kena’an, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their Elohim.”
9 Elohim said to Avraham: “You shall keep My berit, you and your zera [seed] after you throughout their generations.
10 This is My brit which you shall keep: every male among you shall be circumcised.
11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your orlah [foreskin], and it shall be a sign of the berit between Me and you.
12 Every male child eight days old shall be circumcised, throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with money from a foreigner.
13 Both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with money must be circumcised. My brit shall be in your flesh for an everlasting brit.
14 The uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his orlah [foreskin] shall be cut off from his am [people/kindred]; he has broken My berit.”
15 Elohim said to Avraham: “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but her name shall be Sarah.
16 I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.”
17 Avraham fell on his face and laughed, saying in his heart: “Shall a child be born to one who is 100 years old? Shall Sarah, who is 90 years old, bear?”
18 Avraham said to Elohim: “Oh, that Yishma’el might live before You!”
19 Elohim said: “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Yitzchak [Isaac]. I will establish My brit with him as an everlasting brit for his seed after him.
20 As for Yishma’el, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful and multiply him exceedingly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.
21 But My brit I will establish with Yitzchak, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year.”
22 When He had finished speaking with him, Elohim went up from Avraham.
23 Avraham took Yishma’el his son, and all those born in his house, and all who were bought with his money, every male among the men of Avraham’s household, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very day, as Elohim had spoken to him.
24 Avraham was 99 years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
25 Yishma’el his son was 13 years old when he was circumcised.
26 That very day Avraham and Yishma’el his son were circumcised.
27 All the men of his household, both those born in the house and those bought with money from nechar [foreigners], were circumcised with him.

— End of Chapter 17 —

Chapter 18

1 Yahuah appeared to Avraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day.
2 He lifted up his eyes and saw three men standing before him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the ground.
3 He said: “Adonai, if I have found favor in Your eyes, do not pass by Your servant.
4 Let a little water be brought, wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.
5 I will bring a morsel of lechem [bread], that you may refresh your hearts; after that you may pass on, since you have come to your servant.” They said, “Do so, as you have said.”
6 Avraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said: “Quickly, prepare three measures of fine flour, knead it, and make cakes.”
7 Avraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf, gave it to a servant, and he hastened to prepare it.
8 He took butter, milk, and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them. He stood by them under the tree while they ate.
9 They said to him: “Where is Sarah your wife?” He said: “Behold, in the tent.”
10 One said: “I will surely return to you at this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him.
11 Now Avraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; Sarah had ceased to have the way of women.
12 Sarah laughed within herself, saying: “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my master being old also?”
13 Yahuah said to Avraham: “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’
14 Is anything too hard for Yahuah? At the Moed [appointed time] I will return to you, and Sarah shall have a son.”
15 Sarah denied, saying: “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. But He said: “No, you did laugh.”
16 The men rose up from there and looked toward Sedom, and Avraham went with them to send them on their way.
17 Yahuah said: “Shall I hide from Avraham what I am about to do?
18 Since Avraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him.
19 For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of Yahuah, to do tzadeqah [righteousness] and mishpat [justice], so that Yahuah may bring upon Avraham what He has spoken.”
20 Yahuah said: “Because the outcry of Sedom and Amorah is great, and their chatat [sin] is very grievous,
21 I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.”
22 The men turned from there and went toward Sedom, but Avraham still stood before Yahuah.
23 Avraham drew near and said: “Will You indeed sweep away tzaddik [righteous] with the rasha [wicked]?”
24 Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will You then sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous?
25 Far be it from You to do such a thing — to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked. Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”
26 Yahuah said: “If I find fifty righteous within Sedom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
27 Avraham answered: “Behold, I have taken it upon myself to speak to Adonai, though I am but dust and ashes.
28 Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking — will You destroy the whole city for lack of five?” He said: “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.”
29 He spoke again: “Suppose forty are found there?” He said: “I will not destroy it for the sake of forty.”
30 He said: “Let not Adonai be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there?” He said: “I will not destroy it if I find thirty there.”
31 He said: “Behold, I have taken it upon myself to speak to Adonai. Suppose twenty are found there?” He said: “I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty.”
32 He said: “Let not Adonai be angry, and I will speak but this once. Suppose ten are found there?” He said: “I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.”
33 Yahuah departed when He had finished speaking with Avraham, and Avraham returned to his place.

— End of Chapter 18 —

Chapter 19

1 The two malakhim [angels] came to Sedom [Sodom] in the evening. Lot was sitting at the gate of Sedom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, bowed with his face to the ground,
2 And said: “Behold, Adoni [my lords] turn aside into your servant’s house, spend the night, wash your feet, and rise early to go on your way.” They said: “No, we will spend the night in the street.”
3 But he urged them strongly, so they turned aside to him and entered his house. He made them a mishteh [feast/banquet] and baked matzot [unleavened bread], and they ate.
4 Before they lay down, the men of the city — the men of Sedom, both young and old, all the people — surrounded the house.
5 They called to Lot: “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them.”
6 Lot went out to them at the entrance, shut the door behind him,
7 And said: “I beg you, brothers, do not commit ra [wickedness/evil].
8 Behold, I have two daughters who have not known a man; let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please. Only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof.”
9 They said: “Stand back! This fellow came to sojourn, and now he acts as a judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them.” They pressed hard against Lot and drew near to break the door.
10 But the men reached out their hands, brought Lot into the house, and shut the door.
11 They struck the men at the door with blindness, both small and great, so that they wore themselves out trying to find the door.
12 The men said to Lot: “Have you anyone else here — sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone else in the city? Bring them out of this place.
13 For we are about to destroy this place, because the outcry against its people has grown great before Yahuah, and Yahuah has sent us to destroy it.”
14 Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said: “Up, get out of this place, for Yahuah is about to destroy the city!” But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking.
15 At dawn the malakhim urged Lot: “Up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the avon [iniquity/punishment] of the city.”
16 But he lingered. So the men seized him, his wife, and his two daughters by the hand — Yahuah being merciful to him — and they brought him out and set him outside the city.
17 As they brought them out, they said: “Escape for your life! Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away.”
18 Lot said: “Oh no, Adoni [my lords]!
19 Behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have shown great mercy in saving my life. But I cannot escape to the hills, lest disaster overtake me and I die.
20 Behold, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is small. Let me escape there — is it not a little one? — and my life will be saved.”
21 He said: “Behold, I grant you this request also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken.
22 Hurry, escape there, for I can do nothing until you arrive.” Therefore the name of the city was called Tzoar [Zoar].
23 The sun had risen on the earth when Lot entered Tzoar.
24 Then Yahuah rained on Sedom and Amorah brimstone and fire from Yahuah out of the shamayim [heavens].
25 He overthrew those cities, all the valley, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.
26 But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a netziv [pillar/monument] of salt.
27 Avraham rose early in the morning to the place where he had stood before Yahuah.
28 He looked toward Sedom and Amorah and all the land of the valley, and saw, and behold, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace.
29 So it was, when Elohim destroyed the cities of the valley, Elohim remembered Avraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot lived.
30 Lot went up out of Tzoar and lived in the hills with his two daughters, for he was afraid to live in Tzoar. He lived in a cave with his two daughters.
31 The older said to the younger: “Our father is old, and there is no man on earth to come in to us after the manner of all the earth.
32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve offspring from our father.”
33 They made their father drink wine that night, and the older went in and lay with her father. He did not know when she lay down or when she arose.
34 The next day, the older said to the younger: “Behold, I lay with my father last night. Let us make him drink wine tonight also, and you go in and lie with him, that we may preserve offspring from our father.”
35 They made their father drink wine that night also, and the younger lay with him. He did not know when she lay down or when she arose.
36 Thus both daughters of Lot became pregnant by their father.
37 The older bore a son and called his name Moav [Moab] — “from father.” He is the father of the Moavim to this day.
38 The younger also bore a son and called his name Ben-Ammi [Ammon] — “son of my kin.” He is the father of the Ammonim to this day.

— End of Chapter 19 —

Chapter 20

1 Avraham journeyed from there to the Negev, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.
2 Avraham said of Sarah his wife: “She is my sister,” for he feared to say, “She is my wife,” lest the men of the city kill him because of her. So Avimelekh king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.
3 Elohim came to Avimelekh in a dream by night and said: “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.”
4 But Avimelekh had not approached her, and he said: “Adonai, will You slay a righteous nation?
5 Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this.”
6 Elohim said to him in the dream: “Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart, and I kept you from chatoi [sinning] against Me. Therefore, I did not let you touch her.
7 Now return the man’s wife, for he is a navi [prophet], and he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”
8 Avimelekh rose early in the morning, called all his servants, and told them all these things; the men were very afraid.
9 Avimelekh called Avraham and said: “What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me deeds that ought not to be done.”
10 Avimelekh said to Avraham: “What did you see, that you did this thing?”
11 Avraham said: “Because I thought, surely the fear of Elohim is not in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.
12 Yet she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.
13 When Elohim caused me to wander from my father’s house, I said to her: ‘This is the chesed [covenant kindness] you shall show me: in every place we go, say of me, He is my brother.’
14 Avimelekh took sheep, oxen, male and female servants, and gave them to Avraham, and restored Sarah his wife to him.
15 Avimelekh said: “Behold, my land is before you; dwell wherever it pleases you.”
16 To Sarah he said: “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand shekels [pieces] of silver. This is a vindication of your honor before all who are with you; you are cleared of reproach.”
17 Avraham prayed to Elohim, and Elohim healed Avimelekh, his wife, and his female servants, so that they bore children.
18 For Yahuah had closed up every womb in Avimelekh’s household because of Sarah, Avraham’s wife.

— End of Chapter 20 —

Chapter 21

1 Yahuah visited Sarah as He had said, and Yahuah did for Sarah as He had spoken.
2 Sarah conceived and bore Avraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which Elohim had spoken to him.
3 Avraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Yitzchak [Isaac].
4 Avraham circumcised Yitzchak when he was eight days old, as Elohim commanded him.
5 Avraham was 100 years old when Yitzchak his son was born.
6 Sarah said: “Elohim has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me.”
7 She said: “Who would have said to Avraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”
8 The child grew and was weaned, and Avraham made a great mishteh [feast/banquet] on the day Yitzchak was weaned.
9 Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Mitzrit [Egyptian], whom she had borne to Avraham, mocking Yitzchak.
10 She said to Avraham: “Cast out this bondwoman and her son, for the son of this bondwoman shall not inherit with my son Yitzchak.”
11 The matter was very grievous in Avraham’s sight because of his son.
12 Elohim said to Avraham: “Do not let it be grievous in your sight because of the lad and because of your bondwoman. In all that Sarah says to you, listen to her voice, for in Yitzchak shall your zera [seed/descendants] be called.
13 Yet I will also make the son of the bondwoman into a nation, because he is your zera.”
14 Avraham rose early in the morning, took lechem [bread] and a skin of water, gave them to Hagar, put the child on her shoulder, and sent her away. She departed and wandered in the wilderness of Be’er-Sheva.
15 When the water in the skin was gone, she placed the child under one of the shrubs.
16 She went and sat down opposite him, about a bowshot away, for she said: “Let me not see the death of the child.” She sat opposite him, and the child lifted up his voice and wept.
17 Elohim heard the voice of the lad. The malakh Elohim [angel of God] called to Hagar out of heaven and said: “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for Elohim has heard the voice of the lad where he is.
18 Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him with your hand, for I will make him a great nation.”
19 Elohim opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. She went, filled the skin with water, and gave the lad drink.
20 Elohim was with the lad, and he grew. He lived in the wilderness and became an archer.
21 He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took him a wife from Mitzrayim.
22 At that time Avimelekh and Phichol the commander of his army spoke to Avraham, saying: “Elohim is with you in all that you do.
23 Now therefore swear to me by Elohim that you will not deal falsely with me, nor with my offspring, nor with my posterity. According to the kindness that I have done to you, you shall do to me and to the land in which you have sojourned.”
24 Avraham said: “I will swear.”
25 Avraham reproved Avimelekh because of a well of water which Avimelekh’s servants had seized.
26 Avimelekh said: “I do not know who has done this thing. You did not tell me, nor had I heard of it until today.”
27 Avraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Avimelekh, and the two cut a berit [covenant].
28 Avraham set seven ewe lambs apart.
29 Avimelekh said: “What are these seven ewe lambs which you have set apart?”
30 Avraham said: “You shall take these seven ewe lambs from my hand, that they may be a witness that I dug this well.”
31 Therefore he called that place Be’er-Sheva [Well of the Oath], because there they both swore.
32 They cut a berit [covenant] at Be’er-Sheva. Avimelekh and Phichol the commander of his army returned to the land of the Philistines.
33 Avraham planted a tamarisk tree at Be’er-Sheva, and there he called on the Name of Yahuah, El-Olam [Everlasting God].
34 Avraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines many days.

— End of Chapter 21 —

Chapter 22

1 After these things, Elohim tested Avraham and said to him: “Avraham!” He said: “Hineni [Here I am].”
2 He said: “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love — Yitzchak [Isaac] — and go to the land of Moriah. Offer him there as an olah [whole burnt offering] on one of the mountains I will show you.”
3 Avraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, took two of his young men with him, and Yitzchak his son. He split the wood for the burnt offering, and went to the place Elohim had told him.
4 On the third day Avraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place afar off.
5 Avraham said to his young men: “Stay here with the donkey. I and the lad will go yonder, worship, and return to you.”
6 Avraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Yitzchak his son. He took in his hand the fire and the ma'achelet [sacrificial knife/cleaver], and the two went together.
7 Yitzchak said to Avraham his father: “My father.” He said: “Hineni, my son.” He said: “Behold the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
8 Avraham said: “Elohim will provide Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” So they went together.
9 They came to the place Elohim had told him. Avraham built the mizbeach [altar], arranged the wood, aqad [bound] Yitzchak his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.
10 Avraham stretched forth his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
11 But the malakh Yahuah [angel of Yahuah] called to him from heaven: “Avraham, Avraham!” He said: “Hineni.”
12 He said: “Do not lay your hand on the lad or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear Elohim, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”
13 Avraham lifted up his eyes and saw a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. Avraham went, took the ram, and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.
14 Avraham called the name of that place Yahuah-Yireh [Yahuah will provide], as it is said to this day: “In the mount of Yahuah it shall be provided.”
15 The malakh Yahuah called to Avraham a second time from heaven,
16 And said: “By Myself I have sworn, says Yahuah, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son,
17 Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your zera [seed/descendants] as the stars of the shamayim and as the sand on the seashore. Your zera shall possess the gates of their enemies.
18 In your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
19 Avraham returned to his young men, and they rose up and went together to Be’er-Sheva [Well of the Oath], and Avraham dwelt there.
20 After these things it was told to Avraham: “Behold, Milkah has also borne sons to Nahor your brother:
21 Uz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram [the Arameans], Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.
22 Bethuel fathered Rivkah [Rebekah]. These eight Milkah bore to Nahor, Avraham’s brother.
23 His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Ma’akah.”

— End of Chapter 22 —

Chapter 23

1 The life of Sarah was 127 years.
2 Sarah died in Kiryat-Arba (that is Chevron [Hebron]) in the land of Kena’an. Avraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.
3 Avraham rose up from before his dead and spoke to the sons of Chet [Heth], saying:
4 “I am a sojourner and a stranger among you. Give me a possession of a qever [grave/burial place] among you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”
5 The sons of Chet answered Avraham:
6 “Hear us, Adoni [my lord]. You are a Nasi Elohim [prince/elevated leader of God] among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will withhold his tomb from you, that you may bury your dead.”
7 Avraham rose and bowed before the people of the land, the sons of Chet.
8 He spoke with them: “If it is your wish that I bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and entreat for me to Ephron son of Tzochar,
9 That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he owns, at the end of his field. Let him give it to me for the full price as a possession for a burial place among you.”
10 Ephron the Hittite was sitting among the sons of Chet. Ephron answered Avraham in the hearing of all who entered the gate of his city:
11 “No, my lord, hear me. I give you the field and the cave that is in it. I give it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead.”
12 Avraham bowed before the people of the land.
13 He spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people: “If you will, hear me. I will give you the price of the field. Accept it from me, that I may bury my dead there.”
14 Ephron answered Avraham:
15 “My lord, listen to me. The land is worth 400 shekels of silver, but what is that between me and you? Bury your dead.”
16 Avraham listened to Ephron, and weighed out to him the kesef [silver/money] which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Chet — 400 shekels of silver, according to the merchants’ standard.
17 So the field of Ephron in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field and the cave in it, and all the trees within its borders,
18 Were yaqam [deeded/made sure] to Avraham as a possession in the presence of the sons of Chet, before all who entered the gate of his city.
19 After this, Avraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of Machpelah, before Mamre (that is Chevron) in the land of Kena’an.
20 The field and the cave in it were deeded to Avraham by the sons of Chet as a possession for a burial place.

— End of Chapter 23 —

Chapter 24

1 Avraham was old, advanced in days, and Yahuah had blessed him in all things.
2 Avraham said to his servant, the elder of his house who ruled over all he had: “Put your hand under my thigh,
3 And I will make you swear by Yahuah, Elohim of the shamayim and Elohim of the aretz, that you will not take a wife for my son Yitzchak from the daughters of the Kena’anim among whom I dwell.
4 But you shall go to my country and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Yitzchak.”
5 The servant said: “Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land. Shall I then take your son back to the land from which you came?”
6 Avraham said: “Beware that you do not take my son back there.
7 Yahuah, Elohim of the shamayim, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my birth, who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, ‘To your seed I will give this land,’ He will send His malakh before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.
8 If the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be released from this oath; only do not take my son back there.”
9 The servant put his hand under the thigh of Avraham his master and swore concerning this matter.
10 The servant took ten camels of his master and departed, taking all kinds of good things of his master’s hand. He went to Aram-Naharaim, to the city of Nahor.
11 He made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at evening time, when the daughters of the men of the city came out to draw water.
12 He prayed: “Yahuah, Elohim of my master Avraham, please prosper my way today, and show chesed [covenant kindness] to my master Avraham.
13 Behold, I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw.
14 Let it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please let down your pitcher that I may drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels drink’ — let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Yitzchak. By this I will know You have shown kindness to my master.”
15 Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rivkah [Rebekah], daughter of Bethuel son of Milkah, wife of Nahor (Avraham’s brother), came out with her pitcher on her shoulder.
16 The young woman was very beautiful, a virgin whom no man had known. She went down to the spring, filled her pitcher, and came up.
17 The servant ran to meet her and said: “Please give me a little water from your pitcher.”
18 She said: “Drink, my lord.” She quickly let down her pitcher and gave him drink.
19 When he had finished, she said: “I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking.”
20 She quickly emptied her pitcher into the trough, ran again to the well, and drew for all his camels.
21 The man gazed at her in silence, wondering whether Yahuah had prospered his journey.
22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a golden nose ring weighing half a shekel, and two bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekels of gold.
23 He asked: “Whose daughter are you? Is there room in your father’s house for us to lodge?”
24 She said: “I am the daughter of Bethuel son of Milkah, whom she bore to Nahor.”
25 She added: “We have plenty of straw and fodder, and room to lodge.”
26 The man bowed his head and worshipped Yahuah,
27 Saying: “Blessed be Yahuah, Elohim of my master Avraham, who has not forsaken His chesed [mercy] and emet [truth/faithfulness] toward my master. Yahuah has led me to the house of my master’s relatives.”
28 The young woman ran and told her mother’s household.
29 Rivkah had a brother named Lavan [Laban]. Lavan ran out to the man at the spring.
30 When he saw the ring and bracelets on his sister’s hands, and heard her words, he went to the man, who was standing by the camels.
31 He said: “Come in, blessed of Yahuah. Why do you stand outside? I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.”
32 The man entered, and they unloaded the camels, gave them straw and fodder, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men with him.
33 Food was set before him, but he said: “I will not eat until I have told my errand.” They said: “Speak.”
34 He said: “I am Avraham’s servant.
35 Yahuah has blessed my master greatly, and he has become great. He has given him flocks, herds, silver, gold, servants, camels, and donkeys.
36 Sarah, my master’s wife, bore a son to him in his old age, and he has given him all he has.
37 My master made me swear, saying: ‘Do not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Kena’anim, among whom I dwell.
38 But go to my father’s house and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son.’
39 I said: ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’
40 He said: ‘Yahuah, before whom I walk, will send His malakh with you and prosper your way. You shall take a wife for my son from my kindred, from my father’s house.’
41 Then you will be released from my oath if they refuse to give her to you.”
42 He recounted his prayer at the well and how Rivkah fulfilled the sign.
43 “Behold, I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw.
44 Let it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please let me drink a little water from your pitcher,’ and she says to me, ‘Drink, and I will also draw for your camels’ — let her be the one whom Yahuah has appointed for my master’s son.
45 Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rivkah [Rebekah] came out with her pitcher on her shoulder. She went down to the well and drew water, and I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’
46 She quickly let down her pitcher from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels drink.’ So I drank, and she also gave the camels drink.
47 I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She said, ‘I am the daughter of Bethuel son of Nahor, whom Milkah bore to him.’ So I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her wrists.
48 I bowed my head and worshipped Yahuah, and blessed Yahuah, Elohim of my master Avraham, who had led me in the right way to take the daughter of my master’s brother for his son.
49 Now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.
50 Lavan and Bethuel answered: “This thing comes from Yahuah. We cannot speak to you bad or good.
51 Behold, Rivkah is before you. Take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master’s son, as Yahuah has spoken.”
52 When Avraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed to the ground before Yahuah.
53 He brought out silver, gold, and begadim [garments], and gave them to Rivkah. He also gave precious gifts to her brother and her mother.
54 They ate and drank, and stayed the night. In the morning he said: “Send me away to my master.”
55 Her brother and mother said: “Let the young woman stay with us ten days; after that she may go.”
56 He said: “Do not delay me, since Yahuah has prospered my way. Send me away to my master.”
57 They said: “Let us call the young woman and ask her.”
58 They called Rivkah and said: “Will you go with this man?” She said: “I will go.”
59 They sent away Rivkah their sister, her nurse, Avraham’s servant, and his men.
60 They blessed Rivkah: “Our sister, may you become thousands of myriads, and may your zera [seed/descendants] possess the gates of their enemies.”
61 Rivkah and her maids arose, mounted the camels, and followed the man. The servant took Rivkah and went his way.
62 Yitzchak had come from Beer-Lachai-Ro’i, for he dwelt in the Negev.
63 Yitzchak went out into the field toward evening to suach [meditate/pour out prayer]. He lifted up his eyes and saw camels coming.
64 Rivkah lifted up her eyes, saw Yitzchak, and dismounted from the camel.
65 She said to the servant: “Who is that man walking in the field to meet us?” The servant said: “It is my master.” She took her veil and covered herself.
66 The servant told Yitzchak all the things he had done.
67 Yitzchak brought Rivkah into his mother Sarah’s tent. She became his wife, and he loved her. Yitzchak was comforted after his mother’s death.

— End of Chapter 24 —

Chapter 25

1 Avraham again took a wife, and her name was Keturah.
2 She bore him Zimran, Yokshan, Medan, Midyan, Yishbak, and Shuach.
3 Yokshan fathered Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were the Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim.
4 The sons of Midyan were Ephah, Epher, Hanokh, Abida, and Elda’ah. All these were children of Keturah.
5 Avraham gave all that he had to Yitzchak.
6 But to the sons of the concubines Avraham gave gifts, and while he was still living he sent them away from Yitzchak his son, eastward to the land of the east.
7 The years of Avraham’s life were 175 years.
8 Avraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man full of days, and was gathered to his am [people/kindred].
9 Yitzchak and Yishma’el his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron son of Tzochar the Hittite, east of Mamre,
10 The field that Avraham purchased from the sons of Chet. There Avraham was buried with Sarah his wife.
11 After the death of Avraham, Elohim blessed Yitzchak his son. Yitzchak dwelt at Be’er-Lachai-Ro’i [Well of the Vision].
12 These are the generations of Yishma’el, son of Avraham, whom Hagar the Mitzrit, Sarah’s maid, bore to Avraham.
13 These are the names of the sons of Yishma’el, according to their generations: Nebayot the firstborn, then Kedar, Adbe’el, Mivsam,
14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa,
15 Hadad, Tema, Yetur, Nafish, and Kedemah.
16 These are the sons of Yishma’el, twelve princes according to their tribes.
17 The years of Yishma’el’s life were 137 years. He breathed his last and was gathered to his people.
18 He settled from Havilah to Shur, which is opposite Mitzrayim, as you go toward Ashur. He lived in the presence of all his brothers.
19 These are the generations of Yitzchak son of Avraham. Avraham fathered Yitzchak.
20 Yitzchak was 40 years old when he took Rivkah, daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-Aram, sister of Lavan the Aramean, as his wife.
21 Yitzchak prayed to Yahuah for his wife, because she was barren. Yahuah granted his prayer, and Rivkah conceived.
22 The children struggled together within her, and she said: “If it is so, why am I like this?” She went to darash [inquire of/seek a word from] Yahuah.
23 Yahuah said to her: “Two nations are in your womb, Two peoples shall be separated from your body. One shall be stronger than the other, And the elder shall serve the younger.”
24 When her days to give birth were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
25 The first came out red, all his body like a hairy garment; they called his name Esav [Esau].
26 Afterward his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esav’s heel; so his name was called Ya’akov [Jacob]. Yitzchak was 60 years old when Rivkah bore them.
27 The boys grew. Esav became a skillful hunter, a man of the field; Ya’akov was a quiet man, dwelling in tents.
28 Yitzchak loved Esav because he ate of his game, but Rivkah loved Ya’akov.
29 Ya’akov cooked stew. Esav came in from the field, weary.
30 Esav said to Ya’akov: “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am weary.” Therefore his name was called Edom.
31 Ya’akov said: “Sell me your bekhorah [birthright/firstborn status] today.”
32 Esav said: “Behold, I am about to die. What use is a birthright to me?”
33 Ya’akov said: “Swear to me today.” So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Ya’akov.
34 Ya’akov gave Esav lechem [bread] and lentil stew. He ate and drank, rose, and went his way. Thus Esav despised his bekhorah.

— End of Chapter 25 —

Chapter 26

1 There was a famine in the land, besides the former famine in the days of Avraham. Yitzchak went to Avimelekh king of the Philistines in Gerar.
2 Yahuah appeared to him and said: “Do not go down to Mitzrayim. Dwell in the land that I shall tell you.
3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and bless you. To you and your seed I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to Avraham your father.
4 I will multiply your seed as the stars of the shamayim, and will give to your seed all these lands. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed,
5 Because Avraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, mitzvot [commandments], My chuqqim [statutes], and My torah [instructions/laws].”
6 Yitzchak dwelt in Gerar.
7 The men of the place asked about Rivkah his wife, and he said: “She is my sister,” for he feared to say, “She is my wife,” lest they kill him because she was beautiful.
8 After he had been there a long time, Avimelekh king of Gerar looked out through a window and saw Yitzchak caressing Rivkah his wife.
9 Avimelekh called Yitzchak and said: “Behold, she is your wife! Why then did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Yitzchak said: “Because I thought, lest I die on account of her.”
10 Avimelekh said: “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.”
11 Avimelekh charged all his people, saying: “He who touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”
12 Yitzchak sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. Yahuah blessed him.
13 The man became rich, and continued to grow richer until he became very wealthy.
14 He had flocks and herds and many servants, so the Philistines envied him.
15 The Philistines stopped up all the wells which his father’s servants had dug in the days of Avraham, filling them with earth.
16 Avimelekh said to Yitzchak: “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.”
17 Yitzchak departed and encamped in the valley of Gerar and dwelt there.
18 He dug again the wells of water which had been dug in the days of Avraham his father, which the Philistines had stopped after Avraham’s death. He called them by the names his father had given them.
19 Yitzchak’s servants dug in the valley and found a well of mayim chayim [living water]. .
20 The herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Yitzchak’s herdsmen, saying: “The water is ours.” He called the name of the well Esek [Contention].
21 They dug another well, and they quarreled over that also. He called its name Sitnah [Enmity].
22 He moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. He called its name Rechovot [Room], saying: “Now Yahuah has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.”
23 He went up from there to Be’er-Sheva [Well of the Oath].
24 Yahuah appeared to him that night and said: “I am the Elohim of Avraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your seed for My servant Avraham’s sake.”
25 He built an altar there and called on the Name of Yahuah. He pitched his tent there, and his servants dug a well.
26 Then Avimelekh came to him from Gerar with Ahuzzat his adviser and Phichol the commander of his army.
27 Yitzchak said to them: “Why have you come to me, seeing you hated me and sent me away?”
28 They said: “We have clearly seen that Yahuah is with you. So we said, let there now be an alah [oath] between us and you, and let us cut a berit [covenant] with you,
29 That you will do us no harm, just as we have not touched you and have done nothing but good and sent you away in shalom [peace]. You are now blessed of Yahuah.”
30 He made them a mishteh [feast/banquet], and they ate and drank.
31 They rose early in the morning and swore an oath to one another. Yitzchak sent them away, and they departed in peace.
32 That same day Yitzchak’s servants came and told him about the well they had dug, saying: “We have found water.”
33 He called it Shivah [Oath]; therefore the name of the city is Be’er-Sheva to this day.
34 When Esav was 40 years old, he took Judith daughter of Be’eri the Hittite, and Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite, as wives.
35 They were a bitterness of spirit to Yitzchak and Rivkah.

— End of Chapter 26 —

Chapter 27

1 When Yitzchak was old and his eyes were dim so that he could not see, he called Esav his elder son and said: “My son.” He said: “Hineni [Here I am].”
2 He said: “Behold, I am old and do not know the day of my death.
3 Now take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me.
4 Prepare me savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, so that my soul may bless you before I die.”
5 Rivkah heard when Yitzchak spoke to Esav his son. Esav went to the field to hunt game and bring it.
6 Rivkah spoke to Ya’akov her younger son: “Behold, I heard your father speak to Esav your brother, saying,
7 ‘Bring me game and prepare savory food, that I may eat and bless you before Yahuah before my death.’
8 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice in what I command you.
9 Go to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, and I will prepare them as savory food for your father, such as he loves.
10 You shall bring it to your father, that he may eat, so that he may bless you before his death.”
11 Ya’akov said to Rivkah his mother: “Esav my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man.
12 Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver, and I shall bring a curse on myself and not a blessing.”
13 His mother said: “Let your curse be on me, my son. Only obey my voice, and go, bring them to me.”
14 He went and brought them to his mother, and she prepared savory food such as his father loved.
15 Rivkah took the best garments of Esav her elder son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Ya’akov her younger son.
16 She put the skins of the goats on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck.
17 She gave the savory food and the bread she had prepared into the hand of Ya’akov her son.
18 He came to his father and said: “My father.” He said: “Hineni; who are you, my son?”
19 Ya’akov said: “I am Esav your firstborn. I have done as you told me. Sit up and eat of my game, that your soul may bless me.”
20 Yitzchak said: “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?” He said: “Because Yahuah your Elohim brought it to me.”
21 Yitzchak said to Ya’akov: “Come near, that I may feel you, my son, whether you are truly Esav or not.”
22 Ya’akov came near to Yitzchak his father, who felt him and said: “The voice is Ya’akov’s voice, but the hands are Esav’s hands.”
23 He did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like Esav’s hands. So he blessed him.
24 He said: “Are you truly my son Esav?” He said: “I am.”
25 He said: “Bring it near to me, that I may eat of my son’s game, that my soul may bless you.” He brought it near, and he ate. He brought him wine, and he drank.
26 Yitzchak his father said: “Come near and kiss me, my son.”
27 He came near and kissed him. Yitzchak smelled the smell of his garments and blessed him, saying: “See, the smell of my son Is as the smell of a field which Yahuah has blessed.
28 May Elohim give you of the dew of the shamayim, And of the fatness of the earth, And plenty of dagan [grain] and tirosh [new wine].
29 Let peoples serve you, And nations bow down to you. Be master over your brothers, And let your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, And blessed be everyone who bless you.”
30 As soon as Yitzchak had finished blessing Ya’akov, and Ya’akov had scarcely gone out from his father’s presence, Esav his brother came in from hunting.
31 He also prepared savory food and brought it to his father, and said: “Let my father arise and eat of his son’s game, that your soul may bless me.”
32 Yitzchak said: “Who are you?” He said: “I am your son, your firstborn, Esav.”
33 Yitzchak trembled exceedingly and said: “Who then is he who hunted game and brought it to me? I ate it before you came, and I blessed him — and indeed he shall be blessed.”
34 When Esav heard the words of his father, he cried with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said: “Bless me, even me also, my father!”
35 He said: “Your brother came b'mirmah [with deceit/treachery], and has taken away your blessing.”
36 Esav said: “Is he not rightly named Ya’akov [Supplanter]? For he has supplanted me these two times: he took away my bekhorah [birthright /firstborn status], and now he has taken away my blessing.” He said: “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?”
37 Yitzchak answered: “Behold, I have made him lord over you, and all his brothers I have given to him as servants. With grain and wine I have sustained him. What then can I do for you, my son?”
38 Esav said: “Have you only one blessing, my father? Bless me also, my father!” And Esav lifted up his voice and wept.
39 Yitzchak his father answered: “Behold, your dwelling shall be of the fatness of the earth, And of the dew of the shamayim from above.
40 By your cherev [sword] you shall live, And you shall serve your brother. But it shall come to pass, When you grow restless, You shall break his yoke from your neck.”
41 Esav hated Ya’akov because of the blessing with which his father blessed him. Esav said in his heart: “The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Ya’akov.”
42 The words of Esav were told to Rivkah. She called Ya’akov her younger son and said: “Behold, your brother Esav comforts himself by planning to kill you.
43 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice. Arise, flee to Lavan my brother in Haran.
44 Stay with him a while, until your brother’s fury turns away,
45 Until your brother’s anger turns away and he forgets what you have done to him. Then I will send and bring you from there. Why should I be bereaved of you both in one day?”
46 Rivkah said to Yitzchak: “I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Chet. If Ya’akov takes a wife from the daughters of this land, what good will my life be to me?”

— End of Chapter 27 —

Chapter 28

1 Yitzchak called Ya’akov, blessed him, and charged him: “You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Kena’an.
2 Arise, go to Paddan-Aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father, and take a wife from there of the daughters of Lavan, your mother’s brother.
3 And may my El Shaddai [The Almighty/All-Sufficient God], bless you, and increase you, and multiply you, and you shall become gatherings of nations.
4 May He give you the blessing of Avraham, to you and to your seed after you, that you may inherit the land of your sojournings, which Elohim gave to Avraham.”
5 So Yitzchak sent Ya’akov away, and he went to Paddan-Aram, to Lavan son of Bethuel the Aramean, brother of Rivkah, mother of Ya’akov and Esav.
6 Esav saw that Yitzchak had blessed Ya’akov and sent him away to Paddan-Aram to take a wife from there, and that as he blessed him he charged him, saying, “You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Kena’an,”
7 And that Ya’akov obeyed his father and mother and went to Paddan-Aram.
8 So Esav saw that the daughters of Kena’an did not please Yitzchak his father.
9 Esav went to Yishma’el and took Machalat, daughter of Yishma’el son of Avraham, sister of Nevayot, to be his wife in addition to the wives he had.
10 Ya’akov went out from Be’er-Sheva and went toward Haran.
11 He came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. He took one of the stones of the place, put it under his head, and lay down in that place.
12 He dreamed, and behold, a ladder set up on the earth, with its top reaching to the shamayim; and the malakhim of Elohim were ascending and descending on it.
13 Behold, Yahuah stood above it and said: “I am Yahuah, Elohim of Avraham your father and Elohim of Yitzchak. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your seed.
14 Your seed shall be as the dust of the earth. You shall spread abroad to the west, to the east, to the north, and to the south. In you and in your seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.”
16 Ya’akov awoke from his sleep and said: “Surely Yahuah is in this place, and I did not know it.”
17 He was afraid and said: “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the Beit Elohim [House of God], and this is the gate of shamayim.”
18 Ya’akov rose early in the morning, took the stone he had put under his head, set it up as a matzevah [stone pillar/monument], and poured oil on top of it.
19 He called the name of that place Beit-El [House of God]; but the name of the city was Luz at first.
20 Ya’akov vowed a vow, saying: “If Elohim will be with me, and keep me in this way that I go, and give me bread to eat and clothing to wear,
21 So that I come again to my father’s house in shalom [peace/wholeness], then Yahuah shall be my Elohim.
22 This stone which I have set up as a pillar shall be Elohim’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.”

— End of Chapter 28 —

Chapter 29

1 And Ya’akov started and went to the land of the east to Lavan, the son of Bethuel the Aramean [Arami / Syrian], and the brother of Rivkah, mother of Ya’akov and Esav.
2 And he looked, and behold! a well in the plain; and there were three flocks of sheep resting at it, for out of that well they watered the flocks, but a great stone was upon the mouth of the well.
3 And all the flocks were gathered there, and they used to roll away the stone from the mouth of the well, and water the flocks, and set the stone again in its place upon the mouth of the well.
4 And Ya’akov said to them, “Brothers, whence are you?” And they said, “We are of Haran.”
5 And he said to them, “Do you know Lavan son of Nahor?” And they said, “We know him.”
6 And he said to them, “Is he well?” And they said, “He is well. And behold, Rachel his daughter comes with the sheep.”
7 And Ya’akov said, “It is yet high day, it is not time that the flocks be gathered together; water the sheep, and go feed them.”
8 And they said, “We cannot, until all the shepherds are gathered together, and they roll away the stone from the mouth of the well; then we will water the flocks.”
9 While he was yet speaking with them, behold, Rachel the daughter of Lavan came with her father’s sheep, for she was shepherding them.
10 And it came to pass when Ya’akov saw Rachel the daughter of Lavan, his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Lavan, his mother’s brother, that Ya’akov came near and rolled away the stone from the mouth of the well, and watered the flock of Lavan, his mother’s brother.
11 And Ya’akov kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept.
12 And Ya’akov told Rachel that he was her father’s relative, and that he was the son of Rivkah; and she ran and told her father.
13 And it came to pass when Lavan heard the name of Ya’akov, his sister’s son, he ran to meet him, embraced him, kissed him, and brought him into his house; and Ya’akov told Lavan all these words.
14 And Lavan said to him, “Surely you are my bone and my flesh.” And he stayed with him a full month.
15 And Lavan said to Ya’akov, “Because you are my kinsman, should you serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?”
16 Now Lavan had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.
17 Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance.
18 And Ya’akov loved Rachel, and said, “I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.”
19 And Lavan said, “It is better that I give her to you than to another man. Stay with me.”
20 And Ya’akov served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days, because of the love he had for her.
21 And Ya’akov said to Lavan, “Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her.”
22 And Lavan gathered all the men of the place and made a mishteh [feast/banquet].
23 In the evening he took Leah his daughter and brought her to Ya’akov, and he went in to her.
24 And Lavan gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her maid.
25 In the morning, behold, it was Leah! And Ya’akov said to Lavan, “What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve you for Rachel? Why then have you mirmah [deceit/deception] against me?”
26 And Lavan said, “It is not done in our place to give the younger before the firstborn.
27 Fulfill the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you shall serve with me yet another seven years.”
28 And Ya’akov did so and fulfilled her week. And Lavan gave him Rachel his daughter as wife also.
29 And Lavan gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maid.
30 And Ya’akov went in also to Rachel, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served Lavan another seven years.
31 When Yahuah saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.
32 Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuven [Behold, a Son!], saying, “Because Yahuah has looked upon my affliction, now my husband will love me.”
33 She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because Yahuah has heard that I am unloved, He has given me this son also.” She called his name Shimon [Simeon].
34 She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will be joined to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore, his name was called Levi [Joined/Attached].
35 She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “This time I will praise Yahuah.” Therefore she called his name Yehudah [Judah Praise /Thanksgiving].Then she ceased bearing.

— End of Chapter 29 —

Chapter 30

1 And Rachel having perceived that she bore Ya’akov no children, was jealous of her sister; and said to Ya’akov, “Give me children; and if not, I shall die.”
2 And Ya’akov was angry with Rachel, and said to her, “Am I in the place of Elohim, who has deprived you of the peri [fruit] of the womb?”
3 And Rachel said to Ya’akov, “Behold my handmaid Bilhah, go in to her, and she shall bear upon my knees, and I also shall have children by her.”
4 And she gave him Bilhah her maid, for a wife to him; and Ya’akov went in to her.
5 And Bilhah, Rachel’s maid, conceived, and bore Ya’akov a son.
6 And Rachel said, “Elohim has judged me, and has heard my voice, and has given me a son.” Therefore she called his name Dan.
7 And Bilhah, Rachel’s maid, conceived yet again, and bore a second son to Ya’akov.
8 And Rachel said, “Elohim has helped me, and I contended with my sister and prevailed.” And she called his name Naphtali.
9 And Leah saw that she ceased from bearing, and she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her to Ya’akov for a wife; and he went in to her.
10 And Zilpah the maid of Leah conceived, and bore Ya’akov a son.
11 And Leah said, “It is happily!” And she called his name Gad.
12 And Zilpah the maid of Leah conceived yet again, and bore Ya’akov a second son.
13 And Leah said, “I am blessed, for the women will call me blessed.” And she called his name Asher.
14 And Reuven went in the days of barley harvest, and found duda’im [mandrakes/love apples] in the field, and brought them to his mother Leah. And Rachel said to Leah her sister, “Give me of your son’s mandrakes.”
15 And Leah said, “Is it not enough for you that you have taken my husband? Will you also take my son’s mandrakes?” And Rachel said, “Not so: let him lie with you tonight for your son’s mandrakes.”
16 And Ya’akov came in from the field at evening; and Leah went forth to meet him, and said, “You shall come in to me this day, for I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” And he lay with her that night.
17 And Elohim listened to Leah, and she conceived, and bore Ya’akov a fifth son.
18 And Leah said, “Elohim has given me my reward, because I gave my maid to my husband.” And she called his name Yissachar [Issachar], which is, Reward.
19 And Leah conceived again, and bore Ya’akov a sixth son.
20 And Leah said, “Elohim has given me a good gift this time; my husband will dwell with me, for I have borne him six sons.” And she called his name Zevulun [Zabulon].
21 And after this she bore a daughter; and she called her name Dinah.
22 And Elohim remembered Rachel, and Elohim listened to her, and He opened her womb.
23 And she conceived, and bore Ya’akov a son; and Rachel said, “Elohim has taken away my reproach.”
24 And she called his name Yosef [Joseph], saying, “Let Yahuah add to me another son.”
25 And it came to pass when Rachel had borne Yosef, Ya’akov said to Lavan, “Send me away, that I may go to my place and to my land.
26 Restore my wives and my children, for whom I have served you, that I may depart; for you know the service with which I have served you.”
27 And Lavan said to him, “If I have found favor in your sight, I have learned by nachash [divination /observation] that Yahuah has blessed me because of you.”
28 “Appoint me your wages, and I will give them.”
29 And Ya’akov said, “You know how I have served you, and how your cattle have fared with me.
30 For it was little you had before my time, and it has increased to a multitude, and Yahuah Elohim has blessed you since my coming. Now then, when shall I also provide for my own house?”
31 And Lavan said to him, “What shall I give you?” And Ya’akov said, “You shall not give me anything; if you will do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep your flock.
32 Let me pass through all your flock today, removing from there every speckled and spotted sheep, and every dark-colored lamb, and the spotted and speckled among the goats — this shall be my wages.
33 So my tzadeqah [righteousness] shall answer for me in time to come, when you come to look upon my wages: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and dark among the lambs, shall be counted stolen with me.”
34 And Lavan said, “Let it be according to your word.”
35 And he removed that day the male goats that were speckled and spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white in it, and all the dark-colored among the lambs, and gave them into the hand of his sons.
36 And he set a distance of three days’ journey between himself and Ya’akov. And Ya’akov fed the rest of Lavan’s flocks.
37 And Ya’akov took rods of fresh poplar, almond, and plane trees, and peeled white streaks in them, exposing the white which was in the rods.
38 And he set the rods which he had peeled in front of the flocks in the watering troughs, where the flocks came to drink, so that they might conceive when they came to drink.
39 So the flocks conceived before the rods, and the flocks brought forth streaked, speckled, and spotted young.
40 And Ya’akov separated the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the streaked and all the dark-colored in the flock of Lavan. He put his own droves apart and did not put them with Lavan’s flock.
41 And it came to pass, whenever the stronger flocks conceived, Ya’akov laid the rods before the eyes of the flock in the troughs, that they might conceive among the rods.
42 But when the flocks were feeble, he did not put them in; so the feebler were Lavan’s, and the stronger were Ya’akov’s.
43 And the man increased exceedingly, and had large flocks, female and male servants, camels, and donkeys.

— End of Chapter 30 —

Chapter 31

1 And Ya’akov heard the words of the sons of Lavan, saying, “Ya’akov has taken all that was our father’s, and of our father’s property has he gotten all this glory.”
2 And Ya’akov saw the countenance of Lavan, and behold it was not toward him as before.
3 And Yahuah said to Ya’akov, “Return to the land of your father, and to your family, and I will be with you.”
4 And Ya’akov sent and called Leah and Rachel to the plain where the flocks were.
5 And he said to them, “I see the face of your father, that it is not toward me as before, but the Elohim of my father has been with me.
6 And you also know that with all my might I have served your father.
7 But your father deceived me, and changed my wages for the ten lambs, yet Elohim gave him not power to hurt me.
8 If he said, ‘The speckled shall be your reward,’ then all the flock bore speckled; and if he said, ‘The white shall be your reward,’ then all the flock bore white.
9 So Elohim has taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me.
10 And it came to pass when the flock conceived, that I saw in a dream, and behold the rams leaping upon the flock were speckled, variegated, and spotted.
11 And the malakh Elohim spoke to me in a dream, saying, “Ya’akov.” And I said, “Hineni [Here I am].”
12 And he said, “Lift up your eyes and see, all the rams leaping upon the flock are speckled, variegated, and spotted; for I have seen all that Lavan does to you.
13 I am the Elohim of Beit-El, where you anointed a pillar and vowed a vow to Me. Now arise, leave this land, and return to the land of your nativity, and I will be with you.”
14 And Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, “Have we yet a portion or inheritance in our father’s house?
15 Are we not considered strangers by him? For he has sold us, and devoured our money.
16 All the wealth which Elohim has taken from our father belongs to us and to our children; now then, do whatever Elohim has said to you.”
17 And Ya’akov arose and set his wives and his children upon camels.
18 And he carried away all his possessions and his store, which he had gotten in Aram, to go to Yitzchak his father in the land of Kena’an.
19 And Lavan went to shear his sheep; and Rachel stole her father’s teraphim [eidola / household idols].
20 And Ya’akov deceived Lavan the Aramean, in that he did not tell him that he fled.
21 So he fled with all that he had, crossed the River, and went toward Mount Gil’ad.
22 It was told Lavan on the third day that Ya’akov had fled.
23 He took his brothers with him, pursued him seven days’ journey, and overtook him in Mount Gil’ad.
24 And Elohim came to Lavan the Aramean in a dream by night, and said, “Take heed that you speak not to Ya’akov evil things.”
25 Lavan overtook Ya’akov; and Ya’akov pitched his tent in the mountain; and Lavan stationed his brothers in Mount Gil’ad.
26 And Lavan said to Ya’akov, “What have you done, that you fled secretly, pillaged me, and carried away my daughters like captives of the sword?
27 If you had told me, I would have sent you away with joy, with songs, timbrel, and harp.
28 You did not allow me to kiss my sons and daughters. You have done foolishly.
29 It is in my power to harm you; but the Elohim of your father spoke to me yesterday, saying, ‘Take heed that you speak not evil words to Ya’akov.’
30 Now go your way, since you longed to return to your father’s house; but why have you stolen my gods?”
31 And Ya’akov answered, “Because I was afraid; for I said, lest you take your daughters from me by force.
32 With whomever you find your gods, let him not live. Before our brothers, discern what is yours with me, and take it.” But Ya’akov did not know that Rachel had stolen them.
33 Lavan searched Leah’s tent, Ya’akov’s tent, the tents of the two maidservants, and found them not. He entered Rachel’s tent.
34 Rachel had taken the teraphim, put them in the camel’s saddle, and sat on them. Lavan searched but did not find them.
35 She said to her father, “Do not be angry, my lord, that I cannot rise before you, for the way of women is upon me.” So he searched but did not find the teraphim.
36 Then Ya’akov was angry and contended with Lavan: “What is my trespass? What is my sin, that you have pursued me?
37 You have searched all my goods; what have you found? Set it here before my brothers and your brothers, that they may judge between us.
38 These twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and she-goats have not miscarried, and I have not eaten the rams of your flock.
39 That which was torn by beasts I did not bring to you; I bore the loss myself. You required it of me, whether stolen by day or by night.
40 Thus I was: by day the heat consumed me, by night the frost, and sleep fled from my eyes.
41 These twenty years have I been in your house; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years amongst your sheep, and you did falsely rate my wages for ten lambs.
42 Unless the Elohim of my father, the Elohim of Avraham, and the Fear of Yitzchak, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty. Elohim has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night.”
43 Lavan answered: “The daughters are my daughters, the children my children, the flock my flock, and all you see is mine. But what can I do this day to my daughters or their children?
44 Now come, let us make a berit [covenant], you and I, and let it be a witness between us.”
45 So Ya’akov took a stone and set it up as a matzevah [stone pillar/monument].
46 Ya’akov said to his brothers, “Gather stones.” They took stones, made a heap, and ate there by the heap.
47 Lavan called it Yegar-Sahadutha [Heap of Testimony], but Ya’akov called it Gal-Ed [Witness Heap].
48 And Lavan said, “This heap is a witness between me and you this day.” Therefore its name was called Gal-Ed.
49 And Mizpah, for he said, “May Yahuah watch between me and you, when we are absent one from another.
50 If you afflict my daughters, or take wives besides my daughters, though no man is with us, Elohim is an ed [witness] between me and you.”
51 Lavan said to Ya’akov, “Behold this heap and pillar, which I have set between me and you.
52 This heap is witness, and this pillar is witness, that I will not pass beyond this heap to you, and you will not pass beyond it to me, for harm.
53 The Elohim of Avraham and the Elohim of Nahor judge between us.” And Ya’akov swore by the Fear of his father Yitzchak.
54 Ya’akov offered a zevach [sacrifice/communal meal] on the mountain, and called his brothers to eat bread. They ate bread and stayed all night on the mountain.
55 In the morning Lavan rose, kissed his sons and daughters, and blessed them. Then Lavan departed and returned to his place.

— End of Chapter 31 —

Chapter 32

1 And Ya’akov departed for his journey; and having looked up, he saw the host of Elohim encamped; and the malakhim of Elohim met him.
2 And Ya’akov said, when he saw them, “This is the Camp of Elohim”; and he called the name of that place Machanayim [Encampments].
3 And Ya’akov sent messengers before him to Esav his brother, to the land of Se’ir, to the country of Edom.
4 And he charged them, saying, “Thus shall you say to my lord Esav: Thus says your servant Ya’akov; I have sojourned with Lavan and tarried until now.
5 And there were born to me bakar [oxen], chamorim [asses], and tzon [sheep/flocks], menservants and women-servants; and I sent to tell my lord Esav, that your servant might find chen [favor/grace] in your sight.”
6 And the messengers returned to Ya’akov, saying, “We came to your brother Esav, and behold! he comes to meet you, and four hundred men with him.”
7 And Ya’akov was greatly terrified and distressed; and he divided the people that was with him, and the cows, camels, and sheep, into two camps.
8 And Ya’akov said, “If Esav should come to one camp and strike it, the other camp shall escape.”
9 And Ya’akov prayed, “Elohim of my father Avraham, and Elohim of my father Yitzchak, O Yahuah, You are He that said to me, ‘Return quickly to the land of your birth, and I will do you good.’
10 I am not worthy of all the mercies and all the emet [truth/faithfulness] which You have shown to Your servant; for with this my matteh [staff] I passed over this Yarden, and now I have become two camps.
11 Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esav; for I fear him, lest he come and strike me, the em [mother] with the banim [children].”
12 But You said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’”
13 And he lodged there that night, and took of the gifts which he had with him, and sent them to Esav his brother:
14 Two hundred she-goats, twenty he-goats, two hundred sheep, twenty rams,
15 Milch camels with their colts thirty, forty cows, ten bulls, twenty asses, and ten foals.
16 And he gave them to his servants, each drove apart; and said, “Go on before me, and put a space between drove and drove.”
17 And he charged the first, saying, “If Esav my brother meet you, and ask you, saying, ‘Whose are you? Whither do you go? Whose are these possessions advancing before you?’
18 You shall say, ‘They are your servant Ya’akov’s; he has sent them as a gift to my lord Esav, and behold! he is behind us.’”
19 And he charged the first, the second, the third, and all that followed the droves, saying, “Thus shall you speak to Esav when you find him.
20 And you shall say, ‘Behold, your servant Ya’akov comes after us.’ For he said, ‘I will kaphar [appease/cover] his face with the gifts going before me, and afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me.’”
21 So the presents went on before him, but he himself lodged that night in the camp.
22 And he rose up that night, took his two wives, his two maidservants, and his eleven children, and crossed over the ford of Yabbok.
23 And he took them, and sent them over the stream, and sent over all his possessions.
24 And Ya’akov was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until the morning.
25 And when he saw that he did not prevail against him, he touched the socket of his thigh; and the socket of Ya’akov’s thigh was dislocated as he wrestled with him.
26 And he said, “Let me go, for the day breaks.” But he said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
27 And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Ya’akov.”
28 And he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Ya’akov, but Yisra’el shall be your name; for you have prevailed with Elohim, and with men you shall prevail.”
29 And Ya’akov asked, saying, “Tell me, I pray, Your name.” And he said, “Why do you ask My name?” And He blessed him there.
30 And Ya’akov called the name of that place Peni’el [Face of Elohim]; for he said, “I have seen Elohim face to face, and my life is preserved.”
31 And the sun rose upon him as he passed Peni’el, and he limped upon his thigh.
32 Therefore the children of Yisra’el do not eat the sinew of the thigh, which is on the socket of the hip, to this day, because the malakh touched the socket of Ya’akov’s thigh in the sinew.

— End of Chapter 32 —

Chapter 33

1 And Ya’akov lifted up his eyes, and saw, and behold! Esav his brother coming, and four hundred men with him; and Ya’akov divided the children to Leah and to Rachel, and the two handmaidens.
2 And he put the two handmaidens and their children in front, and Leah and her children behind, and Rachel and Yosef last.
3 But he advanced himself before them, and bowed to the ground seven times, until he drew near to his brother.
4 And Esav ran to meet him, embraced him, fell on his neck, and kissed him; and they both wept.
5 And Esav looked up and saw the women and the children, and said, “Who are these with you?” And he said, “The children with whom Elohim has mercifully blessed your servant.”
6 And the maidservants and their children drew near and bowed.
7 And Leah and her children drew near and bowed; and afterward Rachel and Yosef drew near and bowed.
8 And he said, “What do you mean by all these companies which I met?” And he said, “That your servant might find chen [favor/grace] in the sight of my lord.”
9 And Esav said, “I have much, my brother; keep what you have.”
10 And Ya’akov said, “If I have found chen [favor/grace] in your sight, then receive my gift from my hand; for truly I have seen your face as one sees the face of Elohim, and you were pleased with me.
11 Receive my minchah [blessing/present] which I brought to you, because Elohim has dealt graciously with me, and because I have all things.” And he urged him, and he took it.
12 And Esav said, “Let us depart and go, and I will go before you.”
13 And he said to him, “My lord knows that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with me are nursing; if they are driven hard one day, all the flock will die.
14 Let my lord go on ahead of his servant, and I will lead on slowly, according to the pace of the livestock before me and according to the pace of the children, until I come to my lord to Se’ir.”
15 And Esav said, “Let me leave with you some of the people who are with me.” And he said, “Why so? Let me only find favor in the sight of my lord.”
16 So Esav returned that day on his way to Se’ir.
17 And Ya’akov journeyed to Sukkot, and built himself a house, and made sukkot [booths] for his cattle; therefore, the name of the place is called Sukkot.
18 And Ya’akov came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Kena’an, when he came from Paddan-Aram, and he encamped before the city.
19 And he bought the portion of the field, where he had pitched his tent, from Hamor the father of Shechem, for one hundred lambs.
20 And he set up there an altar, and called it El-Elohei-Yisra’el [The Mighty One, the Elohim of Israel].

— End of Chapter 33 —

Chapter 34

1 And Dinah, the daughter of Leah, whom she bore to Ya’akov, went forth to observe the daughters of the inhabitants.
2 And Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the ruler of the land, saw her, took her, lay with her, and humbled her.
3 And his soul was attached to Dinah the daughter of Ya’akov, and he loved the young woman, and spoke kindly to her.
4 And Shechem spoke to Hamor his father, saying, “Take for me this young woman as a wife.”
5 And Ya’akov heard that the son of Hamor had defiled Dinah his daughter (now his sons were with his cattle in the field). And Ya’akov was silent until they came.
6 And Hamor the father of Shechem went forth to Ya’akov to speak with him.
7 And the sons of Ya’akov came from the field; and when they heard, the men were deeply grieved, and it was very grievous to them, because the man had wrought nevalah [disgraceful folly] in Yisra’el, having lain with the daughter of Ya’akov — which ought not to be done.
8 And Hamor spoke to them, saying, “Shechem my son longs for your daughter; give her therefore to him for a wife.
9 And intermarry with us. Give us your daughters, and take our daughters for your sons.
10 And dwell among us; behold, the land is spacious before you. Dwell in it, trade in it, and acquire possessions in it.”
11 And Shechem said to her father and to her brothers, “Let me find favor before you, and we will give whatever you shall ask.
12 Multiply the dowry and gift exceedingly, and I will give according to what you say; only give me the young woman as a wife.”
13 And the sons of Ya’akov answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, because he had defiled Dinah their sister.
14 And Shimon and Levi, the brothers of Dinah, said to them, “We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to a man who has an orlah [foreskin/is uncircumcised], for that is a reproach to us.
15 Only on this condition will we consent to you: if you will be as we are, that every male of you be circumcised.
16 Then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters to ourselves, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people.
17 But if you will not listen to us to be circumcised, then we will take our daughter and depart.”
18 And their words pleased Hamor and Shechem the son of Hamor.
19 And the young man did not delay to do this thing, because he delighted in Ya’akov’s daughter; and he was the most honored of all in his father’s house.
20 And Hamor and Shechem his son came to the gate of their city, and spoke to the men of their city, saying,
21 “These men are peaceable with us; let them dwell in the land and trade in it. Behold, the land is large enough for them; let us take their daughters for wives, and let us give them our daughters.
22 Only on this condition will the men consent to dwell with us, to be one people: if every male among us is circumcised as they are circumcised.
23 Will not their cattle, their property, and all their beasts be ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell with us.”
24 And all who went out of the gate of the city listened to Hamor and Shechem his son, and every male was circumcised.
25 And it came to pass on the third day, when they were in pain, that the two sons of Ya’akov, Shimon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his cherev [sword], came upon the city unawares, and slew every male.
26 And they slew Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, took Dinah out of Shechem’s house, and went forth.
27 The sons of Ya’akov came upon the slain, and plundered the city, because they had defiled their sister.
28 Their sheep, oxen, donkeys, and whatever was in the city and in the field they took.
29 And all their wealth, all their little ones, and their wives they took captive, and plundered whatever was in the houses.
30 And Ya’akov said to Shimon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me, making me odious among the inhabitants of the land, among the Kena’anites and the Perizzites; and I am few in number. They will gather against me and attack me, and I shall be destroyed, I and my household.”
31 And they said, “Should he treat our sister as a zonah [harlot]?”

— End of Chapter 34 —

Chapter 35

1 And Elohim said to Ya’akov, “Arise, go up to the place Beit-El, and dwell there; and make there an altar to the Elohim that appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esav your brother.”
2 And Ya’akov said to his household, and to all that were with him, “Remove the elohei hanekhar [strange/foreign gods] that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your garments.
3 And let us arise and go up to Beit-El, and there let us make an altar to Elohim, who answered me in the day of my distress, who has been with me and preserved me in the way which I went.”
4 And they gave to Ya’akov all the strange gods which were in their hands, and the earrings which were in their ears; and Ya’akov hid them under the terebinth tree which is at Shechem, and destroyed them to this day.
5 So Yisra’el departed from Shechem, and the fear of Elohim was upon the cities round about them, and they did not pursue after the children of Yisra’el.
6 And Ya’akov came to Luz, which is in the land of Kena’an (that is Beit-El), he and all the people that were with him.
7 And he built there an altar, and called the name of the place Beit-El; for there Elohim appeared to him when he fled from the face of his brother Esav.
8 And Deborah, Rivkah’s nurse, died, and was buried below Beit-El under the oak; and Ya’akov called its name Allon-Bachut [Oak of Mourning].
9 And Elohim appeared to Ya’akov again at Luz, when he came out of Paddan-Aram, and Elohim blessed him.
10 And Elohim said to him, “Your name shall not be called Ya’akov, but Yisra’el shall be your name.” And He called his name Yisra’el.
11 And Elohim said to him, “I am El Shaddai; be fruitful and multiply; nations and assemblies of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come forth from your loins.
12 And the land which I gave to Avraham and Yitzchak, I give to you; and to your seed after you will I give the land.”
13 And Elohim went up from him in the place where He spoke with him.
14 And Ya’akov set up a matzevah [stone pillar/monument] in the place where Elohim spoke with him, a pillar of stone; and he poured out a drink offering on it, and poured oil on it.
15 And Ya’akov called the name of the place where Elohim spoke with him, Beit-El.
16 And Ya’akov journeyed from Beit-El, and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Gader. And it came to pass, when he drew near to Ephrath, Rachel travailed, and she had hard labor.
17 And it came to pass, when she was in hard labor, the midwife said to her, “Do not fear, for you shall have this son also.”
18 And it came to pass, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she called his name Ben-Oni [Son of my sorrow]; but his father called him Binyamin [Benjamin].
19 So Rachel died, and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is Beit-Lechem [Bethlehem]).
20 And Ya’akov set up a pillar on her grave; that is the pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day.
21 And it came to pass, when Yisra’el dwelt in that land, that Reuven went and lay with Bilhah, his father’s concubine; and Yisra’el heard of it, and it appeared ra [evil/grievous] in his sight.”
22 Now the sons of Ya’akov were twelve:
23 The sons of Leah: Reuven, Shimon, Levi, Yehudah, Yissachar, and Zevulun.
24 The sons of Rachel: Yosef and Binyamin.
25 The sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s handmaid: Dan and Naphtali.
26 The sons of Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid: Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Ya’akov, who were born to him in Paddan-Aram.
27 And Ya’akov came to Yitzchak his father at Mamre, to Kiryat-Arba (Hebron), which is in the land of Kena’an, where Avraham and Yitzchak sojourned.
28 And the days of Yitzchak were one hundred and eighty years.
29 And Yitzchak gave up the spirit and died, and was gathered to his am [people/kindred], old and full of days; and Esav and Ya’akov his sons buried him.

— End of Chapter 35 —

Chapter 36

1 And these are the generations of Esav; this is Edom.
2 And Esav took to himself wives of the daughters of the Kena’anites: Adah, the daughter of Elon the Hittite; and Oholibamah, daughter of Anah the son of Zibeon the Hivite;
3 and Basemath, daughter of Yishma’el, sister of Nevayot.
4 And Adah bore to him Eliphaz; and Basemath bore Reuel.
5 And Oholibamah bore Jeush, Jalam, and Korah; these are the sons of Esav, which were born to him in the land of Kena’an.
6 And Esav took his wives, his sons, his daughters, all the persons of his house, his possessions, his cattle, and all that he had acquired in the land of Kena’an; and Esav went forth from the land of Kena’an, away from the face of his brother Ya’akov.
7 For their substance was too great for them to dwell together; and the land of their sojourning could not sustain them because of the abundance of their possessions.
8 And Esav dwelt in Mount Se’ir; Esav, he is Edom.
9 And these are the generations of Esav, the father of Edom, in Mount Se’ir.
10 And these are the names of the sons of Esav: Eliphaz, the son of Adah, wife of Esav; and Reuel, the son of Basemath, wife of Esav.
11 And the sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz.
12 And Timna was a concubine of Eliphaz, son of Esav; and she bore Amalek to Eliphaz. These are the sons of Adah, wife of Esav.
13 And these are the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These were the sons of Basemath, wife of Esav.
14 And these are the sons of Oholibamah, daughter of Anah, wife of Esav: she bore to Esav Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.
15 These are the Aluphim [chiefs] of the sons of Esav: the sons of Eliphaz, the firstborn of Esav — Aluph [chief] Teman, Aluph [chief] Omar, Aluph [chief] Zepho, Aluph [chief] Kenaz,
16 chief Korah, chief Gatam, chief Amalek. These are the chiefs of Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Adah.
17 And these are the sons of Reuel, son of Esav: chief Nahath, chief Zerah, chief Shammah, chief Mizzah. These are the chiefs of Reuel in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Basemath, wife of Esav.
18 And these are the sons of Oholibamah, wife of Esav: chief Jeush, chief Jalam, chief Korah. These are the chiefs of Oholibamah, daughter of Anah, wife of Esav.
19 These are the sons of Esav, and these are their chiefs; Esav is Edom.
20 And these are the sons of Se’ir the Horite, who inhabited the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah,
21 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These are the chiefs of the Horites, the sons of Se’ir, in the land of Edom.
22 And the sons of Lotan were Hori and Hemam; and Lotan’s sister was Timna.
23 And these are the sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam.
24 And these are the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah — this is the Anah who found Yamim [hot springs/warm waters] in the wilderness, as he pastured the donkeys of his father Zibeon.
25 And these are the children of Anah: Dishon — and Oholibamah was daughter of Anah.
26 And these are the sons of Dishon: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran.
27 And these are the sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan.
28 And these are the sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran.
29 These are the chiefs of the Horites: chief Lotan, chief Shobal, chief Zibeon, chief Anah,
30 chief Dishon, chief Ezer, chief Dishan. These are the chiefs of the Horites, according to their clans, in the land of Edom.
31 And these are the Melakhim [kings] who reigned in the land of Edom, before any Melekh [king] reigned over the children of Yisra’el.
32 Bela son of Beor reigned in Edom; the name of his city was Dinhabah.
33 And Bela died; and Yovav son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his stead.
34 And Yovav died; and Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his stead.
35 And Husham died; and Hadad son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the field of Moav, reigned in his stead; the name of his city was Avith.
36 And Hadad died; and Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his stead.
37 And Samlah died; and Shaul of Rehoboth by the river reigned in his stead.
38 And Shaul died; and Baal-Hanan son of Achbor reigned in his stead.
39 And Baal-Hanan son of Achbor died; and Hadar reigned in his stead; the name of his city was Pau, and his wife’s name was Mehetabel, daughter of Matred, daughter of Mezahab.
40 These are the names of the chiefs of Esav, according to their clans, places, and nations: chief Timna, chief Alvah, chief Jetheth,
41 chief Oholibamah, chief Elah, chief Pinon,
42 chief Kenaz, chief Teman, chief Mibzar,
43 chief Magdiel, chief Iram. These are the chiefs of Edom, according to their dwelling places in the land of their possession; Esav is the father of Edom.

— End of Chapter 36 —

Chapter 37

1 And Ya’akov dwelt in the land where his father had sojourned, in the land of Kena’an.
2 And these are the generations of Ya’akov. And Yosef was seventeen years old, feeding the sheep of his father with his brothers, being young; with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, the wives of his father; and Yosef brought to Yisra’el their father their evil reproach.
3 And Ya’akov loved Yosef more than all his sons, because he was to him the son of old age; and he made for him a ketonet passim [coat of many colors/long tunic] of many colors.
4 And his brothers, having seen that his father loved him more than all his sons, hated him, and could not speak shalom [peaceably] to him.
5 And Yosef dreamt a dream, and reported it to his brothers.
6 And he said to them, “Hear this dream which I have dreamt.
7 Behold, we were binding sheaves in the middle of the field, and my sheaf arose and stood upright, and your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to my sheaf.”
8 And his brothers said to him, “Shall you indeed reign over us, or shall you indeed have dominion over us?” And they hated him still more for his dreams and for his words.
9 And he dreamt another dream, and related it to his father and to his brothers, and said, “Behold, I have dreamt another dream: behold, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.”
10 And his father rebuked him, and said, “What is this dream which you have dreamt? Shall I, your mother, and your brothers indeed come to bow down to you to the earth?”
11 And his brothers committed qinah [envied/were jealous of] him; but his father kept the saying in mind.
12 And his brothers went to feed the sheep of their father at Shechem.
13 And Yisra’el said to Yosef, “Do not your brothers feed the flock in Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.” And he said, “Hineni [Here I am].”
14 And Yisra’el said to him, “Go, see if your brothers and the sheep are well, and bring me word.” So he sent him out of the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
15 And a man found him wandering in the field; and the man asked him, saying, “What do you seek?”
16 And he said, “I seek my brothers; tell me, please, where they feed their flocks.”
17 And the man said, “They have departed from here, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” And Yosef went after his brothers, and found them in Dothan.
18 And they saw him from afar before he came near to them, and they conspired against him to kill him.
19 And they said one to another, “Behold, this dreamer comes.
20 Come now, let us kill him, and cast him into one of the borot [pits]; and we will say, ‘An evil wild beast has devoured him’; and we shall see what will become of his dreams.”
21 And Reuven, having heard it, rescued him out of their hands, and said, “Let us not kill him.”
22 And Reuven said to them, “Shed no blood; cast him into this pit in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him” — that he might deliver him out of their hands, to restore him to his father.
23 And it came to pass, when Yosef came to his brothers, that they stripped Yosef of his coat, the coat of many colors that was on him.
24 And they took him and cast him into the borot [pit}; and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.
25 And they sat down to eat bread; and lifting up their eyes they saw, behold, Yishma’elite travelers came from Gil’ad, with their camels bearing spices, balm, and myrrh, going to carry them down to Mitzrayim [Egypt].
26 And Yehudah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?
27 Come, let us sell him to the Yishma’elites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh.” And his brothers agreed.
28 Then Midianite mercha committednts passed by; and they drew Yosef up, lifted him out of the pit, and sold Yosef to the Yishma’elites for twenty pieces of gold; and they brought Yosef into Mitzrayim.
29 And Reuven returned to the pit, and saw Yosef was not in the pit; and he tore his garments.
30 And he returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is not; and I, where shall I go?”
31 And they took Yosef’s coat, killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood.
32 And they sent the coat of many colors, and brought it to their father, and said, “This we have found; know now whether it is your son’s coat or not.”
33 And he recognized it, and said, “It is my son’s coat; an evil wild beast has devoured him; Yosef is surely torn in pieces.”
34 And Ya’akov tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his loins, and mourned for his son many yamim rabbim [many days].
35 And all his sons and daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted, and said, “I will go down to my son mourning to She’ol.” And his father wept for him.
36 And the Midianites sold Yosef in Mitzrayim to Potiphar, an eunuch [officer] of Pharaoh, captain of the guard

— End of Chapter 37 —

Chapter 38

1 And it came to pass at that time that Yehudah went down from his brothers, and came as far as to a certain man of Adullam, whose name was Hirah.
2 And Yehudah saw there the daughter of a Kena’anite man, whose name was Shua; and he took her, and went in to her.
3 And she conceived and bore a son, and called his name Er.
4 And she conceived again and bore a son, and called his name Onan.
5 And she again bore a son, and called his name Shelah; and she was in Chezib when she bore them.
6 And Yehudah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar.
7 And Er, the firstborn of Yehudah, was wicked before Yahuah; and Elohim killed him.
8 And Yehudah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife, and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up seed for your brother.”
9 And Onan, knowing that the seed would not be his—it came to pass when he went in to his brother’s wife, that he spilled it upon the ground, so that he should not give seed to his brother.
10 And his doing this appeared evil before Elohim; and He killed him also.
11 And Yehudah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father’s house, until Shelah my son is grown”; for he said, “Lest he also die as his brothers.” And Tamar departed, and sat in her father’s house.
12 And the yamim rabbim [many days] were fulfilled, and Shua the wife of Yehudah died; and Yehudah, being comforted, went up to his sheep-shearers, he and Hirah his friend the Adullamite, to Timnah.
13 And it was told to Tamar, saying, “Behold, your father-in-law goes up to Timnah to shear his sheep.”
14 And she removed the garments of her widowhood, covered herself with a veil, adorned herself, and sat by the gate of Enayim, which is on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown, but he had not been given to her as a wife.
15 And Yehudah saw her, and thought her to be a harlot (zonah), because she had covered her face, and he did not know her.
16 And he turned aside to her by the way, and said, “Let me come in to you”; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?”
17 And he said, “I will send you a kid of the goats from my flock.” And she said, “Only if you give me a pledge until you send it.”
18 And he said, “What pledge shall I give you?” And she said, “Your chotam [signet/seal], your fatil [cord], and your matteh [staff] that is in your hand.” And he gave them to her, and went in to her, and she conceived by him.
19 And she arose and departed, and removed her veil, and put on the garments of her widowhood.
20 And Yehudah sent the kid of the goats by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand; but he did not find her.
21 And he asked the men of the place, saying, “Where is the kedeshah [temple prostitute/harlot] who was at Enayim by the roadside?” And they said, “There has been no harlot here.”
22 And he returned to Yehudah, and said, “I did not find her; and the men of the place said, ‘There has been no harlot here.’”
23 And Yehudah said, “Let her keep them, lest we become a laughingstock; I sent this kid, but you did not find her.”
24 And it came to pass after three months [Shloshah Chodashim], that it was told to Yehudah, saying, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has committed zenut [whoredom/played the harlot], and behold, she is with child by whoredom.” And Yehudah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned.”
25 And as she was being brought out, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, “I am with child by the man to whom these belong.” And she said, “Discern, I pray you, whose are these — the seal, the cord, and the staff.”
26 And Yehudah recognized them, and said, “She is more tzadeqah [righteous] than I, because I did not give her to Shelah my son.” And he did not know her again.
27 And it came to pass, when she was in labor, that she had twins in her womb.
28 And it came to pass, as she was giving birth, one put out his hand; and the midwife took and bound a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.”
29 And it came to pass, he drew back his hand, and behold, his brother came out; and she said, “How you have broken through!” And she called his name Peretz [Pharez].
30 And afterward his brother came out, on whose hand was the scarlet thread; and she called his name Zerah [Zara].

— End of Chapter 38 —

Chapter 39

1 And Yosef was brought down to Mitzrayim [Egypt]; and Potiphar, the eunuch of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the hands of the Yishma’elim [Ishmaelites], who had brought him down there.
2 And Yahuah was with Yosef, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
3 And his master saw that Yahuah was with him, and that Yahuah made all that he did prosper in his hand.
4 And Yosef found favor in the sight of his master, and sharat [ministered/served] him; and he set him over his house, and all that he had he gave into the hand of Yosef.
5 And it came to pass, after he had made him overseer in his house and over all that he had, that Yahuah blessed the Egyptian’s house for Yosef’s sake; and the blessing of Yahuah was upon all that he had in the house and in the field.
6 And he left all that he had in Yosef’s hand; and he did not concern himself with anything except the bread which he ate. And Yosef was handsome in form and beautiful in appearance.
7 And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Yosef, and said, “Lie with me.”
8 But he refused, and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand.
9 There is none greater in this house than I; neither has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great ra [wickedness], and chatat [sin] against Elohim?”
10 And though she spoke to Yosef day by day, he did not listen to her, to lie with her or to be with her.
11 And it came to pass on Yom Echad [one day], that Yosef went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house were inside.
12 And she caught him by his beged [garment/robe], saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand, fled, and went outside.
13 And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and fled outside,
14 that she called the men of her house, and spoke to them, saying, “See, he has brought in to us a Hebrew servant to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice.
15 And when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment with me, fled, and went outside.”
16 And she laid up his garment by her until his master came home.
17 And she spoke to him according to these words, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you brought to us, came in to mock me.
18 And when I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment with me, and fled outside.”
19 And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spoke to him, saying, “After this manner did your servant to me,” that his anger was kindled.
20 And his master took Yosef, and put him into the beit ha-sohar [prison], the place where the king’s prisoners were confined; and he was there in the beit ha-sohar.
21 But Yahuah was with Yosef, and showed him mercy, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
22 And the keeper of the prison committed to Yosef’s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatever they did there, he was the doer of it.
23 The keeper of the prison looked not to anything that was under Yosef’s hand, because Yahuah was with him; and whatever he did, Yahuah made it prosper.

— End of Chapter 39 —

Chapter 40

1 And it came to pass after these things, that the chief cupbearer of the king of Mitzrayim [Egypt] and the chief baker sinned against their lord, the king of Mitzrayim.
2 And Pharaoh was angry with his two eunuchs, with the chief cupbearer and with the chief baker.
3 And he put them in mishmar [custody], in the prison, in the place where Yosef was confined.
4 And the captain of the guard charged Yosef with them, and he attended them; and they were there yamim [days] in the prison.
5 And they both had a dream in one night, each man’s dream, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Mitzrayim, who were confined in the prison.
6 And Yosef came in to them in the morning, and looked upon them, and behold, they were sad.
7 And he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in the prison of his master’s house, saying, “Why do you look so sad today?”
8 And they said to him, “We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it.” And Yosef said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to Elohim? Tell them to me, I pray you.”
9 And the chief cupbearer told his dream to Yosef, and said to him, “In my dream, behold, a vine was before me.
10 And in the vine were three branches; and it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and its clusters brought forth ripe grapes.
11 And Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes, pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand.”
12 And Yosef said to him, “This is the interpretation: the three branches are shalosh yamim [three days].
13 Yet within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office, and you shall put Pharaoh’s cup into his hand, after the former manner when you were his cupbearer.
14 But remember me when it is well with you, and show chesed [covenant kindness] to me, and make mention of me to Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house.
15 For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Ivrim [Hebrews]; and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the bor [dungeon/pit].”
16 And the chief baker saw that he had interpreted well, and he said to Yosef, “I also was in my dream, and behold, I had three baskets of white bread on my head.
17 And in the uppermost basket there was all manner of baked food for Pharaoh; and the birds ate them out of the basket upon my head.”
18 And Yosef answered and said, “This is the interpretation: the three baskets are shalosh yamim [three days].
19 Yet within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head from off you, and will hang you on a tree; and the birds shall eat your flesh from you.”
20 And it came to pass on the Yom HaShelishi [third day], which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a mishteh [feast/banquet] for all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants.
21 And he restored the chief cupbearer to his office again, and he gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand.
22 But he hanged the chief baker, as Yosef had interpreted to them.
23 Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Yosef, but forgot him.

— End of Chapter 40 —

Chapter 41

1 And it came to pass after shnatayim yamim [two full years] that Pharaoh had a dream. He thought he stood upon the bank of the river.
2 And behold, there came up out of the river seven cows, fair in appearance and fat in flesh, and they fed in the reeds.
3 And behold, seven other cows came up after them out of the river, ill-favored and lean-fleshed, and they stood by the other cows on the bank of the river.
4 And the seven ill-favored and lean cows devoured the seven fair and fat cows; and Pharaoh awoke.
5 And he slept and dreamed a second time. And behold, seven ears came up on one stalk, plump and good.
6 And behold, seven thin ears, blasted with the east wind, sprang up after them.
7 And the seven thin ears devoured the seven plump and full ears; and Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream.
8 And it came to pass in the morning, his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Mitzrayim and all her wise men; and Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was none who could interpret them to Pharaoh.
9 Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, “I remember my faults this day.
10 Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, both me and the chief baker.
11 And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each according to the interpretation of his dream.
12 And there was with us a young man, a Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted our dreams to us.
13 And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was: he restored me to my office, and him he hanged.”
14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Yosef; and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon; and he shaved himself, changed his garments, and came in to Pharaoh.
15 And Pharaoh said to Yosef, “I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it; but I have heard it said of you, that you can hear a dream and interpret it.”
16 And Yosef answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me; Elohim shall give Pharaoh an answer of shalom [peace].”
17 And Pharaoh said to Yosef, “In my dream, behold, I stood on the bank of the river.
18 And behold, seven cows came up out of the river, fat-fleshed and well-favored, and they fed in the reeds.
19 And behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ill-favored and lean-fleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Mitzrayim for badness.
20 And the lean and ill-favored cows ate up the first seven fat cows.
21 And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill-favored, as at the beginning. So I awoke.
22 And I saw in my dream, behold, seven ears came up on one stalk, full and good.
23 And behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprang up after them.
24 And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears. And I told this to the magicians, but there was none that could declare it to me.”
25 And Yosef said to Pharaoh, “The dream of Pharaoh is one; Elohim has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do.
26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years; the dream is one.
27 And the seven thin and ill-favored cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine.
28 This is the word which I have spoken to Pharaoh: Elohim has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do.
29 Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Mitzrayim.
30 And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Mitzrayim, and the famine shall consume the land.
31 And the plenty shall not be known in the land because of the famine following, for it shall be very grievous.
32 And for that the dream was doubled to Pharaoh twice, it is because the thing is established by Elohim, and Elohim will shortly bring it to pass.
33 Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Mitzrayim.
34 Let Pharaoh appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the produce of the land of Mitzrayim in the seven years of plenty.
35 And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up grain under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities.
36 And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Mitzrayim, that the land perish not through the famine.”
37 And the word was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.
38 And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Ruach Elohim [Spirit of God]?”
39 And Pharaoh said to Yosef, “Since Elohim has shown you all this, there is none so discreet and wise as you.
40 You shall be over my house, and according to your word shall all my people be ruled; only in the throne will I be greater than you.”
41 And Pharaoh said to Yosef, “See, I have set you this Yom [day] over all the land of Mitzrayim.”
42 And Pharaoh took off his taba’at [signet ring] from his hand, and put it upon Yosef’s hand, and arrayed him in garments of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck.
43 And he made him ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, “'Avrekh! [Bow the knee!]” And he set him over all the land of Mitzrayim.
44 And Pharaoh said to Yosef, “I am Pharaoh, and without you shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Mitzrayim.”
45 And Pharaoh called Yosef’s name Tzafnat-Paneach [Psonthomphanech]; and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, kohen [priest] of On [Heliopolis], to wife.
46 And Yosef was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Mitzrayim. And Yosef went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Mitzrayim.
47 And in the seven years of plenty the land brought forth abundantly.
48 And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Mitzrayim, and laid it up in the cities; the food of the field around every city he laid up in the same city.
49 And Yosef gathered grain as the sand of the sea, very much, until he ceased numbering; for it was without number.
50 And to Yosef were born two sons before the years of famine came, whom Asenath the daughter of Potiphera priest of On bore to him.
51 And Yosef called the name of the firstborn Menasheh [Manasseh], “For Elohim has made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house.”
52 And the name of the second he called Ephrayim [Ephraim], “For Elohim has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
53 And the seven years of plenty that were in the land of Mitzrayim ended.
54 And the seven years of famine began to come, as Yosef had said; and there was famine in all lands, but in all the land of Mitzrayim there was bread.
55 And when all the land of Mitzrayim was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread; and Pharaoh said to all Mitzrayim, “Go to Yosef; what he says to you, do.”
56 And the famine was over all the face of the earth; and Yosef opened all the storehouses, and sold to the Egyptians.
57 And all countries came into Mitzrayim to Yosef to buy grain, because the famine was severe in all lands.

— End of Chapter 41 —

Chapter 42

1 And Ya’akov having seen that there was grain for sale in Mitzrayim [Egypt], said to his sons, “Why are you indolent?”
2 “Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Mitzrayim; go down there, and buy for us a little food, that we may live, and not die.”
3 And the ten brothers of Yosef went down to buy grain out of Mitzrayim.
4 But Ya’akov did not send Binyamin, the brother of Yosef, with his brothers; for he said, “Lest, haply, harm befall him.”
5 And the sons of Yisra’el came to buy with those that came, for the famine was in the land of Kena’an.
6 And Yosef was ruler of the land; he sold to all the people of the land. And the brothers of Yosef, having come, bowed down to him with their faces to the ground.
7 And when Yosef saw his brothers, he recognized them, but estranged himself from them, and spoke harsh words to them; and said to them, “From where have you come?” And they said, “From the land of Kena’an, to buy food.”
8 And Yosef knew his brothers, but they did not know him.
9 And Yosef remembered the dreams which he had dreamed of them; and he said to them, “You are spies; you have come to see the nakedness of the land.”
10 But they said, “No, my lord, we your servants have come to buy food.
11 We are all sons of one man; we are peaceful; your servants are not spies.”
12 And he said to them, “No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land.”
13 And they said, “We your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Kena’an; behold, the youngest is with our father today, and one is not.”
14 And Yosef said to them, “This is what I spoke to you, saying, You are spies.
15 By the life of Pharaoh, you shall not depart unless your youngest brother comes here.
16 Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother; and you shall be bound, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you; but if not, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies.”
17 And he put them in mishmar [prison/custody] for shalosh yamim [three days].
18 And Yosef said to them on the Yom HaShelishi [third day], “Do this and live, for I fear Elohim.
19 If you are peaceful, let one of your brothers be detained in prison; but you go, carry grain for the famine of your households.
20 And bring your youngest brother to me, and your words shall be verified, and you shall not die.” And they did so.
21 And each said to his brother, “Truly we are ashemim [guilty/bearing blame] concerning our brother, when we saw the anguish of his soul, when he pleaded with us, and we did not listen; therefore this distress has come upon us.”
22 And Reuven answered them, saying, “Did I not speak to you, saying, Do not harm the boy? But you did not listen; behold, his blood is required.”
23 But they did not know that Yosef understood them, for there was an interpreter between them.
24 And Yosef turned away from them and wept; and returned to them again, and spoke to them; and he took Shimon from them, and bound him before their eyes.
25 And Yosef commanded to fill their vessels with grain, and to restore every man’s money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way; and it was done to them.
26 And they loaded their donkeys with the grain, and departed.
27 And one opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the malon [lodging place/inn], and saw his bundle of money; behold, it was in the mouth of his sack.
28 And he said to his brothers, “My money has been restored, and behold, it is in my sack.” And their hearts failed them, and they were afraid, saying one to another, “What is this that Elohim has done to us?”
29 And they came to Ya’akov their father in the land of Kena’an, and told him all that had happened to them, saying,
30 “The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly to us, and put us in prison as spies of the land.
31 And we said to him, We are peaceful men; we are not spies.
32 We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is with our father today in the land of Kena’an.
33 And the man, the lord of the land, said to us, By this shall I know that you are peaceful: leave one brother here with me, and take the grain for your households, and depart.
34 And bring your youngest brother to me; then I shall know that you are not spies, but that you are peaceful men; and I will restore your brother to you, and you shall trade in the land.”
35 And it came to pass, as they emptied their sacks, behold, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack; and they and their father saw the bundles of money, and they were afraid.
36 And Ya’akov their father said to them, “You have bereaved me: Yosef is not, Shimon is not, and you will take Binyamin away; all these things are against me.”
37 And Reuven spoke to his father, saying, “Slay my two sons, if I do not bring him to you; deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him back to you.”
38 But he said, “My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If harm befall him by the way in which you go, then you shall bring down my gray hairs with yagon [sorrow/grief] to She’ol.”

— End of Chapter 42 —

Chapter 43

1 But the famine prevailed in the land.
2 And it came to pass, when they had finished eating the grain which they had brought out of Mitzrayim [Egypt], that their father said to them, “Go again; buy us a little food.”
3 And Yehudah [Judas] spoke to him, saying, “The man, the lord of the land, solemnly testified to us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless your younger brother is with you.’
4 If then you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food;
5 but if you do not send him, we will not go; for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face unless your younger brother is with you.’”
6 And Yisra’el said, “Why did you harm me, by telling the man that you had another brother?”
7 And they said, “The man asked us carefully about our family, saying, ‘Is your father yet alive? Have you another brother?’ And we answered him according to his words. Could we possibly know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?”
8 And Yehudah said to his father Yisra’el, “Send the boy with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you, and also our little ones.”
9 I myself will be surety for him; from my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him to you and set him before you, then I shall bear the blame before you forever.
10 For if we had not delayed, surely by now we could have returned twice.”
11 And Yisra’el their father said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: take of the best fruits of the land in your vessels, and carry down to the man a present — a little balm, and honey, spices, myrrh, pistachios, and almonds.
12 And take double money in your hand, and the money that was returned in your sacks, carry back with you; perhaps it was an oversight.
13 And take your brother also, and arise, go again to the man.
14 And may El Shaddai give you mercy before the man, that he may release to you your other brother and Binyamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”
15 And the men took the present, and double money in their hand, and Binyamin; and they rose up, went down to Mitzrayim, and stood before Yosef.
16 And Yosef saw Binyamin with them, born of the same mother, and he said to the steward of his house, “Bring the men into the house, and slaughter an animal and make ready; for the men shall dine with me at noon.”
17 And the man did as Yosef said, and brought the men into Yosef’s house.
18 And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Yosef’s house; and they said, “It is because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, to seek occasion against us, to fall upon us, to take us as slaves, and our donkeys.”
19 And they came near to the steward of Yosef’s house, and spoke with him at the door of the house,
20 and said, “O my lord, we came down at the first time to buy food.
21 And it came to pass, when we came to the inn and opened our sacks, behold, every man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight; and we have brought it back in our hand.
22 And other money have we brought down with us to buy food; we do not know who put our money in our sacks.”
23 And he said, “Shalom [Peace] be to you, fear not; your Elohim, and the Elohim of your fathers, has given you treasure in your sacks. I had your money.” And he brought Shimon [Symeon] out to them.
24 And the man brought the men into Yosef’s house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave fodder to their donkeys.
25 And they prepared the present for Yosef’s coming at noon, for they heard that they should eat bread there.
26 And when Yosef came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the ground.
27 And he asked them of their welfare, and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he yet alive?”
28 And they said, “Your servant our father is well; he is yet alive.” And he said, “Blessed be that man by Elohim.” And they bowed down their heads and did reverence.
29 And Yosef lifted up his eyes, and saw Binyamin his brother, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your younger brother of whom you spoke to me?” And he said, “Elohim be gracious to you, my son.”
30 And Yosef’s rachamim [compassion/deep heart] yearned for his brother; and he sought a place to weep, and he entered his chamber and wept there.
31 And he washed his face, and came out, and restrained himself, and said, “Set on bread.”
32 And they set for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves; for the Egyptians could not eat bread with the Ivrim [Hebrews], for that is a to’evah [abomination] to the Egyptians.
33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth; and the men marveled one at another.
34 And Yosef took portions to them from before him; but Binyamin’s portion was chamesh pe’amim [five times] as much as any of theirs. And they drank and were merry with him.

— End of Chapter 43 —

Chapter 44

1 And Yosef charged the steward of his house, saying, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put the money of each in the mouth of his sack.
2 And put my silver cup into the sack of the youngest, together with the price of his grain.” And it was done according to the word of Yosef, as he said.
3 The morning dawned, and the men were sent away, they and their donkeys.
4 And when they had gone out of the city, and were not far off, Yosef said to his steward, “Arise, pursue after the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good?
5 Why have you stolen my silver cup? Is it not this one from which my master drinks, and by which he indeed nachash [divines/practices discernment]? You have done evil in what you have done.’”
6 And he overtook them, and spoke to them according to these words.
7 And they said to him, “Why does my lord speak such words? Far be it from your servants to do this thing.
8 Behold, we brought back to you from the land of Kena’an the money which we found in our sacks; how then should we steal silver or gold from your master’s house?
9 With whomever of your servants the cup is found, let him die; and we also will be servants to my lord.”
10 And he said, “Now then, let it be according to your word: he with whom the cup is found shall be my servant; but you shall be blameless.”
11 And they hastened, and each man took down his sack to the ground, and each opened his sack.
12 And he searched, beginning with the eldest and ending with the youngest; and the cup was found in Binyamin’s sack.
13 And they tore their begadim [garments], and each loaded his donkey again, and they returned to the city.
14 And Yehudah and his brothers came to Yosef’s house, while he was still there, and they fell before him on the ground.
15 And Yosef said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Do you not know that a man such as I can indeed nachash [divines/practices discernment]?”
16 And Yehudah said, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? Elohim has found out the avon [iniquity/guilt] of your servants; behold, we are my lord’s slaves, both we and also he with whom the cup was found.”
17 And Yosef said, “Far be it from me to do this; the man in whose hand the cup was found, he shall be my servant; but you go up in peace to your father.”
18 And Yehudah drew near to him, and said, “I pray you, my lord, let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not your anger burn against your servant; for you are even as Pharaoh.
19 My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father or a brother?’
20 And we said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loves him.’
21 And you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, and I will set my eyes upon him.’
22 And we said to my lord, ‘The lad cannot leave his father; for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’
23 But you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall not see my face again.’
24 And it came to pass, when we went up to your servant our father, we told him the words of my lord.
25 And our father said, ‘Go again, buy us a little food.’
26 And we said, ‘We cannot go down; but if our youngest brother goes with us, then we will go down; for we cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’
27 And your servant our father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons.
28 And one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I have not seen him until now.
29 And if you take this one also from me, and harm befalls him, you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to She’ol [the grave].’
30 Now therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the lad’s life,
31 it shall come to pass, when he sees that the lad is not with us, that he will die; and your servants shall bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to She’ol.
32 For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father forever.’
33 Now therefore, let your servant remain instead of the lad as a slave to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brothers.
34 For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me? Lest I see the ra [evil/calamity] that shall come upon my father.”

— End of Chapter 44 —

Chapter 45

1 And Yosef could not refrain himself when all were standing by him, but said, “Dismiss all from me.” And no one stood near Yosef when he made himself known to his brothers.
2 And he lifted up his voice with weeping; and all the Egyptians heard, and the report was carried into the house of Pharaoh.
3 And Yosef said to his brothers, “I am Yosef; does my father yet live?” And his brothers could not answer him, for they were troubled at his presence.
4 And Yosef said to his brothers, “Draw near to me.” And they drew near. And he said, “I am your brother Yosef, whom you sold into Mitzrayim [Egypt].
5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves that you sold me here; for Elohim sent me before you to preserve life.
6 For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest.
7 And Elohim sent me before you to preserve for you a She’erit [remnant] in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
8 So now it was not you who sent me here, but Elohim; and He has made me as a father to Pharaoh, lord of all his house, and ruler over all the land of Mitzrayim.
9 Hasten, and go up to my father, and say to him, “Thus says your son Yosef: Elohim has made me lord of all Mitzrayim; come down to me, do not delay.
10 And you shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your sons, and your sons’ sons, your flocks and your herds, and all that you have.
11 And I will provide for you there; for there are yet five years of famine, lest you and your household and all that you have come to poverty.”
12 “Behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Binyamin, that it is my mouth that speaks to you.
13 Tell my father of all my glory in Mitzrayim, and of all that you have seen; and make haste, and bring my father down here.”
14 And he fell upon his brother Binyamin’s neck and wept; and Binyamin wept upon his neck.
15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them; and after that his brothers spoke with him.
16 And the report was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, “Yosef’s brothers have come.” And it pleased Pharaoh and his servants.
17 And Pharaoh said to his brothers, “Say to your brothers, Do this: load your beasts and go, return to the land of Kena’an.
18 And take your father and your households, and come to me; and I will give you the best of the land of Mitzrayim, and you shall eat the fat of the land.
19 And you are commanded, Do this: take wagons out of the land of Mitzrayim for your little ones and for your wishes, and bring your father, and come.
20 And regard not your goods, for the best of all the land of Mitzrayim is yours.”
21 And the sons of Yisra’el did so; and Yosef gave them wagons, according to the command of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way.
22 To all of them he gave each two changes of garments; but to Binyamin he gave three hundred shekels [pieces] of silver and five changes of garments.
23 And to his father he sent likewise: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Mitzrayim, and ten mules loaded with grain and bread and provision for his father for the journey.
24 And he sent his brothers away, and they departed; and he said to them, “Do not quarrel on the way.”
25 And they went up out of Mitzrayim, and came into the land of Kena’an to Ya’akov their father.
26 And they told him, saying, “Yosef is yet alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Mitzrayim.” And Ya’akov’s heart fainted, for he did not believe them.
27 But when they told him all the words of Yosef which he had spoken to them, and when he saw the wagons which Yosef had sent to carry him, the ruach [spirit] of Ya’akov their father revived.
28 And Yisra’el said, “It is enough; Yosef my son is yet alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

— End of Chapter 45 —

Chapter 46

1 And Yisra’el departed, he and all that he had, and came to Be’er-Sheva [the well of the oath]; and he offered sacrifice to the Elohim of his father Yitzchak [Isaac].
2 And Elohim spoke to Yisra’el in a night vision, saying, “Ya’akov, Ya’akov.” And he said, “Hineni [Here I am].”
3 And He said, “I am the Elohim of your fathers; fear not to go down into Mitzrayim [Egypt], for I will make you there into a great nation.
4 And I will go down with you into Mitzrayim, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Yosef shall put his hands upon your eyes.”
5 And Ya’akov rose up from Be’er-Sheva; and the sons of Yisra’el carried their father, their little ones, and their wives in the wagons which Yosef had sent to carry them.
6 And they took their cattle and their goods, which they had acquired in the land of Kena’an, and came into Mitzrayim — Ya’akov and all his seed with him.
7 His sons, and his sons’ sons with him; his daughters, and his daughters’ daughters; all his seed he brought with him into Mitzrayim.
8 And these are the names of the sons of Yisra’el who came into Mitzrayim, Ya’akov and his sons: the firstborn of Ya’akov, Reuven [Ruben].
9 And the sons of Reuven: Chanokh [Enoch], Pallu [Phallou], Hetzron [Asron], and Karmi [Charmi].
10 And the sons of Shimon [Symeon]: Yemuel [Jemuel], Yamin [Jamin], Ohad [Aod], Yachin [Achin], Tzochar [Saar], and Shaul, the son of a Kena’anite [Canaanite] woman.
11 And the sons of Levi: Gershon [Gerson], Kehat [Cath], and Merari.
12 And the sons of Yehudah [Judas]: Er, Onan [Aunan], Shelah [Selom], Peretz [Phares], and Zerah [Zara]; but Er and Onan died in the land of Kena’an.
13 And the sons of Peretz: Hetzron [Esron] and Hamul [Jemuel]. And the sons of Yissakhar [Issachar]: Tola [Thola], Puah [Phua], Yov [Asum], and Shimron [Sambran].
14 And the sons of Zevulun [Zabulun]: Sered, Elon [Allon], and Yachle’el [Achoel].
15 These are the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Ya’akov in Paddan-Aram [Mesopotamia of Syria], and Dinah his daughter; all the souls of his sons and daughters were thirty-three.
16 And the sons of Gad: Tzifyon [Saphon], Chaggi [Angis], Shuni [Sannis], Etzbon [Thasoban], Eri [Aedis], Arodi [Aroedis], and Areli [Areelis].
17 And the sons of Asher [Aser]: Yimnah [Jemna], Yishvah [Jessua], Yishvi [Jeul], Beriah [Baria], and Serach [Sara] their sister. And the sons of Beriah: Chever [Chobor] and Malkiel [Melchiil].
18 These are the sons of Zilpah [Zelpha], whom Lavan gave to his daughter Leah; she bore these to Ya’akov, sixteen souls.
19 The sons of Rachel, Ya’akov’s wife: Yosef and Binyamin.
20 And to Yosef in the land of Mitzrayim were born sons, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera [Petephres], kohen [priest] of On [Heliopolis], bore to him: Menasheh [Manasses] and Ephrayim [Ephraim]. And to Menasheh was born Machir, son of an Aramit (Syrian) concubine; and Machir begot Gil’ad [Galaad]. And the sons of Ephrayim, brother of Menasheh: Shuthelach [Sutalaam] and Tahan [Taam]. And the son of Shuthelach: Eran [Edom].
21 And the sons of Binyamin: Bela [Bala], Becher [Bochor], and Ashbel [Asbel]. And the sons of Bela: Gera, Na’aman [Noeman], Ehi [Anchis], Rosh [Ros], and Muppim [Mamphim]. And Gera begot Arad.
22 These are the sons of Rachel, who were born to Ya’akov; all the souls were eighteen.
23 And the sons of Dan: Hushim [Asom].
24 And the sons of Naphtali [Nephthalim]: Yahze’el [Asiel], Guni [Goni], Yitzhar [Issaar], and Shillem [Sollem].
25 These are the sons of Bilhah [Balla], whom Lavan gave to his daughter Rachel; she bore these to Ya’akov, seven souls.
26 All the souls who came with Ya’akov into Mitzrayim, who came out of his loins, besides the wives of Ya’akov’s sons, were sixty-six souls.
27 And the sons of Yosef, who were born to him in the land of Mitzrayim, were nine souls; all the souls of the house of Ya’akov who came into Mitzrayim were seventy-five souls.
28 And he sent Yehudah before him to Yosef, to meet him at the city of Goshen [Heroes/Ramesses].
29 And Yosef made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Yisra’el his father at Goshen; and he appeared to him, and fell on his neck, and wept with abundant weeping.
30 And Yisra’el said to Yosef, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face, because you are yet alive.”
31 And Yosef said to his brothers, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh, and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s house, who were in the land of Kena’an, have come to me.
32 And the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock; and they have brought their flocks, their herds, and all that they have.’
33 And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’
34 You shall say, ‘Your servants have been herdsmen from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,’ that you may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an [abomination/detestable thing] to the Egyptians.”

— End of Chapter 46 —

Chapter 47

1 And Yosef came and told Pharaoh, saying, “My father, my brothers, their flocks, their herds, and all their possessions have come out of the land of Kena’an, and behold, they are in the land of Goshen [Gesem].”
2 And he took five of his brothers and presented them before Pharaoh.
3 And Pharaoh said to the brothers of Yosef, “What is your occupation?” And they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, both we and our fathers.”
4 And they said to Pharaoh, “We have come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for the flocks of your servants, for the famine is severe in the land of Kena’an; now therefore, let us dwell in the land of Goshen.”
5 And Pharaoh said to Yosef, “Let them dwell in the land of Goshen; and if you know that there are among them able men, make them overseers of my cattle.”
6 So Ya’akov and his sons came into Mitzrayim, to Yosef; and Pharaoh, king of Mitzrayim, heard of it.
7 And Yosef brought in Ya’akov his father, and set him before Pharaoh; and Ya’akov blessed Pharaoh.
8 And Pharaoh said to Ya’akov, “How many are the years of your life?”
9 And Ya’akov said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my sojourning are one hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the life of my fathers in their sojourning.”
10 And Ya’akov blessed Pharaoh, and departed from him.
11 And Yosef settled his father and his brothers, and gave them a possession in the land of Mitzrayim, in the best of the land, in the land of Ramesses, as Pharaoh commanded.
12 And Yosef provided food for his father, his brothers, and all his father’s household, according to their number.
13 And there was no bread in all the land, for the famine was very severe; and the land of Mitzrayim and the land of Kena’an languished because of the famine.
14 And Yosef gathered all the silver that was found in the land of Mitzrayim and in the land of Kena’an, in exchange for the grain they bought; and Yosef brought the silver into Pharaoh’s house.
15 And when the silver failed in the land of Mitzrayim and in the land of Kena’an, all the Egyptians came to Yosef, saying, “Give us bread, for why should we die before you? For our silver is gone.”
16 And Yosef said, “Bring your livestock, and I will give you bread for your livestock, if your silver is gone.”
17 And they brought their livestock to Yosef, and Yosef gave them bread in exchange for their horses, their flocks, their herds, and their donkeys; and he sustained them with bread for all their livestock that year.
18 And when that year was ended, they came to him the second year and said, “We will not hide from our master that our silver is spent, and our livestock belongs to you; there is nothing left before our master but our bodies and our land.
19 Buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants to Pharaoh. Give us seed, that we may live and not die, and that the land may not be desolate.”
20 So Yosef bought all the land of Mitzrayim for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold their land because the famine was severe, and the land became Pharaoh’s.
21 And Yosef made the people servants from one end of the gevul [border/boundary] of Mitzrayim to the other,
22 except only the land of the priests; Yosef did not buy it, for Pharaoh gave them a portion, and they ate their portion which Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their land.
23 And Yosef said to all the Egyptians, “Behold, I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh. Here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land.
24 And at the harvest you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four parts shall be for yourselves, for seed for the field, and for food for you and those in your houses.”
25 And they said, “You have saved our lives; we have found favor in the sight of our master, and we will be servants to Pharaoh.”
26 And Yosef made it a statute in the land of Mitzrayim to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth; only the land of the priests did not become Pharaoh’s.
27 And Yisra’el dwelt in the land of Mitzrayim, in the land of Goshen; and they acquired property there, and were fruitful and multiplied exceedingly.
28 And Ya’akov lived in the land of Mitzrayim seventeen years; so the days of Ya’akov, the years of his life, were one hundred and forty-seven years.
29 And the time drew near for Yisra’el to die; and he called his son Yosef and said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, put your hand under my thigh, and deal with me in mercy and truth: do not bury me in Mitzrayim.
30 But I will lie with my fathers, and you shall carry me up out of Mitzrayim, and bury me in their qever (burial cave).” And Yosef said, “I will do according to your word.”
31 And he said, “Swear to me.” And he swore to him. And Yisra’el bowed in worship, leaning on the top of his staff.

— End of Chapter 47 —

Chapter 48

1 And it came to pass after these things, that it was reported to Yosef, “Behold, your father is ill.” And he took his two sons, Menasheh and Ephrayim, and came to Ya’akov.
2 And it was reported to Ya’akov, saying, “Behold, your son Yosef comes to you.” And Yisra’el, having strengthened himself, sat upon the bed.
3 And Ya’akov said to Yosef, “Elohim appeared to me in Luzah, in the land of Kena’an, and blessed me,
4 and said to me, ‘Behold, I will increase you, and multiply you, and will make of you multitudes of nations; and I will give this land to you, and to your seed after you, for an everlasting possession.’
5 Now then your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Mitzrayim, before I came to you into Mitzrayim, are mine; Ephrayim and Menasheh, as Reuven and Shimon, they shall be mine.
6 And the children which you shall beget hereafter shall be in the name of their brethren; they shall be named after their inheritances.
7 And as for me, when I came out of Paddan-Aram [Mesopotamia of Syria], Rachel, your mother, died in the land of Kena’an, as I drew near to Chabratha, on the way to Ephrathah; and I buried her there on the road. This is Beit-Lechem [Bethlehem].
8 And when Yisra’el saw the sons of Yosef, he said, “Who are these to you?”
9 And Yosef said to his father, “They are my sons, whom Elohim gave me here.” And Ya’akov said, “Bring them to me, that I may bless them.”
10 Now the eyes of Yisra’el were dim with age, and he could not see well; and Yosef brought them near to him, and he kissed them and embraced them.
11 And Yisra’el said to Yosef, “Behold, I have not been deprived of seeing your face, and behold, Elohim has shown me your seed also.”
12 And Yosef brought them out from between his knees, and they bowed down before him with their faces to the ground.
13 And Yosef took his two sons, Ephrayim in his right hand toward Yisra’el’s left, and Menasheh in his left hand toward Yisra’el’s right, and brought them near to him.
14 But Yisra’el stretched out his right hand and laid it upon the head of Ephrayim, though he was the younger, and his left hand upon the head of Menasheh, guiding his hands crosswise.
15 And he blessed them and said, “The Elohim before whom my fathers Avraham and Yitzchak walked, the Elohim who has fed me all my life long to this day,
16 the Malakh [angel/messenger] who delivers me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named upon them, and the name of my fathers Avraham and Yitzchak; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”
17 And Yosef, seeing that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephrayim, was displeased; and Yosef took hold of his father’s hand to remove it from Ephrayim’s head to Menasheh’s head.
18 And Yosef said to his father, “Not so, my father; for this is the firstborn; put your right hand upon his head.”
19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know; he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.”
20 And he blessed them that day, saying, “In you shall Yisra’el bless, saying, ‘Elohim make you as Ephrayim and as Menasheh.’” And he set Ephrayim before Menasheh.
21 And Yisra’el said to Yosef, “Behold, I am dying; but Elohim shall be with you, and shall bring you again to the land of your fathers.
22 And I give to you Shechem [Sicima], one portion above your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow.”

— End of Chapter 48 —

Chapter 49

1 And Ya’akov called his sons and said to them, “Assemble yourselves, that I may tell you what shall befall you in (Acharit Hayamim) the latter days.
2 Gather yourselves together and hear me, sons of Ya’akov; hear Yisra’el, your father.”
3 Reuven, you are my firstborn, my strength, and the beginning of my might; hard to be endured, self-willed.
4 You were insolent like water; you shall not excel, because you went up to your father’s bed; then you defiled it—he went up to my couch.
5 Shimon and Levi, brothers, instruments of violence are their (charavot) swords.
6 Let not my soul enter into their counsel; let not my glory be united with their assembly; for in their anger they slew men, and in their self-will they hamstrung oxen.
7 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel. I will divide them in Ya’akov, and scatter them in Yisra’el.
8 Yehudah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down before you.
9 Yehudah is a lion’s whelp; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down, he crouched as a lion, and as a lioness; who shall rouse him?
10 The scepter shall not depart from Yehudah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to him shall be the obedience of the nations (Goyim).
11 Binding his foal to the vine, and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine, he washes his garments in wine, and his robe in the blood of grapes.
12 His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.
13 Zevulun shall dwell at the seashore; he shall be a haven for ships, and his border shall extend to Tzidon.
14 Yissakhar is a strong donkey, lying down between the sheepfolds.
15 He saw that rest was good, and that the land was pleasant; he bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant at forced labor.
16 Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Yisra’el.
17 Dan shall be a serpent by the way, a viper along the path, that bites the horse’s heels so that its rider falls backward.
18 “I wait for Yeshuat’kha (your salvation), O Yahuah.”
19 Gad, a troop shall press upon him; but he shall press upon their heel.
20 Asher, his bread shall be rich, and he shall yield royal delicacies.
21 Naphtali is a doe let loose; he gives beautiful words.
22 Yosef is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a spring; his branches run over the wall.
23 The archers bitterly attacked him, shot at him, and harassed him.
24 But his bow remained firm, and the arms of his hands were made agile by the hands of the Mighty One of Ya’akov—by the name of the Shepherd, the Stone (Even) of Yisra’el.
25 By the Elohim of your father who will help you, and by the Almighty who will bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
26 The blessings of your father have prevailed above the blessings of the ancient mountains, above the blessings of the everlasting hills; they shall be on the head of Yosef, and on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.
27 Binyamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey, and at evening he divides the spoil.
28 All these are the twelve tribes of Yisra’el, and this is what their father spoke to them, and he blessed them, each one according to his blessing.
29 Then he commanded them and said, “I am to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,
30 in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Kena’an, which Avraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite as a possession for a burial place.
31 There they buried Avraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Yitzchak and Rivqah his wife; and there I buried Leah.
32 The field and the cave that is in it were purchased from the sons of Chet.
33 And Ya’akov finished commanding his sons, and he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.

— End of Chapter 49 —

Chapter 50

1 And Yosef fell upon his father’s face, and wept over him, and kissed him.
2 And Yosef commanded his servants, the physicians, to embalm his father; and the physicians embalmed Yisra’el.
3 And forty days were fulfilled for him, for so are the days of embalming numbered; and all Mitzrayim mourned for him seventy days.
4 And when the days of mourning were past, Yosef spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, speak in the ears of Pharaoh, saying,
5 ‘My father made me swear, saying, Behold, I am about to die; in my grave (qever) which I dug for myself in the land of Kena’an, there you shall bury me.’ Now therefore let me go up, I pray you, and bury my father, and I will return.”
6 And Pharaoh said, “Go up, and bury your father, as he made you swear.”
7 So Yosef went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Mitzrayim,
8 and all the household of Yosef, his brothers, and his father’s household; only their flocks and herds they left in the land of Goshen [Gesem].
9 And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen; and it was a very great company.
10 And they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Yarden [Jordan]; and there they lamented with a very great and sore lamentation; and Yosef made mourning for his father seven days.
11 And the inhabitants of the land of Kena’an saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, and they said, “This is a grievous mourning to the Egyptians.” Therefore its name was called Avel-Mitzrayim [Mourning of Egypt], which is beyond the Yarden.
12 And his sons did to him as he commanded them.
13 For his sons carried him into the land of Kena’an, and buried him in the cave of Machpelah, which Avraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre, as a possession for a burial place.
14 And Yosef returned to Mitzrayim, he and his brothers, and all that went up with him to bury his father.
15 And when the brothers of Yosef saw that their father was dead, they said, “Perhaps Yosef will hate us, and will fully repay us for all the evil which we did to him.”
16 And they sent a message to Yosef, saying, “Your father commanded before he died, saying,
17 ‘Thus you shall say to Yosef: Forgive, I pray you, the trespass of your brothers and their sin, for they did evil to you.’ And now, forgive the trespass of the servants of the Elohim of your father.” And Yosef wept when they spoke to him.
18 And his brothers also came and fell down before him, and said, “Behold, we are your servants.”
19 And Yosef said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of Elohim?
20 You intended evil (ra) against me, but Elohim intended it for good (tov), to bring about this present result, to save many people alive.
21 Now therefore do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” And he comforted them, and spoke kindly to them.
22 And Yosef dwelt in Mitzrayim, he and his father’s household; and Yosef lived one hundred and ten years.
23 And Yosef saw Ephrayim’s children to the third generation; the children also of Machir, the son of Menasheh, were brought up on Yosef’s knees.
24 And Yosef said to his brothers, “I am dying; but Elohim will surely visit you, and bring you up out of this land to the land which He swore to our fathers, Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya’akov.”
25 And Yosef made the sons of Yisra’el swear, saying, “Elohim will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.”
26 So Yosef died, being one hundred and ten years old; and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Mitzrayim.

— End of Chapter 50 —

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