_________________________________________________________________ Title: The American Standard Version of the Holy Bible (1901) Creator(s): Anonymous Rights: Public Domain CCEL Subjects: All; Bible; Old Testament; New Testament LC Call no: BS185 LC Subjects: The Bible Modern texts and versions English _________________________________________________________________ PREFACE TO THE EDITION OF A.D. 1885 THE Revision of the Authorised Version was undertaken in consequence of a Resolution passed by both houses of the Convocation of the Province of Canterbury, as has been fully explained in the Preface to the Revised Version of the New Testament, which was first published in May 1881. When the two Companies were appointed for carrying out this work, the following General Principles, among others, were laid down by the Revision Committee of Convocation for their guidance:-- "1. To introduce as few alterations as possible into the Text of the Authorised Version consistently with faithfulness." "2. To limit, as far as possible, the expression of such alterations to the language of the Authorised and earlier English Versions." "4. That the Text to be adopted be that for which the evidence is decidedly preponderating; and that when the Text so adopted differs from that from which the Authorised Version was made, the alteration be indicated in the margin." "7. To revise the headings of chapters and pages, paragraphs, italics, and punctuation." In order to show the manner in which the Old Testament Company have endeavoured to carry out their instructions, it will be convenient to treat the subjects mentioned in the foregoing rules in a somewhat different order. It will be observed that in Rule 4 the word "Text" is used in a different sense from that in Rule 1, and in the case of the Old Testament denotes the Hebrew or Aramaic original of the several books. In this respect the task of the Revisers has been much simpler than that which the New Testament Company had before them. The Received, or, as it is commonly called, the Massoretic Text of the Old Testament Scriptures has come down to us in manuscripts which are of no very great antiquity, and which all belong to the same family or recension. [1] That other recensions were at one time in existence is probable from the variations in the Ancient Versions, the oldest of which, namely the Greek or Septuagint, was made, at least in part, some two centuries before the Christian era. But as the state of knowledge on the subject is not at present such as to justify any attempt at an entire reconstruction of the text on the authority of the Versions, the Revisers have thought it most prudent to adopt the Massoretic Text as the basis of their work, and to depart from it, as the Authorised Translators had done, [2] only in exceptional cases. With regard to the variations in the Massoretic Text itself, the Revisers have endeavoured to translate what appeared to them to be the best reading in the text, and where the alternative reading seemed sufficiently probable or important they have placed it in the margin. In some few instances of extreme difficulty a reading has been adopted on the authority of the Ancient Versions and the departure from the Massoretic Text recorded in the margin. In other cases, where the versions appeared to supply a very probable though not so necessary a correction of the text, the text has been left and the variation indicated in the margin only. In endeavouring to carry out as fully as possible the spirit of Rules 1 and 2, the Revisers have borne in mind that it was their duty not to make a new translation but to revise one already existing, which for more than two centuries and a half had held the position of an English classic. They have therefore departed from it only in cases where they disagreed with the Translators of 1611 as to the meaning or construction of a word or sentence; or where it was necessary for the sake of uniformity to render such parallel passages as were identical in Hebrew by the same English words, so that an English reader might know at once by comparison that a difference in the translation corresponded to a difference in the original; or where the language of the Authorised Version was liable to be misunderstood by reason of its being archaic or obscure, or finally, where the rendering of an earlier English version seemed preferable, or where by an apparently slight change it was possible to bring out more fully the meaning of a passage of which the translation was already substantially accurate. It has been thought advisable in regard to the word "JEHOVAH" to follow the usage of the Authorised Version, and not to insert it uniformly in place of "LORD" or "GOD," which when printed in small capitals represent the words substituted by Jewish custom for the ineffable Name according to the vowel points by which it is distinguished. It will be found, therefore, that in this respect the Authorised Version has been departed from only in a few passages, in which the introduction of a proper name seemed to be required. Terms of natural history have been changed only where it was certain that the Authorised Version was incorrect and where there was sufficient evidence for the substituted rendering. In cases of doubt the alternative rendering has been given in the margin; and even where no doubt existed, but where there was no familiar English equivalent for the original word, the Old Version has been allowed to remain, [3] and the more accurate term has been placed in the margin. In some words of very frequent occurrence, the Authorised Version being either inadequate or inconsistent, and sometimes misleading, changes have been introduced with as much uniformity as appeared practicable or desirable. For instance, "the tabernacle of the congregation" has been everywhere changed to "the tent of meeting," on account of Exodus xxv. 22, xxix. 42, 43, and also because "the tabernacle of the congregation" conveys an entirely wrong sense. The words "tabernacle" and "tent," as the renderings of two different Hebrew words, are in the Authorised Version frequently interchanged in such a manner as to lead to confusion; and the Revisers have endeavoured throughout the Pentateuch to preserve a consistent distinction between them. Their practice in regard to the words "assembly" and "congregation" has been the same in principle, although they have contented themselves with introducing greater consistency of rendering without aiming at absolute uniformity. In consequence of the changes which have taken place in the English language, the term "meat offering" has become inappropriate to describe an offering of which flesh was no part; and by the alteration to "meal offering" a sufficiently accurate representation of the original has been obtained with the least possible change of form. As regards the use of words, there are only a few cases in which it has been found needful to deviate from the language employed in the Authorised Version. One of these deviations occurs so frequently that it may be well to state briefly why it was adopted. The word "peoples" was nowhere used by King James's Translators in the Old Testament, and in the New Testament it occurs only twice (Rev. x. 11, xvii. 15). The effect of this was to leave the rendering of numerous passages inadequate or obscure or even positively misleading. Thus in one of the best known Psalms (Ps. lxvii.), where the Septuagint has laoí and the Vulgate pqpuli, the English had "Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee;" leaving it at least doubtful whether the "nations" of verse 4, or God's people, Israel, be referred to. And in Isaiah lv. 4, "Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people," the word people" is naturally understood by the English reader to refer to Israel. Again, the Hebrew word goyim "nations," which is applied to the nations of Canaan dispossessed by the Hebrews, and then also to the surrounding nations among whom the people of Israel were afterwards dispersed, acquired in later times a moral significance, which is represented in the Authorised Version by the rendering "heathen" or "Gentiles." While recognizing this moral sense of the word, the Revisers have employed it much more sparingly than their predecessors had done. Similarly, the Hebrew Sheôl which signifies the abode of departed spirits, and corresponds to the Greek Hades, or the under world, is variously rendered in the Authorised Version by "grave," "pit," and "hell." Of these renderings "hell," if it could be taken in its original sense as used in the Creeds, would be a fairly adequate equivalent for the Hebrew word; but it is so commonly understood of the place of torment that to employ it frequently would lead to inevitable misunderstanding. The Revisers therefore in the historical narratives have left the rendering "the grave" or "the pit" in the text, with the marginal note "Heb. Sheol" to indicate that it does not signify "the place of burial"; while in the poetical writings they have put most commonly "Sheol" in the text and "the grave" in the margin. In Isaiah xiv. however, where "hell" is used in more of its original sense and is less liable to be misunderstood, and where any change in so familiar a passage which was not distinctly an improvement would be a decided loss, the Revisers have contented themselves with leaving "hell" in the text, and have connected it with other passages by putting "Sheol" in the margin. In connection with this it may be mentioned that "Abaddon," which has hitherto been known to the English reader of the Bible only from the New Testament (Rev. ix. 11), has been introduced in three passages (Job xxvi. 6; Prov. xv. 11, xxvii. 20), where a proper name appears to be required for giving vividness and point. The Hebrew word Ashêrah, which is uniformly and wrongly rendered "grove" in the Authorised Version, most probably denotes the wooden symbol of a goddess; and the Revisers therefore have not hesitated to introduce it as a proper name in the singular (Judg. vi. 25, etc.), with the plurals Asherim (Ex. xxxiv. 13, etc.) and Asheroth (Judg. iii. 7, etc.), following the analogy of the Baalim (Judg. iii. 7) and the Ashtaroth (Judg. ii. 13), which are already familiar. In regard to the language of the Authorised Version, the Revisers have thought it no part of their duty to reduce it to conformity with modern usage, and have therefore left untouched all archaisms, whether of language or construction, which though not in familiar use cause a reader no embarrassment and lead to no misunderstanding. They are aware that in so doing they will disappoint the large English-speaking race on the other side of the Atlantic, and it is a question upon which they are prepared to agree to a friendly difference of opinion. The principle by which they have been guided has been clear and consistent. Where an archaic word or expression was liable to be misunderstood or at least was not perfectly intelligible, they have substituted for it another, in equally good use at the time the Authorised Version was made, and expressing all that the archaism was intended to convey, but more familiar to the modern reader. In such cases the gain was greater than the loss. But in other instances where the word or expression, although obsolete, was not unintelligible, it was thought that the change would involve greater loss than gain, and the old rendering was therefore allowed to stand. More especially was this the case when the archaism was a perfectly correct rendering of the original and there was no exact modern equivalent for it. The principle adopted by the Company will be best illustrated by two typical examples. The verb "to ear" in the sense of "to plough" and the substantive "earing" for "ploughing" were very reluctantly abandoned, and only because it was ascertained that their meaning was unknown to many persons of good intelligence and education. But it was easy to put in their place equivalents which had a pedigree of almost equal antiquity, and it would have been an excess of conservatism to refuse to substitute for an unintelligible archaism an expression to which no ambiguity could be attached. On the other hand the word "bolled" (Ex. ix. 31), which signifies "podded for seed" and is known in provincial dialects, has no synonym in literary English. To have discarded it in favor of a less accurate or more paraphrastic expression would have been to impoverish the language; and it was therefore left, because it exactly expresses one view which is taken of the meaning of the original. One of the few instances in which the language of the Authorised Version has been modified in accordance with later usage is the change of the neuter possessive pronoun from "his" to "its." It is well known that "its" does not occur in the Bible of 1611, and it does not appear to have been introduced into any edition before 1660. But it is found ten times in Shakespeare, and there is other evidence to show that at the time of the Authorised Version it was coming into use. It was found necessary in some cases to substitute "its" for "his" in order to avoid obscurity, and there seemed no good reason, when it was once introduced, for refusing to admit it generally when it referred to purely inanimate objects. In making minor changes, whether in translation or language, the Revisers have followed the example of the translators of the Authorised Version, who allowed themselves in this respect a reasonable freedom, without permitting their liberty to degenerate into license. It will be at once seen that the old division of the books into chapters and verses has been abandoned in favour of the arrangement in paragraphs, the numbering of the chapters and verses being however retained for convenience of reference. Where the change of subject seemed to require a greater break than was marked by the beginning of a new paragraph, it has been indicated by a space before the paragraph. Occasionally the divisions of the chapters in the Authorised Version differ from those in the common Hebrew Bibles. In such cases the variations are given in the margin. In the Psalms, the titles are printed in smaller type, as in some modern English Bibles, which differ in this respect from the edition of 1611. One consequence of the arrangement in paragraphs has been the omission of the headings of chapters, which for other and more important reasons it was thought advisable to abandon, as involving questions which belong rather to the province of the commentator than to that of the translator. With the headings of chapters the headlines of pages naturally disappeared also, and for the same reason. In the poetical portions, besides the division into paragraphs, the Revisers have adopted an arrangement in lines, so as to exhibit the parallelism which is characteristic of Hebrew Poetry. But they have not extended this arrangement to the prophetical books, the language of which although frequently marked by parallelism is, except in purely lyrical passages, rather of the nature of lofty and impassioned prose. In the use of italics the Revisers departed from the custom of the Authorised Version and adopted as their rule the following resolution of their Company: "That all such words now printed in italics, as are plainly implied in the Hebrew and necessary in English, be printed in common type." But where any doubt existed as to the exact rendering of the Hebrew, all words which have been added in order to give completeness to the English expression are printed in italic type, so that the reader by omitting them may be able to see how far their insertion is justified by the words of the original. This of course is especially true of those renderings for which an alternative is given in the margin, where the roman and italic type play exactly opposite parts. To complete the account of the Revised Version it remains only to describe the marginal notes. These will be found to contain 1. The renderings of such variations in the Massoretic Text as appeared to be of sufficient importance. These variations are known by the technical names of K'ri (read) and C'thib (written), which denote that the K'ri, or reading in the margin of the Hebrew Bible, is to be substituted for the C'thib which appears in the written text. The Revisers have generally, though not uniformly, rendered the C'thib in the text, and left the K'ri in the margin, with the introductory note "Or, according to another reading," or "Another reading is." When the K'ri has been followed in the text, the C'thib has been placed in the margin, if it represented a variation of sufficient importance. 2. Alternative renderings, introduced by "Or." These are either different meanings of the word or passage, or they serve to connect it with other renderings elsewhere. 3. Literal renderings of the Hebrew or Aramaic, indicated by the prefix " Heb." or "Aram.' 4. Changes of text made on the authority of the ancient Versions. 5. Readings from ancient Versions which appeared to be of sufficient importance to be noticed. 6. Renderings of the Hebrew consonants as read with different vowel points, or as differently divided. These are introduced by the words "Or, as otherwise read." 7. Marginal references to other passages, which are either strictly parallel, or serve the purpose of illustrating or justifying a particular rendering. 8. Explanations of certain proper names, the meaning of which is referred to in the text. In the Proper Names the Revisers have endeavoured to ascertain the system of transliteration adopted by the Translators of the Authorised Version and to carry it out with somewhat greater consistency. They have not however attempted anything like rigid uniformity, and have left unchanged all those names which by usage have become English; as, for instance, Moses, Aaron, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the like. Among the Rules laid down by the Revision Committee of Convocation for the guidance of the Revisers was one that no change should be finally made in the text of the Authorised Version except by the vote of two-thirds of the Company present and voting; and this Rule has been invariably acted upon. The result has been that in many cases a rendering which was preferred by the majority of the Company voting has been recorded in the margin, the majority not being sufficient to give it a place in the text. But all questions of marginal readings, as well as of punctuation and division into paragraphs, except where these affected the sense of a passage, were decided by a simple majority. It may be of some interest to describe the method observed by the Company in their work, if only to show that every question raised was carefully and deliberately considered. In the first Revision it was the practice for the Secretary to read over each verse, first in the original and then in the Authorised Version: the proposals for change were then taken; first those communicated in writing by absent members, and next those made by the members present. Each proposal was moved, and if seconded was discussed and voted upon; the decision in the first Revision being by a majority only. If a proposal met with no seconder, it was not discussed but allowed to drop. In the second Revision, the Secretary read out in order the changes which had been made at the first Revision; if these were unchallenged they were allowed to remain, otherwise they were put to the vote and affirmed or rejected according as they were or were not supported by the requisite majority of two-thirds. In the second Revision new propositions could only be made by special permission of the Company, and discussion was limited, as far as possible, to exceptional cases. In the final review, which was in reality the completion of the second Revision, the Company employed themselves in making a general survey of what they had done, deciding finally upon reserved points, harmonizing inconsistencies, smoothing down roughnesses, removing unnecessary changes, and generally giving finish and completeness to their work. Everything in this final survey was decided by the vote of a majority of two-thirds. The Revisers had already made some progress, and had in fact gone twice through the Pentateuch, before they secured the co-operation of the American Old Testament Revision Company. The first Revision of the several books was submitted to the consideration of the American Revisers, and, except in the case of the Pentateuch, the English Company had the benefit of their criticisms and suggestions before they proceeded to the second Revision. The second Revision was in like manner forwarded to America, and the latest thoughts of the American Revisers were in the hands of the English Company at their final review. In every instance the suggestions from America were treated with the same consideration as those proceeding from the members of the English Company, and were adopted or rejected on their merits. It was a part of the terms of agreement with the American Company that all points of ultimate difference between them and the English Revisers should be placed on record, and they will accordingly be found fully stated at the end of the Old Testament, or at the end of the several portions, according as the Revised Version appears in one or more volumes. Many of them will be found to be of language which are involved in the essentially different circumstances of American and English readers; others express a preference for the marginal rendering over that given in the text; others again involve a real difference of opinion; but all show that they have been dictated by the same leading principle, the sincere desire to give to modern readers a faithful representation of the meaning of the original documents. It could not but be expected that in the course of fourteen years many changes would take place in the members of the Company. Of the original number who first put their hands to the work on the 30th of June 1870, only fifteen now remain. Ten of the Company have been removed by death, and two resigned: the places of these were filled from time to time by others; but since October 1875 no new members have been added. The Revision was completed in eighty five sessions, ending on 20th June, 1884; and it occupied 792 days. The greater part of the sessions were for ten days each, and each day the Company generally sat for six hours. The labour therefore has been great, but it has been given ungrudgingly; and now with a feeling of deep thankfulness to Almighty God, and the earnest hope that their endeavours may with His blessing tend to a clearer knowledge of the Old Testament Scriptures, the Revisers bring their long task to a close. JERUSALEM CHAMBER, WESTMINSTER ABBEY, 10 July, 1884. _________________________________________________________________ [1] The earliest MS. of which the age is certainly known bears date A.D. 916 [2] See, for instance, 2 Sam. xvi. 12; 2 Chr. iii.1, xxii. 6; Job xxxvii. 7; Ezek. xlvi. 10; Am. v.26; Hag. i.2 [3] As for instance, "coney" (Lev. xi. 5), "fitches"(Is. xxviii. 25,27), "gourd" (Jon. iv. 6). _________________________________________________________________ PREFACE TO THE AMERICAN EDITION A few statements need to be made respecting the origin of this edition of the Revised Version of the English Bible. In the course of the joint labors of the English and American Revisers it was agreed that, respecting all points of ultimate difference, the English Companies, who had had the initiative in the work of revision, should have the decisive vote. But as an offset to this, it was proposed on the British side that the American preferences should be published as an Appendix in every copy of the Revised Bible during a term of fourteen years. The American Committee on their part pledged themselves to give, for the same limited period, no sanction to the publication of any other editions of the Revised Version than those issued by the University Presses of England. There still remained the possibility that the British Revisers, or the University Presses, might eventually adopt in the English editions many, or the most, of the American preferences, in case these should receive the approval of scholars and the general public. But soon after the close of their work in 1885 the English Revision Companies disbanded; and there has been no indication of an intention on the part of the Presses to amalgamate the readings of the Appendix, either wholly or in part, with the text of the English editions. The American Revision Committee, after the publication of the Revised Version in 1885, resolved to continue their organization, and have regarded it as a possibility that an American recension of the English Revision might eventually be called for. Accordingly they have been engaged more or less diligently, ever since 1885, and especially in the last four years, in making ready for such a publication. The judgment of scholars, both in Great Britain and in the United States, has so far approved the American preferences that it now seems to be expedient to issue an edition of the Revised Version with those preferences embodied in the text. If the preparation of this new edition had consisted merely in the mechanical work of transferring the readings of the Appendix to the text, it would have been a comparatively easy task. But the work was in point of fact a much more elaborate one. The Appendix was itself in need of revision; for it had been prepared under circumstances which rendered fulness and accuracy almost impossible. This work could of course not be taken in hand until the revision was concluded; and since it required a careful consideration of discussions and decisions extending over a period of many years, there was need of many months' time, if the Appendix was to be satisfactorily constructed, especially as it was thought desirable to reduce the number of recorded differences and this required the drawing of a sharp line between the more and the less important. Manifestly such a task would be one of no little difficulty at the best. But when the time came for it to be done, the University Presses deemed that the impatient demand of the British public for the speedy publication of the Revision must be respected; and they insisted on a prompt transmission of the Appendix. Prepared under such pressure and in such haste, it was obviously inevitable that it should be marked by grave imperfections; and the correction of its errors and the supplementing of its defects has been a work of much time and labor. When the Appendix was originally prepared, an effort was made to pave the way for an eventual acceptance of the American preferences on the part of the English Presses, by reducing the number of the points of difference to the lowest limit, and thus leaving out much the larger part of the emendations which the Revisers had previously by a two-thirds vote pronounced to be in their opinion of decided importance. In now issuing an American edition, the American Revisers, being entirely untrammelled by any connection with the British Revisers and Presses, have felt themselves to be free to go beyond the task of incorporating the Appendix in the text, and are no longer restrained from introducing into the text a large number of those suppressed emendations. The remainder of this Preface has especial reference to the Old Testament. Nothing needs to be said about the various particular proposals which are found in the Appendix of the English Revised Version. But some remarks may be made concerning the General Classes of changes therein specified, and also concerning those emendations in this edition which are additional to those prescribed in the Appendix. 1. The change first recommended in the Appendix - that which substitutes "Jehovah" for "LORD" and "GOD" - is one which will be unwelcome to many, because of the frequency and familiarity of the terms displaced. But the American Revisers, after a careful consideration were brought to the unanimous conviction that a Jewish superstition, which regarded the Divine Name as too sacred to be uttered, ought no longer to dominate in the English or any other version of the Old Testament, as it fortunately does not in the numerous versions made by modern missionaries. This Memorial Name, explained in Ex. iii. 14, 15, and emphasized as such over and over in the original text of the Old Testament, designates God as the personal God, as the covenant God, the God of revelation, the Deliverer, the Friend of his people; -- not merely the abstractly "Eternal One" of many French translations, but the ever living Helper of those who are in trouble. This personal name, with its wealth of sacred associations, is now restored to the place in the sacred text to which it has an unquestionable claim. The uniform substitution of "Sheol" for "the grave," "the pit," and "hell," in places where these terms have been retained by the English Revision, has little need of justification. The English Revisers use "Sheol" twenty-nine times out of the sixty-four in which it occurs in the original. No good reason has been given for such a discrimination. If the new term can be fitly used at all, it is clear that it ought to be used uniformly. The use of "who" and "that" for "which," when relating to persons, should commend itself to all as required by grammatical accuracy. The same remark applies to the substitution of are for "be" in indicative clauses, the omission of "for" before infinitives, and the change of an to "a" before "h" aspirated. The latter change was made in the English Revision of the New Testament, but not in that of the Old. Likewise we have uniformly adopted the modern spelling in place of antiquated forms. No one would advocate the resumption of the exact orthography of the edition of 1611. The mere fact that in a few cases an older form has happened to be retained constitutes no reason for its perpetual retention. 2. Inasmuch as the present edition differs from the English Revision not simply in presenting in the text the American preferences as given in the Appendix, a few remarks may be made with regard to the additional variations which will be found to exist. 1. As has already been intimated, this edition embodies a very considerable number of renderings originally adopted by the American Old Testament Company at their second revision (and so by a two-thirds majority), but waived when the Appendix was prepared. These represent the deliberate preference of the American Company; but, for reasons already assigned, they were not included in the Appendix. 2. Partly coinciding with the foregoing is a number of alterations which consist in a return to the readings of the Authorized Version. While in some cases the older readings, though inaccurate, seem to have been retained in the English Revision through an excessive conservatism, in others they have been abandoned needlessly, and sometimes to the injury of the sense and the sound. In such cases fidelity to the general principle that has governed us has required us to, give the preference to the rendering of the Common Version. Among the many instances of these restorations we may note: Ex. xx. 4, 13; Lev. xix. 22; Ps. xlviii. 1; civ. 26; cxiv. 4; cxvi 11 Prov. xiii. 15; Am. vi. 5. 3. Sometimes we have found occasion to recede from proposals originally made, when a more careful and mature consideration required us to do so. Besides individual cases, like S. of S. vi. 4, 10; Ezek. v.13, may be mentioned the fact that the requirement of the Appendix, that "be ashamed" should everywhere be changed to "be put to shame," has been found to need qualification. While the change seems desirable in a majority of the instances, it is by no means so in all. We have therefore retained "ashamed" in a large number of passages; in some, however, we have preferred "confounded" as better suiting the connection. 4. Very many of the instances in which we have gone beyond the literal requirements of the Appendix are alterations demanded by consistency. Changes were originally proposed in certain passages only, though the reason for the changes equally requires them to be made in numerous others. Thus at Ps. xxxiii. 5, and in twenty-four other places, "justice" was to be put for "judgment." But it is manifest that in a multitude of other passages there is equal need of the same alteration. We have accordingly undertaken to introduce it wherever the Hebrew word plainly has this abstract sense. For the same reason we have substituted "ordinance" for judgment" in the numerous passages, like Lev. xviii. 4, where the word denotes, not a judicial sentence, threatened or inflicted, but a law of action. This rendering of the Hebrew word is found in the Authorized Version in some instances, and has been introduced by the Revised Veision in a few more; but, since the English word "judgment" in common use never denotes a statute or command, it is manifestly desirable that "ordinance" should be used wherever the Hebrew word has this meaning. Similarly, the English Revision in a few cases, and the Old Testament Appendix in a few more, put "despoil" for "spoil." But the same reason which holds for those few is equally good for the numerous others in which this word occurs. The word "spoil" in the Authorized Version represents a great number of Hebrew words, some of which denote "lay waste," "ruin," or "destroy," rather than "despoil"; and as "spoil" has nearly lost in popular use its original meaning, and is liable to occasion misconception, we have replaced it by "despoil," "plunder," ravage, and other terms, each as best adapted to the connection. In like manner we have carried out another alteration which was made to a limited extent by the English Revisers - the distinction between the words "stranger" ("strange"), "foreigner" ( foreign"), and "sojourner." These renderings correspond fairly well to three distinct Hebrew words there is no good reason why the correspondence should not be made uniform throughout. Likewise we have carried out consistently the substitution of "false," "falsehood," and other terms, for "vain," "vanity," where the meaning of the original requires it. Here too a beginning was made by us in the Appendix. Many other examples might be adduced. Here may be mentioned also that changes made for the sake of euphemism have been considerably increased. It has not been possible in every case to find an appropriate substitute for terms which in modern times have become offensive; but when it has been possible, we have deemed it wise to make the change. Some of the words, as, for example, "bowels," are tolerable when used in their literal sense, but offensive when employed in a psychological sense. Thus, no other word would be appropriate in 2 Sam. xx. 10; but in Jer. iv. 19 or Lam. i. 20 to retain that term would be both unpleasant and incorrect. The conception of the writer is not really reproduced by a literal translation. The Hebrews were accustomed to attribute psychical action or emotion to various physical organs, whereas in English such a trope is limited almost entirely to "heart" and "brain." There is nowhere any occasion for using the latter of these in the Bible; consequently it is almost unavoidable that "heart" should often be used as the translation of different Hebrew words. All scholars know that the Hebrew word commonly rendered "heart" is used very largely to denote not so much the seat of the emotions, as the seat of thought. It is rendered in the Authorized Version more than twenty times by "mind," and might well be so rendered much oftener. The word "reins" is one of those which in the Old Testament is used in a psychological relation. This word was retained by the English Revisers, and was also left without mention by the American Revisers when they prepared their Appendix. But if the synonymous word "kidneys" had been used in these passages, there would be an earnest and unanimous protest. In favor of the continued use of "reins," therefore, one can only urge the poor reason that most readers attach to it no meaning whatever. We have consequently regarded it as only a consistent carrying out of our general principle when we have uniformly substituted "heart" for it, whenever it is used in a psychological sense. In this connection it may be remarked that, while the English Revisers, yielding to the urgent representations of the Americans, voted to substitute "its" for "his" or "her" when relating to impersonal objects not personified, the substitution was so imperfectly made that we have had occasion to supplement the work in some two hundred cases. Furthermore, the general intention of the American Revisers to eliminate obsolete, obscure, and misleading terms, has been more fully carried out by replacing some expressions which were left unmentioned in the Appendix; e.g., "bolled" (Ex. ix. 31), "in good liking" (Job xxxix. 4). 5. Closely connected with the foregoing are certain additional alterations which have seemed to be required by regard for pure English idiom. We are not insensible to the justly lauded beauty and vigor of the style of the Authorized Version, nor do we forget that it has been no part of our task to modernize the diction of the Bible. But we are also aware that the rhetorical force and the antique flavor which we desire to retain do not consist in sporadic instances of uncouth, unidiomatic, or obscure phraseology. While we may freely admit that the English of the Scriptures can, as a whole, hardly be improved, yet it would be extravagant to hold that it cannot be bettered in any of its details. What was once good usage is often such no longer; and we can see no sound reason for retaining such expressions as "smell thereto" (Ex. xxx. 38), "forth of" (instead of "forth from"), "inquire at "(1 K. xxii. 5), "a fool's vexation is heavier than them both" (Prov. xxvii. 3), or "when... he be jealous over his wife" (Num. v.30). These are only a few of the many instances of phraseology which there is the best reason for amending. A change of a more general kind is the introduction of a greater degree of consistency and propriety in the use of the auxiliaries "will" and "shall." The latter is certainly used to excess in the Authorized Version, especially when connected with verbs denoting an action of the Divine Being; and the two are also often very inconsistently used, as may be observed in such a striking case as Ps. cxxi. 3, 4. Again, the attempt to translate literally from the original has not infrequently led to Hebraisms which had better be avoided. Many of these have indeed become, as it were, naturalized in our language, and need not be disturbed. But others must be called bad and outlandish. Thus, in Ezek. xx. 17, we read, "mine eye spared them from destroying them," which is a very literal translation of the Hebrew, but very poor English. Scarcely more tolerable is the expression, "that they may be to do the service" (Num. viii. 11), which also comes from over-literalness. To the same class belongs the phrase "by the hand of," as used after such expressions as "Jehovah spake" (or, "commanded"), e.g., in Num. xxvii. 23. This is indeed the literal rendering; but the Hebrew really means simply "through" or "by means of," and is in the majority of these instances in the Authorized Version rendered " by," but sometimes "by the hand of." Manifestly the simpler form is every way preferable; and the change, if any is made, should be in this direction, whereas in the English Revision "by" is, in nine cases out of forty-two, changed to "by the hand of." Similarly, "in the land," in Deut. v. 16 and in several other places, has been changed in the English Revision to "upon the land"; but as "land" is here equivalent to country," "in the land" is clearly the most appropriate. In both these groups of cases we have everywhere adopted the idiomatic English, rather than the slavishly literal, rendering. 6. In introducing certain translations different from those of the English Revised Version, and also not directly or implicitly required by the Appendix, we have been governed by the conviction that, in cases where accuracy and perspicuity clearly required an emendation, we were fully warranted in resorting to it. We have been careful, in making these alterations, to consult the best authorities, and especially the recent carefully revised versions of the German, French, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian Bibles. Few certainly will object to such alterations as are found in Dent. xxxii. 14; Judg. v.20; Is. xxx. 32; xxxv. 8; Hos. xi. 2; Mic. i. 6. We have also not hesitated to insert "the" before "Jordan" and other names of rivers. Likewise, as the English Revisers had with good reason removed the fabulous "unicorn" from the Old Testament, we have removed the equally fabulous "dragon," as also the "arrowsnake" of the English Revision (Is. xxxiv. 15) - an animal unknown to zoology, the term having obviously been adopted through a too literal translation of the German word "Pfeilschlange." 7. Another particular in which we have to some extent deviated from the requirements of the Appendix relates to our treatment of the references in the margin to the readings of ancient versions. On account of the extreme difficulty of correcting the Hebrew text by means of those versions, we originally decided that it would be better to make no reference to them at all. The case is radically different from that of the New Testament, where the variant readings are mostly found in Greek Mss. of the New Testament itself. The authorities referred to in the Old Testament are translations from the Hebrew; and though the date of these translations is more ancient than any extant Ms. of the Hebrew Bible, yet there is no means of verifying with certainty the text of these translations; and one can never get beyond plausible conjecture in attempting to correct the Hebrew text by means of these versions. It is one thing to admit that the Hebrew text is probably corrupt here and there; quite another, to be sure how to rectify it. In the English Revision there are frequent references in the margin to the ancient versions. The most of these seem to us at the best of trivial importance, and have been dropped. A few represent only a different vocalization of the Hebrew. A certain number, however, have to do with variations of some importance and such as may, with considerable probability, be conjectured to represent the original Hebrew. We have therefore retained a little more than one-sixth of the references given in the English Revision, but have been careful to designate which of the ancient versions contain a specified reading, instead of making the vague, and often inaccurate, statement that some" or "many" ancient versions present the reading in question. 8. For the sake of facilitating the use of the Old Testament we have provided it with marginal references to parallel and illustrative passages, and with topical headings. In preparing the references we have been assisted by able scholars not connected with the Old Testament Company. The aim has been to illustrate and elucidate the meaning by referring to other passages which, either in word or in thought, bear a resemblance to the one under consideration. Previous lists have been consulted, but they have been carefully sifted, and the effort has been made to omit everything that is irrelevant or misleading. In preparing the headings we have intended, by means of brief but descriptive terms, to enable the reader to see at a glance what the general contents of each page are. Everything that might seem to savor of a questionable exegesis has been carefully avoided. 9. Considerable attention has been paid to the paragraph divisions and to the punctuation. While the English Revisers did well to abandon the older way of making a paragraph of each verse they often went to the opposite extreme of making the paragraphs excessively long, leaving in some cases whole pages without a break, as, for example, at Gen. xxiv. and Num. xxii.-xxiv. We have revised the paragraph divisions throughout, making them generally shorter, and sometimes altering the place of the division. In the matter of punctuation, we have aimed to remove many inconsistencies found in previous editions, and also, while retaining the general system adopted by our predecessors, to make the book conform somewhat more nearly to modern usage. One result is a considerable reduction of the number of colons, which are often replaced by semicolons, occasionally by periods or commas. In some cases a change of punctuation has modified the sense; as, e.g., in Gen ii. 5; xiv. 24; Ezek. xxix. 9, 10. We have also made much more frequent use of the hyphen than has been made in previous editions. In many instances we have recurred to the punctuation of the Authorized Version, especially where the English Revisers have departed from it out of an undue regard to the pausal accents of the Massoretic text; as e.g., in Lev. vi. 7; Zech. xi. 16. Further particulars respecting the points of difference between this edition and the English Revision of 1881-1885 may be learned from the Appendix found at the close of this Testament. Earnestly hoping that our work may contribute to the better understanding of the Old Testament, we commend it to the considerate judgment of all students of the Sacred Scriptures. _________________________________________________________________ Old Testament _________________________________________________________________ The First Book of Moses, called Genesis _________________________________________________________________ Genesis 1 1 ^1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. ^2And the earth was waste and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep: and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters ^3And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. ^4And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. ^5And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day. ^6And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. ^7And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. ^8And God called the firmament Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day. ^9And God said, Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. ^10And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good. ^11And God said, Let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit-trees bearing fruit after their kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth: and it was so. ^12And the earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after their kind: and God saw that it was good. ^13And there was evening and there was morning, a third day. ^14And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years: ^15and let them be for lights in the firmament of heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. ^16And God made the two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. ^17And God set them in the firmament of heaven to give light upon the earth, ^18and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. ^19And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day. ^20And God said, Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. ^21And God created the great sea-monsters, and every living creature that moveth, wherewith the waters swarmed, after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind: and God saw that it was good. ^22And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth. ^23And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day. ^24And God said, Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind, cattle, and creeping things, and beasts of the earth after their kind: and it was so. ^25And God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creepeth upon the ground after its kind: and God saw that it was good. ^26And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. ^27And God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. ^28And God blessed them: and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. ^29And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for food: ^30and to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the heavens, and to everything that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for food: and it was so. ^31And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. _________________________________________________________________ Genesis 2 2 ^1And the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. ^2And on the seventh day God finished his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. ^3And God blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it; because that in it he rested from all his work which God had created and made. ^4These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that Jehovah God made earth and heaven. ^5And no plant of the field was yet in the earth, and no herb of the field had yet sprung up; for Jehovah God had not caused it to rain upon the earth: and there was not a man to till the ground; ^6but there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. ^7And Jehovah God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. ^8And Jehovah God planted a garden eastward, in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. ^9And out of the ground made Jehovah God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. ^10And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became four heads. ^11The name of the first is Pishon: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; ^12and the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone. ^13And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Cush. ^14And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth in front of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. ^15And Jehovah God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. ^16And Jehovah God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: ^17but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. ^18And Jehovah God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help meet for him. ^19And out of the ground Jehovah God formed every beast of the field, and every bird of the heavens; and brought them unto the man to see what he would call them: and whatsoever the man called every living creature, that was the name thereof. ^20And the man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the heavens, and to every beast of the field; but for man there was not found a help meet for him. ^21And Jehovah God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof: ^22and the rib, which Jehovah God had taken from the man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. ^23And the man said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. ^24Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. ^25And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. _________________________________________________________________ Genesis 3 3 ^1Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which Jehovah God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of any tree of the garden? ^2And the woman said unto the serpent, Of the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat: ^3but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. ^4And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: ^5for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as God, knowing good and evil. ^6And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat; and she gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat. ^7And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig-leaves together, and made themselves aprons. ^8And they heard the voice of Jehovah God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Jehovah God amongst the trees of the garden. ^9And Jehovah God called unto the man, and said unto him, Where art thou? ^10And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. ^11And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? ^12And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. ^13And Jehovah God said unto the woman, What is this thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. ^14And Jehovah God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, cursed art thou above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: ^15and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: he shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. ^16Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy pain and thy conception; in pain thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. ^17And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in toil shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; ^18thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; ^19in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. ^20And the man called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living. ^21And Jehovah God made for Adam and for his wife coats of skins, and clothed them. ^22And Jehovah God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever- ^23therefore Jehovah God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. ^24So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden the Cherubim, and the flame of a sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. _________________________________________________________________ Genesis 4 4 ^1And the man knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man with the help of Jehovah. ^2And again she bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. ^3And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto Jehovah. ^4And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And Jehovah had respect unto Abel and to his offering: ^5but unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. ^6And Jehovah said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? ^7If thou doest well, shall it not be lifted up? and if thou doest not well, sin coucheth at the door: and unto thee shall be its desire, but do thou rule over it. ^8And Cain told Abel his brother. And it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. ^9And Jehovah said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: am I my brother's keeper? ^10And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. ^11And now cursed art thou from the ground, which hath opened its mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand; ^12when thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee its strength; a fugitive and a wanderer shalt thou be in the earth. ^13And Cain said unto Jehovah, My punishment is greater than I can bear. ^14Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the ground; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth; and it will come to pass, that whosoever findeth me will slay me. ^15And Jehovah said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And Jehovah appointed a sign for Cain, lest any finding him should smite him. ^16And Cain went out from the presence of Jehovah, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. ^17And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch. ^18And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael: and Mehujael begat Methushael; and Methushael begat Lamech. ^19And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. ^20And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents and have cattle. ^21And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and pipe. ^22And Zillah, she also bare Tubal-cain, the forger of every cutting instrument of brass and iron: and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah. ^23And Lamech said unto his wives: Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; Ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: For I have slain a man for wounding me, And a young man for bruising me: ^24If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, Truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold. ^25And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth. For, said she, God hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel; for Cain slew him. ^26And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enosh. Then began men to call upon the name of Jehovah. _________________________________________________________________ Genesis 5 5 ^1This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him; ^2male and female created he them, and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created. ^3And Adam lived a hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth: ^4and the days of Adam after he begat Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters. ^5And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died. ^6And Seth lived a hundred and five years, and begat Enosh: ^7and Seth lived after he begat Enosh eight hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters: ^8and all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years: and he died. ^9And Enosh lived ninety years, and begat Kenan. ^10and Enosh lived after he begat Kenan eight hundred and fifteen years, and begat sons and daughters: ^11and all the days of Enosh were nine hundred and five years: and he died. ^12And Kenan lived seventy years, and begat Mahalalel: ^13and Kenan lived after he begat Mahalalel eight hundred and forty years, and begat sons and daughters: ^14and all the days of Kenan were nine hundred and ten years: and he died. ^15And Mahalalel lived sixty and five years, and begat Jared: ^16And Mahalalel lived after he begat Jared eight hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters: ^17and all the days of Mahalalel were eight hundred ninety and five years: and he died. ^18And Jared lived a hundred sixty and two years, and begat Enoch: ^19and Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: ^20And all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and two years: and he died. ^21And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: ^22and Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: ^23and all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: ^24and Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him. ^25And Methuselah lived a hundred eighty and seven years, and begat Lamech: ^26and Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech seven hundred eighty and two years, and begat sons and daughters. ^27And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years: and he died. ^28And Lamech lived a hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son: ^29and he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us in our work and in the toil of our hands, which cometh because of the ground which Jehovah hath cursed. ^30And Lamech lived after he begat Noah five hundred ninety and five years, and begat sons and daughters: ^31And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years: and he died. ^32And Noah was five hundred years old: And Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth. _________________________________________________________________ Genesis 6 6 ^1And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the ground, and daughters were born unto them, ^2that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all that they chose. ^3And Jehovah said, My spirit shall not strive with man for ever, for that he also is flesh: yet shall his days be a hundred and twenty years. ^4The Nephilim were in the earth in those days, and also after that, when the sons of God came unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them: the same were the mighty men that were of old, the men of renown. ^5And Jehovah saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. ^6And it repented Jehovah that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. ^7And Jehovah said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the ground; both man, and beast, and creeping things, and birds of the heavens; for it repenteth me that I have made them. ^8But Noah found favor in the eyes of Jehovah. ^9These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, and perfect in his generations: Noah walked with God. ^10And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. ^11And the earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. ^12And God saw the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth. ^13And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. ^14Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. ^15And this is how thou shalt make it: the length of the ark three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. ^16A light shalt thou make to the ark, and to a cubit shalt thou finish it upward; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it. ^17And I, behold, I do bring the flood of waters upon this earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is in the earth shall die. ^18But I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee. ^19And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female. ^20Of the birds after their kind, and of the cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive. ^21And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them. ^22Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he. _________________________________________________________________ Genesis 7 7 ^1And Jehovah said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation. ^2Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee seven and seven, the male and his female; and of the beasts that are not clean two, the male and his female: ^3of the birds also of the heavens, seven and seven, male and female, to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth. ^4For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living thing that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the ground. ^5And Noah did according unto all that Jehovah commanded him. ^6And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth. ^7And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood. ^8Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of birds, and of everything that creepeth upon the ground, ^9there went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, male and female, as God commanded Noah. ^10And it came to pass after the seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth. ^11In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. ^12And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights. ^13In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark; ^14they, and every beast after its kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, every bird of every sort. ^15And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh wherein is the breath of life. ^16And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God commanded him: and Jehovah shut him in. ^17And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lifted up above the earth. ^18And the waters prevailed, and increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters. ^19And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high mountains that were under the whole heaven were covered. ^20Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered. ^21And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both birds, and cattle, and beasts, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man: ^22all in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, of all that was on the dry land, died. ^23And every living thing was destroyed that was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and creeping things, and birds of the heavens; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only was left, and they that were with him in the ark. ^24And the waters prevailed upon the earth a hundred and fifty days. _________________________________________________________________ Genesis 8 8 ^1And God remembered Noah, and all the beasts, and all the cattle that were with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters assuaged; ^2the fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained; ^3and the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of a hundred and fifty days the waters decreased. ^4And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat. ^5And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen. ^6And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made: ^7and he sent forth a raven, and it went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth. ^8And he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground; ^9but the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him to the ark; for the waters were on the face of the whole earth: and he put forth his hand, and took her, and brought her in unto him into the ark. ^10And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark; ^11and the dove came in to him at eventide; and, lo, in her mouth an olive-leaf plucked off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth. ^12And he stayed yet other seven days, and sent forth the dove; and she returned not again unto him any more. ^13And it came to pass in the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dried. ^14And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dry. ^15And God spake unto Noah, saying, ^16Go forth from the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with thee. ^17Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee of all flesh, both birds, and cattle, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth. ^18And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him: ^19every beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, whatsoever moveth upon the earth, after their families, went forth out of the ark. ^20And Noah builded an altar unto Jehovah, and took of every clean beast, and of every clean bird, and offered burnt-offerings on the altar. ^21And Jehovah smelled the sweet savor; and Jehovah said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake, for that the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more everything living, as I have done. ^22While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. _________________________________________________________________ Genesis 9 9 ^1And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. ^2And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every bird of the heavens; With all wherewith the ground teemeth, and all the fishes of the sea, into your hand are they delivered. ^3Every moving thing that liveth shall be food for you; As the green herb have I given you all. ^4But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. ^5And surely your blood, the blood of your lives, will I require; At the hand of every beast will I require it. And at the hand of man, even at the hand of every man's brother, will I require the life of man. ^6Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: For in the image of God made he man. ^7And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; Bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein. ^8And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying, ^9And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you; ^10and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you. Of all that go out of the ark, even every beast of the earth. ^11And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of the flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth. ^12And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: ^13I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. ^14And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud, ^15and I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. ^16And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. ^17And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth. ^18And the sons of Noah, that went forth from the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan. ^19These three were the sons of Noah: and of these was the whole earth overspread. ^20And Noah began to be a husbandman, and planted a vineyard: ^21and he drank of the wine, and was drunken. And he was uncovered within his tent. ^22And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without. ^23And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father. And their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness. ^24And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his youngest son had done unto him. ^25And he said, Cursed be Canaan; A servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. ^26And he said, Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Shem; And let Canaan be his servant. ^27God enlarge Japheth, And let him dwell in the tents of Shem; And let Canaan be his servant. ^28And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years. ^29And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years: And he died. _________________________________________________________________ Genesis 10 10 ^1Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, namely, of Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood. ^2The sons of Japheth: Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. ^3And the sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah. ^4And the sons of Javan: Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. ^5Of these were the isles of the nations divided in their lands, every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations. ^6And the sons of Ham: Cush, and Mizraim, and Put, and Canaan. ^7And the sons of Cush: Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabteca; and the sons of Raamah: Sheba, and Dedan. ^8And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. ^9He was a mighty hunter before Jehovah: wherefore it is said, Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before Jehovah. ^10And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. ^11Out of that land he went forth into Assyria, and builded Nineveh, and Rehoboth-ir, and Calah, ^12and Resen between Nineveh and Calah (the same is the great city). ^13And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim, ^14and Pathrusim, and Casluhim (whence went forth the Philistines), and Caphtorim. ^15And Canaan begat Sidon his first-born, and Heth, ^16and the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgashite, ^17and the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite, ^18and the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite: and afterward were the families of the Canaanite spread abroad. ^19And the border of the Canaanite was from Sidon, as thou goest toward Gerar, unto Gaza; as thou goest toward Sodom and Gomorrah and Admah and Zeboiim, unto Lasha. ^20These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, in their nations. ^21And unto Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, the elder brother of Japheth, to him also were children born. ^22The sons of Shem: Elam, and Asshur, and Arpachshad, and Lud, and Aram. ^23And the sons of Aram: Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash. ^24And Arpachshad begat Shelah; and Shelah begat Eber. ^25And unto Eber were born two sons: The name of the one was Peleg. For in his days was the earth divided. And his brother's name was Joktan. ^26And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah, ^27and Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah, ^28and Obal, and Abimael, and Sheba, ^29and Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab: all these were the sons of Joktan. ^30And their dwelling was from Mesha, as thou goest toward Sephar, the mountain of the east. ^31These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after their nations. ^32These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations: and of these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood. _________________________________________________________________ Genesis 11 11 ^1And the whole earth was of one language and of one speech. ^2And it came to pass, as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. ^3And they said one to another, Come, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar. ^4And they said, Come, let us build us a city, and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven, and let us make us a name; lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. ^5And Jehovah came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. ^6And Jehovah said, Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is what they begin to do: and now nothing will be withholden from them, which they purpose to do. ^7Come, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. ^8So Jehovah scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off building the city. ^9Therefore was the name of it called Babel; because Jehovah did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did Jehovah scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth. ^10These are the generations of Shem. Shem was a hundred years old, and begat Arpachshad two years after the flood. ^11and Shem lived after he begat Arpachshad five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. ^12And Arpachshad lived five and thirty years, and begat Shelah. ^13and Arpachshad lived after he begat Shelah four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters. ^14And Shelah lived thirty years, and begat Eber: ^15and Shelah lived after he begat Eber four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters. ^16And Eber lived four and thirty years, and begat Peleg: ^17and Eber lived after he begat Peleg four hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters. ^18And Peleg lived thirty years, and begat Reu: ^19and Peleg lived after he begat Reu two hundred and nine years, and begat sons and daughters. ^20And Reu lived two and thirty years, and begat Serug: ^21and Reu lived after he begat Serug two hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters. ^22And Serug lived thirty years, and begat Nahor: ^23and Serug lived after he begat Nahor two hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. ^24And Nahor lived nine and twenty years, and begat Terah: ^25and Nahor lived after he begat Terah a hundred and nineteen years, and begat sons and daughters. ^26And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran. ^27Now these are the generations of Terah. Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran. And Haran begat Lot. ^28And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees. ^29And Abram and Nahor took them wives: The name of Abram's wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah. ^30And Sarai was barren; She had no child. ^31And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran, his son's son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there. ^32And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran. _________________________________________________________________ Genesis 12 12 ^1Now Jehovah said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto the land that I will show thee: ^2and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make they name great; and be thou a blessing; ^3and I will bless them that bless thee, and him that curseth thee will I curse: and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed. ^4So Abram went, as Jehovah had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. ^5And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came. ^6And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Shechem, unto the oak of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land. ^7And Jehovah appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto Jehovah, who appeared unto him. ^8And he removed from thence unto the mountain on the east of Beth-el, and pitched his tent, having Beth-el on the west, and Ai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto Jehovah, and called upon the name of Jehovah. ^9And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the South. ^10And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was sore in the land. ^11And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon: ^12and it will come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they will say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. ^13Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister; that it may be well with me for thy sake, and that my soul may live because of thee. ^14And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair. ^15And the princes of Pharaoh saw her, and praised her to Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house. ^16And he dealt well with Abram for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he-asses, and men-servants, and maid-servants, and she-asses, and camels. ^17And Jehovah plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife. ^18And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? ^19why saidst thou, She is my sister, so that I took her to be my wife? now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way. ^20And Pharaoh gave men charge concerning him: and they brought him on the way, and his wife, and all that he had. _________________________________________________________________ Genesis 13 13 ^1And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the South. ^2And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold. ^3And he went on his journeys from the South even to Beth-el, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Beth-el and Ai, ^4unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of Jehovah. ^5And Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents. ^6And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together. ^7And there was a strife between the herdsmen of Abram's cattle and the herdsmen of Lot's cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelt then in the land. ^8And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdsmen and thy herdsmen; for we are brethren. ^9Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me. If thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right. Or if thou take the right hand, then I will go to the left. ^10And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the Plain of the Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before Jehovah destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of Jehovah, like the land of Egypt, as thou goest unto Zoar. ^11So Lot chose him all the Plain of the Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. ^12Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the Plain, and moved his tent as far as Sodom. ^13Now the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners against Jehovah exceedingly. ^14And Jehovah said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art, northward and southward and eastward and westward: ^15for all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. ^16And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: So that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then may thy seed also be numbered. ^17Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for unto thee will I give it. ^18And Abram moved his tent, and came and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built there an altar unto Jehovah. _________________________________________________________________ Genesis 14 14 ^1And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, ^2that they made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar). ^3All these joined together in the vale of Siddim (the same is the Salt Sea). ^4Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled. ^5And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, and smote the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, and the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim, ^6and the Horites in their mount Seir, unto Elparan, which is by the wilderness. ^7And they returned, and came to En-mishpat (the same is Kadesh), and smote all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, that dwelt in Hazazon-tamar. ^8And there went out the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar); and they set the battle in array against them in the vale of Siddim; ^9against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar; four kings against the five. ^10Now the vale of Siddim was full of slime pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and they fell there, and they that remained fled to the mountain. ^11And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way. ^12And they took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed. ^13And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew: now he dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner; and these were confederate with Abram. ^14And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued as far as Dan. ^15And he divided himself against them by night, he and his servants, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus. ^16And he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people. ^17And the king of Sodom went out to meet him, after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him, at the vale of Shaveh (the same is the King's Vale). ^18And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was priest of God Most High. ^19And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth: ^20and blessed be God Most High, who hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him a tenth of all. ^21And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself. ^22And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lifted up my hand unto Jehovah, God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth, ^23that I will not take a thread nor a shoe-latchet nor aught that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich: ^24save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men that went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre. Let them take their portion. _________________________________________________________________ Genesis 15 15 ^1After these things the word of Jehovah came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. ^2And Abram said, O Lord Jehovah, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and he that shall be possessor of my house is Eliezer of Damascus? ^3And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. ^4And, behold, the word of Jehovah came unto him, saying, This man shall not be thine heir; But he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. ^5And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and number the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. ^6And he believed in Jehovah; and he reckoned it to him for righteousness. ^7And he said unto him, I am Jehovah that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it. ^8And he said, O Lord Jehovah, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it? ^9And he said unto him, Take me a heifer three years old, and a she-goat three years old, and a ram three years old, and a turtle-dove, and a young pigeon. ^10And he took him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each half over against the other: but the birds divided he not. ^11And the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away. ^12And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, a horror of great darkness fell upon him. ^13And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be sojourners in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; ^14and also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. ^15But thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. ^16And in the fourth generation they shall come hither again; for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full. ^17And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold, a smoking furnace, and a flaming torch that passed between these pieces. ^18In that day Jehovah made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: ^19the Kenite, and the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite, ^20and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Rephaim, ^21and the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Girgashite, and the Jebusite. _________________________________________________________________ Genesis 16 16 ^1Now Sarai, Abram's wife, bare him no children: and she had a handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. ^2And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, Jehovah hath restrained me from bearing; go in, I pray thee, unto my handmaid; it may be that I shall obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. ^3And Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her handmaid, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram her husband to be his wife. ^4And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. ^5And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I gave my handmaid into they bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: Jehovah judge between me and thee. ^6But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her that which is good in thine eyes. And Sarai dealt hardly with her, and she fled from her face. ^7And the angel of Jehovah found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. ^8And he said, Hagar, Sarai's handmaid, whence camest thou? and whither goest thou? And she said, I am fleeing from the face of my mistress Sarai. ^9And the angel of Jehovah said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands. ^10And the angel of Jehovah said unto her, I will greatly multiply thy seed, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. ^11And the angel of Jehovah said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son; and thou shalt call his name Ishmael, because Jehovah hath heard thy affliction. ^12And he shall be as a wild ass among men; his hand shall be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell over against all his brethren. ^13And she called the name of Jehovah that spake unto her, Thou art a God that seeth: for she said, Have I even here looked after him that seeth me? ^14Wherefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered. ^15And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bare, Ishmael. ^16And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram. _________________________________________________________________ Genesis 17 17 ^1And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, Jehovah appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be thou perfect. ^2And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. ^3And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, ^4As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be the father of a multitude of nations. ^5Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for the father of a multitude of nations have I made thee. ^6And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. ^7And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee. ^8And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land of thy sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. ^9And God said unto Abraham, And as for thee, thou shalt keep my covenant, thou, and thy seed after thee throughout their generations. ^10This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee: every male among you shall be circumcised. ^11And ye shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of a covenant betwixt me and you. ^12And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any foreigner that is not of thy seed. ^13He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. ^14And the uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant. ^15And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. ^16And I will bless her, and moreover I will give thee a son of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be of her. ^17Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is a hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear? ^18And Abraham said unto God, Oh that Ishmael might live before thee! ^19And God said, Nay, but Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him. ^20And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. ^21But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year. ^22And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham. ^23And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him. ^24And Abraham was ninety years old and nine, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. ^25And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. ^26In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son. ^27And all the men of his house, those born in the house, and those bought with money of a foreigner, were circumcised with him. _________________________________________________________________ Genesis 18 18 ^1And Jehovah appeared unto him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; ^2and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood over against him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth, ^3and said, My lord, if now I have found favor in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: ^4let now a little water be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: ^5and I will fetch a morsel of bread, and strengthen ye your heart; after that ye shall pass on: forasmuch as ye are come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said. ^6And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes. ^7And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto the servant; and he hasted to dress it. ^8And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat. ^9And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent. ^10And he said, I will certainly return unto thee when the season cometh round; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him. ^11Now Abraham and Sarah were old, and well stricken in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. ^12And Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? ^13And Jehovah said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, who am old? ^14Is anything too hard for Jehovah? At the set time I will return unto thee, when the season cometh round, and Sarah shall have a son. ^15Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh. ^16And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way. ^17And Jehovah said, Shall I hide from Abraham that which I do; ^18seeing that Abraham had surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? ^19For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Jehovah, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that Jehovah may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. ^20And Jehovah said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; ^21I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know. ^22And the men turned from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before Jehovah. ^23And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou consume the righteous with the wicked? ^24Peradventure there are fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? ^25That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked, that so the righteous should be as the wicked; that be far from thee: shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? ^26And Jehovah said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake. ^27And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, who am but dust and ashes: ^28peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, I will not destroy it, if I find there forty and five. ^29And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for the forty's sake. ^30And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. ^31And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake. ^32And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the ten's sake. ^33And Jehovah went his way, as soon as he had left off communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place. _________________________________________________________________ Genesis 19 19 ^1And the two angels came to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot saw them, and rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face to the earth; ^2and he said, Behold now, my lords, turn aside, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your way. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night. ^3And he urged them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat. ^4But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both young and old, all the people from every quarter; ^5and they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men that came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them. ^6And Lot went out unto them to the door, and shut the door after him. ^7And he said, I pray you, my brethren, do not so wickedly. ^8Behold now, I have two daughters that have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing, forasmuch as they are come under the shadow of my roof. ^9And they said, Stand back. And they said, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and drew near to break the door. ^10But the men put forth their hand, and brought Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door. ^11And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves to find the door. ^12And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son-in-law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whomsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of the place: ^13for we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxed great before Jehovah: and Jehovah hath sent us to destroy it. ^14And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons-in-law, who married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for Jehovah will destroy the city. But he seemed unto his sons-in-law as one that mocked. ^15And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters that are here, lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city. ^16But he lingered; and the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters, Jehovah being merciful unto him; and they brought him forth, and set him without the city. ^17And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the Plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed. ^18And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my lord: ^19behold now, thy servant hath found favor in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy lovingkindness, which thou hast showed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest evil overtake me, and I die: ^20behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one. Oh let me escape thither (is it not a little one?), and my soul shall live. ^21And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow the city of which thou hast spoken. ^22Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do anything till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. ^23The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot came unto Zoar. ^24Then Jehovah rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from Jehovah out of heaven; ^25and he overthrew those cities, and all the Plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. ^26But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. ^27And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he had stood before Jehovah: ^28and he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the Plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the land went up as the smoke of a furnace. ^29And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the Plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in which Lot dwelt. ^30And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters. ^31And the first-born said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth: ^32come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. ^33And they made their father drink wine that night: and the first-born went in, and lay with her father; and he knew not when she lay down, nor when she arose. ^34And it came to pass on the morrow, that the first-born said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. ^35And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he knew not when she lay down, nor when she arose. ^36Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father. ^37And the first-born bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day. ^38And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Ben-ammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day. _________________________________________________________________ Genesis 20 20 ^1And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the land of the South, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur. And he sojourned in Gerar. ^2And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister. And Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah. ^3But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, because of the woman whom thou hast taken. For she is a man's wife. ^4Now Abimelech had not come near her. And he said, Lord, wilt thou slay even a righteous nation? ^5Said he not himself unto me, She is my sister? And she, even she herself said, He is my brother. In the integrity of my heart and the innocency of my hands have I done this. ^6And God said unto him in the dream, Yea, I know that in the integrity of thy heart thou has done this, and I also withheld thee from sinning against me. Therefore suffered I thee not to touch her. ^7Now therefore restore the man's wife. For he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live. And if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine. ^8And Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ear. And the men were sore afraid. ^9Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? And wherein have I sinned against thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? Thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done. ^10And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing? ^11And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place. And they will slay me for my wife's sake. ^12And moreover she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife: ^13and it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt show unto me. At every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother. ^14And Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and men-servants and women-servants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife. ^15And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee. Dwell where it pleaseth thee. ^16And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver. Behold, it is for thee a covering of the eyes to all that are with thee. And in respect of all thou art righted. ^17And Abraham prayed unto God. And God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maid-servants. And they bare children. ^18For Jehovah had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah, Abraham's wife. _________________________________________________________________ Genesis 21 21 ^1And Jehovah visited Sarah as he had said, and Jehovah did unto Sarah as he had spoken. ^2And Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. ^3And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. ^4And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. ^5And Abraham was a hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him. ^6And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh. Every one that heareth will laugh with me. ^7And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should give children suck? For I have borne him a son in his old age. ^8And the child grew, and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. ^9And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne unto Abraham, mocking. ^10Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this handmaid and her son. For the son of this handmaid shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. ^11And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight on account of his son. ^12And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy handmaid. In all that Sarah saith unto thee, hearken unto her voice. For in Isaac shall thy seed be called. ^13And also of the son of the handmaid will I make a nation, because he is thy seed. ^14And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and gave her the child, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba. ^15And the water in the bottle was spent, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs. ^16And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot. For she said, Let me not look upon the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lifted up her voice, and wept. ^17And God heard the voice of the lad. And the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? Fear not. For God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. ^18Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thy hand. For I will make him a great nation. ^19And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink. ^20And God was with the lad, and he grew. And he dwelt in the wilderness, and became, as he grew up, an archer. ^21And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran. And his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt. ^22And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phicol the captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest. ^23Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son. But according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned. ^24And Abraham said, I will swear. ^25And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of the well of water, which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away. ^26And Abimelech said, I know not who hath done this thing. Neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to-day. ^27And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech. And they two made a covenant. ^28And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. ^29And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves? ^30And he said, These seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that it may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well. ^31Wherefore he called that place Beer-sheba. Because there they sware both of them. ^32So they made a covenant at Beer-sheba. And Abimelech rose up, and Phicol the captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines. ^33And Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of Jehovah, the Everlasting God. ^34And Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines many days. _________________________________________________________________ Genesis 22 22 ^1And it came to pass after these things, that God did prove Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham. And he said, Here am I. ^2And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son, whom thou lovest, even Isaac, and get thee into the land of Moriah. And offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. ^3And Abraham rose early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son. And he clave the wood for the burnt-offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. ^4On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. ^5And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass, and I and the lad will go yonder; and we will worship, and come again to you. ^6And Abraham took the wood of the burnt-offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. And they went both of them together. ^7And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father. And he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold, the fire and the wood. But where is the lamb for a burnt-offering? ^8And Abraham said, God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt-offering, my son. So they went both of them together. ^9And they came to the place which God had told him of. And Abraham built the altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. ^10And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. ^11And the angel of Jehovah called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham. And he said, Here I am. ^12And he said, Lay not thy hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him. For now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me. ^13And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt-offering in the stead of his son. ^14And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh. As it is said to this day, In the mount of Jehovah it shall be provided. ^15And the angel of Jehovah called unto Abraham a second time out of heaven, ^16and said, By myself have I sworn, saith Jehovah, because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, ^17that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is upon the seashore. And thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies. ^18And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. Because thou hast obeyed my voice. ^19So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beer-sheba. And Abraham dwelt at Beer-sheba. ^20And it came to pass after these things, that it was told Abraham, saying, Behold, Milcah, she also hath borne children unto they brother Nahor. ^21Uz his first-born, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram. ^22And Chesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and Bethuel. ^23And Bethuel begat Rebekah. These eight did Milcah bear to Nahor, Abraham's brother. ^24And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, she also bare Tebah, and Gaham, and Tahash, and Maacah. _________________________________________________________________ Genesis 23 23 ^1And the life of Sarah was a hundred and seven and twenty years. These were the years of the life of Sarah. ^2And Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (the same is Hebron), in the land of Canaan. And Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her. ^3And Abraham rose up from before his dead, and spake unto the children of Heth, saying, ^4I am a stranger and a sojourner with you. Give me a possession of a burying-place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight. ^5And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him, ^6Hear us, my lord. Thou art a prince of God among us. In the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead. None of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead. ^7And Abraham rose up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth. ^8And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar, ^9that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his field. For the full price let him give it to me in the midst of you for a possession of a burying-place. ^10Now Ephron was sitting in the midst of the children of Heth. And Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of