Genesis

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

And the earth was formless and void, and darkness [was] over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

And God saw the light, that [it was] good. And God divided between the light and between the darkness.

And God called the light “Day,” and the darkness He called “Night.” And there was evening and there was morning—day one.

And God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it be dividing between waters [and] waters.”

And God made the firmament, and He divided between the waters that [were] under the firmament, and between the waters that [were] above the firmament. And it was so.

And God called the firmament “Heavens.” And there was evening and there was morning—the second day.

And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land be seen.” And it was so.

And God called the dry land “Earth,” and the gathering of the waters He called “Seas.” And God saw that [it was] good.

And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation: The plant bearing seed [and] the fruit tree producing fruit according to its kind (whose seed [is] in it) on the earth.” And it was so.

And the earth brought forth vegetation: The plant bearing seed according to its kind, and the tree producing fruit (whose seed [is] in it) according to its kind. And God saw that [it was] good.

And there was evening and there was morning—the third day.

And God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens, to divide between the day and between the night, and let them be for signs and for appointed times and for days and years,

and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens, to shine upon the earth.” And it was so.

And God made the two great lights: The greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars.

And God set them in the firmament of the heavens, to shine upon the earth,

and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide between the light and between the darkness. And God saw that [it was] good.

And there was evening and there was morning—the fourth day.

And God said, “Let the waters swarm [with] a swarm of living souls, and let the bird fly above the earth, on the face of the firmament of the heavens.”

And God created the great sea creatures and every living soul that is crawling, with which the waters swarmed according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that [it was] good.

And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let the bird multiply in the earth.”

And there was evening and there was morning—the fifth day.

And God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living soul according to its kind: Livestock and the crawling thing and beast of the earth according to its kind.” And it was so.

And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, and the livestock according to its kind, and every crawling thing [on] the earth according to its kind. And God saw that [it was] good.

And God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea, and over the bird of the heavens, and over the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every crawling thing that crawls upon the earth.”

And God created the man in His image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

And God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it. And rule over the fish of the sea and over the bird of the heavens and over every living thing that is crawling upon the earth.”

And God said, “Behold, I have given to you⁺ every plant bearing seed which [is] on the face of all the earth, and every tree that [has] in [it] the fruit of a tree bearing seed—it shall be for food to you⁺—

and to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the heavens, and to everything crawling upon the earth which [has] in it a living soul, every green plant for food.” And it was so.

And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, [it was] very good! And there was evening and there was morning—the sixth day.

And God finished by the seventh day His work that He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work that He had done.

And God blessed the seventh day, and He sanctified it, because on it He ceased from all His work that God had created for making.

And YHWH God formed the man [from] dust of the ground, and He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living soul.

And YHWH God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and He put there the man whom He had formed.

And YHWH God made sprout from the ground every tree [that] is pleasing to the sight and good for food, and the tree of life in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

And YHWH God took the man and He caused him to rest in the garden of Eden, to work it and to keep it.

And YHWH God placed a command upon the man, saying, “From every tree of the garden you may surely eat.

And from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, from it you shall not eat. For in the day of your eating from it, you shall surely die!”

And YHWH God said, “[It is] not good [for] the man to be alone; I will make for him a helper as his counterpart.”

And YHWH God built the side—which He had taken from the man—into a woman, and He brought her to the man.

Upon thus a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall cleave to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

For God knows that in the day of your⁺ eating from it, your⁺ eyes will be opened and you⁺ will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

And the woman saw that the tree [was] good for food, and that it [was] pleasant to the eyes and the tree [was] desirable to make one wise. And she took from its fruit and ate, and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.

And the eyes of the two of them were opened, and they knew that they [were] naked, and they sewed together leaves of the fig tree and made for themselves loincloths.

And they heard the voice of YHWH God walking about in the garden in the breeze of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the face of YHWH God in the midst of the trees of the garden.

And YHWH God called to the man, and He said to him, “Where [are] you?”

And he said, “Your voice I heard in the garden, and I was afraid because I am naked, and I hid myself.”

And the man said, “The woman whom You gave [to be] with me, she gave to me from the tree, and I ate.”

And YHWH God said to the woman, “What [is] this you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

And enmity I will put between you and between the woman, and between your seed and between her seed. He shall bruise you [on] the head, and you shall bruise him [on] the heel.

To the woman He said, “I will surely multiply your pain and your childbearing; in pain you will bear children. And toward your husband your desire [will be], and he will rule over you.”

And to the man He said: “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and ate from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘you shall not eat from it,’ cursed is the ground on your account, in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life,

and thorn and thistle it will cause to grow for you, and you shall eat the vegetation of the field.

By the sweat of your nose you shall eat bread, until your returning to the ground, for from it you were taken. For dust you [are], and to dust you shall return.”

And YHWH God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, in knowing good and evil. And now, lest he stretch out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever:”

And YHWH God sent him out of the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.

And He drove out the man, and He caused to dwell at the east of the garden of Eden the cherubim and the flame of the sword that turns itself to guard the way to the tree of life.

And it came to pass at the end of days that Cain brought some of the fruit of the ground an offering to YHWH.

And Abel, he also brought from the firstborn of his flock, even from their fat. And YHWH looked with favor unto Abel and unto his offering.

And to Cain and to his offering He did not look with favor, and it burned to Cain exceedingly, and his face fell.

And Cain said to Abel his brother, [ “Let us go into the field.” ] And it came to pass in their being in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.

And YHWH said to Cain, “Where [is] Abel your brother?” And He said, “I do not know. [Am] I my brother’s keeper?”

And Cain said to YHWH, “Greater [is] my punishment than I can bear!

And Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those dwelling in tents and [having] livestock.

And the name of his brother [was] Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute.

And Adam lived thirty and a hundred years, and he begat [a son] in his own likeness, after his image, and he called his name Seth.

And YHWH saw that the wickedness of mankind on the earth [was] great and [that] every inclination of the thoughts of his heart [was] only evil all the day.

And YHWH smelled the pleasing aroma, and YHWH said in His heart, “I will not continue to curse anymore the ground on account of mankind, though the inclination of the heart of man [is] evil from his youth. I will not continue anymore to destroy every living thing, as I have done.

Throughout all the days of the earth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”

And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.

Whoever sheds the blood of the man, by the man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God He has made the man.

And he drank from the wine and became drunk, and uncovered himself in the midst of his tent.

And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and he told his two brothers outside.

And Shem took—and Japheth—the garment, and they laid [it] on the shoulders of the two of them and they went backward and covered the nakedness of their father. And their faces [were] backward, and the nakedness of their father they did not see.

And YHWH had said to Abram, “Go for yourself from your land and from your kindred and from the house of your father, to the land that I will show you.

And I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you and I will make great your name, and you shall be a blessing.

And I will bless those blessing you, and him who curses you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

And there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine [was] severe in the land.

And it came to pass when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, “Behold now, I know that you [are] a woman beautiful in appearance.

And it will come to pass when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, ‘This [is] his wife.’ And they will kill me, and you they will let live.

Say, please, you [are] my sister, so that it may go well with me for your sake, and my soul may live because of you.”

And it came to pass, when Abram entered Egypt, that the Egyptians saw the woman, that she [was] very beautiful.

And the princes of Pharaoh saw her, and they commended her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into the house of Pharaoh.

And Abram he treated well for her sake, and he had for himself sheep, and cattle, and male donkeys, and menservants, and maidservants, and female donkeys, and camels.

And YHWH plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of the matter [of] Sarai, wife of Abram.

And Pharaoh called to Abram and said, “What [is] this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she [was] your wife?

Why did you say, ‘She [is] my sister,’ so that I took her to myself as a wife? And now, behold, your wife; take [her] and go!”

And Pharaoh commanded [his] men concerning him, and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.

And He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward the heavens and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall be your seed.”

And he believed in YHWH, and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.

And Abram was a son of ninety years and nine years, and YHWH appeared to Abram and said to him, “I [am] El-Shaddai; walk before Me and be blameless.

And I will make My covenant between Me and between you, and I will multiply you greatly, greatly.”

And Abram fell on his face, and God spoke with him, saying,

“As for me, behold, My covenant [is] with you, and you shall be a father of many nations.

And your name shall no longer be called Abram, and your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations.

I will make you fruitful—greatly, greatly—and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come out from you.

And I will establish My covenant between Me and between you and between your seed after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you, and to your seed after you.

And I give to you and to your seed after you the land in which you are a sojourner—all the land of Canaan—as an everlasting possession. And I will be their God.”

And God said to Abraham, “And as for you, you shall keep My covenant—you and your seed after you, throughout their generations.

This [is] My covenant, which you⁺ shall keep between Me, and between you⁺, and between your seed after you: Every male child among you⁺ shall be circumcised.

And you⁺ shall be circumcised in the flesh of your⁺ foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and between you⁺.

And a son of eight days among you⁺ shall be circumcised—every male child in your⁺ generations who is born in your house or bought with silver from any son of a foreigner who is not of your seed.

And he must surely be circumcised—he who is born in your house, or he who is bought with your silver. And My covenant shall be in your⁺ flesh for an everlasting covenant.

And the uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, the soul [of] that one shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.”

Is any word is too difficult for YHWH? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and unto Sarah [will be] a son.”

And YHWH said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing?

For I have known him in order that he may command his children and his house after him that they keep the way of YHWH by doing what is right and just, that YHWH may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.”

Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked. Far be it from You! Shall the Judge of all the earth not do justice?”

And Abraham answered and said, “Behold, please, I have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord, and I [am] dust and ash.

And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking [her son].

And Abraham said, “I swear.”

And in your seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have listened to My voice.”

And Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his house, the one who is ruling over all that is his, “Put, please, your hand under my thigh,

and I will make you swear by YHWH, the God of the heavens and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanite, among whom I am dwelling.

But to my land and to my kindred you shall go, and you shall take a wife for my son, for Isaac.”

And the servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land. Shall I surely cause your son to return to the land from which you came?”

And Abraham said to him, “Take heed to yourself that you do not take my son there.

YHWH, God of the heavens, who took me from the house of my father and from the land of my kindred, and who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, ‘To your seed I will give this land’—He will send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.

And if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you shall be clear from this my oath. Only, my son you shall not cause to return there.”

And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his lord, and he swore to him concerning this matter.

And they said, “Let us call for the young woman and let us ask at her mouth.”

And they called for Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go.”

Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and I will bless you. For to you and to your seed I will give all these lands, and I will confirm the oath that I swore to Abraham your father.

And the men of that place asked about his wife, and he said, “She [is] my sister.” For he was afraid to say, “[She is] my wife,” lest the men of the place kill me on account of Rebekah, because she [is] beautiful of appearance.

And Abimelech called to Isaac and said, “Surely behold, she [is] your wife! And how did you say, ‘She [is] my sister?’” And Isaac said to him, “Because I said, ‘lest I die on account of her.’”

And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I am going and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear,

so that I may return in peace to the house of my father, then YHWH will be my God.

And this stone that I have set up as a pillar shall be a house of God, and all that You give to me, I will surely tithe it to You.”

I am not worthy of all the kindnesses and of all the faithfulness that You have done for Your servant. For with my staff I passed over this Jordan, and now I have become two camps.

Deliver me, please, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and strike me—mother with sons.

and they said to them, “We are not able to do this thing, to give our sister to a man who has a foreskin, for that [is] a reproach to us.

And Reuben heard, and he delivered him out of their hand and said, “Let us not take his life.”

Reuben said to them, “Do not shed blood; cast him into this pit, which [is] in the wilderness. And do not stretch out a hand against him,”—that he might deliver him out of their hand to return him to his father.

And Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in the house of your father until Shelah my son is grown.” For he said, “Lest he also die like his brothers.” And Tamar went and dwelt in the house of her father.

And it came to pass about three months [later], that it was told to Judah, saying, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has played the prostitute, and also behold, she [is] pregnant by prostitution.” And Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned.”

And Judah recognized [them] and said, “She is more righteous than I, for upon thus I did not give her to Shelah my son.” And he did not continue to know her anymore.

And he refused, and said to the wife of his lord, “Behold, my lord has not known with me what [is] in the house, and all that he had he has put in my hand.

[There is] no one greater in this house than I, and he has not withheld from me anything except you, because you [are] his wife. And how can I do this great evil and sin against God?”

And it came to pass, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not listen to her, to lie beside her, to be with her.

And it came to pass when his lord heard the words of his wife that she spoke to him, saying, “According to these words your servant did to me,” that his anger burned.

And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made known to you all this, [there is] no one as discerning and wise as you.

You shall be over my house, and according to your mouth all my people will kiss. Only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.”

And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.”

And Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his hand and put it on the hand of Joseph, and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put the chain of gold around his neck.

And he had him ride in the second chariot that [was] his, and they called out before him, “Abrek!” And he set him over all the land of Egypt.

And double the silver take in your⁺ hand, and the silver that was returned in the mouth of your⁺ bags you⁺ shall return in your⁺ hand. Perhaps it [was] a mistake.

And take your⁺ brother and arise; return to the man.

And may El-Shaddai give to you⁺ mercy before the man, and may he release to you⁺ your⁺ other brother and Benjamin! And I—if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”

And God sent me before you⁺ to make for you⁺ a remnant in the earth, and to give life to you⁺ by a great deliverance.

And now, you⁺ have not sent me here, but God. And He has made me for a father to Pharaoh, and for a lord of all his house, and ruler in all the land of Egypt.

And I will provide for you there, for [there are] still five years of famine, lest you come to poverty—you and your house and all that [is] yours.’

And Joseph provided his father and his brothers and all the house of his father with bread, according to the mouth of the little ones.

And Joseph gathered up all the silver found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, for the grain that they were buying, and Joseph brought the silver to the house of Pharaoh.

And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for every man of Egypt sold his field because the famine was severe upon them. And the land became unto Pharaoh.

The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the staff from between his feet, until that he comes to Shiloh; and to him [is] the obedience of the peoples.

All these [are] two [and] ten tribes of Israel, and this [is] what their father spoke to them, and he blessed them—each one according to his own blessing, he blessed them.

And you⁺—you⁺ intended evil against me, God intended it for good, in order to bring about a day like this, to keep alive many people.