# verses

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Now the earth was a formless void, there was darkness over the deep, with a divine wind sweeping over the waters.


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God called light 'day', and darkness he called 'night'. Evening came and morning came: the first day.


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God said, 'Let there be a vault through the middle of the waters to divide the waters in two.' And so it was.


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God said, 'Let the waters under heaven come together into a single mass, and let dry land appear.' And so it was.


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God said, 'Let the earth produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants, and fruit trees on earth, bearing fruit with their seed inside, each corresponding to its own species.' And so it was.


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The earth produced vegetation: the various kinds of seed-bearing plants and the fruit trees with seed inside, each corresponding to its own species. God saw that it was good.


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God said, 'Let there be lights in the vault of heaven to divide day from night, and let them indicate festivals, days and years.


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God made the two great lights: the greater light to govern the day, the smaller light to govern the night, and the stars.


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God said, 'Let the waters be alive with a swarm of living creatures, and let birds wing their way above the earth across the vault of heaven.' And so it was.


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God created great sea-monsters and all the creatures that glide and teem in the waters in their own species, and winged birds in their own species. God saw that it was good.


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God blessed them, saying, 'Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the waters of the seas; and let the birds multiply on land.'


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God said, 'Let the earth produce every kind of living creature in its own species: cattle, creeping things and wild animals of all kinds.' And so it was.


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God made wild animals in their own species, and cattle in theirs, and every creature that crawls along the earth in its own species. God saw that it was good.


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God said, 'Let us make man in our own image, in the likeness of ourselves, and let them be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven, the cattle, all the wild animals and all the creatures that creep along the ground.'


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God created man in the image of himself, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them.


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God blessed them, saying to them, 'Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it. Be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven and all the living creatures that move on earth.'


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God also said, 'Look, to you I give all the seed-bearing plants everywhere on the surface of the earth, and all the trees with seed-bearing fruit; this will be your food.


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And to all the wild animals, all the birds of heaven and all the living creatures that creep along the ground, I give all the foliage of the plants as their food.' And so it was.


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On the seventh day God had completed the work he had been doing. He rested on the seventh day after all the work he had been doing.


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God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on that day he rested after all his work of creating.


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Such was the story of heaven and earth as they were created. At the time when Yahweh God made earth and heaven


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there was as yet no wild bush on the earth nor had any wild plant yet sprung up, for Yahweh God had not sent rain on the earth, nor was there any man to till the soil.


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Yahweh God shaped man from the soil of the ground and blew the breath of life into his nostrils, and man became a living being.


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Yahweh God planted a garden in Eden, which is in the east, and there he put the man he had fashioned.


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From the soil, Yahweh God caused to grow every kind of tree, enticing to look at and good to eat, with the tree of life in the middle of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.


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The third river is named the Tigris, and this flows to the east of Ashur. The fourth river is the Euphrates.


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But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you are not to eat; for, the day you eat of that, you are doomed to die.'


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So from the soil Yahweh God fashioned all the wild animals and all the birds of heaven. These he brought to the man to see what he would call them; each one was to bear the name the man would give it.


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The man gave names to all the cattle, all the birds of heaven and all the wild animals. But no helper suitable for the man was found for him.


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Then, Yahweh God made the man fall into a deep sleep. And, while he was asleep, he took one of his ribs and closed the flesh up again forthwith.


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And the man said: This one at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh! She is to be called Woman, because she was taken from Man.


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This is why a man leaves his father and mother and becomes attached to his wife, and they become one flesh.


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Now, the snake was the most subtle of all the wild animals that Yahweh God had made. It asked the woman, 'Did God really say you were not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?'


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But of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden God said, "You must not eat it, nor touch it, under pain of death." '


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God knows in fact that the day you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, knowing good from evil.'


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The woman saw that the tree was good to eat and pleasing to the eye, and that it was enticing for the wisdom that it could give. So she took some of its fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate it.


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Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they realised that they were naked. So they sewed fig-leaves together to make themselves loin-cloths.


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The man and his wife heard the sound of Yahweh God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from Yahweh God among the trees of the garden.


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'Who told you that you were naked?' he asked. 'Have you been eating from the tree I forbade you to eat?'


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The man replied, 'It was the woman you put with me; she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.'


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Then Yahweh God said to the woman, 'Why did you do that?' The woman replied, 'The snake tempted me and I ate.'


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Then Yahweh God said to the snake, 'Because you have done this, Accursed be you of all animals wild and tame! On your belly you will go and on dust you will feed as long as you live.


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I shall put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; it will bruise your head and you will strike its heel.'


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To the woman he said: I shall give you intense pain in childbearing, you will give birth to your children in pain. Your yearning will be for your husband, and he will dominate you.


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To the man he said, 'Because you listened to the voice of your wife and ate from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat, Accursed be the soil because of you! Painfully will you get your food from it as long as you live.


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By the sweat of your face will you earn your food, until you return to the ground, as you were taken from it. For dust you are and to dust you shall return.'


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Then Yahweh God said, 'Now that the man has become like one of us in knowing good from evil, he must not be allowed to reach out his hand and pick from the tree of life too, and eat and live for ever!'


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He banished the man, and in front of the garden of Eden he posted the great winged creatures and the fiery flashing sword, to guard the way to the tree of life.


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The man had intercourse with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. 'I have acquired a man with the help of Yahweh,' she said.


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She gave birth to a second child, Abel, the brother of Cain. Now Abel became a shepherd and kept flocks, while Cain tilled the soil.


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while Abel for his part brought the first-born of his flock and some of their fat as well. Yahweh looked with favour on Abel and his offering.


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If you are doing right, surely you ought to hold your head high! But if you are not doing right, Sin is crouching at the door hungry to get you. You can still master him.'


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Cain said to his brother Abel, 'Let us go out'; and while they were in the open country, Cain set on his brother Abel and killed him.


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Yahweh asked Cain, 'Where is your brother Abel?' 'I do not know,' he replied. 'Am I my brother's guardian?'


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'What have you done?' Yahweh asked. 'Listen! Your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground.


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Now be cursed and banned from the ground that has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood at your hands.


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When you till the ground it will no longer yield up its strength to you. A restless wanderer you will be on earth.'


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Look, today you drive me from the surface of the earth. I must hide from you, and be a restless wanderer on earth. Why, whoever comes across me will kill me!'


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'Very well, then,' Yahweh replied, 'whoever kills Cain will suffer a sevenfold vengeance.' So Yahweh put a mark on Cain, so that no one coming across him would kill him.


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Cain had intercourse with his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch. He became the founder of a city and gave the city the name of his son Enoch.


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Enoch fathered Irad, and Irad fathered Mehujael; Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech.


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As for Zillah, she gave birth to Tubal-Cain: he was the ancestor of all who work copper and iron. Tubal-Cain's sister was Naamah.


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Lamech said to his wives: Adah and Zillah, hear my voice, wives of Lamech, listen to what I say: I killed a man for wounding me, a boy for striking me.


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Adam had intercourse with his wife, and she gave birth to a son whom she named Seth, 'because God has granted me other offspring', she said, 'in place of Abel, since Cain has killed him.'


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A son was also born to Seth, and he named him Enosh. This man was the first to invoke the name Yahweh.


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This is the roll of Adam's descendants: On the day that God created Adam he made him in the likeness of God.


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Male and female he created them. He blessed them and gave them the name Man, when they were created.


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When Adam was a hundred and thirty years old he fathered a son, in his likeness, after his image, and he called him Seth.


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After the birth of Enosh, Seth lived for eight hundred and seven years, and he fathered sons and daughters.


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After the birth of Kenan, Enosh lived for eight hundred and fifteen years and he fathered sons and daughters.


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After the birth of Mahalalel, Kenan lived for eight hundred and forty years and he fathered sons and daughters.


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After the birth of Jared, Mahalalel lived for eight hundred and thirty years and he fathered sons and daughters.


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Enoch walked with God. After the birth of Methuselah, Enoch lived for three hundred years and he fathered sons and daughters.


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After the birth of Lamech, Methuselah lived for seven hundred and eighty-two years and he fathered sons and daughters.


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He gave him the name Noah because, he said, 'Here is one who will give us, in the midst of our toil and the labouring of our hands, a consolation out of the very soil that Yahweh cursed.'


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After the birth of Noah, Lamech lived for five hundred and ninety-five years and fathered sons and daughters.


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the sons of God, looking at the women, saw how beautiful they were and married as many of them as they chose.


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Yahweh said, 'My spirit cannot be indefinitely responsible for human beings, who are only flesh; let the time allowed each be a hundred and twenty years.'


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The Nephilim were on earth in those days (and even afterwards) when the sons of God resorted to the women, and had children by them. These were the heroes of days gone by, men of renown.


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Yahweh saw that human wickedness was great on earth and that human hearts contrived nothing but wicked schemes all day long.


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And Yahweh said, 'I shall rid the surface of the earth of the human beings whom I created -- human and animal, the creeping things and the birds of heaven -- for I regret having made them.'


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This is the story of Noah: Noah was a good man, an upright man among his contemporaries, and he walked with God.


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God said to Noah, 'I have decided that the end has come for all living things, for the earth is full of lawlessness because of human beings. So I am now about to destroy them and the earth.


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This is how to make it: the length of the ark is to be three hundred cubits, its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits.


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Make a roof to the ark, building it up to a cubit higher. Put the entrance in the side of the ark, which is to be made with lower, second and third decks.


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'For my part I am going to send the flood, the waters, on earth, to destroy all living things having the breath of life under heaven; everything on earth is to perish.


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But with you I shall establish my covenant and you will go aboard the ark, yourself, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives along with you.


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From all living creatures, from all living things, you must take two of each kind aboard the ark, to save their lives with yours; they must be a male and a female.


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Of every species of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that creeps along the ground, two must go with you so that their lives may be saved.


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For your part, provide yourself with eatables of all kinds, and lay in a store of them, to serve as food for yourself and them.'


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Yahweh said to Noah, 'Go aboard the ark, you and all your household, for you alone of your contemporaries do I see before me as an upright man.


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Of every clean animal you must take seven pairs, a male and its female; of the unclean animals you must take one pair, a male and its female


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(and of the birds of heaven, seven pairs, a male and its female), to preserve their species throughout the earth.


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For in seven days' time I shall make it rain on earth for forty days and forty nights, and I shall wipe every creature I have made off the face of the earth.'


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Noah with his sons, his wife, and his sons' wives boarded the ark to escape the waters of the flood.


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(Of the clean animals and the animals that are not clean, of the birds and all that creeps along the ground,


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In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, and on the seventeenth day of the month, that very day all the springs of the great deep burst through, and the sluices of heaven opened.


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That very day Noah and his sons Shem, Ham and Japheth boarded the ark, with Noah's wife and the three wives of his sons,


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and with them every species of wild animal, every species of cattle, every species of creeping things that creep along the ground, every species of bird, everything that flies, everything with wings.


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and those that went aboard were a male and female of all that was alive, as God had commanded him. Then Yahweh shut him in.


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The flood lasted forty days on earth. The waters swelled, lifting the ark until it floated off the ground.


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The waters rose higher and higher above the ground until all the highest mountains under the whole of heaven were submerged.


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And all living things that stirred on earth perished; birds, cattle, wild animals, all the creatures swarming over the earth, and all human beings.


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Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out, people, animals, creeping things and birds; they were wiped off the earth and only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark.


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But God had Noah in mind, and all the wild animals and all the cattle that were with him in the ark. God sent a wind across the earth and the waters began to subside.


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The springs of the deep and the sluices of heaven were stopped up and the heavy rain from heaven was held back.


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and in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.


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The waters gradually fell until the tenth month when, on the first day of the tenth month, the mountain tops appeared.


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But the dove, finding nowhere to perch, returned to him in the ark, for there was water over the whole surface of the earth; putting out his hand he took hold of it and brought it back into the ark with him.


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In the evening, the dove came back to him and there in its beak was a freshly-picked olive leaf! So Noah realised that the waters were receding from the earth.


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It was in the six hundred and first year of Noah's life, in the first month and on the first of the month, that the waters began drying out on earth. Noah lifted back the hatch of the ark and looked out. The surface of the ground was dry!


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Bring out all the animals with you, all living things, the birds, the cattle and all the creeping things that creep along the ground, for them to swarm on earth, for them to breed and multiply on earth.'


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And all the wild animals, all the cattle, all the birds and all the creeping things that creep along the ground, came out of the ark, one species after another.


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Then Noah built an altar to Yahweh and, choosing from all the clean animals and all the clean birds he presented burnt offerings on the altar.


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Yahweh smelt the pleasing smell and said to himself, 'Never again will I curse the earth because of human beings, because their heart contrives evil from their infancy. Never again will I strike down every living thing as I have done.


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As long as earth endures: seed-time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.'


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Be the terror and the dread of all the animals on land and all the birds of heaven, of everything that moves on land and all the fish of the sea; they are placed in your hands.


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Every living thing that moves will be yours to eat, no less than the foliage of the plants. I give you everything,


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And I shall demand account of your life-blood, too. I shall demand it of every animal, and of man. Of man as regards his fellow-man, I shall demand account for human life.


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He who sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for in the image of God was man created.


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and with every living creature that was with you: birds, cattle and every wild animal with you; everything that came out of the ark, every living thing on earth.


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And I shall maintain my covenant with you: that never again shall all living things be destroyed by the waters of a flood, nor shall there ever again be a flood to devastate the earth.'


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'And this', God said, 'is the sign of the covenant which I now make between myself and you and every living creature with you for all ages to come:


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I shall recall the covenant between myself and you and every living creature, in a word all living things, and never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all living things.


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When the bow is in the clouds I shall see it and call to mind the eternal covenant between God and every living creature on earth, that is, all living things.'


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'That', God told Noah, 'is the sign of the covenant I have established between myself and all living things on earth.'


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Shem and Japheth took a cloak and they both put it over their shoulders, and walking backwards, covered their father's nakedness; they kept their faces turned away, and they did not look at their father naked.


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These are the descendants of Noah's sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, to whom sons were born after the flood:


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From these came the dispersal to the islands of the nations. These were Japheth's sons, in their respective countries, each with its own language, by clan and nation.


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He was a mighty hunter in the eyes of Yahweh, hence the saying, 'Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter in the eyes of Yahweh'.


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The Canaanite frontier stretched from Sidon all the way to Gerar near Gaza, and all the way to Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim near Lesha.


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To Eber were born two sons: the first was called Peleg, because it was in his time that the earth was divided, and his brother was called Joktan.


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Such were the clans of Noah's descendants, listed by descent and nation. From them, other nations branched out on earth after the flood.


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They said to one another, 'Come, let us make bricks and bake them in the fire.' For stone they used bricks, and for mortar they used bitumen.


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'Come,' they said, 'let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top reaching heaven. Let us make a name for ourselves, so that we do not get scattered all over the world.'


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'So they are all a single people with a single language!' said Yahweh. 'This is only the start of their undertakings! Now nothing they plan to do will be beyond them.


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That is why it was called Babel, since there Yahweh confused the language of the whole world, and from there Yahweh scattered them all over the world.


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These are Shem's descendants: When Shem was a hundred years old he fathered Arpachshad, two years after the flood.


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After the birth of Shelah, Arpachshad lived four hundred and three years and fathered sons and daughters.


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Abram and Nahor both married: Abram's wife was called Sarai, Nahor's wife was called Milcah daughter of Haran, father of Milcah and Iscah.


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Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law the wife of Abram, and made them leave Ur of the Chaldaeans to go to the land of Canaan. But on arrival in Haran they settled there.


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Yahweh said to Abram, 'Leave your country, your kindred and your father's house for a country which I shall show you;


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and I shall make you a great nation, I shall bless you and make your name famous; you are to be a blessing!


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I shall bless those who bless you, and shall curse those who curse you, and all clans on earth will bless themselves by you.'


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So Abram went as Yahweh told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.


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Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had amassed and the people they had acquired in Haran. They set off for the land of Canaan, and arrived there.


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Abram passed through the country as far as the holy place at Shechem, the Oak of Moreh. The Canaanites were in the country at the time.


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Yahweh appeared to Abram and said, 'I shall give this country to your progeny.' And there, Abram built an altar to Yahweh who had appeared to him.


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From there he moved on to the mountainous district east of Bethel, where he pitched his tent, with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. There he built an altar to Yahweh and invoked the name of Yahweh.


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There was a famine in the country, and Abram went down to Egypt to stay there for a time, since the famine in the country was severe.


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When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, 'Look, I know you are a beautiful woman.


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When the Egyptians see you they will say, "That is his wife," and they will kill me but leave you alive.


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Therefore please tell them you are my sister, so that they may treat me well because of you and spare my life out of regard for you.'


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When Pharaoh's officials saw her they sang her praises to Pharaoh and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's household.


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And Abram was very well treated because of her and received flocks, oxen, donkeys, men and women slaves, she-donkeys and camels.


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So Pharaoh summoned Abram and said, 'What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me she was your wife?


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Why did you say, "She is my sister," so that I took her to be my wife? Now, here is your wife. Take her and go!'


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And Pharaoh gave his people orders about him; they sent him on his way with his wife and all his possessions.


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By stages he went from the Negeb to Bethel, where he had first pitched his tent, between Bethel and Ai,


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The land was not sufficient to accommodate them both at once, for they had too many possessions to be able to live together.


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Dispute broke out between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and those of Lot. (The Canaanites and Perizzites were living in the country at the time.)


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Accordingly Abram said to Lot, 'We do not want discord between us or between my herdsmen and yours, for we are kinsmen.


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Is not the whole land open before you? Go in the opposite direction to me: if you take the left, I shall go right; if you take the right, I shall go left.'


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Looking round, Lot saw all the Jordan plain, irrigated everywhere -- this was before Yahweh destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah-like the garden of Yahweh or the land of Egypt, as far as Zoar.


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Abram settled in the land of Canaan; Lot settled among the cities of the plain, pitching his tents on the outskirts of Sodom.


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Yahweh said to Abram after Lot had parted company from him, 'Look all round from where you are, to north and south, to east and west,


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I shall make your descendants like the dust on the ground; when people succeed in counting the specks of dust on the ground, then they will be able to count your descendants too!


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So Abram moved his tent and went to settle at the Oak of Mamre, at Hebron, and there he built an altar to Yahweh.


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When Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedor-Laomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of the Goiim,


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made war on Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar),


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For twelve years they had been under the yoke of Chedor-Laomer, but in the thirteenth year they revolted.


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In the fourteenth year Chedor-Laomer arrived and the kings who had allied themselves with him. They defeated the Rephaim at Ashteroth-Carnaim, the Zuzim at Ham, the Emim in the Plain of Kiriathaim,


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Wheeling round, they came to the Spring of Judgement (that is, Kadesh); they conquered all the territory of the Amalekites and also the Amorites who lived in Hazazon-Tamar.


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Then the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim and Bela (that is, Zoar) marched out and engaged them in the Valley of Siddim:


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Chedor-Laomer king of Elam, Tidal king of the Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar: four kings against five.


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Now there were many bitumen wells in the Valley of Siddim, and in their flight the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fell into them, while the rest fled into the hills.


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The conquerors seized all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and made off.


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They also took Lot (the nephew of Abram) and his possessions and made off; he had been living at Sodom.


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A survivor came to tell Abram, and Aner the Hebrew, who was living at the Oak of the Amorite Mamre, the brother of Eshcol; these were allies of Abram.


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When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he mustered his retainers born in his own household, numbering three hundred and eighteen, and gave chase as far as Dan.


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He and his retainers deployed against them under cover of dark, defeated them and pursued them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus.


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He recaptured all the goods as well as his kinsman Lot and his possessions, together with the women and people.


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When Abram returned from defeating Chedor-Laomer and the kings who had been on his side, the king of Sodom came to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the Valley of the King).


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He pronounced this blessing: Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High for putting your enemies into your clutches.


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not one thread, not one sandal strap, will I take of what is yours, for you to be able to say, "I made Abram rich."


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For myself, nothing -- except what the troops have used up, and the share due to the men who came with me, Eshcol, Aner and Mamre; let them take their share.'


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Some time later, the word of Yahweh came to Abram in a vision: Do not be afraid, Abram! I am your shield and shall give you a very great reward.


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Then Yahweh's word came to him in reply, 'Such a one will not be your heir; no, your heir will be the issue of your own body.'


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Then taking him outside, he said, 'Look up at the sky and count the stars if you can. Just so will your descendants be,' he told him.


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He then said to him, 'I am Yahweh who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldaeans to give you this country as your possession.'


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He said to him, 'Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old she-goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove and a young pigeon.'


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He brought him all these, split the animals down the middle and placed each half opposite the other; but the birds he did not divide.


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Now, as the sun was on the point of setting, a trance fell on Abram, and a deep dark dread descended on him.


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Then Yahweh said to Abram, 'Know this for certain, that your descendants will be exiles in a land not their own, and be enslaved and oppressed for four hundred years.


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But I shall bring judgement on the nation that enslaves them and after this they will leave, with many possessions.


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In the fourth generation they will come back here, for until then the iniquity of the Amorites will not have reached its full extent.'


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When the sun had set and it was dark, there appeared a smoking firepot and a flaming torch passing between the animals' pieces.


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That day Yahweh made a covenant with Abram in these terms: 'To your descendants I give this country, from the River of Egypt to the Great River, the River Euphrates,


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So Sarai said to Abram, 'Listen, now! Since Yahweh has kept me from having children, go to my slave-girl. Perhaps I shall get children through her.' And Abram took Sarai's advice.


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Thus, after Abram had lived in the land of Canaan for ten years, Sarai took Hagar her Egyptian slave-girl and gave her to Abram as his wife.


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He went to Hagar and she conceived. And once she knew she had conceived, her mistress counted for nothing in her eyes.


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Then Sarai said to Abram, 'This outrage done to me is your fault! It was I who put my slave-girl into your arms but, now she knows that she has conceived, I count for nothing in her eyes. Yahweh judge between me and you!'


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'Very well,' Abram said to Sarai, 'your slave-girl is at your disposal. Treat her as you think fit.' Sarai accordingly treated her so badly that she ran away from her.


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He said, 'Hagar, slave-girl of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?' 'I am running away from my mistress Sarai,' she replied.


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The angel of Yahweh further said to her, 'I shall make your descendants too numerous to be counted.'


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Then the angel of Yahweh said to her: Now, you have conceived and will bear a son, and you shall name him Ishmael, for Yahweh has heard your cries of distress.


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A wild donkey of a man he will be, his hand against every man, and every man's hand against him, living his life in defiance of all his kinsmen.


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Hagar gave a name to Yahweh who had spoken to her, 'You are El Roi,' by which she meant, 'Did I not go on seeing here, after him who sees me?'


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When Abram was ninety-nine years old Yahweh appeared to him and said, 'I am El Shaddai. Live in my presence, be perfect,


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And you are no longer to be called Abram; your name is to be Abraham, for I am making you father of many nations.


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And I shall maintain my covenant between myself and you, and your descendants after you, generation after generation, as a covenant in perpetuity, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.


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And to you and to your descendants after you, I shall give the country where you are now immigrants, the entire land of Canaan, to own in perpetuity. And I shall be their God.'


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God further said to Abraham, 'You for your part must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you, generation after generation.


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This is my covenant which you must keep between myself and you, and your descendants after you: every one of your males must be circumcised.


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You must circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and that will be the sign of the covenant between myself and you.


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As soon as he is eight days old, every one of your males, generation after generation, must be circumcised, including slaves born within the household or bought from a foreigner not of your descent.


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Whether born within the household or bought, they must be circumcised. My covenant must be marked in your flesh as a covenant in perpetuity.


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The uncircumcised male, whose foreskin has not been circumcised -- that person must be cut off from his people: he has broken my covenant.'


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Furthermore God said to Abraham, 'As regards your wife Sarai, you must not call her Sarai, but Sarah.


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I shall bless her and moreover give you a son by her. I shall bless her and she will become nations: kings of peoples will issue from her.'


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Abraham bowed to the ground, and he laughed, thinking to himself, 'Is a child to be born to a man one hundred years old, and will Sarah have a child at the age of ninety?'


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But God replied, 'Yes, your wife Sarah will bear you a son whom you must name Isaac. And I shall maintain my covenant with him, a covenant in perpetuity, to be his God and the God of his descendants after him.


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For Ishmael too I grant you your request. I hereby bless him and will make him fruitful and exceedingly numerous. He will be the father of twelve princes, and I shall make him into a great nation.


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Then Abraham took his son Ishmael, all the slaves born in his household or whom he had bought, in short all the males among the people of Abraham's household, and circumcised their foreskins that same day, as God had said to him.


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and all the men of his household, those born in the household and those bought from foreigners, were circumcised with him.


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Yahweh appeared to him at the Oak of Mamre while he was sitting by the entrance of the tent during the hottest part of the day.


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He looked up, and there he saw three men standing near him. As soon as he saw them he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them, and bowed to the ground.


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Let me fetch a little bread and you can refresh yourselves before going further, now that you have come in your servant's direction.' They replied, 'Do as you say.'


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Abraham hurried to the tent and said to Sarah, 'Quick, knead three measures of best flour and make loaves.'


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Then, running to the herd, Abraham took a fine and tender calf and gave it to the servant, who hurried to prepare it.


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Then taking curds, milk and the calf which had been prepared, he laid all before them, and they ate while he remained standing near them under the tree.


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Then his guest said, 'I shall come back to you next year, and then your wife Sarah will have a son.' Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent behind him.


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So Sarah laughed to herself, thinking, 'Now that I am past the age of childbearing, and my husband is an old man, is pleasure to come my way again?'


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But Yahweh asked Abraham, 'Why did Sarah laugh and say, "Am I really going to have a child now that I am old?"


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Nothing is impossible for Yahweh. I shall come back to you at the same time next year and Sarah will have a son.'


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Sarah said, 'I did not laugh,' lying because she was afraid. But he replied, 'Oh yes, you did laugh.'


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From there the men set out and arrived within sight of Sodom, with Abraham accompanying them to speed them on their way.


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as Abraham will become a great and powerful nation and all nations on earth will bless themselves by him?


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For I have singled him out to command his sons and his family after him to keep the way of Yahweh by doing what is upright and just, so that Yahweh can carry out for Abraham what he has promised him.'


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that I shall go down and see whether or not their actions are at all as the outcry reaching me would suggest. Then I shall know.'


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Suppose there are fifty upright people in the city. Will you really destroy it? Will you not spare the place for the sake of the fifty upright in it?


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Do not think of doing such a thing: to put the upright to death with the guilty, so that upright and guilty fare alike! Is the judge of the whole world not to act justly?'


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Yahweh replied, 'If I find fifty upright people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place because of them.'


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Suppose the fifty upright were five short? Would you destroy the whole city because of five?' 'No,' he replied, 'I shall not destroy it if I find forty-five there.'


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Abraham persisted and said, 'Suppose there are forty to be found there?' 'I shall not do it,' he replied, 'for the sake of the forty.'


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Abraham said, 'I hope the Lord will not be angry if I go on: Suppose there are only thirty to be found there?' 'I shall not do it,' he replied, 'if I find thirty there.'


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He said, 'It is presumptuous of me to speak to the Lord: Suppose there are only twenty there?' 'I shall not destroy it,' he replied, 'for the sake of the twenty.'


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He said, 'I trust my Lord will not be angry if I speak once more: perhaps there will only be ten.' 'I shall not destroy it,' he replied, 'for the sake of the ten.'


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When the two angels reached Sodom in the evening, Lot was sitting at the gate of Sodom. As soon as Lot saw them, he stood up to greet them, and bowed to the ground.


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'My lords,' he said, 'please come down to your servant's house to stay the night and wash your feet. Then you can make an early start on your journey.' 'No,' they said, 'we shall spend the night in the square.'


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But he pressed them so much that they went home with him and entered his house. He prepared a meal for them, baking unleavened bread, and they had supper.


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They had not gone to bed when the house was surrounded by the townspeople, the men of Sodom both young and old, all the people without exception.


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Calling out to Lot they said, 'Where are the men who came to you tonight? Send them out to us so that we can have intercourse with them.'


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Look, I have two daughters who are virgins. I am ready to send them out to you, for you to treat as you please, but do nothing to these men since they are now under the protection of my roof.'


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But they retorted, 'Stand back! This fellow came here as a foreigner, and now he wants to play the judge. Now we shall treat you worse than them.' Then they forced Lot back and moved forward to break down the door.


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And they dazzled those who were at the door of the house, one and all, with a blinding light, so that they could not find the doorway.


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The men said to Lot, 'Have you anyone else here? Your sons, your daughters and all your people in the city, take them away,


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for we are about to destroy this place, since the outcry to Yahweh against those in it has grown so loud that Yahweh has sent us to destroy it.'


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So Lot went off and spoke to his future sons-in-law who were to marry his daughters. 'On your feet!' he said, 'Leave this place, for Yahweh is about to destroy the city.' But his sons-in-law thought he was joking.


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When dawn broke the angels urged Lot on, 'To your feet! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city.'


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And as he hesitated, the men seized his hand and the hands of his wife and his two daughters -- Yahweh being merciful to him -- and led him out and left him outside the city.


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When they had brought him outside, he was told, 'Flee for your life. Do not look behind you or stop anywhere on the plain. Flee to the hills or you will be swept away.'


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'You have already been very good to your servant and shown me even greater love by saving my life, but I cannot flee to the hills, or disaster will overtake me and I shall die.


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That town over there is near enough to flee to, and is small. Let me flee there-after all it is only a small place -- and so survive.'


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Hurry, flee to that one, for I cannot do anything until you reach it.' That is why the town is named Zoar.


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He overthrew those cities and the whole plain, with all the people living in the cities and everything that grew there.


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and looking towards Sodom and Gomorrah and the whole area of the plain, he saw the smoke rising from the ground like smoke from a furnace.


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Thus it was that, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he did not forget Abraham and he rescued Lot from the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities where Lot was living.


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After leaving Zoar Lot settled in the hill country with his two daughters, for he dared not stay at Zoar. He lived in a cave, he and his two daughters.


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The elder said to the younger, 'Our father is an old man, and there is no one here to marry us in the normal way of the world.


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Come on, let us ply our father with wine and sleep with him. In this way we can preserve the race by our father.'


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That night they made their father drunk, and the elder slept with her father though he was unaware of her coming to bed or of her leaving.


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The next day the elder said to the younger, 'Last night, I was the one who slept with our father. Let us make him drunk again tonight, and you go and sleep with him. In this way we can preserve the race by our father.'


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They made their father drunk that night too, and the younger went and slept with him, though he was unaware of her coming to bed or of her leaving.


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The elder gave birth to a son whom she named Moab; and he is the ancestor of the Moabites of our own times.


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The younger also gave birth to a son whom she named Ben-Ammi; and he is the ancestor of the Bene-Ammon of our own times.


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Abraham left there for the region of the Negeb, and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While staying in Gerar,


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Abraham said of his wife Sarah, 'She is my sister,' and Abimelech the king of Gerar had Sarah brought to him.


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But God visited Abimelech in a dream one night. 'You are to die,' he told him, 'because of the woman you have taken, for she is a married woman.'


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Abimelech, however, had not gone near her; so he said, 'Lord, would you kill someone even if he is upright?


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Did he not tell me himself, "She is my sister"? And she herself said, "He is my brother." I did this with a clear conscience and clean hands.'


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'Yes, I know,' God replied in the dream, 'that you did this with a clear conscience and I myself prevented you from sinning against me. That was why I did not let you touch her.


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Now send the man's wife back; for he is a prophet and can intercede on your behalf for your life. But understand that if you do not send her back, this means death for you and all yours.'


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Early next morning, Abimelech summoned his full court and told them the whole story, at which the people were very much afraid.


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Then summoning Abraham, Abimelech said to him, 'What have you done to us? What wrong have I done you, for you to bring such guilt on me and on my kingdom? You had no right to treat me like this.'


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'Because', Abraham replied, 'I thought there would be no fear of God here and that I should be killed for the sake of my wife.


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Anyway, she really is my sister, my father's daughter though not my mother's, besides being my wife.


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So when God made me wander far from my father's home I said to her, "There is an act of love you can do me: everywhere we go, say of me that I am your brother." '


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Abimelech took sheep, cattle, men and women slaves, and presented them to Abraham, and gave him back his wife Sarah.


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To Sarah he said, 'Look, I am giving your brother a thousand pieces of silver. This will allay suspicions about you, as far as all the people round you are concerned; you have been completely vindicated.'


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Abraham then interceded with God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife and his slave-girls, so that they could have children,


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for Yahweh had made all the women of Abimelech's household barren on account of Sarah, Abraham's wife.


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She added: Whoever would have told Abraham that Sarah would nurse children! Yet I have borne a son in his old age.


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'Drive away that slave-girl and her son,' she said to Abraham, 'this slave-girl's son is not to share the inheritance with my son Isaac.'


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but God said to him, 'Do not distress yourself on account of the boy and your slave-girl. Do whatever Sarah says, for Isaac is the one through whom your name will be carried on.


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Early next morning, Abraham took some bread and a skin of water and, giving them to Hagar, put the child on her shoulder and sent her away. She wandered off into the desert of Beersheba.


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Then she went and sat down at a distance, about a bowshot away, thinking, 'I cannot bear to see the child die.' Sitting at a distance, she began to sob.


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God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven. 'What is wrong, Hagar?' he asked. 'Do not be afraid, for God has heard the boy's cry in his plight.


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Then God opened Hagar's eyes and she saw a well, so she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.


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About then, Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, said to Abraham, 'Since God is with you in everything you do,


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swear to me by God, here and now, that you will not act treacherously towards me or my kith and kin, but behave with the same faithful love to me and the land of which you are a guest as I have behaved to you.'


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'I do not know who has done this,' Abimelech said. 'You yourself have never mentioned it to me and, for myself, I heard nothing of it till today.'


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Abraham then took sheep and cattle and presented them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant.


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After they had made a covenant at Beersheba, Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, left and went back to Philistine territory.


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It happened some time later that God put Abraham to the test. 'Abraham, Abraham!' he called. 'Here I am,' he replied.


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God said, 'Take your son, your only son, your beloved Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, where you are to offer him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I shall point out to you.'


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Early next morning Abraham saddled his donkey and took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. He chopped wood for the burnt offering and started on his journey to the place which God had indicated to him.


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Then Abraham said to his servants, 'Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I are going over there; we shall worship and then come back to you.'


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Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering, loaded it on Isaac, and carried in his own hands the fire and the knife. Then the two of them set out together.


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Isaac spoke to his father Abraham. 'Father?' he said. 'Yes, my son,' he replied. 'Look,' he said, 'here are the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?'


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Abraham replied, 'My son, God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering.' And the two of them went on together.


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When they arrived at the place which God had indicated to him, Abraham built an altar there, and arranged the wood. Then he bound his son and put him on the altar on top of the wood.


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But the angel of Yahweh called to him from heaven. 'Abraham, Abraham!' he said. 'Here I am,' he replied.


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'Do not raise your hand against the boy,' the angel said. 'Do not harm him, for now I know you fear God. You have not refused me your own beloved son.'


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Then looking up, Abraham saw a ram caught by its horns in a bush. Abraham took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son.


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Abraham called this place 'Yahweh provides', and hence the saying today: 'On the mountain Yahweh provides.'


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'I swear by my own self, Yahweh declares, that because you have done this, because you have not refused me your own beloved son,


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I will shower blessings on you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven and the grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants will gain possession of the gates of their enemies.


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All nations on earth will bless themselves by your descendants, because you have obeyed my command.'


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Abraham went back to his servants, and together they set out for Beersheba, and Abraham settled in Beersheba.


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It happened some time later that Abraham received word that Milcah, too, had now borne sons to his brother Nahor:


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(and Bethuel was the father of Rebekah). These were the eight children Milcah gave Nahor, Abraham's brother.


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She died at Kiriath-Arba -- now Hebron -- in the land of Canaan, and Abraham proceeded to mourn and bewail her.


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'I am a stranger resident here,' he said. 'Let me have a burial site of my own here, so that I can remove my dead for burial.'


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'Please listen to us, my lord, we regard you as a prince of God; bury your dead in the best of our tombs; not one of us would refuse you his tomb for you to bury your dead.'


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and pleaded with them as follows, 'If you consent to my removing my dead for burial, you must agree to intercede for me with Ephron son of Zohar,


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for him to let me have the cave he owns at Machpelah, which is on the edge of his field. Let him sell it to me in your presence at its full price, for a burial site of my own.'


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Now Ephron was sitting among the Hittites, and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the Hittites, of all the inhabitants of his town.


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'No, my lord, listen to me,' he said. 'I give you the field and the cave in it; I make this gift in the presence of my kinsmen. Bury your dead.'


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and, in the hearing of the local people, replied to Ephron as follows, 'Be good enough to listen to me. I shall pay the price of the field; accept it from me and I shall bury my dead there.'


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'Please listen to me, my lord. What is a plot of land for four hundred shekels of silver between me and you? Bury your dead.'


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Abraham agreed to Ephron's terms, and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver he had stipulated in the hearing of the Hittites, namely four hundred shekels of silver, according to the current commercial rate.


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Thus Ephron's field at Machpelah, facing Mamre -- the field and the cave in it and all the trees anywhere within the boundaries of the field -- passed


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And after this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of the field of Machpelah, facing Mamre -- now Hebron -- in the land of Canaan.


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And so the field and the cave in it passed from the Hittites into Abraham's possession as a burial site of his own.


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Abraham said to the senior servant in his household, the steward of all his property, 'Place your hand under my thigh:


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I am going to make you swear by Yahweh, God of heaven and God of earth, that you will not choose a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I live


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The servant asked him, 'What if the girl does not want to follow me to this country? Should I then take your son back to the country from which you come?'


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Yahweh, God of heaven and God of earth, who took me from my father's home, and from the land of my kinsfolk, and who promised me on oath, "I shall give this country to your descendants"-he will now send his angel ahead of you, so that you can get a wife for my son from there.


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If then the girl refuses to follow you, you will be quit of this oath to me. Only do not take my son back there.'


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And the servant placed his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham, and swore to him that he would do it.


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The servant took ten of his master's camels and, carrying all kinds of gifts from his master, set out for the city of Nahor in Aram Naharaim.


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In the evening, at the time when women come out to draw water, he made the camels kneel outside the town near the well.


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And he said, 'Yahweh, God of my master Abraham, give me success today and show faithful love to my master Abraham.


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I shall say to one of the girls, "Please lower your pitcher and let me drink." And if she answers, "Drink, and I shall water your camels too," let her be the one you have decreed for your servant Isaac; by this I shall know you have shown faithful love to my master.'


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He had not finished speaking when out came Rebekah -- who was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah, the wife of Abraham's brother Nahor -- with a pitcher on her shoulder.


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The girl was very beautiful, and a virgin; no man had touched her. She went down to the spring, filled her pitcher and came up again.


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When she had finished letting him drink, she said, 'I shall draw water for your camels, too, until they have had enough.'


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She quickly emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran to the well again to draw, and drew for all the camels.


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All the while, the man stood watching her, not daring to speak, wondering whether Yahweh had made his journey successful or not.


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When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing half a shekel, and put it through her nose, and put two bracelets weighing ten gold shekels on her arms,


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and said, 'Whose daughter are you? Please tell me. Is there room at your father's house for us to spend the night?'


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saying, 'Blessed be Yahweh, God of my master Abraham, for not withholding his faithful love from my master. Yahweh has led me straight to the house of my master's brother.'


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As soon as he had seen the ring and the bracelets his sister was wearing, and had heard his sister Rebekah saying, 'This is what the man said to me,' he went to the man and found him still standing by his camels at the spring.


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He said to him, 'Come in, blessed of Yahweh, why stay out here when I have cleared the house and made room for the camels?'


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The man went to the house, and Laban unloaded the camels. He provided straw and fodder for the camels and water for him and his companions to wash their feet.


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They offered him food, but he said, 'I will eat nothing before I have said what I have to say.' Laban said, 'Speak.'


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Yahweh has loaded my master with blessings, and Abraham is now very rich. He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, men and women slaves, camels and donkeys.


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Sarah, my master's wife, bore my master a son in his old age, and he has made over all his property to him.


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My master made me take this oath, "You are not to choose a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites in whose country I live.


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and his reply was, "Yahweh, in whose presence I have walked, will send his angel with you and make your journey successful, for you to choose a wife for my son from my own kinsfolk, from my father's house.


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Then you will be quit of my curse: if you go to my family and they refuse you, you will be quit of my curse."


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Arriving today at the spring I said, "Yahweh, God of my master Abraham, please grant a successful outcome to the course I propose to take.


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While I stand by the spring, if a girl comes out to draw water and I say to her, 'Please give me a little water to drink from your pitcher,'


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if she replies, 'Drink by all means, and I shall draw water for your camels too,' let her be the girl whom Yahweh has decreed for my master's son."


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I was still saying this in my mind when Rebekah came out, her pitcher on her shoulder. She came down to the spring and drew water. I said to her, "Please give me a drink."


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I asked her, "Whose daughter are you?" She replied, "I am the daughter of Bethuel, whom Milcah bore to Nahor." Then I put this ring through her nose and these bracelets on her arms.


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I bowed down and worshipped Yahweh, and I blessed Yahweh, God of my master Abraham, who had led me by a direct path to choose the daughter of my master's brother for his son.


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Now tell me whether you are prepared to show constant and faithful love to my master; if not, say so, and I shall know what to do.'


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Rebekah is there before you. Take her and go; and let her become the wife of your master's son, as Yahweh has decreed.'


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He brought out silver and gold ornaments and clothes which he gave to Rebekah; he also gave rich presents to her brother and to her mother.


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They ate and drank, he and his companions, and spent the night there. Next morning when they were up, he said, 'Let me go back to my master.'


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Rebekah's brother and mother replied, 'Let the girl stay with us for ten days or so; then she can go.'


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But he replied, 'Do not delay me, since Yahweh has made my journey successful; let me leave and go back to my master.'


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They blessed Rebekah and said to her: Sister of ours, from you may there spring thousands and tens of thousands! May your descendants gain possession of the gates of their enemies!


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And forthwith, Rebekah and her maids mounted the camels, and followed the man. The servant took Rebekah and departed.


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and asked the servant, 'Who is that man walking through the fields towards us?' The servant replied, 'That is my master.' So she took her veil and covered herself up.


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Then Isaac took her into his tent. He married Rebekah and made her his wife. And in his love for her, Isaac was consoled for the loss of his mother.


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Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan, and the descendants of Dedan were the Asshurites, the Letushim and the Leummim.


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The descendants of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida and Eldaah. All these were sons of Keturah.


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To the sons of his concubines Abraham made grants during his lifetime, sending them away from his son Isaac eastward, to the Land of the East.


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When Abraham had breathed his last, dying at a happy ripe age, old and full of years, he was gathered to his people.


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His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah facing Mamre, in the field of Ephron the Hittite son of Zohar.


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This was the field that Abraham had bought from the Hittites, and Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried there.


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These are the names of the sons of Ishmael by name and line: Ishmael's first-born was Nebaioth; then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,


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These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, according to their settlements and encampments, twelve chiefs of as many tribes.


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The number of years Ishmael lived was one hundred and thirty-seven. When he breathed his last and died, he was gathered to his people.


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He lived in the territory stretching from Havilah-by-Shur just outside Egypt on the way to Assyria, and he held his own against all his kinsmen.


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Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah the daughter of Bethuel the Aramaean of Paddan-Aram, and sister of Laban the Aramaean.


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Isaac prayed to Yahweh on behalf of his wife, for she was barren. Yahweh heard his prayer, and his wife Rebekah conceived.


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But the children inside her struggled so much that she said, 'If this is the way of it, why go on living?' So she went to consult Yahweh,


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and Yahweh said to her: There are two nations in your womb, your issue will be two rival peoples. One nation will have the mastery of the other, and the elder will serve the younger.


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Then his brother was born, with his hand grasping Esau's heel; so they named him Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old at the time of their birth.


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When the boys grew up Esau became a skilled hunter, a man of the open country. Jacob on the other hand was a quiet man, staying at home among the tents.


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Esau said to Jacob, 'Give me a mouthful of that red stuff there; I am exhausted' -- hence the name given to him, Edom.


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Then Jacob gave him some bread and lentil stew; he ate, drank, got up and went away. That was all Esau cared about his birthright.


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There was a famine in the country -- different from the previous famine which took place in the time of Abraham -- and Isaac went to Abimelech, the Philistine king at Gerar.


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Yahweh had appeared to him and said, 'Do not go down to Egypt; stay in the country which I shall point out to you.


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Remain for the present in that country; I shall be with you and bless you, for I shall give all these countries to you and your descendants in fulfilment of the oath I swore to your father Abraham.


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I shall make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven, and I shall give them all these countries, and all nations on earth will bless themselves by your descendants


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in return for Abraham's obedience; for he kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes and my laws.'


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When the people of the place asked him about his wife he replied, 'She is my sister,' for he was afraid to say, 'She is my wife,' thinking, 'The people of the place will kill me because of Rebekah, since she is beautiful.'


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When he had been there some time, Abimelech the Philistine king happened to look out of the window and saw Isaac fondling his wife Rebekah.


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Abimelech summoned Isaac and said to him, 'Surely she must be your wife! How could you have said, "She is my sister"?' Isaac replied, 'Because I thought I might be killed on her account.'


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Abimelech said, 'What a thing to do to us! One of the people might easily have slept with your wife. We should have incurred guilt, thanks to you.'


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Then Abimelech issued this order to all the people: 'Whoever touches this man or his wife will be put to death.'


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The Philistines had blocked up all the wells dug by his father's servants -- in the days of his father Abraham -- filling them in with earth.


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Then Abimelech said to Isaac, 'You must leave us, for you have become much more powerful than we are.'


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Isaac reopened the wells dug by the servants of his father Abraham and blocked up by the Philistines after Abraham's death, and he gave them the same names as his father had given them.


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the herdsmen of Gerar disputed it with Isaac's herdsmen, saying, 'That water is ours!' So Isaac named the well Esek, because they had disputed with him.


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Then he left there, and dug another well, and since there was no dispute over this one, he named it Rehoboth, saying, 'Now Yahweh has made room for us to thrive in the country.'


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Yahweh appeared to him the same night and said: I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I shall bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham's sake.


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There he built an altar and invoked the name of Yahweh. There he pitched his tent, and there Isaac's servants sank a well.


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Abimelech came from Gerar to see him, with Ahuzzath his adviser and Phicol the commander of his army.


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'It became clear to us that Yahweh was with you,' they replied, 'and so we thought, "It is time to have a treaty sworn between us, between us and you." So let us make a covenant with you:


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that you will not do us any harm, since we never molested you but were unfailingly kind to you and let you go away in peace. Henceforth, Yahweh's blessing on you!'


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Early next morning, they exchanged oaths. Then Isaac bade them farewell and they left him as friends.


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It happened, the same day, that Isaac's servants brought him news about the well they had been digging. 'We have found water!' they said to him.


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When Esau was forty years old he married Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite.


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When Isaac had grown old, and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see, he summoned his elder son Esau. 'Son!' he said, and Esau replied, 'Here I am.'


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Make me the kind of appetising dish I like and bring it to me to eat and I shall give you my special blessing before I die.'


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Rebekah was listening while Isaac was talking to his son Esau. So when Esau went into the country to hunt game for his father,


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"Bring me some game and make an appetising dish for me to eat and then I shall bless you in Yahweh's presence before I die."


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Go to the flock and bring me back two good kids, so that I can make the kind of special dish your father likes.


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If my father happens to touch me, he will see I am cheating him, and I shall bring a curse down on myself instead of a blessing.'


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So he went to fetch them and brought them to his mother, and she made the kind of special dish his father liked.


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Rebekah took her elder son Esau's best clothes, which she had at home, and dressed her younger son Jacob in them,


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Jacob said to his father, 'I am Esau your first-born; I have done as you told me. Please sit up and eat some of the game I have brought and then give me your soul's blessing.'


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Isaac said to his son, 'Son, how did you succeed so quickly?' He replied, 'Because Yahweh your God made things go well for me.'


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Isaac said to Jacob, 'Come closer, son, so that I can feel you and be sure whether you really are my son Esau or not.'


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Jacob went closer to his father Isaac, who felt him and said, 'The voice is Jacob's voice but the arms are the arms of Esau!'


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Isaac said, 'Serve it to me, so that I can eat my son's game and give you my special blessing.' He served it to him and he ate; he offered him wine, and he drank.


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He went closer and kissed his father, who sniffed the smell of his clothes. Then he blessed him, saying: Ah, the smell of my son is like the smell of a fertile field which Yahweh has blessed.


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Let peoples serve you and nations bow low before you! Be master of your brothers; let your mother's other sons bow low before you! Accursed be whoever curses you and blessed be whoever blesses you!


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As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and just as Jacob was leaving his father Isaac, his brother Esau returned from hunting.


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He too made an appetising dish and brought it to his father, 'Father, please eat some of your son's game and then give me your special blessing.'


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At this Isaac was seized with a violent trembling and said, 'Who was it, then, that went hunting and brought me the game? I finished eating it just before you came; I blessed him, and now blessed he will remain!'


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On hearing his father's words, Esau cried out loudly and bitterly and said to his father, 'Father, bless me too!'


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Esau said, 'His name should be Jacob right enough, for he has now supplanted me twice. First he took my birthright, and look, now he has gone and taken my blessing! But', he added, 'have you not kept a blessing for me?'


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Isaac replied to Esau, 'I have already made him your master; I have given him all his brothers as servants, I have given him grain and wine to sustain him. So what can I do for you, son?'


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Esau said to his father, 'Can you bless only once, father? Father, bless me too.' Isaac remained silent, and Esau began to weep aloud.


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Then his father Isaac spoke again and said: 'Far from the richness of the earth and the dew of heaven above, your home will be.


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By your sword you will live, and your brother will you serve. But when you win your freedom, you will shake his yoke off your neck.'


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Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him, and Esau said to himself, 'The time to mourn for my father will soon be here. Then I shall kill my brother Jacob.'


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When the words of Esau, her elder son, were repeated to Rebekah, she sent for her younger son Jacob and said to him, 'Look, your brother Esau means to take revenge and kill you.


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until your brother's anger is diverted from you and he forgets what you have done to him. Then I shall send someone to bring you back. I do not want to lose you both on one day!'


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Rebekah said to Isaac, 'The Hittite women sicken me to death. If Jacob were to marry a Hittite woman like these, one of the local women, what would there be left in life for me?'


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So Isaac summoned Jacob and blessed him; and he gave him this order: 'You are not to marry any of the Canaanite women.


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Go off to Paddan-Aram, the home of Bethuel your mother's father, and there choose a wife for yourself from the daughters of Laban your mother's brother.


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May El Shaddai bless you; may he make you fruitful and make you multiply so that you become a group of nations.


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May he grant you the blessing of Abraham, you and your descendants after you, so that one day you may own the country where you are now living as a stranger -- which God gave to Abraham.'


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Then Isaac sent Jacob away, and Jacob went to Paddan-Aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramaean and brother of Rebekah the mother of Jacob and Esau.


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When Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him to Paddan-Aram to choose a wife there, and that in blessing him he had given him this order: 'You are not to choose a wife from the Canaanite women,'


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So Esau went to Ishmael and chose for a wife, in addition to the wives he had, Mahalath daughter of Abraham's son Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth.


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When he had reached a certain place, he stopped there for the night, since the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of that place, he made it his pillow and lay down where he was.


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He had a dream: there was a ladder, planted on the ground with its top reaching to heaven; and God's angels were going up and down on it.


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And there was Yahweh, standing beside him and saying, 'I, Yahweh, am the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. The ground on which you are lying I shall give to you and your descendants.


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Your descendants will be as plentiful as the dust on the ground; you will spread out to west and east, to north and south, and all clans on earth will bless themselves by you and your descendants.


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Be sure, I am with you; I shall keep you safe wherever you go, and bring you back to this country, for I shall never desert you until I have done what I have promised you.'


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He was afraid and said, 'How awe-inspiring this place is! This is nothing less than the abode of God, and this is the gate of heaven!'


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Early next morning, Jacob took the stone he had used for his pillow, and set it up as a pillar, pouring oil over the top of it.


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Jacob then made this vow, 'If God remains with me and keeps me safe on this journey I am making, if he gives me food to eat and clothes to wear,


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This stone I have set up as a pillar is to be a house of God, and I shall faithfully pay you a tenth part of everything you give me.'


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And there, out in the open, he saw a well with three flocks of sheep lying beside it; this well was used for watering the flocks. Now the stone on the mouth of the well was a large one,


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and only when all the flocks had collected there, did they roll the stone off the mouth of the well and water the sheep; then they would replace the stone over the mouth of the well.


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Then he asked them, 'Is he well?' 'He is,' they replied, 'and here comes his daughter Rachel with the flock.'


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Then he said, 'But it is still broad daylight, not the time to round up the animals. Why don't you water the sheep and take them back to graze?'


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To which, they replied, 'We can't, until all the shepherds have assembled to roll the stone off the mouth of the well; then we can water the sheep.'


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He was still talking to them, when Rachel arrived with her father's flock, for she was a shepherdess.


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As soon as Jacob saw Rachel, his uncle Laban's daughter, with his uncle Laban's flock, he went up and, rolling the stone off the mouth of the well, watered his uncle Laban's sheep.


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As soon as he heard her speak of his sister's son Jacob, Laban ran to greet him, embraced him, kissed him and took him to his house. Jacob told Laban everything that had happened,


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and Laban said to him, 'You are indeed my bone and flesh!' After Jacob had been staying with him for a month,


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Laban said to Jacob, 'Just because you are my kinsman, why should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what wages you want.'


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and Jacob had fallen in love with Rachel. So his answer was, 'I shall work for you for seven years in exchange for your younger daughter Rachel.'


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So Jacob worked for seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him like a few days because he loved her so much.


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When morning came, it was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, 'What have you done to me? Did I not work for you for Rachel? Why then have you tricked me?'


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Finish this marriage week and I shall give you the other one too in return for your working for me for another seven years.'


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So Jacob slept with Rachel too, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. He worked for Laban for another seven years.


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Leah conceived and gave birth to a son whom she named Reuben, meaning 'Yahweh has seen my misery'; and she said, 'Now my husband will love me.'


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Conceiving again, she gave birth to a son and said, 'Yahweh heard that I was unloved, and so he has given me this one too'; and she named him Simeon.


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Again she conceived and gave birth to a son, and said, 'This time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.' Accordingly, she named him Levi.


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Again she conceived and gave birth to a son, and said, 'Now I shall praise Yahweh!' Accordingly, she named him Judah. Then she had no more children.


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Rachel, seeing that she herself gave Jacob no children, became jealous of her sister. And she said to Jacob, 'Give me children, or I shall die!'


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This made Jacob angry with Rachel, and he retorted, 'Am I in the position of God, who has denied you motherhood?'


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So she said, 'Here is my slave-girl, Bilhah. Sleep with her and let her give birth on my knees; through her, then, I too shall have children!'


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Then Rachel said, 'God has done me justice; yes, he has heard my prayer and given me a son.' Accordingly she named him Dan.


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Then Rachel said, 'I have fought a fateful battle with my sister, and I have won!' So she named him Naphtali.


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Now Leah, seeing that she had ceased to bear children, took her slave-girl Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as concubine.


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One day, at the time of the wheat harvest, Reuben found some mandrakes in the field and brought them to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, 'Please give me some of your son's mandrakes.'


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Leah replied, 'Is it not enough to have taken my husband, without your taking my son's mandrakes as well?' So Rachel said, 'Very well, he can sleep with you tonight in return for your son's mandrakes.'


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When Jacob came back from the fields that night, Leah went out to meet him and said, 'You must come to me, for I have hired you at the price of my son's mandrakes.' So he slept with her that night.


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Then Leah said, 'God has given me my reward for giving my slave-girl to my husband.' So she named him Issachar.


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and said, 'God has given me a fine gift; now my husband will bring me presents, for I have borne him six sons.' So she named him Zebulun.


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When Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, 'Release me and let me go home to my own country.


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Give me my wives for whom I have worked for you, and my children, and let me go. You are well aware how long I have worked for you.'


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Laban replied, 'If I have done what pleases you . . . I have learnt by divination that Yahweh has blessed me because of you.


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The little you had before I came has increased enormously, and Yahweh has blessed you wherever I have been. When am I to provide for my own household too?'


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Laban said, 'How much am I to pay you?' Jacob replied, 'You need not pay me anything. I shall change my mind and go on tending your flock, if you do this one thing for me.


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'Go through your entire flock today and remove every black animal among the sheep, and every speckled or spotted one among the goats. These will be my wages,


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and my uprightness will answer for me later: when you come to check my wages, every goat I have that is not speckled or spotted, and every sheep that is not black will count as stolen by me.'


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That same day he removed the striped and speckled he-goats and all the spotted and speckled she-goats, every one that had white on it, and all the black sheep, and entrusted these to his sons.


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Then he put a three days' journey between himself and Jacob, while Jacob grazed the rest of Laban's flock.


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Jacob then got fresh shoots from poplar, almond and plane trees, and peeled them in white strips, laying bare the white part of the shoots.


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He set up the shoots he had peeled in front of the animals, in the troughs, in the water-holes where the animals came to drink. Since they mated when they came to drink,


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the goats thus mated in front of the shoots and so the goats produced striped, spotted and speckled young.


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The ewes, on the other hand, Jacob kept apart and made these face whatever was striped or black in Laban's flock. Thus he built up droves of his own which he did not put with Laban's flocks.


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Furthermore, whenever the sturdier animals were mating, Jacob put the shoots where the animals could see them, in the troughs, so that they would mate in front of the shoots.


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But when the animals were feeble, he did not put them there; so Laban got the feeble, and Jacob the sturdy.


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Thus the man grew extremely rich, and came to own large flocks, men and women slaves, camels and donkeys.


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Jacob learned that Laban's sons were saying, 'Jacob has taken everything that belonged to our father; it is at our father's expense that he has acquired all this wealth,'


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Yahweh said to Jacob, 'Go back to the land of your ancestors, where you were born, and I shall be with you.'


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and he said to them, 'I can see that your father's manner towards me is not as it was in the past, but the God of my father has been with me.


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and that your father has tricked me, changing my wages ten times over, and yet God has not allowed him to harm me.


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Whenever he said, "The spotted ones will be your wages," all the animals produced spotted young; whenever he said, "The striped ones will be your wages," all the animals produced striped young.


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Once, when the animals were on heat, I suddenly saw in a dream that the he-goats covering the females were striped or spotted or piebald.


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He said, "Now take note: all the he-goats covering the females are striped or spotted or piebald -- for I too have noted all the things that Laban has been doing to you,


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I am the God who appeared to you at Bethel, where you poured oil on a pillar and made a vow to me. On your feet, then, leave this country and return to the land of your birth." '


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In answer Rachel and Leah said to him, 'Are we still likely to inherit anything from our father's estate?


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Does he not think of us as outsiders now? For not only has he sold us, but he has completely swallowed up the money he got for us.


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All the wealth that God has reclaimed from our father belonged to us and our children in any case. So do whatever God has told you.'


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and drove off all his livestock -- with all the possessions he had acquired, the livestock belonging to him which he had acquired in Paddan-Aram -- to go to his father Isaac in Canaan.


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Laban was away, shearing his sheep; Rachel in the meanwhile had appropriated the household idols belonging to her father,


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But God appeared to Laban the Aramaean in a dream that night and said to him, 'On no account say anything whatever to Jacob.'


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Laban caught up with Jacob, who had pitched his tent in the hills; and Laban pitched camp on Mount Gilead.


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Laban said to Jacob, 'What do you mean by outwitting me and then carrying off my daughters like prisoners of war?


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Why did you flee in secret, stealing away without letting me know, so that I could send you on your way rejoicing, with songs and the music of tambourines and harps?


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It is in my power to harm you, but the God of your father said to me last night, "On no account say anything whatever to Jacob."


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Now it may be you really went because you had such a longing for your father's house, but why did you steal my gods?'


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But whoever is found in possession of your gods shall not remain alive. In the presence of our brothers, examine for yourself what I have, and take what is yours.' Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had appropriated them.


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Laban went into Jacob's tent, and then into Leah's tent and the tent of the two slave-girls, but he found nothing. He came out of Leah's tent and went into Rachel's.


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Now Rachel had taken the household idols and put them inside a camel cushion, and was sitting on them. Laban went through everything in the tent but found nothing.


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Then Rachel said to her father, 'Do not look angry, my lord, because I cannot rise in your presence, for I am as women are from time to time.' Laban searched but did not find the idols.


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Then Jacob lost his temper and took Laban to task. And Jacob said to Laban, 'What is my offence, what is my crime, for you to have hounded me like this?


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You have gone through all my belongings; have you found anything belonging to your household? Produce it here in the presence of my brothers and yours, and let them decide between the two of us.


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In all the twenty years I was under you, your ewes and your she-goats never miscarried, and I never ate rams from your flock.


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Those mauled I never brought back to you, but bore the loss myself. You demanded compensation from me, whether the animal was stolen in daylight or at night.


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It was like this for the twenty years I spent in your household. Fourteen years I slaved for you for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, since you changed my wages ten times over.


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If the God of my father, the God of Abraham, the Kinsman of Isaac, had not been with me, you would have sent me away empty-handed. But God saw my plight and my labours, and last night he delivered judgement.'


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Laban replied to Jacob, 'These daughters are my daughters and these children are my children, this livestock is my livestock: everything you see belongs to me. But what can I do today about my daughters here or about the children they have borne?


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Jacob said to his kinsmen, 'Collect some stones,' and gathering some stones they made a cairn. They had a meal there, on the cairn, and


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and also Mizpah, because he said, 'Let Yahweh act as watchman between us when we are no longer in sight of each other.


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If you ill-treat my daughters or marry other women besides my daughters, even though no one be with us, remember: God is witness between us.'


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This cairn is a witness, and the pillar is a witness, that I am not to cross to your side of this cairn and you are not to cross to my side of this cairn and pillar, with hostile intent.


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May the God of Abraham and the god of Nahor judge between us.' Then Jacob swore by the Kinsman of his father Isaac.


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He offered a sacrifice on the mountain and invited his kinsmen to the meal. They ate the meal, and passed the night on the mountain.


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Early next morning, Laban kissed his grandchildren and daughters and blessed them. Then Laban left to return home.


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with these instructions, 'Say this to my lord Esau, "Here is the message of your servant Jacob: I have been staying with Laban and have been delayed there until now,


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and I own oxen, beasts of burden and flocks, and men and women slaves. I send news of this to my lord in the hope of winning your favour." '


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The messengers returned to Jacob and told him, 'We went to your brother Esau, and he is already on his way to meet you; there are four hundred men with him.'


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Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed. He divided the people with him, and the flocks and cattle, into two camps,


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thinking, 'If Esau comes to one of the camps and attacks it, the remaining camp may be able to escape.'


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Jacob said, 'God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, Yahweh who told me, "Go back to your native land and I will be good to you,"


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I am unworthy of all the faithful love and constancy you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, and now I have grown into two camps.


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I implore you, save me from my brother Esau's clutches, for I am afraid that he may come and attack me, mothers and children alike.


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Yet it was you who said, "I shall be very good to you, and make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which is too numerous to count." '


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thirty camels in milk with their calves, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male.


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He put them in the charge of his servants, in separate droves, and told his servants, 'Go ahead of me, leaving a space between each drove and the next.'


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He gave the leading man this order: 'When my brother Esau meets you and asks, "Whose man are you? Where are you going? Whose are those animals that you are driving?"


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you will answer, "Your servant Jacob's. They are a gift sent to my lord Esau. And Jacob himself is just behind us." '


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He gave the same order to the second and the third, and to all who were following the droves. 'That is what you must say to Esau when you find him.


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And you must add, "Your servant Jacob himself is just behind us." ' For he thought, 'If I conciliate him by sending a gift in advance, perhaps he will be well inclined towards me when I face him.'


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That same night he got up and, taking his two wives, his two slave-girls and his eleven children, crossed the ford of the Jabbok.


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who, seeing that he could not master him, struck him on the hip socket, and Jacob's hip was dislocated as he wrestled with him.


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He said, 'Let me go, for day is breaking.' Jacob replied, 'I will not let you go unless you bless me.'


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He said, 'No longer are you to be called Jacob, but Israel since you have shown your strength against God and men and have prevailed.'


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Then Jacob asked, 'Please tell me your name.' He replied, 'Why do you ask my name?' With that, he blessed him there.


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That is why to this day the Israelites do not eat the thigh sinew which is at the hip socket: because he had struck Jacob at the hip socket on the thigh sinew.


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Looking up, Jacob saw Esau coming and with him four hundred men. He then divided the children between Leah, Rachel and the two slave-girls.


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He put the slave-girls and their children in front, with Leah and her children following, and Rachel and Joseph behind.


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But Esau ran to meet him, took him in his arms, threw himself on his neck and wept as he kissed him.


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Then looking up he saw the women and children. 'Who are these with you?' he asked. Jacob answered, 'The children whom God has bestowed on your servant.'


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Then Leah too came up with her children, and they all bowed low. Finally Rachel and Joseph came up and bowed low.


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Esau asked, 'What was the purpose of that whole camp I just met?' 'To win my lord's favour,' he replied.


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Jacob protested, 'No, if I have won your favour, please accept the gift I offer, for in fact I have come into your presence as into the presence of God, since you have received me kindly.


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So accept the gift I have brought for you, since God has been generous to me and I have all I need.' And he urged him, and Esau accepted.


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But Jacob replied, 'As my lord knows, the children are weak, and the sheep and cows which have calved make it hard for me. If they are driven too hard, even for one day, the whole drove will die.


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May it please my lord to go on ahead of his servant. For my part, I shall move at a slower pace, to suit the flock I am driving and the children, until I join my lord in Seir.'


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Esau then said, 'At least let me leave you some of the people who are with me.' 'What for?' Jacob asked. 'Please indulge me, my lord!'


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but Jacob made his way to Succoth, where he built himself a house and made shelters for his livestock; that is why the place was given the name of Succoth.


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Jacob arrived safely at the town of Shechem in Canaanite territory, on his return from Paddan-Aram. He encamped opposite the town


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and for one hundred pieces of silver he bought from the sons of Hamor father of Shechem the piece of land on which he had pitched his tent.


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Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, headman of the region, saw her, seized her and forced her to sleep with him.


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He was captivated by Dinah daughter of Jacob; he fell in love with the girl and tried to win her heart.


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Meanwhile, Jacob had heard how his daughter Dinah had been dishonoured, but since his sons were out in the countryside with his livestock, Jacob said nothing until they came back.


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when Jacob's sons returned from the countryside and heard the news; the men were outraged and infuriated that Shechem had insulted Israel by sleeping with Jacob's daughter -- a thing totally unacceptable.


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Hamor reasoned with them as follows, 'My son Shechem's heart is set on your daughter. Please allow her to marry him.


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We can live together, and the country will be open to you, for you to live in, and move about in, and acquire holdings.'


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Then Shechem addressed the girl's father and brothers, 'Grant me this favour, and I will give you whatever you ask.


text:
Demand as high a bride-price from me as you please, and I will pay as much as you ask. Only let me marry the girl.'


text:
Jacob's sons gave Shechem and his father Hamor a crafty answer, speaking as they did because he had dishonoured their sister Dinah.


text:
'We cannot do this,' they said to them. 'To give our sister to an uncircumcised man would be a disgrace for us.


text:
Then we will give you our daughters, taking yours for ourselves; and we will stay with you to make one nation.


text:
The young man did not hesitate about doing this, for he was deeply in love with Jacob's daughter. Moreover he was the most respected member of his entire family.


text:
Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their town and spoke to their fellow-townsmen as follows,


text:
'These men are friendly; let them settle in the region and move about freely in it; there is plenty of room here for them; we shall marry their daughters and give our daughters to them.


text:
But these men will agree to settle with us and become a single nation only on this condition: that all our males be circumcised like them.


text:
Will not the livestock they own, all their animals, become ours? Then let us give our assent to this, so that they can settle with us.'


text:
All the citizens of the town agreed to the proposal made by Hamor and his son Shechem, and all the males were circumcised.


text:
Now on the third day, when the men were still in pain, Jacob's two sons Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, each took his sword and advanced unopposed against the town and slaughtered all the males.


text:
They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the sword, removed Dinah from Shechem's house and came away.


text:
When Jacob's other sons came on the slain, they pillaged the town in reprisal for the dishonouring of their sister.


text:
and all their possessions. They took all their children and wives captive and looted everything to be found in the houses.


text:
Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, 'You have done me an ill turn by bringing me into bad odour with the people of the region, the Canaanites and the Perizzites. I have few men, whereas they will unite against me to defeat me and destroy me and my family.'


text:
God said to Jacob, 'Move on, go to Bethel and settle there. Make an altar there for the God who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.'


text:
Jacob said to his family and to all who were with him, 'Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you; cleanse yourselves, and change your clothes.


text:
We must move on and go to Bethel. There I shall make an altar for the God who heard me when I was in distress, and gave me his help on the journey I made.'


text:
They gave Jacob all the foreign gods in their possession, and the earrings that they were wearing. Jacob buried them under the oak tree near Shechem.


text:
They broke camp; a divine terror struck the towns round about, and no one pursued the sons of Jacob.


text:
he built an altar there and named the place El-Bethel, since it was there that God had appeared to him when he was fleeing from his brother.


text:
Deborah, who had been Rebekah's nurse, died and was buried below Bethel, under the oak tree; so they named it the Oak of Tears.


text:
God said to him, 'Your name is Jacob, but from now on you will be called not Jacob but Israel.' Thus he came by the name Israel.


text:
God said to him, 'I am El Shaddai. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation, indeed an assembly of nations, will descend from you, and kings will issue from your loins.


text:
The country which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I now give to you; and this country I shall give to your descendants after you.'


text:
Jacob raised a monument at the spot where he had spoken to him, a standing-stone, on which he made a libation and poured oil.


text:
They left Bethel, and while they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel went into labour, and her pains were severe.


text:
When her labour was at its hardest, the midwife said to her, 'Do not worry, this is going to be another boy.'


text:
At the moment when she breathed her last, for she was dying, she named him Ben-Oni. His father, however, named him Benjamin.


text:
While Israel was living in that district, Reuben went and slept with Bilhah his father's concubine, and Israel found out. The sons of Jacob were now twelve.


text:
The sons of Zilpah, Leah's slave-girl: Gad and Asher. These were the sons born to Jacob in Paddan-Aram.


text:
Jacob came home to his father Isaac at Mamre, at Kiriath-Arba -- now Hebron -- where Abraham and Isaac had stayed.


text:
when he breathed his last. He died and was gathered to his people, an old man who had enjoyed his full span of life. His sons Esau and Jacob buried him.


text:
Esau chose his wives from the women of Canaan: Adah daughter of Elon the Hittite, Oholibamah daughter of Anah, son of Zibeon the Horite,


text:
Esau took his wives, his sons and daughters, all the members of his household, his livestock, all his cattle and all the goods he had acquired in Canaan and left for Seir, away from his brother Jacob.


text:
For they had acquired too much to live together. The land in which they were at that time could not support them both because of their livestock.


text:
These are the names of Esau's sons: Eliphaz son of Esau's wife Adah, and Reuel son of Esau's wife Basemath.


text:
Eliphaz son of Esau had Timna for concubine and she bore him Amalek. These were the sons of Esau's wife Adah.


text:
These were the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah. These were the sons of Esau's wife Basemath.


text:
And these were the sons of Esau's wife Oholibamah daughter of Anah, son of Zibeon: she bore him Jeush, Jalam and Korah.


text:
These are the chieftains of Esau. The descendants of Eliphaz, Esau's eldest son: the chieftains of Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz,


text:
The descendants of Esau's son Reuel: the chieftains of Nahath, Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah. These are the chieftains of Reuel in Edom and are descended from Esau's wife Basemath.


text:
The descendants of Esau's wife Oholibamah: the chieftains of Jeush, Jalam and Korah. These are the chieftains of Esau's wife Oholibamah daughter of Anah.


text:
These are the sons of Zibeon: Aiah, Anah -- the Anah who found the hot springs in the desert while pasturing his father Zibeon's donkeys.


text:
Husham died and Hadad son of Bedad succeeded; he defeated the Midianites in Moab, and his city was called Avith.


text:
Baal-Hanan died and Hadad succeeded; his city was called Pau and his wife's name was Mehetabel daughter of Matred, from Mezahab.


text:
These are the names of the chieftains of Esau -- according to their clans and localities: the chieftains of Timna, Alvah, Jetheth,


text:
Magdiel and Iram. These are the chieftains of Edom, as settled in the territory which they own. Esau was Edom's ancestor.


text:
This is the story of Joseph. Joseph was seventeen years old. As he was young, he was shepherding the flock with his brothers, with the sons of his father's wives, Bilhah and Zilpah; and Joseph brought his father bad reports about them.


text:
Jacob loved Joseph more than all his other sons, for he was the son of his old age, and he had a decorated tunic made for him.


text:
But his brothers, seeing how much more his father loved him than all his other sons, came to hate him so much that they could not say a civil word to him.


text:
We were binding sheaves in the field, when my sheaf suddenly rose and stood upright, and then your sheaves gathered round and bowed to my sheaf.'


text:
'So you want to be king over us,' his brothers retorted, 'you want to lord it over us?' And they hated him even more, on account of his dreams and of what he said.


text:
He had another dream which he recounted to his brothers. 'Look, I have had another dream,' he said. 'There were the sun, the moon and eleven stars, bowing down to me.'


text:
He told his father and brothers, and his father scolded him. 'A fine dream to have!' he said to him. 'Are all of us then, myself, your mother and your brothers, to come and bow to the ground before you?'


text:
Then Israel said to Joseph, 'Your brothers are with the flock at Shechem, aren't they? Come, I am going to send you to them.' 'I am ready,' he replied.


text:
He said to him, 'Go and see how your brothers and the flock are doing, and bring me word.' He sent him from the valley of Hebron, and Joseph arrived at Shechem.


text:
The man answered, 'They have moved on from here; indeed I heard them say, "Let us go to Dothan." ' So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.


text:
'Come on, let us kill him now and throw him down one of the storage-wells; we can say that some wild animal has devoured him. Then we shall see what becomes of his dreams.'


text:
'Shed no blood,' said Reuben to them, 'throw him down that well out in the desert, but do not kill him yourselves' -- intending to save him from them and to restore him to his father.


text:
So, when Joseph reached his brothers, they pulled off his tunic, the decorated tunic which he was wearing,


text:
They then sat down to eat. Looking up, they saw a group of Ishmaelites who were coming from Gilead, their camels laden with gum tragacanth, balsam and resin, which they were taking to Egypt.


text:
Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, then we shall not have laid hands on him ourselves. After all, he is our brother, and our own flesh.' His brothers agreed.


text:
Now some Midianite merchants were passing, and they pulled Joseph out of the well. They sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver, and these men took Joseph to Egypt.


text:
Then they sent off the decorated tunic and had it taken to their father, with the message, 'This is what we have found. Do you recognise it as your son's tunic or not?'


text:
He recognised it and cried, 'My son's tunic! A wild animal has devoured him! Joseph has been torn to pieces!'


text:
All his sons and daughters tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. 'No,' he said, 'I will go down to Sheol in mourning and join my son.' Thus his father wept for him.


text:
Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials and commander of the guard.


text:
It happened at about that time that Judah left his brothers, to go down and settle with a certain Adullamite called Hirah.


text:
Yet again she gave birth to a son whom she named Shelah. She was at Chezib when she gave birth to him.


text:
Then Judah said to Onan, 'Take your brother's wife, and do your duty as her brother-in-law, to maintain your brother's line.'


text:
But Onan, knowing that the line would not count as his, spilt his seed on the ground every time he slept with his brother's wife, to avoid providing offspring for his brother.


text:
Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, 'Go home as a widow to your father, until my son Shelah grows up,' for he was thinking, 'He must not die like his brothers.' So Tamar went home to her father.


text:
A long time passed, and then Shua's daughter, the wife of Judah, died. After Judah had been comforted he went up to Timnah for the shearing of his sheep, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.


text:
When Tamar was told, 'Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah for the shearing of his sheep,'


text:
she changed out of her widow's clothes, wrapped a veil around her to disguise herself, and sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah; for she saw that, although Shelah was grown up, she had not been given to him as his wife.


text:
Going up to her on the road, he said, 'Here, let me sleep with you.' He did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. 'What will you give me for sleeping with you?' she asked.


text:
'I will send you a kid from the flock,' he said. 'Agreed, if you give me a pledge until you send it,' she replied.


text:
'What pledge shall I give you?' he asked. 'Your seal and cord and the staff you are holding,' she replied. He gave them to her and slept with her, and she conceived by him.


text:
Judah sent the kid by his friend the Adullamite, to recover the pledge from the woman. But he did not find her.


text:
He enquired from the men of the place, 'Where is the prostitute who was by the roadside at Enaim?' 'There has been no prostitute there,' they answered.


text:
So returning to Judah he said, 'I did not find her. What is more, the men of the place told me there had been no prostitute there.'


text:
'Let her keep the things,' Judah said, 'or we shall become a laughing-stock. At least I sent her this kid, even though you did not find her.'


text:
About three months later, Judah was told, 'Your daughter-in-law has played the harlot; furthermore, she is pregnant, as a result of her misconduct.' 'Bring her out,' Judah ordered, 'and let her be burnt alive!'


text:
But as she was being led off, she sent word to her father-in-law, 'It was the owner of these who made me pregnant. Please verify', she said, 'whose seal and cord and staff these are.'


text:
Judah recognised them and said, 'She was right and I was wrong, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.' He had no further intercourse with her.


text:
During the delivery, one of them put out a hand, and the midwife caught it and tied a scarlet thread to it, indicating that this was the first to arrive.


text:
Whereupon, he drew back his hand, and out came his brother. Then she said, 'What a breach you have opened for yourself!' So he was named Perez.


text:
Now Joseph had been taken down into Egypt. Potiphar the Egyptian, one of Pharaoh's officials and commander of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there.


text:
Yahweh was with Joseph, and everything he undertook was successful. He lodged in the house of his Egyptian master,


text:
and when his master saw how Yahweh was with him and how Yahweh made everything he undertook successful,


text:
he was pleased with Joseph and made him his personal attendant; and his master put him in charge of his household, entrusting him with all his possessions.


text:
And from the time he put him in charge of his household and all his possessions, Yahweh blessed the Egyptian's household out of consideration for Joseph; Yahweh's blessing extended to all his possessions, both household and estate.


text:
So he left Joseph to handle all his possessions, and with him there, concerned himself with nothing beyond the food he ate. Now Joseph was well built and handsome,


text:
and it happened some time later that his master's wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, 'Sleep with me.'


text:
But he refused. 'Look,' he said to his master's wife, 'with me here, my master does not concern himself with what happens in the house, having entrusted all his possessions to me.


text:
He himself wields no more authority in this house than I do. He has exempted nothing from me except yourself, because you are his wife. How could I do anything so wicked, and sin against God?'


text:
But one day when Joseph came into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the household happened to be indoors,


text:
she caught hold of him by his tunic and said, 'Sleep with me.' But he left the tunic in her hand, took to his heels and got out.


text:
she called her servants and said to them, 'Look at this! My husband brought in a Hebrew to make a fool of me! He burst in on me, but I screamed,


text:
Then she told him the same tale, 'The Hebrew slave you brought to us burst in on me to make a fool of me.


text:
Joseph's master had him arrested and committed to the gaol where the king's prisoners were kept. And there in gaol he stayed.


text:
The chief gaoler put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners in the gaol, making him responsible for everything done there.


text:
The chief gaoler did not bother about anything put in his charge, since Yahweh was with him, and Yahweh made everything he undertook successful.


text:
It happened some time later that the king of Egypt's cup-bearer and his baker offended their master the king of Egypt.


text:
and put them in custody in the house of the commander of the guard, in the gaol where Joseph was a prisoner.


text:
The commander of the guard assigned Joseph to them to attend to their wants, and they remained in custody for some time.


text:
Now both of them had dreams on the same night, each with its own meaning for the cup-bearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were prisoners in the gaol.


text:
and he asked the two officials who were in custody with him in his master's house, 'Why these sad looks today?'


text:
They replied, 'We have each had a dream, but there is no one to interpret it.' 'Are not interpretations God's business?' Joseph asked them. 'Tell me about them.'


text:
So the chief cup-bearer described his dream to Joseph, telling him, 'In my dream there was a vine in front of me.


text:
On the vine were three branches; no sooner had it budded than it blossomed, and its clusters became ripe grapes.


text:
I had Pharaoh's cup in my hand; I picked the grapes and squeezed them into Pharaoh's cup, and put the cup into Pharaoh's hand.'


text:
In another three days Pharaoh will lift up your head by restoring you to your position. Then you will hand Pharaoh his cup, as you did before, when you were his cup-bearer.


text:
But be sure to remember me when things go well with you, and keep faith with me by kindly reminding Pharaoh about me, to get me out of this house.


text:
I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews in the first place, and even here I have done nothing to warrant being put in the dungeon.'


text:
The chief baker, seeing that the interpretation had been favourable, said to Joseph, 'I too had a dream; there were three wicker trays on my head.


text:
In the top tray there were all kinds of pastries for Pharaoh, such as a baker might make, and the birds were eating them off the tray on my head.'


text:
In another three days Pharaoh will lift up your head by hanging you on a gallows, and the birds will eat the flesh off your bones.'


text:
And so it happened; the third day was Pharaoh's birthday and he gave a banquet for all his officials. Of his officials he lifted up the head of the chief cup-bearer and the chief baker,


text:
and there, coming up from the Nile, were seven cows, sleek and fat, and they began to feed among the rushes.


text:
And then seven other cows, wretched and lean, came up from the Nile, behind them; and these went over and stood beside the other cows on the bank of the Nile.


text:
He fell asleep and dreamed a second time: there, growing on one stalk, were seven ears of grain, full and ripe.


text:
The scanty ears of grain swallowed the seven full and ripe ears of grain. Then Pharaoh woke up; it had been a dream.


text:
In the morning Pharaoh, feeling disturbed, had all the magicians and wise men of Egypt summoned to him. Pharaoh told them his dream, but there was no one to interpret it for Pharaoh.


text:
When Pharaoh was angry with his servants, he put myself and the chief baker in custody in the house of the commander of the guard.


text:
There was a young Hebrew with us, one of the slaves belonging to the commander of the guard. We told our dreams to him and he interpreted them for us, telling each of us what his dream meant.


text:
It turned out exactly according to his interpretation: I was restored to my position, but the other man was hanged.'


text:
Then Pharaoh had Joseph summoned, and they hurried him from the dungeon. He shaved and changed his clothes, and presented himself before Pharaoh.


text:
Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'I have had a dream, and there is no one to interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that you can interpret a dream the instant you hear it.'


text:
And there were seven cows, fat and sleek, coming up out of the Nile, and they began to feed among the rushes.


text:
And then seven other cows came up, behind them, starved, very wretched and lean; I have never seen such poor cows in all Egypt.


text:
But when they had eaten them up, it was impossible to tell they had eaten them, for they looked as wretched as ever. Then I woke up.


text:
And then again in my dream, there, growing on one stalk, were seven ears of grain, beautifully ripe;


text:
but then sprouting up behind them came seven ears of grain, withered, meagre and scorched by the east wind.


text:
Then the shrivelled ears of grain swallowed the seven ripe ears of grain. I have told the magicians, but no one has given me the answer.'


text:
Joseph said to Pharaoh, 'Pharaoh's dreams are one and the same: God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is going to do.


text:
The seven fine cows are seven years and the seven ripe ears of grain are seven years; it is one and the same dream.


text:
The seven gaunt and lean cows coming up behind them are seven years, as are the seven shrivelled ears of grain scorched by the east wind: there will be seven years of famine.


text:
but seven years of famine will follow them, when all the plenty in Egypt will be forgotten, and famine will exhaust the land.


text:
The famine that is to follow will be so very severe that no one will remember what plenty the country used to enjoy.


text:
The reason why Pharaoh had the same dream twice is that the event is already determined by God, and God will shortly bring it about.


text:
Pharaoh should take action and appoint supervisors for the country, and impose a tax of one-fifth on Egypt during the seven years of plenty.


text:
They will collect all the food produced during these good years that are coming, and store the grain under Pharaoh's authority, putting it in the towns and keeping it.


text:
This food will form a reserve for the country against the seven years of famine which are coming on Egypt, so that the country will not be destroyed by the famine.'


text:
Then Pharaoh asked his ministers, 'Can we find anyone else endowed with the spirit of God, like him?'


text:
So Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'Since God has given you knowledge of all this, there can be no one as intelligent and wise as you.


text:
You shall be my chancellor, and all my people shall respect your orders; only this throne shall set me above you.'


text:
Pharaoh took the ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain round his neck.


text:
He made him ride in the best chariot he had after his own, and they shouted 'Abrek!' ahead of him. Thus he became governor of the whole of Egypt.


text:
Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'Although I am Pharaoh, no one is to move hand or foot without your permission throughout Egypt.'


text:
Pharaoh named Joseph Zaphenath-Paneah, and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph began to journey all over Egypt.


text:
Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. After leaving Pharaoh's presence, Joseph travelled throughout the length and breadth of Egypt.


text:
He collected all the food of the seven years while there was an abundance in Egypt, and stored the food in the towns, placing in each the food from the surrounding countryside.


text:
Joseph gathered in grain like the sand of the sea, in such quantity that he gave up keeping count, since it was past accounting.


text:
Before the year of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph: Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, bore him these.


text:
Joseph named the first-born Manasseh, 'Because', he said, 'God has made me completely forget my hardships and my father's House.'


text:
He named the second Ephraim, 'Because', he said, 'God has made me fruitful in the country of my misfortune.'


text:
and the seven years of famine set in, as Joseph had predicted. There was famine in every country, but throughout Egypt there was food.


text:
But when all Egypt too began to feel the famine and the people appealed to Pharaoh for food, Pharaoh told all the Egyptians, 'Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you.'


text:
There was famine all over the world. Then Joseph opened all the granaries and rationed out grain to the Egyptians, as the famine grew even worse in Egypt.


text:
People came to Egypt from all over the world to get supplies from Joseph, for the famine had grown severe throughout the world.


text:
Jacob, seeing that there were supplies to be had in Egypt, said to his sons, 'Why do you keep staring at one another?


text:
I hear', he said, 'that there are supplies in Egypt. Go down and procure some for us there, so that we may survive and not die.'


text:
But Jacob did not send Joseph's brother Benjamin with his brothers. 'Nothing must happen to him,' he thought.


text:
Thus the sons of Israel were among the other people who came to get supplies, there being famine in Canaan.


text:
It was Joseph, as the man in authority over the country, who allocated the rations to the entire population. So Joseph's brothers went and bowed down before him, their faces touching the ground.


text:
As soon as Joseph saw his brothers he recognised them. But he did not make himself known to them, and he spoke harshly to them. 'Where have you come from?' he asked. 'From Canaan to get food,' they replied.


text:
Joseph remembered the dreams he had had about them, and said to them, 'You are spies. You have come to discover the country's weak points.'


text:
'Your servants were twelve brothers,' they said, 'sons of the same man in Canaan, but the youngest is at present with our father, and the other one is no more.'


text:
This is the test you are to undergo: as sure as Pharaoh lives you shall not leave unless your youngest brother comes here.


text:
Send one of your number to fetch your brother; you others will remain under arrest, so that your statements can be tested to see whether or not you are honest. If not, then as sure as Pharaoh lives you are spies.'


text:
If you are honest men, let one of your brothers be detained where you are imprisoned; the rest of you, go and take supplies home for your starving families.


text:
But you must bring your youngest brother back to me; in this way, what you have said will be verified, and you will not have to die!' And this is what they did.


text:
And they said to one another, 'Clearly, we are being punished for what we did to our brother. We saw his deep misery when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen, and now this misery has come home to us.'


text:
Reuben retorted to them, 'Did I not tell you not to wrong the boy? But you would not listen. Now comes the accounting.'


text:
He turned away from them and wept. When he was able to speak to them again, he chose Simeon out of their number and had him bound while they looked on.


text:
Joseph gave the order to fill their panniers with grain, to put back each man's money in his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. This was done for them.


text:
But when they camped for the night, one of them opened his sack to give his donkey some fodder and saw his money -- there it was in the mouth of his sack.


text:
He said to his brothers, 'My money has been put back; here it is, in my sack!' Their hearts sank, and they looked at one another in panic, saying, 'What is this that God has done to us?'


text:
Returning to their father Jacob in Canaan, they gave him a full report of what had happened to them,


text:
We were twelve brothers, sons of the same father. One of us is no more, and the youngest is at present with our father in Canaan."


text:
But the man who is lord of the country said to us, "This is how I shall know whether you are honest: leave one of your brothers with me. Take supplies for your starving families and be gone,


text:
but bring me back your youngest brother and then I shall know that you are not spies but honest men. Then I shall give your brother back to you and you will be free to move about the country." '


text:
As they emptied their sacks, each discovered his bag of money in his sack. On seeing their bags of money they were afraid, and so was their father.


text:
Then their father Jacob said to them, 'You are robbing me of my children; Joseph is no more; Simeon is no more; and now you want to take Benjamin. I bear the brunt of all this!'


text:
Then Reuben said to his father, 'You may put my two sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my care and I will bring him back to you.'


text:
But he replied, 'My son is not going down with you, for now his brother is dead he is the only one left. If any harm came to him on the journey you are undertaking, you would send my white head down to Sheol with grief!'


text:
and when they had finished eating the supplies which they had brought from Egypt their father said to them, 'Go back and get us a little food.'


text:
'But', Judah replied, 'the man expressly warned us, "You will not be admitted to my presence unless your brother is with you."


text:
But if you are not ready to send him, we will not go down, in view of the man's warning, "You will not be admitted to my presence unless your brother is with you." '


text:
They replied, 'He kept questioning us about ourselves and our family, asking, "Is your father still alive?" and, "Have you another brother?" That is why we told him. How could we know he was going to say, "Bring your brother down here"?'


text:
Judah then said to his father Israel, 'Send the boy with me, and let us be off and go, if we are to survive and not die, we, you, and our dependants.


text:
I will go surety for him, and you can hold me responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and produce him before you, let me bear the blame all my life.


text:
Then their father Israel said to them, 'If it must be so, then do this: take some of the country's best products in your baggage and take them to the man as a gift: some balsam, some honey, gum tragacanth, resin, pistachio nuts and almonds.


text:
Take double the amount of money with you and return the money put back in the mouths of your sacks; it may have been a mistake.


text:
May El Shaddai move the man to be kind to you, and allow you to bring back your other brother and Benjamin. As for me, if I must be bereaved, bereaved I must be.'


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The men took this gift; they took double the amount of money with them, and Benjamin. They set off, went down to Egypt and presented themselves before Joseph.


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When Joseph saw Benjamin with them he said to his chamberlain, 'Take these men into the house. Slaughter a beast and prepare it, for these men are to eat with me at midday.'


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The men were afraid at being taken to Joseph's house and said, 'We are being taken there because of the money replaced in our sacks the first time. They will set on us; they will fall on us and make slaves of us, and take our donkeys too.'


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and when we reached camp and opened our sacks, there was each man's money in the mouth of his sack, to the full. But we have brought it back with us,


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and we have brought more money with us for the supplies. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.'


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'Set your minds at ease,' he replied, 'do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father put treasure in your sacks for you. I received your money.' And he brought Simeon out to them.


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The man then took the men into Joseph's house. He offered them water to wash their feet, and gave their donkeys fodder.


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They arranged their gift while they waited for Joseph to come at midday, for they had heard they were to dine there.


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When Joseph arrived at the house they offered him the gift they had with them, bowing low before him.


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He greeted them pleasantly, asking, 'Is your father well, the old man you told me of? Is he still alive?'


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Looking about, he saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son. 'Is this your youngest brother', he asked, 'of whom you told me?' And he added, 'God be good to you, my son.'


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Joseph hurried out; so strong was the affection he felt for his brother that he wanted to cry. He went into his room and there he wept.


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He was served separately; so were they, and so were the Egyptians who ate in his household, for the Egyptians could not take food with Hebrews; Egyptians have a horror of doing so.


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They were placed facing him in order of seniority, from the eldest to the youngest, and the men looked at one another in amazement.


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He had portions carried to them from his own dish, the portion for Benjamin being five times larger than any of the others. And they feasted with him and drank freely.


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Then Joseph instructed his chamberlain as follows: 'Fill these men's sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man's money in the mouth of his sack.


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And put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one's sack as well as the money for his rations.' He did as Joseph had instructed.


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They had gone only a little way from the city, when Joseph said to his chamberlain, 'Away now and follow those men. When you catch up with them, say to them, "Why have you repaid good with evil?


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Is this not what my lord uses for drinking and also for reading omens? What you have done is wrong." '


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Look, we brought you back the money we found in the mouths of our sacks, all the way from Canaan. Are we likely to have stolen silver or gold from your master's house?


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Whichever of your servants is found to have it shall die, and the rest of us shall be slaves of my lord.'


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'Very well, then, it shall be as you say,' he replied, 'the one on whom it is found shall become my slave, but the rest of you can go free.'


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He searched, beginning with the eldest and ending with the youngest, and found the cup in Benjamin's sack.


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When Judah and his brothers arrived at Joseph's house he was still there, so they fell on the ground in front of him.


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'What do you mean by doing this?' Joseph asked them. 'Did you not know that a man such as I am is a reader of omens?'


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'What can we answer my lord?' Judah replied. 'What can we say? How can we clear ourselves? God himself has uncovered your servants' guilt. Here we are then, my lord's slaves, we no less than the one in whose possession the cup was found.'


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'I could not think of doing such a thing,' he replied. 'The man in whose possession the cup was found shall be my slave, but you can go back unhindered to your father.'


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At this, Judah went up to him and said, 'May it please my lord, let your servant have a word privately with my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, for you are like Pharaoh himself.


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And we said to my lord, "We have an old father, and a younger brother born of his old age. His brother is dead, so he is the only one by that mother now left, and his father loves him."


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But you said to your servants, "If your youngest brother does not come down with you, you will not be admitted to my presence again."


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we said, "We cannot go down. We shall go only if our youngest brother is with us for, unless our youngest brother is with us, we shall not be admitted to the man's presence."


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When one of them left me, I supposed that he must have been torn to pieces, and I have never seen him since.


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If you take this one from me too and any harm comes to him, you will send my white head down to Sheol with grief."


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If I go to your servant my father now, and we do not have the boy with us, he will die as soon as he sees that the boy is not with us, for his heart is bound up with him;


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Now your servant went surety to my father for the boy. I said: "If I do not bring him back to you, let me bear the blame before my father all my life."


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Let your servant stay, then, as my lord's slave in place of the boy, I implore you, and let the boy go back with his brothers.


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How indeed could I go back to my father and not have the boy with me? I could not bear to see the misery that would overwhelm my father.'


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Then Joseph could not control his feelings in front of all his retainers, and he exclaimed, 'Let everyone leave me.' No one therefore was present with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers,


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Joseph said to his brothers, 'I am Joseph. Is my father really still alive?' His brothers could not answer him, they were so dumbfounded at seeing him.


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Then Joseph said to his brothers, 'Come closer to me.' When they had come closer to him he said, 'I am your brother Joseph whom you sold into Egypt.


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But now, do not grieve, do not reproach yourselves for having sold me here, since God sent me before you to preserve your lives.


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For this is the second year there has been famine in the country, and there are still five years to come without ploughing or harvest.


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God sent me before you to assure the survival of your race on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.


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So it was not you who sent me here but God, and he has set me up as a father to Pharaoh, as lord of all his household and governor of the whole of Egypt.


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'Return quickly to your father and tell him, "Your son Joseph says this: 'God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me without delay.


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You will live in the region of Goshen where you will be near me, you, your children and your grandchildren, your flocks, your cattle and all your possessions.


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There I shall provide for you -- for there are five years of famine still to come -- so that you, your household and all yours are not reduced to penury.' "


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Give my father a full report of all the honour I enjoy in Egypt, and of all you have seen; and quickly bring my father down here.'


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Then throwing his arms round the neck of his brother Benjamin he wept; and Benjamin wept on his shoulder.


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News reached Pharaoh's palace that Joseph's brothers had come, and Pharaoh was pleased to hear it, as were his servants.


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Fetch your father and your families, and come back to me. I will give you the best territory in Egypt, where you will live off the fat of the land."


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And you, for your part, give them this order: "Do this: take waggons from Egypt, for your little ones and your wives. Get your father and come.


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Israel's sons did as they were told. Joseph gave them waggons as Pharaoh had ordered, and he gave them provisions for the journey.


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To each and every one he gave new clothes, and to Benjamin three hundred shekels of silver and five changes of clothes.


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And to his father he sent ten donkeys laden with the best that Egypt offered, and ten she-donkeys laden with grain, bread and food for his father's journey.


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And so he sent his brothers on their way. His final words to them were, 'And let there be no upsets on the way!'


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they gave him this report, 'Joseph is still alive. He is at this moment governor of all Egypt!' But he was as one stunned, for he did not believe them.


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However, when they told him all Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the waggons that Joseph had sent to fetch him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived,


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and Israel said, 'That is enough! My son Joseph is still alive. I must go and see him before I die.'


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So Israel set out with all his possessions. Arriving at Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.


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'I am El, God of your father,' he said. 'Do not be afraid of going down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there.


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I shall go down to Egypt with you and I myself shall bring you back again, and Joseph's hand will close your eyes.'


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So Jacob left Beersheba. Israel's sons conveyed their father Jacob, their little children and their wives in the waggons Pharaoh had sent to fetch him.


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Taking their livestock and all that they had acquired in Canaan, they arrived in Egypt -- Jacob and all his offspring.


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With him to Egypt, he brought his sons and grandsons, his daughters and granddaughters -- all his offspring.


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These were the names of the Israelites, Jacob and his descendants, who arrived in Egypt: Reuben, Jacob's first-born,


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The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (Er and Onan had died in Canaan), and Hezron and Hamul sons of Perez.


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These were the sons that Leah had borne to Jacob in Paddan-Aram, besides his daughter Dinah; in all, his sons and daughters numbered thirty-three.


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The sons of Asher: Jimnah, Jishvah, Jishvi, Beriah, with their sister Serah; the sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel.


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These were the sons of Zilpah whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah; she bore these to Jacob -- sixteen persons.


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Born to Joseph in Egypt were: Manasseh and Ephraim sons of Asenath, daughter of Potiphera priest of On.


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These were the sons of Bilhah whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel; she bore these to Jacob -- seven persons in all.


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Altogether, the members of Jacob's family who arrived with him in Egypt -- his own issue, not counting the wives of Jacob's sons -- numbered sixty-six all told.


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With Joseph's sons born to him in Egypt -- two persons -- the members of Jacob's family who went to Egypt totalled seventy.


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Israel sent Judah ahead to Joseph, so that Judah might present himself to Joseph in Goshen. When they arrived in Goshen,


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Joseph had his chariot made ready and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as he appeared he threw his arms round his neck and for a long time wept on his shoulder.


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Israel said to Joseph, 'Now I can die, now that I have seen you in person and seen you still alive.'


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Then Joseph said to his brothers and his father's family, 'I shall go back and break the news to Pharaoh. I shall tell him, "My brothers and my father's family who were in Canaan have come to me.


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The men are shepherds and look after livestock, and they have brought their flocks and cattle and all their possessions."


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you are to say, "Ever since our boyhood your servants have looked after livestock, we and our fathers before us," so that you can stay in the Goshen region -- for the Egyptians have a horror of all shepherds.'


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So Joseph went and told Pharaoh, 'My father and brothers have arrived from Canaan with their flocks and cattle and all their possessions. Here they are, in the region of Goshen.'


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Pharaoh asked his brothers, 'What is your occupation?' and they gave Pharaoh the answer, 'Your servants are shepherds, like our fathers before us.'


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They went on to tell Pharaoh, 'We have come to stay in this country for the time being, since there is no pasturage for your servants' flocks, Canaan being stricken with famine. So now please allow your servants to settle in the region of Goshen.'


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Then Pharaoh said to Joseph,'They may stay in the region of Goshen, and if you know of any capable men among them, put them in charge of my own livestock.' Jacob and his sons went to Egypt where Joseph was. Pharaoh king of Egypt heard about this and said to Joseph, 'Your father and brothers have come to you.


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Jacob said to Pharaoh, 'The years of my stay on earth add up to one hundred and thirty years. Few and unhappy my years have been, falling short of my ancestors' years in their stay on earth.'


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Joseph then settled his father and brothers, giving them land holdings in Egypt, in the best part of the country, the region of Rameses, as Pharaoh had ordered.


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Joseph provided his father, brothers and all his father's family with food, down to the least of them.


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And on all the earth around there was now no food anywhere, for the famine had grown very severe, and Egypt and Canaan were both weak with hunger.


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Joseph accumulated all the money to be found in Egypt and Canaan, in exchange for the supplies being handed out, and put the money in Pharaoh's palace.


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When all the money in Egypt and Canaan was exhausted, all the Egyptians came to Joseph, pleading, 'Give us food, unless you want us to die before your eyes! For our money has come to an end.'


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Joseph replied, 'Hand over your livestock and I shall issue you food in exchange for your livestock, if your money has come to an end.'


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So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them food in exchange for horses and livestock, whether sheep or cattle, and for donkeys. Thus he saw them through that year with food in exchange for all their livestock.


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When that year was over, they came to him the next year, and said to him, 'We cannot hide it from my lord: the truth is, our money has run out and the livestock is in my lord's possession. There is nothing left for my lord except our bodies and our land.


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If we and our land are not to perish, take us and our land in exchange for food, and we with our land will become Pharaoh's serfs; only give us seed, so that we can survive and not die and the land not revert to desert!'


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Thus Joseph acquired all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh, since one by one the Egyptians sold their fields, so hard pressed were they by the famine; and the whole country passed into Pharaoh's possession,


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The only land he did not acquire belonged to the priests, for the priests received an allowance from Pharaoh and lived on the allowance that Pharaoh gave them. Hence they had no need to sell their land.


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Then Joseph said to the people, 'This is how we stand: I have bought you out, with your land, on Pharaoh's behalf. Here is seed for you to sow the land.


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But of the harvest you must give a fifth to Pharaoh. The other four-fifths you can have for sowing your fields, to provide food for yourselves and your households, and food for your children.'


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So Joseph made a law, still in force today, as regards the soil of Egypt, that one-fifth should go to Pharaoh. Only the land of the priests did not go to Pharaoh.


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Thus Israel settled in Egypt, in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there; they were fruitful and grew very numerous.


text:
Jacob lived seventeen years in Egypt; thus Jacob's total age came to a hundred and forty-seven years.


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When Israel's time to die drew near he sent for his son Joseph and said to him, 'If you really love me, place your hand under my thigh as pledge that you will act with faithful love towards me: do not bury me in Egypt!


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When I lie down with my ancestors, carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their tomb.' 'I shall do as you say,' he replied.


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Some time later, Joseph was informed, 'Your father has been taken ill.' So he took with him his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim.


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When Jacob was told, 'Look, your son Joseph has come to you,' Israel, summoning his strength, sat up in bed.


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saying to me, "I shall make you fruitful and numerous, and shall make you into an assembly of peoples and give this country to your descendants after you, to own in perpetuity."


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Now your two sons, born to you in Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, shall be mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be as much mine as Reuben and Simeon.


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But with regard to the children you have had since them, they shall be yours, and they shall be known by their brothers' names for the purpose of their inheritance.


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'When I was on my way from Paddan, to my sorrow death took your mother Rachel from me in Canaan, on the journey while only a short distance from Ephrath. I buried her there on the road to Ephrath -- now Bethlehem.'


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'They are my sons, whom God has given me here,' Joseph told his father. 'Then bring them to me', he said, 'so that I may bless them.'


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Now, Israel's eyes were dim with age, and he could not see. So Joseph made them come closer to him and he kissed and embraced them.


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Then Israel said to Joseph, 'I did not think I should ever see you again, and now God has let me see your children as well!'


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Then Joseph took the two of them, Ephraim with his right hand so that he should be on Israel's left, and Manasseh with his left hand, so that he should be on Israel's right, and brought them close to him.


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But Israel held out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, the younger, and his left on the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands -- Manasseh was, in fact, the elder.


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Then he blessed Joseph saying: May the God in whose presence my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd from my birth until this day,


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the Angel who has saved me from all harm, bless these boys, so that my name may live on in them, and the names of my ancestors Abraham and Isaac, and they grow into teeming multitudes on earth!


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Joseph saw that his father was laying his right hand on the head of Ephraim, and this he thought was wrong, so he took his father's hand and tried to shift it from the head of Ephraim to the head of Manasseh.


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Joseph protested to his father, 'Not like that, father! This one is the elder; put your right hand on his head.'


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But his father refused. 'I know, my son, I know,' he said. 'He too shall become a people; he too will be great. But his younger brother will be greater, his offspring will be sufficient to constitute nations.'


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So he blessed them that day, saying: By you shall Israel bless itself, saying, 'God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!' putting Ephraim before Manasseh.


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Then Israel said to Joseph, 'Now I am about to die. But God will be with you and take you back to the land of your ancestors.


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As for me, I give you a Shechem more than your brothers, the one I took from the Amorites with my sword and bow.'


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Jacob called his sons and said, 'Gather round, so that I can tell you what is in store for you in the final days.


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Reuben, you are my first-born, my vigour, and the first-fruit of my manhood, foremost in pride, foremost in strength,


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uncontrolled as water: you will not be foremost, for you climbed into your father's bed, and so defiled my couch, to my sorrow.


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May my soul not enter their council nor my heart join their company, for in their rage they have killed men and hamstrung oxen at their whim.


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Accursed be their rage for its ruthlessness, their wrath for its ferocity. I shall disperse them in Jacob, I shall scatter them through Israel.


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Judah, your brothers will praise you: you grip your enemies by the neck, your father's sons will do you homage.


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Judah is a lion's whelp; You stand over your prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, a mighty lion: who dare rouse him?


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The sceptre shall not pass from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until tribute be brought him and the peoples render him obedience.


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He tethers his donkey to the vine, to its stock the foal of his she-donkey. He washes his clothes in wine, his robes in the blood of the grape.


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When he saw how good the resting-place and how pleasant the country, he bowed his shoulder to the load and became a slave to forced labour.


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May Dan be a snake on the road, a viper on the path, who bites the horse on the hock so that its rider falls off backwards!


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But their bows were broken by a mighty One, the sinews of their arms were snapped by the power of the Mighty One of Jacob, by the Name of the Stone of Israel,


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the God of your father who assists you, El Shaddai who blesses you: blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep lying below, blessings of the breasts and womb,


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blessings of the grain and flowers, blessings of the eternal mountains, bounty of the everlasting hills -- may they descend on Joseph's head, on the crown of the one dedicated from among his brothers!


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Benjamin is a ravening wolf, in the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he is still sharing out the spoil.'


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All these make up the tribes of Israel, twelve in number, and this is what their father said to them as he bade them farewell, giving each an appropriate blessing.


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Then he gave them these instructions, 'I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my ancestors, in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,


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in the cave in the field at Machpelah, facing Mamre, in Canaan, which Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site of his own.


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There Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried. There Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried; and there I buried Leah-


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When Jacob had finished giving his instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, and breathing his last was gathered to his people.


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and it took them forty days, for embalming takes forty days to complete. The Egyptians mourned him for seventy days.


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When the period of mourning for him was over, Joseph said to Pharaoh's household, 'If you have any affection for me, see that this message reaches Pharaoh's ears,


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"My father put me under oath, saying: I am about to die. In the tomb which I dug for myself in Canaan, that is where you are to bury me. So may I have leave to go up and bury my father, and then come back?" '


text:
Joseph went up to bury his father, and with him went all Pharaoh's officials, the dignitaries of his palace and all the dignitaries of Egypt,


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as well as all Joseph's family, his brothers and his father's family. The only people they left behind in Goshen were those unfit to travel, and their flocks and cattle.


text:
On arriving at Goren-ha-Atad, which is across the Jordan, they there held a long and solemn lamentation, and Joseph observed seven days' mourning for his father.


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When the Canaanites, the local inhabitants, witnessed the mourning at Goren-ha-Atad, they said, 'This is a solemn act of mourning by the Egyptians,' which is why the place was given the name Abel-Mizraim-it is across the Jordan.


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His sons carried him to Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field at Machpelah, facing Mamre, which Abraham had bought from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site of his own.


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Then Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all those who had come up with him to bury his father.


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Seeing that their father was dead, Joseph's brothers said, 'What if Joseph intends to treat us as enemies and pay us back for all the wrong we did him?'


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"You are to say to Joseph: Now please forgive the crime and faults of your brothers and all the wrong they did you." So now please forgive the crime of the servants of your father's God.' Joseph wept at the message they sent to him.


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Then his brothers went to him themselves and, throwing themselves at his feet, said, 'Take us as your slaves!'


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The evil you planned to do me has by God's design been turned to good, to bring about the present result: the survival of a numerous people.


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So there is no need to be afraid; I shall provide for you and your dependants.' In this way he reassured them by speaking affectionately to them.


text:
Joseph saw the third generation of Ephraim's line, as also the children of Machir son of Manasseh, who were born on Joseph's lap.


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At length Joseph said to his brothers, 'I am about to die; but God will be sure to remember you kindly and take you out of this country to the country which he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.'


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And Joseph put Israel's sons on oath, saying, 'When God remembers you with kindness, be sure to take my bones away from here.'


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These are the names of the Israelites who went with Jacob to Egypt, each of them went with his family:


text:
But the Israelites were fruitful and prolific; they became so numerous and powerful that eventually the whole land was full of them.


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We must take precautions to stop them from increasing any further, or if war should break out, they might join the ranks of our enemies. They might take arms against us and then escape from the country.'


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Accordingly they put taskmasters over the Israelites to wear them down by forced labour. In this way they built the store-cities of Pithom and Rameses for Pharaoh.


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But the harder their lives were made, the more they increased and spread, until people came to fear the Israelites.


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making their lives miserable with hard labour: with digging clay, making bricks, doing various kinds of field -- work -- all sorts of labour that they imposed on them without mercy.


text:
The king of Egypt then spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was called Shiphrah, and the other Puah.


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'When you attend Hebrew women in childbirth,' he said, 'look at the two stones. If it is a boy, kill him; if a girl, let her live.'


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But the midwives were God-fearing women and did not obey the orders of the king of Egypt, but allowed the boys to live.


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So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, 'What do you mean by allowing the boys to live?'


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The midwives said to Pharaoh, 'Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women, they are hardy and give birth before the midwife can get to them.'


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For this, God was good to the midwives, and the people went on increasing and growing more powerful;


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Pharaoh then gave all his people this command: 'Throw every new-born boy into the river, but let all the girls live.'


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She conceived and gave birth to a son and, seeing what a fine child he was, she kept him hidden for three months.


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When she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him; coating it with bitumen and pitch, she put the child inside and laid it among the reeds at the River's edge.


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Now Pharaoh's daughter went down to bathe in the river, while her maids walked along the riverside. Among the reeds she noticed the basket, and she sent her maid to fetch it.


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She opened it and saw the child: the baby was crying. Feeling sorry for it, she said, 'This is one of the little Hebrews.'


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The child's sister then said to Pharaoh's daughter, 'Shall I go and find you a nurse among the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?'


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Pharaoh's daughter said to her, 'Take this child away and nurse it for me. I shall pay you myself for doing so.' So the woman took the child away and nursed it.


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When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter who treated him like a son; she named him Moses 'because', she said, 'I drew him out of the water.'


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It happened one day, when Moses was grown up, that he went to see his kinsmen. While he was watching their forced labour he also saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, one of his kinsmen.


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Looking this way and that and seeing no one in sight, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.


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On the following day he came back, and there were two Hebrews, fighting. He said to the man who was in the wrong, 'What do you mean by hitting your kinsman?'


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'And who appointed you', the man retorted, 'to be prince over us and judge? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?' Moses was frightened. 'Clearly that business has come to light,' he thought.


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When Pharaoh heard of the matter, he tried to put Moses to death, but Moses fled from Pharaoh. He went into Midianite territory and sat down beside a well.


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Now there was a priest of Midian with seven daughters. They used to come to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father's flock.


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'An Egyptian protected us from the shepherds,' they said, 'and he even drew water for us and watered the flock.'


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'And where is he?' he asked his daughters. 'Why did you leave the man there? Ask him to eat with us.'


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She gave birth to a son, whom he named Gershom 'because', he said, 'I am an alien in a foreign land.'


text:
During this long period the king of Egypt died. The Israelites, groaning in their slavery, cried out for help and from the depths of their slavery their cry came up to God.


text:
Moses was looking after the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led it to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.


text:
The angel of Yahweh appeared to him in a flame blazing from the middle of a bush. Moses looked; there was the bush blazing, but the bush was not being burnt up.


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When Yahweh saw him going across to look, God called to him from the middle of the bush. 'Moses, Moses!' he said. 'Here I am,' he answered.


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'Come no nearer,' he said. 'Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.


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I am the God of your ancestors,' he said, 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.' At this Moses covered his face, for he was afraid to look at God.


text:
Yahweh then said, 'I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying for help on account of their taskmasters. Yes, I am well aware of their sufferings.


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And I have come down to rescue them from the clutches of the Egyptians and bring them up out of that country, to a country rich and broad, to a country flowing with milk and honey, to the home of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites.


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Yes indeed, the Israelites' cry for help has reached me, and I have also seen the cruel way in which the Egyptians are oppressing them.


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'I shall be with you,' God said, 'and this is the sign by which you will know that I was the one who sent you. After you have led the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.'


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Moses then said to God, 'Look, if I go to the Israelites and say to them, "The God of your ancestors has sent me to you," and they say to me, "What is his name?" what am I to tell them?'


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God said to Moses, 'I am he who is.' And he said, 'This is what you are to say to the Israelites, "I am has sent me to you." '


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God further said to Moses, 'You are to tell the Israelites, "Yahweh, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you." This is my name for all time, and thus I am to be invoked for all generations to come.


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'Go, gather the elders of Israel together and tell them, "Yahweh, the God of your ancestors, has appeared to me -- the God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob -- and has indeed visited you and seen what is being done to you in Egypt,


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and has said: I shall bring you out of the misery of Egypt to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, to a country flowing with milk and honey."


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They will listen to your words, and you and the elders of Israel are to go to the king of Egypt and say to him, "Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, has encountered us. So now please allow us to make a three-days' journey into the desert and sacrifice to Yahweh our God."


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he will not let you go until I have stretched out my arm and struck Egypt with all the wonders I intend to work there.


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'I shall ensure that the Egyptians are so much impressed with this people that when you go, you will not go empty-handed.


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Every woman will ask her neighbour and the woman staying in her house for silver and golden jewellery, and clothing. In these you will dress your own sons and daughters, despoiling the Egyptians of them.'


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Moses replied as follows, 'But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my words, and say to me, "Yahweh has not appeared to you"?'


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'Throw it on the ground,' said Yahweh. Moses threw it on the ground; the staff turned into a snake and Moses recoiled from it.


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Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Reach out your hand and catch it by the tail.' He reached out his hand, caught it, and in his hand it turned back into a staff.


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'Thus they may believe that Yahweh, the God of their ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.'


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Next, Yahweh said to him, 'Put your hand inside your tunic.' He put his hand inside his tunic, then drew it out again: and his hand was diseased, white as snow.


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Yahweh then said, 'Put your hand back inside your tunic.' He put his hand back inside his tunic and when he drew it out, there it was restored, just like the rest of his flesh.


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'Even so: should they not believe you nor be convinced by the first sign, the second sign will convince them;


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but should they not be convinced by either of these two signs and refuse to listen to what you say, you are to take some water from the River and pour it on the ground, and the water you have taken from the River will turn to blood on the dry land.'


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Moses said to Yahweh, 'Please, my Lord, I have never been eloquent, even since you have spoken to your servant, for I am slow and hesitant of speech.'


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'Who gave a person a mouth?' Yahweh said to him. 'Who makes a person dumb or deaf, gives sight or makes blind? Is it not I, Yahweh?


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At this, Yahweh's anger kindled against Moses, and he said to him, 'There is your brother Aaron the Levite, is there not? I know that he is a good speaker. Here he comes to meet you. When he sees you, his heart will be full of joy.


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You will speak to him and tell him what message to give. I shall help you speak, and him too, and instruct you what to do.


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He will speak to the people in your place; he will be your mouthpiece, and you will be as the god inspiring him.


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Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro and said to him, 'Give me leave to return to my kinsmen in Egypt and see if they are still alive.' And Jethro said to Moses, 'Go in peace.'


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Yahweh said to Moses in Midian, 'Go, return to Egypt, for all those who wanted to kill you are dead.'


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So Moses took his wife and his son and, putting them on a donkey, started back for Egypt; and Moses took the staff of God in his hand.


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Yahweh said to Moses, 'Think of the wonders I have given you power to perform, once you are back in Egypt! You are to perform them before Pharaoh, but I myself shall make him obstinate, and he will not let the people go.


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I told you: Let my son go and worship me; but since you refuse to let him go, well then! I shall put your first-born son to death." '


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Then Zipporah, taking up a flint, cut off her son's foreskin and with it touched his feet and said, 'You are my blood-bridegroom!'


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Yahweh said to Aaron, 'Go into the desert to meet Moses.' So he went, and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him.


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Moses then told Aaron all that Yahweh had said when sending him and all the signs he had ordered him to perform.


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and Aaron repeated everything that Yahweh had said to Moses, and in the sight of the people performed the signs.


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The people were convinced, and they rejoiced that Yahweh had visited the Israelites and seen their misery, and they bowed to the ground in worship.


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After this, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, 'This is what Yahweh, God of Israel, says, "Let my people go, so that they can hold a feast in my honour in the desert." '


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'Who is Yahweh,' Pharaoh replied, 'for me to obey what he says and let Israel go? I know nothing of Yahweh, and I will not let Israel go.'


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'The God of the Hebrews has encountered us,' they replied. 'Give us leave to make a three -days' journey into the desert and sacrifice to Yahweh our God, or he will strike us with a plague or with the sword.'


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The king of Egypt said to them, 'Moses and Aaron, what do you mean by distracting the people from their work? Get back to your forced labour.'


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And Pharaoh said, 'Now that the people have grown to such numbers in the country, what do you mean by interrupting their forced labour?'


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'Do not go on providing the people with straw for brickmaking as before; let them go and gather straw for themselves.


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But you will exact the same quantity of bricks from them as before, not reducing it at all, since they are lazy, and that is why their cry is, "Let us go and sacrifice to our God."


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The people's taskmasters and scribes went out to speak to the people and said, 'Pharaoh says this, "I shall not provide you with any more straw.


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Go and collect straw for yourselves where you can find it. But your output is not to be any less." '


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The taskmasters harassed them. 'You must complete your daily quota,' they said, 'just as when the straw was there.'


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And the Israelites' foremen whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had put in charge of them, were flogged and asked, 'Why have you not fulfilled your quota of bricks made today as before?'


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The Israelites' foremen went and appealed to Pharaoh. 'Why do you treat your servants like this?' they said.


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'No straw is provided for your servants, yet still the cry is, "Make bricks!" And now your servants are being flogged! . .'


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Get back to your work at once. You will not be provided with straw; all the same, you will deliver the quota of bricks.'


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The Israelites' foremen saw they were in a difficult position on being told, 'You will not reduce your daily production of bricks.'


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'May Yahweh look down at you and judge!' they said to them. 'You have brought us into bad odour with Pharaoh and his officials; you have put a sword into their hand to kill us.'


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Moses went back to Yahweh and said, 'Lord, why do you treat this people so harshly? Why did you send me?


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Ever since I came to Pharaoh and spoke to him in your name, he has ill-treated this people, and you have done nothing at all about rescuing your people.'


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Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Now you will see what I am going to do to Pharaoh. A mighty hand will force him to let them go, a mighty hand will force him to expel them from his country.'


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To Abraham, Isaac and Jacob I appeared as El Shaddai, but I did not make my name Yahweh known to them.


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I also made my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the country in which they were living as aliens.


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Furthermore, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, enslaved by the Egyptians, and have remembered my covenant.


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So say to the Israelites, "I am Yahweh. I shall free you from the forced labour of the Egyptians; I shall rescue you from their slavery and I shall redeem you with outstretched arm and mighty acts of judgement.


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I shall take you as my people and I shall be your God. And you will know that I am Yahweh your God, who have freed you from the forced labour of the Egyptians.


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Then I shall lead you into the country which I swore I would give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and shall give it to you as your heritage, I, Yahweh." '


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And Moses repeated this to the Israelites, but they would not listen to Moses, so crushed was their spirit and so cruel their slavery.


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But Moses spoke out in Yahweh's presence and said, 'The Israelites have not listened to me, so why should Pharaoh take any notice of a poor speaker like me?'


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Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron and sent them to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.


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These were their heads of families: The sons of Reuben, Israel's first-born: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron and Carmi: these are the clans of Reuben.


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The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul son of the Canaanite woman: these are the clans of Simeon.


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These were the names of the sons of Levi with their descendants: Gershon, Kohath and Merari. Levi lived for a hundred and thirty-seven years.


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The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. Kohath lived for a hundred and thirty-three years.


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Amram married Jochebed, his aunt, who bore him Aaron and Moses. Amram lived for a hundred and thirty-seven years.


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Aaron married Elisheba daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.


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Eleazar, son of Aaron, married one of Putiel's daughters who bore him Phinehas. These were the Levitical heads of families, according to clan.


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It was to this Aaron and Moses that Yahweh said, 'Lead the Israelites out of Egypt in their armies.'


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It was they who spoke to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to lead the Israelites out of Egypt -- namely Moses and Aaron.


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But Moses said to Yahweh's face, 'I am a poor speaker, so why should Pharaoh take any notice of me?'


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Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Look, I have made you as a god for Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron is to be your prophet.


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You must say whatever I command you, and your brother Aaron will repeat to Pharaoh that he is to let the Israelites leave his country.


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Since Pharaoh will not listen to you, I shall lay my hand on Egypt and with great acts of judgement lead my armies, my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.


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And the Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh when I stretch out my hand against the Egyptians and lead the Israelites out of their country.'


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'If Pharaoh says to you, "Display some marvel," you must say to Aaron, "Take your staff and throw it down in front of Pharaoh, and let it turn into a serpent!" '


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Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did as Yahweh had ordered. Aaron threw down his staff in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it turned into a serpent.


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Then Pharaoh in his turn called for the sages and sorcerers, and by their spells the magicians of Egypt did the same.


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Pharaoh, however, remained obstinate and, as Yahweh had foretold, refused to listen to Moses and Aaron.


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Go to Pharaoh tomorrow morning as he makes his way to the water, confront him on the river bank and in your hand take the staff that turned into a snake.


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Say to him, "Yahweh, God of the Hebrews, sent me to say: Let my people go and worship in the desert. Up till now, you have refused to listen.


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This is what Yahweh says: You will know that I am Yahweh by this: with the staff that is in my hand I shall strike the waters of the River and they will turn to blood.


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The fish in the river will die, and the River will stink, and the Egyptians will not be able to drink the river water." '


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Yahweh said to Moses, 'Say to Aaron, "Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt -- over their rivers and canals, their marshland, and all their reservoirs -- and they will turn to blood. There will be blood throughout the whole of Egypt, even in sticks and stones." '


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Moses and Aaron did as Yahweh ordered. He raised his staff and struck the waters of the River, with Pharaoh and his officials looking on, and all the water in the River turned to blood.


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The fish in the River died, and the River stank; and the Egyptians could no longer drink the River water. Throughout the whole of Egypt there was blood.


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But by their spells the magicians of Egypt did the same; Pharaoh remained obstinate and, as Yahweh had foretold, refused to listen to Moses and Aaron.


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And the Egyptians all dug holes along the river-bank in search of drinking water, since they could not drink the River water.


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Then Yahweh said to Moses, 'Go to Pharaoh and say to him, "Yahweh says this: Let my people go and worship me.


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The River will swarm with frogs; they will make their way into your palace, into your bedroom, onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and subjects, into your ovens, into your kneading bowls.


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Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Say to Aaron, "Stretch out your hand with your staff, over the rivers, the canals and the marshland, and bring the frogs up over the land of Egypt." '


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So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.


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Pharaoh then summoned Moses and Aaron and said, 'Entreat Yahweh to take the frogs away from me and my subjects, and I promise to let the people go and sacrifice to Yahweh.'


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Moses said to Pharaoh, 'You are the one to gain by it: when would you like me to pray for you, your officials and your subjects, so as to rid you and your houses of the frogs so that they will be left only in the River?'


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'Tomorrow,' he said. Moses said, 'It shall be as you say, so that you will know that there is no one like Yahweh our God.


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The frogs will leave you, your houses, your officials and your subjects and will be left only in the River.'


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Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh's presence, and Moses pleaded with Yahweh about the frogs which he had inflicted on Pharaoh.


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But once Pharaoh saw that there had been a respite, he became obstinate and, as Yahweh had foretold, refused to listen to them.


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Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Say to Aaron, "Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, and it will turn into mosquitoes throughout the whole of Egypt." '


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Aaron stretched out his hand, with his staff, and struck the dust of the earth, and there were mosquitoes on man and beast; all the dust of the earth turned into mosquitoes throughout the whole of Egypt.


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By their spells the magicians tried to produce mosquitoes in the same way but failed, and there were mosquitoes on man and beast.


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So the magicians said to Pharaoh, 'This is the finger of God.' But Pharaoh was obstinate and, as Yahweh had foretold, refused to listen to them.


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Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Get up early in the morning and confront Pharaoh as he makes his way to the water. Say to him, "Yahweh says this: Let my people go and worship me.


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But if you will not let my people go, I shall send horseflies on you, on your officials, your subjects and your houses. The Egyptians' houses will swarm with horseflies, and so will the very ground they stand on.


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But I shall exempt the region of Goshen, where my people are living, that day; there will be no horseflies there, so that you will know that I am Yahweh, here in this country.


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I shall make a distinction between my people and your people. This sign will take place tomorrow." '


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Yahweh did this, and great swarms of horseflies found their way into Pharaoh's palace, into his officials' houses and all over Egypt; the country was ruined by the horseflies.


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'That would never do,' Moses said, 'since what we sacrifice to Yahweh our God is outrageous to the Egyptians. If the Egyptians see us offering sacrifices which outrage them, won't they stone us?


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We shall make a three-days' journey into the desert to sacrifice to Yahweh our God, as he has ordered us.'


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Pharaoh said, 'I will let you go and sacrifice to Yahweh your God in the desert, provided you do not go very far. Pray for me.'


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'The moment I leave you,' Moses said, 'I shall pray to Yahweh. Tomorrow morning the horseflies will leave Pharaoh, his officials and his subjects. But Pharaoh must stop trifling with us by not allowing the people to go and sacrifice to Yahweh.'


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and Yahweh did as Moses asked; the horseflies left Pharaoh, his officials and his subjects; not one remained.


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Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Go to Pharaoh and say to him, "Yahweh, God of the Hebrews, says this: Let my people go and worship me.


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look, the hand of Yahweh will strike your livestock in the fields, horses, donkeys, camels, oxen and flocks with a deadly plague.


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Yahweh will discriminate between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt: nothing of what belongs to the Israelites will die.


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Next day Yahweh did this: all the Egyptians' livestock died, but nothing of the livestock owned by the Israelites died.


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Pharaoh had enquiries made, and found that of the livestock owned by the Israelites not a single beast had died. But Pharaoh was obstinate and did not let the people go.


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Yahweh then said to Moses and Aaron, 'Take handfuls of soot from the kiln, and before Pharaoh's eyes let Moses throw it in the air.


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It will turn into fine dust over the whole of Egypt and produce boils breaking into sores on man and beast throughout the whole of Egypt.'


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So they took soot from the kiln and stood in front of Pharaoh, and Moses threw it in the air, and on man and beast it brought out boils breaking into sores.


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And the magicians could not compete with Moses in the matter of the boils, for the magicians were covered with boils like all the other Egyptians.


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Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Get up early in the morning and confront Pharaoh. Say to him, "Yahweh, God of the Hebrews, says this: Let my people go and worship me.


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For this time I am going to inflict all my plagues on you, on your officials and on your subjects, so that you will know that there is no one like me in the whole world.


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Had I stretched out my hand to strike you and your subjects with pestilence, you would have been swept from the earth.


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But I have let you survive for this reason: to display my power to you and to have my name talked of throughout the world.


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very well, at about this time tomorrow, I shall cause so severe a hail to fall as was never known in Egypt from the day of its foundation until now.


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So now send word to have your livestock and everything else you own in the fields put under cover. On man or beast, all that happen to be in the fields and are not brought indoors, the hail will fall and they will die." '


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Those of Pharaoh's officials who respected what Yahweh said, brought their slaves and livestock indoors,


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Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Stretch out your hand towards heaven so that it hails throughout the whole of Egypt, on man and beast and on everything growing anywhere in Egypt.'


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Moses stretched out his staff towards heaven, and Yahweh thundered and rained down hail. Lightning struck the earth and Yahweh rained down hail on Egypt.


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And so there was hail, and lightning accompanied the hail, very severe, such as had never been known anywhere in Egypt since it first became a nation.


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All over Egypt the hail struck down everything in the fields, man and beast, and the hail beat down everything growing in the fields and shattered all the trees in the fields.


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Pharaoh then sent for Moses and Aaron and said, 'This time, I have sinned. Yahweh is in the right; I and my subjects are in the wrong.


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Pray to Yahweh, for we cannot bear any more of this thunder and hail. I promise to let you go. You need stay no longer.'


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Moses said to him, 'The moment I leave the city I shall stretch out my hands to Yahweh. The thunder will stop, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth belongs to Yahweh.


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Moses left Pharaoh and went out of the city. He stretched out his hands to Yahweh and the thunder and hail ceased and the rain stopped pouring down on the earth.


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and he and his officials became obstinate again. Pharaoh was stubborn and, as Yahweh had foretold through Moses, refused to let the Israelites go.


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Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Go to Pharaoh, for I have made him and his officials stubborn, to display these signs of mine among them;


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so that you can tell your sons and your grandsons how I made fools of the Egyptians and what signs I performed among them, so that you would know that I am Yahweh.'


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Moses and Aaron then went to Pharaoh and said to him, 'Yahweh, God of the Hebrews, says this, "How much longer will you refuse to submit to me? Let my people go and worship me.


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They will cover the surface of the soil so that the soil cannot be seen. They will devour the remainder of what has escaped, of what you have been left after the hail; they will devour all your trees growing in the fields;


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they will fill your houses, all your officials' houses and all the Egyptians' houses -- something your ancestors and your ancestors' ancestors have never seen from the day they first appeared on earth until now." ' Then he turned on his heel and left Pharaoh's presence.


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At which, Pharaoh's officials said to him, 'How much longer are we to be tricked by this fellow? Let the people go and worship Yahweh their God. Do you not finally realise that Egypt is on the brink of ruin?'


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So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh who said to them, 'Go and worship Yahweh your God. But who are to go?'


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Moses replied, 'We shall take our young men and our old men, we shall take our sons and daughters, our flocks and our herds, since we are going to hold a feast in Yahweh's honour.'


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Pharaoh said, 'So I must let you go with your wives and children! May Yahweh preserve you! Plainly, you are up to no good!


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Oh no! You men may go and worship Yahweh, since that was your original request.' With that, they were driven from Pharaoh's presence.


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Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Stretch out your hand over Egypt for the locusts. Let them invade Egypt and devour whatever is growing in the country, whatever the hail has left!'


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Moses stretched his staff over Egypt, and over the country Yahweh sent an east wind which blew all that day and night. By morning, the east wind had brought the locusts.


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The locusts invaded the whole of Egypt and settled all over Egypt, in great swarms; never had there been so many locusts before, nor would there be again.


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They covered the surface of the ground till the land was devastated. They devoured whatever was growing in the fields and all the fruit on the trees that the hail had left. No green was left on tree or plant in the fields anywhere in Egypt.


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Pharaoh sent urgently for Moses and Aaron and said, 'I have sinned against Yahweh your God and against you.


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Now forgive my sin, I implore you, just this once, and entreat Yahweh your God to turn this deadly thing away from me.'


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and Yahweh changed the wind into a west wind, very strong, which carried the locusts away and swept them into the Sea of Reeds. There was not one locust left in the whole of Egypt.


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Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Stretch out your hand towards heaven, and let darkness, darkness so thick that it can be felt, cover Egypt.'


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So Moses stretched out his hand towards heaven, and for three days there was thick darkness over the whole of Egypt.


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No one could see anyone else or move about for three days, but all the Israelites did have light where they were living.


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Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, 'Go and worship Yahweh, but your flocks and herds are to stay here. Your wives and children can go with you too.'


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And our livestock will go with us too; not a hoof will be left behind; for we may need animals from these to worship Yahweh our God; for until we get there we ourselves cannot tell how we are to worship Yahweh.'


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Pharaoh said to Moses, 'Out of my sight! Be sure you never see my face again, for the next time you see my face you die!'


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Yahweh then said to Moses, 'I shall inflict one more plague on Pharaoh and Egypt, after which he will let you go away. When he lets you go, he will actually drive you out!


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Now instruct the people that every man is to ask his neighbour, and every woman hers, for silver and golden jewellery.'


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And Yahweh made the Egyptians impressed with the people, while Moses himself was a man of great importance in Egypt in the opinion of Pharaoh's officials and the people.


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and all the first-born in Egypt will die, from the first-born of Pharaoh, heir to his throne, to the first-born of the slave-girl at the mill, and all the first-born of the livestock.


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But against the Israelites, whether man or beast, never a dog shall bark, so that you may know that Yahweh discriminates between Egypt and Israel.


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Then all these officials of yours will come down to me and, bowing low before me, say: Go away, you and all the people who follow you! After which, I shall go." ' And, hot with anger, he left Pharaoh's presence.


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Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Pharaoh will not listen to you, so that more of my wonders may be displayed in Egypt.'


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Moses and Aaron worked all these wonders in Pharaoh's presence, but Yahweh made Pharaoh stubborn, and he did not let the Israelites leave his country.


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Speak to the whole community of Israel and say, "On the tenth day of this month each man must take an animal from the flock for his family: one animal for each household.


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If the household is too small for the animal, he must join with his neighbour nearest to his house, depending on the number of persons. When you choose the animal, you will take into account what each can eat.


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It must be an animal without blemish, a male one year old; you may choose it either from the sheep or from the goats.


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You must keep it till the fourteenth day of the month when the whole assembly of the community of Israel will slaughter it at twilight.


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Some of the blood must then be taken and put on both door-posts and the lintel of the houses where it is eaten.


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That night, the flesh must be eaten, roasted over the fire; it must be eaten with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.


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Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted over the fire, with the head, feet and entrails.


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This is how you must eat it: with a belt round your waist, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. You must eat it hurriedly: it is a Passover in Yahweh's honour.


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That night, I shall go through Egypt and strike down all the first-born in Egypt, man and beast alike, and shall execute justice on all the gods of Egypt, I, Yahweh!


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The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are. When I see the blood I shall pass over you, and you will escape the destructive plague when I strike Egypt.


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This day must be commemorated by you, and you must keep it as a feast in Yahweh's honour. You must keep it as a feast-day for all generations; this is a decree for all time.


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"For seven days you must eat unleavened bread. On the first day you must clean the leaven out of your houses, for anyone who eats leavened bread from the first to the seventh day must be outlawed from Israel.


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On the first day you must hold a sacred assembly, and on the seventh day a sacred assembly. On those days no work may be done; you will prepare only what each requires to eat.


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You must keep the feast of Unleavened Bread because it was on that same day that I brought your armies out of Egypt. You will keep that day, generation after generation; this is a decree for all time.


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In the first month, from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day, you must eat unleavened bread.


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For seven days there may be no leaven in your houses, since anyone, either stranger or citizen of the country, who eats leavened bread will be outlawed from the community of Israel.


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Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, 'Go and choose a lamb or kid for your families, and kill the Passover victim.


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Then take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and with the blood from the basin touch the lintel and both door-posts; then let none of you venture out of the house till morning.


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Then, when Yahweh goes through Egypt to strike it, and sees the blood on the lintel and on both door-posts, he will pass over the door and not allow the Destroyer to enter your homes and strike.


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and when you have entered the country which Yahweh will give you, as he has promised, you will observe this ritual.


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you will tell them, "It is the Passover sacrifice in honour of Yahweh who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt, and struck Egypt but spared our houses." ' And the people bowed in worship.


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And at midnight Yahweh struck down all the first-born in Egypt from the first-born of Pharaoh, heir to his throne, to the first-born of the prisoner in the dungeon, and the first-born of all the livestock.


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Pharaoh and all his officials and all the Egyptians got up in the night, and there was great wailing in Egypt, for there was not a house without its dead.


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It was still dark when Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, 'Up, leave my subjects, you and the Israelites! Go and worship Yahweh as you have asked!


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The Egyptians urged the people on and hurried them out of the country because, they said, 'Otherwise we shall all be dead.'


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So the people carried off their dough still unleavened, their bowls wrapped in their cloaks, on their shoulders.


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The Israelites did as Moses had told them and asked the Egyptians for silver and golden jewellery, and clothing.


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Yahweh made the Egyptians so much impressed with the people that they gave them what they asked. So they despoiled the Egyptians.


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The Israelites left Rameses for Succoth, about six hundred thousand on the march-men, that is, not counting their families.


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And with the dough which they had brought from Egypt they baked unleavened cakes, because the dough had not risen, since they had been driven out of Egypt without time to linger or to prepare food for themselves.


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The night when Yahweh kept vigil to bring them out of Egypt must be kept as a vigil in honour of Yahweh by all Israelites, for all generations.


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It must be eaten in one house alone; you will not take any of the meat out of the house; nor may you break any of its bones.


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Should a stranger residing with you wish to keep the Passover in honour of Yahweh, all the males of his household must be circumcised: he will then be allowed to keep it and will count as a citizen of the country. But no uncircumcised person may eat it.


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'Consecrate all the first-born to me, the first birth from every womb, among the Israelites. Whether man or beast, it is mine.'


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Moses said to the people, 'Remember this day, on which you came out of Egypt, from the place of slave-labour, for by the strength of his hand Yahweh brought you out of it; no leavened bread may be eaten.


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and when Yahweh has brought you into the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, flowing with milk and honey, which he swore to your ancestors that he would give you, then you must observe this rite in the same month.


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For seven days you will eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there must be a feast in Yahweh's honour.


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During these seven days unleavened bread may be eaten; no leavened bread may be seen among you, no leaven among you throughout your territory.


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And on that day you will explain to your son, "This is because of what Yahweh did for me when I came out of Egypt."


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This will serve as a sign on your hand would serve, or a reminder on your forehead, and in that way the law of Yahweh will be ever on your lips: for with a mighty hand Yahweh brought you out of Egypt.


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'When Yahweh has brought you into the Canaanites' country, as he swore to you and your ancestors that he would, and given it to you,


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to Yahweh you must make over whatever first issues from the womb, and every first-born cast by animals belonging to you: these males belong to Yahweh.


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But every first-born donkey you will redeem with a lamb or kid; if you do not redeem it, you must break its neck. All the human first-born, however, among your sons, you will redeem.


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And when your son asks you in days to come, "What does this mean?" you will tell him, "By the strength of his hand Yahweh brought us out of Egypt, out of the place of slave-labour.


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When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, Yahweh killed all the first-born in Egypt, of man and beast alike. This is why I sacrifice every male first issuing from the womb to Yahweh and redeem every first-born of my sons."


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This will serve as a sign on your hand would serve, or a headband on your forehead, for by the strength of his hand Yahweh brought us out of Egypt.'


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When Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not let them take the road to the Philistines' territory, although that was the shortest, 'in case', God thought, 'the prospect of fighting makes the people change their minds and turn back to Egypt.'


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Instead, God led the people a roundabout way through the desert of the Sea of Reeds. The Israelites left Egypt fully armed.


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Moses took with him the bones of Joseph, since Joseph had put the Israelites on solemn oath with the words, 'It is sure that God will visit you,' he had said, 'and when that day comes you must take my bones away from here with you.'


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Yahweh preceded them, by day in a pillar of cloud to show them the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could march by day and by night.


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The pillar of cloud never left its place ahead of the people during the day, nor the pillar of fire during the night.


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'Tell the Israelites to turn back and pitch camp in front of Pi-Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, facing Baal-Zephon. You must pitch your camp opposite this place, beside the sea,


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and then Pharaoh will think, "The Israelites are wandering to and fro in the countryside; the desert has closed in on them."


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I shall then make Pharaoh stubborn and he will set out in pursuit of them; and I shall win glory for myself at the expense of Pharaoh and his whole army, and then the Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh.' And the Israelites did this.


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When Pharaoh king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, he and his officials changed their attitude towards the people. 'What have we done,' they said, 'allowing Israel to leave our service?'


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Yahweh made Pharaoh king of Egypt stubborn, and he gave chase to the Israelites. The Israelites marched confidently away,


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but the Egyptians, all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, his horsemen and his army, gave chase and caught up with them where they lay encamped beside the sea near Pi-Hahiroth, facing Baal-Zephon.


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As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up -- and there were the Egyptians in pursuit of them! The Israelites were terrified and cried out to Yahweh for help.


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To Moses they said, 'Was it for lack of graves in Egypt, that you had to lead us out to die in the desert? What was the point of bringing us out of Egypt?


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Did we not tell you as much in Egypt? Leave us alone, we said, we would rather work for the Egyptians! We prefer to work for the Egyptians than to die in the desert!'


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Moses said to the people, 'Do not be afraid! Stand firm, and you will see what Yahweh will do to rescue you today: the Egyptians you see today you will never see again.


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Your part is to raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, so that the Israelites can walk through the sea on dry ground,


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while I, for my part, shall make the Egyptians so stubborn that they will follow them, and I shall win glory for myself at the expense of Pharaoh and all his army, chariots and horsemen.


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And when I have won glory for myself at the expense of Pharaoh and his chariots and horsemen, the Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh.'


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Then the angel of God, who preceded the army of Israel, changed station and followed behind them. The pillar of cloud moved from their front and took position behind them.


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It came between the army of the Egyptians and the army of Israel. The cloud was dark, and the night passed without the one drawing any closer to the other the whole night long.


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Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and Yahweh drove the sea back with a strong easterly wind all night and made the sea into dry land. The waters were divided


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and the Israelites went on dry ground right through the sea, with walls of water to right and left of them.


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The Egyptians gave chase, and all Pharaoh's horses, chariots and horsemen went into the sea after them.


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In the morning watch, Yahweh looked down on the army of the Egyptians from the pillar of fire and cloud and threw the Egyptian army into confusion.


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He so clogged their chariot wheels that they drove on only with difficulty, which made the Egyptians say, 'Let us flee from Israel, for Yahweh is fighting on their side against the Egyptians!'


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Then Yahweh said to Moses, 'Stretch out your hand over the sea and let the waters flow back on the Egyptians and on their chariots and their horsemen.'


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Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and, as day broke, the sea returned to its bed. The fleeing Egyptians ran straight into it, and Yahweh overthrew the Egyptians in the middle of the sea.


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The returning waters washed right over the chariots and horsemen of Pharaoh's entire army, which had followed the Israelites into the sea; not a single one of them was left.


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The Israelites, however, had marched through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water to right and left of them.


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That day, Yahweh rescued Israel from the clutches of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the sea-shore.


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When Israel saw the mighty deed that Yahweh had performed against the Egyptians, the people revered Yahweh and put their faith in Yahweh and in Moses, his servant.


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It was then that Moses and the Israelites sang this song in Yahweh's honour: I shall sing to Yahweh, for he has covered himself in glory, horse and rider he has thrown into the sea.


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Yah is my strength and my song, to him I owe my deliverance. He is my God and I shall praise him, my father's God and I shall extol him.


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Pharaoh's chariots and army he has hurled into the sea the pick of his officers have been drowned in the Sea of Reeds.


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and by your great majesty you fell your assailants; you unleash your fury, it consumes them like chaff.


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A blast from your nostrils and the waters piled high; the waves stood firm as a dyke; the bed of the sea became firm ground.


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The enemy said, 'I shall give chase and overtake, 'I shall share out the spoil and glut myself on them, 'I shall draw my sword, my hand will destroy them.'


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Yahweh, who is like you, majestic in sanctity, who like you among the holy ones, fearsome of deed, worker of wonders?


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In your faithful love you led out the people you had redeemed, in your strength you have guided them to your holy dwelling.


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the chieftains of Edom are dismayed, Moab's princes -- panic has seized them, all the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away.


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On them fall terror and dread; through the power of your arm they are still as stone while your people are passing, Yahweh, while the people you have purchased are passing.


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You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain which is your heritage, the place which you, Yahweh, have made your dwelling, the sanctuary, Yahweh, prepared by your own hands.


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For when Pharaoh's cavalry, with his chariots and horsemen, had gone into the sea, Yahweh brought the waters of the sea back over them, though the Israelites went on dry ground right through the sea.


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The prophetess Miriam, Aaron's sister, took up a tambourine, and all the women followed her with tambourines, dancing,


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while Miriam took up from them the refrain: Sing to Yahweh, for he has covered himself in glory, horse and rider he has thrown into the sea.


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Moses led Israel away from the Sea of Reeds, and they entered the desert of Shur. They then travelled through the desert for three days without finding water.


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When they reached Marah, they could not drink the Marah water because it was bitter; this is why the place was named Marah.


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Moses appealed to Yahweh for help, and Yahweh showed him a piece of wood. When Moses threw it into the water, the water became sweet. There he laid down a statute and law for them and there he put them to the test. Then he said,


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'If you listen carefully to the voice of Yahweh your God and do what he regards as right, if you pay attention to his commandments and keep all his laws, I shall never inflict on you any of the diseases that I inflicted on the Egyptians, for I am Yahweh your Healer.'


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So they came to Elim where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees; and there they pitched camp beside the water.


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Setting out from Elim, the whole community of Israelites entered the desert of Sin, lying between Elim and Sinai -- on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left Egypt.


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and said to them, 'Why did we not die at Yahweh's hand in Egypt, where we used to sit round the flesh pots and could eat to our heart's content! As it is, you have led us into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death!'


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Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Look, I shall rain down bread for you from the heavens. Each day the people must go out and collect their ration for the day; I propose to test them in this way to see whether they will follow my law or not.


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On the sixth day, however, when they prepare what they have brought in, this must be twice as much as they collect on ordinary days.'


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Moses and Aaron then said to the whole community of Israelites, 'This evening you will know that it was Yahweh who brought you out of Egypt,


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and tomorrow morning you will see the glory of Yahweh, for Yahweh has heard your complaints about him. What are we, that your complaint should be against us?'


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Moses then said, 'This evening Yahweh will give you meat to eat, and tomorrow morning bread to your heart's content, for Yahweh has heard your complaints about him. What do we count for? Your complaints are not against us, but against Yahweh.'


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Moses then said to Aaron, 'Say to the whole community of Israelites, "Approach Yahweh's presence, for he has heard your complaints." '


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As Aaron was speaking to the whole community of Israelites, they turned towards the desert, and there the glory of Yahweh appeared in the cloud.


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'I have heard the Israelites' complaints. Speak to them as follows, "At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will have bread to your heart's content, and then you will know that I am Yahweh your God." '


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That evening, quails flew in and covered the camp, and next morning there was a layer of dew all round the camp.


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When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the desert was something fine and granular, as fine as hoarfrost on the ground.


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As soon as the Israelites saw this, they said to one another, 'What is that ?' not knowing what it was. 'That', Moses told them, 'is the food which Yahweh has given you to eat.


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These are Yahweh's orders: Each of you must collect as much as he needs to eat -- a homer per head for each person in his tent.'


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When they measured out what they had collected by the homer, no one who had collected more had too much, no one who had collected less had too little. Each had collected as much as he needed to eat.


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But some of them took no notice of Moses and kept part of it for the following day, and it bred maggots and smelt foul; and Moses was angry with them.


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Morning by morning they collected it, each man as much as he needed to eat, and once the sun grew hot, it melted away.


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Now, on the sixth day they collected twice the amount of food: two homer per person, and all the leaders of the community came and told Moses this.


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Moses replied, 'This is what Yahweh said, "Tomorrow is a day of complete rest, a Sabbath sacred to Yahweh. Bake what you want to bake, boil what you want to boil; put aside what is left over, to be kept for tomorrow."


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So, as Moses ordered, they put it aside for the following day, and its smell was not foul nor were there maggots in it.


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'Eat it today,' Moses said, 'for today is a Sabbath for Yahweh; you will find none in the fields today.


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Look, Yahweh has given you the Sabbath; this is why he gives you two days' food on the sixth day; each of you must stay in his place; on the seventh day no one may leave his home.'


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The House of Israel named it 'manna'. It was like coriander seed; it was white and its taste was like that of wafers made with honey.


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Moses then said, 'These are Yahweh's orders: Fill a homer with it and preserve it for your descendants, so that they can see the bread on which I fed you in the desert when I brought you out of Egypt.'


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Moses then said to Aaron, 'Take a jar and in it put a full homer of manna and store it in Yahweh's presence, to be kept for your descendants.'


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Accordingly, Aaron stored it in front of the Testimony, to be preserved, as Yahweh had ordered Moses.


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The Israelites ate manna for forty years, up to the time they reached inhabited country: they ate manna up to the time they reached the frontiers of Canaan.


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The whole community of Israelites left the desert of Sin, travelling by stages as Yahweh ordered. They pitched camp at Rephidim where there was no water for the people to drink.


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The people took issue with Moses for this and said, 'Give us water to drink.' Moses replied, 'Why take issue with me? Why do you put Yahweh to the test?'


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But tormented by thirst, the people complained to Moses. 'Why did you bring us out of Egypt,' they said, 'only to make us, our children and our livestock, die of thirst?'


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Moses appealed to Yahweh for help. 'How am I to deal with this people?' he said. 'Any moment now they will stone me!'


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Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Go on ahead of the people, taking some of the elders of Israel with you; in your hand take the staff with which you struck the River, and go.


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I shall be waiting for you there on the rock (at Horeb). Strike the rock, and water will come out for the people to drink.' This was what Moses did, with the elders of Israel looking on.


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He gave the place the names Massah and Meribah because of the Israelites' contentiousness and because they put Yahweh to the test by saying, 'Is Yahweh with us, or not?'


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Moses said to Joshua, 'Pick some men and tomorrow morning go out and engage Amalek. I, for my part, shall take my stand on the hilltop with the staff of God in my hand.'


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Joshua did as Moses had told him and went out to engage Amalek, while Moses, Aaron and Hur went up to the top of the hill.


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As long as Moses kept his arms raised, Israel had the advantage; when he let his arms fall, the advantage went to Amalek.


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But Moses' arms grew heavy, so they took a stone and put it under him and on this he sat, with Aaron and Hur supporting his arms on each side. Thus his arms remained unwavering till sunset,


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Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Write this down in a book to commemorate it, and repeat it over to Joshua, for I shall blot out all memory of Amalek under heaven.'


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meaning, 'Lay hold of Yahweh's banner! Yahweh will be at war with Amalek generation after generation.'


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Jethro, priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, had heard all about what God had done for Moses and for Israel his people: how Yahweh had brought Israel out of Egypt.


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with her two sons; one of them was called Gershom because, he had said, 'I am an alien in a foreign land,'


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and the other called Eliezer because 'My father's God is my help and has delivered me from Pharaoh's sword.'


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Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, with Moses' sons and wife, came to Moses in the desert where he was encamped, at the mountain of God.


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So Moses went out to greet his father-in-law, bowed low to him and kissed him; and when each had asked how the other was they went into the tent.


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Moses then told his father-in-law all about what Yahweh had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel's sake, and about all the hardships that they had encountered on the way, and how Yahweh had rescued them.


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And Jethro was delighted at all Yahweh's goodness to Israel in having rescued them from the clutches of the Egyptians.


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'Blessed be Yahweh', Jethro exclaimed, 'for having rescued you from the clutches of the Egyptians and the clutches of Pharaoh, for having rescued the people from the grasp of the Egyptians!


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Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, then offered a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God; and Aaron and all the elders of Israel came and ate with Moses' father-in-law in the presence of God.


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On the following day, Moses took his seat to administer justice for the people, and the people were standing round him from morning till evening.


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Seeing all he did for the people, Moses' father-in-law said to him, 'Why do you do this for the people, why sit here alone with the people standing round you from morning till evening?'


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When they have a problem they come to me, and I give a ruling between the one and the other and make God's statutes and laws known to them.'


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You will only tire yourself out, and the people with you too, for the work is too heavy for you. You cannot do it all yourself.


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Now listen to the advice I am going to give you, and God be with you! Your task is to represent the people to God, to lay their cases before God,


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and to teach them the statutes and laws, and show them the way they ought to follow and how they ought to behave.


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At the same time, from the people at large choose capable and God-fearing men, men who are trustworthy and incorruptible, and put them in charge of them as heads of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens,


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and make them the people's permanent judges. They will refer all important matters to you, but all minor matters they will decide themselves, so making things easier for you by sharing the burden with you.


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If you do this -- and may God so command you -- you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.'


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Moses chose capable men from all Israel and put them in charge of the people as heads of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.


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These acted as the people's permanent judges. They referred hard cases to Moses but decided minor matters themselves.


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Setting out from Rephidim, they reached the desert of Sinai and pitched camp in the desert; there, facing the mountain, Israel pitched camp.


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Moses then went up to God, and Yahweh called to him from the mountain, saying, 'Say this to the House of Jacob! Tell the Israelites,


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"You have seen for yourselves what I did to the Egyptians and how I carried you away on eagle's wings and brought you to me.


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So now, if you are really prepared to obey me and keep my covenant, you, out of all peoples, shall be my personal possession, for the whole world is mine.


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For me you shall be a kingdom of priests, a holy nation." Those are the words you are to say to the Israelites.'


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So Moses went and summoned the people's elders and acquainted them with everything that Yahweh had bidden him,


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and the people all replied with one accord, 'Whatever Yahweh has said, we will do.' Moses then reported to Yahweh what the people had said.


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Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Look, I shall come to you in a dense cloud so that the people will hear when I speak to you and believe you ever after.' Moses then told Yahweh what the people had said.


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Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Go to the people and tell them to sanctify themselves today and tomorrow. They must wash their clothes


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and be ready for the day after tomorrow; for the day after tomorrow, in the sight of all the people, Yahweh will descend on Mount Sinai.


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You will mark out the limits of the mountain and say, "Take care not to go up the mountain or to touch the edge of it. Anyone who touches the mountain will be put to death.


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No one may lay a hand on him: he must be stoned or shot by arrow; whether man or beast, he shall not live." When the ram's horn sounds a long blast, they must go up the mountain.'


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So Moses came down from the mountain to the people; he made the people sanctify themselves and they washed their clothes.


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Now at daybreak two days later, there were peals of thunder and flashes of lightning, dense cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast; and, in the camp, all the people trembled.


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Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God; and they took their stand at the bottom of the mountain.


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Mount Sinai was entirely wrapped in smoke, because Yahweh had descended on it in the form of fire. The smoke rose like smoke from a furnace and the whole mountain shook violently.


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Yahweh descended on Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain, and Yahweh called Moses to the top of the mountain; and Moses went up.


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Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Go down and warn the people not to break through to look at Yahweh, or many of them will perish.


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Even the priests, who do have access to Yahweh, must sanctify themselves, or Yahweh may burst out against them.'


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Moses said to Yahweh, 'The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, since you yourself warned us to mark out the limits of the mountain and declare it sacred.'


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Yahweh said, 'Away with you! Go down! Then come back bringing Aaron with you. But do not allow the priests and people to break through to come up to Yahweh, or he may burst out against them.'


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'You shall not make yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything in heaven above or on earth beneath or in the waters under the earth.


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'You shall not bow down to them or serve them. For I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God and I punish a parent's fault in the children, the grandchildren, and the great-grandchildren among those who hate me;


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'You shall not misuse the name of Yahweh your God, for Yahweh will not leave unpunished anyone who misuses his name.


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but the seventh day is a Sabbath for Yahweh your God. You shall do no work that day, neither you nor your son nor your daughter nor your servants, men or women, nor your animals nor the alien living with you.


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For in six days Yahweh made the heavens, earth and sea and all that these contain, but on the seventh day he rested; that is why Yahweh has blessed the Sabbath day and made it sacred.


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'Honour your father and your mother so that you may live long in the land that Yahweh your God is giving you.


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'You shall not set your heart on your neighbour's house. You shall not set your heart on your neighbour's spouse, or servant, man or woman, or ox, or donkey, or any of your neighbour's possessions.'


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Seeing the thunder pealing, the lightning flashing, the trumpet blasting and the mountain smoking, the people were all terrified and kept their distance.


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'Speak to us yourself,' they said to Moses, 'and we will obey; but do not let God speak to us, or we shall die.'


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Moses said to the people, 'Do not be afraid; God has come to test you, so that your fear of him, being always in your mind, may keep you from sinning.'


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Yahweh said to Moses, 'Tell the Israelites this, "You have seen for yourselves how I have spoken to you from heaven.


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"You must make me an altar of earth on which to sacrifice your burnt offerings and communion sacrifices, your sheep and cattle. Wherever I choose to have my name remembered, I shall come to you and bless you.


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If you make me an altar of stone, do not build it of dressed stones; for if you use a chisel on it, you will profane it.


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'When you buy a Hebrew slave, his service will last for six years. In the seventh year he will leave a free man without paying compensation.


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If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children will belong to her master, and he will depart alone.


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then his master will bring him before God and then, leading him to the door or the doorpost, his master will pierce his ear with an awl, and the slave will be permanently his.


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If she does not please her master who intended her for himself, he must let her be bought back: he has not the right to sell her to foreigners, for this would be a breach of faith with her.


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If he takes another wife, he must not reduce the food, clothing or conjugal rights of the first one.


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Should he deprive her of these three things she will leave a free woman, without paying compensation.


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If, however, he has not planned to do it but it comes from God by his hand, he can take refuge in a place which I shall appoint for you.


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But should any person dare to kill another with deliberate planning, you will take that person even from my altar to be put to death.


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Anyone who abducts a person -- whether that person has since been sold or is still held -- will be put to death.


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'If people quarrel and one strikes the other a blow with stone or fist so that the injured party, though not dead, is confined to bed,


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but later recovers and can go about, even with a stick, the one who struck the blow will have no liability, other than to compensate the injured party for the enforced inactivity and to take care of the injured party until the cure is complete.


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'If someone beats his slave, male or female, and the slave dies at his hands, he must pay the penalty.


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But should the slave survive for one or two days, he will pay no penalty because the slave is his by right of purchase.


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'If people, when brawling, hurt a pregnant woman and she suffers a miscarriage but no further harm is done, the person responsible will pay compensation as fixed by the woman's master, paying as much as the judges decide.


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'If anyone strikes the eye of his slave, male or female, and destroys the use of it, he will give the slave his freedom to compensate for the eye.


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If he knocks out the tooth of his slave, male or female, he will give the slave his freedom to compensate for the tooth.


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'If an ox gores a man or woman to death, the ox will be stoned and its meat will not be eaten, but the owner of the ox will not be liable.


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But if the ox has been in the habit of goring before, and if its owner has been warned but has not kept it under control, then should this ox kill a man or woman, it will be stoned and its owner put to death.


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If the ox gores a slave, male or female, its owner will pay the price -- thirty shekels -- to their master, and the ox will be stoned.


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'If anyone leaves a pit uncovered, or digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox, or donkey falls into it,


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then the owner of the pit will make good the loss by compensating its owner, and the dead animal will be his.


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If anyone's ox injures anyone else's ox causing its death, the owners will sell and share the money for it; they will also share the dead animal.


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But if it is common knowledge that the ox has been in the habit of goring before, and its owner has not kept it under control, the owner will repay ox for ox, and will keep the dead animal.


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'If anyone steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters or sells it, he will pay back five beasts from the herd for the ox, and four animals from the flock for the sheep.'


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but if it happens after sunrise, his blood may be avenged. He will make full restitution; if he has not the means, he will be sold to pay for what he has stolen.


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If the stolen animal is found alive in his possession, be it ox, donkey or animal from the flock, he will pay back double.


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'If anyone puts his animals out to graze in a field or vineyard and lets them graze in someone else's field, he will make restitution for the part of the field that has been grazed on the basis of its yield. But if he has let the whole field be grazed, he will make restitution in proportion to the best crop of the field or vineyard.


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'If a fire breaks out, setting light to thorn bushes and burning stacks, standing corn or the field as a result, the person who started the fire will make full restitution.


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'If anyone entrusts money or goods to someone else's keeping and these are stolen from that person's house, the thief, if he can be discovered, will repay double.


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Should the thief not be discovered, the owner of the house will come into the presence of God, to declare that he has not laid hands on the other person's property.


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'In every case of law-breaking involving an ox, donkey, animal from the flock, clothing or lost property of any sort, the ownership of which is disputed, both parties will lay their case before God. The party whom God pronounces guilty will pay back double to the other.


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'If anyone entrusts a donkey, ox, animal from the flock or any other animal to someone else's keeping, and it dies or breaks a limb or is carried off without anyone seeing,


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an oath by Yahweh will decide between the two parties whether the keeper has laid hands on the other's property or not. The owner will take what remains, the keeper will not have to make good the loss.


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If it has been savaged by a wild animal, he must bring the savaged remains of the animal as evidence, and will then not have to make restitution.


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'If anyone borrows an animal from someone else, and it breaks a limb or dies in the owner's absence, he will make full restitution.


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But if the animal's owner has been present, he will not have to make good the loss. If the owner has hired it out, he will get the cost of its hire.


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'If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged to be married, he will pay her bride-price and make her his wife.


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If her father absolutely refuses to let him have her, he will pay a sum equivalent to the bride-price of a virgin.


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if you ill-treat them in any way and they make an appeal to me for help, I shall certainly hear their appeal,


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my anger will be roused and I shall put you to the sword; then your own wives will be widows and your own children orphans.


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'If you lend money to any of my people, to anyone poor among you, you will not play the usurer with him: you will not demand interest from him.


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It is all the covering he has; it is the cloak he wraps his body in; what else will he sleep in? If he appeals to me, I shall listen. At least with me he will find compassion!


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'Do not be slow about making offerings from your abundance and your surplus. You will give me the first-born of your children;


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you will do the same with your flocks and herds. For the first seven days the first-born will stay with its mother; on the eighth day you will give it to me.


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'You must be people consecrated to me. You will not eat the meat of anything in the countryside savaged by wild animals; you will throw it to the dogs.'


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'You will not spread false rumours. You will not lend support to the wicked by giving untrue evidence.


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You will not be led into wrong-doing by the majority nor, when giving evidence in a lawsuit, side with the majority to pervert the course of justice;


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If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen under its load, do not stand back; you must go and help him with it.


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Keep clear of fraud. Do not cause the death of the innocent or upright, and do not acquit the guilty.


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You will accept no bribes, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and is the ruin of the cause of the upright.


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'You will not oppress the alien; you know how an alien feels, for you yourselves were once aliens in Egypt.


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but in the seventh year you will let it lie fallow and forgo all produce from it, so that those of your people who are poor can take food from it and the wild animals eat what they have left. You will do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove.


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'For six days you will do your work, and on the seventh you will rest, so that your ox and your donkey may rest and the child of your slave-girl have a breathing space, and the alien too.


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'Take notice of everything I have told you and do not mention the name of any other god: let none ever be heard from your lips.


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You will observe the feast of Unleavened Bread. For seven days you will eat unleavened bread, as I have commanded you, at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in that month you came out of Egypt. No one will appear before me empty-handed.


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You will also observe the feast of Harvest, of the first-fruits of your labours in sowing the fields, and the feast of Ingathering, at the end of the year, once you have brought the fruits of your labours in from the fields.


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'You will not offer the blood of my victim with leavened bread, nor will the fat of my feast be kept till the following day.


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'You will bring the best of the first-fruits of your soil to the house of Yahweh your God. 'You will not boil a kid in its mother's milk.


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'Look, I am sending an angel to precede you, to guard you as you go and bring you to the place that I have prepared.


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Revere him and obey what he says. Do not defy him: he will not forgive any wrong-doing on your part, for my name is in him.


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If, however, you obey what he says and do whatever I order, I shall be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes.


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My angel will precede you and lead you to the home of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, whom I shall exterminate.


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You will not bow down to their gods or worship them or observe their rites, but throw them down and smash their cultic stones.


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You will worship Yahweh your God, and then I shall bless your food and water, and keep you free of sickness.


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In your country no woman will miscarry, none be sterile, and I shall give you your full term of life.


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'I shall send terror of myself ahead of you; I shall throw all the peoples you encounter into confusion, and make all your enemies take to their heels.


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I shall not drive them out ahead of you in a single year, or the land might become a desert where wild animals would multiply to your cost.


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I shall drive them out little by little before you, until your numbers grow sufficient for you to take possession of the land.


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And your frontiers I shall fix from the Sea of Reeds to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the River, for I shall put the inhabitants of the territory at your mercy, and you will drive them out before you.


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They may not stay in your country or they might make you sin against me, for you would serve their gods, and that would be a snare for you!'


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He then said to Moses, 'Come up to Yahweh, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel and bow down at a distance.


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Moses alone will approach Yahweh; the others will not approach, nor will the people come up with him.'


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Moses went and told the people all Yahweh's words and all the laws, and all the people answered with one voice, 'All the words Yahweh has spoken we will carry out!'


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Moses put all Yahweh's words into writing, and early next morning he built an altar at the foot of the mountain, with twelve standing-stones for the twelve tribes of Israel.


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Then he sent certain young Israelites to offer burnt offerings and sacrifice bullocks to Yahweh as communion sacrifices.


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Moses then took half the blood and put it into basins, and the other half he sprinkled on the altar.


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Then, taking the Book of the Covenant, he read it to the listening people, who then said, 'We shall do everything that Yahweh has said; we shall obey.'


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Moses then took the blood and sprinkled it over the people, saying, 'This is the blood of the covenant which Yahweh has made with you, entailing all these stipulations.'


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and they saw the God of Israel beneath whose feet there was what looked like a sapphire pavement pure as the heavens themselves,


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Yahweh said to Moses, 'Come up to me on the mountain. Stay there, and I will give you the stone tablets -- the law and the commandment -- which I have written for their instruction.'


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He said to the elders, 'Wait here for us until we come back to you. You have Aaron and Hur with you; if anyone has any matter to settle, let him go to them.'


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The glory of Yahweh rested on Mount Sinai and the cloud covered it for six days. On the seventh day Yahweh called to Moses from inside the cloud.


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Moses went right into the cloud and went on up the mountain. Moses stayed on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.


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'Tell the Israelites to set aside a contribution for me; you will accept a contribution from everyone whose heart prompts him to give it.


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You will make it all according to the design for the Dwelling and the design for its furnishings which I shall now show you.


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'You must make me an ark of acacia wood, two and a half cubits long, one and a half cubits wide and one and a half cubits high.


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You will cast four gold rings for it and fix them to its four supports: two rings on one side and two rings on the other.


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'You will also make a mercy-seat of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and one and a half cubits wide,


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and you will model two great winged creatures of beaten gold, you will make them at the two ends of the mercy-seat.


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Model one of the winged creatures at one end and the other winged creature at the other end; you will model the winged creatures of a piece with the mercy-seat at either end.


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The winged creatures must have their wings spread upwards, protecting the mercy-seat with their wings and facing each other, their faces being towards the mercy-seat.


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You will put the mercy-seat on the top of the ark, and inside the ark you will put the Testimony which I am about to give you.


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There I shall come to meet you; from above the mercy-seat, from between the two winged creatures which are on the ark of the Testimony, I shall give you all my orders for the Israelites.


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'You must also make a table of acacia wood, two cubits long, one cubit wide and one and a half cubits high.


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You will make four gold rings for it and fix the four rings at the four corners where the four legs are.


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You must make the shafts of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. The table must be carried by these.


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'You will also make a lamp-stand of pure gold; the lamp-stand must be of beaten gold, base and stem. Its cups, calyxes and petals, must be of a piece with it.


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Six branches must spring from its sides: three of the lamp-stand's branches from one side, three of the lamp-stand's branches from the other.


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The first branch must carry three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with its calyx and petals; the second branch, too, must carry three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with its calyx and bud, and similarly for all six branches springing from the lamp-stand.


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The lamp-stand itself must carry four cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with its calyx and bud:


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one calyx under the first two branches springing from the lamp-stand, one calyx under the next pair of branches and one calyx under the last pair of branches -- thus for all six branches springing from the lamp-stand.


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The calyxes and the branches will be of a piece with the lamp-stand, and the whole made from a single piece of pure gold, beaten out.


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You will also make seven lamps for it and mount the lamps in such a way that they light up the space in front of it.


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'The Dwelling itself you will make with ten sheets of finely woven linen dyed violet-purple, red-purple and crimson. You will have them embroidered with great winged creatures.


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The length of a single sheet is to be twenty-eight cubits, its width four cubits, all the sheets to be of the same size.


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Five of the sheets are to be joined to one another, and the other five sheets are to be joined to one another.


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You will make violet loops along the edge of the first sheet, at the end of the set, and do the same along the edge of the last sheet in the other set.


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You will make fifty loops on the first sheet and fifty loops along the outer edge of the sheet of the second set, the loops corresponding to one another.


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You will also make fifty gold clasps, and join the sheets together with the clasps. In this way the Dwelling will be a unified whole.


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'You will make sheets of goats' hair to form a tent over the Dwelling; you will make eleven of these.


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The length of a single sheet must be thirty cubits and its width four cubits, the eleven sheets to be all of the same size.


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You will join five sheets together into one set, and six sheets into another; the sixth you will fold double over the front of the tent.


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You will make fifty loops along the edge of the first sheet, at the end of the first set, and fifty loops along the edge of the sheet of the second set.


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You will make fifty bronze clasps and insert the clasps into the loops, to draw the tent together and to make it a unified whole.


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The extra cubit on either side along the length of the tent sheets must hang down the sides of the Dwelling on either side to cover it.


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'And for the tent you will make a cover of rams' skins dyed red and a cover of fine leather over that.


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and make forty silver sockets under the twenty frames, two sockets under one frame for its two tenons, two sockets under the next frame for its two tenons;


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these must be coupled together at the bottom, and right up to the top, to the level of the first ring; this for the two frames that must form the two corners.


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Thus there will be eight frames with their silver sockets: sixteen sockets; two sockets under one frame and two sockets under the next frame.


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five crossbars for the frames of the opposite side of the Dwelling, and five crossbars for the frames which form the back of the Dwelling, to the west.


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You will overlay the frames with gold, make gold rings for them, through which to place the crossbars, and overlay the crossbars with gold.


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'You will make a curtain of finely woven linen, dyed violet-purple, red-purple and crimson, and embroidered with great winged creatures,


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and put it on four poles of acacia wood overlaid with gold, with golden hooks for them, set in four sockets of silver.


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You will put the curtain below the clasps, so that inside behind the curtain, you can place the ark of the Testimony, and the curtain will mark the division for you between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies.


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You will place the table outside the curtain, and the lamp-stand on the south side of the Dwelling, opposite the table; you will put the table on the north side.


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For the entrance to the tent you will make a screen of finely woven linen embroidered with violet-purple, red-purple and crimson,


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and for the screen you will make five poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold, with golden hooks, and for them you will cast five sockets of bronze.'


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'You will make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits wide; the altar will be square and three cubits high.


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At its four corners you will make horns, the horns must be of a piece with it, and you will overlay it with bronze.


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And for it you will make pans for taking away the fatty ashes, and shovels, sprinkling basins, hooks and fire pans; you will make all the altar accessories of bronze.


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You will also make a grating for it of bronze network, and on the four corners of the grating you will make four bronze rings.


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The shafts will be passed through the rings in such a way that the shafts are on either side of the altar, for carrying it.


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'Then you will make the court of the Dwelling. On the south side, the curtaining of the court must be of finely woven linen, one hundred cubits long (for the first side),


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So too for the north side, there must be a hundred cubits of curtaining, its twenty poles and their twenty sockets being of bronze, and the poles' hooks and rods of silver.


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Across the width of the court, on the west side, there must be fifty cubits of curtaining, with its ten poles and their ten sockets.


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with fifteen cubits of curtaining on one side of the entrance, with its three poles and their three sockets,


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and on the other side of the entrance, fifteen cubits of curtaining, with its three poles and their three sockets;


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and for the gateway to the court there must be a twenty-cubit screen of finely woven linen embroidered with violet-purple, red-purple and crimson, with its four poles and their four sockets.


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All the poles round the court must be connected by silver rods; their hooks must be of silver and their sockets of bronze.


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The length of the court must be one hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits and its height five cubits. All the curtaining must be made of finely woven linen, and their sockets of bronze.


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All the accessories for general use in the Dwelling, all its pegs and all the pegs of the court, must be of bronze.


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'You will order the Israelites to bring you pure pounded olive oil for the light, and to keep a lamp burning all the time.


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Aaron and his sons will tend it in the Tent of Meeting, outside the curtain hanging in front of the Testimony, from dusk to dawn, before Yahweh. This is a perpetual decree for all generations of Israelites.'


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'From among the Israelites, summon your brother Aaron and his sons to be priests in my service: Aaron and Aaron's sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.


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You will instruct all the skilled men, whom I have endowed with skill, to make Aaron's vestments for his consecration to my priesthood.


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These are the vestments which they must make: a pectoral, an ephod, a robe, an embroidered tunic, a turban and a belt. They must make sacred vestments for your brother Aaron and his sons, for them to be priests in my service.


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'They will make the ephod of finely woven linen embroidered with gold, violet-purple, red-purple and crimson.


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The waistband on the ephod to hold it in position must be of the same workmanship and be of a piece with it: of gold, violet-purple, red-purple and crimson materials and finely woven linen.


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By the stone-carver's art -- seal engraving -- you will engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel. You will have them mounted in gold settings


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and will put the two stones on the shoulder-straps of the ephod, to commemorate the sons of Israel. In this way Aaron will bear their names on his two shoulders, before Yahweh, as a reminder.


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and two chains of pure gold twisted like cord, and will attach the cord-like chains to the rosettes.


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'You will make the breastplate of judgement of the same embroidered work as the ephod; you will make it of gold, violet-purple, red-purple and crimson materials and finely woven linen.


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The stones will correspond to the names of the sons of Israel, twelve like their names, engraved like seals, each with the name of one of the twelve tribes.


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and on the breastplate you will make two gold rings, putting the two rings on the two outside edges of the breastplate


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The other two ends of the cords you will fasten to the two rosettes, putting these on the shoulder-straps of the ephod, on the front.


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You will also make two gold rings and put them on the two edges of the breastplate, on the inner side, against the ephod;


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and you will make two gold rings and put them low down on the front of the two shoulder-pieces of the ephod, close to the join, above the waistband of the ephod.


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The breastplate will be secured by a violet-purple cord passed through its rings and those of the ephod, so that the breastplate will sit above the waistband and not come apart from the ephod.


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Thus Aaron will bear the names of the sons of Israel on the breastplate of judgement, on his heart, when he enters the sanctuary, as a reminder, before Yahweh, always.


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To the breastplate of judgement you will add the urim and the thummim, and these will be on Aaron's heart when he goes into Yahweh's presence, and Aaron will bear the Israelites' judgement on his heart, in Yahweh's presence, always.


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In the centre it will have an opening for the head, the opening to have round it a border woven like the neck of a coat of mail, so that it will not get torn.


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On its lower hem, you will make pomegranates of violet-purple, red-purple and crimson, and finely woven linen all round the hem, with golden bells between them all round:


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Aaron must wear it when he officiates, and the tinkling will be heard when he goes into the sanctuary into Yahweh's presence, or leaves it, and so he will not incur death.


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'You will make a flower of pure gold and on it, as you would engrave a seal, you will engrave, "Consecrated to Yahweh".


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You will put it on a violet-purple cord; it will go on the turban; the front of the turban is the place where it must go.


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This will go on Aaron's brow, and Aaron will thus take on himself the short-comings in the holy things consecrated by the Israelites, in all their holy offerings. It will be on his brow permanently, to make them acceptable to Yahweh.


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The tunic you will weave of fine linen, and make a turban of fine linen, and an embroidered waistband.


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'For the sons of Aaron you will make tunics and waistbands. You will also make them head-dresses to give dignity and magnificence.


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You will dress your brother Aaron and his sons in these; you will then anoint them, invest them and consecrate them to serve me in the priesthood.


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Aaron and his sons will wear these when they go into the Tent of Meeting and when they approach the altar to serve in the sanctuary, as a precaution against incurring mortal guilt. This is a perpetual decree for Aaron and for his descendants after him.'


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'This is what you will do to them, to consecrate them to my priesthood. Take one young bull and two rams without blemish;


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also unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers spread with oil, made from fine wheat flour,


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and put these into a basket and present them in the basket, at the same time as the bull and the two rams.


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You will then take the vestments and dress Aaron in the tunic, the robe of the ephod, the ephod, and the breastplate, and tie the waistband of the ephod round his waist.


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and fasten waistbands round their waists and put the head-dresses on their heads. By perpetual decree the priesthood will be theirs. Then you will invest Aaron and his sons.


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'You will bring the bull in front of the Tent of Meeting, and Aaron and his sons will lay their hands on the bull's head.


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You will then take some of the bull's blood and with your finger put it on the horns of the altar. Next, pour out the rest of the blood at the foot of the altar.


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And then take all the fat covering the entrails, the fatty mass over the liver, the two kidneys with their covering fat, and burn them on the altar.


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But the young bull's flesh, its skin and its offal, you will burn outside the camp, for this is a sin offering.


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'Next, you will take one of the rams, and Aaron and his sons will lay their hands on the ram's head.


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Then burn the whole ram on the altar. This will be a burnt offering for Yahweh, a pleasing smell, a food offering burnt for Yahweh.


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You will then slaughter the ram, take some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron's right ear, on the lobes of his sons' right ears, the thumbs of their right hands, and the big toes of their right feet, and pour the rest of the blood against the altar, all round.


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You will then take some of the blood on the altar and some of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron and his vestments and on his sons and on his sons' vestments: so that he and his vestments will be consecrated and his sons too, and his sons' vestments.


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'You will then take the fatty parts of the ram: the tail, the fat covering the entrails, the fatty mass over the liver, the two kidneys with their covering fat and also the right thigh -- for this is a ram of investiture-


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and a loaf of bread, a cake of bread made with oil, and a wafer, from the basket of unleavened bread before Yahweh,


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Then you will take them back and burn them on the altar, on top of the burnt offering, as a smell pleasing before Yahweh, a food offering burnt for Yahweh.


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'You will then take the forequarters of the ram of Aaron's investiture and with it make the gesture of offering before Yahweh; this will be your portion.


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You will consecrate the forequarters that have been thus offered, as also the thigh that is set aside -- what has been offered and what has been set aside from the ram of investiture of Aaron and his sons.


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This, by perpetual decree, will be the portion that Aaron and his sons will receive from the Israelites, since it is the portion set aside, the portion set aside for Yahweh by the Israelites from their communion sacrifices: a portion set aside for Yahweh.


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'Aaron's sacred vestments must pass to his sons after him, and they will wear them for their anointing and investiture.


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Whichever of the sons of Aaron succeeds him in the priesthood and enters the Tent of Meeting to serve in the sanctuary, will wear them for seven days.


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Aaron and his sons will eat the meat of the ram and the bread which is in the basket, at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.


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They will eat what was used in making expiation for them at their investiture and consecration. No unauthorised person may eat these; they are holy things.


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If any of the meat from the investiture sacrifice, or the bread, should be left till morning, you will burn what is left. It may not be eaten; it is a holy thing.


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This is what you will do for Aaron and his sons, implementing all the orders I have given you. You will take seven days over their investiture.


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'On each of the days you will also offer a young bull as a sacrifice for sin, in expiation. You will offer a sin sacrifice for the altar when you make expiation for it; then you will consecrate it by anointing it.


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For seven days you will make expiation for the altar, then you will consecrate it; it will then be especially holy, and whatever touches the altar will become holy.


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and with the first lamb, one-tenth of a measure of fine flour mixed with one-quarter of a hin of pounded olive oil and, for a libation, one-quarter of a hin of wine.


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The second lamb you will offer at twilight, and do it with a similar cereal offering and libation as at dawn, as a pleasing smell, as an offering burnt for Yahweh,


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a perpetual burnt offering for all your generations to come, at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting before Yahweh, where I shall meet you and speak to you.


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I shall consecrate the Tent of Meeting and the altar; I shall also consecrate Aaron and his sons, to be priests in my service.


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and they will know that I am Yahweh their God, who brought them out of Egypt to live among them: I, Yahweh their God.'


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one cubit long, and one cubit wide -- it must be square -- and two cubits high; its horns must be of a piece with it.


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You will overlay its top, its sides all round and its horns with pure gold and make a gold moulding to go all round.


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You will make two gold rings for it below the moulding on its two opposite sides, to take the shafts used for carrying it.


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'You will put it in front of the curtain by the ark of Testimony, in front of the mercy-seat which is on the Testimony, where I shall meet you.


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On it Aaron will burn fragrant incense each morning; when he trims the lamps, he will burn incense on it;


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and when Aaron puts back the lamps at twilight, he will burn incense on it, incense perpetually before Yahweh for all your generations to come.


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You will not offer unauthorised incense, or burnt offering, or cereal offering on it, and you will not pour any libation over it.


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Once a year, Aaron will perform the rite of expiation on the horns of the altar; once a year, on the Day of Expiation, with the blood of the sacrifice for sin, he will make expiation for himself, for all your generations to come. It is especially holy for Yahweh.'


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'When you count the Israelites by census, each one of them must pay Yahweh a ransom for his life, to avoid any incidence of plague among them while you are holding the census.


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Everyone subject to the census will pay half a shekel, reckoning by the sanctuary shekel: twenty gerah to the shekel. This half-shekel will be set aside for Yahweh.


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Everyone subject to the census, that is to say of twenty years and over, will pay the sum set aside for Yahweh.


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The rich man must not give more, nor the poor man less, than half a shekel when he pays the sum set aside for Yahweh in ransom for your lives.


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You will take the ransom money of the Israelites and apply it to the service of the Tent of Meeting, for it to be a reminder of the Israelites before Yahweh, as the ransom for your lives.'


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'You will also make a bronze basin on its bronze stand, for washing. You will put it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar and put water in it,


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Whenever they are to enter the Tent of Meeting, they will wash, to avoid incurring death; and whenever they approach the altar for their service, to burn an offering for Yahweh,


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they will wash their hands and feet, to avoid incurring death. This is a perpetual decree for him and his descendants for all their generations to come.'


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'Take the finest spices: five hundred shekels of fresh myrrh, half as much (two hundred and fifty shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, two hundred and fifty shekels of scented reed,


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You will make this into a holy anointing oil, such a blend as the perfumer might make; this will be a holy anointing oil.


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You will then speak to the Israelites and say, "This anointing oil will be holy for you for all your generations to come.


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It must not be used for anointing the human body, nor may you make any of the same mixture. It is a holy thing; you will regard it as holy.


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Anyone who makes up the same oil or uses it on an unauthorised person will be outlawed from his people." '


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Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Take sweet spices: storax, onycha, galbanum, sweet spices and pure frankincense in equal parts,


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You will grind some of this up very fine and put it in front of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting, where I shall meet you. You will regard it as especially holy.


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You may not make any incense of similar composition for your own use. You will regard it as holy, reserved for Yahweh Anyone who makes up the same thing to use as perfume will be outlawed from his people.'


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And to help him I have given him Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, and have endowed the hearts of all the skilled men with the skill to make everything I have ordered you:


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the Tent of Meeting; the ark of the Testimony; the mercy-seat above it; and all the furniture of the tent;


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the liturgical vestments, the sacred vestments for Aaron the priest, and the vestments for his sons, for their priestly functions;


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the anointing oil and the fragrant incense for the sanctuary. They will do everything as I have ordered you.'


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'Speak to the Israelites and say, "You will keep my Sabbaths properly, for this is a sign between myself and you for all your generations to come, so that you will know that it is I, Yahweh, who sanctify you.


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You will keep the Sabbath, then; you will regard it as holy. Anyone who profanes it will be put to death; anyone who does any work on that day will be outlawed from his people.


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Work must be done for six days, but the seventh day will be a day of complete rest, consecrated to Yahweh. Anyone who works on the Sabbath day will be put to death.


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The Israelites will keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath for all their generations to come: this is an eternal covenant.


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Between myself and the Israelites, this is a sign for ever, for in six days Yahweh made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day he rested and drew breath."


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When he had finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God.


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When the people saw that Moses was a long time before coming down the mountain, they gathered round Aaron and said to him, 'Get to work, make us a god to go at our head; for that Moses, the man who brought us here from Egypt -- we do not know what has become of him.'


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Aaron replied, 'Strip off the gold rings in the ears of your wives and your sons and daughters, and bring them to me.'


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He received what they gave him, melted it down in a mould and with it made the statue of a calf. 'Israel,' the people shouted, 'here is your God who brought you here from Egypt!'


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Observing this, Aaron built an altar before the statue and made this proclamation, 'Tomorrow will be a feast in Yahweh's honour.'


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Early next morning they sacrificed burnt offerings and brought communion sacrifices. The people then sat down to eat and drink, and afterwards got up to amuse themselves.


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Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Go down at once, for your people whom you brought here from Egypt have become corrupt.


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They have quickly left the way which I ordered them to follow. They have cast themselves a metal calf, worshipped it and offered sacrifice to it, shouting, "Israel, here is your God who brought you here from Egypt!" '


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So leave me now, so that my anger can blaze at them and I can put an end to them! I shall make a great nation out of you instead.'


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Moses tried to pacify Yahweh his God. 'Yahweh,' he said, 'why should your anger blaze at your people, whom you have brought out of Egypt by your great power and mighty hand?


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Why should the Egyptians say, "He brought them out with evil intention, to slaughter them in the mountains and wipe them off the face of the earth?" Give up your burning wrath; relent over this disaster intended for your people.


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Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to whom you swore by your very self and made this promise: "I shall make your offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven, and this whole country of which I have spoken, I shall give to your descendants, and it will be their heritage for ever." '


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Moses turned and came down the mountain with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, tablets inscribed on both sides, inscribed on the front and on the back.


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The tablets were the work of God, and the writing on them was God's writing, engraved on the tablets.


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When Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting, he said to Moses, 'There is the sound of battle in the camp!'


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But he replied: No song of victory is this sound, no lament for defeat this sound; but answering choruses I hear!


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And there, as he approached the camp, he saw the calf and the groups dancing. Moses blazed with anger. He threw down the tablets he was holding, shattering them at the foot of the mountain.


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He seized the calf they had made and burned it, grinding it into powder which he scattered on the water, and made the Israelites drink it.


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Moses then said to Aaron, 'What have these people done to you for you to have brought so great a sin on them?'


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Aaron replied, 'My lord should not be so angry. You yourself know what a bad state these people are in!


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They said to me, "Make us a god to go at our head; for that Moses, the man who brought us here from Egypt -- we do not know what has become of him."


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I then said to them, "Anyone with gold, strip it off!" They gave it to me. I threw it into the fire and out came this calf!'


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When Moses saw that the people were out of hand -- for Aaron had let them get out of hand to the derision of their enemies all round them-


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Moses then stood at the gate of the camp and shouted, 'Who is for Yahweh? To me!' And all the Levites rallied round him.


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He said to them, 'Yahweh, God of Israel, says this, "Buckle on your sword, each of you, and go up and down the camp from gate to gate, every man of you slaughtering brother, friend and neighbour." '


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'Today', Moses said, 'you have consecrated yourselves to Yahweh, one at the cost of his son, another of his brother; and so he bestows a blessing on you today.'


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On the following day Moses said to the people, 'You have committed a great sin. But now I shall go up to Yahweh: perhaps I can secure expiation for your sin.'


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Moses then went back to Yahweh and said, 'Oh, this people has committed a great sin by making themselves a god of gold.


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And yet, if it pleased you to forgive their sin. . .! If not, please blot me out of the book you have written!'


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So now go and lead the people to the place I promised to you. My angel will indeed go at your head but, on the day of punishment, I shall punish them for their sin.'


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Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Leave, move on from here, you and the people whom you have brought here from Egypt, to the country that I swore to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that I would give to their descendants.


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I shall send an angel in front of you and drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites.


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Move on towards a country flowing with milk and honey, but I myself shall not be going with you or I might annihilate you on the way, for you are an obstinate people.'


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Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Say to the Israelites, "You are an obstinate people. If I were to go with you even for a moment, I should annihilate you. So now take off your ornaments, and then I shall decide how to deal with you!" '


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Moses used to take the Tent and pitch it outside the camp, far away from the camp. He called it the Tent of Meeting. Anyone who wanted to consult Yahweh would go out to the Tent of Meeting, outside the camp.


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Whenever Moses went out to the Tent, the people would all stand up and every man would stand at the door of his tent and watch Moses until he went into the Tent.


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And whenever Moses went into the Tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and station itself at the entrance to the Tent, while Yahweh spoke with Moses.


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The people could all see the pillar of cloud stationed at the entrance to the Tent and the people would all stand up and bow low, each at the door of his tent.


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Yahweh would talk to Moses face to face, as a man talks to his friend, and afterwards he would come back to the camp, but the young man who was his servant, Joshua son of Nun, never left the inside of the Tent.


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Moses said to Yahweh, 'Look, you say to me, "Make the people move on," but you have not told me whom you are going to send with me, although you have said, "I know you by name and you enjoy my favour."


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If indeed I enjoy your favour, please show me your ways, so that I understand you and continue to enjoy your favour; consider too that this nation is your people.'


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for how can it be known that I and my people enjoy your favour, if not by your coming with us? By this we shall be marked out, I and your people, from all the peoples on the face of the earth.'


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Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Again I shall do what you have asked, because you enjoy my favour and because I know you by name.'


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Yahweh said, 'I shall make all my goodness pass before you, and before you I shall pronounce the name Yahweh; and I am gracious to those to whom I am gracious and I take pity on those on whom I take pity.


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and when my glory passes by, I shall put you in a cleft of the rock and shield you with my hand until I have gone past.


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Yahweh said to Moses, 'Cut two tablets of stone like the first ones and come up to me on the mountain, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke.


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No one may come up with you, no one may be seen anywhere on the mountain; the flocks and herds may not even graze in front of this mountain.'


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So he cut two tablets of stone like the first and, with the two tablets of stone in his hands, Moses went up Mount Sinai in the early morning as Yahweh had ordered.


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Then Yahweh passed before him and called out, 'Yahweh, Yahweh, God of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in faithful love and constancy,


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maintaining his faithful love to thousands, forgiving fault, crime and sin, yet letting nothing go unchecked, and punishing the parent's fault in the children and in the grandchildren to the third and fourth generation!'


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then he said, 'If indeed I do enjoy your favour, please, my Lord, come with us, although they are an obstinate people; and forgive our faults and sins, and adopt us as your heritage.'


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He then said, 'Look, I am now making a covenant: I shall work such wonders at the head of your whole people as have never been worked in any other country or nation, and all the people round you will see what Yahweh can do, for what I shall do through you will be awe-inspiring.


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Mark, then, what I command you today. I am going to drive out the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites before you.


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Take care you make no pact with the inhabitants of the country which you are about to enter, or they will prove a snare in your community.


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Make no pact with the inhabitants of the country or, when they prostitute themselves to their own gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you and you will partake of their sacrifice,


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and then you will choose wives for your sons from among their daughters, and their daughters, prostituting themselves to their own gods, will induce your sons to prostitute themselves to their gods.


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'You will observe the feast of Unleavened Bread. For seven days you will eat unleavened bread, as I have commanded you, at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in the month of Abib you came out of Egypt.


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But the first-born donkey you will redeem with an animal from the flock; if you do not redeem it, you must break its neck. All the first-born of your sons you will redeem, and no one will appear before me empty-handed.


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'For six days you will labour, but on the seventh day you will rest; you will stop work even during ploughing and harvesting.


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'You will observe the feast of Weeks, of the first-fruits of the wheat harvest, and the feast of Ingathering at the close of the year.


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for I shall dispossess the nations before you and extend your frontiers, and no one will set his heart on your territory when you go away to appear before Yahweh your God three times a year.


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'You will not offer the blood of my sacrificial victim with leavened bread, nor is the victim offered at the feast of Passover to be left until the following day.


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'You will bring the best of the first-fruits of your soil to the house of Yahweh your God. 'You will not boil a kid in its mother's milk.'


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Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Put these words in writing, for they are the terms of the covenant which I have made with you and with Israel.'


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He stayed there with Yahweh for forty days and forty nights, eating and drinking nothing, and on the tablets he wrote the words of the covenant -- the Ten Words.


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When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, as he was coming down the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face was radiant because he had been talking to him.


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And when Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin on his face was so radiant that they were afraid to go near him.


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But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the community rejoined him, and Moses talked to them,


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after which all the Israelites came closer, and he passed on to them all the orders that Yahweh had given to him on Mount Sinai.


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Whenever Moses went into Yahweh's presence to speak with him, he took the veil off until he came out. And when he came out, he would tell the Israelites what orders he had been given,


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and the Israelites would see Moses' face radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak to him next time.


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Moses assembled the whole community of Israelites and said, 'These are the things Yahweh has ordered to be done:


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Work must be done for six days, but the seventh must be a holy day for you, a day of complete rest, in honour of Yahweh. Anyone who does any work on that day will be put to death.


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Set aside a contribution for Yahweh out of your possessions. Everyone whose heart prompts him to do so should bring a contribution for Yahweh: gold, silver and bronze;


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the Dwelling, its tent and its covering, its clasps and its frames, its crossbars, its pillars and its sockets;


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the altar of incense and its shafts, the anointing oil, the fragrant incense, and the screen for the entrance, for the entrance of the tent;


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the altar of burnt offerings and its bronze grating, its shafts, and all its accessories; the basin and its stand;


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the liturgical vestments for service in the sanctuary -- the sacred vestments for Aaron the priest, and the vestments for his sons, for their priestly functions.'


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And all those whose heart stirred them and all those whose spirit prompted them brought a contribution for Yahweh, for the work on the Tent of Meeting, for its general service and for the sacred vestments.


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Men and women, they came, all those whose heart prompted them, bringing brooches, rings, bracelets, necklaces, golden objects of every kind -- all those who had vowed gold to Yahweh,


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while all those who happened to own violet-purple, red-purple or crimson materials, finely woven linen, goats' hair, rams' skins dyed red, or fine leather, brought that.


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All those offering a contribution of silver or bronze brought their contribution for Yahweh and all who happened to own acacia wood, suitable for any of the work to be done, brought that.


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All the skilled women set their hands to spinning, and brought what they had spun: violet-purple, red-purple or crimson materials, and fine linen,


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All those Israelites, men and women, whose heart prompted them to contribute to the entire work that Yahweh had ordered through Moses to be done, brought a contribution to Yahweh.


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Moses then said to the Israelites, 'Look, Yahweh has singled out Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah,


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And on him and on Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, he has bestowed the gift of teaching,


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and filled them with the skill to carry out every kind of work, that of the engraver, that of the embroiderer, that of the needleworker in violet-purple, red-purple and crimson materials and fine linen, that of the weaver, and indeed that of every kind of craftsman and designer.'


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'Bezalel, Oholiab and all the men whom Yahweh has endowed with the skill and knowledge to know how to carry out all the work to be done on the sanctuary, will do exactly as Yahweh has ordered.'


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Moses then summoned Bezalel, Oholiab and all the skilled men whose hearts Yahweh had endowed with skill, all whose heart stirred them to come forward and do the work.


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From Moses they received everything that the Israelites had brought as contributions for carrying out the work of building the sanctuary, and, as they went on bringing their offerings every morning,


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and said to Moses, 'The people are bringing more than is needed for the work Yahweh has ordered to be done.'


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Moses then gave the order and proclamation was made throughout the camp, 'No one, whether man or woman, must do anything more towards contributing for the sanctuary.' So the people were prevented from bringing any more,


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All the most skilled of the men doing the work made the Dwelling. Moses made it with ten sheets of finely woven linen, dyed violet-purple, red-purple and crimson and embroidered with great winged creatures.


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The length of a single sheet was twenty-eight cubits, its width four cubits, all the sheets being of the same size.


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He made violet loops along the edge of the first sheet, at the end of the set, and did the same along the edge of the last sheet in the other set.


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He made fifty loops on the first sheet and fifty loops along the outer edge of the sheet of the second set, the loops corresponding to one another.


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He made fifty gold clasps and joined the sheets together with the clasps. In this way the Dwelling was a unified whole.


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The length of a single sheet was thirty cubits and its width four cubits; the eleven sheets were all of the same size.


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He made fifty loops along the edge of the last sheet of the first set, and fifty loops along the edge of the sheet of the second set.


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and made forty silver sockets under the twenty frames, two sockets under one frame for its two tenons, two sockets under the next frame for its two tenons;


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these were coupled together at the bottom, staying so up to the top, to the level of the first ring; this he did with the two frames forming the two corners.


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five crossbars for the frames of the other side of the Dwelling and five crossbars for the frames which formed the back of the Dwelling, to the west.


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He overlaid the frames with gold, made gold rings for them, through which to place the crossbars, and overlaid the crossbars with gold.


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He made a curtain of finely woven linen, dyed violet-purple, red-purple and crimson and embroidered with great winged creatures,


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and for it he made four poles of acacia wood, overlaying them with gold, with golden hooks for them, for which he cast four sockets of silver.


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For the entrance to the tent he made a screen of finely woven linen embroidered with violet-purple, red-purple and crimson,


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as also the five columns for it and their hooks; he overlaid their capitals and rods with gold, but their five sockets were of bronze.


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Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood, two and a half cubits long, one and a half cubits wide and one and a half cubits high.


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He cast four gold rings for it at its four supports: two rings on one side and two rings on the other.


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and modelled two great winged creatures of beaten gold, putting them at the two ends of the mercy-seat,


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one winged creature at one end and the other winged creature at the other end, making the winged creatures of a piece with the mercy-seat at either end.


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The winged creatures had their wings spread upwards, protecting the ark with their wings and facing each other, their faces being towards the mercy-seat.


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He made the accessories which were to go on the table: its dishes, cups, jars and libation bowls, of pure gold.


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He also made the lamp-stand of pure gold, making the lamp-stand, base and stem, of beaten gold, its cups, calyxes and bud being of a piece with it.


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Six branches sprang from its sides: three of the lamp-stand's branches from one side, three of the lamp-stand's branches from the other.


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The first branch carried three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with its calyx and bud; the second branch, too, carried three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with its calyx and bud, and similarly all six branches springing from the lamp-stand.


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The calyxes and the branches were of a piece with the lamp-stand, and the whole was made from a single piece of pure gold, beaten out.


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He made the altar of incense of acacia wood, one cubit long, and one cubit wide -- it was square -- and two cubits high, its horns were of a piece with it.


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He overlaid its top, its sides all round and its horns with pure gold and made a moulding to go all round.


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He made two gold rings for it below the moulding on its two opposite sides, to take the shafts used for carrying it.


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He made the altar of burnt offerings of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits wide; it was square and three cubits high.


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He made all the altar accessories: the ash pans, shovels, sprinkling basins, hooks and fire pans; he made all the altar accessories of bronze.


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He also made a grating for the altar of bronze network, below its ledge, underneath, coming halfway up.


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He passed the shafts through the rings on the sides of the altar for carrying it. He made the altar hollow, out of boards.


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He made the bronze basin and its bronze stand from the mirrors of the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.


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He made the court. On the south side, on the south, the curtaining of the court was of finely woven linen a hundred cubits long.


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and on the north side, a hundred cubits of curtaining, its twenty poles and their twenty sockets being of bronze, and their hooks and rods of silver.


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On the west side there were fifty cubits of curtaining, with its ten poles and their ten sockets, the poles' hooks and rods being of silver;


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On the one side there were fifteen cubits of curtaining, with its three poles and their three sockets,


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and on the other side -- either side of the gateway to the court -- there were fifteen cubits of curtaining with its three poles and their three sockets.


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the sockets for the poles were of bronze, the poles' hooks and rods of silver, their capitals were overlaid with silver and all the poles of the court had silver rods.


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The screen for the gateway to the court was of finely woven linen embroidered with violet-purple, red-purple and crimson, twenty cubits long and five cubits high (all the way along) like the curtaining of the court,


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its four poles and their four sockets being of bronze, their hooks of silver, their capitals overlaid with silver, and their rods of silver.


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These are the accounts for the Dwelling -- the Dwelling of the Testimony -- drawn up by order of Moses, the work of Levites, produced by Ithamar son of Aaron, the priest.


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Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made everything that Yahweh ordered Moses to make,


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his assistant being Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver, embroiderer and needleworker in violet-purple, red-purple and crimson materials and fine linen.


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The amount of gold used for the work, for the entire work for the sanctuary (the gold consecrated for the purpose) was twenty-nine talents and seven hundred and thirty shekels, reckoned by the sanctuary shekel.


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The silver from the census of the community was one hundred talents and one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels, reckoned by the sanctuary shekel,


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one beqa per head, half a shekel reckoned by the sanctuary shekel, for everyone of twenty years and over included in the census, for six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty persons.


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A hundred talents of silver were used for casting the sockets for the sanctuary and the sockets for the curtain: a hundred sockets from a hundred talents, one talent per socket.


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From the one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels he made the hooks for the poles, overlaid their capitals and made the rods for them.


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The bronze consecrated for the purpose amounted to seventy talents and two thousand four hundred shekels,


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and from it he made the sockets for the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, the bronze altar, its bronze grating and all the altar accessories,


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the sockets all round the court, the sockets for the gateway to the court, all the pegs for the Dwelling and all the pegs round the court.


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From the violet-purple, red-purple and crimson materials, they made the liturgical vestments for service in the sanctuary. They made the sacred vestments for Aaron, as Yahweh had ordered Moses.


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They made the ephod of gold, of violet-purple, red-purple and crimson materials and finely woven linen.


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They beat gold into thin plates and cut these into threads to work into the violet-purple, red-purple and crimson materials and the fine linen by needlework.


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The waistband on the ephod to hold it in position, was of a piece with it and of the same workmanship: of gold, violet-purple, red-purple and finely woven linen, as Yahweh had ordered Moses.


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They worked the cornelians, mounted in gold setting, and engraved, like an engraved seal, with the names of the sons of Israel,


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and put the stones on the shoulder-straps of the ephod, to commemorate the sons of Israel, as Yahweh had ordered Moses.


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They made the breastplate of the same embroidered work as the ephod: of gold, violet-purple, red-purple and crimson materials and finely woven linen.


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the stones corresponding to the names of the sons of Israel, twelve like their names, engraved like seals, each with the name of one of the twelve tribes.


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and they made two gold rosettes and two gold rings, putting the two rings on the two outside edges of the breastplate


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The other two ends of the cords they fastened to the two rosettes, putting these on the shoulder-straps of the ephod, on the front.


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They also made two gold rings and put them on the two outside edges of the breastplate, on the inner side, against the ephod;


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and they made two more gold rings and put them low down on the front of the two shoulder-straps of the ephod, close to the join, above the waistband of the ephod.


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They secured the pectoral by a violet-purple cord passed through its rings and those of the ephod, so that the pectoral would sit above the waistband and not come apart from the ephod, as Yahweh had ordered Moses.


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The opening in the centre of the robe was like the neck of a coat of mail; round the opening was a border, so that it would not get torn.


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On the lower hem of the robe, they made pomegranates of violet-purple, red-purple and crimson and finely woven linen,


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and made bells of pure gold, putting the bells between the pomegranates all round the lower hem of the robe:


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alternately, a bell and then a pomegranate, all round the lower hem of the robe of office, as Yahweh had ordered Moses.


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the waistbands of finely woven linen embroidered with violet-purple, red-purple and crimson, as Yahweh had ordered Moses.


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They also made the flower -- the symbol of holy consecration -- of pure gold and on it, like an engraved seal, they engraved, 'Consecrated to Yahweh'.


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They put it on a violet-purple cord, to fasten it high up on the turban, as Yahweh had ordered Moses.


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So all the work for the Dwelling, for the Tent of Meeting, was completed. They had done everything exactly as Yahweh had ordered Moses.


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They then brought Moses the Dwelling, the Tent and all its accessories: its clasps, frames, crossbars, poles and sockets;


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the lamp-stand of pure gold, its lamps -- the array of lamps -- and all its accessories, and the oil for the light;


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the golden altar, the anointing oil, the fragrant incense and the screen for the entrance to the tent;


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the bronze altar and its bronze grating, its shafts and all its accessories; the basin and its stand;


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the curtaining for the court, its poles, its sockets, and the screen for the gateway to the court, its cords, its pegs and all the accessories for the service of the Dwelling, for the Tent of Meeting;


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the liturgical vestments for officiating in the sanctuary -- the sacred vestments for Aaron the priest, and the vestments for his sons -- for the priestly functions.


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Moses inspected all the work: they had indeed done it as Yahweh had ordered; and Moses blessed them.


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You will then bring in the table and arrange what has to be arranged on it. You will then bring in the lamp-stand and set up its lamps.


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You will place the golden altar of incense in front of the ark of the Testimony, and place the screen at the entrance to the Dwelling.


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You will place the altar of burnt offerings in front of the entrance to the Dwelling, the Tent of Meeting,


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Then, taking the anointing oil, you will anoint the Dwelling and everything inside, consecrating it and all its accessories; it will then be holy.


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You will then anoint the altar of burnt offerings and all its accessories, consecrating the altar; the altar will then be especially holy.


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You will then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, bathe them thoroughly


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and then dress Aaron in the sacred vestments, and anoint and consecrate him, to serve me in the priesthood.


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and anoint them as you anointed their father, to serve me in the priesthood. Their anointing will confer an everlasting priesthood on them for all their generations to come.'


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Moses erected the Dwelling. He fixed its sockets, set up its frames, put its crossbars in position and set up its poles.


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He spread the tent over the Dwelling and the covering for the tent over that, as Yahweh had ordered Moses.


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He took the Testimony and put it in the ark, positioned the shafts on the ark and put the mercy-seat on top of the ark.


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He brought the ark into the Dwelling and put the screening curtain in place, screening the ark of the Testimony, as Yahweh had ordered Moses.


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He put the table inside the Tent of Meeting, against the side of the Dwelling, on the north, outside the curtain,


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He put the lamp-stand inside the Tent of Meeting, opposite the table, on the south side of the Dwelling,


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He put the altar of burnt offerings at the entrance to the Dwelling, to the Tent of Meeting, and on it offered the burnt offering and cereal offering, as Yahweh had ordered Moses.


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whenever they entered the Tent of Meeting or approached the altar they washed, as Yahweh had ordered Moses.


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He then set up the court round the Dwelling and the altar and set up the screen at the gate-way to the court. Thus Moses completed the work.


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Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting, since the cloud stayed over it and the glory of Yahweh filled the Dwelling.


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At every stage of their journey, whenever the cloud rose from the Dwelling, the Israelites would resume their march.


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For Yahweh's cloud stayed over the Dwelling during the daytime and there was fire inside the cloud at night, for the whole House of Israel to see, at every stage of their journey.


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'Speak to the Israelites; say to them, "When any of you brings an offering to Yahweh, he can offer an animal either from the herd or from the flock.


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"If his offering is to be a burnt offering from the herd, he must offer an unblemished male; he will offer it at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, to make it acceptable to Yahweh.


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He will then slaughter the bull before Yahweh, and the priests descended from Aaron will offer the blood. They will pour it all around the altar which stands at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.


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The priests descended from Aaron will then arrange the quarters, the head and the fat on the wood on the fire on the altar.


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He will wash the entrails and shins in water, and the priest will burn it all on the altar as a burnt offering, food burnt as a smell pleasing to Yahweh.


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"If his offering is to be of an animal from the flock, of a lamb or a goat to be offered as a burnt offering, he must offer an unblemished male.


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He will slaughter it on the north side of the altar, before Yahweh, and the priests descended from Aaron will pour the blood all around the altar.


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He will then quarter it, and the priest will arrange the quarters, the head and the fat on the wood on the fire on the altar.


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"If his offering to Yahweh is to be a burnt offering of a bird, he must offer a turtledove or a young pigeon.


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The priest will offer it at the altar and wring off its head, which he will burn on the altar; its blood must then be squeezed out on the side of the altar.


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He will then remove the crop and the feathers and throw them on the eastern side of the altar, where the fatty ashes are put.


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He will then split it in half with a wing on each side, but without separating the two parts. The priest will then burn it on the altar, on the wood which is on the fire, as a burnt offering, food burnt as a smell pleasing to Yahweh." '


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' "If anyone offers Yahweh a cereal offering, his offering must consist of wheaten flour on which he must pour wine and put incense.


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He will bring it to the priests descended from Aaron; he will take a handful of the wheaten flour, some of the oil and all the incense, and this the priest will burn on the altar as a memorial, as food burnt as a smell pleasing to Yahweh.


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The remainder of the cereal offering will revert to Aaron and his sons, an especially holy portion of the food burnt for Yahweh.


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"When you offer a cereal offering of dough baked in the oven, the wheaten flour must be prepared either in the form of unleavened cakes mixed with oil, or in the form of unleavened wafers spread with oil.


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"If your offering is a cereal offering cooked on the griddle, the wheaten flour mixed with oil must contain no leaven.


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"If your offering is a cereal offering cooked in the pan, the wheaten flour must be prepared with oil.


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"You will bring Yahweh the cereal offering thus prepared and present it to the priest; he will take it to the altar.


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And from the cereal offering the priest will take the memorial and burn it on the altar, food burnt as a smell pleasing to Yahweh.


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The remainder of the cereal offering will revert to Aaron and his descendants: it is especially holy since it is taken from the food burnt for Yahweh.


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"None of the cereal offerings which you offer to Yahweh must be prepared with leaven, for you must never include leaven or honey in food burnt for Yahweh.


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You may offer them to Yahweh as an offering of first-fruits, but they will not make a pleasing smell if they are burnt on the altar.


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You will put salt in every cereal offering that you offer, and you will not fail to put the salt of the covenant of your God on your cereal offering; to every offering you will add an offering of salt to your God.


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If you offer Yahweh a cereal offering of first-fruits, you will offer it in the form of roasted ears of wheat or of bread made from ground wheat.


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and from it the priest will burn the memorial with some bread and oil (and all the incense) as food burnt for Yahweh." '


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' "If his sacrifice is a communion sacrifice, and if he offers an animal from the herd, be it male or female, whatever he offers before Yahweh must be unblemished.


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He will lay his hand on the victim's head and slaughter it at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. The priests descended from Aaron will then pour the blood all around the altar.


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He will offer part of the communion sacrifice as food burnt for Yahweh: the fat covering the entrails, all the fat on the entrails,


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both kidneys, the fat on them and on the loins, the mass of fat which he will remove from the liver and kidneys.


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The priests descended from Aaron will then burn this on the altar, in addition to the burnt offering, on the wood of the fire, food burnt as a smell pleasing to Yahweh.


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"If it is an animal from the flock which he offers as a communion sacrifice to Yahweh, be the animal that he offers male or female, it must be unblemished.


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he will lay his hand on the victim's head and slaughter it in front of the Tent of Meeting; the priests descended from Aaron will then pour its blood all around the altar.


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Of the communion sacrifice he will offer the following as food burnt for Yahweh: the fat, all the tail taken off near the base of the spine, the fat covering the entrails, all the fat on the entrails,


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he will lay his hand on the victim's head and slaughter it in front of the Tent of Meeting, and the descendants of Aaron will then pour its blood all around the altar.


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This is what he will then offer of it as food burnt for Yahweh: the fat covering the entrails, all the fat on the entrails,


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The priest will then burn these pieces on the altar as food burnt as a smell pleasing to Yahweh. "All the fat belongs to Yahweh.


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This is a perpetual law for all your descendants, wherever you may live: that you will not eat either fat or blood." '


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'Speak to the Israelites and say: "If anyone sins inadvertently against any of Yahweh's commandments and does anything prohibited by them,


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if the one who sins is the anointed priest, thus making the people guilty, then for the sin which he has committed he must offer Yahweh a young bull, an unblemished animal from the herd, as a sacrifice for sin.


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He will bring the bull before Yahweh at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, will lay his hand on its head and slaughter it before Yahweh.


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He will then dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times in front of the sanctuary curtain, before Yahweh.


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The priest will then put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of incense smoking before Yahweh in the Tent of Meeting, and will pour all the rest of the bull's blood at the foot of the altar of burnt offerings at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.


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"Of the bull offered as a sacrifice for sin, he will set aside all the fat: the fat covering the entrails, all the fat on the entrails,


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both kidneys, the fat on them and on the loins, the mass of fat which he will remove from the liver and kidneys-


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exactly as was done with the portion set aside in the communion sacrifice -- and the priest will burn these pieces on the altar of burnt offerings.


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the whole bull he will then have carried out of the camp to a clean place, the place where the fatty ashes are thrown, and will burn it on a wood fire; it must be burnt where the ashes are thrown.


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"If the whole community of Israel has sinned inadvertently and, without being aware of it has incurred guilt by doing something forbidden by Yahweh's commandments,


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once the sin of which it is guilty has been discovered, the community must offer a young bull, an unblemished animal from the herd, as a sacrifice for sin, and bring it in front of the Tent of Meeting.


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The elders of the community will then lay their hands on the bull's head before Yahweh, and the bull will be slaughtered before Yahweh.


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He will then dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times in front of the curtain, before Yahweh.


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He will then put some of the blood on the horns of the altar standing before Yahweh inside the Tent of Meeting, and then pour all the rest of the blood at the foot of the altar of burnt offerings at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.


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He will then deal with the bull as he did with the bull in the sacrifice for sin. It will be dealt with in the same way; and once the priest has performed the rite of expiation for the people, they will be forgiven.


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"He will then have the bull carried out of the camp and will burn it as he burned the first one. This is the sacrifice for the sin of the community.


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"When a leader has sinned and inadvertently incurred guilt by doing something forbidden by the commandments of Yahweh his God


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(or if the sin which he has committed is drawn to his attention), he must bring a he-goat as his offering, an unblemished male.


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He will then lay his hand on the goat's head and slaughter it on the spot where the burnt offerings are slaughtered before Yahweh. This is a sacrifice for sin;


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the priest will take some of the victim's blood on his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offerings. He will then pour the rest of its blood at the foot of the altar of burnt offerings


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and burn all the fat on the altar, as with the fat in the communion sacrifice. This is how the priest must perform the rite of expiation for him to free him from his sin, and he will be forgiven.


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"If one of the country people sins inadvertently and incurs guilt by doing something forbidden by Yahweh's commandments


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(or if the sin which he has committed is drawn to his attention), he must bring a she-goat as his offering for the sin which he has committed, an unblemished female.


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He will then lay his hand on the victim's head and slaughter it on the spot where the burnt offerings are slaughtered.


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The priest will take some of its blood on his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offerings. He will then pour all the rest of the blood at the foot of the altar.


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He will then remove all the fat, as the fat was removed for the communion sacrifice, and the priest will burn it on the altar as a smell pleasing to Yahweh. This is how the priest must perform the rite of expiation for him, and he will be forgiven.


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"If he wishes to bring a lamb as an offering for this kind of sacrifice, he must bring an unblemished female.


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He will then lay his hand on the victim's head and slaughter it as a sacrifice for sin on the spot where the burnt offerings are slaughtered.


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The priest will take some of the victim's blood on his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offerings. He will then pour all the rest of the blood at the foot of the altar.


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He will then remove all the fat, as was done for the sheep in the communion sacrifice, and the priest will burn it as food burnt for Yahweh. This is how the priest must perform for him the rite of expiation for the sin which he has committed, and he will be forgiven." '


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' "If someone sins in any of these following cases: "He should have come forward to give evidence when he heard the formal adjuration, having seen the incident or known the facts; but he has not spoken out, and so bears the consequences of his guilt;


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"or someone touches something unclean, whatever it may be -- the dead body of an unclean animal, wild or tame, or of one of the unclean reptiles -- and without realising it becomes unclean, he becomes answerable for it;


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"or he touches some human uncleanness, whatever it may be, contact with which makes him unclean; he does not notice it, then, realising it later, he becomes answerable for it;


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"or someone lets slip an oath to do something either evil or good, in any of those matters on which someone may let slip an oath; he does not notice it, then, realising it later, he becomes answerable for it;


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As a sacrifice of reparation for the sin committed, he will bring Yahweh a female from the flock (sheep or goat) as a sacrifice for sin; and the priest will perform the rite of expiation for him to free him from his sin.


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"If he cannot afford an animal from the flock as a sacrifice of reparation for the sin he has committed, he will bring Yahweh two turtledoves or two young pigeons -- one as a sacrifice for sin and the other as a burnt offering.


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He will bring them to the priest who will first offer the one intended for the sacrifice for sin. The priest will wring its neck but not remove the head.


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He will sprinkle the side of the altar with the victim's blood, and then squeeze out the rest of the blood at the foot of the altar. This is a sacrifice for sin.


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He will then offer the other bird as a burnt offering according to the ritual. This is how the priest must perform the rite of expiation for the person for the sin he has committed, and he will be forgiven.


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"If he cannot afford two turtledoves or two young pigeons, he will bring a tenth of an ephah of wheaten flour as an offering for the sin committed; he must not mix oil with it or put incense on it, since this is a sacrifice for sin.


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He will bring it to the priest, who will take a handful of it as a memorial, and burn this on the altar in addition to the offerings of food burnt for Yahweh. This is a sacrifice for sin.


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This is how the priest must perform the rite of expiation for the person for the sin he has committed in any of those cases, and he will be forgiven. In this case, the priest has the same rights as in the case of a cereal offering." '


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'If someone is unfaithful and sins inadvertently by infringing Yahweh's sacred rights, as a sacrifice of reparation he must bring Yahweh an unblemished ram from his flock, the value of which will be decided by you in silver shekels according to the rate of the sanctuary-shekel.


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He will make amends for what his sin subtracted from the sacred rights, adding one-fifth to the value, and give it to the priest. The priest will then perform the rite of expiation for him with the ram for the sacrifice of reparation and he will be forgiven.


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'If someone sins and without realising it does one of the things forbidden by Yahweh's commandments, he will answer for it and bear the consequences of his guilt.


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As a sacrifice of reparation he must bring the priest an unblemished ram from his flock to the value which you decide, and the priest will perform the rite of expiation for him for the oversight unwittingly committed, and he will be forgiven.


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'If someone sins and is unfaithful against Yahweh by deceiving his fellow-countryman over a deposit or a security, or by withholding something due to him or by exploiting him;


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'or if he finds lost property and denies it; 'or if he perjures himself about anything that a human being may do criminally in such matters;


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'if he sins and so becomes answerable, he must restore what he has taken or demanded in excess: the deposit confided to him, the lost property that he has found,


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or any object about which he has perjured himself. He will add one-fifth to the principal and pay the whole to the person who held the property rights on the day when he incurred the guilt.


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He will then bring Yahweh an unblemished ram from his flock to the value which you decide, to the priest as a sacrifice of reparation,


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and the priest will perform the rite of expiation for him before Yahweh and he will be forgiven, whatever the act by which he incurred guilt.'


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'Give these orders to Aaron and his sons: "This is the ritual for the burnt offering (that is, the burnt offering that stays on the altar brazier all night until morning and is consumed by the altar fire).


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"The priest will put on his linen tunic and put his linen drawers on to cover himself. He will then remove the fatty ashes of the burnt offering consumed by the altar fire and put them at the side of the altar.


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He will then take off his clothes, put on others and carry the ashes to a clean place outside the camp.


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"The fire on the altar that consumes the burnt offering must not be allowed to go out. Every morning the priest will make it up with wood, arranging the burnt offering on it and burning the fat from the communion sacrifices.


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'This is the ritual for the cereal offering: "One of the descendants of Aaron will bring it into Yahweh's presence in front of the altar,


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will take a handful of the wheaten flour (with the oil and all the incense which have been added to it) and burn the memorial on the altar as a smell pleasing to Yahweh;


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and Aaron and his sons will eat the remainder in the form of unleavened loaves. They will eat it inside the holy place, in the court of the Tent of Meeting.


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The portion I give them of the food burnt for me must not be baked with leaven; it is especially holy, like the sacrifice for sin and the sacrifice of reparation.


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All male descendants of Aaron are entitled to eat this portion of the food burnt for Yahweh (this is a perpetual law for all your descendants) and anyone who touches it will become holy." '


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'This is the offering that Aaron and his sons must make to Yahweh on the day they are anointed: one-tenth of an ephah of wheaten flour as a perpetual cereal offering, half in the morning and half in the evening.


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It will be prepared on the griddle and mixed with oil; you will bring the paste as a cereal offering in several pieces, offering them as a smell pleasing to Yahweh.


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When one of his sons is anointed priest to succeed him, he will do the same. This is a perpetual law. 'The entire cereal offering will be burnt for Yahweh.


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'Speak to Aaron and his sons and say: "This is the ritual for the sacrifice for sin: "The victim must be slaughtered before Yahweh on the spot where the burnt offerings are slaughtered. It is especially holy.


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The priest who offers this sacrifice will eat it. It will be eaten inside the holy place, in the court of the Tent of Meeting.


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Everything touching the victim's meat will become holy, and if any of the blood splashes on clothing, the stain will be washed off inside the holy place.


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The earthenware vessel in which the meat is cooked must be broken; if a bronze vessel has been used for the cooking, it must be scrubbed and thoroughly rinsed with water.


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But no one may eat any of the victims offered for sin, the blood of which has been taken into the Tent of Meeting to make expiation inside the sanctuary. These must be burnt." '


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The victim must be slaughtered where the burnt offerings are slaughtered, and the priest will pour the blood all around the altar.


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The priest will burn these pieces on the altar as food burnt for Yahweh. This is a sacrifice of reparation.


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Every male who is a priest may eat it. It will be eaten inside the holy place; it is especially holy.


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"As with the sacrifice for sin, so with the sacrifice of reparation -- the ritual is the same for both. The offering with which the priest performs the rite of expiation will revert to the priest.


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The hide of the victim presented by someone to the priest to be offered as a burnt offering will revert to the priest.


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Every cereal offering baked in the oven, every cereal offering cooked in the pan or on the griddle will revert to the priest who offers it.


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Every cereal offering, mixed with oil or dry, will revert to all the descendants of Aaron without distinction.


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"If this is offered as a sacrifice with praise, to the latter must be added an offering of unleavened cakes mixed with oil, unleavened wafers spread with oil, and wheaten flour in the form of cakes mixed with oil.


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This offering, then, must be added to the cakes of leavened bread and to the communion sacrifice with praise.


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One of the cakes of this offering must be presented as an offering to Yahweh; it will revert to the priest who pours out the blood of the communion sacrifice.


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The meat of the victim will be eaten on the day the offering is made; nothing may be left until next morning.


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"If the victim is offered as a votive or a voluntary sacrifice, it must be eaten on the day it is offered, and the remainder may be eaten on the following day;


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"If any of the meat of a victim offered as a communion sacrifice is eaten on the third day, the person who has offered it will not be acceptable and will receive no credit for it. It will count as rotten meat, and the person who eats it will bear the consequences of the guilt.


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"Meat that has touched anything unclean cannot be eaten; it must be burnt. "Anyone clean may eat the meat,


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but anyone unclean who eats the meat of a communion sacrifice offered to Yahweh will be outlawed from his people.


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Furthermore, if anyone touches anything unclean, human or animal, or any foul thing, and then eats the meat of a communion sacrifice offered to Yahweh, that individual will be outlawed from his people." '


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The fat of an animal that has died a natural death or been savaged by beasts may be used for any other purpose, but you are not to eat it.


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Anyone who eats the fat of an animal offered as food burnt for Yahweh will be outlawed from his people.


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'Speak to the Israelites and say: "Anyone who offers Yahweh a communion sacrifice must bring him part of his sacrifice as an offering.


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He must bring the food to be burnt for Yahweh, that is to say, the fat adhering to the forequarters, with his own hands. He will bring it, and also the forequarters, with which he will make the gesture of offering before Yahweh.


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The priest will then burn the fat on the altar, and the forequarters will revert to Aaron and his descendants.


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The right thigh will be the portion of the descendant of Aaron who offers the blood and fat of the communion sacrifice.


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For I have deprived the Israelites of the forequarter offered and the thigh presented in their communion sacrifices, and given them to the priest Aaron and his descendants; this is a perpetual law for the Israelites." '


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Such was the portion of Aaron and his descendants in the food burnt for Yahweh, the day he presented them to Yahweh for them to become his priests.


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This was what Yahweh ordered the Israelites to give them on the day they were anointed: a perpetual law for all their descendants.


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Such was the ritual for burnt offering, cereal offering, sacrifice for sin, sacrifice of reparation, investiture sacrifice and communion sacrifice,


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which Yahweh laid down for Moses on Mount Sinai, the day he ordered the Israelites to make their offerings to Yahweh in the desert of Sinai.


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'Take Aaron and with him his sons, the vestments, the anointing oil, the bull for the sacrifice for sin, the two rams and the basket of unleavened bread.


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He then dressed him in the tunic, passed the waistband round his waist, vested him in the robe and put the ephod on him. He then put the waistband of the ephod round his waist, fastening it to him.


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He put the turban on his head, and on the front of the turban, the golden flower; this was the symbol of holy consecration, which Yahweh had prescribed to Moses.


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Moses then took the anointing oil and anointed the Dwelling and everything inside it, to consecrate them.


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He sprinkled the altar seven times and anointed the altar and its accessories, the basin and its stand, to consecrate them.


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Moses then made Aaron's sons come forward; he dressed them in tunics, passed the waistbands round their waists and put on their head-dresses, as Yahweh had ordered him.


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He then had the bull for the sacrifice for sin brought forward. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the victim's head


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and Moses slaughtered it. He then took the blood and with his finger put some of it on the horns on the corners of the altar to purify the altar. He then poured the rest of the blood at the foot of the altar, which he consecrated by performing the rite of expiation over it.


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He then took all the fat covering the entrails, the mass of fat over the liver, both kidneys and their fat; and he burnt this on the altar,


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He then had the ram for the burnt offering brought forward. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the ram's head


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He then washed the entrails and shins, and burnt the whole ram on the altar, as a burnt offering, offered to be a pleasing smell, as food burnt for Yahweh, as Yahweh had ordered Moses.


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He then had the other ram brought forward, the ram for the investiture sacrifice. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head


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and Moses slaughtered it. He took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron's right ear, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.


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He then made Aaron's sons come forward and he put some of the blood on the lobes of their right ears, on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet. Next, Moses poured the rest of the blood all around the altar.


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He then took the fat: the tail, all the fat covering the entrails, the mass of fat over the liver, both kidneys and their fat, and the right thigh.


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From the basket of unleavened bread placed before Yahweh, he took an unleavened cake, a cake of bread made with oil, and a wafer; he placed these on the fat and the right thigh,


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and put it all into Aaron's hands and those of his sons, and made the gesture of offering before Yahweh.


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Moses then took them away from them and burned them on the altar, with the burnt offering. This was the investiture sacrifice, offered to be a pleasing smell, as food burnt for Yahweh.


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Moses then took the forequarter and made the gesture of offering before Yahweh. This was the portion of the ram of investiture that reverted to Moses, as Yahweh had ordered Moses.


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Moses then took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood that was on the altar and sprinkled Aaron and his vestments, and his sons and their vestments, with it. In this way he consecrated Aaron and his vestments and his sons and their vestments.


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Moses then said to Aaron and his sons, 'Cook the meat at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, and eat it there, as also the bread of the investiture sacrifice still in the basket of the investiture offerings, as I ordered, when I said, "Aaron and his sons must eat it."


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For seven days you will not leave the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, until the time of your investiture is complete; for your investiture will require seven days.


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hence, for seven days, day and night, you will remain at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting observing Yahweh's ritual; do this, and you will not incur death. For this was the order I received.'


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he said to Aaron, 'Take a calf to offer a sacrifice for sin, and a ram for a burnt offering, both without blemish, and bring them before Yahweh.


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Then say to the Israelites, "Take a goat to be offered as a sacrifice for sin, a calf and a lamb one year old (both without blemish) for a burnt offering,


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a bull and a ram for communion sacrifices to be slaughtered before Yahweh, and a cereal offering mixed with oil. For Yahweh will appear to you today." '


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They brought what Moses had ordered in front of the Tent of Meeting; then the whole community approached and stood before Yahweh.


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Moses then said, 'This is what Yahweh has ordered you to do, so that his glory may be visible to you.'


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Moses then addressed Aaron, 'Go to the altar and offer your sacrifice for sin and your burnt offering, and so perform the rite of expiation for yourself and your family. Then present the people's offering and perform the rite of expiation for them, as Yahweh has ordered.'


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Aaron's sons then presented the blood to him; he dipped his finger in it and put some on the horns of the altar, and then poured the rest of the blood at the foot of the altar.


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The fat of the sacrifice for sin and the kidneys and the mass of fat over the liver he burned on the altar, as Yahweh had ordered Moses,


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He then slaughtered the burnt offering; Aaron's sons then handed him the blood, which he poured all around the altar.


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He then presented the people's offering. He took the goat for the people's sacrifice for sin, slaughtered it, and made a sacrifice for sin with it in the same way as with the first.


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He then had the cereal offering brought forward, took a handful of it and burned it on the altar in addition to the morning burnt offering.


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Then he slaughtered the bull and the ram as a communion sacrifice for the people. Aaron's sons handed him the blood and he poured it all around the altar.


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The fat of the bull and the ram, the tail, the covering fat, the kidneys, the mass of fat over the liver,


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Aaron then raised his hands towards the people and blessed them. Having thus performed the sacrifice for sin, the burnt offering and the communion sacrifice, he came down


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and entered the Tent of Meeting with Moses. Then they came out together to bless the people and the glory of Yahweh appeared to the entire people:


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a flame leapt out from Yahweh's presence and consumed the burnt offering and fat on the altar. At this sight the entire people shouted for joy and fell on their faces.


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Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu each took his censer, put fire in it and incense on the fire, and presented unauthorised fire before Yahweh, which was not in accordance with his orders.


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At this a flame leapt out from Yahweh's presence and swallowed them up, and they perished before Yahweh.


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Moses then said to Aaron, 'That is what Yahweh meant when he said: In those who are close to me I show my holiness, and before all the people I show my glory.' Aaron remained silent.


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Moses summoned Mishael and Elzaphan, sons of Aaron's uncle Uzziel, and said to them, 'Come here and take your brothers away from the sanctuary, out of the camp.'


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Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, 'Do not disorder your hair or tear your clothes; or you may incur death and his retribution may overtake the whole community. No, it is for the entire House of Israel to lament your brothers who have been the victims of Yahweh's fire.


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To avoid incurring death, do not leave the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, for Yahweh's anointing oil is on you.' And they did as Moses said.


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'When you come to the Tent of Meeting, you and your sons with you, to avoid incurring death you may not drink wine or any other fermented liquor. This is a perpetual law for all your descendants.


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and when you teach the Israelites any of the decrees that Yahweh has pronounced for them through Moses.'


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Moses said to Aaron and his surviving sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, 'Take the cereal offering left over from the food burnt for Yahweh. Eat the unleavened part of it beside the altar, since it is especially holy.


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Eat it in the holy place, since it is the portion of the food burnt for Yahweh that is prescribed for you and your sons; this is the order I have received.


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'You, your sons and daughters with you, will eat in a clean place the forequarter offered and the thigh presented, for these have been given to you and your children as your due from the Israelites' communion sacrifices.


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The thigh presented and the forequarter offered, once the fat has been burnt, revert to you and your sons with you, after they have been presented before Yahweh with the gesture of offering, in virtue of a perpetual law as Yahweh has ordered.'


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Moses then enquired carefully about the goat offered as a sacrifice for sin, and found that they had burnt it. He was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's surviving sons, and said,


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'Why did you not eat this victim for sin in the holy place, since it is especially holy and was given to you to take away the community's guilt, by performing the rite of expiation for them before Yahweh?


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Since its blood was not taken inside the sanctuary, you should have eaten its meat there, as I ordered you.'


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Aaron said to Moses, 'Look, today they offered their sacrifice for sin and their burnt offering before Yahweh, and these disasters have befallen me. If I had eaten the sin offering today, would this have met with Yahweh's approval?'


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'Speak to the Israelites and say: "Of all animals living on land these are the creatures you may eat:


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The following, which either chew the cud or have a cloven hoof, are the ones that you may not eat: you will regard the camel as unclean, because though it is ruminant, it does not have a cloven hoof;


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you will regard the coney as unclean, because though it is ruminant, it does not have a cloven hoof;


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you will regard the pig as unclean, because though it has a cloven hoof, divided into two parts, it is not a ruminant.


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"Of all that lives in water, these you may eat: "Anything that has fins and scales, and lives in the water, whether in sea or river, you may eat.


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But anything in sea or river that does not have fins and scales, of all the small water-creatures and all the living things found there, you will regard as detestable.


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You will regard them as detestable; you must not eat their meat and you will regard their carcases as detestable.


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"Of the birds these are the ones that you will regard as detestable; they may not be eaten, they are detestable for eating: "The tawny vulture, the griffon, the osprey,


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Of all these winged insects you may eat only the following: those with the sort of legs above their feet which enable them to leap over the ground.


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These are the ones you may eat: the various kinds of migratory locust, the various kinds of solham locust, hargol locust and hagab locust.


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"By the following you will be made unclean. Anyone who touches the carcase of one will be unclean until evening.


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Animals that have hoofs, but not cloven, and that are not ruminant, you will regard as unclean; anyone who touches them will be unclean.


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Those four-footed animals which walk on the flat of their paws you will regard as unclean; anyone who touches their carcases will be unclean until evening,


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and anyone who picks up their carcases must wash his clothing and will be unclean until evening. You will regard them as unclean.


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"Of the small creatures which crawl along the ground, these are the ones which you will regard as unclean: the mole, the rat, the various kinds of lizard:


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"Of all the small creatures, these are the animals which you must regard as disgusting. Anyone who touches them when they are dead will be unclean until evening.


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"Any object on which one of these creatures falls when it is dead becomes unclean: wooden utensil, clothing, skin, sacking, any utensil whatever. It must be immersed in water and will remain unclean until evening: then it will be clean.


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If the creature falls into an earthenware vessel, the vessel must be broken; whatever the vessel contains is unclean.


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Any edible food will be unclean if the water touches it; any drinkable liquid will be unclean, no matter what its container.


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Anything on which the carcase of such a creature may fall will be unclean: be it oven or stove, it must be destroyed; for they are unclean and you will regard them as unclean


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(although springs, wells and stretches of water will remain clean); anyone who touches one of their carcases will be unclean.


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but if the seed has been moistened and one of their carcases falls on it, you will regard it as unclean.


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"If one of the animals that you use as food dies, anyone who touches the carcase will be unclean until evening;


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anyone who eats any of the carcase must wash his clothing and will remain unclean until evening; anyone who picks up the carcase must wash his clothing and will remain unclean until evening.


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Anything that moves on its belly, anything that moves on four legs or more -- in short all the creatures that swarm on the ground -- you will not eat, since they are detestable.


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Do not make yourselves detestable with all these swarming creatures; do not defile yourselves with them, do not be defiled by them.


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For it is I, Yahweh, who am your God. You have been sanctified and have become holy because I am holy: do not defile yourselves with all these creatures that swarm on the ground.


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Yes, it is I, Yahweh, who brought you out of Egypt to be your God: you must therefore be holy because I am holy." '


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Such is the law concerning animals, birds, all living creatures that move in water and all creatures that swarm on the ground.


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Its purpose is to distinguish the clean from the unclean, the creatures that may be eaten from those that may not be eaten.


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'Speak to the Israelites and say: "If a woman becomes pregnant and gives birth to a boy, she will be unclean for seven days as when in a state of pollution due to menstruation.


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and she will wait another thirty-three days for her blood to be purified. She will not touch anything consecrated nor go to the sanctuary until the time of her purification is over.


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"If she gives birth to a girl, she will be unclean for two weeks, as during her monthly periods; and will wait another sixty-six days for her blood to be purified.


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"When the period of her purification is over, for either boy or girl, she will bring the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting a lamb one year old for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon or turtledove as a sacrifice for sin.


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The priest must offer this before Yahweh, perform the rite of expiation for her, and she will be purified from her discharge of blood. "Such is the law concerning a woman who gives birth to either a boy or a girl.


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If she cannot afford a lamb, she must take two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one for the burnt offering and the other for the sacrifice for sin. The priest will perform the rite of expiation for her and she will be purified." '


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'If a swelling or scab or spot appears on someone's skin, which could develop into a contagious skin-disease, that person must then be taken to the priest, either Aaron or one of his sons.


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The priest will examine the disease on the skin. If the hair on the diseased part has turned white, or if the disease bites into the skin, the skin-disease is contagious, and after examination the priest will declare the person unclean.


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But if there is a white spot on the skin without any visible depression of the skin or whitening of the hair, the priest will isolate the sick person for seven days.


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On the seventh day he will examine the person, and if he observes that the disease persists though without spreading over the skin, he will isolate the person for a further seven days


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and examine him again on the seventh. If he finds that the disease has faded and has not spread over the skin, the priest will declare the person clean. This was merely a scab. Once he has washed his clothing he will be clean.


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'But if the scab spreads over the skin after the sick person has been examined by the priest and declared clean, then he will let himself be examined again by the priest.


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After examining him and certifying the spread of the scab over the skin, the priest will declare him unclean: it is a contagious skin-disease.


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The priest will examine the sick person, and if he finds a whitish swelling with whitening of the hair and an ulcer forming on the skin,


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this is a dormant skin-disease, and the priest will declare the person unclean. He will not isolate him; he is obviously unclean.


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'But if the disease spreads all through the skin, if it covers the person entirely from head to foot so far as the priest can see,


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the priest will then examine the sick person and, if he finds that the skin-disease covers his whole body, declare the sick person clean. Since it has all become white, he is clean.


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After examining the ulcer, the priest will declare him unclean: the ulcer is unclean, it is contagious.


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the priest will examine him and if he finds that the disease has turned white, he will declare the sick person clean: he is clean.


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and if then a white swelling or a reddish-white spot forms on the same place, the sick person will show himself to the priest.


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The priest will examine him, and if he finds a visible depression in the skin and a whitening of the hair, he will declare the person unclean: this is a case of contagious skin-disease breaking out in an ulcer.


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But if on examination the priest finds neither white hair nor depression of the skin, but a fading of the affected part, he will isolate the sick person for seven days.


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If the disease has then spread over the skin, he will declare the person unclean: this is a case of contagious skin-disease.


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But if the spot has stayed where it was and has not spread, it is the scar of the ulcer and the priest will declare the person clean.


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'If someone has a burn on the skin and an abscess, a reddish-white or white spot, forms on the burn,


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the priest will then examine it. If he finds a whitening of the hair or a visible depression of the mark on the skin, a contagious disease has broken out in the burn. The priest will declare the sick person unclean: this is a contagious skin-disease.


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If on the other hand the priest on examination does not find white hair on the mark or depression of the skin, but a fading of the mark, the priest will isolate the person for seven days.


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He will examine the person on the seventh day and, if the disease has spread over the skin, he will declare the sick person unclean: this is a case of contagious skin-disease.


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If the mark has stayed where it was and has not spread over the skin, but has faded instead, it was only a swelling due to the burn. The priest will declare the person clean: it is merely a burn scar.


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the priest will examine the sore; and if he finds a depression visible in the skin, with the hair on it yellow and thin, he will declare the sick person unclean: this is tinea, that is to say, a contagious skin-disease of the head or chin.


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If on examining this case of tinea the priest finds no visible depression in the skin and no yellow hair, he will isolate the person so affected for seven days.


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He will examine the infected part on the seventh day, and if he finds that the tinea has not spread, that the hair on it is not yellow, and that there is no visible depression in the skin,


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the sick person will shave his hair off, all except the part affected with tinea, and the priest will again isolate him for seven days.


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He will examine the infected part on the seventh day, and if he finds that it has not spread over the skin, and that there is no visible depression of the skin, the priest will declare the sick person clean. After washing his clothes the person will be clean.


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the priest will examine the person; if he finds that the tinea has indeed spread over the skin, the sick person is unclean, and there is no need to verify whether the hair is yellow.


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Whereas if, so far as he can see, the tinea is arrested and dark hair is beginning to grow on it, the sick person is cured. He is clean, and the priest will declare him clean.


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the priest will examine them. If he finds that the spots are of a dull white, this is a rash that has broken out on the skin: the sick person is clean.


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If he loses hair off the front of the head, this is baldness of the forehead but the person is clean.


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If, however, a reddish-white sore appears on scalp or forehead, a contagious skin-disease has broken out on the scalp or forehead.


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The priest will examine it, and if he finds a reddish-white swelling on scalp or forehead, looking like a contagious skin-disease,


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the person has such a disease: he is unclean. The priest will declare him unclean; he has a contagious skin-disease of the head.


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'Anyone with a contagious skin-disease will wear torn clothing and disordered hair; and will cover the upper lip and shout, "Unclean, unclean."


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As long as the disease lasts, such a person will be unclean and, being unclean, will live alone and live outside the camp.


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if the spot on the clothing, leather, fabric, covering or object made of leather is a greenish or reddish colour, it is a disease to be shown to the priest.


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If on the seventh day he observes that the infection has spread on the clothing, fabric, covering, leather or object made of leather, whatever it may be, this is a contagious disease and the object is unclean.


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He will burn this clothing, fabric, linen or woollen covering or leather object whatever it may be, on which the infection has appeared; for this is a contagious disease which must be destroyed by fire.


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'But if on examination the priest finds that the infection has not spread on the clothing, fabric, covering, or leather object whatever it may be,


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he will order the infected object to be washed and will isolate it again for a period of seven days.


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After the washing, he will examine the infection and if he finds that there is no change in its appearance, even though it has not spread, the article is unclean. You will burn it; it is infected through and through.


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'But if on examination the priest finds that the infection has diminished after washing, he will tear it out of the clothing, leather, fabric or covering.


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But if the infection reappears on the same clothing, fabric, covering or leather object whatever it may be, this means that the infection is active; you will burn whatever is infected.


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The clothing, fabric, covering or leather object whatever it may be, from which the infection disappears after being washed, will be clean after it has been washed a second time.


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'Such is the law governing disease in a linen or woollen garment, a fabric or covering or leather object whatever it may be, when it is a question of declaring them clean or unclean.'


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'This is the law to be applied on the day of the purification of someone who has suffered from a contagious skin-disease. Such a person will be taken to the priest,


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and the priest will go outside the camp. If he finds on examination that the person has recovered from the disease,


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he will order the following to be brought for his purification: two live birds that are clean, some cedar wood, scarlet material and hyssop.


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He will then take the live bird, the cedar wood, the scarlet material and the hyssop and dip all this (including the live bird) into the blood of the bird slaughtered over running water.


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He will then sprinkle the person to be purified of the skin-disease seven times, and having declared the person clean, will set the live bird free to fly off into the countryside.


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The person who is being purified will then wash all clothing, shave off all hair, and wash, and will then be clean. After this he will return to the camp, although he will remain outside his tent for seven days.


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On the seventh day he will shave off all his hair-head, beard and eyebrows; he will shave off all his hair. After washing his clothing and his body he will be clean.


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'On the eighth day he will take two unblemished lambs, an unblemished ewe one year old, three-tenths of wheaten flour mixed with oil for the cereal offering, and one log of oil.


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The priest who is performing the purification will place the person who is being purified, with all his offerings, at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, before Yahweh.


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He will then take one of the lambs and offer it as a sacrifice of reparation, as also the log of oil. With these he will make the gesture of offering before Yahweh.


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He will then slaughter the lamb on that spot inside the holy place where the victims for the sacrifice for sin and for the burnt offering are slaughtered. This reparatory offering, like the sacrifice for sin, will revert to the priest: it is especially holy.


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The priest will then take some blood of this sacrifice and put it on the lobe of the right ear, the thumb of the right hand, and the big toe of the right foot of the person who is being purified.


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He will dip a finger of his right hand into the oil in the hollow of his left hand, and sprinkle the oil with his finger seven times before Yahweh.


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He will then take some of the oil left in the hollow of his hand and put it on the lobe of the right ear, the thumb of the right hand, and the big toe of the right foot of the person being purified, in addition to the blood of the sacrifice of reparation.


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The rest of the oil in the hollow of his hand he will put on the head of the person who is being purified. This is how the priest will perform the rite of expiation for such a person before Yahweh.


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'The priest will then offer the sacrifice for sin, and perform the rite of expiation for uncleanness for the person who is being purified. After this, he will slaughter the burnt offering


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and offer this and the cereal offering on the altar. So, when the priest has performed the rite of expiation for him the person will be clean.


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'If he is poor and cannot afford all this, he need take only one lamb, the one for the sacrifice of reparation, and this will be presented with the gesture of offering to perform the rite of expiation for him. And for the cereal offering he will only take one-tenth of wheaten flour mixed with oil, and the log of oil,


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and two turtledoves or two young pigeons, whichever he can afford, one for a sacrifice for sin and the other for the burnt offering.


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He will bring these on the eighth day to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting before Yahweh, for his purification.


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The priest will take the lamb for the sacrifice of reparation and the log of oil, and present them before Yahweh with the gesture of offering.


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He will then slaughter the lamb for the sacrifice of reparation, take some of its blood and put it on the lobe of the right ear, the thumb of the right hand and the big toe of the right foot of the person who is being purified.


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He will then put some of the oil on the lobe of the right ear, the thumb of the right hand and the big toe of the right foot of the person who is being purified, as he did with the blood of the sacrifice of reparation.


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The remainder of the oil in the hollow of his hand he will put on the head of the person who is being purified, thus performing the rite of expiation for him before Yahweh.


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a sacrifice for sin with one, and with the other a burnt offering with a cereal offering -- whatever he has been able to afford. This is how the priest will perform before Yahweh the rite of expiation for the person who is being purified.


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'Such is the law concerning someone with a contagious skin-disease who cannot afford the means of purification.'


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'When you reach Canaan, which I am giving you as your possession, if I infect a house with a disease in the country which you are to possess,


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the owner will come and inform the priest and say, "I have seen something like a skin-disease in the house."


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The priest will order the house to be emptied before he goes to examine the infection, or everything in the house will become unclean; after which, the priest will go inside and examine the house;


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and if on examination he finds the walls of the house pitted with reddish or greenish depressions which appear to be eating away the wall,


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On the seventh day, the priest will come back and if on examination he finds that the infection has spread over the walls of the house,


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he will order the infected stones to be removed and thrown into some unclean place outside the town.


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He will then have all the inside of the house scraped, and the plaster that comes off will be emptied in an unclean place outside the town.


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'If the infection spreads again after the stones have been removed and the house scraped and replastered,


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the priest will come and examine it. If he finds that the infection has spread, this means that there is a contagious disease in the house: it is unclean.


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It must be pulled down and the stones, woodwork and all the plaster be taken to an unclean place outside the town.


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But if the priest finds, when he comes to examine the infection, that it has not spread in the house since it was plastered, he will declare the house clean, for the infection is cured.


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'As a sacrifice for the defilement of the house, he will take two birds, some cedar wood, scarlet material and hyssop.


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He will then take the cedar wood, the hyssop, the scarlet material and the live bird, dip them into the blood of the slaughtered bird and into the running water and sprinkle the house seven times;


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and after offering the sacrifice for the defilement of the house with the blood of the bird, the running water, the live bird, the cedar wood, the hyssop and the scarlet material,


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he will set the live bird free to fly out of the town into the countryside. Once the rite of expiation has been performed for the house in this way it will be clean.


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'Speak to the Israelites and say to them: "When a man has a discharge from his body, that discharge is unclean.


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While the discharge continues, the nature of his uncleanness is as follows: "Whether his body allows the discharge to flow or whether it retains it, he is unclean.


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"Anyone who sits where the man has sat must wash clothing and body and will be unclean until evening.


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"Anyone who touches the body of the man with the discharge must wash clothing and body and will be unclean until evening.


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"If the man with the discharge spits on someone who is clean, that person must wash clothing and body and will be unclean until evening.


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"All those who touch any object that has been under him will be unclean until evening. "Anyone who picks up such an object must wash clothing and body and will be unclean until evening.


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"All those whom the man with the discharge touches without having washed his hands must wash clothing and body and will be unclean until evening.


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"Once the man with the discharge is cured, he will allow seven days for his purification. He will wash his clothes and wash his body in running water and he will be clean.


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On the eighth day he will take two turtledoves or two young pigeons and come before Yahweh at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and give them to the priest.


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The priest will offer one of them as a sacrifice for sin and the other as a burnt offering. And in this way the priest will perform the rite of expiation for him before Yahweh for his discharge.


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"When a man has a seminal discharge, he must wash his whole body with water and will be unclean until evening.


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Any clothing or leather touched by the seminal discharge must be washed and will be unclean until evening.


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When a woman has had intercourse with a man, both of them must wash and will be unclean until evening.


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"Whenever a woman has a discharge and the discharge from her body is of blood, she will remain in a state of menstrual pollution for seven days. "Anyone who touches her will be unclean until evening.


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"Anyone who touches anything she has sat on must wash clothing and body and will be unclean until evening.


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If there is anything on the bed or where she is sitting, anyone who touches it will be unclean until evening.


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"If a man goes so far as to sleep with her, he will contract her menstrual pollution and will be unclean for seven days. Any bed he lies on will be unclean.


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"If a woman has a prolonged discharge of blood outside the period, or if the period is prolonged, during the time this discharge lasts she will be in the same state of uncleanness as during her monthly periods.


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Any bed she lies on during the time this discharge lasts will be polluted in the same way as the bed she lies on during her monthly periods. Anything she sits on will be unclean as during her monthly periods.


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Anyone who touches it will be unclean and must wash clothing and body and will be unclean until evening.


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"Once she is cured of her discharge, she will allow seven days to go by; after that she will be clean.


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On the eighth day she will take two turtledoves or two young pigeons and bring them to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.


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The priest will offer one of them as a sacrifice for sin and the other as a burnt offering. And in this way the priest will perform the rite of expiation for her before Yahweh for the discharge which made her unclean.


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"Hence you will warn the Israelites against contracting a state of uncleanness, rather than incurring death by defiling my Dwelling which is among them.


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a woman in a state of pollution due to menstruation, a man or a woman with a discharge, or a man who sleeps with a woman when she is unclean." '


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Yahweh spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron who died when offering unauthorised fire.


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Yahweh spoke to Moses and said: 'Tell Aaron your brother that he may not enter the sanctuary inside the curtain in front of the mercy-seat on the ark whenever he chooses, in case he incurs death, for I appear in a cloud on the mercy-seat.


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'This is how he must enter the sanctuary: with a young bull for a sacrifice for sin and a ram for a burnt offering.


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He will put on a tunic of consecrated linen, wear linen drawers on his body, a linen waistband round his waist, and a linen turban on his head. These are the sacred vestments he will put on after washing himself.


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'From the community of Israelites he will receive two he-goats for a sacrifice for sin and a ram for a burnt offering.


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After offering the bull as a sacrifice for his own sin and performing the rite of expiation for himself and his family,


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Aaron will then draw lots over the two goats, one lot to be for Yahweh and the other lot for Azazel.


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Aaron will then take the goat on which the lot "For Yahweh" has fallen, and offer it as a sacrifice for sin.


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But the goat on which the lot "For Azazel" has fallen, will be placed alive before Yahweh, for the rite of expiation to be performed with it, and for it then to be sent to Azazel in the desert.


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'Having offered the bull as a sacrifice for his own sin and performed the rite of expiation for himself and for his family, and slaughtered the bull as a sacrifice for sin,


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Aaron will then fill a censer with live coals from the altar before Yahweh, take two handfuls of finely ground aromatic incense and bring this inside the curtain.


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He will then put the incense on the fire before Yahweh, so that the cloud of incense hides the mercy-seat which is on the Testimony and he does not incur death.


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He will then take some of the bull's blood and sprinkle it with his finger on the eastern side of the mercy-seat. He will sprinkle some of the blood seven times with his finger in front of the mercy-seat.


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'He will then slaughter the goat for the sacrifice for the sin of the people, and take its blood inside the curtain, and with this blood do as he did with the blood of the bull, sprinkling it on the mercy-seat and in front of it.


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This is how he must perform the rite of expiation for the sanctuary for the uncleanness of the Israelites, for their acts of rebellion and all their sins. 'And this is what he must do for the Tent of Meeting which remains with them, surrounded by their uncleanness.


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No one must be inside the Tent of Meeting, from the moment he enters to make expiation in the sanctuary until the time he comes out. 'When he has made expiation for himself, for his family, and for the whole community of Israel,


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he must come outside, go to the altar before Yahweh and perform the rite of expiation for it. He will take some of the bull's blood and some of the goat's blood and put it on the horns at the corners of the altar all around it,


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and sprinkle some of the blood on it seven times with his finger, thus purifying it and setting it apart from the uncleanness of the Israelites.


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'Once expiation for the sanctuary, the Tent of Meeting and the altar is complete, he will bring the goat which is still alive.


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Aaron will then lay both his hands on its head and over it confess all the guilt of the Israelites, all their acts of rebellion and all their sins. Having thus laid them on the goat's head, he will send it out into the desert under the charge of a man waiting ready,


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and the goat will bear all their guilt away into some desolate place. 'When he has sent the goat into the desert,


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Aaron will go back into the Tent of Meeting and take off the linen vestments which he wore to enter the sanctuary and leave them there.


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He will then wash his body inside the holy place, put on his vestments and come outside to offer his own and the people's burnt offering. He will perform the rite of expiation for himself and for the people,


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The bull and the goat offered as a sacrifice for sin, the blood of which was taken into the sanctuary for the rite of expiation, must be taken outside the camp, where their skin, meat and offal are to be burnt.


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'This will be a perpetual law for you. 'On the tenth day of the seventh month you will fast and refrain from work, both citizen and resident alien;


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for this is the day on which the rite of expiation will be performed for you to purify you, to purify you before Yahweh from all your sins.


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'The rite of expiation will be performed by the priest who has been anointed and installed to officiate in succession to his father. He will put on the linen vestments, the sacred vestments,


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and perform the rite of expiation for the holy sanctuary, the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and will then perform the rite of expiation for the priests and all the people of the community.


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This will be a perpetual law for you; once a year the rite of expiation will be made for the Israelites for all their sins.' And as Yahweh ordered Moses, so it was done.


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'Speak to Aaron and his sons and all the Israelites and say: "This is the order that Yahweh has given:


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"Any man of the House of Israel who slaughters a bull, lamb or goat, whether inside the camp or outside it,


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without bringing it to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting to make an offering of it to Yahweh in front of his Dwelling, that man will be answerable for bloodshed; he has shed blood, and that man will be outlawed from his people.


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The purpose of this is that the Israelites should instead bring their sacrifices, which they would otherwise offer in the countryside, to Yahweh at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, to the priest, and offer them as communion sacrifices to Yahweh;


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and the priest will sprinkle the blood on Yahweh's altar at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and will burn the fat as a smell pleasing to Yahweh.


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No longer may they offer their sacrifices to the satyrs in whose service they used to prostitute themselves. This is a perpetual law for them and for their descendants."


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'You will also say to them, "Any member of the House of Israel or any resident alien who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice


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without bringing it to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting to offer it to Yahweh, will be outlawed from his people.


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"If any member of the House of Israel or any resident alien consumes blood of any kind, I shall set my face against that individual who consumes blood and shall outlaw him from his people.


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For the life of the creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you for performing the rite of expiation on the altar for your lives, for blood is what expiates for a life.


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That is why I told the Israelites: None of you will consume blood, nor will any resident alien consume blood.


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"Anyone, whether Israelite or resident alien, who hunts and catches game, whether animal or bird, which it is lawful to eat, must pour out its blood and cover it with earth.


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For the life of every creature is its blood, and I have told the Israelites: You will not consume the blood of any creature, for the life of every creature is its blood, and anyone who consumes it will be outlawed.


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"Anyone, citizen or alien, who eats an animal that has died a natural death or been savaged, must wash clothing and body, and will be unclean until evening, but will then be clean.


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You must not behave as they do in Egypt where you used to live; you must not behave as they do in Canaan where I am taking you, nor must you follow their laws.


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hence you will keep my laws and my customs. Whoever complies with them will find life in them. "I am Yahweh.


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"None of you will approach a woman who is closely related to him, to have intercourse with her. I am Yahweh.


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"You will not have intercourse with your father or your mother. She is your mother -- you will not have intercourse with her.


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"You will not have intercourse with your sister, whether she is your father's or your mother's daughter. Whether she was born in the same house or elsewhere, you will not have intercourse with her.


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"You will not have intercourse with your son's or your daughter's daughter; for their sexual privacy is your own.


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"You will not have intercourse with the daughter of your father's wife, born to your father. She is your sister; you will not have intercourse with her.


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"You will not have intercourse with your father's sister; for she is your father's own flesh and blood.


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"You will not have intercourse with your mother's sister; for she is your mother's own flesh and blood.


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"You will not have intercourse with your father's brother; you will not approach his wife. She is your aunt.


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"You will not have intercourse with your daughter-in-law. She is your son's wife; you will not have intercourse with her.


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"You will not have intercourse with a woman and her daughter; nor will you take her son's or her daughter's daughter, to have intercourse with them. They are your own flesh and blood; it would be incest.


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"You will not take a woman and her sister into your harem at the same time, to have intercourse with the latter while the former is still alive.


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"Furthermore, you will not have intercourse with your fellow-citizen's wife; you would become unclean by doing so.


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"You will not allow any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, thus profaning the name of your God. I am Yahweh.


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"You will not have intercourse with any kind of animal; you would become unclean by doing so. Nor will a woman offer herself to an animal, to have intercourse with it. This would be a violation of nature.


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"Do not make yourselves unclean by any of these practices, for it was by such things that the nations that I am driving out before you made themselves unclean.


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The country has become unclean; hence I am about to punish it for its guilt, and the country itself will vomit out its inhabitants.


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"You, however, must keep my laws and customs and not do any of these hateful things: none of your citizens, none of your resident aliens.


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For all these hateful things were done by the people who lived in the country before you, and the country became unclean.


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Yes, anyone who does any of these hateful things, whatever it may be, any person doing so, will be outlawed from his people;


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so keep my rules and do not observe any of the hateful laws which were in force before you came; then you will not be made unclean by them. I am Yahweh your God." '


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Anyone who eats it must bear the consequences of this guilt, having profaned Yahweh's holiness; that person will be outlawed from his people.


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"When you reap the harvest of your land, you will not reap to the very edges of the field, nor will you gather the gleanings of the harvest;


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nor will you strip your vineyard bare, nor pick up the fallen grapes. You will leave them for the poor and the stranger. I am Yahweh your God.


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You will not swear by my name with intent to deceive and thus profane the name of your God. I am Yahweh.


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You will not exploit or rob your fellow. You will not keep back the labourer's wage until next morning.


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You will not curse the dumb or put an obstacle in the way of the blind, but will fear your God. I am Yahweh.


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"You will not be unjust in administering justice. You will neither be partial to the poor nor overawed by the great, but will administer justice to your fellow-citizen justly.


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You will not go about slandering your own family, nor will you put your neighbour's life in jeopardy. I am Yahweh.


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You will not harbour hatred for your brother. You will reprove your fellow-countryman firmly and thus avoid burdening yourself with a sin.


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You will not exact vengeance on, or bear any sort of grudge against, the members of your race, but will love your neighbour as yourself. I am Yahweh.


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"You will keep my laws. "You will not mate your cattle with those of another kind; you will not sow two kinds of grain in your field; you will not wear a garment made from two kinds of fabric.


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"If someone has intercourse with a woman who is the concubine slave of a man from whom she has not been redeemed and she has not been given her freedom, he will be liable for a fine, but they will not incur death, since she was not a free woman.


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He will bring a sacrifice of reparation for Yahweh to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. This will be a ram of reparation,


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and with the ram of reparation the priest will perform the rite of expiation for him before Yahweh for the sin committed; and the sin he has committed will be forgiven.


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"Once you have entered the country and planted any kind of fruit tree, you will regard its fruit as uncircumcised. For three years you will count it as uncircumcised and it will not be eaten;


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and in the fifth year you may eat its fruit, so that it may yield you even more. I am Yahweh your God.


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"Do not profane your daughter by making her a prostitute, or the country itself will become prostituted and filled with incest.


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"Do not have recourse to the spirits of the dead or to magicians; they will defile you. I, Yahweh, am your God.


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"You will stand up in the presence of grey hair, you will honour the person of the aged and fear your God. I am Yahweh.


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You will treat resident aliens as though they were native-born and love them as yourself -- for you yourselves were once aliens in Egypt. I am Yahweh your God.


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You will have just scales, just weights, a just ephah and a just hin. I am Yahweh your God who brought you out of Egypt;


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'Say to the Israelites: "Anyone, be he Israelite or alien resident in Israel, who gives any of his children to Molech, will be put to death. The people of the country must stone him,


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and I shall set my face against that man and outlaw him from his people; for by giving a child of his to Molech he has defiled my sanctuary and profaned my holy name.


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If the people of the country choose to close their eyes to the man's action when he gives a child of his to Molech, and do not put him to death,


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I myself shall turn my face against that man and his clan. I shall outlaw them from their people, both him and all those after him who prostitute themselves by following Molech.


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"If anyone has recourse to the spirits of the dead or to magicians, to prostitute himself by following them, I shall set my face against him and outlaw him from his people.


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Hence: "Anyone who curses father or mother will be put to death. Having cursed father or mother, the blood will be on that person's own head.


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"The man who has intercourse with his father's wife has infringed his father's sexual prerogative. Both of them will be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.


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"The man who has intercourse with his daughter-in-law: both of them will be put to death; they have violated nature, their blood will be on their own heads.


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"The man who has intercourse with a man in the same way as with a woman: they have done a hateful thing together; they will be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.


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"The man who marries a woman and her mother: this is incest. They will be burnt alive, he and they; you will not tolerate incest.


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"The woman who approaches any animal to have intercourse with it: you will kill the woman and the animal. They will be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.


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"The man who marries his father's or his mother's daughter: if they have intercourse together, this is an outrage. They will be executed in public, for the man has had intercourse with his sister; he will bear the consequences of his guilt.


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"The man who has intercourse with a woman during her monthly periods and exposes her nakedness: he has laid bare the source of her blood, and she has exposed the source of her blood, and both of them will be outlawed from their people.


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"You will not have intercourse with your mother's sister or your father's sister. Whoever does so, has had intercourse with a close relation; they will bear the consequences of their guilt.


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"The man who has intercourse with the wife of his paternal uncle has infringed his uncle's sexual prerogative; they will bear the consequences of their guilt and die childless.


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"The man who marries his brother's wife: this is pollution; he has infringed his brother's sexual prerogative; they will die childless.


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"You will keep all my laws, all my decisions, and put them into practice, so that the country where I am taking you to live will not vomit you out.


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You will not follow the laws of the nations whom I am driving out before you; they practised all these things, which is why I detested them.


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As I have already told you, you will take possession of their soil, I myself shall give you possession of it, a country flowing with milk and honey. "Since I, Yahweh your God, have set you apart from these peoples,


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you for your part will make a distinction between clean animals and unclean ones and between unclean birds and clean ones, and will not make yourselves detestable with any animal or bird or reptile, which I have set apart from you as unclean.


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"Be consecrated to me, for I, Yahweh, am holy, and I shall set you apart from all these peoples, for you to be mine.


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"Any man or woman of yours who is a necromancer or magician will be put to death; they will be stoned to death; their blood will be on their own heads." '


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Yahweh said to Moses: 'Speak to the priests descended from Aaron and say: "None of them must make himself unclean by touching the corpse of one of his people,


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or virgin sister, since she being unmarried is still his close relation: he can make himself unclean for her;


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but for a close female relation who is married he will not make himself unclean; he would profane himself.


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They will be consecrated to their God and will not profane the name of their God. For their function is to offer the food burnt for Yahweh, the food of their God, and so they must be holy.


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"They will not marry a woman profaned by prostitution, or one divorced by her husband, for the priest is consecrated to his God.


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"You will treat him as holy, for he offers the food of your God. For you, he will be a holy person, for I, Yahweh, who sanctify you, am holy.


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"If a priest's daughter profanes herself by prostitution, she profanes her father and will be burnt alive.


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"The priest who is pre-eminent over his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil has been poured, and who, robed in the sacred vestments, has received investiture, will not disorder his hair or tear his clothes;


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He will not leave the holy place in such a way as to profane the sanctuary of his God; for he bears the consecration of the anointing oil of his God. I am Yahweh.


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He will not marry a woman who has been widowed or divorced or profaned by prostitution, but will marry a virgin from his own people:


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'Speak to Aaron and say: "None of your descendants, for all time, may come forward to offer the food of his God if he has any infirmity,


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No descendant of the priest Aaron may come forward to offer the food burnt for Yahweh if he has any infirmity; if he has an infirmity, he will not come forward to offer the food of his God.


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but he will not go near the curtain or approach the altar, since he has an infirmity and must not profane my holy things; for I, Yahweh, have sanctified them." '


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'Speak to Aaron and his sons. They must be consecrated by the holy offerings of the Israelites and must not profane my holy name; for my sake they must sanctify it; I am Yahweh.


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Say to them: "Any one of your descendants, for all time, who in a state of uncleanness approaches the holy offerings consecrated to Yahweh by the Israelites, will be outlawed from my presence. I am Yahweh.


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"Anyone of Aaron's line who is afflicted with a contagious skin-disease or a discharge will not eat holy things until he is clean. Anyone who touches anything made unclean by a dead body, or who has a seminal discharge,


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or who is made unclean by touching any kind of reptile or any one who has contaminated him with his own uncleanness, be it what it may,


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in short, anyone who has had any such contact will be unclean until evening, and must not eat holy things until he has washed his body.


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"He must not eat an animal that has died a natural death or been savaged; he would contract uncleanness from it. I am Yahweh.


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"They must keep my rules and not burden themselves with sin. If they profane them, they will incur death; I, Yahweh, have sanctified them.


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But if the priest has acquired a slave by purchase, the slave may eat it like anyone born in his household; they will share his food.


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but if she is widowed or divorced and, being childless, has had to return to her father's house as when she was young, she may share her father's food. No lay person may share it;


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anyone who does eat a holy thing by inadvertence, will restore it to the priest with one-fifth added.


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By eating these, they would burden them with guilt requiring a sacrifice of reparation; for I, Yahweh, have sanctified these offerings." '


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'Speak to Aaron, to his sons, and to all the Israelites and say: "Any member of the House of Israel or any alien resident in Israel who brings an offering either in payment of a vow or as a voluntary gift, and offers it as a burnt offering to Yahweh,


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"If anyone offers Yahweh a communion sacrifice, either to fulfil a vow or as a voluntary offering, the animal, be it from the herd or flock, must be perfect, if he is to be acceptable; it must be unblemished.


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You will not offer Yahweh any animal which is blind, lame, mutilated, ulcerous, scabby or covered in sores. No part of such an animal will be offered on the altar as food burnt for Yahweh.


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As a voluntary offering, you may offer a bull or a lamb that is underdeveloped or deformed; but such will not be acceptable in payment of a vow.


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You will not offer Yahweh an animal if its testicles have been bruised, crushed, torn or cut off. You may not do that in your country,


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and you may not accept any such from the hands of a stranger, to be offered as food for your God. Their deformity is a blemish, and they would not make you acceptable." '


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'A calf, lamb, or kid will stay with its dam for seven days after being born. From the eighth day onwards, it will be acceptable as food burnt for Yahweh.


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You will not profane my holy name -- so that I may be honoured as holy among the Israelites, I, Yahweh, who make you holy,


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'Speak to the Israelites and say: (The solemn festivals of Yahweh to which you will summon them are my sacred assemblies.) "These are my solemn festivals:


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"You will work for six days, but the seventh will be a day of complete rest, a day for the sacred assembly on which you do no work at all. Wherever you live, this is a Sabbath for Yahweh.


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"These are Yahweh's solemn festivals, the sacred assemblies to which you will summon the Israelites on the appointed day:


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and the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of Unleavened Bread for Yahweh. For seven days you will eat unleavened bread.


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For seven days you will offer food burnt for Yahweh. On the seventh day there will be a sacred assembly; you will do no heavy work." '


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'Speak to the Israelites and say: "When you enter the country which I am giving you and reap the harvest there, you will bring the priest the first sheaf of your harvest,


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and he will present it to Yahweh with the gesture of offering, for you to be acceptable. The priest will make this offering on the day after the Sabbath,


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and on the same day as you make this offering, you will offer Yahweh an unblemished lamb one year old as a burnt offering.


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The cereal offering for that day will be two-tenths of wheaten flour mixed with oil, as food burnt as a smell pleasing to Yahweh. The libation will be a quarter of a hin of wine.


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You will eat no bread, roasted ears of wheat or fresh produce before this day, before making the offering to your God. This is a perpetual law for all your descendants, wherever you live.


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"From the day after the Sabbath, the day on which you bring the sheaf of offering, you will count seven full weeks.


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You will count fifty days, to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then you will offer Yahweh a new cereal offering.


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You will bring bread from your homes to present with the gesture of offering -- two loaves, made of two-tenths of wheaten flour baked with leaven; these are first-fruits for Yahweh.


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In addition to the bread, you will offer seven unblemished lambs a year old, a young bull and two rams, as a burnt offering to Yahweh with a cereal offering and a libation, as food burnt as a smell pleasing to Yahweh.


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The priest will present them before Yahweh with the gesture of offering, in addition to the bread of the first-fruits. These, and the two lambs, are holy things for Yahweh, and will revert to the priest.


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"On the same day, you will hold an assembly; for you this will be a sacred assembly; you will do no heavy work. This is a perpetual law for your descendants, wherever you live.


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"When you reap the harvest in your country, you will not reap to the very edges of your field, nor will you gather the gleanings of the harvest. You will leave them for the poor and the stranger. I am Yahweh your God." '


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'Speak to the Israelites and say: "The first day of the seventh month will be a day of rest for you, of remembrance and acclamation, a sacred assembly.


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'But the tenth day of this seventh month will be the Day of Expiation. You will hold a sacred assembly. You will fast and offer food burnt for Yahweh.


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You will do no work that day, for it is the Day of Expiation, on which the rite of expiation will be performed for you before Yahweh your God.


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It must be a day of complete rest for you. You will fast; on the evening of the ninth day of the month, from this evening till the following evening, you will rest completely.'


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'Speak to the Israelites and say: "On the fifteenth day of this seventh month there will be the feast of Shelters for Yahweh, lasting for seven days.


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For seven days you will offer food burnt for Yahweh. On the eighth day you will hold a sacred assembly and you will offer food burnt for Yahweh. It is a day of solemn meeting; you will do no heavy work.


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"These are Yahweh's solemn festivals to which you will summon the Israelites, the sacred assemblies for the purpose of offering food burnt for Yahweh, consisting of burnt offerings, cereal offerings, sacrifices and libations, each on its appropriate day,


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besides Yahweh's Sabbaths, and your presents and all your votive and voluntary gifts that you make to Yahweh.


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"But on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the produce of the land, you will celebrate the feast of Yahweh for seven days. The first and eighth days will be days of rest.


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On the first day you will take choice fruit, palm branches, boughs of leafy trees and flowering shrubs from the river bank, and for seven days enjoy yourselves before Yahweh your God.


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You will celebrate a feast for Yahweh in this way for seven days every year. This is a perpetual law for your descendants. "You will keep this feast in the seventh month.


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so that your descendants may know that I made the Israelites live in shelters when I brought them out of Egypt, I, Yahweh your God." '


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'Order the Israelites to bring you crushed-olive oil for the lamp-stand, and keep a flame burning there continually.


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Aaron will keep it permanently in trim from evening to morning, outside the curtain of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting, before Yahweh. This is a perpetual decree for your descendants:


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Every Sabbath they will be arranged before Yahweh. The Israelites will provide them as a permanent covenant.


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They will belong to Aaron and his sons, who will eat them inside the holy place since, for him, they are an especially holy part of the food burnt for Yahweh. This is a permanent law.'


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There was a man whose mother was an Israelite woman and whose father was an Egyptian. He came out of his house and, in the camp, surrounded by the Israelites, he began to quarrel with a man who was an Israelite.


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Now the son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name and cursed it. He was then taken to Moses (his mother's name was Shelomith daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan).


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'Take the man who pronounced the curse outside the camp. All those who heard him must then lay their hands on his head, and the whole community must then stone him.


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and anyone who blasphemes the name of Yahweh will be put to death; the whole community will stone him; be he alien or native-born, if he blasphemes the Name, he will be put to death.


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broken limb for broken limb, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. As the injury inflicted, so will be the injury suffered.


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Whoever strikes down an animal will make restitution for it, and whoever strikes down a human being will be put to death.


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The sentence you pass will be the same, whether on native-born or on alien; for I am Yahweh your God." '


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Moses having told the Israelites this, they took the man who had pronounced the curse out of the camp and stoned him. And so the Israelites carried out Yahweh's order to Moses.


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'Speak to the Israelites and say to them: "When you enter the country which I am giving you, the land must keep a Sabbath's rest for Yahweh.


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For six years you will sow your field, for six years you will prune your vineyard and gather its produce.


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But in the seventh year the land will have a sabbatical rest, a Sabbath for Yahweh. You will neither sow your field, nor prune your vineyard,


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nor reap any grain which has grown of its own accord, nor gather the grapes from your untrimmed vine. It will be a year of rest for the land.


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But what the land produces in its Sabbath will serve to feed you, your slave, male or female, your employee and your guest residing with you;


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"You will count seven weeks of years -- seven times seven years, that is to say a period of seven weeks of years, forty-nine years.


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And on the tenth day of the seventh month you will sound the trumpet; on the Day of Expiation you will sound the trumpet throughout the land.


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You will declare this fiftieth year to be sacred and proclaim the liberation of all the country's inhabitants. You will keep this as a jubilee: each of you will return to his ancestral property, each to his own clan.


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This fiftieth year will be a jubilee year for you; in it you will not sow, you will not harvest the grain that has come up on its own or in it gather grapes from your untrimmed vine.


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If you buy land from, or sell land to, your fellow-countryman, neither of you may exploit the other.


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In buying from your fellow-countryman, you will take account of the number of years since the jubilee; the sale-price he fixes for you will depend on the number of productive years still to run.


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The greater the number of years, the higher the price you will ask for it; the fewer the number of years, the greater the reduction; for what he is selling you is a certain number of harvests.


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"Hence, you will put my laws and customs into practice; you will keep them and put them into practice, and you will live securely in the country.


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"In case you should ask: What shall we eat in this seventh year if we do not sow or harvest our produce?


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I shall order my blessing to be on you in the sixth year, which will yield you enough produce for three years.


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You will have the old produce to eat while you are sowing in the eighth year, and even in the ninth year, you will be eating the old produce, while waiting for the harvest of that year.


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"Land will not be sold absolutely, for the land belongs to me, and you are only strangers and guests of mine.


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If your brother becomes impoverished and sells off part of his ancestral property, his nearest male relative will come and exercise his family rights over what his brother has sold.


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The man who has no one to exercise this right may, once he has found the means to effect the redemption,


text:
calculate the number of years that the alienation would have lasted, repay to the purchaser the sum due for the time still to run, and so recover his ancestral property.


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If he cannot find the sum in compensation, the property sold will remain in the possession of the purchaser until the jubilee year. In the jubilee year, the latter will vacate it and return to his own ancestral property.


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"If anyone sells a dwelling house inside a walled town, he will have the right of redemption until the expiry of the year following the sale. His right of redemption is limited to the year;


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and if the redemption has not been effected by the end of the year, the house in the walled town will become the property of the purchaser and his descendants in perpetuity; he need not vacate it at the jubilee.


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But houses in villages not enclosed by walls will be considered as situated in the open country; they carry the right of redemption, and the purchaser will vacate them at the jubilee.


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"As regards the towns of the Levites, town houses forming part of their ancestral property will carry a perpetual right of redemption in their favour.


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If a Levite is the one to be affected by the right of redemption, at the jubilee he will vacate the purchased property and return to his own home, to the town in which he has a title to property. The houses in the Levites' towns represent their ancestral property in Israel,


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and the arable land depending on these towns cannot be sold, being their ancestral property for ever.


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"If your brother becomes impoverished and cannot support himself in the community, you will assist him as you would a stranger or guest, so that he can go on living with you.


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"If your brother becomes impoverished while with you and sells himself to you, you will not make him do the work of a slave;


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He will then leave you, both he and his children, and return to his clan and regain possession of his ancestral property.


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For they are my servants whom I have brought out of Egypt, and they may not be bought and sold as slaves.


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"The male and female slaves you have will come from the nations round you; from these you may purchase male and female slaves.


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As slaves, you may also purchase the children of aliens resident among you, and also members of their families living with you who have been born on your soil; and they will become your property,


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and you may leave them as a legacy to your sons after you as their perpetual possession. These you may have for slaves; but you will not oppress your brother-Israelites.


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"If a stranger or guest living with you gets rich and your brother, in the course of dealings with him, becomes impoverished and sells himself to this stranger or guest, or to the descendant of a stranger's family,


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His paternal uncle, his uncle's son, or a member of his own family may redeem him; if he has the means, he may redeem himself.


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By agreement with his purchaser, he will count the number of years between the year of sale and the jubilee year; his sale-price will be proportionate to the number of years, his time being valued as that of an employee.


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If there are still many years to run, in proportion to their number he will refund part of his sale-price as payment for his redemption.


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And if there are only a few years still to run before the jubilee year, he will calculate with him what should be refunded for his redemption, in proportion to their number,


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"If he has not been redeemed in any of these ways, he will go free in the jubilee year, both he and his children;


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for the Israelites are my servants; they are my servants whom I brought out of Egypt. I am Yahweh your God." '


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' "You will not make idols for yourselves; you will not erect statues or cultic stones, or erect carved stones in your country, for you to worship: for I, Yahweh, am your God.


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I shall give you the rain you need at the right time; the soil will yield its produce and the trees of the countryside their fruit;


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you will thresh until vintage time and gather grapes until sowing time. You will eat your fill of bread and live secure in your land.


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"I shall give peace in the land, and you will go to sleep with no one to frighten you. I shall rid the land of beasts of prey. The sword will not pass through your land.


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five of you pursuing a hundred of them, one hundred pursuing ten thousand; and your enemies will fall before your sword.


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"I shall turn towards you, I shall make you fertile and make your numbers grow, and I shall uphold my covenant with you.


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"Having eaten all you need of last year's harvest, you will throw out the old to make room for the new.


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I, Yahweh your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you should be their slaves no longer, and who broke the bonds of your yoke and made you walk with head held high.


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if you reject my laws and detest my customs, and you break my covenant by not putting all my commandments into practice,


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this is how I shall treat you: "I shall subject you to terror, consumption and fever, making you dim of sight and short of breath. You will sow your seed in vain, for your enemies will eat it.


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I shall turn against you and you will be defeated by your enemies. Your foes will have the mastery over you, and you will flee when no one is pursuing you.


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"And if, in spite of this, you will not listen to me, I shall punish you seven times over for your sins.


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I shall break your proud strength. I shall make the sky like iron for you, and your soil like bronze.


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You will wear out your strength in vain, your land will not yield its produce, nor the trees of the country their fruit.


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"And if you go against me and will not listen to me, I shall heap seven times more plagues on you for your sins.


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I shall send wild animals to attack you and rob you of your children, destroy your cattle and reduce your numbers until your roads are deserted.


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I shall bring the sword on you, which will avenge the covenant, and when you huddle inside your towns, I shall send pestilence among you, and you will fall into the enemy's clutches.


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When I take away the bread which supports you, ten women will be able to bake your bread in one oven and will then dole your bread out by weight; you will eat but not be satisfied.


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I shall destroy your high places and smash your incense-altars; I shall pile your corpses on the corpses of your foul idols and shall reject you.


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I shall reduce your cities to ruins; I shall lay waste your sanctuary and refuse to inhale from you smells intended to please.


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I shall make such a desolation of the country that your enemies who come to live there will be appalled by it.


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And I shall scatter you among the nations. I shall unsheathe the sword against you, reducing your country to desert and your towns to ruins.


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Then the country will indeed observe its Sabbaths, all the while it lies deserted, while you are in the country of your enemies. Then indeed the country will rest and observe its Sabbaths.


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I shall strike such fear into the hearts of those of you who survive in the countries of their enemies that the sound of a falling leaf will set them fleeing; they will flee as though fleeing from the sword, and fall when no one is pursuing.


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They will stumble over one another as though fleeing before the sword, when no one is pursuing. You will be powerless to stand up to your enemies;


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Those of you who survive will pine away in their guilt in the countries of their enemies and, bearing the guilt of their ancestors too, will pine away like them.


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"Then they shall admit their guilt and that of their ancestors and their infidelities against me, and further, their setting themselves against me.


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"I in my turn will go against them and bring them into the land of their enemies. Then their uncircumcised hearts will grow humble and then they will accept the punishment for their guilt.


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I shall remember my covenant with Jacob, I shall remember my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham; and I shall remember the country too.


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"Abandoned, the country will keep its Sabbaths, as it lies deserted in their absence, and they will have to accept the punishment for their guilt, since they detested my customs and rejected my laws.


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"Yet, in spite of all this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I shall not so utterly reject or detest them as to destroy them completely and break my covenant with them; for I am Yahweh their God.


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For their sake I shall remember the covenant I made with those first generations that I brought out of Egypt while other nations watched, so that I should be their God, I, Yahweh." '


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Such were the decrees, customs and laws which Yahweh established between himself and the Israelites on Mount Sinai through Moses.


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'Speak to the Israelites and say: "If anyone vows the value of a person to Yahweh and wishes to discharge the vow:


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"a man between twenty and sixty years of age will be valued at fifty silver shekels -- the sanctuary shekel;


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"between one month and five years, a boy will be valued at five silver shekels, a girl at three silver shekels;


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"If the person who made the vow cannot meet this valuation, he will present the person concerned to the priest, and the priest will set a value proportionate to the resources of the person who made the vow.


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"In the case of an animal suitable for offering to Yahweh, any such animal given to Yahweh will be holy.


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It cannot be exchanged or replaced, a good one instead of a bad one, or a bad one instead of a good one. If one animal is substituted for another, both of them will become holy.


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In the case of an unclean animal unsuitable for offering to Yahweh, whatever it may be, it will be presented to the priest


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"If a man consecrates his house to Yahweh, the priest will set a value on it, in relation to its worth. His valuation will be decisive.


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If the man who has vowed his house wishes to redeem it, he will add one-fifth to the valuation, and it will revert to him.


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"If a man consecrates one of the fields of his ancestral property to Yahweh, its value will be calculated in terms of its yield, at the rate of fifty silver shekels to one homer of barley.


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But if he consecrates it after the jubilee, the priest will calculate the price in terms of the number of years still to run until the next jubilee and the valuation will be reduced accordingly.


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"If he wishes to redeem the field, he will add one-fifth to the valuation, and the field will revert to him.


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when the purchaser has to vacate it at the jubilee year, it becomes consecrated to Yahweh, like a field vowed unconditionally; ownership of it passes to the priest.


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"If he consecrates to Yahweh a field which he has bought, but which is not part of his ancestral property,


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the priest will calculate the valuation in terms of the number of years still to run before the jubilee year; and the man will pay this sum the same day since it is consecrated to Yahweh.


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In the jubilee year the field will revert to the vendor, the man to whose ancestral property the land belongs.


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"The first-born of livestock is born to Yahweh; no one may consecrate it, whether it be cattle or sheep, for it belongs to Yahweh anyway.


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But if it is an unclean animal, it may be redeemed at the valuation price with one-fifth added; if the animal is not redeemed, it will be sold at the valuation price.


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"Nothing, however, that someone vows unconditionally to Yahweh may be redeemed, nothing he possesses, be it a human being or animal or field of his ancestral property. What is vowed unconditionally is especially holy and belongs to Yahweh.


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"All tithes on land, levied on the produce of the soil or on the fruit of trees, belong to Yahweh; they are consecrated to Yahweh.


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"In all tithes on herds or flocks, the tenth animal of all that pass under the herdsman's staff will be consecrated to Yahweh;


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there will be no examining whether it is good or bad, and no substitution. If substitution takes place, the animal and its substitute will both become holy without possibility of redemption." '


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Yahweh spoke to Moses, in the desert of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after the exodus from Egypt, and said:


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'Take a census of the whole community of Israelites by clans and families, taking a count of the names of all the males, head by head.


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You and Aaron will register all those in Israel, twenty years of age and over, fit to bear arms, company by company;


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Of the sons of Joseph: for Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud; for Manasseh, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.


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These were men of repute in the community; they were the leaders of their ancestral tribes, the heads of Israel's thousands.


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and on the first day of the second month they mustered the whole community. The Israelites established their pedigrees by clans and families, and one by one the names of all men of twenty years and over were recorded.


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Once the pedigrees of the descendants of Reuben, Israel's first-born, had been established by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, fit to bear arms, were recorded one by one.


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Once the pedigrees of Simeon's descendants had been established by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, fit to bear arms, were recorded one by one.


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Once the pedigrees of Gad's descendants had been established by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, fit to bear arms, were recorded one by one.


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Once the pedigrees of Judah's descendants had been established by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, fit to bear arms, were recorded one by one.


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Once the pedigrees of Issachar's descendants had been established by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, fit to bear arms, were recorded one by one.


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Once the pedigrees of Zebulun's descendants had been established by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, fit to bear arms, were recorded one by one.


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As regards the descendants of Joseph: once the pedigrees of Ephraim's descendants had been established by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, fit to bear arms, were recorded one by one.


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Once the pedigrees of Manasseh's descendants had been established by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, fit to bear arms, were recorded one by one.


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Once the pedigrees of Benjamin's descendants had been established by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, fit to bear arms, were recorded one by one.


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Once the pedigrees of Dan's descendants had been established by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, fit to bear arms, were recorded one by one.


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Once the pedigrees of Asher's descendants had been established by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, fit to bear arms, were recorded one by one.


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Once the pedigrees of Naphtali's descendants had been established by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, fit to bear arms, were recorded one by one.


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Such were the men registered by Moses, Aaron and the leaders of Israel, of whom there were twelve, each representing his family.


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but enrol the Levites to take charge of the Dwelling where the Testimony is and of all its furnishings and belongings. They must carry the Dwelling and all its furnishings; they must look after the Dwelling and pitch their camp round it.


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Whenever the Dwelling is moved, the Levites will dismantle it; whenever the Dwelling stops for the night, the Levites will erect it. Any unauthorised person coming near it will be put to death.


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The Israelites will pitch their tents, each in their own encampment and by their own standard, company by company,


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but the Levites will pitch their tents round the Dwelling where the Testimony is. In this way Retribution will be kept from falling on the whole community of Israelites, and the Levites will keep charge of the Dwelling of the Testimony.'


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'The Israelites must pitch their tents, each man by his own standard, under their family emblems. They must pitch their tents round the Dwelling where the Testimony is, some distance away.


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'Encamped on the east side: 'Furthest towards the east, the standard of the camp of Judah, unit by unit. Leader of the Judahites: Nahshon son of Amminadab.


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'The tribal forces in the camp of Judah number in all a hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred. These will be the first to break camp.


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'On the south side, the standard of the camp of Reuben, unit by unit. Leader of the Reubenites: Elizur son of Shedeur.


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'The tribal forces in the camp of Reuben number in all a hundred and fifty-one thousand four hundred and fifty. They will be second to break camp.


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'Next, the Tent of Meeting will move, since the camp of the Levites is situated in the middle of the other camps. The order of movement will be the order of encampment, each man under his own standard.


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'On the west side, the standard of the camp of Ephraim, unit by unit. Leader of the Ephraimites: Elishama son of Ammihud.


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'The tribal forces in the camp of Ephraim number in all a hundred and eight thousand one hundred. They will be third to break camp.


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'On the north side, the standard of the camp of Dan, unit by unit. Leader of the Danites: Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.


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'The tribal forces in the camp of Dan number in all a hundred and fifty-seven thousand six hundred. They will be the last to break camp. 'All under their appropriate standards.'


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Such was the tally of the Israelites when the census was taken by families. The full count of the entire camp, unit by unit, came to six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty.


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The Israelites did exactly as Yahweh had ordered Moses. This was how they pitched camp, grouped by standards. This was how they broke camp, each man in his own clan, each man with his own family.


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These were the descendants of Aaron and Moses, at the time when Yahweh spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai.


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Such were the names of Aaron's sons, priests anointed and invested with the powers of the priesthood.


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Nadab and Abihu died in Yahweh's presence, in the desert of Sinai, when they offered unauthorised fire before Yahweh. They left no children and so it fell to Eleazar and Ithamar to exercise the priesthood under their father Aaron.


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'Muster the tribe of Levi and put it at the disposal of the priest Aaron: they must be at his service.


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They will undertake the duties incumbent on him and the whole community before the Tent of Meeting, in serving the Dwelling,


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and they will be in charge of all the furnishings of the Tent of Meeting and undertake the duties incumbent on the Israelites in serving the Dwelling.


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You will present the Levites to Aaron and his sons as men dedicated; they will be given to him by the Israelites.


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'You will register Aaron and his sons, who will carry out their priestly duty. But any unauthorised person who comes near must be put to death.'


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'Look, I myself have chosen the Levites from the Israelites instead of all the first-born, those who emerge first from the womb in Israel; the Levites therefore belong to me.


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For every first-born belongs to me. On the day when I struck down all the first-born in Egypt, I consecrated all the first-born in Israel, human and animal, to be my own. They are mine, Yahweh's.'


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'You must take a census of Levi's descendants by families and clans; all the males of the age of one month and over will be counted.'


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As regards the Tent of Meeting, the Gershonites had charge of the Dwelling, the Tent and its covering, the screen for the entrance to the Tent of Meeting,


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the curtaining of the court, the screen for the entrance to the court surrounding the Dwelling and the altar, and the cords required in dealing with all this.


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From Kohath were descended the Amramite, Izharite, Hebronite and Uzzielite clans; these were the Kohathite clans.


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Their full number, counting the males of one month and over, came to eight thousand three hundred. They were in charge of the sanctuary.


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They were in charge of the ark, the table, the lamp-stand, the altars, the sacred vessels used in the liturgy, and the curtain with all its fittings.


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The chief of the Levite leaders was Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest. He supervised the people responsible for the sanctuary.


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The leader of the House of the Merarite clans was Zuriel, son of Abihail. They pitched their camp on the north side of the Dwelling.


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The Merarites were in charge of the framework of the Dwelling, with its crossbars, poles, sockets and all its accessories and fittings,


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Finally, on the east side, in front of the Dwelling, in front of the Tent of Meeting, towards the east, was the camp of Moses and Aaron and his sons, who had charge of the sanctuary on behalf of the Israelites. Any unauthorised person coming near was to be put to death.


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The total number of male Levites of the age of one month and over, whom Moses counted by clans as Yahweh had ordered, came to twenty-two thousand.


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Yahweh said to Moses: 'Take a census of all the first-born of the Israelites, all the males from the age of one month and over; take a census of them by name.


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You will then present the Levites to me, Yahweh, instead of Israel, and similarly the Levites' cattle instead of the first-born cattle of the Israelites.'


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The total count, by name, of the first-born from the age of one month and over came to twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three.


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'Take the Levites instead of all the first-born of the Israelites, and the Levites' cattle instead of their cattle; the Levites will be mine, Yahweh's.


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For the ransom of the two hundred and seventy-three first-born of the Israelites in excess of the number of Levites,


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he took the money for the first-born of the Israelites: one thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels, by the sanctuary shekel;


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and Moses then handed over their ransom money to Aaron and his sons, at Yahweh's bidding, as Yahweh had ordered Moses.


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all the men between thirty and fifty years of age and eligible for military service, who will have their duties in the Tent of Meeting.


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'When camp is broken, Aaron and his sons must come and take down the screening curtain, and cover the ark of the Testimony with it.


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Over this, they will put a covering of fine leather, over which they will spread a cloth entirely of violet-purple. They will then fix the poles to the ark.


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'Over the offertory table they will spread a violet cloth, and on it put the dishes, cups, bowls and libation jars; the bread of permanent offering will also be on it.


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Over these they will spread a scarlet cloth and cover the whole with a covering of fine leather. They will then fix the poles to the table.


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'They will then take a violet cloth and cover the lamp-stand, its lamps, snuffers, trays and all the oil jars used for it,


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'Over the golden altar they will spread a violet cloth, and cover that with a covering of fine leather. They will then fix the poles to it.


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'They will then take all the other objects used in the service of the sanctuary, put them in a violet cloth, with a covering of fine leather, and put it all on the litter.


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and on this place all the objects used in the liturgy, the fire pans, hooks, scoops, sprinkling basins and all the altar accessories. Over this they will spread a covering of fine leather. They will then fix the poles to it.


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'Once Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy things and all their accessories at the breaking of camp, the Kohathites will come and carry them, but without touching any of the holy things on pain of death. Such is the load for the Kohathites in the Tent of Meeting.


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But Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, is responsible for looking after the oil for the light, the fragrant incense, the daily cereal offering and the anointing oil, and for supervising the entire Dwelling and everything in it, the holy things and their accessories.'


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But deal with them in this way, so that they may survive and not incur death by approaching those things that are especially holy. Aaron and his sons will go in and assign to each of them his task and load,


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in such a way that they have no need to incur the death penalty by going in and setting eyes on the holy things, even for an instant.'


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all the men between thirty and fifty years of age, eligible for military service, who will have their duties in the Tent of Meeting.


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They will carry the curtaining of the Dwelling, the Tent of Meeting with its covering and the covering of fine leather that goes over it, the screen for the entrance to the Tent of Meeting,


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the curtaining of the court, the screen for the entrance to the court surrounding the Dwelling and the altar, the cords, all the accessories for worship, and all the necessary equipment. 'They will be responsible for these things.


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All the duties of the Gershonites, their functions and their loads, will be carried out under the direction of Aaron and his sons: you will see that they fulfil their charge.


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Such are the duties of the Gershonite clans in the Tent of Meeting. Their work will be supervised by Ithamar, son of Aaron the priest.


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You will take a census of all the men between thirty and fifty years of age, eligible for military service, who will have their duties in the Tent of Meeting.


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'The load they carry and the duties incumbent on them in the Tent of Meeting will be as follows: the framework of the Dwelling, its cross-bars, poles and sockets,


text:
the poles round the court with their sockets, pegs, cords and all their tackle. You will draw up a list of their names with the loads for which each is responsible.


text:
'Such are the duties of the Merarite clans. All their duties in the Tent of Meeting will be supervised by Ithamar, son of Aaron the priest.'


text:
Moses, Aaron and the leaders of the community took a census of the Kohathites by clans and families:


text:
all the men between thirty and fifty years of age, eligible for military service, for duties in the Tent of Meeting.


text:
Such was the total number of men in the Kohathite clans who were eligible for duties in the Tent of Meeting and whom Moses and Aaron counted at Yahweh's bidding through Moses.


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Such was the total number of men in the Gershonite clans who were eligible for duties in the Tent of Meeting, and whom Moses and Aaron counted at Yahweh's bidding.


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Such was the total number of men in the Merarite clans, whom Moses and Aaron counted at Yahweh's bidding through Moses.


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The total number of Levites whom Moses, Aaron and the leaders of Israel counted in their clans and families,


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all the men between thirty and fifty years of age, eligible for religious duties and for those of transporting the Tent of Meeting


text:
At Yahweh's bidding through Moses, a census was taken of them and each man was assigned his duty and load. And so the census was conducted by Moses as Yahweh had ordered him.


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'Order the Israelites to expel from the camp all those suffering from a contagious skin-disease or from a discharge, or who have become unclean by touching a corpse.


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Whether man or woman, you will expel them; you will expel them from the camp, so that they do not pollute their encampments, in the heart of which I dwell.'


text:
The Israelites did so: they expelled them from the camp. The Israelites did as Yahweh had told Moses.


text:
'Speak to the Israelites: "If a man or woman commits any of the sins by which people break faith with Yahweh, that person incurs guilt.


text:
"The person must confess the sin committed and restore in full the amount owed, with one-fifth added. Payment is to be made to the person wronged.


text:
"If, however, the latter has no relation to whom restitution can be made, the restitution due to Yahweh reverts to the priest, apart from the ram of expiation with which the priest makes expiation for the guilty party.


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For of everything the Israelites consecrate and bring to the priest he has a right to the portion set aside.


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if some other man sleeps with the woman without the husband's knowledge, and she secretly makes herself unclean, without any witness against her, and without anyone catching her in the act;


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if, then, a spirit of suspicion comes over the husband and makes him suspicious of the wife who has disgraced herself, or again if this spirit of suspicion comes over him and makes him suspicious of his wife even when she is innocent,


text:
the man will bring his wife before the priest, and on her behalf make an offering of one-tenth of an ephah of barley meal. He will not pour oil over it or put incense on it, because this is a cereal offering for a case of suspicion, a memorial offering to recall guilt to mind.


