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But the earth was empty and unoccupied, and darknesses were over the face of the abyss; and so the Spirit of God was brought over the waters.


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And he called the light, ‘Day,’ and the darknesses, ‘Night.’ And it became evening and morning, one day.


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God also said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide waters from waters.”


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And God made a firmament, and he divided the waters that were under the firmament, from those that were above the firmament. And so it became.


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Truly God said: “Let the waters that are under heaven be gathered together into one place; and let the dry land appear.” And so it became.


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And God called the dry land, ‘Earth,’ and he called the gathering of the waters, ‘Seas.’ And God saw that it was good.


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And he said, “Let the land spring forth green plants, both those producing seed, and fruit-bearing trees, producing fruit according to their kind, whose seed is within itself, over all the earth.” And so it became.


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And the land brought forth green plants, both those producing seed, according to their kind, and trees producing fruit, with each having its own way of sowing, according to its species. And God saw that it was good.


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Then God said: “Let there be lights in the firmament of heaven. And let them divide day from night, and let them become signs, both of the seasons, and of the days and years.


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And God made two great lights: a greater light, to rule over the day, and a lesser light, to rule over the night, along with the stars.


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and to rule over the day as well as the night, and to divide light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.


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And then God said, “Let the waters produce animals with a living soul, and flying creatures above the earth, under the firmament of heaven.”


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And God created the great sea creatures, and everything with a living soul and the ability to move that the waters produced, according to their species, and all the flying creatures, according to their kind. And God saw that it was good.


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And he blessed them, saying: “Increase and multiply, and fill the waters of the sea. And let the birds be multiplied above the land.”


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God also said, “Let the land produce living souls in their kind: cattle, and animals, and wild beasts of the earth, according to their species.” And so it became.


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And God made the wild beasts of the earth according to their species, and the cattle, and every animal on the land, according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.


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And he said: “Let us make Man to our image and likeness. And let him rule over the fish of the sea, and the flying creatures of the air, and the wild beasts, and the entire earth, and every animal that moves on the earth.”


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And God created man to his own image; to the image of God he created him; male and female, he created them.


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And God blessed them, and he said, “Increase and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and the flying creatures of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.”


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And God said: “Behold, I have given you every seed-bearing plant upon the earth, and all the trees that have in themselves the ability to sow their own kind, to be food for you,


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and for all the animals of the land, and for all the flying things of the air, and for everything that moves upon the earth and in which there is a living soul, so that they may have these on which to feed.” And so it became.


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And God saw everything that he had made. And they were very good. And it became evening and morning, the sixth day.


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And on the seventh day, God fulfilled his work, which he had made. And on the seventh day he rested from all his work, which he had accomplished.


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And he blessed the seventh day and sanctified it. For in it, he had ceased from all his work: the work whereby God created whatever he should make.


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These are the generations of heaven and earth, when they were created, in the day when the Lord God made heaven and earth,


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and every sapling of the field, before it would rise up in the land, and every wild plant, before it would germinate. For the Lord God had not brought rain upon the earth, and there was no man to work the land.


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And then the Lord God formed man from the clay of the earth, and he breathed into his face the breath of life, and man became a living soul.


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Now the Lord God had planted a Paradise of enjoyment from the beginning. In it, he placed the man whom he had formed.


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And from the soil the Lord God produced every tree that was beautiful to behold and pleasant to eat. And even the tree of life was in the midst of Paradise, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.


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And a river went forth from the place of enjoyment so as to irrigate Paradise, which is divided from there into four heads.


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The name of one is the Phison; it is that which runs through all the land of Hevilath, where gold is born;


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And the name of the second river is the Gehon; it is that which runs through all the land of Ethiopia.


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Truly, the name of the third river is the Tigris; it advances opposite the Assyrians. But the fourth river, it is the Euphrates.


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Thus, the Lord God brought the man, and put him into the Paradise of enjoyment, so that it would be attended and preserved by him.


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But from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat. For in whatever day you will eat from it, you will die a death.”


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The Lord God also said: “It is not good for the man to be alone. Let us make a helper for him similar to himself.”


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Therefore, the Lord God, having formed from the soil all the animals of the earth and all the flying creatures of the air, brought them to Adam, in order to see what he would call them. For whatever Adam would call any living creature, that would be its name.


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And Adam called each of the living things by their names: all the flying creatures of the air, and all the wild beasts of the land. Yet truly, for Adam, there was not found a helper similar to himself.


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And so the Lord God sent a deep sleep upon Adam. And when he was fast asleep, he took one of his ribs, and he completed it with flesh for it.


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And Adam said: “Now this is bone from my bones, and flesh from my flesh. This one shall be called woman, because she was taken from man.”


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For this reason, a man shall leave behind his father and mother, and he shall cling to his wife; and the two shall be as one flesh.


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However, the serpent was more crafty than any of the creatures of the earth that the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Why has God instructed you, that you should not eat from every tree of Paradise?”


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Yet truly, from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of Paradise, God has instructed us that we should not eat, and that we should not touch it, lest perhaps we may die.”


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For God knows that, on whatever day you will eat from it, your eyes will be opened; and you will be like gods, knowing good and evil.”


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And so the woman saw that the tree was good to eat, and beautiful to the eyes, and delightful to consider. And she took from its fruit, and she ate. And she gave to her husband, who ate.


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And the eyes of them both were opened. And when they realized themselves to be naked, they joined together fig leaves and made coverings for themselves.


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And when they had heard the voice of the Lord God taking a walk in Paradise in the afternoon breeze, Adam and his wife hid themselves from the face of the Lord God in the midst of the trees of Paradise.


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And he said, “I heard your voice in Paradise, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and so I hid myself.”


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He said to him, “Then who told you that you were naked, if you have not eaten of the tree from which I instructed you that you should not eat?”


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And Adam said, “The woman, whom you gave to me as a companion, gave to me from the tree, and I ate.”


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And the Lord God said to the woman, “Why have you done this?” And she responded, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”


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And the Lord God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, you are cursed among all living things, even the wild beasts of the earth. Upon your breast shall you travel, and the ground shall you eat, all the days of your life.


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I will put enmities between you and the woman, between your offspring and her offspring. She will crush your head, and you will lie in wait for her heel.”


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To the woman, he also said: “I will multiply your labors and your conceptions. In pain shall you give birth to sons, and you shall be under your husband’s power, and he shall have dominion over you.”


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Yet truly, to Adam, he said: “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree, from which I instructed you that you should not eat, cursed is the land that you work. In hardship shall you eat from it, all the days of your life.


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By the sweat of your face shall you eat bread, until you return to the earth from which you were taken. For dust you are, and unto dust you shall return.”


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And he said: “Behold, Adam has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. Therefore, now perhaps he may put forth his hand and also take from the tree of life, and eat, and live in eternity.”


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And so the Lord God sent him away from the Paradise of enjoyment, in order to work the earth from which he was taken.


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And he cast out Adam. And in front of the Paradise of enjoyment, he placed the Cherubim with a flaming sword, turning together, to guard the way to the tree of life.


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Truly, Adam knew his wife Eve, who conceived and gave birth to Cain, saying, “I have obtained a man through God.”


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And again she gave birth to his brother Abel. But Abel was a pastor of sheep, and Cain was a farmer.


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Then it happened, after many days, that Cain offered gifts to the Lord, from the fruits of the earth.


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Abel likewise offered from the firstborn of his flock, and from their fat. And the Lord looked with favor on Abel and his gifts.


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Yet in truth, he did not look with favor on Cain and his gifts. And Cain was vehemently angry, and his countenance fell.


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If you behave well, will you not receive? But if you behave badly, will not sin at once be present at the door? And so its desire will be within you, and you will be dominated by it.”


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And Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go outside.” And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and he put him to death.


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And the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” And he responded: “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”


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And he said to him: “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to me from the land.


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Now, therefore, you will be cursed upon the land, which opened its mouth and received the blood of your brother at your hand.


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When you work it, it will not give you its fruit; a vagrant and a fugitive shall you be upon the land.”


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Behold, you have cast me out this day before the face of the earth, and from your face I will be hidden; and I will be a vagrant and a fugitive on the earth. Therefore, anyone who finds me will kill me.”


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And the Lord said to him: “By no means will it be so; rather, whoever would kill Cain, will be punished sevenfold.” And the Lord placed a seal upon Cain, so that anyone who found him would not put him to death.


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And so Cain, departing from the face of the Lord, lived as a fugitive on the earth, toward the eastern region of Eden.


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Then Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch. And he built a city, and he called its name by the name of his son, Enoch.


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Thereafter, Enoch conceived Irad, and Irad conceived Mahujael, and Mahujael conceived Mathusael, and Mathusael conceived Lamech.


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And the name of his brother was Jubal; he was the father of those who sing to the harp and the organ.


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Zillah also conceived Tubalcain, who was a hammerer and artisan in every work of brass and iron. In fact, the sister of Tubalcain was Noema.


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And Lamech said to his wives Adah and Zillah: “Listen to my voice, you wives of Lamech, pay attention to my speech. For I have killed a man to my own harm, and an adolescent to my own bruising.


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Adam also knew his wife again, and she gave birth to a son, and she called his name Seth, saying, “God has given me another offspring, in place of Abel, whom Cain killed.”


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But to Seth also was born a son, whom he called Enos. This one began to invoke the name of the Lord.


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This is the book of the lineage of Adam. In the day that God created man, he made him to the likeness of God.


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He created them, male and female; and he blessed them. And he called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.


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Then Adam lived for one hundred and thirty years. And then he conceived a son in his own image and likeness, and he called his name Seth.


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And after he conceived Seth, the days of Adam that passed were eight hundred years. And he conceived sons and daughters.


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And after he conceived Enos, Seth lived for eight hundred and seven years, and he conceived sons and daughters.


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And after he conceived Mahalalel, Cainan lived for eight hundred and forty years, and he conceived sons and daughters.


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And after he conceived Jared, Mahalalel lived for eight hundred and thirty years, and he conceived sons and daughters.


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And all the days of Mahalalel that passed were eight hundred and ninety-five years, and then he died.


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And after he conceived Enoch, Jared lived for eight hundred years, and he conceived sons and daughters.


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And Enoch walked with God. And after he conceived Methuselah, he lived for three hundred years, and he conceived sons and daughters.


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And after he conceived Lamech, Methuselah lived for seven hundred and eighty-two years, and he conceived sons and daughters.


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And all the days of Methuselah that passed were nine hundred and sixty-nine years, and then he died.


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And he called his name Noah, saying, “This one will console us from the works and hardships of our hands, in the land that the Lord has cursed.”


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And after he conceived Noah, Lamech lived for five hundred and ninety-five years, and he conceived sons and daughters.


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And all the days of Lamech that passed were seven hundred and seventy-seven years, and then he died. In truth, when Noah was five hundred years old, he conceived Shem, Ham, and Japheth.


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the sons of God, seeing that the daughters of men were beautiful, took to themselves wives from all whom they chose.


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And God said: “My spirit shall not remain in man forever, because he is flesh. And so his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.”


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Now giants were upon the earth in those days. For after the sons of God went in to the daughters of men, and they conceived, these became the powerful ones of ancient times, men of renown.


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Then God, seeing that the wickedness of men was great upon the earth and that every thought of their heart was intent upon evil at all times,


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he said, “I will eliminate man, whom I have created, from the face of the earth, from man to other living things, from animals even to the flying things of the air. For it grieves me that I have made them.”


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These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a just man, and yet he was predominate among his generations, for he walked with God.


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And when God had seen that the earth had been corrupted, (indeed, all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth)


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he said to Noah: “The end of all flesh has arrived in my sight. The earth has been filled with iniquity by their presence, and I will destroy them, along with the earth.


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Make yourself an ark from smoothed wood. You shall make little dwelling places in the ark, and you shall smear pitch on the interior and exterior.


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And thus shall you make it: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits.


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You shall make a window in the ark, and you shall complete it within a cubit of the top. Then you shall set the door of the ark at its side. You shall make in it: a lower part, upper rooms, and a third level.


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Behold, I shall bring the waters of a great flood upon the earth, so as to put to death all flesh in which there is the breath of life under heaven. All things that are on the earth shall be consumed.


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And I shall establish my covenant with you, and you shall enter the ark, you and your sons, your wife and the wives of your sons with you.


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And from every living thing of all that is flesh, you shall lead pairs into the ark, so that they may survive with you: from the male sex and the female,


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from birds, according to their kind, and from beasts, in their kind, and from among all animals on earth, according to their kind; pairs from each shall enter with you, so that they may be able to live.


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Therefore, you shall take with you from all the foods that are able to be eaten, and you shall carry these with you. And these shall be used as food, some for you, and the rest for them.”


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And the Lord said to him: “Enter the ark, you and all your house. For I have seen you to be just in my sight, within this generation.


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From all the clean animals, take seven and seven, the male and the female. Yet truly, from animals that are unclean, take two and two, the male and the female.


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But also from the birds of the air, take seven and seven, the male and the female, so that offspring may be saved upon the face of the whole earth.


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For from that point, and after seven days, I will rain upon the earth for forty days and forty nights. And I will wipe away every substance that I have made, from the surface of the earth.”


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And Noah entered into the ark, and his sons, his wife, and the wives of his sons with him, because of the waters of the great flood.


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And from the animals both clean and unclean, and from the birds, and from everything that moves upon the earth,


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two by two they were brought into the ark to Noah, male and female, just as the Lord had instructed Noah.


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In the six hundredth year of the life of Noah, in the second month, in the seventeenth day of the month, all the fountains of the great abyss were released, and the floodgates of heaven were opened.


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On the very same day, Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and his wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark.


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They and every animal according to its kind, and all the cattle in their kind, and everything that moves upon the earth in their kind, and every flying thing according to its kind, all the birds and all that can fly,


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entered the ark to Noah, two by two out of all that is flesh, in which there was the breath of life.


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And those that entered went in male and female, from all that is flesh, just as God had instructed him. And then the Lord closed him in from the outside.


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And the great flood occurred for forty days upon the earth. And the waters were increased, and they lifted the ark high above the land.


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For they overflowed greatly, and they filled everything on the surface of the earth. And then the ark was carried across the waters.


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And the waters prevailed beyond measure across the earth. And all the lofty mountains under the whole heaven were covered.


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And all flesh was consumed which moved upon the earth: flying things, animals, wild beasts, and all moving things that crawl upon the ground. And all men,


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And he wiped away all substance that was upon the earth, from man to animal, the crawling things just as much as the flying things of the air. And they were wiped away from the earth. But only Noah remained, and those who were with him in the ark.


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Then God remembered Noah, and all living things, and all the cattle, which were with him in the ark, and he brought a wind across the earth, and the waters were diminished.


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And the fountains of the abyss and the floodgates of heaven were closed. And the rain from heaven was restrained.


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And the waters were restored to their coming and going from the earth. And they began to diminish after one hundred and fifty days.


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And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, upon the mountains of Armenia.


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Yet in truth, the waters were departing and decreasing until the tenth month. For in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tips of the mountains appeared.


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And when forty days had passed, Noah, opening the window that he had made in the ark, sent forth a raven,


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Likewise, he sent forth a dove after him, in order to see if the waters had now ceased upon the face of the earth.


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But when she did not find a place where her foot might rest, she returned to him in the ark. For the waters were upon the whole earth. And he extended his hand and caught her, and he brought her into the ark.


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And she came to him in the evening, carrying in her mouth an olive branch with green leaves. Noah then understood that the waters had ceased upon the earth.


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And nevertheless, he waited another seven days. And he sent forth the dove, which no longer returned to him.


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Therefore, in the six hundred and first year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, the waters were diminished upon the earth. And Noah, opening the cover of the ark, gazed out and saw that the surface of the earth had become dry.


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Bring out with you all the living things that are with you, all that is flesh: as with the birds, so also with the wild beasts and all the animals that move upon the earth. And enter upon the land: increase and multiply upon it.”


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Then also all living things, and the cattle, and the animals that move upon the earth, according to their kinds, departed from the ark.


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Then Noah built an altar to the Lord. And, taking from each of the cattle and birds that were clean, he offered holocausts upon the altar.


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And the Lord smelled the sweet odor and said: “I will no longer curse the earth because of man. For the feelings and thoughts of the heart of man are prone to evil from his youth. Therefore, I will no longer pierce every living soul as I have done.


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All the days of the earth, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, night and day, will not cease.”


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And God blessed Noah and his sons. And he said to them: “Increase, and multiply, and fill the earth.


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And let the fear and trembling of you be upon all the animals of the earth, and upon all the birds of the air, along with all that moves across the earth. All the fish of the sea have been delivered into your hand.


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And everything that moves and lives will be food for you. Just as with the edible plants, I have delivered them all to you,


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For I will examine the blood of your lives at the hand of every beast. So also, at the hand of mankind, at the hand of each man and his brother, I will examine the life of mankind.


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Whoever will shed human blood, his blood will be poured out. For man was indeed made to the image of God.


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and with every living soul that is with you: as much with the birds as with the cattle and all the animals of the earth that have gone forth from the ark, and with all the wild beasts of the earth.


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I will establish my covenant with you, and no longer will all that is flesh be put to death by the waters of a great flood, and, henceforth, there will not be a great flood to utterly destroy the earth.”


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And God said: “This is the sign of the pact that I grant between me and you, and to every living soul that is with you, for perpetual generations.


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I will place my arc in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the pact between myself and the earth.


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And I will remember my covenant with you, and with every living soul that enlivens flesh. And there will no longer be waters from a great flood to wipe away all that is flesh.


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And the arc will be in the clouds, and I will see it, and I will remember the everlasting covenant that was enacted between God and every living soul of all that is flesh upon the earth.”


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And God said to Noah, “This will be the sign of the covenant that I have established between myself and all that is flesh upon the earth.”


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And so the sons of Noah, who came out of the ark, were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Now Ham himself is the father of Canaan.


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These three are the sons of Noah. And from these all the family of mankind was spread over the whole earth.


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Because of this, when Ham, the father of Canaan, had indeed seen the privates of his father to be naked, he reported it to his two brothers outside.


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And truly, Shem and Japheth put a cloak upon their arms, and, advancing backwards, covered the privates of their father. And their faces were turned away, so that they did not see their father’s manhood.


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These are the generations of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and of the sons who were born to them after the great flood.


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The islands of the Gentiles were divided by these into their regions, each one according to his tongue, and their families in their nations.


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And the sons of Cush were Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dadan.


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And he was an able hunter before the Lord. From this, a proverb came forth: ‘Just like Nimrod, an able hunter before the Lord.’


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And so, the beginning of his kingdom was Babylon, and Erech, and Accad, and Chalanne, in the land of Shinar.


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and the Arvadian, the Samarite, and the Hamathite. And after this, the peoples of the Canaanites became widespread.


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And the borders of Chanaan went, as one travels, from Sidon to Gerar, even to Gaza, until one enters Sodom and Gomorrah, and from Admah and Zeboiim, even to Lesa.


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Likewise, from Shem, the father of all the sons of Heber, the elder brother of Japheth, sons were born.


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And to Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth became divided, and his brother’s name was Joktan.


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These are the sons of Shem according to their kindred, and tongues, and the regions within their nations.


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These are the families of Noah, according to their peoples and nations. The nations became divided according to these, on the earth after the great flood.


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And when they were advancing from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt in it.


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And each one said to his neighbor, “Come, let us make bricks, and bake them with fire.” And they had bricks instead of stones, and pitch instead of mortar.


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And they said: “Come, let us make a city and a tower, so that its height may reach to heaven. And let us make our name famous before we are divided into all the lands.”


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And he said: “Behold, the people are united, and all have one tongue. And since they have begun to do this, they will not desist from their plans, until they have completed their work.


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Therefore, come, let us descend, and in that place confound their tongue, so that they may not listen, each one to the voice of his neighbor.”


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And for this reason, its name was called ‘Babel,’ because in that place the language of the whole earth became confused. And from then on, the Lord scattered them across the face of every region.


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These are the generations of Shem. Shem was one hundred years old when he conceived Arphaxad, two years after the great flood.


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And after he conceived Arphaxad, Shem lived for five hundred years, and he conceived sons and daughters.


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And after he conceived Shelah, Arphaxad lived for three hundred and three years, and he conceived sons and daughters.


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And after he conceived Eber, Shelah lived for four hundred and three years, and he conceived sons and daughters.


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And after he conceived Peleg, Eber lived for four hundred and thirty years, and he conceived sons and daughters.


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And after he conceived Reu, Peleg lived for two hundred and nine years, and he conceived sons and daughters.


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Likewise, after he conceived Serug, Reu lived for two hundred and seven years, and he conceived sons and daughters.


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And after he conceived Nahor, Serug lived for two hundred years, and he conceived sons and daughters.


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And after he conceived Terah, Nahor lived for one hundred and nineteen years, and he conceived sons and daughters.


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And these are the generations of Terah. Terah conceived Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Next Haran conceived Lot.


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Then Abram and Nahor took wives. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai. And the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah.


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And so Terah took his son Abram, and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and he led them away from Ur of the Chaldeans, to go into the land of Canaan. And they approached as far as Haran, and they dwelt there.


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Then the Lord said to Abram: “Depart from your land, and from your kindred, and from your father’s house, and come into the land that I will show you.


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And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and magnify your name, and you will be blessed.


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I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you, and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”


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And so Abram departed just as the Lord had instructed him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.


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And he took his wife Sarai, and Lot, the son of his brother, and all the substance which they had come to possess, and the lives which they had acquired in Haran, and they departed in order to go to the land of Canaan. And when they arrived in it,


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Abram passed through the land even to the place of Shechem, as far as the famous steep valley. Now at that time, the Canaanite was in the land.


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Then the Lord appeared to Abram, and he said to him, “To your offspring, I will give this land.” And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.


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And passing on from there to a mountain, which was opposite the east of Bethel, he pitched his tent there, having Bethel to the west, and Hai on the east. He also built an altar there to the Lord, and he called upon his name.


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But a famine occurred in the land. And Abram descended to Egypt, to sojourn there. For famine prevailed over the land.


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And when he was close to entering Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai: “I know you to be a beautiful woman.


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And when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘She is his wife.’ And they will put me to death, and retain you.


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Therefore, I beg you to say that you are my sister, so that it may be well with me because of you, and so that my soul may live by your favor.”


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And so, when Abram had arrived in Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was exceedingly beautiful.


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And the princes reported it to Pharaoh, and they praised her to him. And the woman was inducted into the house of Pharaoh.


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In truth, they treated Abram well because of her. And he had sheep and oxen and male donkeys, and men servants, and women servants, and female donkeys, and camels.


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


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For what reason did you claim her to be your sister, so that I would take her to me as a wife? Now therefore, behold your mate, receive her and go.”


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And Pharaoh instructed his men about Abram. And they led him away with his wife and all that he had.


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Therefore, Abram ascended from Egypt, he and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, toward the southern region.


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And he returned by the way that he came, from the meridian into Bethel, all the way to the place where before he had pitched his tent, between Bethel and Hai.


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Neither was the land able to contain them, so that they might dwell together. Indeed, their substance was so great that they could not live in common.


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And then there also arose a conflict between the shepherds of Abram and of Lot. Now at that time the Canaanite and the Perizzite lived in that land.


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Therefore, Abram said to Lot: “I ask you, let there be no quarrel between me and you, and between my shepherds and your shepherds. For we are brothers.


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Behold, the entire land is before your eyes. Withdraw from me, I beg you. If you will go to the left, I will take the right. If you choose the right, I will pass to the left.”


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And so Lot, lifting up his eyes, saw all the region around the Jordan, which was thoroughly irrigated, before the Lord overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. It was like the Paradise of the Lord, and it was like Egypt, approaching toward Zoar.


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And Lot chose for himself the region around the Jordan, and he withdrew by way of the east. And they were divided, one brother from the other.


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Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan. In truth, Lot stayed in the towns that were around the Jordan, and he lived in Sodom.


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And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot was divided from him: “Lift up your eyes, and gaze out from the place where you are now, to the north and to the meridian, to the east and to the west.


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And I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth. If any man is able to number the dust of the earth, he will be able to number your offspring as well.


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Therefore, moving his tent, Abram went and dwelt by the steep valley of Mamre, which is in Hebron. And he built an altar there to the Lord.


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Now it happened in that time that Amraphel, king of Shinar, and Arioch, king of Pontus, and Chedorlaomer, king of the Elamites, and Tidal, king of the Nations,


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went to war against Bera, king of Sodom, and against Birsha, king of Gomorrah, and against Shinab, king of Admah, and against Shemeber, king of Zeboiim, and against the king of Bela, that is Zoar.


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For they had served Chedorlaomer for twelve years, and in the thirteenth year they withdrew from him.


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Therefore, in the fourteenth year, Chedorlaomer arrived, and the kings who were with him. And they struck the Rephaim at Ashteroth of the two horns, and the Zuzim with them, and the Emim at Shaveh-Kiriathaim.


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And they returned and arrived at the fountain of Mishpat, which is Kadesh. And they struck the entire region of the Amalekites, and the Amorites who dwelt in Hazazontamar.


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And the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and indeed the king of Bela, which is Zoar, went forth. And they directed their point against them in the wooded valley,


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namely, against Chedorlaomer, king of the Elamites, and Tidal, king of the Nations, and Amraphel, king of Shinar, and Arioch, king of Pontus: four kings against five.


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Now the wooded valley had many pits of bitumen. And so the king of Sodom and the king of Gomorrah turned back and they fell there. And those who remained, fled to the mountain.


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Then they took all the substance of the Sodomites and the Gomorrahites, and all that pertained to food, and they went away,


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And behold, one who had escaped reported it to Abram the Hebrew, who lived in the steep valley of Mamre the Amorite, who was the brother of Eshcol, and the brother of Aner. For these had formed an agreement with Abram.


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When Abram had heard this, namely, that his brother Lot had been taken captive, he numbered three hundred and eighteen of his own armed men and he went in pursuit all the way to Dan.


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And dividing his company, he rushed upon them in the night. And he struck them and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.


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And he brought back all the substance, and Lot his brother, with his substance, likewise the women and the people.


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Then the king of Sodom went out to meet him, after he returned from the slaughter at Chedorlaomer, and the kings who were with him at the valley of Shaveh, which is the valley of the king.


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Then in truth, Melchizedek, the king of Salem, brought forth bread and wine, for he was a priest of the Most High God;


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And blessed be the Most High God, through whose protection the enemies are in your hands.” And he gave him tithes from everything.


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And he responded to him: “I lift up my hand to the Lord God, the Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth,


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that from one thread within a blanket, even to a single shoelace, I will not take anything from that which is yours, lest you say, ‘I have enriched Abram,’


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except that which the young men have eaten, and the shares for the men who came with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre. These will take their shares.”


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And so, these things having been transacted, the word of the Lord came to Abram by a vision, saying: “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your protector, and your reward is exceedingly great.”


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And Abram said: “Lord God, what will you give to me? I may go without children. And the son of the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus.”


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And Abram added: “Yet to me you have not given offspring. And behold, my servant born in my house will be my heir.”


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And immediately the word of the Lord came to him, saying: “This one will not be your heir. But he who will come from your loins, the same will you have for your heir.”


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And he brought him outside, and he said to him, “Take in the heavens, and number the stars, if you can.” And he said to him, “So also will your offspring be.”


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And he said to him, “I am the Lord who led you away from Ur of the Chaldeans, so as to give you this land, and so that you would possess it.”


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And the Lord responded by saying: “Take for me a cow of three years, and a she-goat of three years, and a ram of three years, also a turtle-dove and a pigeon.”


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Taking all these, he divided them through the middle, and placed both parts opposite one another. But the birds he did not divide.


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And when the sun was setting, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a dread, great and dark, invaded him.


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And it was said to him: “Know beforehand that your future offspring will be sojourners in a land not their own, and they will subjugate them in servitude and afflict them for four hundred years.


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Yet truly, I will judge the nation that they will serve, and after this they will depart with great substance.


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But in the fourth generation, they will return here. For the iniquities of the Amorites are not yet completed, even to this present time.”


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Then, when the sun had set, there came a dark mist, and there appeared a smoking furnace and a lamp of fire passing between those divisions.


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On that day, God formed a covenant with Abram, saying: “To your offspring I will give this land, from the river of Egypt, even to the great river Euphrates:


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Now Sarai, the wife of Abram, had not conceived children. But, having an Egyptian handmaid named Hagar,


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she said to her husband: “Behold, the Lord has closed me, lest I give birth. Enter to my handmaid, so that perhaps I may receive sons of her at least.” And when he agreed to her supplication,


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she took Hagar the Egyptian, her handmaid, ten years after they began to live in the land of Canaan, and she gave her to her husband as a wife.


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And Sarai said to Abram: “You have acted unfairly against me. I gave my handmaid into your bosom, who, when she saw that she had conceived, held me in contempt. May the Lord judge between me and you.”


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Abram responded to her by saying, “Behold, your handmaid is in your hand to treat as it pleases you.” And so, when Sarai afflicted her, she took flight.


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And when the Angel of the Lord had found her, near the fountain of water in the wilderness, which is on the way to Shur in the desert,


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he said to her: “Hagar, handmaid of Sarai, where have you come from? And where will you go?” And she answered, “I flee from the face of Sarai, my mistress.”


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And the Angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress, and humble yourself under her hand.”


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And again he said, “I will multiply your offspring continuously, and they will not be numbered because of their multitude.”


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But thereafter he said: “Behold, you have conceived, and you will give birth to a son. And you shall call his name Ishmael, because the Lord has heard your affliction.


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He will be a wild man. His hand will be against all, and all hands will be against him. And he will pitch his tents away from the region of all his brothers.”


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Then she called upon the name of the Lord who had spoken to her: “You are the God who has seen me.” For she said, “Certainly, here I have seen the back of the one who sees me.”


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Because of this, she called that well: ‘The well of the one who lives and who sees me.’ The same is between Kadesh and Bered.


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In truth, after he began to be ninety-nine years of age, the Lord appeared to him. And he said to him: “I am the Almighty God. Walk in my sight and become complete.


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And God said to him: “I AM, and my covenant is with you, and you will be the father of many nations.


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No longer will your name be called Abram. But you will be called Abraham, for I have established you as the father of many nations.


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And I will cause you to increase very greatly, and I will set you among the nations, and kings will come forth from you.


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And I will establish my covenant between me and you, and with your offspring after you in their generations, by a perpetual covenant: to be God to you and to your offspring after you.


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And I will give to you and to your offspring, the land of your sojourn, all the land of Canaan, as an eternal possession, and I will be their God.”


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Again God said to Abraham: “And you therefore shall keep my covenant, and your offspring after you in their generations.


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This is my covenant, which you shall observe, between me and you, and your offspring after you: All the males among you shall be circumcised.


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And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, so that it may be a sign of the covenant between me and you.


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An infant of eight days will be circumcised among you, every male in your generations. So also servants born to you, as well as those bought, shall be circumcised, even those who are not of your stock.


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The male, the flesh of whose foreskin will not be circumcised, that soul shall be eliminated from his people. For he has made my covenant void.”


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And I will bless her, and from her I will give you a son, whom I will bless, and he will be among the nations, and the kings of the peoples will rise from him.”


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Abraham fell on his face, and he laughed, saying in his heart: “Do you think a son can be born to a one hundred year old man? And will Sarah give birth at the age of ninety?”


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And God said to Abraham: “Your wife Sarah shall give birth to a son, and you shall call his name Isaac, and I will establish my covenant with him as a perpetual covenant, and with his offspring after him.


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Likewise, concerning Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I will bless and enlarge him, and I will multiply him greatly. He will produce twelve leaders, and I will make him into a great nation.


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Yet in truth, I will establish my covenant with Isaac, to whom Sarah will give birth for you at this time next year.”


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Then Abraham took his son Ishmael, and all who were born in his house, and all whom he had bought, every male among the men of his house, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskin promptly, the very same day, just as God had instructed him.


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And all the men of his house, those born in his house, as well as those who were bought, even the foreigners, were circumcised with him.


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Then the Lord appeared to him, in the steep valley of Mamre, when he was sitting at the door of his tent, in the very heat of the day.


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And when he had lifted up his eyes, there appeared to him three men, standing near him. When he had seen them, he ran to meet them from the door of his tent, and he reverenced them on the ground.


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And I will set out a meal of bread, so that you may strengthen your heart; after this you will pass on. It is for this reason that you have turned aside to your servant.” And they said, “Do as you have spoken.”


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Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and he said to her, “Quickly, mix together three measures of the finest wheat flour and make loaves baked under the ashes.”


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In truth, he himself ran to the herd, and he took a calf from there, very tender and very good, and he gave it to a servant, who hurried and boiled it.


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Likewise, he took butter and milk, and the calf which he had boiled, and he placed it before them. Yet truly, he himself stood near them under the tree.


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And when they had eaten, they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” He answered, “Behold, she is in the tent.”


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And he said to him, “When returning, I will come to you at this time, with life as a companion, and your wife Sarah will have a son.” Hearing this, Sarah laughed behind the door of the tent.


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Now they were both old, and in an advanced state of life, and it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.


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And she laughed secretly, saying, “After I have grown old, and my lord is elderly, shall I give myself to the work of delight?”


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Then the Lord said to Abraham: “Why did Sarah laugh, saying: ‘How can I, an old woman, actually give birth?’


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Is anything difficult for God? According to the announcement, he will return to you at this same time, with life as a companion, and Sarah will have a son.”


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Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh.” For she was terribly afraid. But the Lord said, “It is not so; for you did laugh.”


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Therefore, when the men had risen up from there, they directed their eyes against Sodom. And Abraham traveled with them, leading them.


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since he will become a great and very robust nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed?


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For I know that he will instruct his sons, and his household after him, to keep to the way of the Lord, and to act with judgment and justice, so that, for the sake of Abraham, the Lord may bring about all the things that he has spoken to him.”


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And so the Lord said, “The outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah has been multiplied, and their sin has become exceedingly grievous.


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I will descend and see whether they have fulfilled the work of the outcry that has reached me, or whether it is not so, in order that I may know.”


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And they turned themselves from there, and they went toward Sodom. Yet in truth, Abraham still stood in the sight of the Lord.


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If there were fifty of the just in the city, will they perish with the rest? And will you not spare that place for the sake of fifty of the just, if they were in it?


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Far be it from you to do this thing, and to kill the just with the impious, and for the just to be treated like the impious. No, this is not like you. You judge all the earth; you would never make such a judgment.”


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And the Lord said to him, “If I find in Sodom fifty of the just in the midst of the city, I will release the entire place because of them.”


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And Abraham responded by saying: “Since now I have begun, I will speak to my Lord, though I am dust and ashes.


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What if there were five less than fifty of the just? Would you, despite the forty-five, eliminate the entire city?” And he said, “I will not eliminate it, if I find forty-five there.”


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And again he said to him, “But if forty were found there, what would you do?” He said, “I will not strike, for the sake of the forty.”


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“I ask you,” he said, “not to be angry, Lord, if I speak. What if thirty were found there?” He responded, “I will not act, if I find thirty there.”


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“Since now I have begun,” he said, “I will speak to my Lord. What if twenty were found there?” He said, “I will not put to death, for the sake of the twenty.”


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“I beg you,” he said, “not to be angry, Lord, if I speak yet once more. What if ten were found there?” And he said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.”


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And the two Angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting at the gate of the city. And when he had seen them, he rose up and went to meet them. And he reverenced prone on the ground.


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And he said: “I beg you, my lords, turn aside to the house of your servant, and lodge there. Wash your feet, and in the morning you will advance on your way.” And they said, “Not at all. But we will lodge in the street.”


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He pressed them very much to turn aside to him. And when they had entered his house, he made a feast for them, and he cooked unleavened bread, and they ate.


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But before they went to bed, the men of the city surrounded the house, from boys to old men, all the people together.


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And they called out to Lot, and they said to him: “Where are the men who entered to you in the night? Bring them out here, so that we may know them.”


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I have two daughters who as yet have not known man. I will bring them out to you; abuse them as it pleases you, provided that you do no evil to these men, because they have entered under the shadow of my roof.”


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But they said, “Move away from there.” And again: “You have entered,” they said, “as a stranger; should you then judge? Therefore, we will afflict you yourself more than them.” And they acted very violently against Lot. And they were now at the point of breaking open the doors.


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And they struck those who were outside with blindness, from the least to the greatest, so that they were not able to find the door.


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Then they said to Lot: “Do you have here anyone of yours? All who are yours, sons-in-law, or sons, or daughters, bring them out of this city.


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For we will eliminate this place, because the outcry among them has increased before the Lord, who sent us to destroy them.”


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And so Lot, going out, spoke to his sons-in-law, who were going to receive his daughters, and he said: “Rise up. Depart from this place. For the Lord will destroy this city.” And it seemed to them that he was speaking playfully.


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And when it was morning, the Angels compelled him, saying, “Arise, take your wife, and the two daughters that you have, lest you also should perish amid the wickedness of the city.”


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And, since he ignored them, they took his hand, and the hand of his wife, as well as that of his two daughters, because the Lord was sparing him.


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And they brought him out, and placed him beyond the city. And there they spoke to him, saying: “Save your life. Do not look not back. Neither should you stay in the entire surrounding region. But save yourself in the mountain, lest you also should perish.”


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though your servant has found grace before you, and you have magnified your mercy, which you have shown to me in saving my life, I cannot be saved on the mountain, lest perhaps some misfortune take hold of me and I die.


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There is a certain city nearby, to which I can flee; it is a little one, and I will be saved in it. Is it not a modest one, and will not my soul live?”


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And he said to him: “Behold, even now, I have heard your petitions about this, not to overturn the city on behalf of which you have spoken.


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Hurry and be saved there. For I cannot do anything until you enter there.” For this reason, the name of that city is called Zoar.


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And he overturned these cities, and all the surrounding region: all the inhabitants of the cities, and everything that springs from the land.


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looked out toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and the entire land of that region. And he saw embers rising up from the land like smoke from a furnace.


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For when God overthrew the cities of that region, remembering Abraham, he freed Lot from the overthrow of the cities, in which he had dwelt.


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And Lot ascended from Zoar, and he stayed on the mountain, and likewise his two daughters with him, (for he was afraid to stay in Zoar) and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters with him.


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And the elder said to the younger: “Our father is old, and no man remains in the land who can enter to us according to the custom of the whole world.


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Come, let us inebriate him with wine, and let us sleep with him, so that we may be able to preserve offspring from our father.”


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And so they gave their father wine to drink that night. And the elder went in, and she slept with her father. But he did not perceive it, neither when his daughter lay down, nor when she rose up.


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Likewise, the next day, the elder said to the younger: “Behold, yesterday I slept with my father, let us give him wine to drink yet again this night, and you will sleep with him, so that we may save offspring from our father.”


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And then they gave their father wine to drink that night also, and the younger daughter went in, and slept with him. And not even then did he perceive when she lay down, or when she rose up.


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And the elder gave birth to a son, and she called his name Moab. He is the father of the Moabites, even to the present day.


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Likewise, the younger gave birth to a son, and she called his name Ammon, that is, ‘the son of my people.’ He is the father of the Ammonites, even today.


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Abraham advanced from there into the southern land, and he lived between Kadesh and Shur. And he sojourned in Gerar.


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And he said about his wife Sarah: “She is my sister.” Therefore, Abimelech, the king of Gerar, sent for her and took her.


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Then God came to Abimelech through a dream in the night, and he said to him: “Lo, you shall die because of the woman that you have taken. For she has a husband.”


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In truth, Abimelech had not touched her, and so he said: “Lord, would you put to death a people, ignorant and just?


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Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister,’ and did she not say, ‘He is my brother?’ In the sincerity of my heart and the purity of my hands, I have done this.”


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And God said to him: “And I know that you have acted with a sincere heart. And therefore I kept you from sinning against me, and I did not release you to touch her.


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Now therefore, return his wife to the man, for he is a prophet. And he will pray for you, and you will live. But if you are not willing to return her, know this: you shall die a death, you and all that is yours.”


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And immediately Abimelech, rising up in the night, called all his servants. And he spoke all these words in their hearing, and all the men were very afraid.


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Then Abimelech called also for Abraham, and he said to him: “What have you done to us? How have we sinned against you, so that you would bring so great a sin upon me and upon my kingdom? You have done to us what you ought not to have done.”


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Abraham responded: “I thought to myself, saying: Perhaps there is no fear of God in this place. And they will put me to death because of my wife.


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Yet, in another way, she is also truly my sister, the daughter of my father, and not the daughter of my mother, and I took her as a wife.


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Then, after God led me out of my father’s house, I said to her: ‘You will show this mercy to me. In every place, to which we will travel, you will say that I am your brother.’ ”


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Therefore, Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and men servants and women servants, and he gave them to Abraham. And he returned his wife Sarah to him.


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Then to Sarah he said: “Behold, I have given your brother one thousand silver coins. This will be for you as a veil for your eyes, to all who are with you and wherever you will travel. And so, remember that you were taken.”


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Then when Abraham prayed, God healed Abimelech and his wife, and his handmaids, and they gave birth.


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For the Lord had closed every womb of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah, the wife of Abraham.


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And again, she said: “Hearing this, who would believe Abraham, that Sarah breast-fed a son, to whom she gave birth, despite being elderly?”


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And when Sarah had seen the son of Hagar the Egyptian playing with her son Isaac, she said to Abraham:


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“Cast out this woman servant and her son. For the son of a woman servant will not be heir with my son Isaac.”


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And God said to him: “Let it not seem harsh to you concerning the boy and your woman servant. In all that Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice. For your offspring will be invoked in Isaac.


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And so Abraham arose in the morning, and taking bread and a skin of water, he placed it upon her shoulder, and he handed over the boy, and he released her. And when she had departed, she wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.


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And when the water in the skin had been consumed, she set aside the boy, under one of the trees that were there.


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And she moved away and sat in a distant area, as far as a bow can reach. For she said, “I shall not see the boy die.” And so, sitting opposite her, he lifted up his voice and wept.


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But God heard the voice of the boy. And an Angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, saying: “What are you doing, Hagar? Do not be afraid. For God has heeded the voice of the boy, from the place where he is.


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And God opened her eyes. And seeing a well of water, she went and filled the skin, and she gave the boy to drink.


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And God was with him. And he grew, and he stayed in the wilderness, and he became a young man, an archer.


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At the same time, Abimelech and Phicol, the leader of his army, said to Abraham: “God is with you in everything that you do.


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Therefore, swear by God that you will do no harm to me, and to my posterity, and to my stock. But according to the mercy that I have done to you, you will do to me and to the land, to which you have turned as a newcomer.”


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And Abimelech responded, “I do not know who did this thing, but you also did not reveal it to me, nor have I heard of it, before today.”


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Abimelech said to him, “What purpose have these seven female lambs, which you have caused to stand separately?”


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But he said, “You will receive seven female lambs from my hand, so that they may be a testimony for me, that I dug this well.”


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Then Abimelech and Phicol, the leader of his army, rose up, and they returned to the land of the Palestinians. In truth, Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and there he called upon the name of the Lord God Eternal.


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After these things occurred, God tested Abraham, and he said to him, “Abraham, Abraham.” And he answered, “Here I am.”


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He said to him: “Take your only begotten son Isaac, whom you love, and go into the land of vision. And there you shall offer him as a holocaust upon one of the mountains, which I will show to you.”


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And so Abraham, getting up in the night, harnessed his donkey, taking with him two youths, and his son Isaac. And when he had cut wood for the holocaust, he traveled toward the place, as God had instructed him.


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And he said to his servants: “Wait here with the donkey. I and the boy will hurry further ahead to that place. After we have worshipped, will return to you.”


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He also took the wood for the holocaust, and he imposed it upon his son Isaac. And he himself carried in his hands fire and a sword. And as the two continued on together,


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Isaac said to his father, “My father.” And he answered, “What do you want, son?” “Behold,” he said, “fire and wood. Where is the victim for the holocaust?”


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But Abraham said, “God himself will provide the victim for the holocaust, my son.” Thus they continued on together.


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And they came to the place that God had shown to him. There he built an altar, and he set the wood in order upon it. And when he had bound his son Isaac, he laid him on the altar upon the pile of wood.


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And behold, an Angel of the Lord called out from heaven, saying, “Abraham, Abraham.” And he answered, “Here I am.”


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And he said to him, “Do not extend your hand over the boy, and do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, since you have not spared your only begotten son for my sake.”


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Abraham lifted up his eyes, and he saw behind his back a ram among the thorns, caught by the horns, which he took and offered as a holocaust, instead of his son.


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And he called the name of that place: ‘The Lord Sees.’ Thus, even to this day, it is said: ‘On the mountain, the Lord will see.’


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“By my own self, I have sworn, says the Lord. Because you have done this thing, and have not spared your only begotten son for my sake,


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I will bless you, and I will multiply your offspring like the stars of heaven, and like the sand which is on the seashore. Your offspring will possess the gates of their enemies.


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After these things occurred, it was reported to Abraham that Milcah, likewise, had borne sons for his brother Nahor:


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as well as Bethuel, of whom was born Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore for Nahor, the brother of Abraham.


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And she died in the city of Arba, which is Hebron, in the land of Canaan. And Abraham came to mourn and weep for her.


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“I am a newcomer and a sojourner among you. Give me the right of a sepulcher among you, so that I may bury my dead.”


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“Hear us, O lord, you are a leader of God among us. Bury your dead in our chosen sepulchers. And no man shall be able to prohibit you from burying your dead within his memorial.”


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And he said to them: “If it pleases your soul that I should bury my dead, hear me, and intercede on my behalf with Ephron, the son of Zohar,


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so that he may give me the double cave, which he has at the far end of his field. He may transfer it to me for as much money as it is worth in your sight, for the possession of a sepulcher.”


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Now Ephron dwelt in the midst of the sons of Heth. And Ephron responded to Abraham in the hearing of everyone who was entering at the gate of his city, saying:


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“Let it never be so, my lord, but you should pay greater heed to what I say. The field I will transfer to you, and the cave that is in it. In the presence of the sons of my people, bury your dead.”


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And he spoke to Ephron, standing in the midst of the people: “I ask you to hear me. I will give you money for the field. Take it, and so I will bury my dead in it.”


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The land that you request is worth four hundred shekels of silver. This is the price between me and you. But how much is this? Bury your dead.”


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And when Abraham had heard this, he weighed out the money that Ephron had requested, in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, of the approved public currency.


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And having confirmed that the field, in which there was a double cave overlooking Mamre, formerly belonged to Ephron, both it and the sepulcher, and all its trees, with all its surrounding limits,


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Abraham took it as a possession, in the sight of the sons of Heth and of everyone who was entering at the gate of his city.


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So then, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the double cave of the field that overlooked Mamre. This is Hebron in the land of Canaan.


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And the field was confirmed to Abraham, with the cave that was in it, as a memorial possession before the sons of Heth.


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And he said to the elder servant of his house, who was in charge of all that he had: “Place your hand under my thigh,


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so that I may make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live.


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The servant responded, “If the woman is not willing to come with me into this land, must I lead your son back to the place from which you departed?”


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The Lord God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my nativity, who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give this land,’ himself will send his Angel before you, and you will take from there a wife for my son.


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But if the woman is not willing to follow you, you will not be held by the oath. Only do not lead my son back to that place.”


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Therefore, the servant placed his hand under the thigh of Abraham, his lord, and he swore to him on his word.


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And he took ten camels from his lord’s herd, and he went forth, carrying with him things from all of his goods. And he set out, and continued on, to the city of Nahor, in Mesopotamia.


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And when he had made the camels lie down outside of the town, near a well of water, in the evening, at the time when women are accustomed to go out to draw water, he said:


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“O Lord, the God of my lord Abraham, meet with me today, I beg you, and show mercy to my lord Abraham.


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Behold, I stand near the fountain of water, and the daughters of the inhabitants of this city will go forth to draw water.


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Therefore, the girl to whom I will say, ‘Tip your pitcher, so that I may drink,’ and she will respond, ‘Drink. In fact, I will give your camels a drink also,’ the same one is she whom you have prepared for your servant Isaac. And by this, I will understand that you have shown mercy to my lord.”


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But he had not yet completed these words within himself, when, behold, Rebekah went out, the daughter of Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, the brother of Abraham, having a pitcher on her shoulder.


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She was an exceedingly elegant girl, and a most beautiful virgin, and unknown by man. And she descended to the spring, and she filled her pitcher, and then was returning.


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And the servant ran to meet her, and he said, “Provide me with a little water to drink from your pitcher.”


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And she responded, “Drink, my lord.” And she quickly brought down the pitcher on her arm, and she gave him a drink.


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And after he drank, she added, “In fact, I will draw water for your camels also, until they all drink.”


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And pouring out the pitcher into the troughs, she ran back to the well to draw water; and having drawn, she gave it to all the camels.


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But he was contemplating her silently, wanting to know whether the Lord had caused his journey to prosper or not


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Then, after the camels drank, the man took out gold earrings, weighing two shekels, and the same number of bracelets, ten shekels in weight.


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And he said to her: “Whose daughter are you? Tell me, is there any place in your father’s house to lodge?”


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And she continued, saying, “There is very much straw and hay with us, and a spacious place to stay.”


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saying, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of my lord Abraham, who has not taken away his mercy and truth from my lord, and who has led me on a direct journey to the house of the brother of my lord.”


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And when he had seen the earrings and bracelets in his sister’s hands, and he had heard all the words being repeated, “This is what the man spoke to me,” he came to the man who stood by the camels and near the spring of water,


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and he said to him: “Enter, O blessed of the Lord. Why do you stand outside? I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels.”


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And he brought him into his guest quarters. And he unharnessed the camels, and he distributed straw and hay, and water to wash his feet and that of the men who arrived with him.


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And bread was set out in his sight. But he said, “I will not eat, until I have spoken my words.” He answered him, “Speak.”


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And the Lord has blessed my lord greatly, and he has become great. And he has given him sheep and oxen, silver and gold, men servants and women servants, camels and donkeys.


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And Sarah, the wife of my lord, has given birth to a son for my lord in her old age, and he has given him all that he had.


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And my lord made me swear, saying: ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell.


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‘The Lord,’ he said, ‘in whose sight I walk, will send his Angel with you, and he will direct your way. And you shall take a wife for my son from my own kindred and from my father’s house.


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But you will be innocent of my curse, if, when you will arrive at my close relatives, they will not grant this to you.’


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And so, today I arrived at the well of water, and I said: ‘O Lord, the God of my lord Abraham, if you have directed my way, in which I now walk,


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behold, I stand next to the well of water, and the virgin, who will go forth to draw water, will hear from me, “Give me a little water to drink from your pitcher.”


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And she will say to me, “You drink, and I will also draw for your camels.” Let the same be the woman, whom the Lord has prepared for the son of my lord.’


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And while I thought over these things silently within myself, Rebekah appeared, arriving with a pitcher, which she carried on her shoulder. And she descended to the spring and drew water. And I said to her, ‘Give me a little to drink.’


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And she quickly let down the pitcher from her arm, and said to me, ‘You drink, and to your camels I will also distribute drinking water.’ I drank, and she watered the camels.


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And I questioned her, saying, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ And she responded, ‘I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to him.’ And so, I hung the earrings on her, to adorn her face, and I put the bracelets on her hands.


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And falling prostrate, I adored the Lord, blessing the Lord, the God of my lord Abraham, who has led me along the straight path so as to take the daughter of my lord’s brother to his son.


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For this reason, if you would act according to mercy and truth with my lord, tell me so. But if it pleases you otherwise, say that to me also, so that I may go either to the right, or to the left.”


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And Laban and Bethuel responded: “A word has proceeded from the Lord. We are not able to speak anything else to you, beyond what pleases him.


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Lo, Rebekah is in your sight. Take her and continue on, and let her be the wife of the son of your lord, just as the Lord has spoken.”


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And bringing forth vessels of silver and gold, as well as garments, he gave them to Rebekah as a tribute. Likewise, he offered gifts to her brothers and her mother.


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And a banquet began, and they feasted and drank together, and they lodged there. And rising up in the morning, the servant said, “Release me, so that I may go to my lord.”


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And her brothers and mother responded, “Let the girl remain for at least ten days with us, and after that, she will continue on.”


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“Do not be willing,” he said, “to delay me, for the Lord has directed my way. Release me, so that I may journey to my lord.”


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And when, having been called, she arrived, they wanted to know, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go.”


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wishing prosperity for their sister, by saying: “You are our sister. May you increase to thousands of thousands. And may your offspring possess the gates of their enemies.”


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And so, Rebekah and her maids, riding upon camels, followed the man, who quickly returned to his lord.


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Then, at the same time, Isaac was walking along the way that leads to the well, whose name is: ‘of the One who lives and who sees.’ For he dwelt in the southern land.


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And he had gone out to meditate in the field, as daylight was now declining. And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw camels advancing from afar.


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And she said to the servant, “Who is that man who advances to meet us through the field?” And he said to her, “That is my lord.” And so, quickly taking up her cloak, she covered herself.


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And he led her into the tent of Sarah his mother, and he accepted her as wife. And he loved her so very much, that it tempered the sorrow which befell him at his mother’s death.


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Likewise, Jokshan conceived Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim.


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And truly, from Midian was born Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the sons of Keturah.


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But to the sons of the concubines he gave generous gifts, and he separated them from his son Isaac, while he still lived, toward the eastern region.


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And declining, he died in a good old age, and at an advanced stage of life, and full of days. And he was gathered to his people.


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And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the double cave, which was situated in the field of Ephron, of the son of Zohar the Hittite, across from the region of Mamre,


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And after his passing, God blessed his son Isaac, who lived near the well named ‘of the One who lives and who sees.’


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These are the generations of Ishmael, the son of Abraham, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s servant, bore to him.


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And these are the names of his sons according to their language and generations. The firstborn of Ishmael was Nebaioth, then Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam,


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These are the sons of Ishmael. And these are their names throughout their fortresses and towns: the twelve princes of their tribes.


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And the years of the life of Ishmael that passed were one hundred and thirty-seven. And declining, he died and was placed with his people.


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Now he had lived from Havilah as far as Shur, which overlooks Egypt as it approaches the Assyrians. He passed away in the sight of all his brothers.


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who, when he was forty years old, took Rebekah, the sister of Laban, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian from Mesopotamia, as a wife.


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And Isaac beseeched the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. And he heard him, and he gave conception to Rebekah.


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But the little ones struggled in her womb. So she said, “If it was to be so with me, what need was there to conceive?” And she went to consult the Lord.


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And responding, he said, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples will be divided out of your womb, and one people will overcome the other people, and the elder will serve the younger.”


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He who departed first was red, and entirely hairy like a pelt; and his name was called Esau. At once the other departed and he held his brother’s foot in his hand; and because of this he was called Jacob.


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And as adults, Esau became a knowledgeable hunter and a man of agriculture, but Jacob, a simple man, dwelt in tents.


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said to him, “Give me this red stew, for I am very tired.” For this reason, his name was called Edom.


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And so, taking bread and the food of lentils, he ate, and he drank, and he went away, giving little weight to having sold the right of the firstborn.


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Then, when a famine arose over the land, after that barrenness which had happened in the days of Abraham, Isaac went to Abimelech, king of the Palestinians, in Gerar.


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And the Lord appeared to him, and he said: “Do not descend into Egypt, but rest in the land that I will tell you,


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and sojourn in it, and I will be with you, and I will bless you. For to you and to your offspring I will give all these regions, completing the oath that I promised to Abraham your father.


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And I will multiply your offspring like the stars of heaven. And I will give to your posterity all these regions. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth will be blessed,


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because Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my precepts and commandments, and observed the ceremonies and the laws.”


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And when he was questioned by the men of that place about his wife, he answered, “She is my sister.” For he was afraid to confess her to be his mate, thinking that perhaps they would put him to death because of her beauty.


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And when very many days had passed, and he had remained in the same place, Abimelech, king of the Palestinians, gazing through a window, saw him being playful with Rebekah, his wife.


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And summoning him, he said: “It is clear that she is your wife. Why did you falsely claim her to be your sister?” He answered, “I was afraid, lest I might die because of her.”


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And Abimelech said: “Why have you burdened us? Someone from the people could have lain with your wife, and you would have brought a great sin upon us.” And he instructed all the people, saying,


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Then Isaac sowed in that land, and he found, in that same year, one hundredfold. And the Lord blessed him.


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And the man was enriched, and he continued prospering as well as increasing, until he became very great.


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Likewise, he had possessions of sheep and of herds, and a very large family. Because of this, the Palestinians envied him,


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so, at that time, they obstructed all the wells that the servants of his father Abraham had dug, filling them with soil.


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It reached a point where Abimelech himself said to Isaac, “Move away from us, for you have become very much more powerful than we.”


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Again, he dug up other wells, which the servants of his father Abraham had dug, and which, after his death, the Philistines had formerly obstructed. And he called them by the same names that his father had called them before.


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But in that place also the shepherds of Gerar argued against the shepherds of Isaac, by saying, “It is our water.” For this reason, he called the name of the well, because of what had happened, ‘Calumny.’


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Advancing from there, he dug another well, over which they did not contend. And so he called its name, ‘Latitude,’ saying, “Now the Lord has expanded us and caused us to increase across the land.”


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where the Lord appeared to him on the same night, saying: “I am the God of Abraham your father. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will bless you, and I will multiply your offspring because of my servant Abraham.”


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And so he built an altar there. And he invoked the name of the Lord, and he stretched out his tent. And he instructed his servants to dig a well.


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When Abimelech, and Ahuzzath, his friend, and Phicol, the leader of the military, had arrived from Gerar to that place,


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Isaac said to them, “Why have you come to me, a man whom you hate, and whom you have expelled from among you?”


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And they responded: “We saw that the Lord is with you, and therefore we said: Let there be an oath between us, and let us initiate a pact,


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so that you may not do us any kind of harm, just as we have touched nothing of yours, and have not caused any injury to you, but with peace we released you, augmented by the blessing of the Lord.”


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arising in the morning, they swore to one another. And Isaac sent them away peacefully to their own place.


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Then, behold, on the same day the servants of Isaac came, reporting to him about a well which they had dug, and saying: “We have found water.”


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Therefore, he called it, ‘Abundance.’ And the name of the city was established as ‘Beersheba,’ even to the present day.


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In truth, at forty years of age, Esau took wives: Judith, the daughter of Beeri, the Hittite, and Basemath, the daughter of Elon, of the same place.


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Now Isaac was old, and his eyes were cloudy, and so he was not able to see. And he called his elder son Esau, and he said to him, “My son?” And he responded, “Here I am.”


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Take your weapons, the quiver and the bow, and go out. And when you have taken something by hunting,


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make from it a small meal for me, just as you know I like, and bring it, so that I may eat and my soul may bless you before I die.”


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‘Bring to me from your hunting, and make me foods, so that I may eat and bless you in the sight of the Lord before I die.’


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and go straight to the flock, and bring me two of the best young goats, so that from them I may make meat for your father, such as he willingly eats.


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If my father should lay hands on me and perceive it, I am afraid lest he think me willing to mock him, and I will bring a curse upon myself, instead of a blessing.”


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And his mother said to him: “Let this curse be upon me, my son. Yet listen to my voice, and go directly to bring what I said.”


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He went out, and he brought, and he gave to his mother. She prepared the meats, just as she knew his father liked.


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When he had carried these in, he said, “My father?” And he answered, “I’m listening. Who are you, my son?”


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And Jacob said: “I am Esau, your firstborn. I have done as you instructed me. Arise; sit and eat from my hunting, so that your soul may bless me.”


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And again Isaac said to his son, “How were you able to find it so quickly, my son?” He answered, “It was the will of God, so that what I sought met with me quickly.”


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And Isaac said, “Come here, so that I may touch you, my son, and may prove whether you are my son Esau, or not.”


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He approached his father, and when he had felt him, Isaac said: “The voice indeed is the voice of Jacob. But the hands are the hands of Esau.”


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And he did not recognize him, because his hairy hands made him seem similar to the elder one. Therefore, blessing him,


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Then he said, “Bring me the foods from your hunting, my son, so that my soul may bless you.” And when he had eaten what was offered, he also brought forth wine for him. And after he finished it,


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He approached and kissed him. And immediately he perceived the fragrance of his garments. And so, blessing him, he said: “Behold, the smell of my son is like the smell of a plentiful field, which the Lord has blessed.


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May God give to you, from the dew of heaven and from the fatness of the earth, an abundance of grain and wine.


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And may the peoples serve you, and may the tribes reverence you. May you be the lord of your brothers, and may your mother’s sons bow down before you. Whoever curses you, may he be cursed, and whoever blesses you, may he be filled with blessings.”


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And he brought his father foods cooked from his hunting, saying, “Arise, my father, and eat from your son’s hunting, so that your soul may bless me.”


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Isaac became frightened and very astonished. And wondering beyond what can be believed, he said: “Then who is he that a while ago brought me the prey from his hunting, from which I ate, before you arrived? And I blessed him, and he will be blessed.”


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Esau, having heard his father’s words, roared out with a great outcry. And, being confounded, he said, “But bless me also, my father.”


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But he responded: “Justly is his name called Jacob. For he has supplanted me yet another time. My birthright he took away before, and now, this second time, he has stolen my blessing.” And again, he said to his father, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me also?”


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Isaac answered: “I have appointed him as your lord, and I have subjugated all his brothers as his servants. I have reinforced him with grain and wine, and after this, my son, what more shall I do for you?”


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And Esau said to him: “Have you only one blessing, father? I beg you, bless me also.” And when he wept with a loud wail,


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Isaac was moved, and he said to him: “In the fatness of the earth, and in the dew of heaven from above,


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will your blessing be. You will live by the sword, and you will serve your brother. But the time will arrive when you will shake off and release his yoke from your neck.”


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Therefore, Esau always hated Jacob, for the blessing with which his father had blessed him. And he said in his heart, “The days will arrive for the mourning of my father, and I will kill my brother Jacob.”


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These things were reported to Rebekah. And sending and calling for her son Jacob, she said to him, “Behold, your brother Esau is threatening to kill you.


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and his indignation ceases, and he forgets the things that you have done to him. After this, I will send for you and bring you from there to here. Why should I be bereaved of both my sons in one day?”


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And Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth. If Jacob accepts a wife from the stock of this land, I would not be willing to live.”


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And so Isaac called for Jacob, and he blessed him, and he instructed him, saying: “Do not be willing to accept a mate from the family of Canaan.


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But go, and journey to Mesopotamia of Syria, to the house of Bethuel, your mother’s father, and there accept for yourself a wife from the daughters of Laban, your maternal uncle.


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And may God almighty bless you, and may he cause you to increase and also to multiply, so that you may be influential among the people.


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And may he give the blessings of Abraham to you, and to your offspring after you, so that you may possess the land of your sojourning, which he promised to your grandfather.”


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And when Isaac had dismissed him, setting out, he went to Mesopotamia of Syria, to Laban, the son of Bethuel, the Syrian, the brother to Rebekah, his mother.


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But Esau, seeing that his father had blessed Jacob and had sent him into Mesopotamia of Syria, to take a wife from there, and that, after the blessing, he had instructed him, saying: ‘You shall not accept a wife from the daughters of Canaan,’


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he went to Ishmael, and he took as a wife, beside those he had before, Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth.


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And when he had arrived at a certain place, where he would rest after the setting of the sun, he took some of the stones that lay there, and placing them under his head, he slept in the same place.


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And he saw in his sleep: a ladder standing upon the earth, with its top touching heaven, also, the Angels of God ascending and descending by it,


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and the Lord, leaning upon the ladder, saying to him: “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. The land, in which you sleep, I will give to you and to your offspring.


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And your offspring will be like the dust of the earth. You will spread abroad to the West, and to the East, and to the North, and to the Meridian. And in you and in your offspring, all the tribes of the earth shall be blessed.


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And I will be your guardian wherever you will journey, and I will bring you back into this land. Neither will I dismiss you, until I have accomplished all that I have said.”


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And when Jacob had awakened from sleep, he said, “Truly, the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.”


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And being terrified, he said: “How terrible this place is! This is nothing other than the house of God and the gateway of heaven.”


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Therefore, Jacob, arising in the morning, took the stone which he had placed under his head, and he set it up as monument, pouring oil over it.


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And then he made a vow, saying: “If God will be with me, and will guard me along the way by which I walk, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear,


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and this stone, which I have set up as a monument, will be called ‘the House of God.’ And from all the things that you will give to me, I will offer tithes to you.”


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And he saw a well in a field, and also three flocks of sheep reclining near it. For the animals were watered from it, and its mouth was closed with a great stone.


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And the custom was, when all the sheep were gathered together, to roll away the stone. And when the flocks had been refreshed, they placed it over the mouth of the well again.


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He said, “Is he well?” “He is very well,” they said. “And behold, his daughter Rachel approaches with his flock.”


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And Jacob said, “There is still much daylight remaining, and it is not time to return the flocks to the sheepfold. Give the sheep to drink first, and then lead them back to pasture.”


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They responded, “We cannot, until all the animals are gathered together and we remove the stone from the mouth of the well, so that we may water the flocks.”


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They were still speaking, and behold, Rachel arrived with her father’s sheep; for she pastured the flock.


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When Jacob had seen her, and he realized that she was his maternal first cousin, and that these were the sheep of his uncle Laban, he removed the stone which closed the well.


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And he revealed to her that he was a brother of her father, and the son of Rebekah. And so, hurrying, she announced it to her father.


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And when he had heard that Jacob, his sister’s son, had arrived, he ran to meet him. And embracing him, and kissing him heartily, he brought him into his house. But when he had heard the reasons for his journey,


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he said to him: “Though you are my brother, will you serve me for nothing? Tell me what wages you would accept.”


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In truth, he had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah; and truly the younger was called Rachel.


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Therefore, Jacob served for seven years for Rachel. And these seemed like only a few days, because of the greatness of love.


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And he said to Laban, “Give my wife to me. For now the time has been fulfilled, so that I may go in to her.”


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giving his daughter a handmaid named Zilpah. After Jacob had gone in to her, according to custom, when morning had arrived, he saw Leah.


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And he said to his father-in-law, “What is it that you intended to do? Did I not serve you for Rachel? Why have you deceived me?”


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Complete a week of days with this mating. And then I will give this one to you also, for the service that you will provide to me for another seven years.”


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And, having at last obtained the marriage he desired, he preferred the love of the latter before the former, and he served with him another seven years.


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Having conceived, she gave birth to a son, and she called his name Reuben, saying: “The Lord saw my humiliation; now my husband will love me.”


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And again she conceived and bore a son, and she said, “Because the Lord heard that I was treated with contempt, he has also given this one to me.” And she called his name Simeon.


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And she conceived a third time, and she gave birth to another son, and she said: “Now likewise my husband will unite with me, because I have borne him three sons.” And because of this, she called his name Levi.


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A fourth time she conceived and bore a son, and she said, “Only now will I confess to the Lord.” And for this reason, she called him Judah. And she ceased from child-bearing.


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Then Rachel, discerning that she was infertile, envied her sister, and so she said to her husband, “Give me children, otherwise I will die.”


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Jacob, being angry, responded to her, “Am I in the place of God, who has deprived you of the fruit of your womb?”


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But she said: “I have a handmaid Bilhah. Go in to her, so that she may give birth upon my knees, and I may have sons by her.”


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And Rachel said, “The Lord has judged for me, and he has heeded my voice, giving me a son.” And because of this, she called his name Dan.


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about whom Rachel said, “God has compared me with my sister, and I have prevailed.” And she called him Naphtali.


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Leah, perceiving that she had desisted from child-bearing, delivered Zilpah, her handmaid, to her husband.


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And Leah said, “This one is for my happiness. Indeed, women will call me blessed.” Because of this, she called him Asher.


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Then Reuben, going out into the field at the time of the wheat harvest, found mandrakes. These he brought to his mother Leah. And Rachel said, “Give me a portion of your son’s mandrakes.”


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She responded, “Does it seem like such a small matter to you, that you have usurped from me my husband, unless you will also take my son’s mandrakes?” Rachel said, “He will sleep with you this night because of your son’s mandrakes.”


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And when Jacob returned from the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him, and she said, “You will enter to me, because I have hired you for the reward of my son’s mandrakes.” And he slept with her that night.


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And she said, “God has given a reward to me, because I gave my handmaid to my husband.” And she called his name Issachar.


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And she said: “God has endowed me with a good dowry. And now, at this turn, my husband will be with me, because I have conceived six sons for him.” And therefore she called his name Zebulun.


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But when Joseph was born, Jacob said to his father-in-law: “Release me, so that I may return to my native country and to my land.


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Give me my wives, and my children, for whom I have served you, so that I may depart. You know the servitude with which I have served you.”


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Laban said to him: “May I find grace in your sight. I have learned by experience that God has blessed me because of you.


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But he responded: “You know how I have served you, and how great your possession became in my hands.


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You had little before I came to you, and now you have achieved riches. And the Lord has blessed you since my arrival. It is just, therefore, that at sometime I also should provide for my own house.”


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And Laban said, “What shall I give to you?” But he said, “I want nothing. But if you will do what I ask, I will feed and guard your sheep again.


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Go around through all your flocks and separate all the sheep of variegated or spotted fleece; and whatever will be darkened or blemished or variegated, as much among the sheep as among the goats, will be my wages.


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And my justice will answer on my behalf tomorrow, when the time of settlement arrives before you. And all that is not variegated or blemished or darkened, as much among the sheep as among the goats, these will prove me to be a thief.”


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And on that day he separated the she-goats, and the sheep, and the he-goats, and the rams with variegations or with blemishes. But every one of the flock which was of one color, that is, of white or of black fleece, he delivered into the hands of his sons.


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And he established a distance of three days journey between himself and his son-in-law, who pastured the remainder of his flock.


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Then Jacob, taking green branches of poplar, and almond, and sycamore trees, debarked them in part. And when the bark was pulled off, in the parts that were stripped, there appeared whiteness, yet the parts that were left whole, remained green. And so, in this way the color was made variegated.


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And he placed them in the troughs, where the water was poured out, so that when the flocks had arrived to drink, they would have the branches before their eyes, and in their sight they might conceive.


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And it happened that, in the very heat of joining together, the sheep looked upon the branches, and they bore the blemished and the variegated, those speckled with diverse color.


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And Jacob divided the flock, and he set the branches in the troughs before the eyes of the rams. Now whatever was white or black belonged to Laban, but, in truth, the others belonged to Jacob, for the flocks were dispersed among one another.


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Therefore, when the first to arrive were climbing on the ewes, Jacob placed the branches in the troughs of water before the eyes of the rams and the sheep, so that they might conceive while they were gazing upon them.


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Yet when the late arrivals and the last to conceive were let in, he did not place these. And so those that arrived late became Laban’s, and those that arrived first became Jacob’s.


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And the man was enriched beyond limit, and he had many flocks, women servants and men servants, camels and donkeys.


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But afterwards, he heard the words of the sons of Laban, saying, “Jacob has taken all that was our father’s, and being enlarged by his ability, he has become famous.”


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Likewise, he observed that Laban’s face was not the same toward him as it was yesterday and the day before.


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Most importantly, the Lord was saying to him, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your generation, and I will be with you.”


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and he said to them: “I see that your father’s face is not the same toward me as it was yesterday and the day before. But the God of my father has been with me.


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Even so, your father has circumvented me, and he has changed my wages ten times. And yet God has not permitted him to harm me.


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Whenever he said, ‘The speckled will be your wages,’ all the sheep gave birth to speckled newborns. Yet truly, when he said the contrary, ‘You will take whatever is white for your wages,’ all the flocks gave birth to white ones.


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For after the time had arrived for the ewes to conceive, I lifted up my eyes, and I saw in my sleep that the males climbing on the females were of variegated, and spotted, and diverse colors.


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And he said: ‘Lift up your eyes, and see that all the males climbing on the females are variegated, spotted, and also speckled. For I have seen all that Laban has done to you.


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I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the stone and made a vow to me. Now therefore arise, and depart from this land, returning to the land of your nativity.’ ”


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And Rachel and Leah responded: “Have we anything left behind among the resources and inheritance of our father’s house?


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But God has taken our father’s riches and handed these to us and to our sons. Therefore, do all that God has instructed you.”


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And he took all his substance and flocks, and whatever he had acquired in Mesopotamia, and he journeyed to his father Isaac, in the land of Canaan.


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And when he had gone away with all such things that were justly his, and, having crossed the river, was continuing on toward Mount Gilead,


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And taking his brothers with him, he pursued him for seven days. And he overtook him at Mount Gilead.


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And now Jacob had pitched his tent at the mountain. And when he, with his brothers, had overtaken him, he set his tent at the same place at Mount Gilead.


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And he said to Jacob: “Why have you acted this way, departing from me in secret, with my daughters like captives of the sword?


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Why would you want to flee without my knowledge and without telling me, though I might have led you forward with gladness, and songs, and timbrels, and lyres?


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my hand has power to repay you with harm. But the God of your father said to me yesterday, ‘Beware that you not speak anything stern against Jacob.’


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It may be that you desired to go to your own, and that you longed for the house of your father. But why have you stolen my gods?”


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Jacob answered: “I set out, unknown to you, because I feared that you might take away your daughters by violence.


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But, since you accuse me of theft, with whomever you will find your gods, let him be slain in the sight of our brothers. Search; anything of yours that you will find with me, take it away.” Now when he said this, he did not know that Rachel had stolen the idols.


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And so Laban, entering the tent of Jacob, and of Leah, and of both the handmaids, did not find them. And when he had entered the tent of Rachel,


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she quickly hid the idols under the camel’s bedding, and she sat upon them. And when he had searched the entire tent and found nothing,


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she said: “Do not be angry, my lord, that I am unable to rise up in your sight, because it has now happened to me according to the custom of women.” So his careful search was thwarted.


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And Jacob, being inflated, said with contention: “For which fault of mine, or for what sin of mine, have you become so enraged against me


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and searched all the items of my house? What have you found from all the substance of your house? Place it here before my brothers, and your brothers, and let them judge between me and you.


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For what reason have I been with you for twenty years? Your ewes and she-goats were not barren; the rams of your flocks I did not consume.


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Neither did I reveal to you what was seized by the wild beast. I replaced all that was damaged. Whatever was lost by theft, you collected it from me.


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And in this way, for twenty years, I have served you in your house: fourteen for your daughters, and six for your flocks. You have also changed my wages ten times.


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If the God of my father Abraham and the fear of Isaac had not been close to me, perhaps by now you would have sent me away naked. But God looked kindly on my affliction and the labor of my hands, and he rebuked you yesterday.”


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Laban answered him: “My daughters and sons, and your flocks, and all that you discern are mine. What can I do to my sons and grandchildren?


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And he said to his brothers, “Bring stones.” And they, gathering together stones, made a tomb, and they ate upon it.


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And Laban called it, ‘Tomb of Witness,’ and Jacob, ‘Pile of Testimony;’ each of them according to the fitness of his own language.


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And Laban said: “This tomb will be a witness between me and you this day.” (And for this reason, its name has been called Gilead, that is, ‘Tomb of Witness.’)


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If you afflict my daughters, and if you bring in other wives over them, no one is a witness of our words except God, who understands beforehand.”


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will be a witness. This tomb,” I say, “and the stone, they are for testimony, in case either I cross beyond it going toward you, or you cross beyond it thinking to harm me.


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May the God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” Therefore, Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac.


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And after he had immolated sacrifices on the mountain, he called his brothers to eat bread. And when they had eaten, they lodged there.


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In truth, Laban rose up in the night, and he kissed his sons and daughters, and he blessed them. And he returned to his place.


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When he had seen them, he said, “These are the Encampments of God.” And he called the name of that place Mahanaim, that is, ‘Encampments.’


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Then he also sent messengers before him to his brother Esau, in the land of Seir, in the region of Edom.


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And he instructed them, saying: “You shall speak in this way to my lord Esau: ‘Your brother Jacob says these things: “I have sojourned with Laban, and I have been with him until the present day.


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I have oxen, and donkeys, and sheep, and men servants, and women servants. And now I send an ambassador to my lord, so that I may find favor in your sight.” ’ ”


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And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We went to your brother Esau, and behold, he rushes to meet you with four hundred men.”


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Jacob was very afraid. And in his terror, he divided the people who were with him, likewise the flocks, and the sheep, and the oxen, and the camels, into two companies,


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saying: “If Esau goes to one company, and strikes it, the other company, which is left behind, will be saved.”


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And Jacob said: “God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, O Lord who said to me: ‘Return to your land, and to the place of your nativity, and I will do well for you.’


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I am less than any of your compassions and your truth, which you have fulfilled to your servant. With my staff I crossed over this Jordan. And now I go back with two companies.


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Rescue me from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am very afraid of him, lest perhaps he may come and strike down the mother with the sons.


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You did say that you would do well by me, and that you would expand my offspring like the sand of the sea, which, because of its multitude, cannot be numbered.”


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And when he had slept there that night, he separated, from the things that he had, gifts for his brother Esau:


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thirty milking camels with their young, forty cows, and twenty bulls, twenty she-donkeys, and ten of their young.


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And he sent them by the hands of his servants, each flock separately, and he said to his servants: “Pass before me, and let there be a space between flock and flock.”


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And he instructed the first, saying: “If you happen to meet my brother Esau, and he questions you: “Whose are you?” or, “Where are you going?” or, “Whose are these which follow you?”


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you shall respond: “Your servant Jacob’s. He has sent them as a gift to my lord Esau. And he is also coming after us.”


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Similarly, he gave orders to the second, and the third, and to all who followed the flocks, saying: “Speak these same words to Esau, when you find him.


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And you will add: ‘Your servant Jacob himself also follows after us, for he said: “I will appease him with the gifts that go ahead, and after this, I will see him; perhaps he will be gracious to me.” ’ ”


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And when he had arisen early, he took his two wives, and the same number of handmaids, with his eleven sons, and he crossed over the ford of Jabbok.


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And when he saw that he would not be able to overcome him, he touched the nerve of his thigh, and immediately it withered.


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And he said to him, “Release me, for now the dawn ascends.” He responded, “I will not release you, unless you bless me.”


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But he said, “Your name will not be called Jacob, but Israel; for if you have been strong against God, how much more will you prevail against men?”


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Jacob questioned him, “Tell me, by what name are you called?” He responded, “Why do you ask my name?” And he blessed him in the same place.


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And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “I have seen God face to face, and my soul has been saved.”


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And immediately the sun rose upon him, after he had crossed beyond Peniel. Yet in truth, he limped on his foot.


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For this reason, the sons of Israel, even to the present day, do not eat the nerve that withered in Jacob’s thigh, because he touched the nerve of his thigh and it was obstructed.


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Then Jacob, lifting up his eyes, saw Esau arriving, and with him four hundred men. And he divided the sons of Leah and Rachel, and of both the handmaids.


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And he placed the two handmaids and their children at the beginning. Truly, Leah and her sons were in the second place. Then Rachel and Joseph were last.


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And so Esau ran to meet his brother, and he embraced him. And drawing him by his neck and kissing him, he wept.


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And lifting up his eyes, he saw the women and their little ones, and he said: “What do these want for themselves?” and “Are they related to you?” He responded, “These are the little ones that God has given as a gift to me, your servant.”


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Likewise Leah, with her sons, came near. And when they had reverenced similarly, last of all, Joseph and Rachel reverenced.


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And Esau said, “What are these companies that I have been meeting?” He responded, “So may I find favor before my lord.”


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And Jacob said: “I beg you, let it not be so. But if I have found favor in your eyes, receive a small present from my hands. For I have looked upon your face as I would look upon the countenance of God. Be gracious to me,


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and take the blessing which I have brought to you, and which God, who bestows all things, has given as a gift to me.” Accepting it reluctantly, at the insistence of his brother,


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And Jacob said: “My lord, you know that I have with me tender little ones, and sheep, and cows with young. If I cause these to labor too much in walking, all the flocks will die in one day.


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May it please my lord to go before his servant. And I will follow gradually in his steps, as much as I see my little ones to be able, until I arrive to my lord in Seir.”


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Esau responded, “I beg you, that at least some of the people who are with me may remain to accompany you on the way.” But he said, “There is no need. I have need of one thing only: to find favor in your sight, my lord.”


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And Jacob went to Succoth, where, having built a house and pitched tents, he called the name of that place Succoth, that is, ‘Tents.’


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And he crossed over to Salem, a city of the Shechemites, which is in the land of Canaan, after he returned from Mesopotamia of Syria. And he lived near the town.


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And he bought the part of the field in which he had pitched his tents from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for one hundred lambs.


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And when Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite, the leader of that land, had seen her, he fell in love with her. And so he seized her and slept with her, overwhelming the virgin by force.


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But when Jacob had heard this, since his sons were absent and he was occupied in pasturing the cattle, he remained silent until they came back.


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behold, his sons arrived from the field. And hearing what had happened, they were very angry, because he had done a filthy thing in Israel and, in violating a daughter of Jacob, had perpetrated an unlawful act.


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And so Hamor spoke to them: “The soul of my son Shechem has become attached to your daughter. Give her to him as a wife.


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And let us celebrate marriages with one with another. Give us your daughters, and receive our daughters.


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And Shechem even said to her father and to her brothers: “May I find favor in your sight, and whatever you will appoint, I will give.


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Increase the dowry, and request gifts, and I will freely bestow what you will ask. Only give me this girl as a wife.”


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The sons of Jacob answered Shechem and his father with deceit, being enraged at the rape of their sister:


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“We are not able to do what you ask, nor to give our sister to an uncircumcised man. For us, this is unlawful and abominable.


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But we may succeed in this, so as to be allied with you, if you are willing to become like us, and if all the male sex among you will be circumcised.


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Then we will mutually give and receive your daughters as well as ours; and we will live with you, and we will become one people.


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Neither did the young man cause any delay; in fact he immediately fulfilled what was requested. For he loved the girl very much, and he was well-known throughout his father’s house.


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“These men are peaceful, and they want to live among us. Let them trade in the land and cultivate it, for, being spacious and broad, it is in need of cultivation. We will receive their daughters as wives, and we will give them ours.


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There is one thing that prevents so great a good: whether we will circumcise our males, imitating the ritual of their nation.


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And their substance, and cattle, and all that they possess, will be ours, if only we will acquiesce to this, and so, in living together, will form one people.”


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And behold, on the third day, when the pain of the wound was greatest, two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, the brothers of Dinah, boldly entered the city with swords. And they put to death all of the males.


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And when they had departed, the other sons of Jacob rushed over the slain, and they plundered the city in vengeance for the rape.


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Taking their sheep, and herds, and donkeys, and laying waste to everything else that was in their houses and in their fields,


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When they had boldly completed these acts, Jacob said to Simeon and Levi: “You have troubled me, and you have made me hateful to the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the inhabitants of this land. We are few. They, gathering themselves together, may strike me down, and then both I and my house will be wiped away.”


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About this time, God said to Jacob, “Arise and go up to Bethel, and live there, and make an altar to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.”


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In truth, Jacob, having called together all his house, said: “Cast away the foreign gods that are in your midst and be cleansed, and also change your garments.


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Arise, and let us go up to Bethel, so that we may make an altar there to God, who heeded me in the day of my tribulation, and who accompanied me on my journey.”


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Therefore, they gave him all the foreign gods which they had, and the earrings which were in their ears. And then he buried them under the terebinth tree, which is beyond the city of Shechem.


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And when they had set out, the terror of God invaded all the surrounding cities, and they dared not pursue them as they withdrew.


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And so, Jacob arrived at Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, also named Bethel: he and all the people with him.


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And he built an altar there, and he called the name of that place, ‘House of God.’ For there God appeared to him when he fled from his brother.


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About the same time, Deborah, the nurse of Rebekah, died, and she was buried at the base of Bethel, under an oak tree. And the name of that place was called, ‘Oak of Weeping.’


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saying: “You will no longer be called Jacob, for your name shall be Israel.” And he called him Israel,


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and he said to him: “I am Almighty God: increase and multiply. Tribes and peoples of nations will be from you, and kings will go forth from your loins.


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And the land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give to you, and to your offspring after you.”


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In truth, he set up a monument of stone, in the place where God had spoken to him, pouring out libations over it, and pouring oil,


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Then, departing from there, he arrived in springtime at the land that leads to Ephrath. And there, when Rachel was giving birth,


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because it was a difficult birth, she began to be in danger. And the midwife said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you will have this son also.”


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Then, when her life was departing because of the pain, and death was now imminent, she called the name of her son Benoni, that is, the son of my pain. Yet truly, his father called him Benjamin, that is, the son of the right hand.


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And Jacob erected a monument over her sepulcher. This is the monument to Rachel’s tomb, even to the present day.


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And when he was living in that region, Reuben went out, and he slept with Bilhah the concubine of his father, which was not such a small matter as to be hidden from him. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve.


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The sons of Leah: Reuben the first born, and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun.


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The sons of Zilpah, handmaid of Leah: Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Mesopotamia of Syria.


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And then he went to his father Isaac in Mamre, the city of Arba: this place is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned.


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And being consumed by old age, he died. And he was placed with his people, being old and full of days. And his sons, Esau and Jacob, buried him.


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Esau took wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite,


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Oholibamah conceived Jeush, and Jalam, and Korah. These are the sons of Esau, who were born to him in the land of Canaan.


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Then Esau took his wives, and sons, and daughters, and every soul of his house, and his substance, and cattle, and whatever he was able to obtain in the land of Canaan, and he went into another region, withdrawing from his brother Jacob.


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For they were very wealthy and were not able to live together. Neither was the land of their sojourn able to sustain them, because of the multitude of their flocks.


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and these are the names of his sons: Eliphaz the son of Adah, the wife of Esau, likewise Reuel, the son of Basemath, his wife.


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Now Timna was the concubine of Eliphaz, the son of Esau. And she bore him Amalek. These are the sons of Adah, the wife of Esau.


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And the sons of Reuel were Nahath and Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah. These are the sons of Basemath, the wife of Esau.


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Likewise, these were the sons of Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon, the wife of Esau, whom she bore to him: Jeush, and Jalam, and Korah.


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These were leaders of the sons of Esau, the sons of Eliphaz, the firstborn of Esau: leader Teman, leader Omar, leader Zepho, leader Kenez,


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leader Korah, leader Gatam, leader Amalek. These are the sons of Eliphaz, in the land of Edom, and these the sons of Adah.


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Likewise, these are the sons of Reuel, the son of Esau: leader Nahath, leader Zerah, leader Shammah, leader Mizzah. And these were the leaders of Reuel, in the land of Edom. These are the sons of Basemath, the wife of Esau.


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Now these are the sons of Oholibamah, the wife of Esau: leader Jeush, leader Jalam, leader Korah. These were the leaders of Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah and the wife of Esau.


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These are the sons of Seir, the Horite, the inhabitants of the land: Lotan, and Shobal, and Zibeon, and Anah,


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and Dishon, and Ezer, and Dishan. These were the leaders of the Horites, the sons of Seir, in the land of Edom.


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And these are the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah. This is the Anah who found the hot springs in the wilderness, when he was pasturing the donkeys of his father Zibeon.


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leader Dishon, leader Ezer, leader Disan. These were leaders of the Horites who ruled in the land of Seir.


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Likewise, this one having died, Hadad the son of Bedad reigned in his place. He struck down Midian in the region of Moab. And the name of his city was Avith.


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Likewise, this one being dead, Hadar reigned in his place; and the name of his city was Pau. And his wife was called Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, daughter of Mezahab.


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Therefore, these were the names of the leaders of Esau, by their families, and places, and in their vocabulary: leader Timna, leader Alvah, leader Jetheth,


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leader Magdiel, leader Iram. These were the leaders of Edom living in the land of their rule: this is Esau, the father of Idumea.


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And these are his generations. Joseph, when he was sixteen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers, when he was still a boy. And he was with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, the wives of his father. And he accused his brothers to their father of a most sinful crime.


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Now Israel loved Joseph above all his sons, because he had conceived him in his old age. And he made him a tunic, woven of many colors.


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Then his brothers, seeing that he was loved by his father more than all his other sons, hated him, and they were not able to say anything peacefully to him.


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Then it also happened that he recounted the vision of a dream to his brothers, for which reason a greater hatred began to be nurtured.


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I thought we were binding sheaves in the field. And my sheaf seemed to rise up and stand, and your sheaves, standing in a circle, reverenced my sheaf.”


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His brothers responded: “Would you be our king? Or will we be subject to your dominion?” Therefore, this matter of his dreams and words provided kindling to their envy and hatred.


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Likewise, he saw another dream, which he explained to his brothers, saying, “I saw by a dream, as if the sun, and the moon, and eleven stars were reverencing me.”


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And when he had related this to his father and brothers, his father rebuked him, and he said: “What does it mean to you, this dream that you have seen? Should I, and your mother, and your brothers reverence you upon the earth?”


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Israel said to him: “Your brothers are pasturing the sheep at Shechem. Come, I will send you to them.” And when he answered,


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“I am ready,” he said to him, “Go, and see if everything is prospering with your brothers and the cattle, and report to me what is happening.” So, having been sent from the valley of Hebron, he arrived at Shechem.


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And the man said to him: “They have withdrawn from this place. But I heard them saying, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’ ” Therefore, Joseph continued on after his brothers, and he found them at Dothan.


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Come, let us kill him and cast him into the old cistern. And let us say: ‘an evil wild beast has devoured him.’ And then it will become apparent what his dreams will do for him.”


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“Do not take away his life, nor shed blood. But throw him into this cistern, which is in the wilderness, and so keep your hands harmless.” But he said this, wanting to rescue him from their hands, so as to return him to his father.


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And so, as soon as he came to his brothers, they very quickly stripped him of his tunic, which was ankle-length and woven of many colors,


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And sitting down to eat bread, they saw some Ishmaelites, travelers coming from Gilead, with their camels, carrying spices, and resin, and oil of myrrh into Egypt.


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Therefore, Judah said to his brothers: “What will it profit us, if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?


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It is better that he be sold to the Ishmaelites, and then our hands will not be defiled. For he is our brother and our flesh.” His brothers agreed to his words.


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And when the Midianite merchants were passing by, they drew him from the cistern, and they sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And these led him into Egypt.


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And rending his garments, he went to his brothers and said, “The boy is not present, and so where shall I go?”


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sending those who carried it to their father, and they said: “We found this. See whether it is the tunic of your son or not.”


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And when the father acknowledged it, he said: “It is the tunic of my son. An evil wild beast has eaten him; a beast has devoured Joseph.”


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Then, when all of his sons gathered together to ease their father’s sorrow, he was not willing to accept consolation, but he said: “I will descend in mourning to my son in the underworld.” And while he persevered in weeping,


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About the same time, Judah, descending from his brothers, turned toward an Adullamite man, named Hirah.


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And he saw there the daughter of a man called Shua, of Canaan. And taking her as a wife, he entered to her.


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And it also happened that Er, the first born of Judah, was wicked in the sight of the Lord and was killed by him.


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Therefore, Judah said to his son Onan: “Enter to the wife of your brother, and associate with her, so that you may raise offspring to your brother.”


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He, knowing that the sons to be born would not be his, when he entered to the wife of his brother, he spilled his seed on the ground, lest children should be born in his brother’s name.


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Because of this matter, Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Be a widow in your father’s house, until my son Shelah grows up.” For he was afraid, lest he also might die, just as his brothers did. She went away, and she lived in her father’s house.


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Then, after many days had passed, the daughter of Shua, the wife of Judah, died. And when he accepted consolation after his mourning, he went up to the shearers of his sheep at Timnah, he and Hirah, the herdsman of the Adullamite flock.


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And storing away the garments of her widowhood, she took up a veil. And changing her clothing, she sat at the crossroad that leads to Timnah, because Shelah had grown up, and she had not received him as a husband.


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And when Judah saw her, he thought her to be a harlot. For she had covered her face, lest she be recognized.


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And entering to her, he said, “Permit me to join with you.” For he did not know her to be his daughter-in-law. And she responded, “What will you give to me, to enjoy me as a concubine?”


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He said, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.” And again, she said, “I will allow what you want, if you give me a pledge, until you may send what you promise.”


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Judah said, “What do you want to be given for a pledge?” She responded, “Your ring and bracelet, and the staff that you hold in your hand.” Thereupon, the woman, from one sexual encounter, conceived.


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And she arose and went away. And storing away the garments that she had taken up, she was clothed in the garments of her widowhood.


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Then Judah sent a young goat by his shepherd, the Adullamite, so that he might receive the pledge that he had given to the woman. But, when he had not found her,


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he questioned the men of that place: “Where is the woman who sat at the crossroad?” And they all responded, “There has been no harlot in this place.”


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He returned to Judah, and he said to him: “I did not find her. Moreover, the men of that place told me that a prostitute had never sat there.”


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Judah said: “Let her hold herself to blame. Certainly, she is not able to accuse us of a lie. I sent the young goat that I had promised, and you did not find her.”


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And behold, after three months, they reported to Judah, saying, “Tamar, your daughter-in-law, has committed fornication and her abdomen appears to be enlarged.” And Judah said, “Produce her, so that she may be burned.”


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But when she was led out to the punishment, she sent to her father-in-law, saying: “I conceived by the man to whom these things belong. Recognize whose ring, and bracelet, and staff this is.”


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But he, acknowledging the gifts, said: “She is more just than I am. For I did not deliver her to my son Shelah.” However, he knew her no more.


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Then, at the moment of birth, there appeared twins in the womb. And so, in the very delivery of the infants, one put forth a hand, on which the midwife tied a scarlet thread, saying,


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But in truth, drawing back his hand, the other came out. And the woman said, “Why is the partition divided for you?” And for this reason, she called his name Perez.


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Meanwhile, Joseph was led into Egypt. And Putiphar, a eunuch of Pharaoh, a leader of the army, an Egyptian man, purchased him from the hand of the Ishmaelites, by whom he was brought.


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And the Lord was with him, and he was a man who prospered in everything that he did. And he lived in the house of his lord,


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who knew very well that the Lord was with him, and that all the things that were done by him were directed by his hand.


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And Joseph found favor in the sight of his lord, and he ministered to him. And, having been placed in charge of everything by him, he governed the house that was entrusted to him and all the things that had been delivered to him.


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And the Lord blessed the house of the Egyptian, because of Joseph, and he multiplied all his substance, as much in the buildings, as in the fields.


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Neither did he know anything other than the bread that he ate. Now Joseph was beautiful in form, and stately in appearance.


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And without consenting at all to the wicked act, he said to her: “Behold, my lord has delivered all things to me, and he does not know what he has in his own house.


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Neither is there anything which is not in my power, or that he has not delivered to me, except you, for you are his wife. How then can I do this evil act and sin against my God?”


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With such words as these, throughout each day, the woman was pestering the young man, and he was refusing the adultery.


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Then it happened, on a certain day, that Joseph entered the house, and he was doing something, without any witnesses.


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And she, grasping the hem of his garment, said, “Sleep with me.” But he, leaving behind the cloak in her hand, fled and went outside.


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she called to herself the men of her house, and she said to them: “Lo, he has brought in a Hebrew man to abuse us. He entered toward me, in order to join with me; and when I had shouted out,


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As a proof, therefore, of her fidelity, she retained the cloak, and she showed it to her husband, when he returned home.


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His lord, upon hearing these things, and having excessive trust in the words of his mate, was very angry.


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And he delivered Joseph into prison, where the prisoners of the king were kept, and he was enclosed in that place.


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But the Lord was with Joseph, and, having mercy on him, he gave him favor in the sight of the leader of the prison,


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who delivered into his hand all the prisoners who were held in custody. And whatever was done, was under him.


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Neither did he himself know anything, having entrusted all things to him. For the Lord was with him, and he directed everything that he did.


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While these things were going on, it happened that two eunuchs, the cupbearer of the king of Egypt, and the miller of grain, offended their lord.


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And Pharaoh, being angry with them, (now the one was in charge of the cupbearers, the other of the millers of grain)


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But the keeper of the prison delivered them to Joseph, who ministered to them also. Some little time passed by, while they were held in custody.


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And they both saw a similar dream on one night, whose interpretations should be related to one another.


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They responded, “We have seen a dream, and there is no one to interpret it for us.” And Joseph said to them, “Doesn’t interpretation belong to God? Recount for me what you have seen.”


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on which were three shoots, which grew little by little into buds, and, after the flowers, it matured into grapes.


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And the cup of Pharaoh was in my hand. Therefore, I took the grapes, and I pressed them into the cup that I held, and I handed the cup to Pharaoh.”


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Joseph responded: “This is the interpretation of the dream. The three shoots are the next three days,


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after which Pharaoh will remember your service, and he will restore you to your former position. And you will give him the cup according to your office, as you were accustomed to do before.


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Only remember me, when it will be well with you, and do me this mercy, to suggest to Pharaoh to lead me out of this prison.


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For I have been stolen from the land of the Hebrews, and here, innocently, I was cast into the pit.”


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The chief miller of grain, seeing that he had wisely unraveled the dream, said: “I also saw a dream: that I had three baskets of meal above my head,


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and in one basket, which was the highest, I carried all foods that are made by the art of baking, and the birds ate from it.”


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Joseph responded: “This is the interpretation of the dream. The three baskets are the next three days,


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after which Pharaoh will carry away your head, and also suspend you from a cross, and the birds will tear your flesh.”


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The third day thereafter was the birthday of Pharaoh. And making a great feast for his servants, he remembered, during the banquet, the chief cupbearer and the chief miller of grain.


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And although he advanced with so much prosperity, the chief cupbearer forgot his interpreter of dreams.


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from which ascended seven cows, exceedingly beautiful and stout. And they pastured in marshy places.


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Likewise, another seven emerged from the river, filthy and thoroughly emaciated. And they pastured on the same bank of the river, in green places.


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And they devoured those whose appearance and condition of body was so wonderful. Pharaoh, having been awakened,


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slept again, and he saw another dream. Seven ears of grain sprung up on one stalk, full and well-formed.


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and when morning arrived, being terrified with fear, sent to all the interpreters of Egypt and to all of the wise men. And when they were summoned, he explained to them his dream; but there was no one who could interpret it.


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The king, being angry with his servants, ordered me and the chief miller of grain to be forced into the prison of the leader of the military.


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In that place, there was a Hebrew, a servant of the same commander of the military, to whom we explained our dreams.


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Whatever we heard was proven afterwards by the event of the matter. For I was restored to my office, and he was suspended on a cross.”


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Immediately, by the king’s authority, Joseph was led out of prison, and they shaved him. And changing his apparel, they presented him to him.


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And he said to him, “I have seen dreams, and there is no one who can unfold them. I have heard that you are very wise at interpreting these.”


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Therefore, Pharaoh explained what he had seen: “I thought myself to be standing on the bank of a river,


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and seven cows climbed up from the river, exceedingly beautiful and full of flesh. And they grazed in a pasture of a marshy greenery.


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And behold, there followed after these, another seven cows, with such deformity and emaciation as I had never seen in the land of Egypt.


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giving no indication of being full. But they remained in the same state of emaciation and squalor. Awakening, but being weighed down into sleep again,


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And they devoured the beauty of the first. I explained this dream to the interpreters, and there is no one who can unfold it.”


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The seven beautiful cows, and the seven full ears of grain, are seven years of abundance. And so the force of the dreams is understood to be the same.


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Likewise, the seven thin and emaciated cows, which ascended after them, and the seven thin ears of grain, which were struck with the burning wind, are seven approaching years of famine.


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After this, there will follow another seven years, of such great barrenness that all the former abundance will be delivered into oblivion. For the famine will consume all the land,


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Now, as to what you saw the second time, it is a dream pertaining to the same thing. It is an indication of its firmness, because the word of God shall be done, and it shall be completed swiftly.


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Now therefore, let the king provide a wise and industrious man, and place him over the land of Egypt,


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so that he may appoint overseers throughout all the regions. And let a fifth part of the fruits, throughout the seven fertile years


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that now have already begun to occur, be gathered into storehouses. And let all the grain be stored away, under the power of Pharaoh, and let it be kept in the cities.


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And let it be prepared for the future famine of seven years, which will oppress Egypt, and then the land will not be consumed by destitution.”


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Therefore, he said to Joseph: “Because God has revealed to you all that you have said, would I be able to find anyone wiser and as much like you?


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You will be over my house, and to the authority of your mouth, all the people will show obedience. Only in one way, in the throne of the kingdom, will I go before you.”


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And he took the ring from his own hand, and he gave it into his hand. And he clothed him with a robe of fine linen, and he placed a necklace of gold around his neck.


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And he caused him to ascend upon his second swift chariot, with the herald proclaiming that everyone should bend their knee before him, and that they should know that he was governor over the entire land of Egypt.


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Likewise, the king said to Joseph: “I am Pharaoh: apart from your authority, no one will move hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.”


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And he changed his name and called him, in the Egyptian tongue: ‘Savior of the world.’ And he gave him as a wife, Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis. And so Joseph went out into the land of Egypt.


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(Now he was thirty years old when he stood in the sight of king Pharaoh.) And he traveled throughout the regions of Egypt.


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And the fertility of the seven years arrived. And when the grain fields were reduced to sheaves, these were gathered into the storehouses of Egypt.


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And there was such a great abundance of wheat that it was comparable to the sands of the sea, and its bounty exceeded all measure.


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Then, before the famine arrived, Joseph had two sons born, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis, bore for him.


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And he called the name of the firstborn Manasseh, saying, “God has caused me to forget all my labors and the house of my father.”


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Likewise, he named the second Ephraim, saying, “God has caused me to increase in the land of my poverty.”


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the seven years of destitution, which Joseph had predicted, began to arrive. And the famine prevailed throughout the whole world, but there was bread in all the land of Egypt.


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And being hungry, the people cried out to Pharaoh, asking for provisions. And he said to them: “Go to Joseph. And do whatever he will tell you.”


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Then the famine increased daily in all the land. And Joseph opened all of the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians. For the famine had oppressed them also.


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I have heard that wheat is being sold in Egypt. Go down and buy necessities for us, so that we may be able to live, and not be consumed by destitution.”


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Benjamin was kept at home by Jacob, who said to his brothers, “Lest perhaps he may suffer harm on the journey.”


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And they entered into the land of Egypt with the others who traveled to buy. For the famine was in the land of Canaan.


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And Joseph was governor in the land of Egypt, and grain was sold under his direction to the people. And when his brothers had reverenced him


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and he had recognized them, he spoke harshly, as if to foreigners, questioning them: “Where did you come from?” And they responded, “From the land of Canaan, to buy necessary provisions.”


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And remembering the dreams, which he had seen in another time, he said to them: “You are scouts. You have come in order to see which parts of the land are weaker.”


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But they said: “We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is with our father; the other is not living.”


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I will now continue to put you to the test. By the health of Pharaoh, you will not depart from here, until your youngest brother arrives.


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Send one of you and bring him. But you will be in chains, until what you have said is proven to be either true or false. Otherwise, by the health of Pharaoh, you are scouts.”


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Then, on the third day, he brought them out of prison, and he said: “Do as I have said, and you will live. For I fear God.


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If you are peaceful, let one of your brothers be bound in prison. Then you may go away and carry the grain that you have bought to your houses.


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And bring your youngest brother to me, so that I may be able to test your words, and you may not die.” They did as he had said,


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and they spoke to one another: “We deserve to suffer these things, because we have sinned against our brother, seeing the anguish of his soul, when he begged us and we would not listen. For that reason, this tribulation has come upon us.”


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And Reuben, one of them, said: “Did not I say to you, ‘Do not sin against the boy,’ and you would not listen to me? See, his blood is exacted.”


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But they did not know that Joseph understood, because he was speaking to them through an interpreter.


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And taking Simeon, and binding him in their presence, he ordered his ministers to fill their sacks with wheat, and to replace each one’s money in their sacks, and to give them, in addition, provisions for the way. And they did so.


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And one of them, opening a sack to give his beast of burden fodder at the inn, looked upon the money at the sack’s mouth,


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and he said to his brothers: “My money has returned to me. See, it is held in the sack.” And they were astonished and troubled, and they said to one another, “What is this that God has done to us?”


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And they went to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, and they explained to him all the things that had befallen them, saying:


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We are twelve brothers conceived of one father. One is not living; the youngest is with our father in the land of Canaan.’


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And he said to us: ‘Thus will I prove that you are peaceful. Release one of your brothers to me, and take necessary provisions for your houses, and go away,


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and bring your youngest brother to me, so that I may know that you are not scouts. And this one, who is held in chains, you may be able to receive again. And thereafter, you shall have permission to buy what you want.’ ”


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Having said this, when they poured out their grain, each found his money tied to the mouth of his sack. And all were terrified together.


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Their father Jacob said, “You have caused me to be without children. Joseph is not living, Simeon is held in chains, and Benjamin you would carry away. All these evils have fallen back upon me.”


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And Reuben answered him, “Put my two sons to death, if I do not lead him back to you. Deliver him into my hand, and I will restore him to you.”


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But he said: “My son will not go down with you. His brother is dead, and he is left alone. If any adversity will befall him in the land to which you travel, you would lead my grey hairs down with sorrow to the grave.”


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And having consumed the provisions that they had brought out of Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, “Return and buy us a little food.”


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Judah answered: “The man himself declared to us, under the attestation of an oath, saying: ‘You will not see my face, unless you bring your youngest brother with you.’


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If therefore you are willing to send him with us, we will travel together, and we will buy necessities for you.


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But if you are not willing, we will not go. For the man, as we have often said, declared to us, saying: ‘You will not see my face without your youngest brother.’ ”


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Israel said to them, “You have done this for my misery, in that you revealed to him that you also had another brother.”


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But they responded: “The man questioned us in order, concerning our family: whether our father lived, if we had a brother. And we answered him respectively, according to what he demanded. How could we know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother with you?’ ”


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Likewise, Judah said to his father: “Send the boy with me, so that we may set out and be able to live, lest we and our little ones should die.


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I accept the boy; require him at my hand. Unless I lead him back and restore him to you, I will be guilty of a sin against you for all time.


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Therefore, their father Israel said to them: “If it is necessary to do so, then do what you will. Take, in your vessels, from the best fruits of the land, and carry down gifts to the man: a little resin, and honey, and storax ointment, oil of myrrh, turpentine, and almonds.


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Also, take with you double the money, and carry back what you found in your sacks, lest perhaps it was done in error.


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Then may my Almighty God cause him to be pleased by you. And send your brother, whom he holds, back with you, along with this one, Benjamin. But as for me, without my children, I will be like one who is bereaved.”


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Therefore, the men took the gifts, and double the money, and Benjamin. And they went down into Egypt, and they stood in the presence of Joseph.


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And when he had seen them and Benjamin together, he instructed the steward of his house, saying: “Lead the men into the house, and kill victims, and prepare a feast, because they will be eating with me at midday.”


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And there, being terrified, they said one to another: “Because of the money, which we carried back the first time in our sacks, we have been brought in, so that he may unleash a false accusation against us, and by violence subjugate both us and our donkeys into servitude.”


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And having bought it, when we arrived at the inn, we opened our sacks and found the money in the mouths of the sacks, which we now have carried back in the same amount.


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But we have also brought other silver, so that we may buy those things that are necessary for us. It is not on our conscience who had placed it in our bags.”


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But he responded: “Peace be with you. Do not be afraid. Your God, and the God of your father, has given you the treasure in your sacks. As for the money that you gave to me, I held it as a test.” And he led Simeon out to them.


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And having led them into the house, he brought water, and they washed their feet, and he gave fodder to their donkeys.


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But they also prepared the gifts, until Joseph entered at midday. For they had heard that they would eat bread there.


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And so Joseph entered his house, and they offered him the gifts, holding them in their hands. And they reverenced prone on the ground.


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But he, gently greeting them again, questioned them, saying: “Is your father, the old man about whom you spoke to me, in good health? Is he still alive?”


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And they answered: “Your servant, our father, is safe; he is still alive.” And bowing, they reverenced him.


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Then Joseph, lifting up his eyes, saw Benjamin, his brother of the same womb, and he said, “Is this your little brother, about whom you spoke to me?” And again, he said, “May God be compassionate to you, my son.”


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And he hurried out, because his heart had been moved over his brother, and tears gushed out. And going into his chamber, he wept.


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And when he had washed his face, coming out again, he composed himself, and he said, “Set out bread.”


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And when it was set out, separately for Joseph, and separately for his brothers, likewise separately for the Egyptians, who ate at the same time, (for it is unlawful for Egyptians to eat with Hebrews, and they consider feasting in this way to be profane)


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they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his state of life. And they wondered exceedingly,


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taking the portions that they received from him. And the greater portion went to Benjamin, so much so that it exceeded five parts. And they drank and became inebriated along with him.


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Then Joseph instructed the steward of his house, saying: “Fill their sacks with grain, as much as they are able to hold. And place each one’s money at the top of the sack.


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But place my silver bowl, and the price that he gave for the wheat, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest.” And so it was done.


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And now they had departed from the city and had set out a short distance. Then Joseph, sending for the steward of his house, said: “Rise up and pursue the men. And when you have overtaken them, say: ‘Why have you returned evil for good?


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The cup that you have stolen, it is that from which my lord drinks, and in which he is accustomed to discern signs. You have done a very sinful thing.’ ”


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And they responded: “Why does our lord speak in this way, as though your servants had committed such a shameful act?


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The money, which we found at the top of our sacks, we carried back to you from the land of Canaan. So in what way does it follow that we would steal, from the house of your lord, gold or silver?


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Whichever of your servants will be found to have what you seek, may he die, and we shall be the servants of my lord.”


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And he said to them: “Let it be according to your verdict. With whomever it will be found, let him be my servant, but you will be unharmed.”


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And when he had searched, beginning with the oldest, all the way to the youngest, he found the cup in Benjamin’s sack.


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And Judah, first among his brothers, entered to Joseph (for he had not yet departed from the place) and together they all fell down before him to the ground.


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And he said to them: “Why would you choose to act in this way? Could you be ignorant that there is no one like me in the knowledge of discerning signs?”


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And Judah said to him, “What could we answer to my lord? And what would we be able to say, or to justly claim? God has discovered the iniquity of your servants. See, we have all become servants to my lord, both we, and he with whom the cup was found.”


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Joseph responded: “Far be it from me that I should act in this way. He who stole the cup, he will be my servant. But you may go away free to your father.”


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Then Judah, approaching closer, said confidently: “I beg you, my lord, let your servant speak a word in your ears, and do not be angry with your servant. For you are next to Pharaoh.


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And we answered you, my lord: ‘There is our father, an old man, and a young boy, who was born in his old age. His brother of the same womb has died, and he alone is left to his mother and father, who truly love him tenderly.’


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We suggested to my lord: ‘The boy is not able to leave his father. For if he sends him away, he will die.’


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And you said to your servants: ‘Unless your youngest brother arrives with you, you will not see my face any more.’


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Therefore, when we had gone up to your servant our father, we explained to him all that my lord had spoken.


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And we said to him: ‘We cannot go. If our youngest brother descends with us, we will set out together. Otherwise, in his absence, we do not dare to see the face of the man.’


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If you take this one also, and anything happens to him on the way, you will lead my grey hairs down with grief to the grave.’


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Therefore, if I would have gone to your servant, our father, with the boy not present, (though his life depends upon the life of him)


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and if he were to see that he is not with us, he would die, and your servants will lead his grey hairs down with sorrow to the grave.


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Let me be your very own servant, for I accepted this one into my trust, and I promised, saying: ‘Unless I lead him back, I will be guilty of a sin against my father for all time.’


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And so I, your servant, will remain in place of the boy, in ministry to my lord, and then let the boy go up with his brothers.


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For I cannot return to my father without the boy, lest I appear as a witness to the calamity that will oppress my father.”


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Joseph was unable to restrain himself any longer, standing before so many. Therefore, he instructed that all should go outside, and that no stranger should be among them as they recognized one another.


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And he lifted up his voice with weeping, which the Egyptians heard, along with the entire house of Pharaoh.


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And he said to his brothers: “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?” His brothers were unable to respond, being terrified by a very great fear.


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And he said to them mildly, “Approach toward me.” And when they had approached close by, he said: “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt.


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Do not be afraid, and let it not seem to you to be a hardship that you sold me into these regions. For God sent me before you into Egypt for your salvation.


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For it is two years since the famine began to be upon the land, and five years more remain, in which there can be neither plowing, nor reaping.


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And God sent me ahead, so that you may be preserved upon the earth, and so that you would be able to have food in order to live.


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I was sent here, not by your counsel, but by the will of God. He has caused me to be like a father to Pharaoh, and to be the lord of his entire house, as well as governor throughout all the land of Egypt.


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Hurry, and go up to my father, and say to him: ‘Your son Joseph commands this: God has caused me to be lord of the entire land of Egypt. Come down to me, do not delay,


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and you will live in the land of Goshen. And you will be next to me, you and your sons and the sons of your sons, your sheep and your herds, and all that you possess.


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And there I will pasture you, (for there are still five years of famine remaining) lest both you and your house perish, along with all that you possess.’


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You will report to my father about all my glory, and about all that you have seen in Egypt. Hurry, and bring him to me.”


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And then falling upon the neck of his brother Benjamin, he embraced him and wept. And likewise, Benjamin wept at the same time on his neck.


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And Joseph kissed all his brothers, and he cried over each one. After this, they were emboldened to speak to him.


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And it was overheard, and the news spread by word throughout the king’s court. The brothers of Joseph had arrived, and Pharaoh was gladdened along with all his family.


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And he told Joseph that he should command his brothers, saying: “ ‘Burden your beasts, and go into the land of Canaan,


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and take from there your father and kindred, and come to me. And I will give you all the good things of Egypt, so that you may eat from the marrow of the land.’ ”


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“And you may even instruct that they take wagons from the land of Egypt, in order to transport their little ones as well as their wives. And say: ‘Take your father, and come quickly, as soon as possible.


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And the sons of Israel did just as they were commanded. And Joseph gave them wagons, according to the command of Pharaoh, and provisions for the journey.


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Likewise, he ordered two robes for each of them to be brought. Yet truly, to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver along with five of the best robes.


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And he sent just as much money and clothing to his father, adding also ten male donkeys, with which to transport all the riches of Egypt, and as many female donkeys, carrying wheat and bread for the journey.


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And they reported to him, saying: “Your son Joseph is alive, and he is ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. When Jacob heard this, he was stirred up, as if from a deep sleep, yet he did not believe them.


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To the contrary, they explained the entire matter in order. And when he had seen the wagons, and all that he had sent, his spirit revived,


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and he said: “It is enough for me, if my son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”


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And Israel, setting out with all that he had, arrived at the Well of the Oath. And sacrificing victims there to the God of his father Isaac,


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he heard him, by a vision in the night, calling him, and saying to him: “Jacob, Jacob.” And he answered him, “Behold, here I am.”


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God said to him: “I am the most strong God of your father. Do not be afraid. Descend into Egypt, for there I will make of you a great nation.


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I will descend with you to that place, and I will lead you back from there, returning. Also, Joseph will place his hands over your eyes.


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Then Jacob rose up from the Well of the Oath. And his sons took him, with their little ones and wives, in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent to carry the old man,


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along with all that he possessed in the land of Canaan. And he arrived in Egypt with all his offspring:


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Now these are the names of the sons of Israel, who entered into Egypt, he with his children. The firstborn is Reuben.


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The sons of Simeon: Jemuel and Jamin and Ohad, and Jachin and Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman.


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The sons of Judah: Er and Onan, and Shelah, and Perez and Zerah. Now Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And sons were born to Perez: Hezron and Hamul.


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These are the sons of Leah, whom she bore, along with his daughter Dinah, in Mesopotamia of Syria. All the souls of her sons and daughters are thirty-three.


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The sons of Asher: Imnah and Jesua, and Jessui and Beriah, and also their sister Sarah. The sons of Beria: Heber and Malchiel.


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These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah. And these she bore to Jacob: sixteen souls.


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And sons were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis, bore for him: Manasseh and Ephraim.


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The sons of Benjamin: Bela and Becher, and Ashbel and Gera, and Naaman and Ehi, and Rosh and Moppim, and Huppim and Ard.


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These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel, and these she bore to Jacob: all these souls are seven.


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All the souls who went into Egypt with Jacob and who went out from his thigh, besides the wives of his sons, were sixty-six.


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Now the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in the land of Egypt, were two souls. All the souls of the house of Jacob, who went into Egypt, were seventy.


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Then he sent Judah ahead of himself, to Joseph, in order to report to him, and so that he would meet him in Goshen.


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And when he had arrived there, Joseph harnessed his chariot, and he went up to meet his father at the same place. And seeing him, he fell upon his neck, and, amid embraces, he wept.


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And the father said to Joseph, “Now I will die happy, because I have seen your face, and I am leaving you behind alive.”


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And he said to his brothers and to all his father’s house: “I will go up and report to Pharaoh, and I will say to him: ‘My brothers, and my father’s house, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me.


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And these honorable men are pastors of sheep, and they have the task of feeding the flock. Their cattle, and herds, and all that they were able to hold, they have brought with them.’


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You will respond, ‘Your servants are pastors of honor, from our infancy even to the present time, both we and our fathers.’ Now you will say this so that you may be able to live in the land of Goshen, because the Egyptians detest all pastors of sheep.”


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And so Joseph entered and reported to Pharaoh, saying: “My father and brothers, their sheep and herds, and everything that they possess, have arrived from the land of Canaan. And behold, they stand together in the land of Goshen.”


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And he questioned them, “What do you have for work?” They responded: “Your servants are pastors of sheep, both we and our fathers.


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We came to sojourn in your land, because there is no grass for the flocks of your servants, the famine being very grievous in the land of Canaan. And we petition you that you may order us, your servants, to be in the land of Goshen.”


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The land of Egypt is in your sight. Cause them to live in the best place, and deliver to them the land of Goshen. And if you know there to be industrious men among them, appoint these as foremen over my cattle.”


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After this, Joseph brought in his father to the king, and he stood him in his sight. He blessed him,


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He responded, “The days of my sojourn are one hundred and thirty years, few and unworthy, and they do not reach even to the days of the sojourning of my fathers.”


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Truly, Joseph gave his father and brothers a possession in Egypt, in the best place of the land, in Rameses, as Pharaoh had instructed.


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For in the whole world there was a lack of bread, and a famine had oppressed the land, most of all Egypt and Canaan,


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from which he gathered together all the money for the grain that they bought, and he took it into the treasury of the king.


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And when the buyers had run out of money, all Egypt came to Joseph, saying: “Give us bread. Why should we die in your sight, lacking money?”


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And he responded to them: “Bring me your cattle, and I will give food to you in exchange for them, if you do not have money.”


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And when they had brought them, he gave them food for their horses, and sheep, and oxen, and donkeys. And he sustained them in that year in exchange for their cattle.


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Likewise, they came the second year, and they said to him: “We will not conceal from our lord that our money is gone; likewise our cattle are gone. Neither are you unaware that we have nothing left but our bodies and our land.


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Therefore, why should you watch us die? Both we and our land will be yours. Buy us into royal servitude, but provide seed, lest by the dying off of cultivators the land be reduced to a wilderness.”


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Therefore, Joseph bought all the land of Egypt, each one selling his possessions because of the magnitude of the famine. And he subjected it to Pharaoh,


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except the land of the priests, which had been delivered to them by the king. To these also a portion of food was supplied out of the public storehouses, and, for this reason, they were not compelled to sell their possessions.


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Therefore, Joseph said to the people: “So, as you discern, both you and your lands are possessed by Pharaoh; take seed and sow the fields,


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so that you may be able to have grain. One fifth part you will give to the king; the remaining four I permit to you, as seed and as food for your families and children.


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And they responded: “Our health is in your hand; only let our lord look kindly upon us, and we will serve the king with gladness.”


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From that time, even to the present day, in the entire land of Egypt, the fifth part is turned over to the kings, and it has become like a law, except in the land of the priests, which was free from this condition.


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And so, Israel lived in Egypt, that is, in the land of Goshen, and he possessed it. And he increased and was multiplied exceedingly.


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And he lived in it seventeen years. And all the days of his life that passed were one hundred and forty-seven years.


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And when he discerned that the day of his death was approaching, he called his son Joseph, and he said to him: “If I have found favor in your sight, place your hand under my thigh. And you shall show me mercy and truth, not to bury me in Egypt.


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But I shall sleep with my fathers, and you will carry me from this land and bury me in the sepulcher of my ancestors.” And Joseph answered him, “I will do what you have ordered.”


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And he said, “Then swear it to me.” And as he was swearing, Israel adored God, turning to the head of his resting place.


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After these things were done, it was reported to Joseph that his father was sick. And taking his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim, he went directly to him.


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And it was told to the old man, “Behold, your son Joseph is coming to you.” And being strengthened, he sat up in bed.


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And when he had entered to him, he said: “Almighty God appeared to me at Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, and he blessed me.


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And he said: ‘I will increase and multiply you, and I will make you influential among the people. And I will give this land to you, and to your offspring after you, as an everlasting possession.’


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Therefore, your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came here to you, will be mine. Ephraim and Manasseh will be treated by me just like Reuben and Simeon.


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But the remainder, whom you will conceive after them, will be yours, and they will be called by the name of their brothers among their possessions.


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As for me, when I came from Mesopotamia, Rachel died in the land of Canaan on the very journey, and it was springtime. And I entered Ephrath and buried her next to the way of Ephrath, which by another name is called Bethlehem.”


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He responded, “They are my sons, whom God gave to me as a gift in this place.” “Bring them to me,” he said, “so that I may bless them.”


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For Israel’s eyes were clouded by reason of his great age, and he was unable to see clearly. And when they were placed up against him, he kissed and embraced them.


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And he said to his son: “I have not been cheated out of seeing you. Moreover, God has shown me your offspring.”


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And he placed Ephraim on his right, that is, towards the left hand of Israel. Yet truly Manasseh was on his left, namely, towards his father’s right hand. And he placed them both up against him.


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And he, extending his right hand, placed it over the head of Ephraim, the younger brother, but the left hand was on the head of Manasseh, who was the elder, so that his hands were crossed.


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And Jacob blessed the sons of Joseph, and he said: “God, in whose sight my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, God who pastured me from my youth until the present day,


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the Angel, who rescues me from all evils: bless these boys. And let my name be invoked over them, and also the names of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac. And may they increase into a multitude across the earth.”


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But Joseph, seeing that his father had placed his right hand over the head of Ephraim, took it gravely. And grasping his father’s hand, he tried to lift it from Ephraim’s head and transfer it onto the head of Manasseh.


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And he said to his father: “It should not have come to pass this way, father. For this one is the firstborn. Place your right hand over his head.”


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But refusing, he said: “I know, my son, I know. And this one, indeed, will be among the people and will be multiplied. But his younger brother will be greater than he. And his offspring will increase among the nations.”


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And he blessed them at that time, saying: “In you, Israel will be blessed, and it will be said: ‘May God treat you like Ephraim, and like Manasseh.’ ” And he established Ephraim before Manasseh.


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And he said to his son Joseph: “See, I am dying, and God will be with you, and he will lead you back to the land of your fathers.


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I give you one part beyond that of your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.”


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Then Jacob called his sons, and he said to them: “Gather together, so that I may announce what will happen to you in the last days.


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Reuben, my firstborn, you are my strength and the beginning of my sorrow: first in gifts, greater in authority.


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You are being poured out like water, may you not increase. For you climbed onto your father’s bed, and you defiled his resting place.


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Let not my soul go by their counsel, nor my glory be within their meeting. For in their fury they killed a man, and in their self-will they undermined a wall.


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Cursed be their fury, because it was obstinate, and their indignation, because it was harsh. I will divide them in Jacob, and I will scatter them in Israel.


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Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be at the necks of your enemies; the sons of your father will reverence you.


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Judah is a lion’s young. You have gone up to the prey, my son. While resting, you have lain like a lion. And just like a lioness, who would rouse him?


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The scepter from Judah and the leader from his thigh will not be taken away, until he who will be sent arrives, and he will be the expectation of Gentiles.


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Tying his young colt to the vineyard, and his donkey, O my son, to the vine, he will wash his robe in wine, and his cloak in the blood of the grape.


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He saw that rest would be good, and that the land was excellent. And so he bent his shoulder to carry, and he became a servant under tribute.


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Let Dan be a snake in the way, a viper in the path, biting the hooves of horses, so that his rider may fall backward.


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Joseph is a growing son, a growing son and stately to behold; the daughters run back and forth on the wall.


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His bow sits in strength, and the bands of his arms and hands have been let loose by the hands of the mighty one of Jacob. From there he went forth as a pastor, the stone of Israel.


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The God of your father will be your helper, and the Almighty will bless you with the blessings of heaven above, with the blessings of the abyss that lies beneath, with the blessings of the breasts and of the womb.


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The blessings of your father are strengthened by the blessings of his fathers, until the desire of the hills of eternity shall arrive. May they be at the head of Joseph, and at the summit of the Nazarite, among his brothers.


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Benjamin is a ravenous wolf, in the morning he will eat the prey, and in the evening he will divide the spoil.”


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All these are the twelve tribes of Israel. These things their father spoke to them, and he blessed each one with their proper blessings.


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And he instructed them, saying: “I am being gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the double cave, which is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,


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opposite Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought, along with its field, from Ephron the Hittite, as a possession for burial.


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There they buried him, with his wife Sarah.” And there Isaac was buried with his wife Rebekah. There also Leah lies preserved.


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And having finished these commands by which he instructed his sons, he drew his feet onto the bed, and he passed away. And he was gathered to his people.


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And while they were fulfilling his orders, forty days passed. For this was the method of embalming dead bodies. And Egypt wept for him for seventy days.


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And when the time for mourning was fulfilled, Joseph spoke to the family of Pharaoh: “If I have found favor in your sight, speak to the ears of Pharaoh.


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For my father made me swear, saying: ‘See, I am dying. You shall bury me in my sepulcher which I dug for myself in the land of Canaan.’ Therefore, I shall go up and bury my father, and then return.”


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So as he went up, all the elders of the house of Pharaoh went with him, along with every patriarch in the land of Egypt,


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and the house of Joseph with his brothers, except their little ones and flocks and also the herds, which they left behind in the land of Goshen.


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And they arrived at the threshing place of Atad, which is situated beyond the Jordan. There they spent seven full days celebrating the funeral rites with a great and vehement lamentation.


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And when the inhabitants of the land of Canaan had seen this, they said, “This is a great Lamentation for the Egyptians.” And for this reason, the name of that place was called, “The Lamentation of Egypt.”


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And carrying him into the land of Canaan, they buried him in the double cave, which Abraham had bought along with its field, from Ephron the Hittite, as a possession for burial, opposite Mamre.


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And Joseph returned into Egypt with his brothers and all those of his company, having buried his father.


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Now that he was dead, his brothers were afraid, and they said to one another: “Perhaps now he may remember the injury that he suffered and requite us for all the evil that we did to him.”


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that we should say these words to you from him: ‘I beg you to forget the wickedness of your brothers, and the sin and malice that they practiced against you.’ Likewise, we petition you to release the servants of the God of your father from this iniquity.” Hearing this, Joseph wept.


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And his brothers went to him. And reverencing prostrate on the ground, they said, “We are your servants.”


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You devised evil against me. But God turned it into good, so that he might exalt me, just as you presently discern, and so that he might bring about the salvation of many peoples.


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Do not be afraid. I will pasture you and your little ones.” And he consoled them, and he spoke mildly and leniently.


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And he lived in Egypt with all his father’s house; and he survived for one hundred and ten years. And he saw the sons of Ephraim to the third generation. Likewise, the sons of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were born onto Joseph’s knees.


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After these things happened, he said to his brothers: “God will visit you after my death, and he will make you ascend from this land into the land which he swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”


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And when he had made them swear and had said, “God will visit you; carry my bones with you from this place,”


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he died, having completed one hundred and ten years of his life. And having been embalmed with aromatics, he was laid to rest in a coffin in Egypt.


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These are the names of the sons of Israel, who went into Egypt with Jacob. They entered, each one with his house:


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Therefore, all the souls of those who went forth from Jacob’s thigh were seventy. Now Joseph was in Egypt.


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the sons of Israel increased, and they multiplied like seedlings. And having been strengthened exceedingly, they filled the land.


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And he said to his people: “Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are many, and they are stronger than we are.


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Come, let us wisely oppress them, lest they multiply; and if any war should advance against us, they may be added to our enemies, and having fought against us, they might depart from the land.”


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And so he set over them masters of the works, in order to afflict them with burdens. And they built for Pharaoh the cities of the tabernacles: Pithom and Raamses.


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And they led their life directly into bitterness, with hard work in clay and brick, and with all kinds of servitude, so that they were being overwhelmed with the works of the land.


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Then the king of Egypt spoke to the midwives of the Hebrews, (one of whom one was called Shiphrah, another Puah)


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instructing them: “When you will act as a midwife to the Hebrew women, and the time of delivery has arrived: if it is male, put it to death; if it is female, retain it.”


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But the midwives feared God, and so they did not act according to the precept of the king of Egypt, but they kept the males safe.


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They responded: “The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women. For they themselves have the wisdom of a midwife, and so they give birth before we can come to them.”


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Therefore, God acted favorably toward the midwives. And the people increased, and they were strengthened exceedingly.


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Therefore, Pharaoh instructed all his people, saying: “Whatever will be born of the male sex, cast it into the river; whatever will be born of the female sex, retain it.”


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And when she was no longer able to hide him, she took a small basket woven of bulrushes, and she smeared it with pitch as well as tar. And she placed the little infant inside, and she laid him in the sedges by the bank of the river.


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Then, behold, the daughter of Pharaoh descended to wash in the river. And her maids walked along the edge of the cove. And when she had seen the small basket among the papyruses, she sent one of her servants for it. And when it was brought,


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she opened it; and realizing that within it was a little one crying, she took pity on him, and she said: “This is one of the infants of the Hebrews.”


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And the sister of the boy said to her: “If you wish, I will go and call to you a Hebrew woman, who will be able nurse the infant.”


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And the daughter of Pharaoh said to her: “Take this boy and nurse him for me. I will give you your wages.” The woman took and nursed the boy. And when he was mature, she delivered him to the daughter of Pharaoh.


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And she adopted him in place of a son, and she called his name Moses, saying, “Because I took him from the water.”


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In those days, after Moses had grown up, he went out to his brothers. And he saw their affliction and an Egyptian man striking a certain one of the Hebrews, his brothers.


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And when he had looked around this way and that, and had seen no one nearby, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.


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And going out the next day, he spotted two Hebrews quarrelling violently. And he said to him who was causing the injury, “Why do you strike your neighbor?”


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But he responded: “Who appointed you as leader and judge over us? Do you want to kill me, just as yesterday you killed the Egyptian?” Moses was afraid, and he said, “How has this word become known?”


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And Pharaoh heard this talk, and he sought to kill Moses. But fleeing from his sight, he stayed in the land of Midian, and he sat down next to a well.


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Now there was a priest of Midian with seven daughters, who came to draw water. And having filled the troughs, they desired to water their father’s flocks.


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The shepherds overcame them and drove them away. And Moses rose up, and defending the girls, he watered their sheep.


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And when they had returned to their father, Reuel, he said to them, “Why have you arrived sooner than usual?”


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They responded: “A man of Egypt freed us from the hands of the shepherds. Moreover, he also drew water with us and gave the sheep to drink.”


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Therefore, Moses swore that he would live with him. And he accepted his daughter Zipporah as a wife.


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And she bore a son to him, whom he called Gershom, saying, “I have been a newcomer in a foreign land.” In truth, she bore another, whom he called Eliezer, saying, “For the God of my father, my helper, has rescued me from the hand of Pharaoh.”


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In truth, after a long time, the king of Egypt was dead. And the sons of Israel, groaning, cried out because of the works. And their cry ascended to God from the works.


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And he heard their groaning, and he also remembered the covenant which he formed with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.


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Now Moses was pasturing the sheep of his father-in-law Jethro, a priest of Midian. And when he had driven the flock into the interior of the desert, he came to the mountain of God, Horeb.


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And the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. And he saw that the bush was burning and was not burnt.


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Then the Lord, discerning that he proceeded on to see it, called to him from the midst of the bush, and he said, “Moses, Moses.” And he responded, “Here I am.”


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And he said: “Lest you should approach here, remove the shoes from your feet. For the place on which you stand is holy ground.”


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And he said, “I am the God of your father: the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Moses hid his face, for he dared not look directly at God.


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And the Lord said to him: “I have seen the affliction of my people in Egypt, and I have heard their outcry because of the harshness of those who are over the works.


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And knowing their sorrow, I have descended in order to free them from the hands of the Egyptians, and to lead them from that land into a good and spacious land, into a land which flows with milk and honey, to the places of the Canaanite, and Hittite, and Amorite, and Perizzite, and Hivite, and Jebusite.


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And so, the outcry of the sons of Israel has come to me. And I have seen their affliction, with which they are oppressed by the Egyptians.


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But come, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may lead my people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.”


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And Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should lead the sons of Israel out of Egypt?”


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And he said to him: “I will be with you. And you will have this as a sign that I have sent you: When you will have brought my people out of Egypt, you will offer sacrifice to God upon this mountain.”


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Moses said to God: “Behold, I will go to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ If they say to me, ‘What is his name?’ What shall I say to them?”


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God said to Moses, “I AM WHO AM.” He said: “Thus shall you say to the sons of Israel: ‘HE WHO IS has sent me to you.’ ”


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And God said again to Moses: “Thus shall you say to the sons of Israel: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is the name for me in eternity, and this is my memorial from generation to generation.


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Go and gather together the elders of Israel, and you shall say to them: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying: When visiting, I have visited you, and I have seen all that has befallen you in Egypt.


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And I have spoken in order to lead you out of the affliction of Egypt, into the land of the Canaanite, and Hittite, and Amorite, and Perizzite, and Hivite, and Jebusite, into a land flowing with milk and honey.’


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And they shall hear your voice. And you shall enter, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt, and you shall say to him: ‘The Lord God of the Hebrews has called us. We shall go three days’ journey into the wilderness, in order to offer sacrifice to the Lord our God.’


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For I will extend my hand, and I will strike Egypt with all my wonders that I will do in the midst of them. After these things, he will release you.


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And I will grant favor to this people in the sight of the Egyptians. And so, when you go forth, you shall not go out empty.


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But every woman shall ask of her neighbor and of her hostess vessels of silver and of gold, as well as garments. And you shall set them upon your sons and daughters, and you shall despoil Egypt.”


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Responding, Moses said, “They will not believe me, and they will not listen to my voice, but they will say: ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.’ ”


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And the Lord said, “Cast it down upon the ground.” He cast it down, and it was turned into a snake, so that Moses fled away.


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And the Lord said, “Reach out your hand, and take hold of its tail.” He reached out his hand and took hold, and it was turned into a staff.


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“So may they believe,” he said, “that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”


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And the Lord said again, “Put your hand into your bosom.” And when he had put it into his bosom, he brought it out leprous, resembling snow.


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“Put your hand back,” he said, “into your bosom.” He put it back and brought it out again, and it was like the rest of his flesh.


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“If they will not believe you,” he said, “and will not listen to the sermon of the first sign, then they will believe the word of the subsequent sign.


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But if they will not believe even these two signs, and they will not listen to your voice: take from the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land, and whatever you will have drawn from the river will be turned into blood.”


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Moses said: “I beg you, O Lord, I was not eloquent yesterday or the day before. And from the time that you have spoken to your servant, I have a greater impediment and slowness of tongue.”


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The Lord said to him: “Who made the mouth of man? And who has formed the mute and the deaf, the seeing and the blind? Was it not I?


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The Lord, being angry at Moses, said: “Aaron the Levite is your brother. I know that he is eloquent. Behold, he is going out to meet you, and seeing you, he will rejoice in heart.


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Speak to him, and put my words in his mouth. And I will be in your mouth and in his mouth, and I will reveal to you what you must do.


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He will speak for you to the people, and he will be your mouth. But you will be with him in those things that pertain to God.


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Moses went forth, and he returned to Jethro, his father in law, and he said to him, “I shall go and return to my brothers in Egypt, so that I may see if they are still alive.” And Jethro said to him, “Go in peace.”


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And so the Lord said to Moses in Midian: “Go, and return to Egypt. For all those who sought your life have died.”


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Therefore, Moses took his wife and his sons, and he placed them upon a donkey, and he returned into Egypt, carrying the staff of God in his hand.


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And the Lord said to him, as he was returning to Egypt: “See that you accomplish, in the sight of Pharaoh, all the wonders that I have placed in your hand. I will harden his heart, and he will not release the people.


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I have said to you: Release my son, so that he may serve me. And you were not willing to release him. Behold, I will put to death your firstborn son.’ ”


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For this reason, Zipporah took a very sharp stone, and she circumcised the foreskin of her son, and she touched his feet, and she said, “You are a bloody spouse to me.”


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Then the Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the desert to meet Moses.” And he went directly to meet him on the mountain of God, and he kissed him.


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And Moses explained to Aaron all the words of the Lord, by which he had sent him, and the signs which he had commanded.


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And Aaron spoke all the words which the Lord had said to Moses. And he accomplished the signs in the sight of the people,


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and the people believed. And they heard that the Lord had visited the sons of Israel, and that he had looked with favor upon their affliction. And falling prostrate, they worshiped.


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After these things, Moses and Aaron entered, and they said to Pharaoh: “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: Release my people, so that they may sacrifice to me in the desert.”


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But he responded: “Who is the Lord, that I should listen to his voice and release Israel? I do not know the Lord, and I will not release Israel.”


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And they said: “The God of the Hebrews has called us, so that we may go three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our God. Otherwise, a pestilence or the sword may befall us.”


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The king of Egypt said to them: “Why do you, Moses and Aaron, distract the people from their works? Go back to your burdens.”


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And Pharaoh said: “The people of the land are many. You see that the turmoil has increased: how much more if you give them rest from the works?”


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Therefore, on the same day, he instructed the overseers of the works, and the taskmasters of the people, saying:


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“You shall no longer give chaff to the people to form bricks, as before. But they may go and gather straw.


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And you shall impose upon them the same quota of bricks that they made before. Neither will you lessen anything, for they are idle, and therefore they cry out, saying: ‘We shall go and sacrifice to our God.’


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They shall be oppressed with works, and these shall occupy them, so that they may not agree to lying words.”


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And so the overseers of the works and the taskmasters went out and said to the people: “Thus says Pharaoh: I give you no chaff.


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Go, and collect it wherever you are able to find it. Neither will anything of your work be diminished.”


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Likewise, the overseers of the works pressured them, saying: “Complete your work each day, just as you were accustomed to do before, when straw was given to you.”


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And those who were first in the works of the sons of Israel were scourged by Pharaoh’s taskmasters, saying: “Why have you not filled the quota of bricks, neither yesterday, nor today, just as before?”


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And the first among the sons of Israel came, and they cried out to Pharaoh, saying: “Why do act against your servants in this way?


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Straw is not given to us, and yet the same amount of bricks is commanded. So we, your servants, are cut up by scourging, and injustice is done against your people.”


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Therefore, go and work. Straw will not be given to you, and you will return the customary number of bricks.”


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And the first among the sons of Israel saw themselves in a crisis, because it was said to them, “Nothing at all will be lessened from the bricks throughout each day.”


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And they said to them: “May the Lord see and judge, because you have caused our odor to become foul before Pharaoh and his servants, and you have provided him with a sword, in order to kill us.”


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And Moses returned to the Lord, and he said: “Lord, why have you afflicted this people? Why have you sent me?


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For from the time that I entered to Pharaoh, so as to speak in your name, he has afflicted your people. And you have not freed them.”


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And the Lord said to Moses: “Now you will see what I shall do to Pharaoh. For through a strong hand he will release them, and by a mighty hand he will cast them from his land.”


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who appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as Almighty God. And I did not reveal to them my name: ADONAI.


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And I formed a covenant with them, in order to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their sojourning, in which they were newcomers.


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I have heard the groaning of the sons of Israel, with which the Egyptians have oppressed them. And I have remembered my covenant.


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For this reason, say to the sons of Israel: I am the Lord who will lead you away from the work house of the Egyptians, and rescue you from servitude, and also redeem you with an exalted arm and great judgments.


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And I will take you to myself as my people, and I will be your God. And you will know that I am the Lord your God, who led you away from the work house of the Egyptians,


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and who brought you into the land, over which I lifted up my hand in order to grant it to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And I will grant it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.”


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And so, Moses explained all these things to the sons of Israel, who did not agree with him, because of their anguish of spirit and very difficult work.


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“Enter and speak to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, so that he may release the sons of Israel from his land.”


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Moses responded in the sight the Lord: “Behold, the sons of Israel do not listen to me. And how will Pharaoh listen to me, especially since I am of uncircumcised lips?”


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And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, and he gave them a commandment for the sons of Israel, and for Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, that they should lead the sons of Israel away from the land of Egypt.


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These are the leaders of the houses by their families. The sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi.


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These are the kindred of Reuben. The sons of Simeon: Jemuel and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite women. These are the progeny of Simeon.


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And these are the names of the sons of Levi by their kindred: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari. Now the years of the life of Levi were one hundred and thirty-seven.


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The sons of Kohath: Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron and Uzziel. Likewise, the years of the life of Kohath were one hundred and thirty-three.


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Now Amram took as a wife Jochebed, his paternal aunt, who bore for him Aaron and Moses. And the years of the life of Amram were one hundred and thirty-seven.


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Now Aaron took as a wife Elizabeth, the daughter of Amminadab, sister of Nahshon, who bore for him Nadab, and Abihu, and Eleazar, and Ithamar.


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Likewise, the sons of Korah: Assir, and Elkanah, and Abiasaph. These are the kindred of the Korahites.


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And truly Eleazar, the son of Aaron, took a wife from the daughters of Putiel. And she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the Levitical families by their kindred.


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These are Aaron and Moses, whom the Lord instructed to lead the sons of Israel away from the land of Egypt by their companies.


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These are those who speak to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, in order to lead the sons of Israel out of Egypt. These are Moses and Aaron,


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And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “I am the Lord. Speak to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, all that I speak to you.”


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And Moses said in the sight of the Lord: “Lo, I am of uncircumcised lips, how will Pharaoh listen to me?”


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And the Lord said to Moses: “Behold, I have appointed you as the god of Pharaoh. And Aaron, your brother, will be your prophet.


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You will speak to him all that I command you. And he will speak to Pharaoh, so that he may release the sons of Israel from his land.


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and he will not listen to you. And I will send my hand over Egypt, and I will lead my army and my people, the sons of Israel, from the land of Egypt, through very great judgments.


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And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord, who has extended my hand over Egypt, and who has led the sons of Israel from their midst.”


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“When Pharaoh will say to you, ‘Show signs,’ you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff, and cast it down before Pharaoh, and it will be turned into a snake.’ ”


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And so Moses and Aaron entered to Pharaoh, and they did just as the Lord had commanded. And Aaron took the staff in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and it was turned into a snake.


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Then Pharaoh called the wise men and the sorcerers. And they also, by Egyptian incantations and certain secrets, did similarly.


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And each one cast down their staffs, and they were turned into serpents. But the staff of Aaron devoured their staffs.


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And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had instructed.


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Then the Lord said to Moses: “The heart of Pharaoh has been hardened; he is not willing to release the people.


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Go to him in the morning; behold, he will go out to the waters. And you will stand to meet him above the bank of the river. And you will take, in your hand, the staff that was turned into a serpent.


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And you will say to him: ‘The Lord God of the Hebrews sent me to you, saying: Release my people in order to sacrifice to me in the desert. And even until the present time, you were not willing to listen.


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Therefore, thus says the Lord: In this you will know that I am the Lord. Behold, I will strike, with the staff that is in my hand, the water of the river, and it will be turned into blood.


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Also, the fishes that are in the river will die, and the waters will be polluted, and the Egyptians will be afflicted when they drink the water of the river.’ ”


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The Lord also said to Moses: “Say to Aaron: ‘Take your staff; and extend your hand over the waters of Egypt, and over their rivers and streams and marshes and all the pools of waters, so that they may be turned into blood. And let there be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, as much in vessels of wood as in those of stone.’ ”


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And Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had instructed. And lifting up the staff, he struck the water of the river in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants. And it was turned into blood.


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And the fishes that were in the river died, and the river was polluted, and the Egyptians were not able to drink the water of the river, and there was blood throughout the entire land of Egypt.


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And the sorcerers of the Egyptians, with their incantations, did similarly. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had instructed.


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And he turned himself away, and he entered his house, neither did he apply his heart to this turn of events.


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Then all the Egyptians dug along the borders of the river for water to drink. For they were not able to drink from the water of the river.


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The Lord also said to Moses: “Enter to Pharaoh, and you will say to him: ‘Thus says the Lord: Release my people in order to sacrifice to me.


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And the river will seethe with frogs, which will go up and enter into your house, and your bedroom, and upon your bed, and into the houses of your servants and your people, and into your ovens, and into the remains of your foods.


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And the Lord said to Moses: “Say to Aaron: ‘Extend your hand over the rivers, and also over the streams and the marshes, and bring forth frogs over the land of Egypt.’ ”


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And Aaron extended his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.


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Then the sorcerers also, by their incantations, did similarly, and they brought forth frogs upon the land of Egypt.


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But Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron, and he said to them: “Pray to the Lord, so as to take away the frogs from me and from my people. And I will release the people, so as to sacrifice to the Lord.”


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And Moses said to Pharaoh: “Appoint for me a time, when I should petition on behalf of you, and your servants, and your people, so that the frogs may be driven away from you, and from your house, and from your servants, and from your people, and so that they may remain only in the river.”


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And he responded, “Tomorrow.” Then he said, “I will act according to your word, so that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God.


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And the frogs will withdraw from you, and from your house, and from your servants, and from your people. And they will remain only in the river.”


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And Moses and Aaron departed from Pharaoh. And Moses cried out to the Lord on behalf of the promise that he had made to Pharaoh concerning the frogs.


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And the Lord acted according to the word of Moses. And the frogs died out of the houses, and out of the villages, and out of the fields.


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Then Pharaoh, seeing that relief had been provided, hardened his own heart, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had instructed.


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And the Lord said to Moses: “Say to Aaron: ‘Extend your staff and strike the dust of the earth. And let there be stinging insects throughout the entire the land of Egypt.’ ”


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And they did so. And Aaron extended his hand, holding the staff, and he struck the dust of the earth, and there came stinging insects upon men and upon beasts. All the dust of the earth was turned into stinging insects through all the land of Egypt.


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And the sorcerers, with their incantations, did similarly, in order to bring forth stinging insects, but they were not able. And there were stinging insects, as much on men as on beasts.


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And the sorcerers said to Pharaoh: “This is the finger of God.” And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had instructed.


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The Lord also said to Moses: “Arise at first light, and stand in the sight of Pharaoh, for he will go out to the waters. And you will say to him: ‘Thus says the Lord: Release my people to sacrifice to me.


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But if you will not release them, behold, I will send upon you, and upon your servants, and upon your people, and into your houses, diverse kinds of flies. And the houses of the Egyptians will be filled with diverse kinds of flies, as well as the whole land in which they will be.


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And in that day, I will cause a miracle in the land of Goshen, where my people are, so that flies will not be there. And you will know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth.


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And the Lord did so. And there came very grievous flies into the houses of Pharaoh and of his servants, and into all the land of Egypt. And the land was polluted, in this way, by the flies.


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And Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron, and he said to them, “Go and sacrifice to your God in this land.”


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And Moses said: “It cannot be so. For we will immolate the abominations of the Egyptians to the Lord our God. For if we slaughter those things which the Egyptians worship, in their presence, they will stone us.


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We will sojourn three days’ journey into the wilderness. And we will sacrifice to the Lord our God, just as he has instructed us.”


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And Pharaoh said: “I will release you in order to sacrifice to the Lord your God in the desert. Yet you may only go so far. Petition for me.”


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And Moses said: “After departing from you, I will pray to the Lord. And the flies will withdraw from Pharaoh, and from his servants, and from his people, tomorrow. Yet do not be willing to deceive any longer, so that you would not release the people to sacrifice to the Lord.”


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And he acted according to his word. And he took away the flies from Pharaoh, and from his servants, and from his people. There was not even one left behind.


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Then the Lord said to Moses: “Enter to Pharaoh, and say to him: ‘Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews: Release my people, to sacrifice to me.


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behold, my hand will be over your fields. And a very grievous pestilence will be upon the horses, and the donkeys, and the camels, and the oxen, and the sheep.


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And the Lord will cause a miracle between the possessions of Israel and the possessions of the Egyptians, so that nothing at all will perish from those things which belong to the sons of Israel.”


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Therefore, the Lord accomplished this word the next day. And all the animals of the Egyptians died. Yet truly, of the animals of the sons of Israel, nothing at all perished.


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And Pharaoh sent to see; neither was there anything dead of those things that Israel possessed. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not release the people.


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And the Lord said to Moses and to Aaron: “Take handfuls of ashes from the oven, and let Moses sprinkle it into the air, in the sight of Pharaoh.


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And let there be dust upon all the land of Egypt. For there will be sores and swelling pustules on men and on beasts, throughout the entire land of Egypt.”


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And they took ashes from the oven, and they stood in the sight of Pharaoh, and Moses sprinkled it in the air. And there came sores with swelling pustules on men and on beasts.


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Neither could the sorcerers stand in the sight of Moses, because of the sores that were on them and on all the land of Egypt.


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And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord said to Moses.


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And the Lord said to Moses: “Rise up in the morning, and stand in the sight of Pharaoh, and you will say to him: ‘Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews: Release my people to sacrifice to me.


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For at this turn, I will send all my plagues upon your heart, and upon your servants, and upon your people. So may you know that there is no one like me in all the earth.


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For now, extending my hand, I shall strike you and your people with pestilence, and you will perish from the earth.


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But it was for this reason that I appointed you, so that I may reveal my strength by you, and so that my name may be described throughout all the earth.


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So then, tomorrow, at this same hour, I will rain down exceedingly great hail, such as has not been in Egypt from the day that it was founded, even until this present time.


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Therefore, send immediately and gather together your cattle, and all that you have in the field. For men and beasts, and all things that will be found outside, not gathered in from the fields, and on which the hail will fall, shall die.’ ”


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He who feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh caused his servants and cattle to flee together into the houses.


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And the Lord said to Moses: “Extend your hand into the sky, so that there may be hail in the entire land of Egypt, on men, and on beasts, and on every plant of the field in the land of Egypt.”


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And Moses extended his staff into the sky, and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and also lightning dashing across the earth. And the Lord rained down hail upon the land of Egypt.


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And the hail and intermingled fire drove on together. And it was of such magnitude as had never before been seen in the entire land of Egypt, from the time when that nation was formed.


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And the hail struck, throughout all the land of Egypt, everything that was in the fields, from man even to beast. And the hail struck down every plant of the field, and it broke every tree of the region.


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And Pharaoh sent and called Moses and Aaron, saying to them: “I have sinned even until now. The Lord is just. I and my people are impious.


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Pray to the Lord, so that the thundering of God and the hail may cease, so that I may release you, and so that you may by no means remain here any longer.”


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Moses said: “When I have departed from the city, I will extend my hands to the Lord, and the thunders will cease, and the hail will not be, so that you may know that the earth belongs to the Lord.


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And so, the flax and the barley were damaged, because the barley was growing, and the flax was already developing grains.


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And Moses, departing from Pharaoh out of the city, reached out his hands toward the Lord. And the thunders and hail ceased, neither did there drop any more rain upon the land.


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And his heart was weighed down, along with that of his servants, and it was hardened exceedingly. Neither did he release the sons of Israel, just as the Lord had instructed by the hand of Moses.


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And the Lord said to Moses: “Enter to Pharaoh. For I have hardened his heart, and that of his servants, so that I may accomplish these, my signs, in him,


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and so that you may describe to the ears of your sons and your grandsons how often I opposed the Egyptians and wrought my signs among them, and so that you may know that I am the Lord.”


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Therefore, Moses and Aaron entered to Pharaoh, and they said to him: “Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews: How long will you be unwilling to be subject to me? Release my people to sacrifice to me.


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But if you resist, and you are unwilling to release them, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your borders.


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And they shall cover the face of the earth, lest any part of it be seen. Yes, and what remains from the hail shall be eaten. For they will gnaw away all the trees that spring up in the fields.


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And they will fill your houses, and those of your servants and of all the Egyptians: so many as your fathers and ancestors have not seen, from the time that they rose up over the earth, even until this present day.” And he turned himself away, and he departed from Pharaoh.


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Then the servants of Pharaoh said to him: “How long must we endure this scandal? Release the men, in order to sacrifice to the Lord their God. Do you not see that Egypt is perishing?”


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And they called back Moses and Aaron to Pharaoh, who said to them: “Go, sacrifice to the Lord your God. Who are they who would go?”


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Moses said: “We will travel with our little ones and our elderly, with our sons and daughters, with our sheep and herds. For it is a solemnity of the Lord our God.”


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And Pharaoh responded: “So let the Lord be with you. But if I were to release you and your little ones, who would doubt that you intend some great wickedness?


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It will not be so. However, go only with the men, and sacrifice to the Lord. For this, too, is what you yourselves requested.” And immediately they were cast out from the sight of Pharaoh.


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Then the Lord said to Moses: “Extend your hand over the land of Egypt, toward the locusts, so that they may rise up over it, and devour every plant which remains from the hail.”


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And Moses extended his staff over the land of Egypt. And the Lord brought a burning wind all that day and night. And when morning came, the burning wind lifted up the locusts.


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And they ascended over the entire land of Egypt. And they settled into all the parts of the Egyptians: innumerable, such as had not been before that time, nor ever would be thereafter.


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And they covered the entire face of the land, laying waste to all things. And the plants of the land were devoured, along with whatever fruits were on the trees, which the hail had left behind. And nothing at all of the greenery remained on the trees or on the plants of the earth in all of Egypt.


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For this reason, Pharaoh hurriedly called Moses and Aaron, and he said to them: “I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you.


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But now, release me from my sin even this time, and petition the Lord your God, so that he may take this death away from me.”


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And he caused a very strong wind to blow from the west, and, seizing the locusts, it cast them into the Red Sea. There remained not so much as one in all the parts of Egypt.


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Then the Lord said to Moses: “Extend your hand into the sky. And let there be a darkness over the land of Egypt, so dense that they may be able to feel it.”


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And Moses extended his hand into the sky. And there came a horrible darkness in the entire land of Egypt for three days.


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No one saw his brother, nor moved himself out of the place where he was. But wherever the sons of Israel were living, there was light.


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And Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron, and he said to them: “Go, sacrifice to the Lord. Only let your sheep and herds remain behind. Your little ones may go with you.”


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Moses said: “You must also permit us victims and holocausts, which we may offer to the Lord our God.


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All the flocks shall travel with us. Not one hoof of them shall remain behind. For they are necessary for the worship of the Lord our God, especially since we do not know what ought to be immolated, until we arrive at the very place.”


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And Pharaoh said to Moses: “Withdraw from me, and beware that you no longer see my face. On whatever day you will appear in my sight, you shall die.”


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And the Lord said to Moses: “I will touch Pharaoh and Egypt with one more plague, and after these things he will release you, and he will compel you to go out.


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Therefore, you will tell all the people to ask, a man of his friend, and a woman of her neighbor, for vessels of silver and of gold.


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Then the Lord will grant favor to his people in the sight of the Egyptians.” And Moses was a very great man in the land of Egypt, in the sight of the servants of Pharaoh and of all the people.


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And every firstborn in the land of the Egyptians shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the handmaid, who is at the millstone, and all the firstborn of the beasts of burden.


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And there will be a great outcry throughout the entire land of Egypt, such as has not been before, nor ever will be afterward.


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But among all the sons of Israel there shall not be even a mutter from a dog, from man, even to cattle, so that you may know how miraculously the Lord divides the Egyptians from Israel.’


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And all these, your servants, shall descend to me and shall reverence me, by saying: ‘Depart, you and all the people who are subject to you.’ After these things, we will depart.”


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And he went out from Pharaoh exceedingly angry. Then the Lord said to Moses: “Pharaoh will not listen to you, so that many signs may be accomplished in the land of Egypt.”


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Now Moses and Aaron did all the wonders that are written, in the sight of Pharaoh. And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh; neither did he release the sons of Israel from his land.


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“This month will be for you the beginning of the months. It will be first in the months of the year.


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Speak to the entire assembly of the sons of Israel, and say to them: On the tenth day of this month, let everyone take a lamb, by their families and houses.


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But if the number is less than may suffice to be able to consume the lamb, he shall accept his neighbor, who has been joined with his house according to the number of souls that may suffice to be able to eat the lamb.


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And it shall be a lamb without blemish, a one year old male. According to this rite, you shall also take a young goat.


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And you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month. And the entire multitude of the sons of Israel shall immolate it toward evening.


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And they shall take from its blood, and place it on both the door posts and the upper threshold of the houses, in which they will consume it.


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You shall not consume anything from it raw, nor boiled in water, but only roasted by fire. You shall devour the head with its feet and entrails.


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Neither shall there remain anything from it until morning. If anything will have been left over, you shall burn it with fire.


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Now you shall consume it in this way: You shall gird your waist, and you shall have shoes on your feet, holding staves in your hands, and you shall consume it in haste. For it is the Passover (that is, the Crossing) of the Lord.


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And I will cross through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from man, even to cattle. And I will bring judgments against all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord.


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But the blood will be for you as a sign in the buildings where you will be. And I will see the blood, and I will pass over you. And the plague will not be with you to destroy, when I strike the land of Egypt.


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Then you shall have this day as a memorial, and you shall celebrate it as a solemnity to the Lord, in your generations, as an everlasting devotion.


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For seven days, you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day there shall be no leaven in your houses. Whoever will consume anything leavened, from the first day, even until the seventh day, that soul shall perish from Israel.


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The first day shall be holy and solemn, and the seventh day shall be venerated with the same festivity. You shall do no work in these days, except that which pertains to the eating.


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And you shall observe the feast of unleavened bread. For on this same day, I will lead your army out of the land of Egypt, and you shall keep this day, in your generations, as a perpetual ritual.


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In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, toward evening, you shall consume the unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the same month, toward evening.


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For seven days, there shall not be found leaven in your houses. Whoever will eat leaven, his soul will perish from the assembly of Israel, as much with the newcomers as with the natives of the land.


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Then Moses called all the elders of the sons of Israel, and he said to them: “Go, taking an animal by your families, and sacrifice the Passover.


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And dip a little bundle of hyssop in the blood which is at the entrance, and sprinkle the upper threshold with it, and both of the door posts. Let none of you go out of the door of his house until morning.


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For the Lord will cross through, striking the Egyptians. And when he will see the blood on the upper threshold, and on both the door posts, he will pass over the door of the house and not permit the Striker to enter into your houses or to do harm.


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And when you have entered into the land that the Lord will give to you, just as he has promised, you shall observe these ceremonies.


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You shall say to them: ‘It is the victim of the crossing of the Lord, when he passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt, striking the Egyptians, and freeing our houses.’ ” And the people, bowing down, worshipped.


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Then it happened, in the middle of the night: the Lord struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the captive woman who was in prison, and all the firstborn of the cattle.


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And Pharaoh rose up in the night, and all his servants, and all of Egypt. And there arose a great outcry in Egypt. For there was not a house in which no one lay dead.


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And Pharaoh, calling Moses and Aaron in the night, said: “Rise up and go forth from among my people, you and the sons of Israel. Go, sacrifice to the Lord, just as you say.


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Therefore, the people took bread dough before it was leavened. And tying it in their cloaks, they placed it on their shoulders.


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And the sons of Israel did just as Moses had instructed. And they petitioned the Egyptians for vessels of silver and of gold, and very many garments.


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Then the Lord granted favor to the people in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they bestowed on them. And they despoiled the Egyptians.


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And the sons of Israel set out from Rameses to Soccoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides little ones.


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But also an innumerable mix of common people ascended with them, sheep and herds and animals of diverse kinds, exceedingly many.


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And they baked the bread, which a little while ago they had taken out of Egypt as dough. And they made unleavened bread baked under ashes. For it was not able to be leavened, with the Egyptians compelling them to leave and not permitting them to cause any delay. Neither did they have occasion to prepare any meat.


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Now the habitation of the sons of Israel, while they remained in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.


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This night is a worthy observance of the Lord, when he led them out of the land of Egypt. This all the sons of Israel must observe in their generations.


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And the Lord said to Moses and to Aaron: “This is the religious observance of the Passover. No foreigner shall eat from it.


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In one house it shall be eaten; you shall not carry its flesh outside, nor shall you break its bone.


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And if any sojourner will be willing to cross over into your settlement, and to keep the Passover of the Lord, all his males shall first be circumcised, and then he shall celebrate the rite. And he shall be just like a native of the land. But if any man is not circumcised, he shall not eat from it.


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“Sanctify to me every firstborn which opens the womb among the sons of Israel, as much of men as of cattle. For they are all mine.”


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And Moses said to the people: “Remember this day, on which you were taken away from Egypt and from the house of servitude. For with a strong hand the Lord has led you away from this place. Thus, you shall eat no leavened bread.


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And when the Lord has brought you into the land of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which he swore to your fathers that he would give to you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you will celebrate this manner of sacred rites in this month.


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For seven days, you shall feed on unleavened bread. And on the seventh day, it will be the solemnity of the Lord.


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You shall consume unleavened bread for seven days. There shall not be seen anything leavened with you, nor in all your parts.


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And you will explain to your son in that day, saying: ‘This is what the Lord did for me when I was taken away from Egypt.’


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And it will be like a sign in your hand and like a memorial before your eyes. And so may the law of the Lord be always in your mouth. For with a strong hand, the Lord led you away from the land of Egypt.


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And when the Lord has brought you into the land of the Canaanite, just as he swore to you and to your fathers, and when he will give it you,


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then you shall set aside for the Lord all that opens the womb and all that is first to go forth among your cattle. Whatever you will have of the male sex, you shall consecrate to the Lord.


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The firstborn of a donkey you will exchange for a sheep. And if you will not redeem it, you shall put it to death. But every firstborn of man among your sons, you shall redeem with a price.


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And when your son will question you tomorrow, saying, ‘What is this?’ you will respond, ‘With a strong hand the Lord led us away from the land of Egypt, from the house of servitude.


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For when Pharaoh had been hardened and was unwilling to release us, the Lord killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of man, even to the firstborn of beasts. For this reason, I immolate to the Lord all of the male sex that opens the womb, and all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’


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Therefore, it will be like a sign in your hand and like something hanging between your eyes as a remembrance, because with a strong hand the Lord has led us away from Egypt.”


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And so, when Pharaoh had sent the people away, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, which is nearby, considering that perhaps they might relapse, if they saw wars rise up against them, and then they might return to Egypt.


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But he led them around by the way of the desert, which is next to the Red Sea. And so the sons of Israel ascended, armed, out of the land of Egypt.


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Also, Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, because he had sworn to the sons of Israel, saying: “God will visit you. Carry my bones away from here with you.”


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Now the Lord preceded them to show them the way, by day with a pillar of cloud, and by night with a pillar of fire, so that he might be the leader of their journey at both times.


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These never failed: a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night, in the sight of the people.


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“Speak to the sons of Israel. Let them turn back and encamp away from the region of Pihahiroth, which is between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal-zephon. In its sight you shall place your camp, above the sea.


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And Pharaoh will say about the sons of Israel, ‘They have been confined by the land; the desert has enclosed them.’


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And I will harden his heart, and so he will pursue you. And I will be glorified in Pharaoh, and in all his army. And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” And they did so.


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And it was reported to the king of the Egyptians that the people had fled. And the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was changed about the people, and they said, “What did we intend to do, so that we released Israel from serving us?”


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And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and whatever chariots were in Egypt, and also the leaders of the whole army.


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And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he pursued the sons of Israel. But they were taken away by an exalted hand.


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And when the Egyptians followed the footsteps of those who preceded them, they found them in a camp above the sea. All the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and the entire army, were in Pihahiroth, opposite Baal-zephon.


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And when Pharaoh had drawn near, the sons of Israel, lifting up their eyes, saw the Egyptians behind them. And they were very afraid. And they cried out to the Lord.


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And they said to Moses: “Perhaps there were no graves in Egypt, for which reason you took us to die in the wilderness. What is it that you intended to do, in leading us out of Egypt?


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Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying: Withdraw from us, so that we may serve the Egyptians? For it was much better to serve them, than to die in the wilderness.”


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And Moses said to the people: “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and see the great wonders of the Lord, which he will do today. For the Egyptians, whom you now see, will never again be seen, forever.


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Now, lift up your staff, and extend your hand over the sea and divide it, so that the sons of Israel may walk through the midst of the sea on dry ground.


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Then I will harden the heart of the Egyptians, so as to pursue you. And I will be glorified in Pharaoh, and in all his army, and in his chariots, and in his horsemen.


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And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord, when I will be glorified in Pharaoh, and in his chariots, as well as in his horsemen.”


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And the Angel of God, who preceded the camp of Israel, lifting himself up, went behind them. And the pillar of cloud, together with him, left the front for the rear


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and stood between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. And it was a dark cloud, yet it illuminated the night, so that they could not succeed at approaching one another at any time all that night.


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And when Moses had extended his hand over the sea, the Lord took it away by an intense burning wind, blowing throughout the night, and he turned it into dry ground. And the water was divided.


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And the sons of Israel went in through the midst of the dried sea. For the water was like a wall at their right hand and at their left hand.


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And the Egyptians, pursuing them, went in after them, along with all of the horses of Pharaoh, his chariots and horsemen, through the midst of the sea.


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And now the morning watch had arrived, and behold, the Lord, looking down upon the camp of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of cloud, put to death their army.


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And he overturned the wheels of the chariots, and they were carried into the deep. Therefore, the Egyptians said: “Let us flee from Israel. For the Lord fights on their behalf against us.”


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And the Lord said to Moses: “Extend your hand over the sea, so that the waters may return on the Egyptians, over their chariots and horsemen.”


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And when Moses had extended his hand opposite the sea, it was returned, at first light, to its former place. And the fleeing Egyptians met with the waters, and the Lord immersed them in the midst of the waves.


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And the waters were returned, and they covered the chariots and horsemen of the entire army of Pharaoh, who, in following, had entered into the sea. And not so much as one of them was left alive.


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But the sons of Israel continued directly through the midst of the dried sea, and the waters were to them like a wall on the right and on the left.


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And they saw the Egyptians dead on the shore of the sea and the great hand that the Lord had exercised against them. And the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in Moses his servant.


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Then Moses and the sons of Israel sang this song to the Lord, and they said: “Let us sing to the Lord, for he has been gloriously magnified: the horse and the rider he has cast into the sea.


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The Lord is my strength and my praise, and he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I shall glorify him. He is the God of my father, and I shall exalt him.


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The chariots of Pharaoh, and his army, he has cast into the sea; his elect leaders have been submerged in the Red Sea.


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Your right hand, O Lord, has been magnified in strength. Your right hand, O Lord, has struck down the enemy.


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And in the multitude of your glory you have put down your adversaries. You sent out your wrath, which devoured them like stubble.


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And by the breath of your fury, the waters were gathered together. The flowing waves stood still. The abyss was gathered into the midst of the sea.


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The enemy said: ‘I will pursue and overtake them. I will divide the spoils. My soul will be filled. I will unsheathe my sword. My hand will put them to death.’


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Who is like you in strength, O Lord? Who is like you: magnificent in sanctity, terrible and yet praiseworthy, accomplishing miracles?


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In your mercy, you have been a leader to the people whom you have redeemed. And in your strength, you have carried them to your holy dwelling place.


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Then the leaders of Edom were stirred up, and trembling took hold of the robust of Moab. All the inhabitants of Canaan were petrified.


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Let fear and dread fall upon them, by the magnitude of your arm. Let them become immobilized like stone, until your people cross through, O Lord, until this, your people whom you possess, cross through.


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You shall lead them in and plant them, on the mountain of your inheritance, in your most firm dwelling place, which you have formed, O Lord, your sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have made firm.


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For the rider Pharaoh, with his chariots and horsemen, was brought into the sea. And the Lord brought back upon them the waters of the sea. But the sons of Israel walked across dry ground in its midst.”


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And so Miriam, the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took up a timbrel in her hand. And all the women followed her with timbrels and dancing.


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And she prophesied, saying: “Let us sing to the Lord, for he has been gloriously magnified. The horse and its rider, he has thrown into the sea.”


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Then Moses took Israel from the Red Sea, and they went forth into the desert of Shur. And they wandered for three days through the wilderness, and they found no water.


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And they arrived at Marah. They were unable to drink the waters of Marah because they were bitter. Therefore, he also established a name befitting the place, calling it ‘Marah,’ that is, bitterness.


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So he cried out to the Lord, who showed him a tree. And when he had cast it into the waters, they were turned into sweetness. In that place, he established instructions for him, and also judgments. And he tested him there,


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saying: “If you will listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in his sight, and obey his commands, and keep all his precepts, I will not bring upon you any of the distress that I imposed on Egypt. For I am the Lord, your healer.”


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Then the sons of Israel arrived in Elim, where there were twelve fountains of water and seventy palm trees. And they camped next to the waters.


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And they set out from Elim. And the entire multitude of the sons of Israel arrived at the desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month, after they departed from the land of Egypt.


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And the entire congregation of the sons of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.


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And the sons of Israel said to them: “If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat around bowls of meat and ate bread until filled. Why have you led us away, into this desert, so that you might kill the entire multitude with famine?”


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Then the Lord said to Moses: “Behold, I will rain down bread from heaven for you. Let the people go out and collect what is sufficient for each day, so that I may test them, as to whether or not they will walk in my law.


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But on the sixth day, let them prepare what they use for carrying, and let there be double what they were accustomed to collect on a single day.”


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And Moses and Aaron said to the sons of Israel: “In the evening, you will know that the Lord has led you away from the land of Egypt.


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And in the morning, you will see the glory of the Lord. For he has heard your murmuring against the Lord. But as for us, truly what are we, that you would whisper against us?”


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And Moses said: “In the evening, the Lord will give you flesh to eat, and in the morning, bread in fullness. For he has heard your murmurings that you have murmured against him. For what are we? Your murmuring is not against us, but against the Lord.”


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Moses also said to Aaron: “Say to the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, ‘Approach before the Lord. For he has heard your murmuring.’ ”


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And when Aaron spoke to the entire assembly of the sons of Israel, they looked out toward the wilderness. And behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in a cloud.


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“I have heard the murmuring of the sons of Israel. Say to them: ‘In the evening, you will eat flesh, and in the morning, you will be filled with bread. And you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’ ”


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Therefore, it happened in the evening: quails, rising up, covered the camp. Likewise, in the morning, a dew lay all around the camp.


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And when it had covered the face of the earth, it appeared, in the wilderness, small and as if crushed with a pestle, similar to hoar-frost on the ground.


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When the sons of Israel had seen it, they said one to another: “Manhu?” which means “What is this?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them: “This is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.


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This is the word that the Lord has instructed. Let each one collect as much of it as is sufficient to eat. One omer for each head. According to the number of your souls which live in a tent, so will you take of it.”


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And they measured by the measure of an omer. He who collected more, did not have too much; nor did he who prepared less, find too little. But each one gathered according to what they were able to eat.


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And they did not listen to him, but they left some of it behind until morning, and it began to swarm with worms, and it putrefied. And Moses became angry against them.


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Then each one collected, in the morning, as much as would be sufficient to eat. And after the sun became hot, it melted.


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But on the sixth day, they collected a double portion, that is, two omers for each man. Then all the leaders among the multitude came, and they discoursed with Moses.


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And he said to them: “This is what the Lord has spoken: Tomorrow, the rest day of the Sabbath, has been sanctified to the Lord. Whatever would be done, do it now. And whatever would be cooked, cook it now. Then anything that will have been left over, store it until morning.”


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And they did just as Moses had instructed, and it did not putrefy, nor were there any worms found in it.


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And Moses said: “Eat it today, because it is the Sabbath of the Lord. Today it will not be found in the field.


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Gather for six days. But on the seventh day, it is the Sabbath of the Lord, for which reason it will not be found.”


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See how the Lord has given you the Sabbath, and, because of this, on the sixth day he distributes to you a double portion. Let each one remain with his own, and let no one go forth from his place on the seventh day.”


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And the house of Israel called its name ‘Manna.’ It was like white coriander seed, and its taste was like wheat flour with honey.


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Then Moses said: “This is the word that the Lord has instructed: Fill an omer of it, and let it be kept for future generations hereafter, so that they may know the bread, with which I nourished you in the wilderness, when you had been led away from the land of Egypt.”


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And Moses said to Aaron, “Take one vessel, and put manna into it, as much as an omer is able to hold. And store it in the sight of the Lord, to keep for your generations,


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Now the sons of Israel ate manna for forty years, until they arrived in a habitable land. With this food they were nourished, even until they touched the borders of the land of Canaan.


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And so, the entire multitude of the sons of Israel, having set out from the desert of Sin in stages, according to the word of the Lord, made camp at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink.


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And arguing against Moses, they said, “Give us water, so that we may drink.” And Moses answered them: “Why argue against me? For what reason do you tempt the Lord?”


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And so the people were thirsty in that place, due to the scarcity of water, and they murmured against Moses, saying: “Why did you cause us to go out of Egypt, so as to kill us and our children, as well as our cattle, with thirst?”


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Then Moses cried out to the Lord, saying: “What shall I do with this people? A little while more and they will stone me.”


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And the Lord said to Moses: “Go before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. And take in your hand the staff, with which you struck the river, and advance.


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Lo, I will stand in that place before you, on the rock of Horeb. And you shall strike the rock, and water will go forth from it, so that the people may drink.” Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.


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And he called the name of that place ‘Temptation,’ because of the arguing of the sons of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying: “Is the Lord with us, or not?”


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And Moses said to Joshua: “Choose men. And when you go out, fight against Amalek. Tomorrow, I will stand at the top of the hill, holding the staff of God in my hand.”


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Joshua did as Moses had spoken, and he fought against Amalek. But Moses and Aaron and Hur ascended to the top of the hill.


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And when Moses lifted up his hands, Israel prevailed. But when he released them a little while, Amalek overcame.


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Then the hands of Moses became heavy. And so, taking a stone, they placed it beneath him, and he sat on it. Then Aaron and Hur sustained his hands from both sides. And it happened that his hands did not tire until the setting of the sun.


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Then the Lord said to Moses: “Write this, as a memorial in a book, and deliver it to the ears of Joshua. For I will wipe away the memory of Amalek from under heaven.”


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“The hand of the throne of the Lord, and the war of the Lord, will be against Amalek from generation to generation.”


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And when Jethro, the priest of Midian, the kinsman of Moses, had heard all that God had done for Moses, and for his people Israel, and that the Lord had led Israel away from Egypt,


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and her two sons, of whom one was called Gershom, (for his father said, “I have been a newcomer in a foreign land,”)


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and the other in truth was Eliezer, (“For the God of my father,” he said, “is my helper, and has rescued me from the sword of Pharaoh.”)


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And so Jethro, the kinsman of Moses, with his sons and his wife, came to Moses in the desert, where he was encamped next to the mountain of God.


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And he sent word to Moses, saying: “I, Jethro, your kinsman, have come to you, with your wife, and your two sons with her.”


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And going out to meet his kinsman, he reverenced and kissed him. And they saluted each other with peaceful words. And when he had arrived at the tent,


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Moses explained to his kinsman all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians on behalf of Israel, and all the hardships which had befallen them on the journey, and how the Lord had freed them.


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And Jethro was gladdened over all the good that the Lord had done for Israel, because he had rescued them from the hand of the Egyptians.


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And he said: “Blessed is the Lord, who has freed his people from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh; he has rescued his people from the hand of Egypt.


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And so Jethro, the kinsman of Moses, offered holocausts and sacrifices to God. And Aaron arrived with all the elders of Israel, in order to eat bread with him in the sight of God.


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Then, the next day, Moses sat down in order to judge the people, and they stood beside Moses from morning, even until evening.


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And when, of course, his kinsman saw all that he did among the people, he said: “What is this that you do among the people? Why do you sit alone, while all the people stand before you, from morning, even until evening?”


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And when any kind of dispute occurs among them, they come to me to judge between them, and to reveal the precepts of God and of his laws.”


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You will be consumed by foolish efforts, both you and this people who are with you. The task is beyond your strength; you will not be able bear it alone.


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But listen to my words and counsels, and then God will be with you. Be available to the people in that which pertains to God, so as to refer what they say to him,


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and to reveal to the people the ceremonies, and the rituals of worship, and the way by which they should progress, and the work that they should do.


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Then provide, from all of the people, men capable and fearing God, in whom there is truth and who hate avarice, and appoint from them tribunes, and leaders of hundreds, and of fifties, and of tens,


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who may judge the people at all times. Then, when anything greater will have occurred, they may refer it to you, and let them judge the lesser matters only. And so it may be lighter for you, the burden being divided among others.


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If you will do this, you will fulfill the orders of God, and you will be able to uphold his precepts. And this entire people will return to their places in peace.”


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And choosing virtuous men from all of Israel, he appointed them as leaders of the people: tribunes, and leaders of hundreds, and of fifties, and of tens.


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And they judged the people at all times. But whatever was more serious, they referred to him, and they judged easier matters only.


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In the third month of the departure of Israel from the land of Egypt, in that day, they arrived in the wilderness of Sinai.


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Thus, setting out from Raphidim, and going directly to the desert of Sinai, they encamped in the same place, and there Israel pitched their tents away from the region of the mountain.


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Then Moses ascended to God. And the Lord called to him from the mountain, and he said: “This you shall say to the house of Jacob, and announce to the sons of Israel:


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‘You have seen what I have done to the Egyptians, in what way I carried you upon the wings of eagles and how I have taken you for myself.


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If, therefore, you will hear my voice, and you will keep my covenant, you will be to me a particular possession out of all people. For all the earth is mine.


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And you will be to me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you will speak to the sons of Israel.”


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Moses went, and calling together those greater by birth among the people, he set forth all the words which the Lord had commanded.


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And all the people responded together: “Everything that the Lord has spoken, we shall do.” And when Moses had related the words of the people to the Lord,


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the Lord said to him: “Soon now, I will come to you in the mist of a cloud, so that the people may hear me speaking to you, and so that they may believe you continuously.” Therefore, Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord,


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who said to him: “Go to the people, and sanctify them today, and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments.


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And let them be prepared on the third day. For on the third day, the Lord will descend, in the sight of all the people, over Mount Sinai.


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And you will establish limits for the people all around, and you will say to them: ‘Take care not to ascend to the mountain, and that you do not touch its parts. All who touch the mountain, shall die a death.’


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Hands shall not touch him, but he shall be crushed with stones, or he shall be pierced through with darts. Whether it be a beast or a man, he shall not live. For when the trumpet begins to sound, perhaps they might go up toward the mountain.”


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And Moses came down from the mountain to the people, and he sanctified them. And when they had washed their garments,


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And now, the third day arrived and the morning dawned. And behold, thunders began to be heard, and also lightning flashed, and a very dense cloud covered the mountain, and the noise of the trumpet resounded vehemently. And the people who were in the camp were fearful.


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And when Moses had led them out to meet God, from the place of the camp, they stood at the base of the mountain.


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Then all of Mount Sinai was smoking. For the Lord had descended over it with fire, and smoke ascended from it, as from a furnace. And the entire mountain was terrible.


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And the sound of the trumpet gradually increased to be louder, and extended to be longer. Moses was speaking, and God was answering him.


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And the Lord descended over Mount Sinai, to the very top of the mountain, and he called Moses to its summit. And when he had ascended there,


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he said to him: “Descend, and call the people to witness, lest they might be willing to transgress the limits, so as to see the Lord, and a very great multitude of them might perish.


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Likewise, the priests who approach toward the Lord, let them be sanctified, lest he strike them down.”


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And Moses said to the Lord: “The people are not able to ascend to Mount Sinai. For you testified, and you commanded, saying: ‘Set limits around the mountain, and sanctify it.’ ”


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And the Lord said to him, “Go, descend. And you shall ascend, and Aaron with you. But let not the priests or the people transgress the limits, nor ascend to the Lord, lest perhaps he may put them to death.”


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You shall not make for yourself a graven image, nor a likeness of anything that is in heaven above or on earth below, nor of those things which are in the waters under the earth.


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You shall not adore them, nor shall you worship them. I am the Lord your God: strong, zealous, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the sons to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,


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You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. For the Lord will not hold harmless one who takes the name of the Lord his God falsely.


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But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. You shall not do any work in it: you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, your beast and the newcomer who is within your gates.


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For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and the sea, and all the things that are in them, and so he rested on the seventh day. For this reason, the Lord has blessed the day of the Sabbath and sanctified it.


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Honor your father and your mother, so that you may have a long life upon the land, which the Lord your God will give to you.


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You shall not covet the house of your neighbor; neither shall you desire his wife, nor male servant, nor female servant, nor ox, nor donkey, nor anything that is his.”


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Then all the people considered the voices, and the lights, and the sound of the trumpet, and the smoking mountain. And being terrified and struck with fear, they stood at a distance,


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saying to Moses: “Speak to us, and we will listen. Let not the Lord speak to us, lest perhaps we may die.”


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And Moses said to the people: “Do not be afraid. For God came in order to test you, and so that the dread of him might be with you, and you would not sin.”


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Thereafter, the Lord said to Moses: “This you shall say to the sons of Israel: You have seen that I have spoken to you from heaven.


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You shall make an altar from the earth for me, and you shall offer upon it your holocausts and peace-offerings, your sheep and oxen, in every place where the memory of my name shall be. I will come to you, and I will bless you.


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And if you make an altar of stone for me, you shall not build it from cut stones; for if you lift up a tool over it, it will be defiled.


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If you buy a Hebrew servant, six years shall he serve you; in the seventh, he shall depart freely, without charge.


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With whatever clothing he arrived, with the like let him depart. If he has a wife, his wife also shall depart, at the same time.


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But if his lord gave him a wife, and she has borne sons and daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her lord. Yet still, he himself will go out with his clothing.


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then his lord shall make an offering for him to the heavens, and it shall be applied to the door and the posts, and he will pierce his ear with an awl. And he shall be his servant in perpetuity.


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If anyone sells his daughter to be a servant, she shall not depart as a female servant is accustomed to go out.


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If she displeases the eyes of her lord, to whom she had been delivered, he shall dismiss her. But he shall have no authority to sell her to a foreign people, even if he despises her.


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And if he takes another for him, he shall provide to the maiden a marriage, and clothing, and he shall not refuse the price of her chastity.


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But if he did not lie in wait for him, but God delivered him into his hands, then I will appoint for you a place to which he must flee.


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If someone murders his neighbor with deliberation, by lying in wait, you shall tear him away from my altar, so that he may die.


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Whoever will have stolen a man and sold him, having been convicted of the crime, shall be put to death.


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If men will have quarreled, and one of them has struck his neighbor with a stone or a fist, and he does not die, but lies in bed,


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if he gets up again and can walk outside on his staff, he who struck him will be innocent, but only if he makes sufficient restitution for his deeds and for the cost of the physicians.


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Whoever strikes his male or female servant with a staff, and if they have died by his hands, he shall be guilty of a crime.


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But if he survives for one day or two, he shall not be subject to punishment, because it is his money.


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If men will have quarreled, and one of them has struck a pregnant woman, and as a result she miscarries, but she herself survives, he shall be subject to as much damage as the husband of the woman shall petition from him, or as arbitrators shall judge.


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If anyone will have struck the eye of his male or female servant, having left them with one eye, he shall release them freely, because of the eye that he has put out.


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Likewise, if he knocks out a tooth of his male or female servant, he shall similarly release them freely.


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If an ox has struck a man or a woman with his horn, and if they die, it shall be stoned. And its flesh shall not be eaten; also, the owner of the ox will be innocent.


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But if the ox had been pushing with his horn, from yesterday and the day before, and they warned his owner, but he did not confine it, and it will have killed a man or a woman, then the ox shall be stoned, and his owner shall be killed.


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But if they have imposed a price on him, he shall give, in exchange for his life, whatever is asked.


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Likewise, if it has struck a son or a daughter with its horns, it shall be subject to a similar verdict.


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If it attacks a male or female servant, he shall give thirty shekels of silver to their lord, yet truly the ox shall be stoned.


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then the owner of the cistern shall repay the price of the beasts, and what is dead will belong to him.


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If the ox of a stranger wounds the ox of another, and it has died, then they shall sell the live ox and divide the price, but the carcass of the dead one they shall distribute between them.


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But if he knew that his ox had pushed with its horns, yesterday and the day before, and its owner did not confine it, then he shall repay an ox for an ox, and he will receive the whole carcass.”


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“If anyone will have stolen an ox or a sheep, and if he kills it or sells it, then he will restore five oxen for one ox, and four sheep for one sheep.


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If a thief will have been discovered breaking into a house, or digging under it, and he has received a mortal wound, he who struck him down will not be guilty of blood.


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But if he did this when the sun was risen, he has perpetrated a homicide, and he shall die. If he does not have the means to make restitution for the theft, he shall be sold.


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If whatever he stole should be found with him, a living thing, either an ox, or a donkey, or a sheep, he shall repay double.


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If there is any damage to a field or a vineyard, when he has released his cattle to pasture on the land of a stranger, he shall repay the best of what he has in his own field, or in his own vineyard, according to the estimation of the damage.


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If a fire will have been discovered departing from brush, and taking hold in stacks of grain, or in crops standing in the fields, whoever ignited the fire shall repay the damages.


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If anyone will have entrusted money, or a container, to his friend to keep, and if these have been stolen from the one who received them: if the thief is found, he shall repay double.


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If the thief is unknown, the lord of the house will be brought before the heavens to swear that he did not lay his hand on the goods of his neighbor,


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so as to perpetrate any fraud, such as with an ox, or a donkey, or a sheep, or clothing, nor to do anything that would be able to cause damage. The case of both shall be brought before the heavens. And if they give judgment against him, he shall repay double to his neighbor.


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If anyone will have entrusted a donkey, an ox, a sheep, or any animal to the keeping of his neighbor, and it will have died, or become disabled, or have been captured by enemies, and no one saw it,


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then there shall be an oath between them, that he did not lay his hand on the goods of his neighbor. And the owner shall accept the oath, and he will not be compelled to make restitution.


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If it has been eaten by a wild beast, let him carry what was killed to him, and then he shall not make restitution.


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If anyone borrows from his neighbor any of these things, and it has died or been disabled when the owner was not present, he shall be compelled to make restitution.


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But if the owner was present, he shall not make restitution, especially if it had been brought for hired work.


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If a man has led astray a virgin not yet betrothed, and he has slept with her, he shall pay her dowry and have her as a wife.


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If the father of the virgin is not willing to give her, he shall pay money according to manner of a dowry, which virgins are accustomed to receive.


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You shall not harass the newcomer, nor shall you afflict him. For you yourselves were once newcomers in the land of Egypt.


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And my fury will be enraged, and I will strike you down with the sword. And your wives will become widows, and your sons will become orphans.


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If you lend money to the poor of my people who live among you, you shall not coerce them like a collector, nor oppress them with usury.


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If you take a garment from your neighbor as a pledge, you shall return it to him again before the setting of the sun.


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For it is all that he has to cover himself, to clothe his body; nor does he have anything else in which to sleep. If he cries out to me, I will hear him, because I am compassionate.


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You shall not delay in paying your tithes and your first-fruits. You shall give the firstborn of your sons to me.


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You shall do likewise with those of the oxen and the sheep. For seven days, let it be with its mother; on the eighth day you shall repay it to me.


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You shall be holy men for me. The flesh, from which beasts will have tasted, you shall not eat, but you will throw it to the dogs.”


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“You shall not accept a lying voice. Neither shall you join your hand so as to give false testimony on behalf on the impious.


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You shall not follow the crowd in doing evil. Neither shall you go astray in judgment, by agreeing with the majority opinion, apart from the truth.


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If you see the donkey of one who hates you, fallen under its burden, you shall not pass by without lifting it up with him.


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You shall not harass a sojourner, for you know the life of a newcomer. For you yourselves also were sojourners in the land of Egypt.


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But in the seventh year, you shall release it and cause it to rest, so that the poor of your people may eat. And whatever remains, let the beasts of the field eat it. So shall you do with your vineyard and your olive grove.


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For six days, you shall work. On the seventh day, you shall cease, so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and so that the newcomer and the son of your handmaid may be refreshed.


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Preserve all that I have said to you. And by the names of foreign gods you shall not swear; neither shall these be heard from your mouth.


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You shall keep the solemnity of unleavened bread. For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, just as I instructed you, at the time of the month of new grain, when you departed from Egypt. You shall not appear empty-handed in my sight,


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for it is the solemnity of the harvest of the first-fruits of your work, of whatever you have sown in the field. Likewise, it is a solemnity at the end of the season, when you will have gathered in all your crops from the field.


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You shall not immolate the blood of my victim over leaven, nor shall the fat of my solemnity remain until morning.


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You shall carry the first grain of the land to the house of the Lord your God. You shall not cook a young goat in the milk of its mother.


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Behold, I will send my Angel, who will go before you, and preserve you on your journey, and lead you into the place that I have prepared.


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Heed him, and hear his voice, and do not hold him in disregard. For he will not release you when you have sinned, and my name is in him.


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But if you listen to his voice and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies, and I will afflict those who afflict you.


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And my Angel will go before you, and he will bring you to the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Canaanite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, whom I will crush.


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You shall not adore their gods, nor worship them. You shall not do their works, but you shall destroy them and break apart their statues.


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And you shall serve the Lord your God, so that I may bless your bread and your waters, and so that I may take away sickness from your midst.


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I will send my terror to run ahead of you, and I will kill all the people to whom you will enter. And I will turn the backs of all your enemies before you,


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sending wasps ahead, so that they will put to flight the Hivite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, before you enter.


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I will not cast them out from your face in one year, lest the land be reduced to a wilderness and the wild beasts increase against you.


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I will expel them little by little from your sight, until you have expanded and may possess the land.


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Then I will set your limits to be from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Palestinians, and from the desert all the way to the river. I will deliver into your hands the inhabitants of the land, and I will cast them out from your sight.


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They may not live on your land, lest perhaps they may cause you to sin against me, if you serve their gods, which certainly would be a temptation for you.”


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He also said to Moses: “Ascend to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy elders out of Israel, and adore from a distance.


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And only Moses will ascend to the Lord, and these shall not approach. Neither shall the people ascend with him.”


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Therefore, Moses went and explained to the people all the words of the Lord, as well as the judgments. And all the people responded with one voice: “We will do all the words of the Lord, which he has spoken.”


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Then Moses wrote all the words of the Lord. And rising up in the morning, he built an altar at the base of the mountain, with twelve titles according to the twelve tribes of Israel.


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And he sent youths from the sons of Israel, and they offered holocausts, and they immolated calves as peace-offerings to the Lord.


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And so Moses took one half part of the blood, and he put it into bowls. Then the remaining part he poured over the altar.


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And taking up the book of the covenant, he read it in the hearing of the people, who said: “All that the Lord has spoken, we will do, and we will be obedient.”


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In truth, taking up the blood, he sprinkled it on the people, and he said, “This is the blood of the covenant, which the Lord has formed with you concerning all these words.”


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And they saw the God of Israel. And under his feet was something like a work of sapphire stone, or like the sky, when it is serene.


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Neither did he lay his hand upon those of the sons of Israel who were at a distance. And they saw God, and they ate and drank.


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Then the Lord said to Moses: “Ascend to me on the mountain, and be there. And I will give to you tablets of stone, and the law and the commandments that I have written. So may you teach them.”


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said to the elders: “Wait here, until we return to you. You have Aaron and Hur with you. If any question arises, you shall refer it to them.”


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And the glory of the Lord dwelt upon Sinai, covering it with a cloud for six days. And on the seventh day, he called to him from the middle of the mist.


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Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a burning fire over the summit of the mountain in the sight of the sons of Israel.


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And Moses, entering into the midst of the cloud, ascended the mountain. And he was there for forty days and forty nights.


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“Speak to the sons of Israel, so that they may take the first-fruits to me. You shall accept these from every man who offers of his own accord.


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According to exact likeness of the tabernacle, and all of the vessels for its rituals, that I will reveal to you, so shall you make it.


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Join together an ark of setim wood, whose length shall hold two and one half cubits; the width, one and one half cubits; the height, likewise, one and one half cubits.


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And you shall overlay it with the finest gold, inside and out. And over it, you shall fashion a gold crown all around,


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and four gold rings, which you shall set into the four corners of the ark. Let two rings be on one side and two on the other.


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And you shall put them through the rings that are in the sides of the ark, so that it may be carried on them.


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You shall also make a propitiatory of the finest gold. Its length shall hold two and one half cubits, and the width, one and one half cubits.


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And let them cover both sides of the propitiatory, spreading their wings and covering the oracle, and let them look out toward one another, their faces being turned toward the propitiatory, with which the ark is to be covered,


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From there, I will warn you and speak to you, above the propitiatory and from the middle of the two Cherubim, which will be over the ark of the testimony, about everything that I will command of the sons of Israel through you.


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You shall also make a table of setim wood, having two cubits of length, and one cubit in width, and one cubit and one half cubits in height.


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and for the lip itself an engraved crown, four fingers high, and above it another little gold crown.


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Likewise, you shall prepare four gold rings and set them in the four corners of the same table, over each foot.


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Under the crown, there shall be gold rings, so that the bars may be put through them and the table may be carried.


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Likewise, the bars themselves you shall make of setim wood, and surround them with gold, to lift up the table.


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You shall also prepare small cups, as well as bowls, censers, and measuring cups, with which the libations shall be offered, out of the purest gold.


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You shall also make a lampstand, formed from the finest gold, along with its stem and arms, its bowl and little spheres, as well as the lilies proceeding from it.


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Three bowls, the size of nuts, shall be on each branch, and a little sphere with it, and a lily. And three similar bowls, in the likeness of nuts, shall be on the other branch, and a little sphere with it, and a lily. This shall be the form of the six branches, which are to proceed from the stem.


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Then, in the lampstand itself, there shall be four bowls, the size of nuts, and each with little spheres and lilies.


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Little spheres under two branches in three places, which together make six, shall proceed from one of the stems.


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Thus both the little spheres and the branches shall be made out of the same thing: entirely formed from the purest gold.


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You shall also make seven lamps, and you shall place them upon the lampstand, so that they may give light in every direction.


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Likewise, the candle snuffers, and the place where the candles will be extinguished, shall be made from the purest gold.


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“Truly, thus shall you make the tabernacle: You shall make ten curtains of fine twisted linen, and hyacinth as well as purple, and twice-dyed scarlet, with diverse embroidery.


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The length of one curtain shall have twenty-eight cubits. The width shall be four cubits. The entire set of curtains shall be of one measure.


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Five curtains shall be joined to one another, and the other five shall be similarly coupled together.


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You shall make loops of hyacinth on the sides at the edges of the curtains, so that they will be able to be joined to one another.


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A curtain shall have fifty loops on each of two sides, inserted in such a manner that loop may come against loop, and one can be fitted to the other.


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You shall also make fifty rings of gold, with which the veils of the curtains are to be joined, so that it shall be one tabernacle.


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The length of one canopy shall hold thirty cubits, and the width, four. The measure of all the canopies shall be equal.


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Five of these you shall join by themselves, and six of these you shall couple to one another, in such a manner as to double the sixth canopy at the front of the roof.


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You shall also make fifty loops along the edge of one canopy, so that it may be able to be joined with the other, and fifty loops along the edge of the other canopy, so that it may be coupled with the other.


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You shall also make fifty brass buckles, with which the loops may be joined, so that there may be one covering out of all.


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Then what will be left over of the canopies which are prepared for the roof, that is, one canopy which is in excess, from half of it you shall cover the back of the tabernacle.


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And one cubit will hang down on one side, and another on the other side, which is more than the length of the curtains, protecting both sides of the tabernacle.


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You shall also make another covering for the roof from the skins of rams, dyed-red, and above that again, another covering of violet-colored skins.


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At the sides of the panels, there shall be made two dovetails, by which one panel may be connected to another panel; and in this way all the panels shall be prepared.


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For these, you shall cast forty bases of silver, so that two bases will lie under each panel at its two corners.


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Likewise, at the second side of the tabernacle, which lies to the north, there shall be twenty panels,


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And these shall be joined together from bottom to top, and one joint shall retain them all. Likewise, two of the panels, which will be set at the corners, shall be served by similar joints.


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And together these will be eight panels, and their bases of silver, sixteen, counting two bases for each panel.


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Likewise, the panels themselves you shall overlay with gold, and you shall establish rings of gold in them, by which the bars of the panels may be connected. These you shall cover with layers of gold.


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You shall also make a veil of hyacinth, and purple, and twice-dyed scarlet, and fine twisted linen, wrought with a diversity of continuous and beautiful embroidery.


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And you shall suspend it before four columns of setim wood, which themselves certainly shall be overlaid with gold, and have heads of gold, but bases of silver.


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Then the veil shall be inserted through the rings. Beyond the veil, you shall place the ark of the testimony, where both the Sanctuary and the Sanctuary of Sanctuaries shall be divided.


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And the table shall be outside the veil. And opposite the table shall be the lampstand, in the meridian of the tabernacle. For the table shall stand at the north side.


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You shall also make a tent at the entrance of the tabernacle from hyacinth, and purple, and twice-dyed scarlet, and fine twisted linen, wrought with embroidery.


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And you shall overlay with gold five columns of setim wood, over which the tent shall be drawn. The heads of these shall be of gold, and the bases of brass.”


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“You shall also make an altar of setim wood, which will have five cubits in length, and the same in width, that is, four equal sides, and three cubits in height.


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And you shall make, for its uses, pans to receive the ashes, and tongs as well as small hooks, and receptacles for fire. You shall fabricate all of its vessels from brass,


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along with a grating of brass in the manner of a net. At its four corners there shall be four rings of brass,


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which you shall place under the base of the altar. And the grating will extend even to the middle of the altar.


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You shall also make, for the altar, two bars of setim wood, which you shall cover with layers of brass.


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You shall not make it solid, but empty and hollow at the interior, just as it was shown to you on the mountain.


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You shall also make the atrium of the tabernacle, at the southern part of which, opposite the meridian, there shall be hangings of fine twisted linen: one side extending for one hundred cubits in length.


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And you shall make twenty columns with the same number of bases of brass, the heads of which, with their engravings, shall be made of silver.


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In like manner also, throughout the length of the north side, there shall be hangings of one hundred cubits, and twenty columns, and the same number of bases of brass, and their heads with their engravings of silver.


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Yet truly, along the width of the atrium that looks out toward the west, there shall be hangings of fifty cubits, and ten columns, and the same number of bases.


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Likewise, along the width of the atrium that looks out toward the east, there shall be fifty cubits,


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along which there shall be assigned hangings of fifteen cubits for one side, and three columns, and the same number of bases.


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And, along the other side, there shall be hangings occupying fifteen cubits, with three columns and the same number of bases.


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Yet truly, at the entrance of the atrium, there shall be made a hanging of twenty cubits, of hyacinth and purple, and twice-dyed scarlet, and fine twisted linen, wrought with embroidery. It shall have four columns, with the same number of bases.


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All the columns surrounding the atrium shall be clothed with layers of silver, with silver heads, and with bases of brass.


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In length, the atrium shall occupy one hundred cubits, in width, fifty; the height shall be of five cubits. And it shall be made of fine twisted linen, and it shall have bases of brass.


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All the vessels of the tabernacle, for all uses and ceremonies, even to the tent pegs for its atrium, you shall make of brass.


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Instruct the sons of Israel so that they may bring you the purest oil of the olive trees, crushed with a pestle, so that a lamp may always burn


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in the tabernacle of the testimony, outside of the veil that enshrouds the testimony. And Aaron and his sons shall arrange it, so that it may give light in the presence of the Lord, until morning. This shall be a perpetual observance among the sons of Israel, throughout their successions.”


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“Also, join to yourself your brother Aaron, with his sons from the midst of the sons of Israel, so that they may exercise the priesthood for me: Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.


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And you shall speak to all the wise of heart, whom I have filled with the spirit of prudence, so that they may make the vestments of Aaron, in which, having been sanctified, he may minister to me.


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Now these shall be the vestments that they shall make: A breastplate and an ephod, a tunic and a close-fit linen garment, a headdress and a wide belt. They shall make the holy vestments for your brother Aaron and his sons, so that they may exercise the priesthood for me.


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Then they shall make the ephod of gold, and hyacinth, and purple, and twice-dyed scarlet, and fine twisted linen, wrought with diverse colors.


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Likewise, the weaving and all the detail work shall be of gold, and hyacinth, and purple, and twice-dyed scarlet, and fine twisted linen.


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By the work of a sculptor and the skill of a jeweler, you shall engrave them with the names of the sons of Israel, enclosed and encompassed with gold.


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And you shall place them on both sides of the ephod, as a memorial to the sons of Israel. And Aaron shall carry their names before the Lord, upon both shoulders, as a remembrance.


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and two little chains of the purest gold, linked to one another, which you shall insert into the hooks.


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Likewise, you shall make the breastplate of judgment, wrought with diverse colors according to weaving of the ephod: of gold, hyacinth and purple, and twice-dyed scarlet, and fine twisted linen.


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It shall have four corners and be doubled. It shall have the measure of the palm of a hand, both in length and in width.


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And you shall set within it four rows of stones. In the first row, there shall be a sardius stone, and a topaz, and an emerald.


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In the fourth, there shall be a chrysolite, an onyx, and a beryl. They shall be set in gold by their rows.


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And these shall have the names of the sons of Israel. With twelve names shall they be engraved: each stone with one name from the twelve tribes.


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And the ends of the chains themselves, you shall couple with two hooks, on both sides of the ephod, which looks toward the breastplate.


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You shall also make two rings of gold, which you shall place at the ends of the breastplate, at the borders which are away from the region of the ephod and which look toward its back.


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And then you shall also make two other rings of gold, which are to be suspended on both sides at the bottom of the ephod, which looks out opposite the face of the lower juncture, so that the breastplate can be fitted to the ephod.


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And it shall be drawn tight to the rings of the breastplate, by the rings of the ephod, with a hyacinth band, so that the well-constructed juncture will remain in place, and the breastplate and the ephod will not be able to be separated from one another.


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And Aaron shall carry the names of the sons of Israel on the breastplate of judgment upon his chest, when he enters into the Sanctuary, as a memorial in the presence of the Lord in eternity.


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Then you shall place in the breastplate of judgment, Doctrine and Truth, which shall then be upon Aaron’s chest, when he enters before the Lord. And he shall wear the judgment of the sons of Israel on his chest, in the sight of the Lord always.


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and the head will be above its middle, with a hem woven around it, just as is usually made at the end parts of a garment, so that it may not be easily broken.


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Yet truly, beneath it, at the base of the same tunic, all around, you shall make something like pomegranates, from hyacinth, and purple, and twice-dyed scarlet, with little bells set in their midst.


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So then, there shall be a little golden bell and a pomegranate, and again another golden bell and a pomegranate.


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And Aaron will be vested with it during the office of his ministry, so that the sound may be heard when he enters and exits the Sanctuary, in the sight of the Lord, and so that he may not die.


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And you shall make a plate of the purest gold, in which you shall engrave, with the skill of a sculptor, ‘Holy to the Lord.’


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hanging in front of the high priest. And Aaron shall carry the iniquities of that which the sons of Israel have offered and sanctified, in all their gifts and donations. But the plate will always be at his forehead, so that the Lord may be well pleased with them.


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And you shall draw the tunic tight with fine linen, and you shall make a headdress of fine linen, and a wide belt, wrought with embroidery.


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Furthermore, for the sons of Aaron, you shall prepare linen tunics, and wide belts as well as headdresses, with glory and elegance.


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And with all these you shall vest your brother Aaron, and his sons with him. And you shall consecrate all their hands, and you shall sanctify them, so that they may exercise the priesthood for me.


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You shall also make linen undergarments, in order to cover the flesh of their nakedness, from the kidneys all the way to the thighs.


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And Aaron and his sons will use them when they enter the tabernacle of the testimony, and when they approach toward the altar, in order to minister in the sanctuary, lest, being guilty of iniquity, they may die. It shall be a law forever for Aaron, and for his offspring after him.”


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“But you shall also do this, so that they may be consecrated to me in the priesthood: Take a calf from the herd, and two immaculate rams,


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and unleavened bread, and a crust without leaven that has been sprinkled with oil, likewise, unleavened cakes smeared with oil. You shall make them all from the same wheat flour.


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And you shall bring forward Aaron and his sons, to the door of the tabernacle of the testimony. And when you will have washed the father with his sons in water,


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you shall clothe Aaron in his vestments, that is, with the linen, and the tunic, and the ephod, and the breastplate, which you shall draw together with the wide belt.


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Likewise, you shall bring forward his sons, and you shall clothe them in the linen tunics, and wrap them with the wide belt:


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Aaron, certainly, as well as his sons. And you shall impose headdresses upon them. And they shall be priests to me by a perpetual ordinance. After you have initiated their hands,


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you shall bring forward also the calf, in the presence of the tabernacle of the testimony. And Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands upon its head.


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And you shall sacrifice it in the sight of the Lord, beside the door of the tabernacle of the testimony.


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And taking some of the blood of the calf, you shall place it upon the horns of the altar with your finger, but the remainder of the blood you shall pour next to its base.


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And you shall take all the fat which covers its intestines, and the mesh of the liver, as well as the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, and you shall offer them as a burnt offering upon the altar.


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Yet truly, the flesh of the calf, and the hide and the dung, you shall burn outside, beyond the camp, because it is for sin.


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Then you shall cut the ram into pieces, and, having washed its intestines and feet, you shall place these upon the cut-up flesh and upon its head.


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And you shall offer the entire ram as a burnt offering upon the altar. It is an oblation to the Lord, a most sweet odor of the victim of the Lord.


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And when you will have immolated it, you shall take of its blood, and place it on the tip of the right ear of Aaron and his sons, and on the thumbs and big toes of their right hand and right foot, and you shall pour the blood upon the altar, all around.


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And when you have taken from the blood that is on the altar, and from the oil of unction, you shall sprinkle Aaron and his vestment, his sons and their vestments. And after they and their vestments have been consecrated,


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you shall take the fat of the ram, and the rump, and the lard that covers the internal organs, and the mesh of the liver, and the two kidneys along with the fat that is on them, and the right shoulder, because it is the ram of consecration,


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and one turn of bread, a crust sprinkled with oil, and a cake from the basket of unleavened bread, which was placed in the sight of the Lord.


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And you shall place all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons, and you shall sanctify them, lifting them up in the sight of the Lord.


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And you shall take all these things from their hands and burn them upon the altar as a holocaust, as a most sweet odor in the sight of the Lord, because it is his oblation.


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Likewise, you shall take the chest of the ram, with which Aaron was initiated, and you shall sanctify it, lifting it up in the sight of the Lord, and it will fall to your share.


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with which Aaron was initiated with his sons, and these will fall to the share of Aaron and his sons, as a perpetual oath by the sons of Israel. For these are the greatest and the first of their victims of peace, which they offer to the Lord.


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But the holy vestment, which Aaron shall use, his sons shall possess after him, so that they may be anointed in it and their hands may be consecrated.


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For seven days, he who is high priest in his place and who enters the tabernacle of the testimony to minister in the Sanctuary shall use it.


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And Aaron and his sons shall feed on it. Likewise, the loaves which are in the basket, they shall consume in the vestibule of the tabernacle of the testimony,


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so that it may be an appeasing sacrifice, and so that the hands of those who offer may be sanctified. A stranger shall not eat from these, for they are holy.


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And what may remain until morning, of the consecrated flesh or of the bread, you shall burn these remnants with fire. These shall not be eaten, because they have been sanctified.


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All that I have instructed you concerning Aaron and his sons, you shall do. For seven days shall you consecrate their hands,


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and you shall offer a calf for sin on each day, as an atonement. And you shall cleanse the altar when you will have immolated the victim of expiation, and you shall anoint it for sanctification.


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For seven days, you shall expiate and sanctify the altar, and it shall be the Holy of holies. All those who will touch it must be sanctified.


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for the one lamb, a tenth part of fine flour sprinkled with crushed oil, which shall have the measure of the fourth part of a hin, and wine for a libation, of the same measure;


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truly, the other lamb you shall offer in the evening, according to the ritual of the morning oblation, and according to what we have said, as an odor of sweetness.


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It is a sacrifice to the Lord, by a perpetual oblation among your generations, at the door of the tabernacle of the testimony before the Lord, where I resolve to speak to you.


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I will also sanctify the tabernacle of the testimony with the altar, and Aaron with his sons, to exercise the priesthood for me.


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And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who led them away from the land of Egypt, so that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.”


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having one cubit in length, and another in width, that is, four equal sides, and two cubits in height. Horns shall proceed from the same.


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And you shall clothe it with the purest gold, both its grating and the walls around it, and also the horns. And you shall make for it a crown of gold in a circle,


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and two gold rings under the crown on each side, so that the bars may be set in them and the altar may be carried.


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And you shall set the altar opposite the veil, which hangs in front of the ark of the testimony, before the propitiatory with which the testimony is covered, where I will speak to you.


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And Aaron shall burn incense upon it, a sweet fragrance, in the morning. When he lights the lamps, he shall burn it.


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And when he assembles them in the evening, he shall burn an everlasting incense before the Lord throughout your generations.


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You shall not offer upon it incense of another composition, nor an oblation, nor a victim; neither shall you offer libations.


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And Aaron shall pray over its horns once a year, with the blood of what was offered for sin. And he shall make atonement over it in your generations. It shall be the Holy of holies to the Lord.”


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“When you have taken the sum of the sons of Israel, according to their number, each shall give a price for their souls to the Lord, and there will be no scourge among them, when they will be reviewed.


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Then all those who pass shall give by name: one half shekel, according to the measure at the temple. A shekel has twenty obols. The half part of a shekel shall be offered to the Lord.


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And the money received, which was collected from the sons of Israel, you shall deliver for the uses of the tabernacle of the testimony, so that it may be a memorial of them before the Lord, and he may act favorably toward their souls.”


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“You shall also make a bronze washtub with its base to wash in; and you shall place it between the tabernacle of the testimony and the altar. And when water has been added,


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when they enter the tabernacle of the testimony, and when they approach to the altar so as to offer incense to the Lord upon it,


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otherwise, they may die. This shall be an everlasting law to him, and to his offspring, throughout their successions.”


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saying: “Take for yourself aromatics: of the first and best myrrh, five hundred shekels, and of cinnamon half as much, that is, two hundred and fifty shekels; of sweet flag similarly two hundred and fifty,


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but of cassia, five hundred shekels by the weight of the sanctuary, and of the oil of olives the measure of a hin.


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And you shall sanctify everything, and they shall be the Holy of holies. He who will touch them must be sanctified.


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You shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and you shall sanctify them, so that they may exercise the priesthood for me.


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Likewise, you shall say to the sons of Israel: ‘This oil of unction will be holy to me throughout your generations.


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The flesh of man shall not be anointed from it, and you shall not make any similar compound, for it has been sanctified and it shall be holy to you.


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Whatever man will have composed such a thing and have given it to a stranger, he shall be exterminated from his people.’ ”


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And the Lord said to Moses: “Take to yourself aromatics: stacte, and onycha, galbanum of sweet odor, and the clearest frankincense, all these shall be of equal weight.


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And you shall make incense composed with the skills of a perfumer, diligently mixed, and pure, and most worthy of sanctification.


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And when you have crushed all these into a very fine powder, you shall place some of it before the tabernacle of the testimony, in the place where I will appear to you. The Holy of holies shall this incense be to you.


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Whatever man will have made anything similar, so as to thoroughly enjoy its smell, he shall perish from his people.”


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and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, and understanding, and knowledge in every craft,


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And I have given to him, as his associate, Oholiab the son of Ahisamach, from the tribe of Dan. And I have placed wisdom in the heart of every artisan, so that they may make everything as I have instructed you:


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the tabernacle of the covenant, and the ark of the testimony, and the propitiatory which is over it, and all the vessels of the tabernacle,


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the holy vestments for the ministry of Aaron the priest, and for his sons, so that they may execute their office of sacred rites,


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the oil of unction, and the incense of aromatics in the Sanctuary. All the things that I have instructed you, they shall make.”


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“Speak to the sons of Israel, and you shall say to them: See that you keep my Sabbath. For it is a sign between me and you among your generations, so that you may know that I am the Lord, who sanctifies you.


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Keep my Sabbath, for it is holy to you. Whoever will have polluted it, shall die a death. Whoever will have done any work in it, his soul shall perish from the midst of his people.


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For six days you shall do work. On the seventh day, it is the Sabbath, a rest sanctified by the Lord. All who will have done work on this day shall die.


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Let the sons of Israel keep the Sabbath, and let them celebrate it throughout their generations. It is an everlasting covenant


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between me and the sons of Israel, and a perpetual sign. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and in the seventh he ceased from work.”


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And the Lord, having completed speaking in this way on Mount Sinai, gave to Moses two stone tablets of testimony, written with the finger of God.


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Then the people, seeing that Moses made a delay in descending from the mountain, gathered together against Aaron, and said: “Rise up, make us gods, who may go before us. But as for this man Moses, who led us away from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has befallen him.”


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And Aaron said to them, “Take the golden earrings from the ears of your wives, and your sons and daughters, and bring them to me.”


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And when he had received them, he formed these by the work of a casting furnace, and he made from these a molten calf. And they said: “These are your gods, O Israel, who led you away from the land of Egypt.”


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And when Aaron had seen it, he built an altar before it, and he cried out with a voice of proclamation, saying, “Tomorrow is the solemnity of the Lord.”


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And rising up in the morning, they offered holocausts, and peace victims, and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and they rose up to play.


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Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Go, descend. Your people, whom you led away from the land of Egypt, have sinned.


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They have quickly withdrawn from the way which you revealed to them. And they have made for themselves a molten calf, and they have worshiped it. And immolating victims to it, they have said: ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who led you away from the land of Egypt.’ ”


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Release me, so that my fury may be enraged against them, and I may destroy them, and then I will make of you a great nation.”


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Then Moses prayed to the Lord his God, saying: “Why, O Lord, is your fury enraged against your people, whom you led away from the land of Egypt, with great strength and with a mighty hand?


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I beg you, let not the Egyptians say, ‘He cleverly led them away, so that he could put them to death in the mountains and destroy them from the earth.’ Let your anger be quieted and appeased concerning the wickedness of your people.


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Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your very self, saying: ‘I will multiply your offspring like the stars of heaven. And this entire land, about which I have spoken, I will give to your offspring. And you shall possess it forever.’ ”


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And Moses returned from the mountain, carrying the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, written on both sides,


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Then Joshua, hearing the tumult of the people shouting, said to Moses: “The outcry of battle is heard in the camp.”


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But he responded: “It is not the clamor of men being exhorted to battle, nor the shout of men being compelled to flee. But I hear the voice of singing.”


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And when he had approached to the camp, he saw the calf and the dances. And being very angry, he threw down the tablets from his hand, and he broke them at the base of the mountain.


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And seizing the calf, which they had made, he burnt it and crushed it, even to dust, which he scattered into water. And he gave from it to the sons of Israel to drink.


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And he said to Aaron, “What has this people done to you, so that you would bring upon them the greatest sin?”


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And he answered him: “Let not my lord be indignant. For you know this people, that they are prone to evil.


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They said to me: ‘Make gods for us, who may go before us. For this Moses, who led us away from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has befallen him.’


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And I said to them, ‘Which of you has gold?’ And they took it and gave it to me. And I threw it into the fire, and this calf came out.”


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Therefore, Moses, seeing that the people were naked (for Aaron had stripped them because of the disgrace of their sordidness, and he had set them naked among their enemies),


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and standing at the gate of the camp, said: “If anyone is for the Lord, let him join with me.” And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him.


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And he said to them: “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: Let a man place his sword at his thigh. Go forth, and then return, from gate to gate, through the midst of the camp, and let each one kill his brother, and friend, and neighbor.”


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And the sons of Levi did according to the words of Moses, and there fell on that day about twenty-three thousand men.


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And Moses said: “On this day, you have consecrated your hands to the Lord, each one in his son and in his brother, so that a blessing may be given to you.”


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Then, when the next day arrived, Moses spoke to the people: “You have sinned the greatest sin. I will ascend to the Lord. Perhaps, in some way, I might be able to entreat him for your wickedness.”


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And returning to the Lord, he said: “I beg you, this people has sinned the greatest sin, and they have made for themselves gods of gold. Either release them from this offense,


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But as for you, go and lead this people where I have told you. My angel will go before you. Then, on the day of retribution, I will also visit this sin of theirs.”


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And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Go forth, ascend from this place, you and your people, whom you led away from the land of Egypt, into the land that I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying: To your offspring, I will give it.


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And I will send an Angel to precede you, so that I may cast out the Canaanite, and the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite,


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and so that you may enter into a land flowing with milk and honey. For I will not go up with you, since you are a stiff-necked people, lest perhaps I may destroy you on the way.”


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And upon hearing this very bad news, the people mourned; and no one put on his finery according to custom.


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And the Lord said to Moses: “Say to the sons of Israel: You are a stiff-necked people. I should at once go up into your midst and destroy you. Now immediately put aside your ornaments, so that I may know what to do to you.”


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Also, Moses took the tabernacle and pitched it beyond the camp at a distance, and he called its name: ‘Tabernacle of the Covenant.’ And all the people, who had any kind of question, went out to the Tabernacle of the Covenant, beyond the camp.


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And when Moses went out to the tabernacle, all the people rose up, and each one stood at the door of his pavilion, and they beheld the back of Moses until he entered the tent.


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And when he had gone into the Tabernacle of the Covenant, the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door, and he spoke with Moses.


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And all discerned that the pillar of cloud stood at the door of the Tabernacle. And they stood and worshipped at the doors of their tents.


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But the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, just as a man is used to speaking to his friend. And when he returned to the camp, his minister Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, did not withdraw from the Tabernacle.


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Then Moses said to the Lord: “You instruct me to lead this people away, and you do not reveal to me whom you will send with me, particularly since you have said: ‘I know you by name, and you have found favor before me.’


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If, therefore, I have found favor in your sight, show your face to me, so that I may know you and may find grace before your eyes. Look favorably on your people, this nation.”


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For how will we be able to know, I and your people, that we have found grace in your sight, unless you walk with us, so that we may be glorified out of all the people who live upon the earth?”


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Then the Lord said to Moses: “This word also, which you have spoken, I will do. For you have found grace before me, and I have known you by name.”


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He responded: “I will show you all that is good, and I will call out with the name of the Lord before you. And I will take pity on whomever I will, and I will be lenient to whomever it will please me.”


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And when my glory will cross over, I will set you in a cleft of the rock, and I will protect you with my right hand, until I pass by.


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And after this he said: “Cut out for yourself two tablets of stone similar to the first ones, and I will write upon them the words which were held on the tablets that you broke.


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Be prepared in the morning, so that you may immediately ascend onto Mount Sinai, and you shall stand with me on the summit of the mountain.


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Let no one ascend with you, and do not let anyone be seen throughout the entire mountain. Likewise, do not let the oxen or the sheep pasture up against it.”


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And so he cut out two tablets of stone, like those that were before. And rising up in the night, he ascended onto Mount Sinai, just as the Lord had instructed him, carrying with him the tablets.


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And when the Lord had descended in a cloud, Moses stood with him, calling upon the name of the Lord.


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And as he was crossing before him, he said: “The Ruler, the Lord God, merciful and lenient, patient and full of compassion and also truthful,


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who preserves mercy a thousand fold, who takes away iniquity, and wickedness, and also sin; and with you no one, in and of himself, is innocent. You render the iniquity of the fathers to the sons, and also to their descendents to the third and fourth generation.”


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he said: “If I have found grace in your sight, O Lord, I beg you to walk with us, (for the people are stiff-necked) and take away our iniquities and our sin, and so possess us.”


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The Lord responded: “I will enter into a pact in the sight of all. I will perform signs which have never been seen on earth, nor among any nation, so that this people, in whose midst you are, may discern the terrible work of the Lord that I will do.


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Observe everything that I command you this day. I myself will drive out before your face the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite.


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Beware that you do not ever join in friendship with the inhabitants of that land, which may be your ruin.


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Do not enter into a pact with the men of those regions, lest, when they will have fornicated with their gods and worshiped their idols, someone might call upon you to eat from what was immolated.


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Neither shall you take a wife for your son from their daughters, lest, after they themselves have fornicated, they may cause your sons also to fornicate with their gods.


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You shall keep the solemnity of unleavened bread. For seven days, you shall eat unleavened bread, just as I instructed you, in the time of the month of what is new. For in the month of springtime you departed from Egypt.


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All of the male kind, which open the womb, shall be mine: from all the animals, as much of oxen as of sheep, it shall be mine.


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The firstborn of a donkey, you shall redeem with a sheep. But if you will not give a price for it, it shall be slain. The firstborn of your sons you shall redeem. You shall not appear empty in my sight.


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You shall observe the Solemnity of Weeks with the first-fruits of the grain from the harvest of your wheat, and a Solemnity when the time of the year returns and everything is stored away.


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Three times a year, all your males shall appear in the sight of the Almighty, the Lord God of Israel.


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For when I will have taken away the nations before your face, and enlarged your borders, no one shall lie in wait against your land when you will go up to appear in the sight of the Lord your God, three times a year.


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You shall not immolate the blood of my victim over leaven; and there shall not remain, in the morning, any of the victim of the Solemnity of the Passover.


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The first of the fruits of your land you shall offer in the house of the Lord your God. You shall not boil a young goat in the milk of its mother.”


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And the Lord said to Moses, “Write these words to you, through which I have formed a covenant, both with you and with Israel.”


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Therefore, he was in that place with the Lord for forty days and forty nights; he did not eat bread and he did not drink water, and he wrote on the tablets the ten words of the covenant.


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And when Moses descended from Mount Sinai, he held the two tablets of the testimony, and he did not know that his face was radiant from the sharing of words with the Lord.


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Then Aaron and the sons of Israel, seeing that the face of Moses was radiant, were afraid to approach close by.


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And being called by him, they turned back, both Aaron and the leaders of the assembly. And after he had spoken to them,


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all the sons of Israel also now came to him. And he instructed them in all the things that he had heard from the Lord on Mount Sinai.


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But when he entered to the Lord and was speaking with him, he took it off, until he exited. And then he spoke to the sons of Israel all that had been commanded to him.


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And they saw that the face of Moses, when he came out, was radiant, but he covered his face again, whenever he spoke to them.


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Therefore, when all the multitude of the sons of Israel had gathered together, he said to them: “These are the things that the Lord has ordered to be done:


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For six days you shall do work; the seventh day, the Sabbath and the rest of the Lord, will be holy to you; whoever will have done any work in it shall be killed.


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And Moses said to the entire crowd of the sons of Israel: “This is the word which the Lord has instructed, saying:


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Separate from among you the first-fruits to the Lord. Let all who are willing and have a ready soul offer these to the Lord: gold, and silver, and brass,


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the tabernacle, certainly, and its roof, and also the covering, the rings, and the panels with the bars, the tent pegs and the bases,


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the altar of incense and its bars, and the oil of unction, and the incense of aromatics, the tent at the door of the tabernacle,


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the curtains of the atrium, with the columns and the bases, the hanging at the doors of the vestibule,


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the vestments, which are to be used in the ministry of the Sanctuary, the vestments of Aaron, the high priest, as well as those of his sons, in order to exercise the priesthood to me.”


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offered the first-fruits to the Lord with a most ready and devout mind, to accomplish the work of the tabernacle of the testimony. Whatever was needed for worship and for the holy vestments,


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men along with women provided: arm bands and earrings, rings and bracelets. And every vessel of gold was separated, to be donated to the Lord.


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If anyone had hyacinth, and purple, and twice-dyed scarlet, fine linen and the hair of goats, the skins of rams, dyed red, and violet skins,


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But the skillful women also gave whatever they had spun: hyacinth, purple, and vermillion, as well as fine linen,


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and aromatics and oil, to maintain the lights, and to prepare ointment, and also to produce incense with a most sweet odor.


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All the men and women offered donations with a devout mind, so that the works might be done which the Lord had ordered by the hand of Moses. All the sons of Israel dedicated voluntary offerings to the Lord.


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And Moses said to the sons of Israel: “Behold, the Lord has called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, from the tribe of Judah,


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and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, and understanding, and knowledge, and all teaching,


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He has taught both of them wisdom, in order to do the work of carpentry, tapestry, and embroidery, from hyacinth, and purple, and twice-dyed scarlet, and fine linen, and every textile, and to discover whatever may be new.”


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Therefore, Bezalel, and Oholiab, and every wise man, to whom the Lord gave wisdom and intelligence, so as to know how to work skillfully, made that which was necessary for the uses of the Sanctuary and which the Lord had instructed.


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And when Moses had called them and every man of learning, to whom the Lord had given wisdom, and who, of their own accord, had offered themselves in order to accomplish this work,


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he handed over to them all the donations of the sons of Israel. And while they were pursuing this work, the people offered what they had vowed each day, in the morning.


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Therefore, Moses ordered this to be recited, with a voice of proclamation: “Let neither man nor woman offer anything further for the work of the Sanctuary.” And so they ceased from offering gifts,


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And all those who were wise of heart, in order to accomplish the work of the tabernacle, made ten curtains of fine twisted linen, and hyacinth, and purple, and twice-dyed scarlet, with diverse workmanship by the art of embroidery.


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Each of these was twenty-eight cubits in length, and in width, four. All the curtains were of one measure.


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He also made loops of hyacinth along the edge of one curtain on both sides, and similarly along the edge of the other curtain,


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For these, he also cast fifty gold rings, which would retain the loops of the curtains and so make the tabernacle one.


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one canopy held in length thirty cubits, and in width four cubits. All the canopies were of one measure.


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And he made fifty loops along the edge of one canopy, and fifty along the edge of the other canopy, so that they might be joined to one another,


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and fifty buckles of brass, with which the roof might be woven together, so that from all the canopies there would be made one covering.


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He also made a covering for the tabernacle from the skins of rams, dyed-red; and another cover above it, from violet skins.


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There were two dovetails along every panel, so that one might be joined to the other. Thus did he make all the panels of the tabernacle.


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with forty bases of silver. Two bases were set under one panel at each of two sides at the corners, where the joints of the sides terminate in corners.


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Yet truly, opposite the west, that is, toward that part of the tabernacle which looks out toward the sea, he made six panels,


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which were joined from bottom to top and held together by one joint. So did he make both corners on that side.


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So then, there were altogether eight panels, and they had sixteen bases of silver, with, of course, two bases under each panel.


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and five others to fit together the panels of the other side, and, in addition to these, five other bars toward the western area of the tabernacle, opposite the sea.


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But the panels themselves he overlaid with gold, casting silver bases for them. And he made their rings from gold, through which the bars might be able to be drawn. And he covered the bars themselves with layers of gold.


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He also made a veil from hyacinth, and purple, from vermillion as well as fine twisted linen, with varied and distinctive embroidery,


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and four columns of setim wood, which, along with their heads, he overlaid with gold, casting silver bases for them.


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He also made a tent at the entrance of the tabernacle from hyacinth, purple, vermillion, and fine twisted linen, wrought with embroidery,


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Now Bezalel also made the ark from setim wood, having two and one half cubits in length, and one and one half cubits in width, and the height was also one and one half cubits. And he clothed it with the purest gold, inside and out.


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He also made the propitiatory, that is, the oracle, from the finest gold, two and one half cubits in length, and one and one half cubits in width,


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one Cherub at the top of one side, and the other Cherub at the top of the other side. The two Cherubim were at each end of the propitiatory,


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spreading their wings, and protecting the propitiatory, and gazing toward it and toward one another.


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He also made the table from setim wood, with a length of two cubits, and a width of one cubit, which had a height of one and one half cubits.


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and for the ledge itself he made a polished crown of gold, four fingers high, and upon the same, another crown of gold.


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And he made vessels for the diverse uses of the table, as well as the little cups, and bowls, and measuring cups, and the censers, from pure gold, in which the libations would be offered.


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He also made the lampstand, formed from the finest gold. The branches, bowls, and little spheres, as well as the lilies, proceeded from its bar:


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Three bowls, the size of a nut, were on each branch, with little spheres and lilies, and three bowls, in the likeness of a nut, were on the other branch, with the little spheres together with the lilies. The workmanship of the six branches, which proceeded from the shaft of the lampstand, was equal.


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Now on the shaft itself were four bowls, the size of a nut, and little spheres together with each one, and lilies,


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and little spheres under two branches in three places, which together made six branches proceeding from one bar.


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Thus, both the little spheres and the branches were from the same thing: all hand-worked from the purest gold.


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He also made the seven lamps with their candle snuffers, and the vessels where the candles would be extinguished, from the finest gold.


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He also made the altar of incense from setim wood, having one cubit on each of four sides, and in height, two. From its corners proceeded horns.


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And for it he made a crown of gold all around, and two gold rings under the crown at each side, so that the bars might be put into them, and the altar could be carried.


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He also composed the oil for the ointment of sanctification, and the incense, from the purest aromatics, with the skill of a perfumer.


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And for its uses, he prepared diverse vessels out of brass: kettles, forceps, little hooks, larger hooks, and receptacles for the fire.


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And he made its grating of brass, in the manner of a net, and under it, in the midst of the altar, its base,


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And he drew them through the rings, which projected from the sides of the altar. But the altar itself was not solid, but hollow, made from panels and empty inside.


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He also made the washtub of brass, with its base made from the mirrors of the women who kept watch at the door of the tabernacle.


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He also made the atrium, at the south side of which were hangings of fine twisted linen of one hundred cubits and


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twenty columns of brass with their bases. The heads of the columns and all of the engraving work were of silver.


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Equally, at the northern area, the hangings, the columns, and the bases and heads of the columns were of the same measure and work and metal.


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Yet truly, on that side which looks out toward the west, there were hangings of fifty cubits, and ten columns with their bases of brass. And the heads of the columns and all of the engraving work were of silver.


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and on the other side, (for between the two he made the entrance of the tabernacle) there were equally hangings of fifteen cubits, and three pillars, and the same number of bases.


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The bases of the columns were of brass, but their heads with all of their engravings were of silver. Now he also overlaid the columns of the atrium themselves with silver.


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And he made, at its entrance, a hanging, wrought with embroidery, of hyacinth, purple, vermillion, and fine twisted linen, which held twenty cubits in length, yet truly it was five cubits in height, as with the measure of all the hangings of the atrium.


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Now the columns at the entrance were four, with bases of brass, and their heads and engravings were of silver.


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These are the instruments of the tabernacle of the testimony, which were enumerated according to the instruction of Moses, with the ceremonies of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest,


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which Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur from the tribe of Judah, had completed, just as the Lord decreed through Moses.


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He was joined by his associate, Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, from the tribe of Dan, who himself was also an exceptional artisan of wood, and of weaving, as well as of embroidery, with hyacinth, purple, vermillion, and fine linen.


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All of the gold that was expended in the work of the Sanctuary, and that was offered in donation, was twenty-nine talents and seven hundred thirty shekels, according to the measure of the Sanctuary.


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Now it was offered by those who were past the numbering of twenty years and above: from six hundred and three thousand, five hundred and fifty men able to bear arms.


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There were, beyond that, one hundred talents of silver, from which were cast the bases for the Sanctuary and for the entrance where the veil hangs.


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But from one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five, he made the heads of the columns, which he also clothed with silver.


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from which were cast the bases at the entrance of the tabernacle of the testimony, and the altar of brass with its grating, and the vessels which pertain to its use,


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and the bases of the atrium, as much at the circumference as at its entrance, and the tent pegs of the tabernacle and of the atrium all round.


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Truly, from hyacinth and purple, vermillion and fine linen, he made the vestments with which Aaron was clothed when he ministered in the holy places, just as the Lord instructed Moses.


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And so he made an ephod of gold, hyacinth, and purple, and twice-dyed scarlet, and fine twisted linen,


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wrought with embroidery. And he cut thin strips of gold and drew them into threads, so that they could be twisted into the weave of the first colors.


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He also prepared two onyx stones, set and enclosed in gold, and engraved with the skill of a jeweler, with the names of the sons of Israel.


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And he set them in the sides of the ephod, as a memorial to the sons of Israel, just as the Lord had instructed Moses.


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He also made a breastplate, wrought with embroidery, according to the work of the ephod, from gold, hyacinth, purple, and twice-dyed scarlet, and fine twisted linen:


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in the fourth was a chrysolite, an onyx, and a beryl, surrounded and enclosed in gold by their rows.


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And these twelve stones were engraved with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, each one with a single name.


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and two hooks, and the same number of gold rings. Moreover, they set the rings at both sides of the breastplate,


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from which two golden chains would hang, which they connected with the hooks that projected from the corners of the ephod.


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These were both in front and in back so that they met one another, and so that the ephod and the breastplate were woven together,


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being fastened to the wide belt and strongly coupled with rings, to which a hyacinth band was joined, lest they should shake loose and be moved away from one another, just as the Lord instructed Moses.


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Then, at the feet below, they also made pomegranates from hyacinth, purple, vermillion, and fine twisted linen,


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and little bells from the purest gold, which they set between the pomegranates at the very bottom of the tunic all around.


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So then, the high priest approached, adorned with gold bell and pomegranate, when he performed his ministry, just as the Lord had instructed Moses.


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Truly, they also made a wide band of fine twisted linen, hyacinth, purple, as well as vermillion, twice-dyed, with skillful embroidery, just as the Lord had instructed Moses.


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They also made the plate of sacred veneration from the purest gold, and they wrote on it, with the skill of a jeweler: “Holy to the Lord.”


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And so all the work of the tabernacle and of the covering of the testimony was completed. And the sons of Israel did all that the Lord had instructed Moses.


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And they offered the tabernacle, and the covering, and all of the articles: the rings, the panels, the bars, the columns and bases,


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the altar of brass, the grating, the bars, and all of its vessels, the washtub with its base, the hangings of the atrium, and the columns with their bases,


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the hanging at the entrance of the atrium, and their little cords and pegs. Nothing was lacking of the articles that were commanded to be made for the ministry of the tabernacle and for the covering of the covenant.


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Likewise, the vestments, which the priests, namely, Aaron and his sons, make use of use in the Sanctuary,


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“In the first month, on the first day of the month, you shall raise the tabernacle of the testimony,


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And having brought in the table, you shall place the things which were solemnly commanded upon it. The lampstand shall stand with its lamps,


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and the altar of gold, in which the incense is burned, shall stand before the ark of the testimony. You shall place the tent at the entrance of the tabernacle,


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And, having taken up the oil of unction, you shall anoint the tabernacle along with its articles, so that they may be sanctified.


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the washtub with its base, and all things, you shall consecrate with the oil of unction, so that they may be the Holy of holies.


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And you shall bring forward Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tabernacle of the testimony, and, having washed them with water,


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you shall clothe them in the holy vestments, so that they may minister to me, and so that their unction may accomplish an everlasting priesthood.”


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Therefore, in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was put in place.


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And Moses raised it up, and he positioned the panels as well as the bases and the bars, and he set up the columns,


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and he stretched out the roof over the tabernacle, imposing a cover above it, just as the Lord had decreed.


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And when he had brought the ark into the tabernacle, he drew the veil before it, in order to fulfill the commandment of the Lord.


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And he placed the lampstand in the tabernacle of the testimony, away from the table, on the south side,


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and the altar of holocaust in the vestibule of the testimony, offering the holocaust and the sacrifices upon it, just as the Lord had decreed.


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Likewise, he stationed the washtub between the tabernacle of the testimony and the altar, filling it with water.


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whenever they would enter the covering of the covenant, and when they approached to the altar, just as the Lord had instructed Moses.


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And he raised up the atrium around the tabernacle and the altar, drawing the hanging at its entrance. After all these things were perfected,


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Neither could Moses enter the covering of the covenant: the cloud was covering all things, and the majesty of the Lord was flashing. For the cloud had covered everything.


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Certainly, the cloud of the Lord lay over the tabernacle by day, and the fire by night, being seen by all the people of Israel throughout all their resting places.


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Speak to the sons of Israel, and you shall say to them: The man among you who will offer to the Lord a sacrifice from the cattle, that is, an offering of victims of oxen or sheep:


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if his offering will be a holocaust, as well as from the herd, he shall offer an immaculate male at the door of the tabernacle of the testimony, to make himself pleasing to the Lord.


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And he shall place his hand on the head of the sacrifice, and so it shall be acceptable and effective, in its expiation.


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And he shall immolate the calf in the sight of the Lord. And the priests, the sons of Aaron, shall offer its blood, pouring it all around the altar, which is before the door of the tabernacle.


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And they shall lay the parts which are cut up in order upon it: namely, the head, and all the things that adjoin to the liver,


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the intestines and feet having been washed with water. And the priest shall burn them on the altar as a holocaust and as a sweet odor to the Lord.


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But if the offering is from the flocks, a holocaust either of sheep or goats, he shall offer a male without blemish.


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And he shall immolate it at the side of the altar which looks out toward the north, in the sight of the Lord. Yet truly, the sons of Aaron shall pour its blood upon the altar all around.


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And they shall divide the limbs, the head, and everything that adjoins to the liver. And they shall place them on the wood, under which the fire is to be thrown.


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Yet truly, the intestines and the feet they shall wash with water. And the priest, having offered everything, shall burn it upon the altar as a holocaust and as a most sweet odor to the Lord.


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But if the oblation of a holocaust to the Lord is of birds, either of turtledoves, or young pigeons,


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the priest shall offer it at the altar: and twisting back the neck with the head, and also rupturing the place of the wound, he shall make the blood run down over the edge of the altar.


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Yet truly, the craw of the throat and the feathers he shall cast near the altar at the eastern section, in the place where the ashes are usually poured out.


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And he shall break its wing joints, but he shall neither cut, nor divide it with metal, and he shall burn it upon the altar, placing fire under the wood. It is a holocaust and an oblation of a most sweet odor to the Lord.


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When a soul will offer an oblation of sacrifice to the Lord, his oblation shall be of fine wheat flour, and he shall pour oil over it, and he shall set down frankincense,


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and he shall bring it to the sons of Aaron, the priests. One of them shall take a handful of the flour with oil, as well as all the frankincense, and he shall place it as a memorial upon the altar, as a most sweet odor to the Lord.


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Then what will remain of the sacrifice shall be for Aaron and his sons, the Holy of holies from the oblations of the Lord.


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But when you will offer a sacrifice baked in the oven from fine wheat flour, specifically: loaves without leaven, sprinkled with oil, and unleavened wafers, rubbed with oil:


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But if the sacrifice will be from the oven grating, equally the fine wheat flour shall be sprinkled with oil.


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And when he has offered it, he shall take a memorial from the sacrifice and burn it upon the altar as a sweet odor to the Lord.


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But whatever is left shall be for Aaron and his sons, the Holy of holies from the oblations of the Lord.


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Every oblation that is offered to the Lord shall be made without leaven; neither shall any leaven or honey be burned with the sacrifice to the Lord.


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You shall offer only the first-fruits of these along with the gifts. Yet truly, these shall not be placed upon the altar as an odor of sweetness.


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Whatever sacrifice you will offer, you shall season it with salt; neither shall you take away the salt of the covenant of your God from your sacrifice. In all your oblations, you shall offer salt.


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But if you will offer a gift of the first-fruits of your grain to the Lord, from ears of grain still green, you shall parch it at the fire, and break it open in the manner of meal. And so shall you offer your first-fruits to the Lord:


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From this, the priest shall burn, as a memorial of the gift, a portion of the cracked grain and the oil, as well as all of the frankincense.


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But if his oblation will be a sacrifice of peace offerings, and he wishes to offer it from the oxen, whether male or female, he shall offer what is immaculate, in the sight of the Lord.


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And he shall place his hand upon the head of his victim, which shall be immolated at the entrance of the tabernacle of the testimony. And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall pour the blood all around the altar.


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And they shall offer from the sacrifice of peace offerings, as an oblation to the Lord: the fat which covers the vital organs, and whatever fat is interior,


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the two kidneys with the fat that covers the sides, and the mesh of the liver with the two little kidneys.


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And they shall burn them upon the altar as a holocaust, placing fire under the wood, as an oblation of a most sweet odor to the Lord.


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Yet truly, if his oblation and the sacrifice of peace offerings will be from the sheep, whether he will offer a male or a female, they shall be immaculate.


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he shall place his hand upon the head of the victim. And it shall be immolated at the vestibule of the tabernacle of the testimony. And the sons of Aaron shall pour its blood all around the altar.


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And they shall offer from the victim of peace offerings, as a sacrifice to the Lord: the fat, and the entire rump


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with the kidneys, and the fat that covers the abdomen, and all the vital organs, and both the little kidneys with the fat that is near the sides, and the mesh of the liver with the little kidneys.


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he shall place his hand upon its head, and he shall immolate it at the entrance of the tabernacle of the testimony. And the sons of Aaron shall pour its blood all around the altar.


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And they shall take from it, to feed the Lord’s fire: the fat which covers the abdomen, and that which covers all the vital organs,


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the two little kidneys with the mesh that is over them near the sides, and the fat of the liver with the little kidneys.


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And the priest shall burn them upon the altar, as nourishment for the fire and as a most sweet odor. All the fat shall be for the Lord;


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by a perpetual law, in your generations and in all of your habitations, neither blood nor fat shall you eat at all.


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Say to the sons of Israel: The soul which will have sinned through ignorance, and concerning any of the commandments of the Lord that he instructed not to be done, if anything at all has been done:


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if the priest, who is anointed, will have sinned, causing the people to commit a transgression, he shall offer to the Lord for his sin an immaculate calf.


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And he shall lead it to the door of the tabernacle of the testimony in the sight of the Lord. And he shall place his hand upon its head, and he shall immolate it to the Lord.


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Likewise, he shall take from the blood of the calf, carrying it into the tabernacle of the testimony,


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and having dipped his finger into the blood, he shall sprinkle it seven times in the sight of the Lord, opposite the veil of the Sanctuary.


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And he shall place some of the same blood over the horns of the altar of most pleasing incense to the Lord, which is in the tabernacle of the testimony. Then he shall pour out the remainder of the blood at the base of the altar of holocaust at the entrance of the tabernacle.


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And, on behalf of the sin, he shall take the fat of the calf, both that which covers the vital organs and all that is interior,


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the two little kidneys, and the mesh that is on them near the sides, and the fat of the liver with the little kidneys,


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just as it is taken from the calf of the sacrifice of peace offerings. And he shall burn them upon the altar of holocaust.


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and the remainder of the body, he shall carry away, beyond the camp, to the clean place where the ashes are usually poured out. And he shall burn them upon a stack of wood. There, in the place where the ashes have been poured out, they will be burned.


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But if all the crowd of Israel will have been ignorant, and through inexperience will have done what is contrary to the commandment of the Lord,


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and afterwards shall understand their sin: they shall offer a calf on behalf of their sin, and they shall lead it to the door of the tabernacle.


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And the elders of the people shall place their hands upon its head in the sight of the Lord. And when the calf has been immolated in the sight of the Lord,


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And he shall place some of the same blood on the horns of the altar, which is in the presence of the Lord in the tabernacle of the testimony. But the remainder of the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of holocaust, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the testimony.


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doing so with this calf in the same manner as he did before. And while the priest is praying for them, the Lord will forgive them.


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But the calf itself he shall carry away, beyond the camp, and he shall also burn it, just as with the previous calf, because it is for the sin of the multitude.


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If a leader will have sinned, and through ignorance will have done one of the many things which the law of the Lord prohibits,


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and afterwards he shall understand his sin: he shall offer an immaculate he-goat from among the goats, as a sacrifice to the Lord.


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And he shall place his hand upon its head. And when he will have immolated it, in the place where the holocaust is usually slain, in the sight of the Lord, because it is for sin,


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the priest shall dip his finger in the blood of the victim for sin, touching the horns of the altar of holocaust, and pouring out the remainder at its base.


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Yet truly, the fat he shall burn upon it, just as is usually done with the victims of peace offerings. And the priest shall pray for him and for his sin, and he shall be released from it.


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But if a soul from the people of the land will have sinned through ignorance, so as to have done any of those things that the law of the Lord prohibits, and so commit a transgression,


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And he shall place his hand upon the head of the victim which is for sin. And he shall immolate it in the place of the holocaust.


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And the priest shall take some of the blood with his finger, and touching the horns of the altar of holocaust, he shall pour out the remainder at its base.


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But taking away all the fat, just as it is usually taken away from the victims of peace offerings, he shall burn it upon the altar as a sweet odor to the Lord. And he shall pray for him, and he shall be released from it.


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But if instead he will offer from the flock a victim for his sin, specifically, an immaculate female sheep:


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he shall place his hand upon its head, and he shall immolate it in the place where the victims of holocausts are usually slain.


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And the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger, and touching the horns of the altar of holocaust, he shall pour out the remainder at its base.


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Likewise, all of the fat shall be taken away, just as the fat of the ram, which is immolated for peace offerings, is usually taken away. And he shall burn it upon the altar as an incense of the Lord. And he shall pray for him and for his sin, and he shall be released from it.


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If a soul will have sinned, and heard the voice of one testifying under oath, and he is a witness because either he has seen it himself, or he is aware of it: if he does not reveal it, he shall carry his iniquity.


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The soul that will have touched anything unclean, either that which has been killed by a beast, or that which has died on its own, or any other creeping thing, and will have forgotten its uncleanness, he is guilty and has committed a transgression.


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And if he will have touched anything from the uncleanness of man, according to every kind of impurity by which he may be defiled, and having forgotten it, afterwards realizes it, he shall be guilty of committing a transgression.


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The soul who swears and offers from his own lips that he would do either evil or good, and who will have bound the same with an oath and with his own words, and, having forgotten it, afterwards understands his transgression,


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and let him offer from the flocks a female lamb or a she-goat, and the priest shall pray for him and for his sin.


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But if he is not able to offer a beast, let him offer two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the Lord, one for sin, and the other for a holocaust.


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And he shall give them to the priest, who, offering the first for sin, shall twist back its head to the little wings, so that it adheres to the neck and is not entirely broken off.


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And he shall sprinkle some of its blood at the side of the altar. But whatever will remain, he shall cause it to drip down to the base, because it is for sin.


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Yet truly, the other he shall burn as a holocaust, just as is usually done. And the priest shall pray for him, and for his sin, and he shall be released from it.


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But if his hand is unable to offer two turtledoves or two young pigeons, he shall offer, for his sin, the tenth part of an ephah of fine wheat flour. He shall not put oil in it, nor place upon it any frankincense, because it is for sin.


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And he shall deliver it to the priest, who shall take a handful of it, and shall burn it upon the altar as a memorial for him who offered it,


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praying for him and making atonement. Yet truly, the remaining part he himself shall have as a gift.


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If a soul, by mistake, shall have transgressed the ceremonies in those things that are sanctified to the Lord, he shall offer for his offense an immaculate ram from the flocks, such as can be bought for two shekels, according to the weight of the Sanctuary.


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And he shall make restitution for the damage that he has brought, and he shall add a fifth part more, delivering it to the priest, who shall pray for him while offering the ram, and he shall be released from it.


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If a soul will have sinned through ignorance, and will have done one of those things which the law of the Lord prohibits, and, being guilty of sin, understands his iniquity,


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he shall offer from the flocks an immaculate ram to the priest, according to the measure and estimation of the sin, who shall pray for him, because he did it unknowingly, and he shall be released from it,


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The soul who will have sinned, and, despising the Lord, will have denied to his neighbor the deposit which he had entrusted to his safekeeping, or who will have extorted anything by force, or who will have made a false accusation,


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or who will have found a lost thing and then also withheld it by swearing falsely, or who will have done any other of the many things by which men usually sin:


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all that he wanted to obtain by fraud, the whole plus an additional fifth part, to the owner against whom he brought the damage.


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Then, on behalf of his sin, he shall offer an immaculate ram from the flock, and he shall give it to the priest, according to the estimation and measure of the offense.


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And he shall pray for him in the sight of the Lord, and he shall be released from any one of those things that he did when he sinned.


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Instruct Aaron and his sons: This is the law of a holocaust. It shall be burned upon the altar, all night until morning. The fire shall be from the same altar.


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The priest shall be vested with the tunic and the linen undergarments. And he shall take up the ashes of that which the devouring fire has consumed, and, placing them next to the altar,


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he shall strip off his former vestments, and being clothed with others, he shall carry them beyond the camp, and he shall cause them to be consumed, even to glowing embers, in a very clean place.


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But the fire on the altar shall burn always, for the priest shall nourish it by placing wood under it each day in the morning. And, laying down the holocaust, he shall burn the fat of the peace offerings upon it.


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This is the law of the sacrifice and the libations, which the sons of Aaron shall offer in the sight of the Lord, and before the altar.


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The priest shall take a handful of fine wheat flour, which has been sprinkled with oil, and all the frankincense, which has been placed upon the flour, and he shall burn it upon the altar as a memorial of most sweet odor to the Lord.


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And the remaining portion of the flour, Aaron shall eat with his sons, without leaven. And he shall eat it in the holy place, in the atrium of the tabernacle.


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Yet for this reason, it shall not be leavened, because part of it is offered as an incense of the Lord. The Holy of holies shall it be, just as what is offered on behalf of sin and of transgression.


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Only the males of the stock of Aaron shall eat it. This shall be an everlasting ordinance in your generations concerning the sacrifices of the Lord. All who will touch these shall be sanctified.


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This is the oblation of Aaron and of his sons, which they must offer to the Lord in the day of their anointing. They shall offer a tenth part of an ephah of fine wheat flour as a perpetual sacrifice, half of it in the morning, and half of it in the evening.


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It shall be sprinkled with oil and fried in a frying pan. Then it shall be offered hot, as a most sweet odor to the Lord,


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Say to Aaron and his sons: This is the law of the victim for sin. In the place where the holocaust is offered, it shall be immolated in the sight of the Lord. It is the Holy of holies.


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Whatever will touch its flesh shall be sanctified. If a garment will be sprinkled with its blood, it shall be washed in a holy place.


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Then the earthen vessel, in which it was soaked, shall be broken. But if the vessel will be of brass, it shall be scoured and washed with water.


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For the victim that is slain for sin, whose blood is carried into the tabernacle of the testimony, for expiation in the Sanctuary, shall not be eaten, but it shall be consumed by fire.


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Therefore, where the holocaust is immolated, the victim for a transgression shall also be slain. Its blood shall be poured out all around the altar.


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the two little kidneys, and the fat that is near the sides, and the mesh of the liver with the little kidneys.


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And the priest shall burn them upon the altar. It is the incense of the Lord on behalf of a transgression.


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Every male of priestly descent shall feed on this flesh in a holy place, because it is the Holy of holies.


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Just as the sacrifice for sin is offered, so also for a transgression; one law shall be for both sacrifices. It shall belong to the priest who offers it.


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And every sacrifice of fine wheat flour which is baked in the oven, and whatever is prepared on the oven grating or in the frying pan, shall be for the priest who offers it.


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Whether these will be sprinkled with oil, or left dry, an equal measure shall be divided to each one of the sons of Aaron.


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If the oblation will be an act for giving thanks, they shall offer bread without leaven sprinkled with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and fine wheat flour fried, and cakes sprinkled and mixed with oil,


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and also, leavened bread with the sacrifice of thanksgiving, which is immolated for peace offerings.


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Of these, one shall be offered to the Lord as the first-fruits, and one shall be for the priest who will pour out the blood of the victim.


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If anyone, by a vow or of his own accord, will have offered a sacrifice, it shall be eaten in a similar manner on the same day. But then if any of it will have remained until tomorrow, it is lawful to eat it.


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If anyone will have eaten from the flesh of the victim of peace offerings on the third day, the oblation will be nullified; neither will it benefit the one who offered it. But instead, whatever soul will contaminate itself with such foods will be guilty of a betrayal.


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The flesh that has touched anything unclean shall not be eaten, but it shall be burnt with fire. He that is clean will feed on it.


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If a soul which is polluted will have eaten from the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offerings, which is offered to the Lord, he shall perish from his people.


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And whoever will have touched the uncleanness of man, or of beast, or of anything which is able to defile, and who will have eaten from this kind of flesh, shall be cut off from his people.


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The fat of a carcass that has died on its own, or of an animal that has been seized by a wild beast, you shall have for various uses.


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If anyone will have eaten the fat which ought to be offered as a burnt sacrifice of the Lord, he shall perish from his people.


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Speak to the sons of Israel, saying: Whoever offers a victim of peace offerings to the Lord, let him also offer at the same time a sacrifice, that is, its libations.


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He shall hold in his hands the fat of the victim, and the breast. And when he will have offered and consecrated both to the Lord, he shall deliver them to the priest,


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Likewise also, the right shoulder of the victim of peace offerings shall fall to the priest as first-fruits.


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Among the sons of Aaron, whoever will have offered the blood and the fat, the same one shall also have the right shoulder for his portion.


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So then, the breast that is lifted up, and the shoulder that is separated, I have taken from the sons of Israel, from their victims of peace offerings, and I have given these to Aaron the priest and to his sons, as a law in perpetuity, from all the people of Israel.


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This is the anointing of Aaron and his sons, by the ceremonies of the Lord, in the day when Moses offered them, so that they may fulfill the priesthood,


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and this is what the Lord instructed to be given to them by the sons of Israel, as a perpetual observance in their generations.


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This is the law of the holocaust, and of the sacrifice for sin, and for transgression, and for consecration, and for the victims of peace offerings,


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which the Lord appointed to Moses on mount Sinai, when he commanded the sons of Israel to offer their oblations to the Lord in the desert of Sinai.


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Take Aaron, with his sons, their vestments, and the oil of anointing, a calf for sin, two rams, and a basket with unleavened bread,


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And Moses did as the Lord had commanded. And when all the crowd was gathered together before the entrance of the tabernacle,


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he vested the high priest with the linen undergarment, wrapped him with the wide belt, and clothed him with the hyacinth tunic, and over it he imposed the ephod.


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Also, he wrapped the headdress on his head, and over it, opposite the forehead, he placed the plate of gold, consecrated with sanctification, just as the Lord had instructed him.


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He also took up the oil of anointing, with which he anointed the tabernacle, along with all of its articles.


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And when he had sprinkled the altar seven times to sanctify it, he anointed it and all its vessels. And the washtub with its base he sanctified with the oil.


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Likewise, after he had offered his sons, he vested them with linen tunics, and wrapped them with wide belts, and placed headdresses on them, just as the Lord had ordered.


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he immolated it. And drawing the blood, and dipping his finger in it, he touched the horns of the altar all around. And when it was expiated and sanctified, he poured out the remainder of the blood at its base.


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Yet truly, the fat which was on the vital organs, and the mesh of the liver, and the two little kidneys with their fat, he burned upon the altar.


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And the calf with the skin, and the flesh, and the dung, he burned beyond the camp, just as the Lord had instructed.


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He also offered a ram as a holocaust. And when Aaron and his sons had imposed their hands upon its head,


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having first washed the intestines and the feet. And then he burned the whole of the ram upon the altar, because it was a holocaust of most sweet odor to the Lord, just as he had instructed him.


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He also offered the second ram, as a consecration of priests. And Aaron and his sons placed their hands upon its head.


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And when Moses had immolated it, taking up some of its blood, he touched the tip of Aaron’s right ear, and the thumb of his right hand, and similarly also his foot.


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He also offered the sons of Aaron. And when, from the blood of the ram which was immolated, he had touched the tip of the right ear of each one, and the thumbs of their right hands, as well as their feet, he poured out the remainder upon the altar all around.


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Yet truly, the fat, and the rump, and all the fat that covers the intestines, and the mesh of the liver, and the two kidneys with their fat, and the right shoulder, he separated.


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Then, taking bread without leaven from the basket of unleavened bread, which was before the Lord, and a cake sprinkled with oil, and a wafer, he placed them upon the fat and the right shoulder,


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delivering all these to Aaron and his sons. And when they had lifted them up in the sight of the Lord,


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he received them again from their hands, and he burned them upon the altar of holocaust, because it was an oblation of consecration, as a sweet odor of sacrifice to the Lord.


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And he took his portion from the ram of consecration, and he lifted up its breast in the sight of the Lord, just as the Lord had instructed him.


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And taking up the ointment, and the blood that was on the altar, he sprinkled it over Aaron and his vestments, and over his sons and their vestments.


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And when he had sanctified them with their vestments, he instructed them, saying: “Cook the flesh before the entrance of the tabernacle, and eat it there. Likewise, eat the loaves of consecration, which have been placed in the basket, just as the Lord instructed me, saying: ‘Aaron and his sons shall eat them.’


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Also, you shall not exit from the door of the tabernacle for seven days, until the day on which the time of your consecration shall be completed. For in seven days the consecration is finished,


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Day and night you shall remain in the tabernacle, observing the watches of the Lord, otherwise you shall die. For so it has been commanded to me.”


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Then, the eighth day having arrived, Moses called Aaron and his sons, and those greater by birth from Israel, and he said to Aaron:


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“Take a calf for sin from the herd, and a ram as a holocaust, both immaculate, and offer them in the sight of the Lord.


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And to the sons of Israel, you shall say: ‘Take a he-goat for sin, and a calf as well as a lamb, both one-year-old and without blemish, as a holocaust.


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Take also an ox and a ram for peace offerings. And immolate them before the Lord, offering with the sacrifice of each one fine wheat flour sprinkled with oil. For today the Lord will appear to you.’ ”


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And so they brought everything that Moses had ordered before the door of the tabernacle, where, when all the multitude stood together,


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Moses said: “This is the word, which the Lord has instructed. Accomplish it, and his glory will appear to you.”


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And he said to Aaron: “Approach toward the altar, and immolate on behalf of your sin. Offer the holocaust, and pray for yourself and for the people. And when you have slain the victim for the people, pray for them, just as the Lord has instructed.”


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And his sons brought its blood to him, and dipping his finger in it, he touched the horns of the altar, and he poured out the remainder at its base.


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And the fat, and the little kidneys, and the mesh of the liver, which are for sin, he burned upon the altar, just as the Lord had instructed Moses.


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He also immolated the victim of holocaust. And his sons brought its blood to him, which he poured out all around the altar.


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And when the victim itself was cut into pieces, they brought him the head and each of the limbs, all of which he burned with fire upon the altar,


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adding to it the sacrifice of the libations, which are to be offered together, and burning them upon the altar, separately from the ceremonies of the morning holocaust.


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He also immolated the ox, as well as the ram, as peace offerings for the people. And his sons brought him the blood, which he poured out upon the altar all around.


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Then the fat of the ox, and the rump of the ram, and the two little kidneys with their fat, and the mesh of the liver,


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Aaron separated their breasts and the right shoulders, lifting them up in the sight of the Lord, as Moses had instructed.


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And extending his hands to the people, he blessed them. And so, the victims for sin, and the holocausts, and the peace offerings being completed, he descended.


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Then Moses and Aaron entered the tabernacle of the testimony, and afterwards came out and blessed the people. And the glory of the Lord appeared to the entire multitude.


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And, behold, a fire from the Lord devoured the holocaust, and the fat which was on the altar. When the crowd had seen this, they praised the Lord, falling on their faces.


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And the sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, picking up their censers, placed fire in them and incense upon them, offering in the sight of the Lord a strange fire, such as was not instructed of them.


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And Moses said to Aaron: “This is what the Lord has spoken: ‘I will be sanctified in those who approach me, and I will be glorified in the sight of all the people.’ ” And upon hearing this, Aaron was silent.


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Then Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel, the paternal uncle of Aaron, and he said to them, “Go and take your brothers from the sight of the Sanctuary, and carry them beyond the camp.”


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And moving quickly, they took them as they lay, vested with linen tunics, and cast them outside, just as had been commanded them.


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And Moses said to Aaron, and to his sons, Eleazar and Ithamar: “Do not uncover your heads, and do not rend your garments, lest perhaps you may die, and indignation may rise up over the entire assembly. Let your brothers, and all the house of Israel, bewail the burning that the Lord has kindled.


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But you shall not depart from the door of the tabernacle; otherwise, you shall perish. For certainly the oil of holy anointing is upon you.” And they did all things according to the precept of Moses.


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“You shall not drink wine, nor anything that is able to inebriate you or your sons, when you enter into the tabernacle of the testimony, lest you die. For it is an everlasting precept in your generations.


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And so may you teach the sons of Israel all my ordinances, which the Lord has spoken to them by the hand of Moses.”


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And Moses spoke to Aaron, and to his sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, who were remaining: “Take the sacrifice which remains from the oblation of the Lord, and eat it without leaven next to the altar, because it is the Holy of holies.


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For you shall eat it in a holy place, which is given to you and to your sons, from the oblations of the Lord, just as has been instructed me.


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Likewise, the breast which is offered, and the shoulder which is separated, you shall eat in a most clean place, you and your sons, and your daughters with you. For these have been set aside for you and your children from the victims which benefit the sons of Israel.


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Since they have lifted up in the sight of the Lord, the shoulder, and the breast, and the fat that is burned on the altar, these also belong to you and to your sons as a perpetual law, just as the Lord has instructed.”


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Meanwhile, when Moses was searching for the he-goat, which had been offered for sin, he discovered it burned up. And being angry against Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron who were remaining, he said:


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“Why did you not eat the sacrifice for sin in the holy place, which is the Holy of holies, and which was given to you, so that you might carry the iniquity of the people, and might pray for them in the sight of the Lord,


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especially since none of its blood has been brought into the holy places, and since you should have eaten it in the Sanctuary, as was instructed me?”


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Aaron responded: “This day, the victim for sin has been offered, and the holocaust in the sight of the Lord. But you see what has happened to me. How could I eat it, or please the Lord in the ceremonies, having a sorrowful mind?”


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Say to the sons of Israel: These are the animals that you ought to eat out of all the living things of the earth.


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But whatever certainly chews over again, but has a hoof that is not divided, such as the camel and others, these you shall not eat, and you shall consider them to be among what is unclean.


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The flesh of these you shall not eat, nor shall you touch their carcasses, because they are unclean to you.


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These are the things that breed in the waters, and which it is lawful to eat. All that has little fins and scales, as much in the sea, as in the rivers and ponds, you shall eat.


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But whatever does not have fins and scales, of those things that live and move in the waters, shall be abominable to you,


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These are those things among the birds which you must not eat, and which are to be avoided by you: the eagle, and the griffin, and the osprey,


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But whatever certainly walks upon four feet, and also has longer legs behind, with which it hops upon the earth,


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you shall eat, such as the beetle in its kind, and the cricket, and grasshopper, and the locust, each one according to its kind.


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And whoever will have touched their carcasses shall be defiled, and he shall be unclean until evening.


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And if it will be necessary to carry any of these dead things, he shall wash his clothes, and he shall be unclean until the sun sets.


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Every animal that certainly has a hoof, but which is not divided, nor does it chew over again, shall be unclean. And whoever will have touched it shall be contaminated.


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Whatever walks upon its hands, out of all the animals that advance on all fours, shall be unclean. Whoever will have touched their carcasses shall be polluted until evening.


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And whoever will have carried this kind of carcass shall wash his clothes, and he shall be unclean until evening. For all these are unclean to you.


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Likewise, these shall be considered among the polluted things, out of all that moves upon the earth: the weasel, and the mouse, and the crocodile, each one according to its kind,


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And anything upon which something from their carcasses will have fallen shall be defiled, whether it is a vessel of wood, or a garment, or skins, or haircloths, or anything by which work is done. These shall be dipped in water and shall be defiled until evening, but then afterwards these shall be clean.


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But an earthen vessel, into which something from these will fall, shall be defiled; and therefore it is to be broken.


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Any of the foods that you eat, if water from such a vessel will have been poured upon it, it shall be unclean. And every liquid which one may drink from such a vessel shall be unclean.


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And if anything from among these kinds of dead things has fallen upon it, it shall be unclean, whether it be an oven, or a pot with feet, these shall be unclean and shall be destroyed.


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Yet truly, fountains and cisterns, and all reservoirs of water shall be clean. Whoever will have touched their carcasses shall be defiled.


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But if anyone has poured water upon the seed grain, and afterwards it was touched by the carcasses, it shall be immediately defiled.


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If any animals will have died, from which it is lawful for you to eat, whoever will have touched its carcass shall be unclean until evening.


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And whoever will have eaten or carried anything of these shall wash his clothes, and he shall be unclean until evening.


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Whatever advances by four feet upon the chest, or that has many feet, or that drags across the soil, you shall not eat, because it is abominable.


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Do not be willing to contaminate your souls, nor shall you touch any of these, lest you become unclean.


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For I am the Lord your God. Be holy, for I am Holy. Do not pollute your souls with any creeping thing, which moves across the land.


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For I am the Lord, who led you away from the land of Egypt, so that I would be your God; you shall be holy, for I am Holy.


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This is the law of animals and flying things, and of every living soul that moves in the waters or creeps upon the land,


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so that you may know the difference between clean and unclean, and so that you may know what you ought to eat, and what you ought to refuse.


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Speak to the sons of Israel, and you shall say to them: A woman, if she has received the seed to bear a male, shall be unclean for seven days, just as in the days of separation due to menstruation.


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Yet truly, she herself shall remain for thirty-three days in the blood of her purification. She shall not touch anything holy, nor shall she enter into the Sanctuary, until the days of her purification are completed.


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But if she will bear a female, she shall be unclean for two weeks, according to the custom of her monthly flow, and she shall remain in the blood of her purification for sixty-six days.


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And when the days of her purification have been completed, for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the door of the tabernacle of the testimony, a one-year-old lamb as a holocaust, and a young pigeon or a turtledove for sin, and she shall deliver them to the priest.


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He shall offer them in the sight of the Lord, and he shall pray for her. And so she shall be cleansed from the issue of her blood. This is the law for one who bears a male or a female.


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And if her hand has not obtained or been able to offer a lamb, she shall take two turtledoves or two young pigeons: one as a holocaust, and the other for sin. And the priest shall pray for her, and so she shall be cleansed.


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The man in whose skin or flesh there will have arisen a diverse color, or a pustule, or something that seems to shine, which is the mark of leprosy, shall be brought to Aaron the priest, or to anyone you wish among his sons.


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And if he sees that leprosy is in his skin, and that the hair has turned a white color, and that the place where the leprosy appears is lower than the rest of the skin and the flesh, then it is the mark of leprosy, and at his judgment he shall be separated.


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But if there will be a shining whiteness in the skin, but it is not lower than the rest of the flesh, and the hair is of unaffected color, the priest shall seclude him for seven days.


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And on the seventh day he shall examine him, and if the leprosy certainly has not increased further, and has not spread itself in the skin, he shall seclude him again, for another seven days.


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And on the seventh day, he shall evaluate him. If the leprosy has become obscured, and has not increased in the skin, he shall declare him clean, because it is a scab. And the man shall wash his clothes, and he shall be clean.


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But if the leprosy increases again, after he was seen by the priest and restored to cleanness, he shall be brought to him,


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and he shall look upon him. And when there is a white color in the skin, and it has an altered appearance in its hair, and also the same flesh seems alive,


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it shall be judged a chronic leprosy, which has grown into the skin. And so the priest shall declare him contaminated, and he shall not seclude him, because he is clearly unclean.


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But if the leprosy will have flourished, coursing through the skin, and will have covered all the skin from the head even to the feet, whatever falls under the sight of the eyes,


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the priest shall examine him, and he shall judge that the leprosy that he possesses is very clean, because it has all turned to whiteness, and for this reason the man shall be clean.


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then by the judgment of the priest he shall be polluted, and he shall be considered to be among the unclean. For the live flesh, if it is spotted with leprosy, is unclean.


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and in the place of the ulcer, there appears a white or reddish scar, the man shall be brought to the priest.


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And when he will have seen the place of the leprosy lower than the rest of the flesh, and that the hair has turned white, he shall declare him contaminated. For the plague of leprosy has arisen from the ulcer.


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But if the hair is of the usual color, and the scar is somewhat obscure and is not lower than the nearby flesh, he shall seclude him for seven days.


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But if flesh and skin has been burned by fire, and, having been healed, now has a white or red scar,


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the priest shall examine it, and if he sees that it has turned white, and that its place is lower than the rest of the skin, he shall declare him contaminated, for the mark of leprosy has arisen in the scar.


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But if the color of the hair has not been changed, nor is the mark lower than the rest of the flesh, and the leprosy itself appears to be somewhat obscure, he shall seclude him for seven days,


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and on the seventh day he shall evaluate him. If the leprosy will have increased further in the skin, he shall declare him contaminated.


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But if the whiteness stays in its place and is not very clear, it is the mark of a burn, and for this reason he shall be declared clean, because it is only the scar from a burn.


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If leprosy will have sprung up in the head or the beard of a man or woman, the priest shall look upon them,


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and if the place is certainly lower than the rest of the flesh, and the hair is golden, and thinner than usual, he shall declare them contaminated, because it is the leprosy of the head and the beard.


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But if he sees that the place of the spot is equal with the nearby flesh, and that the hair is black, he shall seclude him for seven days,


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and on the seventh day he shall examine it. If the spot has not increased, and the hair has kept its color, and the place of the mark is equal with the rest of the flesh,


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the man shall be shaven, except in the place of the spot, and he shall be secluded for another seven days.


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On the seventh day, if the mark seems to have stayed in its place, and it is not lower than the rest of the flesh, he shall declare him clean, and, his clothes having been washed, he shall be clean.


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Furthermore, if the spot has not increased, and the hair is black, let him know that the man is healed: and let him confidently pronounce him clean.


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the priest shall examine them. If he detects an obscured whiteness shining in the skin, may he know that it is not leprosy, but a white-colored blemish, and that the man is clean.


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and the priest will have seen this, he shall condemn him without doubt of leprosy, which has arisen in the baldness.


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Therefore, whoever will have been spotted by leprosy, and who has been separated at the judgment of the priest,


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shall have his clothes unstitched, his head bare, his mouth covered with a cloth, and he himself shall cry out that he is contaminated and filthy.


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in the main fibers or in any of the threads, or certainly in a skin, or whatever has been made from a skin,


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if it has been infected with a white or red spot, it shall be considered to be leprosy, and it shall be shown to the priest.


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And on the seventh day, having looked at it again, if he detects an increase, it is a persistent leprosy; he shall judge the garment to be polluted, along with everything with which it has been found.


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he shall instruct them, and they shall wash whatever has the leprosy in it, and he shall close it up for another seven days.


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And when he will have seen that the former appearance has not returned, even if the leprosy has not increased, he shall judge it to be unclean, and he shall burn it with fire, for the leprosy has been infused in the exterior of the garment, or throughout the whole.


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But if the place of the leprosy has become somewhat darker, after the garment has been washed, he shall tear it away, and separate it from the part that is sound.


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But if, after this, there will appear in those places which before were immaculate, a flying and wandering leprosy, it must be burned with fire.


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If it will have ceased, he shall wash with water the parts which are pure for a second time, and they shall be clean.


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This is the law about leprosy for any woolen or linen garment, in the weave and in the threads, and for all items made from skins, how it must be declared either clean or contaminated.


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shall instruct him who is to be purified to offer for himself two living sparrows, which it is lawful to eat, and cedar wood, and vermillion, and hyssop.


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But the other living one, with the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, he shall dip in the blood of the immolated sparrow.


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And he shall sprinkle him who is to be cleansed seven times, so that he may be purified justly. And he shall release the living sparrow, so that it may fly away into the field.


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And when the man will have washed his clothes, he shall shave all the hair from his body, and he shall be washed with water. And having been purified, he shall enter into the camp, only to this extent: that he may remain outside his own tent for seven days.


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And on the seventh day he shall shave the hair of his head, and his beard, and his eyebrows, as well as the hair of his entire body. And having washed his clothes again, and his body,


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on the eighth day, he shall take two immaculate lambs, and a one-year-old female sheep without blemish, and three tenths of fine wheat flour, which has been sprinkled with oil, as a sacrifice, and separately, one twelfth hin of oil.


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And when the priest purifying the man has presented him and all these things in the sight of the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of the testimony,


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he shall take a lamb and offer it for transgression, with the twelfth hin of oil. And having offered all these before the Lord,


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he shall immolate the lamb, where the victim for sin is usually immolated with the holocaust, that is, in the holy place. For just as with the one for sin, so also the victim for transgression belongs to the priest. It is the Holy of holies.


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And taking some of the blood of the victim, which was immolated for transgression, the priest shall place it upon the tip of the right ear of him who is being cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and likewise the foot.


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and he shall dip his right finger in it, and he shall sprinkle it in the sight of the Lord seven times.


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But the oil which remains in his left hand, he shall pour over the tip of the right ear of him who is being cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand as well as the foot, and upon the blood which was shed for transgression,


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And he shall pray for him in the sight of the Lord, and he shall accomplish the sacrifice on behalf of sin. Then he shall immolate the holocaust,


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But if he is poor, and his hand is not able to find what has been said, he shall take a lamb as an offering for transgression, so that the priest may pray for him, and a tenth part of fine wheat flour sprinkled with oil, as a sacrifice, and a twelfth hin of oil,


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and two turtledoves or two young pigeons, of which one may be for sin, and the other as a holocaust.


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And he shall offer them on the eighth day of his purification to the priest at the door of the tabernacle of the testimony in the sight of the Lord.


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And he, receiving the lamb for transgression, and the twelfth hin of oil, shall lift them up together.


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And when the lamb has been immolated, he shall place some of its blood upon the tip of the right ear of him who is being cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, as well as the foot.


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And he shall touch the tip of the right ear of him who is being cleansed, and the thumb of his right hand, as well as the foot, in the place of the blood which was shed for transgression.


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But the remaining part of the oil which is in his left hand, he shall send upon the head of the one being purified, to appease the Lord on his behalf.


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This is the sacrifice of a leper, who is not able to obtain all of the things concerning his cleansing.


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When you will have entered into the land of Canaan, which I will give to you as a possession, if there is the mark of leprosy in a building,


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he whose house it is shall go and report to the priest, saying: “It seems to me that the mark of leprosy is in my house.”


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And he shall instruct them to carry all things out of the house, before he would enter it and see whether it is leprosy, lest all that is in the house become unclean. And after this, he shall enter to examine the leprosy of the house.


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And when he will have seen in its walls something like little hollows, deformed with paleness or redness, and lower than the remaining surface,


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he shall order the stones in which the leprosy is, to be dug out and cast outside the city in an unclean place,


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and that the house be scraped on the inside all around, and that the dust of the scrapings be scattered outside the city in an unclean place,


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and that other stones be put back, in place of those which had been taken away, and that the house be plastered with other mortar.


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But if, after the stones have been dug out, and the dust wiped away, and it is plastered with other clay,


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the priest, upon entering, will have seen that the leprosy has returned, and that the walls are sprinkled with spots, then it is a persistent leprosy and the house is unclean.


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And so they shall promptly destroy it, and shall cast its stones and timber, and also all the dust, outside the town in an unclean place.


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But if the priest, upon entering, will have seen that the leprosy has not spread in the house, after it had been newly plastered, he shall purify it, restoring it to health.


text:
And for its purification, he shall take two sparrows, and cedar wood, and vermillion, as well as hyssop,


text:
he shall take the cedar wood, and the hyssop, and the scarlet, and the living sparrow, and he shall dip all these in the blood of the immolated sparrow, and also in the living water, and he shall sprinkle the house seven times.


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And he shall purify it as much with the blood of the sparrow as with the living water, and with the living sparrow, and the cedar wood, and the hyssop, and the vermillion.


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And when he has released the sparrow to fly freely away into the field, he shall pray for the house, and it shall be justly cleansed.


text:
Speak to the sons of Israel, and say to them: The man who undergoes a flow of seed shall be unclean.


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And then he shall be judged subject to this fault, if a filthy fluid, at each moment, adheres to his flesh and gathers there.


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If any man has touched his couch, he shall wash his clothes, and having washed with water, he shall be unclean until evening.


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If he will have sat where that man has sat, he shall also wash his clothes, and having washed with water, he shall be unclean until evening.


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Whoever has touched his flesh shall wash his clothes, and having washed with water, he shall be unclean until evening.


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If such a man has cast his spittle upon him who is clean, he shall wash his clothes, and having washed with water, he shall be unclean until evening.


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And whatever has been under him who has undergone a flow of seed shall be polluted until evening. Whoever carries any of these things shall wash his clothes, and having washed with water, he shall be unclean until evening.


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All whom such a one has touched, not having washed his hands before, shall wash his clothes, and having washed with water, he shall be unclean until evening.


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If he has touched an earthen vessel, it shall be broken. But if it is a wooden vessel, it shall be washed with water.


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If he who suffers from this affliction will have been healed, he shall number seven days after his cleansing, and having washed his clothes and his entire body in living water, he shall be clean.


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Then, on the eighth day, he shall take two turtledoves or two young pigeons, and he shall advance, in the sight of the Lord, toward the door of the tabernacle of the testimony, and he shall give these to the priest,


text:
who shall offer one for sin, and the other as a holocaust. And he shall pray for him before the Lord, so that he may be cleansed from the flow of his seed.


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A man from whom the seed of sexual intercourse goes out shall wash his entire body with water, and he shall be unclean until evening.


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The garment or skin which he will have, he shall wash with water, and it shall be unclean until evening.


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The woman with whom he has had sexual intercourse shall be washed with water, and she shall be unclean until evening.


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The woman who, at the return of the month, undergoes the flow of blood shall be separated for seven days.


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Whoever will have touched her bed shall wash his clothes, and having washed himself with water, he shall be unclean until evening.


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Anyone who will have touched any item on which she has sat shall wash his clothes, and having washed himself with water, he shall be polluted until evening.


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If a man has sexual intercourse with her in the time of her monthly flow of blood, he shall be unclean for seven days, and every bed on which he sleeps shall be polluted.


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The woman who undergoes a flow of blood many days beyond her time of menstruation, or whose blood does not cease to flow after the menstrual blood, as long as she is subject to this affliction, she shall be unclean, just as if she were in her time of menstruation.


text:
Whoever will have touched these shall wash his clothes, and having washed himself with water, he shall be unclean until evening.


text:
and on the eighth day she shall offer for herself, to the priest, two turtledoves or two young pigeons, at the door of the tabernacle of the testimony.


text:
And he shall offer one for sin, and the other as a holocaust, and he shall pray for her before the Lord, and for the flow of her uncleanness.


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Therefore, you shall teach the sons of Israel to be cautious of uncleanness, so that they may not die in their filth, when they will have polluted my tabernacle, which is among them.


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and of her who is separated in the time of menstruation, or who has a continual flow of blood, and of the man who sleeps with her.


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And the Lord spoke to Moses, after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they were destroyed for offering strange fire.


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And he instructed him, saying: Speak to your brother Aaron, so that he may not, at any time, enter into the Sanctuary, which is within the veil, before the propitiatory by which the ark is covered, so that he may not die, (for I will appear in a cloud above the oracle)


text:
unless he will have done these things beforehand. He shall offer a calf for sin, and a ram as a holocaust.


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He shall be vested with a linen tunic. He shall conceal his nakedness with linen undergarments. He shall be wrapped with a linen belt, and he shall impose a linen headdress on his head. For these are holy vestments. All of these he shall put on, after he has been washed.


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And he shall receive, from the entire multitude of the sons of Israel, two he-goats for sin, and one ram as a holocaust.


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he shall cause the two he-goats to stand in the sight of the Lord at the entrance to the tabernacle of the testimony.


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And casting lots over them both, one is to be offered to the Lord, and the other is to be the emissary goat.


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But the one who is to be the emissary goat shall stand before the Lord, so that he may pour the prayers upon him, and may send him away into the wilderness.


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After these things have been duly celebrated, he shall offer the calf, and praying for himself and for his own house, he shall immolate it.


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And taking up the censer, which he has filled from the burning coals of the altar, and drawing up with his hands the aromatic compound for incense, he shall enter within the veil, into the holy place,


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so that when the aromatics are placed upon the fire, its cloud and vapor may cover the oracle, which is above the testimony, and he may not die.


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Likewise, he shall take some of the blood of the calf, and sprinkle it with his finger seven times opposite the propitiatory, toward the east.


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And when he has slain the he-goat for the sin of the people, he shall carry its blood within the veil, just as he was instructed to do with the blood of the calf, so that he may sprinkle it away from the area of the oracle,


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and so that he may expiate the Sanctuary from the uncleanness of the sons of Israel, and from their prevarications and every one of their sins. According to this rite, he shall act toward the tabernacle of the testimony, which is fixed among them in the midst of the filth of their habitation.


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Let no man be in the tabernacle when the high priest enters the Sanctuary in order to pray for himself, and for his house, and for the entire assembly of Israel, until he exits.


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And when he has exited to the altar which is before the Lord, let him pray for himself, and taking the blood of the calf, and of the he-goat, let him pour it upon its horns all around.


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And sprinkling with his finger seven times, let him expiate and sanctify it from the uncleanness of the sons of Israel.


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After he has cleansed the Sanctuary, and the tabernacle, and the altar, then let him offer the living goat.


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And placing both hands upon its head, let him confess all the iniquities of the sons of Israel, and all of their offenses and sins. And calling these down upon its head, he shall send it away, by means of a man prepared to do so, into the desert.


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And when the goat has carried all their iniquities into a solitary land, and has been released into the desert,


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Aaron shall return into the tabernacle of the testimony. And placing aside the vestments, which he had worn before when he entered into the Sanctuary, and leaving them there,


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he shall wash his flesh in the holy place, and he shall be clothed in his own garments. And departing afterwards, he shall present his own holocaust and that of the people: he shall pray as much for himself as for the people.


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Yet truly, he who has sent away the emissary goat shall wash his clothes and his body with water, and so he shall enter into the camp.


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But the calf and the he-goat, which were immolated for sin, and whose blood was brought into the Sanctuary to complete the expiation, these shall be carried outside the camp and be burned with fire: as with their skins, so also with their flesh and dung.


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And whoever will have burned them shall wash his clothes and flesh with water, and so he shall enter into the camp.


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And this shall be to you an everlasting ordinance. In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and you shall do no work, neither someone native born, nor the newcomer who sojourns among you.


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On this day, there shall be atonement for you, and also a cleansing from all your sins. You shall be cleansed in the sight of the Lord.


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And the priest who has been anointed, and whose hands have been consecrated to exercise the priesthood in the place of his father, shall make atonement. And he shall be clothed with the linen robe and the holy vestments.


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And he shall expiate the Sanctuary and the tabernacle of the testimony and the altar, likewise the priest and all the people.


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And this shall be to you a perpetual law, that you pray for the sons of Israel, and for all their sins once a year. Therefore, he did just as the Lord had instructed Moses.


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Speak to Aaron and his sons, and to all the sons of Israel, saying to them: This is the word, which the Lord has commanded, saying:


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Any man at all of the house of Israel, if he will have killed an ox, or a sheep, or a goat in the camp or beyond the camp,


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and not have presented it as an oblation to the Lord at the door of the tabernacle, he shall be guilty of blood. It is just as if he had shed blood; so then, he shall perish from the midst of his people.


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Therefore, the sons of Israel must offer to the priest their victims, which they kill in the field, so that they may be sanctified to the Lord before the door of the tabernacle of the testimony, and so that they may immolate them as peace offerings to the Lord.


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And the priest shall pour the blood upon the altar of the Lord, at the door of the tabernacle of the testimony, and he shall burn the fat as a sweet odor to the Lord.


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And they shall no longer immolate their victims to demons, with whom they have committed fornication. It shall be an everlasting ordinance for them and for their posterity.


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And you shall say to them: The man of the house of Israel, or of the newcomers who sojourn with you, who offers a holocaust or a victim,


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and who does not bring it to the door of the tabernacle of the testimony, so that it may be offered to the Lord, shall pass away from his people.


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Any man at all of the house of Israel, or of the newcomers who sojourn among them, if he has eaten blood, I will harden my face against his soul, and I will drive him from his people.


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For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you, so that you may atone with it upon the altar for your souls, and so that the blood may be for an expiation of the soul.


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For this reason, I have said to the sons of Israel: No soul among you shall eat blood, nor among the newcomers who sojourn with you.


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Any man at all from the sons of Israel, or from the newcomers who sojourn with you, whether by hunting or bird-catching, if he seizes a wild beast or a bird, which is lawful to eat, let him pour out its blood and cover the earth with it.


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For the life of all flesh is in the blood. Therefore, I said to the sons of Israel: You shall not eat the blood of any flesh at all, because the life of the flesh is in the blood, and whoever has eaten it shall perish.


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The soul who eats what has died on its own, or what has been caught by a beast, whether he is native born or a newcomer, shall wash his clothes and himself with water, and he shall be contaminated until evening. And by this means he shall be made clean.


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You shall not act according to the custom of the land of Egypt, in which you have lived; nor shall you behave according to the habit of the region of Canaan, into which I will lead you; neither shall you walk in their ordinances.


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You shall accomplish my judgments, and you shall observe my precepts, and you shall walk in them. I am the Lord your God.


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No man shall approach her who is a close blood-relative to him, so as to uncover her nakedness. I am the Lord.


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You shall not expose the nakedness of your father, or the nakedness of your mother. She is your mother; you shall not uncover her nakedness.


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You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, whether from father or from mother, whether she was born at home or abroad.


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You shall not uncover the nakedness of your son’s daughter, or your daughter’s daughter; for it is your own nakedness.


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You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter, whom she bore to your father, and who is your sister.


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You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister, because she is the flesh of your mother.


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You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s brother, nor shall you approach his wife, who is joined to you by affinity.


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You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law, for she is your son’s wife; neither shall you expose her dishonor.


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You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife; for it is the nakedness of your brother.


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You shall not uncover the nakedness of your wife and her daughter. You shall not take her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter, so as to uncover her dishonor; for they are her flesh, and such sexual intercourse is incest.


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You shall not take your wife’s sister as a rival mistress; nor shall you uncover her nakedness, while your wife is still living.


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You shall not have sexual intercourse with your neighbor’s wife, nor shall you be defiled by the mingling of seed.


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You shall not give some of your seed to be consecrated to the idol Moloch, nor to pollute the name of your God. I am the Lord.


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You shall not commit sexual acts with a male, in place of sexual intercourse with a female, for this is an abomination.


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You shall not commit sexual acts with any animal, nor shall you be defiled by it. A woman shall not lie down with a beast, nor commit sexual acts with it; for this is wickedness.


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Do not pollute yourselves with any of these things, by which all of the nations, which I will cast out in your sight, have been contaminated


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and by which the land has been polluted. I will visit the wickedness of the land, so that it may vomit out its inhabitants.


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Keep my ordinances and judgments, and do not do any of these abominations: the native born, as well as the settler, who sojourns among you.


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For all these detestable things were done by the inhabitants of the land who were here before you, and they have polluted it.


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Therefore, beware, lest in a similar manner, it may vomit you out as well, if you do these same things, just as it vomited out the people who were before you.


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Keep my commandments. Do not be willing to do the things which have been done by those who were before you, and do not be polluted by these things. I am the Lord your God.


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Speak to the entire assembly of the sons of Israel, and you shall say to them: Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy.


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Do not be willing to convert to idols, neither should you make molten gods for yourselves. I am the Lord your God.


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you shall eat it on the same day as when it was immolated, and the next day. Then whatever will remain on the third day you shall burn with fire.


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And he shall bear his iniquity, for he has polluted what is holy to the Lord. And that soul shall perish from his people.


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When you will have harvested the grain fields of your land, you shall not cut it down to the surface of the land, even to the ground, nor shall you gather the remaining ears of grain.


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Neither shall you gather the clusters or individual grapes which fall down in your vineyard, but you shall leave them for paupers and travelers to take. I am the Lord your God.


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You shall not slander your neighbor, nor shall you oppress him by violence. The wages of a hired hand, you shall not delay with you until tomorrow.


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You shall not speak evil of the deaf, nor shall you place a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear the Lord your God, for I am the Lord.


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You shall not do what is unjust, nor shall you judge unjustly. You shall not consider the reputation of the poor, nor shall you honor the countenance of the powerful. Judge your neighbor justly.


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You shall not be a detractor, nor a whisperer, among the people. You shall not stand against the blood of your neighbor. I am the Lord.


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Do not seek revenge, neither should you be mindful of the injury of your fellow citizens. You shall love your friend as yourself. I am the Lord.


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Observe my laws. You shall not cause your cattle to breed with other kinds of animals. You shall not sow your field with diverse seeds. You shall not be clothed with a garment which has been woven from two things.


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If a man will have slept in sexual intercourse with a woman, who is a servant and who is also able to be married, and yet he has not redeemed her with a price, nor paid to set her free, they both shall be beaten, but they shall not die, for she was not a free woman.


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But, for his offense, he shall offer a ram to the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of the testimony.


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And the priest shall pray for him, and for his sin, before the Lord, and he shall win his favor again for him, and the sin shall be forgiven.


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When you will have entered into the land, and will have planted in it fruit trees, you shall take away their first-fruits; the fruit that germinates shall be unclean to you, neither shall you eat from these.


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And in the fifth year you shall eat the produce, gathering the fruits which are brought forth. I am the Lord your God.


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You shall not cut your flesh for the dead, and you shall not make other figures or marks on yourself. I am the Lord.


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Do not turn aside to astrologers, nor consult with soothsayers, so as to be polluted through them. I am the Lord your God.


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Rise up in the presence of a gray-haired head, and honor the reputation of an elder, and fear the Lord your God. I am the Lord.


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but let him be among you like one native born. And you shall love him as yourselves. For you were also newcomers in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.


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Let the scales be just and the weights equal, let the dry measure be just and the liquid measure be equal. I am the Lord your God, who led you away from the land of Egypt.


text:
You shall speak these things to the sons of Israel: A man among the sons Israel, or among the newcomers who live in Israel, if he will have given from his seed to the idol Moloch, he shall be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him.


text:
And I will set my face against him. And I will cut him down from the midst of his people, because he has given from his seed to Moloch, and he has contaminated my Sanctuary, and polluted my holy name.


text:
But if the people of the land, having been neglectful and holding little regard for my authority, release the man who has given from his seed to Moloch, and they are not willing to kill him,


text:
I will set my face over that man and over his kindred, and I will cut down both him and all who consented with him to fornicate with Moloch, from the midst of their people.


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The soul who will have turned aside to astrologers and soothsayers, and who will have fornicated with them, I will set my face against him, and I will destroy him from the midst of his people.


text:
Whoever curses his father or mother shall die a death; he has cursed his father and mother. So let his blood be upon him.


text:
If anyone will have committed sexual acts with the wife of another, or will have perpetrated adultery with his neighbor’s spouse, they shall die a death, both the adulterer and the adulteress.


text:
Whoever will have slept with his stepmother, or will have uncovered the shame of his father, they shall both die a death. So let their blood be upon them.


text:
If any man will have slept with his daughter-in-law, both shall die, for they have acted according to wickedness. So let their blood be upon them.


text:
If any man has slept with a male in place of sexual intercourse with a female, both have committed a nefarious act, they shall die a death. So let their blood be upon them.


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If any man, having taken the daughter as a wife, will have married her mother, he has acted according to wickedness. He shall be burnt alive with them. Neither shall so great a nefarious act persist in your midst.


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Whoever will have committed sexual acts with any animal or cattle, he shall die a death. Likewise, you shall slay the beast.


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The woman who will have lain under any animal at all shall be destroyed together with it. So let their blood be upon them.


text:
Whoever will have taken his sister, the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother, and will have seen her nakedness, and she will have looked upon her brother’s shame, they have committed a nefarious act. They shall be slain in the sight of their people, because they have uncovered one another’s nakedness. And they shall bear their iniquity.


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Whoever has sexual intercourse with a woman in her menstrual flow, and has uncovered her nakedness, and she has opened the fountain of her blood, both shall be destroyed from the midst of their people.


text:
You shall not expose the nakedness of your maternal or paternal aunt. Whoever does this has laid bare the shame of his own flesh; both shall bear their iniquity.


text:
If any man has had sexual intercourse with the wife of his paternal or maternal uncle, and he has uncovered the shame of his close relative, both shall bear their sin. They shall die without children.


text:
Whoever will have married his brother’s wife has done an unlawful thing; he has uncovered his brother’s nakedness. They shall be without children.


text:
Observe my laws as well as my judgments, and act according to them, lest the land, into which you will enter and live, may vomit you out, too.


text:
Do not be willing to walk by the ordinances of the nations, which I will expel before you. For they have done all these things, and so I abominate them.


text:
But I say to you: Possess their land, which I will give to you as an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey. I am the Lord your God, who has separated you from the other peoples.


text:
Therefore, you must also separate the clean animals from the unclean, and the clean birds from the unclean. Do not pollute your souls with cattle, or birds, or anything that moves upon the earth, and which I have shown you to be unclean.


text:
You shall be holy unto me, because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have separated you from the other peoples, so that you would be mine.


text:
A man or a woman, in whom there is an oracle-like or a divining spirit, shall be put to death. They shall stone them. So let their blood be upon them.


text:
The Lord also said to Moses: Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and you shall say to them: Do not allow a priest to be contaminated by the death of his citizens,


text:
except only by his blood-relatives and near-relatives, that is, by a father or mother, or by a son or daughter, or also a brother,


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Neither shall they shave their head or their beard, and they shall not make incisions in their flesh.


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They shall be holy to their God, and they shall not pollute his name. For they offer the incense of the Lord and the bread of their God, and because of this they shall be holy.


text:
They shall not take as a wife a promiscuous woman, or a prostitute, or her who has been repudiated by her husband. For they are consecrated to their God,


text:
and they offer the bread of the presence. Therefore, let them be holy, for I also am holy: the Lord, who sanctifies them.


text:
If the daughter of a priest will have been taken into prostitution, and will have violated the name of her father, she shall be consumed by fire.


text:
The high priest, that is, the priest who is the greatest among his brothers, upon whose head the oil of anointing has been poured, and whose hands have been consecrated for the priesthood, and who has been vested with the holy vestments: he shall not expose his head; he shall not rend his vestments.


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And he shall not enter to any dead body whatsoever; likewise, not even by his father or mother shall he be contaminated.


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Neither shall he exit from the holy places, lest he pollute the Sanctuary of the Lord. For the oil of the holy anointing of his God is upon him. I am the Lord.


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But a widow, or one who has been repudiated or defiled, or also a mistress, he shall not accept, but only a maiden from among his own people.


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He shall not mingle the stock of his family with the common people of his nation. For I am the Lord, who sanctifies him.


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Say to Aaron: A man from your offspring, throughout their families, who has a blemish, shall not offer the bread to his God.


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Neither shall he approach to minister to him: if he is blind, if he is lame, if he is small, or large, or has a crooked nose,


text:
if he has a bulging back or bleary eyes, or if he has a white spot in his eye, or a chronic scab, or a skin disease on his body, or a hernia.


text:
Anyone from the offspring of Aaron, the priest, who has a blemish, shall not approach to offer sacrifices to the Lord, nor the bread to his God.


text:
But even so, he may not enter within the veil, nor approach to the altar. For he has a blemish, and he must not contaminate my Sanctuary. I am the Lord, who sanctifies them.


text:
Therefore, Moses spoke to Aaron, and to his sons, and to all of Israel, everything that had been commanded to him.


text:
Speak to Aaron and to his sons, so that they may be careful of those things which have been consecrated for the sons of Israel, and so that they may not contaminate the name of the things sanctified to me, which they offer. I am the Lord.


text:
Say to them and to their posterity: Every man of your stock, who approaches toward those things which have been consecrated, and which the sons of Israel have brought forward to the Lord, in whom there is uncleanness, shall perish before the Lord. I am the Lord.


text:
The man of the offspring of Aaron, who is a leper or who is suffering a flow of seed, shall not eat of those things which have been sanctified to me, until he is healed. Whoever will have touched what is unclean because of the dead, and he whose seed goes out from him, as if from sexual intercourse,


text:
and whoever has touched a creeping thing, or any kind of unclean thing, the touching of which is filthy,


text:
shall be unclean until evening, and shall not eat those things which have been sanctified. But when he has washed his flesh with water,


text:
and the sun has set, then, having been purified, he shall eat from what has been sanctified, because it is his food.


text:
Whatever dies on its own, and whatever has been seized by a wild beast, they shall not eat, nor shall they be polluted by these. I am the Lord.


text:
Let them observe my precepts, so that they may not fall under sin, and die in the Sanctuary, when they will have defiled it. I am the Lord, who sanctifies them.


text:
No foreigner shall eat from what has been sanctified; a guest of the priests and a hired servant shall not eat from them.


text:
But whomever the priest has bought, and whoever has been born into his house, these shall eat from them.


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If the daughter of a priest has been married to any of the people, she shall not eat from what has been sanctified, nor from the first-fruits.


text:
But if she is a widow or divorced, and, being without children, she returns to her father’s house, she shall be nourished by her father’s foods, just as she was accustomed to do as a girl. No foreigner shall have the authority to eat from them.


text:
Whoever, through ignorance, eats from what has been sanctified shall add a fifth part to that which he ate, and he shall give it to the priest at the Sanctuary.


text:
And they shall not contaminate what has been sanctified from the sons of Israel, which they offer to the Lord,


text:
lest perhaps they may suffer the iniquity of their offense, when they will have eaten what has been sanctified. I am the Lord, who sanctifies them.


text:
Speak to Aaron, and to his sons, and to all the sons of Israel, and you shall say to them: The man from the house of Israel, or from the newcomers who live with you, who would bring forward his oblation, either fulfilling his vows or offering spontaneously, whatever he brings forward as a holocaust for the Lord,


