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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/8301.txt b/8301.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..405eb10 --- /dev/null +++ b/8301.txt @@ -0,0 +1,6234 @@ +Project Gutenberg EBook The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Book 1: Genesis + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the +copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing +this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook. + +This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project +Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do not change or edit the +header without written permission. + +Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the +eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of this file. Included is +important information about your specific rights and restrictions in +how the file may be used. You can also find out about how to make a +donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**EBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*****These EBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers***** + + + +Title: The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Book 1: Genesis + The Challoner Revision + +Release Date: June, 2005 [EBook #8301] +[Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] +[This file was first posted on July 4, 2003] + + +Edition: 10 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + + + + +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, THE BIBLE, DOUAY-RHEIMS, BOOK 1*** + + + + +This eBook was produced by David Widger +from etext #1581 prepared by Dennis McCarthy, Atlanta, Georgia +and Tad Book, student, Pontifical North American College, Rome. + + + + + +THE HOLY BIBLE + + + + +Translated from the Latin Vulgate + + +Diligently Compared with the Hebrew, Greek, +and Other Editions in Divers Languages + + +THE OLD TESTAMENT +First Published by the English College at Douay +A.D. 1609 & 1610 + +and + +THE NEW TESTAMENT +First Published by the English College at Rheims +A.D. 1582 + + +With Annotations + + +The Whole Revised and Diligently Compared with +the Latin Vulgate by Bishop Richard Challoner +A.D. 1749-1752 + + + +HISTORY + + +This e-text comes from multiple editions of Challoner's revised Douay- +Rheims Version of the Holy Bible. In 1568 English exiles, many from +Oxford, established the English College of Douay (Douai/Doway), Flanders, +under William (later Cardinal) Allen. In October, 1578, Gregory Martin +began the work of preparing an English translation of the Bible for +Catholic readers, the first such translation into Modern English. +Assisting were William Allen, Richard Bristow, Thomas Worthington, and +William Reynolds who revised, criticized, and corrected Dr. Martin's +work. The college published the New Testament at Rheims (Reims/Rhemes), +France, in 1582 through John Fogny with a preface and explanatory notes, +authored chiefly by Bristol, Allen, and Worthington. Later the Old +Testament was published at Douay in two parts (1609 and 1610) by Laurence +Kellam through the efforts of Dr. Worthington, then superior of the +seminary. The translation had been prepared before the appearance of the +New Testament, but the publication was delayed due to financial +difficulties. The religious and scholarly adherence to the Latin Vulgate +text led to the less elegant and idiomatic words and phrases often found +in the translation. In some instances where no English word conveyed the +full meaning of the Latin, a Latin word was Anglicized and its meaning +defined in a glossary. Although ridiculed by critics, many of these +words later found common usage in the English language. Spellings of +proper names and the numbering of the Psalms are adopted from the Latin +Vulgate. + +In 1749 Dr. Richard Challoner began a major revision of the Douay and +Rheims texts, the spellings and phrasing of which had become increasingly +archaic in the almost two centuries since the translations were first +produced. He modernized the diction and introduced a more fluid style, +while faithfully maintaining the accuracy of Dr. Martin's texts. This +revision became the 'de facto' standard text for English speaking +Catholics until the twentieth century. It is still highly regarded by +many for its style, although it is now rarely used for liturgical +purposes. The notes included in this electronic edition are generally +attributed to Bishop Challoner. + + + + + +CONTENTS + + +The Old Testament + + Book of Genesis + Book of Exodus + Book of Leviticus + Book of Numbers + Book of Deuteronomy + Book of Josue + Book of Judges + Book of Ruth + First Book of Samuel, alias 1 Kings + Second Book of Samuel, alias 2 Kings + Third Book of Kings + Fourth Book of Kings + First Book of Paralipomenon + Second Book of Paralipomenon + First Book of Esdras + Book of Nehemias, alias 2 Esdras + Book of Tobias + Book of Judith + Book of Esther + Book of Job + Book of Psalms + Book of Proverbs + Ecclesiastes + Solomon's Canticle of Canticles + Book of Wisdom + Ecclesiasticus + Prophecy of Isaias + Prophecy of Jeremias + Lamentations of Jeremias + Prophecy of Baruch + Prophecy of Ezechiel + Prophecy of Daniel + Prophecy of Osee + Prophecy of Joel + Prophecy of Amos + Prophecy of Abdias + Prophecy of Jonas + Prophecy of Micheas + Prophecy of Nahum + Prophecy of Habacuc + Prophecy of Sophonias + Prophecy of Aggeus + Prophecy of Zacharias + Prophecy of Malachias + First Book of Machabees + Second Book of Machabees + + +The New Testament + + Gospel According to St. Matthew + Gospel According to St. Mark + Gospel According to St. Luke + Gospel According to St. John + Acts of the Apostles + Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans + First Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians + Second Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians + Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians + Epistle of St. Paul to the Ephesians + Epistle of St. Paul to the Philippians + Epistle of St. Paul to the Colossians + First Epistle of St. Paul to the Thessalonians + Second Epistle of St. Paul to the Thessalonians + First Epistle of St. Paul to Timothy + Second Epistle of St. Paul to Timothy + Epistle of St. Paul to Titus + Epistle of St. Paul to Philemon + Epistle of St. Paul to the Hebrews + Catholic Epistle of St. James the Apostle + First Epistle of St. Peter the Apostle + Second Epistle of St. Peter the Apostle + First Epistle of St. John the Apostle + Second Epistle of St. John the Apostle + Third Epistle of St. John the Apostle + Catholic Epistle of St. Jude the Apostle + Apocalypse of St. John the Apostle + + + + + +THE BOOK OF GENESIS + +This book is so called from its treating of the GENERATION, that is, +of the creation and the beginning of the world. The Hebrews call it +BERESITH, from the Word with which it begins. It contains not only +the history of the Creation of the world; but also an account of its +progress during the space of 2369 years, that is, until the death of +JOSEPH. + + +Genesis Chapter 1 + +God createth Heaven and Earth, and all things therein, in six days. + +1:1. In the beginning God created heaven, and earth. + +1:2. And the earth was void and empty, and darkness was upon the face of +the deep; and the spirit of God moved over the waters. + +1:3. And God said: Be light made. And light was made. + +1:4. And God saw the light that it was good; and he divided the light +from the darkness. + +1:5. And he called the light Day, and the darkness Night; and there was +evening and morning one day. + +1:6. And God said: Let there be a firmament made amidst the waters: and +let it divide the waters from the waters. + +A firmament... By this name is here understood the whole space between +the earth, and the highest stars. The lower part of which divideth the +waters that are upon the earth, from those that are above in the clouds. + +1:7. And god made a firmament, and divided the waters that were under +the firmament, from those that were above the firmament, and it was so. + +1:8. And God called the firmament, Heaven; and the evening and morning +were the second day. + +1:9. God also said; Let the waters that are under the heaven, be +gathered together into one place: and let the dry land appear. And it +was so done. + +1:10. And God called the dry land, Earth; and the gathering together of +the waters, he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. + +1:11. And he said: let the earth bring forth green herb, and such as may +seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after its kind, which may have +seed in itself upon the earth. And it was so done. + +1:12. And the earth brought forth the green herb, and such as yieldeth +seed according to its kind, and the tree that beareth fruit, having seed +each one according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. + +1:13. And the evening and the morning were the third day. + +1:14. And God said: Let there be lights made in the firmament of heaven, +to divide the day and the night, and let them be for signs, and for +seasons, and for days and years: + +1:15. To shine in the firmament of heaven, and to give light upon the +earth, and it was so done. + +1:16. And God made two great lights: a greater light to rule the day; +and a lesser light to rule the night: and The stars. + +Two great lights... God created on the first day, light, which being +moved from east to west, by its rising and setting, made morning and +evening. But on the fourth day he ordered and distributed this light, +and made the sun, moon, and stars. The moon, though much less than the +stars, is here called a great light, from its giving a far greater light +to the earth than any of them. + +1:17. And he set them in the firmament of heaven to shine upon the +earth. + +1:18. And to rule the day and the night, and to divide the light and the +darkness. And God saw that it was good. + +1:19. And the evening and morning were the fourth day. + +1:20. God also said: let the waters bring forth the creeping creature +having life, and the fowl that may fly over the earth under the +firmament of heaven. + +1:21. And God created the great whales, and every living and moving +creature, which the waaters brought forth, according to their kinds, and +every winged fowl according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. + +1:22. And he blessed them, saying: Increase and multiply, and fill the +waters of the sea: and let the birds be multiplied upon the earth. + +1:23. And the evening and morning were the fifth day. + +1:24. And God said: Let the earth bring forth the living creature in its +kind, cattle and creeping things, and beasts of the earth, according to +their kinds. And it was so done. + +1:25. And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds, and +cattle, and every thing that creepeth on the earth after its kind. And +God saw that it was good. + +1:26. And he said: Let us make man to our image and likeness: and let +him have dominion over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air, +and the beasts, and the whole earth, and every creeping creature that +moveth upon the earth. + +Let us make man to our image... This image of God in man, is not in the +body, but in the soul; which is a spiritual substance, endued with +understanding and free will. God speaketh here in the plural number, to +insinuate the plurality of persons in the Deity. + +1:27. And God created man to his own image: to the image of God he +created him: male and female he created them. + +1:28. And God blessed them, saying: Increase and multiply, and fill the +earth, and subdue it, and rule over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls +of the air, and all living creatures that move upon the earth. + +Increase and multiply... This is not a precept, as some Protestant +controvertists would have it, but a blessing, rendering them fruitful; +for God had said the same words to the fishes, and birds, (ver. 22) who +were incapable of receiving a precept. + +1:29. And God said: Behold I have given you every herb bearing seed upon +the earth, and all trees that have in themselves seed of their own kind, +to be your meat: + +1:30. And to all beasts of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and +to all that move upon the earth, and wherein there is life, that they +may have to feed upon. And it was so done. + +1:31. And God saw all the things that he had made, and they were very +good. And the evening and morning were the sixth day. + +Genesis Chapter 2 + +God resteth on the seventh day and blesseth it. The earthly paradise, in +which God placeth man. He commandeth him not to eat of the tree of +knowledge. And formeth a woman of his rib. + +2:1. So the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the furniture +of them. + +2:2. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made: and he +rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done. + +He rested, etc... That is, he ceased to make or create any new kinds of +things. Though, as our Lord tells us, John 5.17, "He still worketh", +viz., by conserving and governing all things, and creating souls. + +2:3. And he blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because in it he +had rested from all his work which God created and made. + +2:4. These are the generations of the heaven and the earth, when they +were created, in the day that the Lord God made the heaven and the +earth: + +2:5. And every plant of the field before it sprung up in the earth, and +every herb of the ground before it grew: for the Lord God had not rained +upon the earth; and there was not a man to till the earth. + +2:6. But a spring rose out of the earth, watering all the surface of the +earth. + +2:7. And the Lord God formed man of the slime of the earth: and breathed +into his face the breath of life, and man became a living soul. + +2:8. And the Lord God had planted a paradise of pleasure from the +beginning: wherein he placed man whom he had formed. + +2:9. And the Lord God brought forth of the ground all manner of trees, +fair to behold, and pleasant to eat of: the tree of life also in the +midst of paradise: and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. + +The tree of life... So called because it had that quality, that by +eating of the fruit of it, man would have been preserved in a constant +state of health, vigour, and strength, and would not have died at all. +The tree of knowledge... To which the deceitful serpent falsely +attributed the power of imparting a superior kind of knowledge, beyond +that which God was pleased to give. + +2:10. And a river went out of the place of pleasure to water paradise, +which from thence is divided into four heads. + +2:11. The name of the one is Phison: that is it which compasseth all the +land of Hevilath, where gold groweth. + +2:12. And the gold of that land is very good: there is found bdellium, +and the onyx stone. + +2:13. And the name of the second river is Gehon: the same is it that +compasseth all the land of Ethiopia. + +2:14. And the name of the third river is Tigris: the same passeth along +by the Assyrians. And the fourth river is Euphrates. + +2:15. And the Lord God took man, and put him into the paradise of +pleasure, to dress it, and to keep it. + +2:16. And he commanded him, saying: Of every tree of paradise thou shalt +eat: + +2:17. But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat. +For in what day soever thou shalt eat of it, thou shalt die the death. + +2:18. And the Lord God said: It is not good for man to be alone: let us +make him a help like unto himself. + +2:19. And the Lord God having formed out of the ground all the beasts of +the earth, and all the fowls of the air, brought them to Adam to see +what he would call them: for whatsoever Adam called any living creature +the same is its name. + +2:20. And Adam called all the beasts by their names, and all the fowls +of the air, and all the cattle of the field: but for Adam there was not +found a helper like himself. + +2:21. Then the Lord God cast a deep sleep upon Adam: and when he was +fast asleep, he took one of his ribs, and filled up flesh for it. + +2:22. And the Lord God built the rib which he took from Adam into a +woman: and brought her to Adam. + +2:23. And Adam said: This now is bone of my bones, and flesh of my +flesh; she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man. + +2:24. Wherefore a man shall leave father and mother, and shall cleave to +his wife: and they shall be two in one flesh. + +2:25. And they were both naked: to wit, Adam and his wife: and were not +ashamed. + +Genesis Chapter 3 + +The serpent's craft. The fall of our first parents. Their punishment. +The promise of a Redeemer. + +3:1. Now the serpent was more subtle tha any of the beasts of the earth +which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman: Why hath God +commanded you, that you should not eat of every tree of paradise? + +3:2. And the woman answered him, saying: Of the fruit of the trees that +are in paradise we do eat: + +3:3. But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of paradise, God +hath commanded us that we should not eat; and that we should not touch +it, lest perhaps we die. + +3:4. And the serpent said to the woman: No, you shall not die the death. + +3:5. For God doth know that in what day soever you shall eat thereof, +your eyes shall be opened: and you shall be as Gods, knowing good and +evil. + +3:6. And the woman saw that the tree was good to eat, and fair to the +eyes, and delightful to behold: and she took of the fruit thereof, and +did eat, and gave to her husband, who did eat. + +3:7. And the eyes of them both were opened: and when they perceived +themselves to be naked, they sewed together fig leaves, and made +themselves aprons. + +And the eyes, etc... Not that they were blind before, (for the woman saw +that the tree was fair to the eyes, ver. 6.) nor yet that their eyes +were opened to any more perfect knowledge of good; but only to the +unhappy experience of having lost the good of original grace and +innocence, and incurred the dreadful evil of sin. From whence followed a +shame of their being naked; which they minded not before; because being +now stript of original grace, they quickly began to be subject to the +shameful rebellions of the flesh. + +3:8. And when they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in paradise +at the afternoon air, Adam and his wife hid themselves from the face of +the Lord God, amidst the trees of paradise. + +3:9. And the Lord God called Adam, and said to him: Where art thou? + +3:10. And he said: I heard thy voice in paradise; and I was afraid, +because I was naked, and I hid myself. + +3:11. And he said to him: And who hath told thee that thou wast naked, +but that thou hast eaten of the tree whereof I commanded thee that thou +shouldst not eat? + +3:12. And Adam said: The woman, whom thou gavest me to be my companion, +gave me of the tree, and I did eat. + +3:13. And the Lord God said to the woman: Why hast thou done this? And +she answered: The serpent deceived me, and I did eat. + +3:14. And the Lord God said to the serpent: Because thou hast done this +thing, thou art cursed among all cattle, and beasts of the earth: upon +thy breast shalt thou go, and earth shalt thou eat all the days of thy +life. + +3:15. I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and +her seed: she shall cursh thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her +heel. + +She shall crush... Ipsa, the woman; so divers of the fathers read this +place, conformably to the Latin: others read it ipsum, viz., the seed. +The sense is the same: for it is by her seed, Jesus Christ, that the +woman crushes the serpent's head. + +3:16. To the woman also he said: I will multiply thy sorrows, and thy +conceptions: in sorrow shalt thou bring forth children, and thou shalt +be under thy husband's power, and he shall have dominion over thee. + +3:17. And to Adam he said: Because thou hast hearkened to the voice of +thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee, that +thou shouldst not eat, cursed is the earth in thy work: with labour and +toil shalt thou eat thereof all the days of thy life. + +3:18. Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to thee, and thou shalt +eat the herbs of the earth. + +3:19. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou return to +the earth out of which thou wast taken: for dust thou art, and into dust +thou shalt return. + +3:20. And Adam called the name of his wife Eve: because she was the +mother of all the living. + +3:21. And the Lord God made for Adam and his wife garments of skins, and +clothed them. + +3:22. And he said: Behold Adam is become as one of us, knowing good and +evil: now therefore lest perhaps he put forth his hand and take also of +the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever. + +Behold Adam, etc... This was spoken by way of reproaching him with his +pride, in affecting a knowledge that might make him like to God. + +3:23. And the Lord God sent him out of the paradise of pleasure, to till +the earth from which he was taken. + +3:24. And he cast out Adam: and placed before the paradise of pleasure +Cherubims, and a flaming sword, turning every way, to keep the way of +the tree of life. + +Genesis Chapter 4 + +The history of Cain and Abel. + +4:1. And Adam knew Eve his wife; who conceived and brought forth Cain, +saying: I have gotten a man through God. + +4:2. And again she brought forth his brother Abel. And Abel was a +shepherd, and Cain a husbandman. + +4:3. And it came to pass after many days, that Cain offered, of the +fruits of the earth, gifts to the Lord. + +4:4. Abel also offered of the firstlings of his flock, and of their fat: +and the Lord had respect to Abel, and to his offerings. + +Had respect... That is, shewed his acceptance of his sacrifice (as +coming from a heart full of devotion): and that, as we may suppose, by +some visible token, such as sending fire from heaven upon his offerings. + +4:5. But to Cain and his offerings he had no respect: and Cain was +exceeding angry, and his countenance fell. + +4:6. And the Lord said to him: Why art thou angry? and why is thy +countenance fallen? + +4:7. If thou do well, shalt thou not receive? but if ill, shall not sin +forthwith be present at the door? but the lust thereof shall be under +thee, and thou shalt have dominion over it. + +4:8. And Cain said to Abel his brother: Let us go forth abroad. And when +they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and slew +him. + +4:9. And the Lord said to Cain: Where is thy brother Abel? And he +answered: I know not: am I my brother's keeper? + +4:10. And he said to him: What hast thou done? the voice of thy +brother's blood crieth to me from the earth. + +4:11. Now therefore cursed shalt thou be upon the earth, which hath +opened her mouth and recieved the blood of thy brother at thy hand. + +4:12. When thou shalt till it, it shall not yield to thee its fruit: a +fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be upon the earth. + +4:13. And Cain said to the Lord: My iniquity is greater than that I may +deserve pardon. + +4:14. Behold thou dost cast me out this day from the face of the earth, +and from thy face I shall be hid, and I shall be a vagabond and a +fugitive on the earth: every one therefore that findeth me, shall kill +me. + +Every one that findeth me shall kill me... His guilty conscience made +him fear his own brothers and nephews; of whom, by this time, there might +be a good number upon the earth; which had now endured near 130 years; +as may be gathered from Gen. 5.3, compared with chap. 4.25, though in +the compendious account given in the scriptures, only Cain and Abel are +mentioned. + +4:15. And the Lord said to him: No, it shall not so be: but whosoever +shall kill Cain, shall be punished sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark +upon Cain, that whosoever found him should not kill him. + +Set a mark, etc... The more common opinion of the interpreters of holy +writ supposes this mark to have been a trembling of the body; or a +horror and consternation in his countenance. + +4:16. And Cain went out from the face of the Lord, and dwelt as a +fugitive on the earth at the east side of Eden. + +4:17. And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived, and brought forth +Henoch: and he built a city, and called the name thereof by the name of +his son Henoch. + +His wife... She was a daughter of Adam, and Cain's own sister; God +dispensing with such marriages in the beginning of the world, as mankind +could not otherwise be propagated. He built a city, viz... In process of +time, when his race was multiplied, so as to be numerous enough to +people it. For in the many hundred years he lived, his race might be +multiplied even to millions. + +4:18. And Henoch begot Irad, and Irad begot Maviael, and Maviael begot +Mathusael, and Mathusael begot Lamech, + +4:19. Who took two wives: the name of the one was Ada, and the name of +the other Sella. + +4:20. And Ada brought forth Jabel: who was the father of such as dwell +in tents, and of herdsmen. + +4:21. And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of them that +play upon the harp and the organs. + +4:22. Sella also brought forth Tubalcain, who was a hammerer and +artificer in every work of brass and iron. And the sister of Tubalcain +was Noema. + +4:23. And Lamech said to his wives Ada and Sella: Hear my voice, ye +wives of Lamech, hearken to my speech: for I have slain a man to the +wounding of myself, and a stripling to my own bruising. + +I have slain a man, etc... It is the tradition of the Hebrews, that +Lamech in hunting slew Cain, mistaking him for a wild beast; and that +having discovered what he had done, he beat so unmercifully the youth, +by whom he was led into that mistake, that he died of the blows. + +4:24. Sevenfold vengeance shall be taken for Cain: but for Lamech +seventy times sevenfold. + +4:25. Adam also knew his wife again: and she brought forth a son, and +called his name Seth, saying: God hath given me another seed for Abel, +whom Cain slew. + +4:26. But to Seth also was born a son, whom he called Enos: this man +began to call upon the name of the Lord. + +Began to call upon, etc... Not that Adam and Seth had not called upon +God, before the birth of Enos; but that Enos used more solemnity in the +worship and invocation of God. + +Genesis Chapter 5 + +The genealogy, age, and death of the Patriarchs, from Adam to Noe. The +translation of Henoch. + +5:1. This is the book of the generation of Adam. In the day that God +created man, he made him to the likeness of God. + +5:2. He created them male and female; and blessed them: and called their +name Adam, in the day when they were created. + +5:3. And Adam lived a hundred and thirty years, and begot a son to his +own image and likeness, and called his name Seth. + +5:4. And the days of Adam, after he begot Seth, were eight hundred +years: and he begot sons and daughters. + +5:5. And all the time that Adam lived, came to nine hundred and thirty +years, and he died. + +5:6. Seth also lived a hundred and five years, and begot Enos. + +5:7. And Seth lived after he begot Enos, eight hundred and seven years, +and begot sons and daughters. + +5:8. And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years, and he +died. + +5:9. And Enos lived ninety years, and begot Cainan. + +5:10. After whose birth he lived eight hundred and fifteen years, and +begot sons and daughters. + +5:11. And all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years, and he +died. + +5:12. And Cainan lived seventy years, and begot Malaleel. + +5:13. And Cainan lived after he begot Malaleel, eight hundred and forty +years, and begot sons and daughters. + +5:14. And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years, and he +died. + +5:15. And Malaleel lived sixty-five years and begot Jared. + +5:16. And Malaleel lived after he begot Jared, eight hundred and thirty +years, and begot sons and daughters. + +5:17. And all the days of Malaleel were eight hundred and ninety-five +years, and he died. + +5:18. And Jared lived a hundred and sixty-two years, and begot Henoch. + +5:19. And Jared lived after he begot Henoch, eight hundred years, and +begot sons and daughters. + +5:20. And all the days of Jared were nine hundred and sixty-two years, +and he died. + +5:21. And Henoch lived sixty-five years, and begot Mathusala. + +5:22. And Henoch walked with God: and lived after he begot Mathusala, +three hundred years, and begot sons and daughters. + +5:23. And all the days of Henoch were three hundred and sixty-five +years. + +5:24. And he walked with God, and was seen no more: because God took +him. + +5:25. And Mathusala lived a hundred and eighty-seven years, and begot +Lamech. + +5:26. And Mathlusala lived after he begot Lamech, seven hundred and +eighty-two years, and begot sons and daughters. + +5:27. And all the days of Mathusala were nine hundred and sixty-nine +years, and he died. + +5:28. And Lamech lived a hundred and eighty-two years, and begot a son. + +5:29. And he called his name Noe, saying: This same shall comfort us +from the works and labours of our hands on the earth, which the Lord +hath cursed. + +5:30. And Lamech lived after he begot Noe, five hundred and ninety-five +years, and begot sons and daughters. + +5:31. And all the days of Lamech came to seven hundred and seventy-seven +years, and he died. And Noe, when he was five hundred years old, begot +Sem, Cham, and Japheth. + +Genesis Chapter 6 + +Man's sin is the cause of the deluge. Noe is commanded to build the ark. + +6:1. And after that men began to be multiplied upon the earth, and +daughters were born to them, + +6:2. The sons of God seeing the daughters of men, that they were fair, +took to themselves wives of all which they chose. + +The sons of God... The descendants of Seth and Enos are here called sons +of God from their religion and piety: whereas the ungodly race of Cain, +who by their carnal affections lay grovelling upon the earth, are called +the children of men. The unhappy consequence of the former marrying with +the latter, ought to be a warning to Christians to be very circumspect +in their marriages; and not to suffer themselves to be determined in +their choice by their carnal passion, to the prejudice of virtue or +religion. + +6:3. And God said: My spirit shall not remain in man for ever, because +he is flesh, and his days shall be a hundred and twenty years. + +His days shall be, etc... The meaning is, that man's days, which before +the flood were usually 900 years, should now be reduced to 120 years. Or +rather, that God would allow men this term of 120 years, for their +repentance and conversion, before he would send the deluge. + +6:4. Now giants were upon the earth in those days. For after the sons of +God went in to the daughters of men, and they brought forth children, +these are the mighty men of old, men of renown. + +Giants... It is likely the generality of men before the flood were of a +gigantic stature in comparison with what men now are. But these here +spoken of are called giants, as being not only tall in stature, but +violent and savage in their dispositions, and mere monsters of cruelty +and lust. + +6:5. And God seeing that the wickedness of men was great on the earth, +and that all the thought of their heart was bent upon evil at all times, + +6:6. It repented him that he had made man on the earth. And being +touched inwardly with sorrow of heart, + +It repented him, etc... God, who is unchangeable, is not capable of +repentance, grief, or any other passion. But these expressions are used +to declare the enormity of the sins of men, which was so provoking as to +determine their Creator to destroy these his creatures, whom before he +had so much favoured. + +6:7. He said: I will destroy man, whom I have created, from the face of +the earth, from man even to beasts, from the creeping thing even to the +fowls of the air, for it repenteth me that I have made them. + +6:8. But Noe found grace before the Lord. + +6:9. These are the generations of Noe: Noe was a just and perfect man in +his generations, he walked with God. + +6:10. And he begot three sons, Sem, Cham, and Japheth. + +6:11. And the earth was corrupted before God, and was filled with +iniquity. + +6:12. And when God had seen that the earth was corrupted (for all flesh +had corrupted its way upon the earth), + +6:13. He said to Noe: The end of all flesh is come before me, the earth +is filled with iniquity through them, and I will destroy them with the +earth. + +6:14. Make thee an ark of timber planks: thou shalt make little rooms in +the ark, and thou shalt pitch it within and without. + +6:15. And thus shalt thou make it. The length of the ark shall be three +hundred cubits: the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it +thirty cubits. + +Three hundred cubits, etc... The ark, according to the dimensions here +set down, contained four hundred and fifty thousand square cubits; which +was more than enough to contain all the kinds of living creatures, with +all necessary provisions: even supposing the cubits here spoken of to +have been only a foot and a half each, which was the least king of +cubits. + +6:16. Thou shalt make a window in the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou +finish the top of it: and the door of the ark thou shalt set in the +side: with lower, middle chambers, and third stories shalt thou make it. + +6:17. Behold, I will bring the waters of a great flood upon the earth, +to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life under heaven. All +things that are in the earth shall be consumed. + +6:18. And I will establish my covenant with thee, and thou shalt enter +into the ark, thou and thy sons, and thy wife, and the wives of thy sons +with thee. + +6:19. And of every living creature of all flesh, thou shalt bring two of +a sort into the ark, that they may live with thee: of the male sex, and +the female. + +6:20. Of fowls according to their kind, and of beasts in their kind, and +of every thing that creepeth on the earth according to its kind: two of +every sort shall go in with thee, that they may live. + +6:21. Thou shalt take unto thee of all food that may be eaten, and thou +shalt lay it up with thee: and it shall be food for thee and them. + +6:22. And Noe did all things which God commanded him. + +Genesis Chapter 7 + +Noe with his family go into the ark. The deluge overflows the earth. + +7:1. And the Lord said to him: Go in, thou and all thy house, into the +ark: for thee I have seen just before me in this generation. + +7:2. Of all clean beasts take seven and seven, the male and the female. + +Of all clean... The distintion of clean and unclean beasts appears to +have been made before the law of Moses, which was not promulgated till +the year of the world 2514. + +7:3. But of the beasts that are unclean two and two, the male and the +female. Of the fowls also of the air seven and seven, the male and the +female: that seed may be saved upon the face of the whole earth. + +7:4. For yet a while, and after seven days, I will rain upon the earth +forty days and forty nights: and I will destroy every substance that I +have made, from the face of the earth. + +7:5. And Noe did all things which the Lord had commanded him. + +7:6. And he was six hundred years old, when the waters of the flood +overflowed the earth. + +7:7. And Noe went in and his sons, his wife and the wives of his sons +with him into the ark, because of the waters of the flood. + +7:8. And of beasts clean and unclean, and of fowls, and of every thing +that moveth upon the earth, + +7:9. Two and two went in to Noe into the ark, male and female, as the +Lord had commanded Noe. + +7:10. And after the seven days were passed, the waters of the flood +overflowed the earth. + +7:11. In the six hundredth year of the life of Noe, in the second month, +in the seventeenth day of the month, all the fountains of the great deep +were broken up, and the floodgates of heaven were opened: + +7:12. And the rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights. + +7:13. In the selfsame day Noe, and Sem, and Cham, and Japheth, his sons: +his wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, went into the ark. + +7:14. They and every beast according to its kind, and all the cattle in +their kind, and every thing that moveth upon the earth, according to its +kind, and every fowl according to its kind, all birds, and all that fly, + +7:15. Went in to Noe into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein was +the breath of life. + +7:16. And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as +God had commanded him: and the Lord shut him in on the outside. + +7:17. And the flood was forty days upon the earth: and the waters +increased, and lifted up the ark on high from the earth. + +7:18. For they overflowed exceedingly: and filled all on the face of the +earth: and the ark was carried upon the waters. + +7:19. And the waters prevailed beyond measure upon the earth: and all +the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered. + +7:20. The water was fifteen cubits higher than the mountains which it +covered. + +7:21. And all flesh was destroyed that moved upon the earth, both of +fowl and of cattle, and of beasts, and of all creeping things that creep +upon the earth: and all men. + +7:22. And all things wherein there is the breath of life on the earth, +died. + +7:23. And he destroyed all the substance that was upon the earth, from +man even to beast, and the creeping things and fowls of the air: and +they were destroyed from the earth: and Noe only remained, and they that +were with him in the ark. + +7:24. And the waters prevailed upon the earth a hundred and fifty days. + +Genesis Chapter 8 + +The deluge ceaseth. Noe goeth out of the ark, and offereth a sacrifice. +God's covenant to him. + +8:1. And God remembered Noe, and all the living creatures, and all the +cattle which were with him in the ark, and brought a wind upon the +earth, and the waters were abated: + +8:2. The fountains also of the deep, and the floodgates of heaven, were +shut up, and the rain from heaven was restrained. + +8:3. And the waters returned from off the earth going and coming: and +they began to be abated after a hundred and fifty days. + +8:4. And the ark rested in the seventh month, the seven and twentieth +day of the month, upon the mountains of Armenia. + +8:5. And the waters were going and decreasing until the tenth month: for +in the tenth month, the first day of the month, the tops of the +mountains appeared. + +8:6. And after that forty days were passed, Noe opening the window of +the ark, which he had made, sent forth a raven: + +8:7. Which went forth and did not return, till the waters were dried up +upon the earth. + +Did not return... The raven did not return into the ark; but (as it may +be gathered from the Hebrew) went to and fro; sometimes going to the +mountains, where it found carcasses to feed on: and other times +returning, to rest upon the top of the ark. + +8:8. He sent forth also a dove after him, to see if the waters had now +ceased upon the face of the earth. + +8:9. But she not finding where her foot might rest, returned to him into +the ark: for the waters were upon the whole earth: and he put forth his +hand, and caught her, and brought her into the ark. + +8:10. And having waited yet seven other days, he again sent forth the +dove out of the ark. + +8:11. And she came to him in the evening carrying a bough of an olive +tree, with green leaves, in her mouth. Noe therefore understood that the +waters were ceased upon the earth. + +8:12. And he stayed yet other seven days: and he sent forth the dove, +which returned not any more unto him. + +8:13. Therefore in the six hundredth and first year, the first month, +the first day of the month, the waters were lessened upon the earth, and +Noe opening the covering of the ark, looked, and saw that the face of +the earth was dried. + +8:14. In the second month, the seven and twentieth day of the month, the +earth was dried. + +8:15. And God spoke to Noe, saying: + +8:16. Go out of the ark, thou and thy wife, thy sons and the wives of +thy sons with thee. + +8:17. All living things that are with thee of all flesh, as well in +fowls as in beasts, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, +bring out with thee, and go ye upon the earth: increase and multiply +upon it. + +8:18. So Noe went out, he and his sons: his wife, and the wives of his +sons with him. + +8:19. And all living things, and cattle, and creeping things that creep +upon the earth, according to their kinds went out of the ark. + +8:20. And Noe built an altar unto the Lord: and taking of all cattle and +fowls that were clean, offered holocausts upon the altar. + +Holocausts,... or whole burnt offerings. In which the whole victim was +consumed by fire upon God's altar, and no part was reserved for the use +of priest or people. + +8:21. And the Lord smelled a sweet savour, and said: I will no more +curse the earth for the sake of man: for the imagination and thought of +man's heart are prone to evil from his youth: therefore I will no more +destroy every living soul as I have done. + +Smelled, etc... A figurative expression, denoting that God was well +pleased with the sacrifices which his servant offered. + +8:22. All the days of the earth, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, +summer and winter, night and day, shall not cease. + +Genesis Chapter 9 + +God besseth Noe: forbiddeth blood, and promiseth never more to destroy +the world by water. The blessing of Sem and Japheth. + +9:1. And God blessed Noe and his sons. And he said to them: Increase, +and multiply, and fill the earth. + +9:2. And let the fear and dread of you be upon all the beasts of the +earth, and upon all the fowls of the air, and all that move upon the +earth: all the fishes of the sea are delivered into your hand. + +9:3. And every thing that moveth, and liveth shall be meat for you: even +as the green herbs have I delivered them all to you: + +9:4. Saving that flesh with blood you shall not eat. + +9:5. For I will require the blood of your lives at the hand of every +beast, and at the hand of man, at the hand of every man, and of his +brother, will I require the life of man. + +9:6. Whosoever shall shed man's blood, his blood shall be shed: for man +was made to the image of God. + +9:7. But increase you and multiply, and go upon the earth and fill it. + +9:8. Thus also said God to Noe, and to his sons with him: + +9:9. Behold I will establish my covenant with you, and with your seed +after you: + +9:10. And with every living soul that is with you, as well in all birds, +as in cattle and beasts of the earth, that are come forth out of the +ark, and in all the beasts of the earth. + +9:11. I will establish my covenant with you, and all flesh shall be no +more destroyed with the waters of a flood, neither shall there be from +henceforth a flood to waste the earth. + +9:12. And God said: This is the sign of the covenant which I give +between me and you, and to every living soul that is with you, for +perpetual generations. + +9:13. I will set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be the sign of a +covenant between me and between the earth. + +9:14. And when I shall cover the sky with clouds, my bow shall appear in +the clouds: + +9:15. And I will remember my covenant with you, and with every living +soul that beareth flesh: and there shall no more be waters of a flood to +destroy all flesh. + +9:16. And the bow shall be in the clouds, and I shall see it, and shall +remember the everlasting covenant, that was made between God and every +living soul of all flesh which is upon the earth. + +9:17. And God said to Noe: This shall be the sign of the covenant, which +I have established, between me and all flesh upon the earth. + +9:18. And the sons of Noe, who came out of the ark, were Sem, Cham, and +Japheth: and Cham is the father of Chanaan. + +9:19. These three are the sons of Noe: and from these was all mankind +spread over the whole earth. + +9:20. And Noe a husbandman began to till the ground, and planted a +vineyard. + +9:21. And drinking of the wine was made drunk, and was uncovered in his +tent. + +Drunk... Noe by the judgment of the fathers was not guilty of sin, in +being overcome by wine: because he knew not the strength of it. + +9:22. Which when Cham the father of Chanaan had seen, to wit, that his +father's nakedness was uncovered, he told it to his two brethren +without. + +9:23. But Sem and Japheth put a cloak upon their shoulders, and going +backward, covered the nakedness of their father: and their faces were +turned away, and they saw not their father's nakedness. + +Covered the nakedness... Thus, as St. Gregory takes notice L. 35; Moral. +c. 22, we ought to cover the nakedness, that is, the sins, of our +spiritual parents and superiors. + +9:24. And Noe awaking from the wine, when he had learned what his +younger son had done to him, + +9:25. He said: Cursed be Chanaan, a servant of servants shall he be unto +his brethren. + +Cursed be Chanaan... The curses, as well as the blessings, of the +partiarchs, were prophetical: And this in particular is here recorded by +Moses, for the children of Israel, who were to possess the land of +Chanaan. But why should Chanaan be cursed for his father's faults? The +Hebrews answer, that he being then a boy, was the first that saw his +grandfather's nakedness, and told his father Cham of it; and joined with +him in laughing at it: which drew upon him, rather than upon the rest of +the children of Cham, this prophetical curse. + +9:26. And he said: Blessed be the Lord God of Sem, be Chanaan his +servant. + +9:27. May God enlarge Japheth, and may he dwell in the tents of Sem, and +Chanaan be his servant. + +9:28. And Noe lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years. + +9:29. And all his days were in the whole nine hundred and fifty years: +and he died. + +Genesis Chapter 10 + +The genealogy of the children of Noe, by whom the world was peopled +after the flood. + +10:1. These are the generations of the sons of Noe: Sem, Cham, and +Japheth: and unto them sons were born after the flood. + +10:2. The sons of Japheth: Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and +Thubal, and Mosoch, and Thiras. + +10:3. And the sons of Gomer: Ascenez and Riphath and Thogorma. + +10:4. And the sons of Javan: Elisa and Tharsis, Cetthim and Dodanim. + +10:5. By these were divided the islands of the Gentiles in their lands, +every one according to his tongue and their families in their nations. + +The islands... So the Hebrews called all the remote countries, to which +they went by ships from Judea, to Greece, Italy, Spain, etc. + +10:6. And the Sons of Cham: Chus, and Mesram, and Phuth, and Chanaan. + +10:7. And the sons of Chus: Saba, and Hevila, and Sabatha, and Regma, +and Sabatacha. The sons of Regma: Saba, and Dadan. + +10:8. Now Chus begot Nemrod: he began to be mighty on the earth. + +10:9. And he was a stout hunter before the Lord. Hence came a proverb: +Even as Nemrod the stout hunter before the Lord. + +A stout hunter... Not of beasts but of men: whom by violence and tyranny +he brought under his dominion. And such he was, not only in the opinion +of men, but before the Lord, that is, in his sight who cannot be +deceived. + +10:10. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babylon, and Arach, and +Achad, and Chalanne in the land of Sennaar. + +10:11. Out of that land came forth Assur, and built Ninive, and the +streets of the city, and Chale. + +10:12. Resen also between Ninive and Chale: this is the great city. + +10:13. And Mesraim begot Ludim, and Anamim and Laabim, Nephthuim. + +10:14. And Phetrusim, and Chasluim; of whom came forth the Philistines, +and the Capthorim. + +10:15. And Chanaan begot Sidon his firstborn, the Hethite, + +10:16. And the Jebusite, and the Amorrhite, and the Gergesite. + +10:17. The Hevite and Aracite: the Sinite, + +10:18. And the Aradian, the Samarite, and the Hamathite: and afterwards +the families of the Chanaanites were spread abroad. + +10:19. And the limits of Chanaan were from Sidon as one comes to Gerara +even to Gaza, until thou enter Sodom and Gomorrha, and Adama, and Seboim +even to Lesa. + +10:20. These are the children of Cham in their kindreds and tongues, and +generations, and lands, and nations. + +10:21. Of Sem also the father of all the children of Heber, the elder +brother of Japheth, sons were born. + +10:22. The sons of Sem: Elam and Assur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram. + +10:23. The sons of Aram: Us, and Hull, and Gether; and Mes. + +10:24. But Arphaxad begot Sale, of whom was born Heber. + +10:25. And to Heber were born two sons: the name of the one was Phaleg, +because in his days was the earth divided: and his brother's name +Jectan. + +10:26. Which Jectan begot Elmodad, and Saleph, and Asarmoth, Jare, + +10:27. And Aduram, and Uzal, and Decla, + +10:28. And Ebal, and Abimael, Saba, + +10:29. And Ophir, and Hevila, and Jobab. All these were the sons of +Jectan. + +10:30. And their dwelling was from Messa as we go on as far as Sephar, a +mountain in the east. + +10:31. These are the children of Sem according to their kindreds and +tongues, and countries in their nations. + +10:32. These are the families of Noe, according to their people and +nations. By these were the nations divided on the earth after the flood. + +Genesis Chapter 11 + +The tower of Babel. The confusion of tongues. The genealogy of Sem down +to Abram. + +11:1. And the earth was of one tongue, and of the same speech. + +11:2. And when they removed from the east, they found a plain in the +land of Sennaar, and dwelt in it. + +11:3. And each one said to his neighbour: Come let us make brick, and +bake them with fire. And they had brick instead of stones, and slime +instead of mortar: + +11:4. And they said: Come, let us make a city and a tower, the top +whereof may reach to heaven; and let us make our name famous before we +be scattered abroad into all lands. + +11:5. And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the +children of Adam were building. + +11:6. And he said: Behold, it is one people, and all have one tongue: +and they have begun to do this, neither will they leave off from their +designs, till they accomplish them in deed. + +11:7. Come ye, therefore, let us go down, and there confound their +tongue, that they may not understand one another's speech. + +11:8. And so the Lord scattered them from that place into all lands, and +they ceased to build the city. + +11:9. And therefore the name thereof was called Babel, because there the +language of the whole earth was confounded: and from thence the Lord +scattered them abroad upon the face of all countries. + +Babel... That is, confusion. + +11:10. These are the generations of Sem: Sem was a hundred years old +when he begot Arphaxad, two years after the flood. + +11:11. And Sem lived after he begot Arphaxad, five hundred years, and +begot sons and daughters. + +11:12. And Arphaxad lived thirty-five years, and begot Sale. + +11:13. And Arphaxad lived after he begot Sale, three hundred and three +years, and begot sons and daughters. + +11:14. Sale also lived thirty years, and begot Heber. + +11:15. And Sale lived after he begot Heber, four hundred and three +years: and begot sons and daughters. + +11:16. And Heber lived thirty-four years, and begot Phaleg. + +11:17. And Heber lived after he begot Phaleg, four hundred and thirty +years: and begot sons and daughters. + +11:18. Phaleg also lived thirty years, and begot Reu. + +11:19. And Phaleg lived after he begot Reu, two hundred and nine years, +and begot sons and daughters. + +11:20. And Reu lived thirty-two years, and begot Sarug. + +11:21. And Reu lived after he begot Sarug, two hundred and seven years, +and begot sons and daughters. + +11:22. And Sarug lived thirty years, and begot Nachor. + +11:23. And Sarug lived after he begot Nachor, two hundred years, and +begot sons and daughters. + +11:24. And Nachor lived nine and twenty years, and begot Thare. + +11:25. And Nachor lived after he begot Thare, a hundred and nineteen +years, and begot sons and daughters. + +11:26. And Thare lived seventy years, and begot Abram, and Nachor, and +Aran. + +11:27. And these are the generations of Thare: Thare begot Abram, +Nachor, and Aran. And Aran begot Lot. + +11:28. And Aran died before Thare his father, in the land of his +nativity in Ur of the Chaldees. + +11:29. And Abram and Nachor married wives: the name of Abram's wife was +Sarai: and the name of Nachor's wife, Melcha, the daughter of Aran, +father of Melcha and father of Jescha. + +11:30. And Sarai was barren, and had no children. + +11:31. And Thare took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Aran, his son's +son, and Sarai his daughter in law, the wife of Abram his son, and +brought them out of Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Chanaan: +and they came as far as Haran, and dwelt there. + +11:32. And the days of Thare were two hundred and five years, and he +died in Haran. + +Genesis Chapter 12 + +The call of Abram, and the promise made to him. He sojourneth in +Chanaan, and then by occasion of a famine, goeth down to Egypt. + +12:1. And the Lord said to Abram: Go forth out of thy country, and from +thy kindred, and out of thy father's house, and come into the land which +I shall shew thee. + +12:2. And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and +magnify thy name, and thou shalt be blessed. + +12:3. I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curse thee, +and IN THEE shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. + +12:4. So Abram went out as the Lord had commanded him, and Lot went with +him: Abram was seventy-five years old when he went forth from Haran. + +12:5. And he took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all the +substance which they had gathered, and the souls which they had gotten +in Haran: and they went out to go into the land of Chanaan. And when +they were come into it, + +12:6. Abram passed through the country unto the place of Sichem, as far +as the noble vale: now the Chanaanite was at that time in the land. + +12:7. And the Lord appeared to Abram, and said to him: To thy seed will +I give this land. And he built there an altar to the Lord, who had +appeared to him. + +12:8. And passing on from thence to a mountain, that was on the east +side of Bethel, he there pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, +and Hai on the east: he built there also an altar to the Lord, and +called upon his name. + +12:9. And Abram went forward, going and proceeding on to the south. + +12:10. And there came a famine in the country: and Abram went down into +Egypt, to sojourn there: for the famine was very grievous in the land. + +12:11. And when he was near to enter into Egypt, he said to Sarai his +wife: I know that thou art a beautiful woman: + +12:12. And that when the Egyptians shall see thee, they will say: She is +his wife: and they will kill me, and keep thee. + +12:13. Say, therefore, I pray thee, that thou art my sister: that I may +be well used for thee, and that my soul may live for thy sake. + +My sister... This was no lie; because she was his niece, being daughter +to his brother Aran, and therefore, in the style of the Hebrews, she +might truly be called his sister, as Lot is called Abram's brother, Gen. +14.14. See Gen. 20.12. + +12:14. And when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians saw the woman +that she was very beautiful. + +12:15. And the princes told Pharao, and praised her before him: and the +woman was taken into the house of Pharao. + +12:16. And they used Abram well for her sake. And he had sheep and oxen +and he asses, and men servants, and maid servants, and she asses, and +camels. + +12:17. But the Lord scourged Pharao and his house with most grievous +stripes for Sarai, Abram's wife. + +12:18. And Pharao called Abram, and said to him: What is this that thou +hast done to me? Why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? + +12:19. For what cause didst thou say, she was thy sister, that I might +take her to my wife? Now therefore there is thy wife, take her, and go +thy way. + +12:20. And Pharao gave his men orders concerning Abram: and they led him +away and his wife, and all that he had. + +Genesis Chapter 13 + +Abram and Lot part from each other. God's promise to Abram. + +13:1. And Abram went up out of Egypt, he and his wife, and all that he +had, and Lot with him into the south. + +13:2. And he was very rich in possession of gold and silver. + +13:3. And he returned by the way, that he came, from the south to +Bethel, to the place where before he had pitched his tent between Bethel +and Hai, + +13:4. In the place of the altar which he had made before, and there he +called upon the name of the Lord. + +13:5. But Lot also, who was with Abram, had flocks of sheep, and herds +of beasts, and tents. + +13:6. Neither was the land able to bear them, that they might dwell +together: for their substance was great, and they could not dwell +together. + +13:7. Whereupon also there arose a strife between the herdsmen of Abram +and of Lot. And at that time the Chanaanite and the Pherezite dwelled in +that country. + +13:8. Abram therefore said to Lot: Let there be no quarrel, I beseech +thee, between me and thee, and between my herdsmen and thy herdsmen: for +we are brethren. + +13:9. Behold the whole land is before thee: depart from me, I pray thee: +if thou wilt go to the left hand, I will take the right: if thou choose +the right hand, I will pass to the left. + +13:10. And Lot lifting up his eyes, saw all the country about the +Jordan, which was watered throughout, before the Lord destroyed Sodom +and Gomorrha, as the paradise of the Lord, and like Egypt as one comes +to Segor. + +13:11. And Lot chose to himself the country about the Jordan, and he +departed from the east: and they were separated one brother from the +other. + +13:12. Abram dwelt in the land of Chanaan: and Lot abode in the towns, +that were about the Jordan, and dwelt in Sodom. + +13:13. And the men of Sodom were very wicked, and sinners before the +face of the Lord beyond measure. + +13:14. And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot was separated from him: +Lift up thy eyes, and look from the place wherein thou now art, to the +north and to the south, to the east and to the west. + +13:15. All the land which thou seest, I will give to thee, and to thy +seed for ever. + +13:16. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: if any man be +able to number the dust of the earth, he shall be able to number thy +seed also. + +13:17. Arise and walk through the land in the length, and the breadth +thereof: for I will give it to thee. + +13:18. So Abram removing his tent, came, and dwelt by the vale of +Mambre, which is in Hebron: and he built there an altar to the Lord. + +Genesis Chapter 14 + +The expedition of the four kings; the victory of Abram; he is blessed by +Melchisedech. + +14:1. And it came to pass at that time, that Amraphel, king of Sennaar, +and Arioch, king of Pontus, and Chodorlahomor, king of the Elamites, and +Thadal, king of nations, + +14:2. Made war against Bara, king of Sodom, and against Bersa, king of +Gomorrha, and against Sennaab, king of Adama, and against Semeber, king +of Seboim, and against the king of Bala, which is Segor. + +14:3. All these came together into the woodland vale, which now is the +salt sea. + +14:4. For they had served Chodorlahomor twelve years, and in the +thirteenth year they revolted from him. + +14:5. And in the fourteenth year came Chodorlahomor, and the kings that +were with him: and they smote the Raphaim in Astarothcarnaim, and the +Zuzim with them, and the Emim in Save of Cariathaim. + +14:6. And the Chorreans in the mountains of Seir, even to the plains of +Pharan, which is in the wilderness. + +14:7. And they returned, and came to the fountain of Misphat, the same +is Cades: and they smote all the country of the Amalecites, and the +Amorrhean that dwelt in Asasonthamar. + +14:8. And the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrha, and the king of +Adama, and the king of Seboim, and the king of Bala, which is Segor, +went out: and they set themselves against them in battle array, in the +woodland vale: + +14:9. To wit, against Chodorlahomor king of the Elamites, and Thadal +king of nations, and Amraphel king of Sennaar, and Arioch king of +Pontus: four kings against five. + +14:10. Now the woodland vale had many pits of slime. And the king of +Sodom, and the king of Gomorrha turned their backs, and were overthrown +there: and they that remained, fled to the mountain. + +Of slime. Bituminis... This was a kind of pitch, which served for mortar +in the building of Babel, Gen. 11.3, and was used by Noe in pitching the +ark. + +14:11. And they took all the substance of the Sodomites, and +Gomorrhites, and all their victuals, and went their way: + +14:12. And Lot also, the son of Abram's brother, who dwelt in Sodom, and +his substance. + +14:13. And behold one, that had escaped, told Abram the Hebrew, who +dwelt in the vale of Mambre the Amorrhite, the brother of Escol, and the +brother of Aner: for these had made a league with Abram. + +14:14. Which when Abram had heard, to wit, that his brother Lot was +taken, he numbered of the servants born in his house, three hundred and +eighteen, well appointed: and pursued them to Dan. + +14:15. And dividing his company, he rushed upon them in the night, and +defeated them: and pursued them as far as Hoba, which is on the left +hand of Damascus. + +14:16. And he brought back all the substance, and Lot his brother, with +his substance, the women also, and the people. + +14:17. And the king of Sodom went out to meet him, after he returned +from the slaughter of Chodorlahomor, and of the kings that were with him +in the vale of Save, which is the king's vale. + +14:18. But Melchisedech, the king of Salem, bringing forth bread and +wine, for he was the priest of the most high God, + +14:19. Blessed him, and said: Blessed be Abram by the most high God, who +created heaven and earth. + +14:20. And blessed be the most high God, by whose protection, the +enemies are in thy hands. And he gave him the tithes of all. + +14:21. And the king of Sodom said to Abram: Give me the persons, and the +rest take to thyself. + +14:22. And he answered him: I lift up my hand to the Lord God the most +high, the possessor of heaven and earth, + +14:23. That from the very woofthread unto the shoe latchet, I will not +take of any things that are thine, lest thou say: I have enriched Abram. + +14:24. Except such things as the young men have eaten, and the shares of +the men that came with me, Aner, Escol, and Mambre: these shall take +their shares. + +Genesis Chapter 15 + +God promiseth seed to Abram. His faith, sacrifice and vision. + +15:1. Now when these things were done, the word of the Lord came to +Abram by a vision, saying: Fear not, Abram, I am thy protector, and thy +reward exceeding great. + +15:2. And Abram said: Lord God, what wilt thou give me? I shall go +without children: and the son of the steward of my house is this +Damascus Eliezer. + +15:3. And Abram added: But to me thou hast not given seed: and lo my +servant born in my house, shall be my heir. + +15:4. And immediately the word of the Lord came to him, saying: He +shall not be thy heir: but he that shall come out of thy bowels, him +shalt thou have for thy heir. + +15:5. And he brought him forth abroad, and said to him: Look up to +heaven and number the stars if thou canst. And he said to him: So shall +thy seed be. + +15:6. Abram believed God, and it was reputed to him unto justice. + +15:7. And he said to him: I am the Lord who brought thee out from Ur of +the Chaldees, to give thee this land, and that thou mightest possess it. + +15:8. But he said: Lord God, whereby may I know that I shall possess it? + +15:9. And the Lord answered, and said: Take me a cow of three years old, +and a she goat of three years and a ram of three years, a turtle also, +and a pigeon. + +15:10. And he took all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid +the two pieces of each one against the other: but the birds he divided +not. + +15:11. And the fowls came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them +away. + +15:12. And when the sun was setting, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a +great and darksome horror seized upon him. + +15:13. And it was said unto him: Know thou beforehand that thy seed +shall be a stranger in a land not their own, and they shall bring them +under bondage, and afflict them four hundred years. + +15:14. But I will judge the nation which they shall serve, and after +this they shall come out with great substance. + +15:15. And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace, and be buried in a +good old age. + +15:16. But in the fourth generation they shall return hither: for as yet +the iniquities of the Amorrhites are not at the full until this present +time. + +15:17. And when the sun was set, there arose a dark mist, and there +appeared a smoking furnace, and a lamp of fire passing between those +divisions. + +15:18. That day God made a covenant with Abram, saying: To thy seed will +I give this land, from the river to Egypt even to the great river +Euphrates. + +15:19. The Cineans, and Cenezites, the Cedmonites, + +15:20. And the Hethites, and the Pherezites, the Raphaim also, + +15:21. And the Amorrhites, and the Chanaanites, and the Gergesites, and +the Jebusites. + +Genesis Chapter 16 + +Abram marrieth Agar, who bringeth forth Ismael. + +16:1. Now Sarai, the wife of Abram, had brought forth no children: but +having a handmaid, an Egyptian, named Agar, + +16:2. She said to her husband: Behold, the Lord hath restrained me from +bearing: go in unto my handmaid, it may be I may have children of her at +least. And when he agreed to her request, + +16:3. She took Agar the Egyptian her handmaid, ten years after they +first dwelt in the land of Chanaan, and gave her to her husband to wife. + +To wife... Plurality of wives, though contrary to the primitive +institution of marriage, Gen. 2.24, was by divine dispensation allowed +to the patriarchs: which allowance seems to have continued during the +time of the law of Moses. But Christ our Lord reduced marriage to its +primitive institution. Matt. 19. + +16:4. And he went in to her. But she perceiving that she was with child, +despised her mistress. + +16:5. And Sarai said to Abram: Thou dost unjustly with me: I gave my +handmaid into thy bosom, and she perceiving herself to be with child, +despiseth me. The Lord judge between me and thee. + +16:6. And Abram made answer, and said to her: Behold thy handmaid is in +thy own hand, use her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai afflicted her, +she ran away. + +16:7. And the angel of the Lord having found her, by a fountain of water +in the wilderness, which is in the way to Sur in the desert, + +16:8. He said to her: Agar, handmaid of Sarai, whence comest thou? and +whither goest thou? And she answered: I flee from the face of Sarai, my +mistress. + +16:9. And the angel of the Lord said to her: Return to thy mistress, and +humble thyself under her hand. + +16:10. And again he said: I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, and it +shall not be numbered for multitude. + +16:11. And again: Behold, said he, thou art with child, and thou shalt +bring forth a son: and thou shalt call his name Ismael, because the Lord +hath heard thy affliction. + +16:12. He shall be a wild man: his hand will be against all men, and all +men's hands against him: and he shall pitch his tents over against all +his brethren. + +16:13. And she called the name of the Lord that spoke unto her: Thou the +God who hast seen me. For she said: Verily, here have I seen the hinder +parts of him that seeth me. + +16:14. Therefore she called that well, the well of him that liveth and +seeth me. The same is between Cades and Barad. + +16:15. And Agar brought forth a son to Abram: who called his name +Ismael. + +16:16. Abram was four score and six years old when Agar brought him +forth Ismael. + +Genesis Chapter 17 + +The Covenant of circumcision. + +17:1. And after he began to be ninety and nine years old, the Lord +appeared to him: and said unto him: I am the Almighty God: walk before +me, and be perfect. + +17:2. And I will make my covenant between me and thee: and I will +multiply thee exceedingly. + +17:3. Abram fell flat on his face. + +17:4. And God said to him: I am, and my covenant is with thee, and thou +shalt be a father of many nations. + +17:5. Neither shall thy name be called any more Abram: but thou shalt be +called Abraham: because I have made thee a father of many nations. + +Abram... in the Hebrew, signifies a high father: but Abraham, the father +of the multitude; Sarai signifies my Lady, but Sara absolutely Lady. + +17:6. And I will make thee increase exceedingly, and I will make nations +of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. + +17:7. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and between +thy seed after thee in their generations, by a perpetual covenant: to be +a God to thee, and to thy seed after thee. + +17:8. And I will give to thee, and to thy seed, the land of thy +sojournment, all the land of Chanaan, for a perpetual possession, and I +will be their God. + +17:9. Again God said to Abraham: And thou therefore shalt keep my +covenant, and thy seed after thee in their generations. + +17:10. This is my covenant which you shall observe between me and you, +and thy seed after thee: All the male kind of you shall be circumcised. + +17:11. And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, that it may +be for a sign of the covenant between me and you. + +17:12. An infant of eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every +manchild in your generations: he that is born in the house, as well as +the bought servant, shall be circumcised, and whosoever is not of your +stock: + +17:13. And my covenant shall be in your flesh for a perpetual covenant. + +17:14. The male whose flesh of his foreskin shall not be circumcised, +that soul shall be destroyed out of his people: because he hath broken +my covenant. + +17:15. God said also to Abraham: Sarai thy wife thou shalt not call +Sarai, but Sara. + +17:16. And I will bless her, and of her I will give thee a son, whom I +will bless, and he shall become nations, and kings of people shall +spring from him. + +17:17. Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, saying in his heart: +Shall a son, thinkest thou, be born to him that is a hundred years old? +and shall Sara that is ninety years old bring forth? + +17:18. And he said to God: O that Ismael may live before thee. + +17:19. And God said to Abraham: Sara thy wife shall bear thee a son, and +thou shalt call his name Isaac, and I will establish my covenant with +him for a perpetual covenant, and with his seed after him. + +17:20. And as for Ismael I have also heard thee. Behold, I will bless +him, and increase, and multiply him exceedingly: he shall beget twelve +chiefs, and I will make him a great nation. + +17:21. But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sara shall +bring forth to thee at this time in the next year. + +17:22. And when he had left off speaking with him, God went up from +Abraham. + +17:23. And Abraham took Ismael his son, and all that 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 forthwith the very +same day, as God had commanded him. + +17:24. Abraham was ninety and nine years old, when he circumcised the +flesh of his foreskin. + +17:25. And Ismael his son was full thirteen years old at the time of his +circumcision. + +17:26. The selfsame day was Abraham circumcised and Ismael his son. + +17:27. And all the men of his house, as well they that were born in his +house, as the bought servants and strangers, were circumcised with him. + +Genesis Chapter 18 + +Angels are entertained by Abraham. They foretell the birth of Isaac. +Abraham's prayer for the men of Sodom. + +18:1. And the Lord appeared to him in the vale of Mambre as he was +sitting at the door of his tent, in the very heat of the day. + +18:2. And when he had lifted up his eyes, there appeared to him three +men standing near to him: and as soon as he saw them, he ran to meet +them from the door of his tent, and adored down to the ground. + +18:3. And he said: Lord, if I have found favour in thy sight, pass not +away from thy servant. + +18:4. But I will fetch a little water, and wash ye your feet, and rest +ye under the tree. + +18:5. And I will set a morsel of bread, and strengthen ye your heart, +afterwards you shall pass on: for therefore are you come aside to your +servant. And they said: Do as thou hast spoken. + +18:6. Abraham made haste into the tent to Sara, and said to her: Make +haste, temper together three measures of flour, and make cakes upon the +hearth. + +18:7. And he himself ran to the herd, and took from thence a calf, very +tender and very good, and gave it to a young man, who made haste and +boiled it. + +18:8. He took also butter and milk, and the calf which he had boiled, +and set before them: but he stood by them under the tree. + +18:9. And when they had eaten, they said to him: Where is Sara thy wife? +He answered: Lo she is in the tent. + +18:10. And he said to him: I will return and come to thee at this time, +life accompanying, and Sara, thy wife, shall have a son. Which when Sara +heard, she laughed behind the door of the tent. + +18:11. Now they were both old, and far advanced in years, and it had +ceased to be with Sara after the manner of women. + +18:12. And she laughed secretly, saying: After I am grown old, and my +lord is an old man, shall I give myself to pleasure? + +18:13. And the Lord said to Abraham: Why did Sara laugh, saying: Shall +I, who am an old woman, bear a child indeed? + +18:14. Is there any thing hard to God? According to appointment I will +return to thee at this same time, life accompanying, and Sara shall have +a son. + +18:15. Sara denied, saying: I did not laugh: for she was afraid. But the +Lord said: Nay; but thou didst laugh. + +18:16. And when the men rose up from thence, they turned their eyes +towards Sodom: and Abraham walked with them, bringing them on the way. + +18:17. And the Lord said: Can I hide from Abraham what I am about to do: + +18:18. Seeing he shall become a great and mighty nation, and in him all +the nations of the earth shall be blessed? + +18:19. For I know that he will command his children, and his household +after him, to keep the way of the Lord, and do judgment and justice: +that for Abraham's sake, the Lord may bring to effect all the things he +hath spoken unto him. + +18:20. And the Lord said: The cry of Sodom and Gomorrha is multiplied, +and their sin is become exceedingly grievous. + +18:21. I will go down and see whether they have done according to the +cry that is come to me; or whether it be not so, that I may know. + +I will go down, etc... The Lord here accommodates his discourse to the +way of speaking and acting amongst men; for he knoweth all things, and +needeth not to go anywhere for information. Note here, that two of the +three angels went away immediately for Sodom; whilst the third, who +represented the Lord, remained with Abraham. + +18:22. And they turned themselves from thence, and went their way to +Sodom: but Abraham as yet stood before the Lord. + +18:23. And drawing nigh, he said: Wilt thou destroy the just with the +wicked? + +18:24. If there be fifty just men in the city, shall they perish withal? +and wilt thou not spare that place for the sake of the fifty just, if +they be therein? + +18:25. Far be it from thee to do this thing, and to slay the just with +the wicked, and for the just to be in like case as the wicked; this is +not beseeming thee: thou who judgest all the earth, wilt not make this +judgment. + +18:26. And the Lord said to him: If I find in Sodom fifty just within +the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake. + +18:27. And Abraham answered, and said: Seeing I have once begun, I will +speak to my Lord, whereas I am dust and ashes. + +18:28. What if there be five less than fifty just persons? wilt thou for +five and forty destroy the whole city: And he said: I will not destroy +it, if I find five and forty. + +18:29. And again he said to him: But if forty be found there, what wilt +thou do? He said: I will not destroy it for the sake of forty. + +18:30. Lord, saith he, be not angry, I beseech thee, if I speak: What if +thirty shall be found there? He answered: I will not do it, if I find +thirty there. + +18:31. Seeing, saith he, I have once begun, I will speak to my Lord: +What if twenty be found there? He said: I will not destroy it for the +sake of twenty. + +18:32. I beseech thee, saith he, be not angry, Lord, if I speak yet once +more: What if ten shall be found there? And he said: I will not destroy +it for the sake of ten. + +18:33. And the Lord departed, after he had left speaking to Abraham: and +Abraham returned to his place. + +Genesis Chapter 19 + +Lot, entertaining Angels in his house, is delivered from Sodom, which is +destroyed: his wife for looking back is turned into a statue of salt. + +19:1. And the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was +sitting in the gate of the city. And seeing them, he rose up and went to +meet them: and worshipped prostrate to the ground. + +19:2. And said: I beseech you, my lords, turn in to the house of your +servant, and lodge there: wash your feet, and in the morning you shall +go on your way. And they said: No, but we will abide in the street. + +19:3. He pressed them very much to turn in unto him: and when they were +come into his house, he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, +and they ate: + +19:4. But before they went to bed, the men of the city beset the house, +both young and old, all the people together. + +19:5. And they called Lot, and said to him: Where are the men that came +in to thee at night? bring them out hither, that we may know them: + +19:6. Lot went out to them, and shut the door after him, and said: + +19:7. Do not so, I beseech you, my brethren, do not commit this evil. + +19:8. I have two daughters who, as yet, have not known man; I will bring +them out to you, and abuse you them as it shall please you, so that you +do no evil to these men, because they are come in under the shadow of my +roof. + +19:9. But they said: Get thee back thither. And again: Thou camest in, +said they, as a stranger, was it to be a judge? therefore we will +afflict thee more than them. And they pressed very violently upon Lot: +and they were even at the point of breaking open the doors. + +19:10. And behold the men put out their hand, and drew in Lot unto them, +and shut the door. + +19:11. And them, that were without, they struck with blindness from the +least to the greatest, so that they could not find the door. + +19:12. And they said to Lot: Hast thou here any of thine? son in law, or +sons, or daughters, all that are thine bring them out of this city: + +19:13. For we will destroy this place, because their cry is grown loud +before the Lord, who hath sent us to destroy them. + +19:14. So Lot went out, and spoke to his sons in law that were to have +his daughters, and said: Arise: get you out of this place, because the +Lord will destroy this city. And he seemed to them to speak as it were +in jest. + +19:15. And when it was morning, the angels pressed him, saying: Arise, +take thy wife, and the two daughters that thou hast: lest thou also +perish in the wickedness of the city. + +19:16. And as he lingered, they took his hand, and the hand of his wife, +and of his two daughters, because the Lord spared him. + +19:17. And they brought him forth, and set him without the city: and +there they spoke to him, saying: Save thy life: look not back, neither +stay thou in all the country about: but save thy self in the mountain, +lest thou be also consumed. + +19:18. And Lot said to them: I beseech thee, my Lord, + +19:19. Because thy servant hath found grace before thee, and thou hast +magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewn to me, in saving my life, and +I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil seize me, and I die. + +19:20. There is this city here at hand, to which I may flee, it is a +little one, and I shall be saved in it: is it not a little one, and my +soul shall live? + +19:21. And he said to him: Behold also in this, I have heard thy +prayers, not to destroy the city for which thou hast spoken. + +19:22. Make haste, and be saved there: because I cannot do any thing +till thou go in thither. Therefore the name of that city was called +Segor. + +Segor... That is, a little one. + +19:23. The sun was risen upon the earth, and Lot entered into Segor. + +19:24. And the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrha brimstone and fire +from the Lord out of heaven. + +19:25. And he destroyed these cities, and all the country about, all the +inhabitants of the cities, and all things that spring from the earth. + +19:26. And his wife looking behind her, was turned into a statue of +salt. + +And his wife... As a standing memorial to the servants of God to proceed +in virtue, and not to look back to vice or its allurements. + +19:27. And Abraham got up early in the morning, and in the place where +he had stood before with the Lord: + +19:28. He looked towards Sodom and Gomorrha, and the whole land of that +country: and he saw the ashes rise up from the earth as the smoke of a +furnace. + +19:29. Now when God destroyed the cities of that country, remembering +Abraham, he delivered Lot out of the destruction of the cities wherein +he had dwelt. + +19:30. And Lot went up out of Segor, and abode in the mountain, and his +two daughters with him (for he was afraid to stay in Segor) and he dwelt +in a cave, he and his two daughters with him. + +19:31. And the elder said to the younger: Our father is old, and there +is no man left on the earth, to come in unto us after the manner of the +whole earth. + +19:32. Come, let us make him drunk with wine, and let us lie with him, +that we may preserve seed of our father. + +19:33. And they made their father drink wine that night: and the elder +went in, and lay with her father: but he perceived not, neither when his +daughter lay down, nor when she rose up. + +19:34. And the next day the elder said to the younger: Behold I lay last +night with my father, let us make him drink wine also to night, and thou +shalt lie with him, that we may save seed of our father. + +19:35. They made their father drink wine that night also, and the +younger daughter went in, and lay with him: and neither then did he +perceive when she lay down, nor when she rose up. + +19:36. So the two daughters of Lot were with child by their father. + +19:37. And the elder bore a son, and she called his name Moab: he is the +father of the Moabites unto this day. + +19:38. The younger also bore a son, and she called his name Ammon; that +is, the son of my people: he is the father of the Ammonites unto this +day. + +Genesis Chapter 20 + +Abraham sojourned in Gerara: Sara is taken into king Abimelech's house, +but by God's commandment is restored untouched. + +20:1. Abraham removed from thence to the south country, and dwelt +between Cades and Sur, and sojourned in Gerara. + +20:2. And he said of Sara his wife: She is my sister. So Abimelech the +king of Gerara sent, and took her. + +20:3. And God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and he said to him: +Lo thou shalt die for the woman that thou hast taken: for she hath a +husband. + +20:4. Now Abimelech had not touched her, and he said: Lord, wilt thou +slay a nation that is ignorant and just? + +20:5. Did not he say to me: She is my sister: and she say, He is my +brother? in the simplicity of my heart, and cleanness of my hands have I +done this. + +20:6. And God said to him: And I know that thou didst it with a sincere +heart: and therefore I withheld thee from sinning against me, and I +suffered thee not to touch her. + +20:7. Now therefore restore the man his wife, for he is a prophet: and +he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: but if thou wilt not +restore her, know that thou shalt surely die, thou and all that are +thine. + +20:8. And Abimelech forthwith rising up in the night, called all his +servants: and spoke all these words in their hearing, and all the men +were exceedingly afraid. + +20:9. And Abimelech called also for Abraham, and said to him: What hast +thou done to us? what have we offended thee in, that thou hast brought +upon me and upon my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done to us what thou +oughtest not to do. + +20:10. And again he expostulated with him, and said: What sawest thou, +that thou hast done this? + +20:11. Abraham answered: I thought with myself, saying: Perhaps there is +not the fear of God in this place: and they will kill me for the sake of +my wife: + +20:12. Howbeit, otherwise also she is truly my sister, the daughter of +my father, and not the daughter of my mother, and I took her to wife. + +20:13. And after God brought me out of my father's house, I said to her: +Thou shalt do me this kindness: In every place, to which we shall come, +thou shalt say that I am thy brother. + +20:14. And Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and servants and handmaids, +and gave to Abraham: and restored to him Sara his wife, + +20:15. And said: The land is before you, dwell wheresoever it shall +please thee. + +20:16. And to Sara he said: Behold I have given thy brother a thousand +pieces of silver, this shall serve thee for a covering of thy eyes to +all that are with thee, and whithersoever thou shalt go: and remember +thou wast taken. + +20:17. And when Abraham prayed, God healed Abimelech and his wife, and +his handmaids, and they bore children: + +20:18. For the Lord had closed up every womb of the house of Abimelech, +on account of Sara, Abraham's wife. + +Genesis Chapter 21 + +Isaac is born. Agar and Ismael are cast forth. + +21:1. And the Lord visited Sara, as he had promised: and fulfilled what +he had spoken. + +21:2. And she conceived and bore a son in her old age, at the time that +God had foretold her. + +21:3. And Abraham called the name of his son, whom Sara bore him, Isaac. + +Isaac... This word signifies laughter. + +21:4. And he circumcised him the eighth day, as God had commanded him, + +21:5. When he was a hundred years old: for at this age of his father, +was Isaac born. + +21:6. And Sara said: God hath made a laughter for me: whosoever shall +hear of it will laugh with me. + +21:7. And again she said: Who would believe that Abraham should hear +that Sara gave suck to a son, whom she bore to him in his old age? + +21:8. And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast +on the day of his weaning. + +21:9. And when Sara had seen the son of Agar, the Egyptian, playing with +Isaac, her son, she said to Abraham: + +21:10. Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of the bondwoman +shall not be heir with my son Isaac. + +21:11. Abraham took this grievously for his son. + +21:12. And God said to him: Let it not seem grievous to thee for the +boy, and for thy bondwoman: in all that Sara hath said to thee, hearken +to her voice: for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. + +21:13. But I will make the son also of the bondwoman a great nation, +because he is thy seed. + +21:14. So Abraham rose up in the morning, and taking bread and a bottle +of water, put it upon her shoulder, and delivered the boy, and sent her +away. And she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Bersabee. + +21:15. And when the water in the bottle was spent, she cast the boy +under one of the trees that were there. + +21:16. And she went her way, and sat overagainst him a great way off, as +far as a bow can carry, for she said: I will not see the boy die: and +sitting overagainst, she lifted up her voice and wept. + +21:17. And God heard the voice of the boy: and an angel of God called to +Agar from heaven, saying: What art thou doing, Agar? fear not; for God +hath heard the voice of the boy, from the place wherein he is. + +21:18. Arise, take up the boy, and hold him by the hand, for I will make +him a great nation. + +21:19. And God opened her eyes: and she saw a well of water, and went +and filled the bottle, and gave the boy to drink. + +21:20. And God was with him: and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, +and became a young man, an archer. + +21:21. And he dwelt in the wilderness of Pharan, and his mother took a +wife for him out of the land of Egypt. + +21:22. At the same time Abimelech, and Phicol the general of his army, +said to Abraham: God is with thee in all that thou dost. + +21:23. Swear therefore by God, that thou wilt not hurt me, nor my +posterity, nor my stock: but according to the kindness that I have done +to thee, thou shalt do to me, and to the land wherein thou hast lived a +stranger. + +21:24. And Abraham said: I will swear. + +21:25. And he reproved Abimelech for a well of water, which his servants +had taken away by force. + +21:26. And Abimelech answered: I knew not who did this thing: and thou +didst not tell me, and I heard not of it till today. + +21:27. Then Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them to Abimelech: and +both of them made a league. + +21:28. And Abraham set apart seven ewelambs of the flock. + +21:29. And Abimelech said to him: What mean these seven ewelambs which +thou hast set apart? + +21:30. But he said: Thou shalt take seven ewelambs at my hand: that they +may be a testimony for me, that I dug this well. + +21:31. Therefore that place was called Bersabee; because there both of +them did swear. + +Bersabee... That is, the well of oath. + +21:32. And they made a league for the well of oath. + +21:33. And Abimelech and Phicol, the general of his army, arose and +returned to the land of the Palestines. But Abraham planted a grove in +Bersabee, and there called upon the name of the Lord God eternal. + +21:34. And he was a sojourner in the land of the Palestines many days. + +Genesis Chapter 22 + +The faith and obedience of Abraham is proved in his readiness to +sacrifice his son Isaac. He is stayed from the act by an angel. Former +promises are renewed to him. His brother Nachor's issue. + +22:1. After these things, God tempted Abraham, and said to him: Abraham, +Abraham. And he answered: Here I am. + +God tempted, etc... God tempteth no man to evil, James 1.13; but by +trial and experiment maketh known to the world, and to ourselves, what +we are, as here by this trial the singular faith and obedience of +Abraham was made manifest. + +22:2. He said to him: Take thy only begotten son Isaac, whom thou +lovest, and go into the land of vision; and there thou shalt offer him +for an holocaust upon one of the mountains which I will shew thee. + +22:3. So Abraham rising up in the night, saddled his ass, and took with +him two young men, and Isaac his son: and when he had cut wood for the +holocaust, he went his way to the place which God had commanded him. + +22:4. And on the third day, lifting up his eyes, he saw the place afar +off. + +22:5. And he said to his young men: Stay you here with the ass; I and +the boy will go with speed as far as yonder, and after we have +worshipped, will return to you. + +22:6. And he took the wood for the holocaust, and laid it upon Isaac his +son; and he himself carried in his hands fire and a sword. And as they +two went on together, + +22:7. Isaac said to his father: My father. And he answered: What wilt +thou, son? Behold, saith he, fire and wood: where is the victim for the +holocaust? + +22:8. And Abraham said: God will provide himself a victim for an +holocaust, my son. So they went on together. + +22:9. And they came to the place which God had shewn him, where he built +an altar, and laid the wood in order upon it; and when he had bound +Isaac his son, he laid him on the altar upon the pile of wood. + +22:10. And he put forth his hand, and took the sword, to sacrifice his +son. + +22:11. And behold, an angel of the Lord from heaven called to him, +saying: Abraham, Abraham. And he answered: Here I am. + +22:12. And he said to him: Lay not thy hand upon the boy, neither do +thou any thing to him: now I know that thou fearest God, and hast not +spared thy only begotten son for my sake. + +22:13. Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw behind his back a ram, +amongst the briers, sticking fast by the horns, which he took and +offered for a holocaust instead of his son. + +22:14. And he called the name of that place, The Lord seeth. Whereupon, +even to this day, it is said: In the mountain the Lord will see. + +22:15. And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from +heaven, saying: + +22:16. By my own self have I sworn, saith the Lord: because thou hast +done this thing, and hast not spared thy only begotten son for my sake: + +22:17. I will bless thee, and I will multiply thy seed as the stars of +heaven, and as the sand that is by the sea shore; thy seed shall possess +the gates of their enemies. + +22:18. And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, +because thou hast obeyed my voice. + +22:19. Abraham returned to his young men, and they went to Bersabee +together, and he dwelt there. + +22:20. After these things, it was told Abraham, that Melcha also had +borne children to Nachor his brother. + +22:21. Hus, the firstborn, and Buz, his brother, and Camuel the father +of the Syrians, + +22:22. And Cased, and Azau, and Pheldas, and Jedlaph, + +22:23. And Bathuel, of whom was born Rebecca: these eight did Melcha +bear to Nachor, Abraham's brother. + +22:24. And his concubine, named Roma, bore Tabee, and Gaham, and Tahas, +and Maacha. + +Genesis Chapter 23 + +Sara's death and burial in the field bought of Ephron. + +23:1. And Sara lived a hundred and twenty-seven years. + +23:2. And she died in the city of Arbee which is Hebron, in the land of +Chanaan: and Abraham came to mourn and weep for her. + +23:3. And after he rose up from the funeral obsequies, he spoke to the +children of Heth, saying: + +23:4. I am a stranger and sojourner among you: give me the right of a +burying place with you, that I may bury my dead. + +23:5. The children of Heth answered, saying: + +23:6. My lord, hear us, thou art a prince of God among us: bury thy dead +in our principal sepulchres: and no man shall have power to hinder thee +from burying thy dead in his sepulchre. + +23:7. Abraham rose up, and bowed down to the people of the land, to wit, +the children of Heth: + +Bowed down to the people... Adoravit, literally adored. But this word +here, as well as in many other places in the Latin scriptures, is used +to signify only an inferior honour and reverence paid to men, expressed +by a bowing down of the body. + +23:8. And said to them: If it please your soul that I should bury my +dead, hear me, and intercede for me to Ephron the son of Seor. + +23:9. That he may give me the double cave, which he hath in the end of +his field: For as much money as it is worth he shall give it me before +you, for a possession of a burying place. + +23:10. Now Ephron dwelt in the midst of the children of Heth. And Ephron +made answer to Abraham in the hearing of all that went in at the gate of +the city, saying: + +23:11. Let it not be so, my lord, but do thou rather hearken to what I +say: The field I deliver to thee, and the cave that is therein; in the +presence of the children of my people, bury thy dead. + +23:12. Abraham bowed down before the people of the land. + +23:13. And he spoke to Ephron, in the presence of the people: I beseech +thee to hear me: I will give money for the field; take it, and so will I +bury my dead in it. + +23:14. And Ephron answered: + +23:15. My lord, hear me. The ground which thou desirest, is worth four +hundred sicles of silver: this is the price between me and thee: but +what is this? bury thy dead. + +23:16. And when Abraham had heard this, he weighed out the money that +Ephron had asked, in the hearing of the children of Heth, four hundred +sicles of silver, of common current money. + +23:17. And the field that before was Ephron's, wherein was the double +cave, looking towards Mambre, both it and the cave, and all the trees +thereof, in all its limits round about, + +23:18. Was made sure to Abraham for a possession, in the sight of the +children of Heth, and of all that went in at the gate of his city. + +23:19. And so Abraham buried Sara, his wife, in the double cave of the +field, that looked towards Mambre, this is Hebron in the land of +Chanaan. + +23:20. And the field was made sure to Abraham, and the cave that was in +it, for a possession to bury in, by the children of Heth. + +Genesis Chapter 24 + +Abraham's servant, sent by him into Mesopotamia, bringeth from thence +Rebecca, who is married to Isaac. + +24:1. Now Abraham was old, and advanced in age; and the Lord had blessed +him in all things. + +24:2. And he said to the elder servant of his house, who was ruler over +all he had: Put thy hand under my thigh, + +24:3. That I may make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and +earth, that thou take not a wife for my son, of the daughters of the +Chanaanites, among whom I dwell: + +24:4. But that thou go to my own country and kindred, and take a wife +from thence for my son Isaac. + +24:5. The servant answered: If the woman will not come with me into this +land, must I bring thy son back again to the place from whence thou +camest out? + +24:6. And Abraham said: Beware thou never bring my son back again +thither. + +24:7. The Lord God of heaven, who took me out of my father's house, and +out of my native country, who spoke to me, and swore to me, saying: To +thy seed will I give this land: he will send his angel before thee, and +thou shalt take from thence a wife for my son. + +He will send his angel before thee... This shows that the Hebrews +believed that God gave them guardian angels for their protection. + +24:8. But if the woman will not follow thee, thou shalt not be bound by +the oath: only bring not my son back thither again. + +24:9. The servant, therefore, put his hand under the thigh of Abraham, +his lord, and swore to him upon his word. + +24:10. And he took ten camels of his master's herd, and departed, +carrying something of all his goods with him, and he set forward and +went on to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nachor. + +24:11. And when he had made the camels lie down without the town, near a +well of water, in the evening, at the time when women are wont to come +out to draw water, he said: + +24:12. O Lord, the God of my master, Abraham, meet me today, I beseech +thee, and shew kindness to my master, Abraham. + +24:13. Behold, I stand nigh the spring of water, and the daughters of +the inhabitants of this city will come out to draw water: + +24:14. Now, therefore, the maid to whom I shall say: Let down thy +pitcher that I may drink: and she shall answer, Drink, and I will give +thy camels drink also: let it be the same whom thou hast provided for +thy servant Isaac: and by this, I shall understand that thou hast shewn +kindness to my master. + +24:15. He had not yet ended these words within himself, and behold +Rebecca came out, the daughter of Bathuel, son of Melcha, wife to Nachor +the brother of Abraham, having a pitcher on her shoulder: + +24:16. An exceeding comely maid, and a most beautiful virgin, and not +known to man: and she went down to the spring, and filled her pitcher, +and was coming back. + +24:17. And the servant ran to meet her, and said: Give me a little water +to drink of thy pitcher. + +24:18. And she answered: Drink, my lord. And quickly she let down the +pitcher upon her arm, and gave him drink. + +24:19. And when he had drunk, she said: I will draw water for thy camels +also, till they all drink. + +24:20. And pouring out the pitcher into the troughs, she ran back to the +well to draw water; and having drawn, she gave to all the camels. + +24:21. But he musing, beheld her with silence, desirous to know whether +the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not. + +24:22. And after that the camels had drunk, the man took out golden +earrings, weighing two sicles; and as many bracelets, of ten sicles +weight. + +24:23. And he said to her: Whose daughter art thou? tell me: is there +any place in thy father's house to lodge? + +24:24. And she answered: I am the daughter of Bathuel, the son of +Melcha, whom she bore to Nachor. + +24:25. And she said, moreover, to him: We have good store of both straw +and hay, and a large place to lodge in. + +24:26. The man bowed himself down, and adored the Lord, + +24:27. Saying: Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who hath +not taken away his mercy and truth from my master, and hath brought me +the straight way into the house of my master's brother. + +24:28. Then the maid ran, and told in her mother's house all that she +had heard. + +24:29. And Rebecca had a brother, named Laban, who went out in haste to +the man, to the well. + +24:30. And when he had seen the earrings and bracelets in his sister's +hands, and had heard all that she related, saying, Thus and thus the man +spoke to me: he came to the man who stood by the camels, and near to the +spring of water, + +24:31. And said to him: Come in, thou blessed of the Lord; why standest +thou without? I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels. + +24:32. And he brought him into his lodging; and he unharnessed the +camels, and gave straw and hay, and water to wash his feet, and the feet +of the men that were come with him. + +24:33. And bread was set before him. But he said: I will not eat, till I +tell my message. He answered him: Speak. + +24:34. And he said: I am the servant of Abraham: + +24:35. And the Lord hath blessed my master wonderfully, and he is become +great: and he hath given him sheep and oxen, silver and gold, men +servants and women servants, camels and asses. + +24:36. And Sara, my master's wife, hath borne my master a son in her old +age, and he hath given him all that he had. + +24:37. And my master made me swear, saying: Thou shalt not take a wife +for my son of the Chanaanites, in whose land I dwell: + +24:38. But thou shalt go to my father's house, and shalt take a wife of +my own kindred for my son: + +24:39. But I answered my master: What if the woman will not come with +me? + +24:40. The Lord, said he, in whose sight I walk, will send his angel +with thee, and will direct thy way: and thou shalt take a wife for my +son of my own kindred, and of my father's house. + +24:41. But thou shalt be clear from my curse, when thou shalt come to my +kindred, if they will not give thee one. + +24:42. And I came today to the well of water, and said: O Lord God of my +master, Abraham, if thou hast prospered my way, wherein I now walk, + +24:43. Behold, I stand by the well of water, and the virgin, that shall +come out to draw water, who shall hear me say: Give me a little water to +drink of thy pitcher: + +24:44. And shall say to me: Both drink thou, and I will also draw for +thy camels: let the same be the woman, whom the Lord hath prepared for +my master's son. + +24:45. And whilst I pondered these things secretly with myself, Rebecca +appeared, coming with a pitcher, which she carried on her shoulder: and +she went down to the well and drew water. And I said to her: Give me a +little to drink. + +24:46. And she speedily let down the pitcher from her shoulder, and said +to me: Both drink thou, and to thy camels I will give drink. I drank, +and she watered the camels. + +24:47. And I asked her, and said: Whose daughter art thou? And she +answered: I am the daughter of Bathuel, the son of Nachor, whom Melcha +bore to him. So I put earrings on her to adorn her face, and I put +bracelets on her hands. + +24:48. And falling down, I adored the Lord, blessing the Lord God of my +master, Abraham, who hath brought me the straight way to take the +daughter of my master's brother for his son. + +24:49. Wherefore, if you do according to mercy and truth with my master, +tell me: but if it please you otherwise, tell me that also, that I may +go to the right hand, or to the left. + +24:50. And Laban and Bathuel answered: The word hath proceeded from the +Lord: we cannot speak any other thing to thee but his pleasure. + +24:51. Behold, Rebecca is before thee, take her and go thy way, and let +her be the wife of thy master's son, as the Lord hath spoken. + +24:52. Which when Abraham's servant heard, falling down to the ground, +he adored the Lord. + +24:53. And bringing forth vessels of silver and gold, and garments, he +gave them to Rebecca, for a present. He offered gifts also to her +brothers, and to her mother. + +24:54. And a banquet was made, and they ate and drank together, and +lodged there. And in the morning, the servant arose, and said: Let me +depart, that I may go to my master. + +24:55. And her brother and mother answered: Let the maid stay, at least, +ten days with us, and afterwards she shall depart. + +24:56. Stay me not, said he, because the Lord hath prospered my way: +send me away, that I may go to my master. + +24:57. And they said: Let us call the maid, and ask her will. + +Let us call the maid, and ask her will... Not as to her marriage, as she +had already consented, but of her quitting her parents and going to her +husband. + +24:58. And they called her, and when she was come, they asked: Wilt thou +go with this man? She said: I will go. + +24:59. So they sent her away, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant, and +his company. + +24:60. Wishing prosperity to their sister, and saying: Thou art our +sister, mayst thou increase to thousands of thousands; and may thy seed +possess the gates of their enemies. + +24:61. So Rebecca and her maids, being set upon camels, followed the +man: who with speed returned to his master. + +24:62. At the same time, Isaac was walking along the way to the well +which is called Of the living and the seeing: for he dwelt in the south +country: + +24:63. And he was gone forth to meditate in the field, the day being now +well spent: and when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw camels coming +afar off. + +24:64. Rebecca also, when she saw Isaac, lighted off the camel, + +24:65. And said to the servant: Who is that man who cometh towards us +along the field? And he said to her: That man is my master. But she +quickly took her cloak, and covered herself. + +24:66. And the servant told Isaac all that he had done. + +24:67. Who brought her into the tent of Sara his mother, and took her to +wife: and he loved her so much, that it moderated the sorrow which was +occasioned by his mother's death. + +Genesis Chapter 25 + +Abraham's children by Cetura; his death and that of Ismael. Isaac hath +Esau and Jacob twins. Esau selleth his first birthright to Jacob. + +25:1. And Abraham married another wife named Cetura: + +25:2. Who bore him Zamram, and Jecsan, and Madan, and Madian, and +Jesboc, and Sue. + +25:3. Jecsan also begot Saba, and Dadan. The children of Dadan were +Assurim, and Latusim, and Loomim. + +25:4. But of Madian was born Epha, and Opher, and Henoch, and Abida, and +Eldaa: all these were the children of Cetura. + +25:5. And Abraham gave all his possessions to Isaac: + +25:6. And to the children of the concubines he gave gifts, and separated +them from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, to the east country. + +Concubines... Agar and Cetura are here called concubines, (though they +were lawful wives, and in other places are so called,) because they were +of an inferior degree, and such in scripture are usually called +concubines. + +25:7. And the days of Abraham's life were a hundred and seventy-five +years. + +25:8. And decaying he died in a good old age, and having lived a long +time, and being full of days: and was gathered to his people. + +25:9. And Isaac and Ismael his sons buried him in the double cave, which +was situated in the field of Ephron the son of Seor the Hethite, over +against Mambre, + +25:10. Which he had bought of the children of Heth: there was he buried, +and Sara his wife. + +25:11. And after his death, God blessed Isaac his son, who dwelt by the +well named Of the living and seeing. + +25:12. These are the generations of Ismael the son of Abraham, whom Agar +the Egyptian, Sara's servant, bore unto him: + +25:13. And these are the names of his children according to their +calling and generations. The firstborn of Ismael was Nabajoth, then +Cedar, and Adbeel, and Mabsam, + +25:14. And Masma, and Duma, and Massa, + +25:15. Hadar, and Thema, and Jethur, and Naphis, and Cedma. + +25:16. These are the sons of Ismael: and these are their names by their +castles and towns, twelve princes of their tribes. + +25:17. And the years of Ismael's life were a hundred and thirty-seven, +and decaying he died, and was gathered unto his people. + +25:18. And he dwelt from Hevila as far as Sur, which looketh towards +Egypt, to them that go towards the Assyrians. He died in the presence of +all his brethren. + +25:19. These also are the generations of Isaac the son of Abraham: +Abraham begot Isaac: + +25:20. Who when he was forty years old, took to wife Rebecca the +daughter of Bathuel the Syrian of Mesopotamia, sister to Laban. + +25:21. And Isaac besought the Lord for his wife, because she was barren: +and he heard him, and made Rebecca to conceive. + +25:22. But the children struggled in her womb, and she said: If it were +to be so with me, what need was there to conceive? And she went to +consult the Lord. + +25:23. And he answering, said: Two nations are in thy womb, and two +peoples shall be divided out of thy womb, and one people shall overcome +the other, and the elder shall serve the younger. + +25:24. And when her time was come to be delivered, behold twins were +found in her womb. + +25:25. He that came forth first was red, and hairy like a skin: and his +name was called Esau. Immediately the other coming forth, held his +brother's foot in his hand: and therefore he was called Jacob. + +25:26. Isaac was threescore years old when the children were born unto +him. + +25:27. And when they were grown up, Esau became a skilful hunter, and a +husbandman: but Jacob, a plain man, dwelt in tents. + +25:28. Isaac loved Esau, because he ate of his hunting: and Rebecca +loved Jacob. + +25:29. And Jacob boiled pottage: to whom Esau, coming faint out of the +field, + +25:30. Said: Give me of this red pottage, for I am exceeding faint. For +which reason his name was called Edom. + +25:31. And Jacob said to him: Sell me thy first birthright. + +25:32. He answered: Lo I die, what will the first birthright avail me? + +25:33. Jacob said: Swear therefore to me. Esau swore to him, and sold +his first birthright. + +25:34. And so taking bread and the pottage of lentils, he ate, and +drank, and went on his way; making little account of having sold his +first birthright. + +Genesis Chapter 26 + +Isaac sojourneth in Gerara, where God reneweth to him the promise made +to Abraham. King Abimelech maketh league with him. + +26:1. And when a famine came in the land, after that barrenness which +had happened in the days of Abraham, Isaac went to Abimelech, king of +the Palestines, to Gerara. + +26:2. And the Lord appeared to him, and said: Go not down into Egypt, +but stay in the land that I shall tell thee. + +26:3. And sojourn in it, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee: +for to thee and to thy seed I will give all these countries, to fulfil +the oath which I swore to Abraham thy father. + +26:4. And I will multiply thy seed like the stars of heaven: and I will +give to thy posterity all these countries: and in thy seed shall all the +nations of the earth be blessed. + +26:5. Because Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my precepts and +commandments, and observed my ceremonies and laws. + +26:6. So Isaac abode in Gerara. + +26:7. And when he was asked by the men of that place, concerning his +wife, he answered: She is my sister: for he was afraid to confess that +she was his wife, thinking lest perhaps they would kill him because of +her beauty. + +26:8. And when very many days were passed, and he abode there, +Abimelech, king of the Palestines, looking out through a window, saw him +playing with Rebecca, his wife. + +26:9. And calling for him, he said: It is evident she is thy wife: why +didst thou feign her to be thy sister? He answered: I feared lest I +should die for her sake. + +26:10. And Abimelech said: Why hast thou deceived us? Some man of the +people might have lain with thy wife, and thou hadst brought upon us a +great sin. And he commanded all the people, saying: + +26:11. He that shall touch this man's wife, shall surely be put to +death. + +26:12. And Isaac sowed in that land, and he found that same year a +hundredfold: and the Lord blessed him. + +26:13. And the man was enriched, and he went on prospering and +increasing, till he became exceeding great. + +26:14. And he had possessions of sheep and of herds, and a very great +family. Wherefore the Palestines envying him, + +26:15. Stopped up at that time all the wells, that the servants of his +father, Abraham, had digged, filling them up with earth: + +26:16. Insomuch that Abimelech himself said to Isaac: Depart from us, +for thou art become much mightier than we. + +26:17. So he departed, and came to the torrent of Gerara, to dwell +there: + +26:18. And he digged again other wells, which the servants of his +father, Abraham, had digged, and which, after his death, the Philistines +had of old stopped up: and he called them by the same names, by which +his father before had called them. + +26:19. And they digged in the torrent, and found living water: + +Torrent... That is, a channel where sometimes a torrent or violent +stream had run. + +26:20. But there also the herdsmen of Gerara strove against the herdsmen +of Isaac, saying: It is our water. Wherefore he called the name of the +well, on occasion of that which had happened, Calumny. + +26:21. And they digged also another; and for that they quarrelled +likewise, and he called the name of it, Enmity. + +26:22. Going forward from thence, he digged another well, for which they +contended not; therefore he called the name thereof, Latitude, saying: +Now hath the Lord given us room, and made us to increase upon the earth. + +Latitude... That is, wideness, or room. + +26:23. And he went up from that place to Bersabee, + +26:24. Where the Lord appeared to him that same night, saying: I am the +God of Abraham thy father, do not fear, for I am with thee: I will bless +thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham's sake. + +26:25. And he built there an altar: and called upon the name of the +Lord, and pitched his tent; and commanded his servants to dig a well. + +26:26. To which place when Abimelech, and Ochozath his friend, and +Phicol chief captain of his soldiers, came from Gerara, + +26:27. Isaac said to them: Why are ye come to me, a man whom you hate, +and have thrust out from you? + +26:28. And they answered: We saw that the Lord is with thee, and +therefore we said: Let there be an oath between us, and let us make a +covenant, + +26:29. That thou do us no harm, as we on our part have touched nothing +of thine, nor have done any thing to hurt thee; but with peace have sent +thee away, increased with the blessing of the Lord. + +26:30. And he made them a feast, and after they had eaten and drunk: + +26:31. Arising in the morning, they swore one to another: and Isaac sent +them away peaceably to their own home. + +26:32. And behold, the same day the servants of Isaac came, telling him +of a well which they had digged, and saying: We have found water. + +26:33. Whereupon he called it Abundance: and the name of the city was +called Bersabee, even to this day. + +26:34. And Esau being forty years old, married wives, Judith, the +daughter of Beeri, the Hethite, and Basemath, the daughter of Elon, of +the same place. + +26:35. And they both offended the mind of Isaac and Rebecca. + +Genesis Chapter 27 + +Jacob, by him mother's counsel, obtaineth his father's blessing instead +of Esau. And by her is advised to fly to his uncle Laban. + +27:1. Now Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, and he could not see: +and he called Esau, his elder son, and said to him: My son? And he +answered: Here I am. + +27:2. And his father said to him, Thou seest that I am old, and know not +the day of my death. + +27:3. Take thy arms, thy quiver, and bow, and go abroad; and when thou +hast taken something by hunting, + +27:4. Make me a savoury meat thereof, as thou knowest I like, and bring +it that I may eat: and my soul may bless thee, before I die. + +27:5. And when Rebecca had heard this, and he was gone into the field to +fulfil his father's commandment, + +27:6. She said to her son Jacob: I heard thy father talking with Esau, +thy brother, and saying to him: + +27:7. Bring me of thy hunting, and make me meats that I may eat, and +bless thee in the sight of the Lord, before I die. + +27:8. Now therefore, my son, follow my counsel: + +27:9. And go thy way to the flock, bring me two kids of the best, that I +may make of them meat for thy father, such as he gladly eateth. + +27:10. Which when thou hast brought in, and he hath eaten, he may bless +thee before he die. + +27:11. And he answered her: Thou knowest that Esau, my brother, is a +hairy man, and I am smooth: + +27:12. If my father should feel me, and perceive it, I fear lest he will +think I would have mocked him, and I shall bring upon me a curse instead +of a blessing. + +27:13. And his mother said to him: Upon me be this curse, my son: only +hear thou my voice, and go, fetch me the things which I have said. + +27:14. He went, and brought, and gave them to his mother. She dressed +meats, such as she knew his father liked. + +27:15. And she put on him very good garments of Esau, which she had at +home with her: + +27:16. And the little skins of the kids she put about his hands, and +covered the bare of his neck. + +27:17. And she gave him the savoury meat, and delivered him bread that +she had baked. + +27:18. Which when he had carried in, he said: My father? But he +answered: I hear. Who art thou, my son? + +27:19. And Jacob said: I am Esau, thy firstborn: I have done as thou +didst command me: arise, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may +bless me. + +I am Esau thy firstborn... St. Augustine (L. Contra mendacium, c. 10), +treating at large upon this place, excuseth Jacob from a lie, because +this whole passage was mysterious, as relating to the preference which +was afterwards to be given to the Gentiles before the carnal Jews, which +Jacob by prophetic light might understand. So far is certain, that the +first birthright, both by divine election and by Esau's free cession +belonged to Jacob: so that if there were any lie in the case, it could +be no more than an officious and venial one. + +27:20. And Isaac said to his son: How couldst thou find it so quickly, +my son? He answered: It was the will of God, that what I sought came +quickly in my way: + +27:21. And Isaac said: Come hither, that I may feel thee, my son, and +may prove whether thou be my son Esau, or no. + +27:22. He came near to 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. + +27:23. And he knew him not, because his hairy hands made him like to the +elder. Then blessing him, + +27:24. He said: Art thou my son Esau? He answered: I am. + +27:25. Then he said: Bring me the meats of thy hunting, my son, that my +soul may bless thee. And when they were brought, and he had eaten, he +offered him wine also, which after he had drunk, + +27:26. He said to him: Come near me, and give me a kiss, my son. + +27:27. He came near, and kissed him. And immediately as he smelled the +fragrant smell of his garments, blessing him, he said: Behold, the smell +of my son is as the smell of a plentiful field, which the Lord hath +blessed. + +27:28. God give thee of the dew of heaven, and of the fatness of the +earth, abundance of corn and wine. + +27:29. And let peoples serve thee, and tribes worship thee: be thou lord +of thy brethren, and let thy mother's children bow down before thee. +Cursed be he that curseth thee: and let him that blesseth thee be filled +with blessings. + +27:30. Isaac had scarce ended his words, when, Jacob being now gone out +abroad, Esau came, + +27:31. And brought in to his father meats, made of what he had taken in +hunting, saying: Arise, my father, and eat of thy son's venison; that +thy soul may bless me. + +27:32. And Isaac said to him: Why! who art thou? He answered: I am thy +firstborn son, Esau. + +27:33. Isaac was struck with fear, and astonished exceedingly; and +wondering beyond what can be believed, said: Who is he then that even +now brought me venison that he had taken, and I ate of all before thou +camest? and I have blessed him, and he shall be blessed. + +27:34. Esau having heard his father's words, roared out with a great +cry; and, being in a consternation, said: Bless me also, my father. + +27:35. And he said: Thy brother came deceitfully and got thy blessing. + +27:36. But he said again: Rightly is his name called Jacob; for he hath +supplanted me lo this second time: My birthright he took away before, +and now this second time he hath stolen away my blessing. And again he +said to his father: Hast thou not reserved me also a blessing? + +Jacob... That is, a supplanter. + +27:37. Isaac answered: I have appointed him thy lord, and have made all +his brethren his servants: I have established him with corn and wine, +and after this, what shall I do more for thee, my son? + +27:38. And Esau said to him: Hast thou only one blessing, father? I +beseech thee bless me also. And when he wept with a loud cry, + +27:39. Isaac being moved, said to him: In the fat of the earth, and in +the dew of heaven from above, + +27:40. Shall thy blessing be. Thou shalt live by the sword, and shalt +serve thy brother: and the time shall come, when thou shalt shake off +and loose his yoke from thy neck. + +27:41. Esau therefore always hated Jacob, for the blessing wherewith his +father had blessed him; and he said in his heart: The days will come of +the mourning for my father, and I will kill my brother Jacob. + +27:42. These things were told to Rebecca: and she sent and called Jacob, +her son, and said to him: Behold Esau, thy brother, threateneth to kill +thee. + +27:43. Now therefore, my son, hear my voice, arise and flee to Laban, my +brother, to Haran: + +27:44. And thou shalt dwell with him a few days, till the wrath of thy +brother be assuaged, + +27:45. And his indignation cease, and he forget the things thou hast +done to him: afterwards I will send, and bring thee from thence hither. +Why shall I be deprived of both my sons in one day? + +27:46. And Rebecca said to Isaac: I am weary of my life, because of the +daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the stock of this land, I +choose not to live. + +Genesis Chapter 28 + +Jacob's journey to Mesopotamia: his vision and vow. + +28:1. And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, saying: +Take not a wife of the stock of Chanaan: + +28:2. But go, and take a journey to Mesopotamia of Syria, to the house +of Bathuel, thy mother's father, and take thee a wife thence of the +daughters of Laban, thy uncle. + +28:3. And God almighty bless thee, and make thee to increase and +multiply thee: that thou mayst be a multitude of people. + +28:4. And give the blessings of Araham to thee, and to thy seed after +thee: that thou mayst possess the land of thy sojournment, which he +promised to thy grandfather. + +28:5. And when Isaac had sent him away, he took his journey and went to +Mesopotamia of Syria, to Laban, the son of Bathuel, the Syrian, brother +to Rebecca, his mother. + +28:6. And Esau seeing that his father had blessed Jacob, and had sent +him into Mesopotamia of Syria, to marry a wife thence; and that after +the blessing he had charged him, saying: Thou shalt not take a wife of +the daughters of Chanaan: + +28:7. And that Jacob obeying his parents, was gone into Syria: + +28:8. Experiencing also, that his father was not well pleased with the +daughters of Chanaan: + +28:9. He went to Ismael, and took to wife, besides them he had before, +Maheleth, the daughter of Ismael, Abraham's son, the sister of Nabajoth. + +28:10. But Jacob being departed from Bersabee, went on to Haran. + +28:11. And when he was come to a certain place, and would rest in it +after sunset, he took of the stones that lay there, and putting under +his head, slept in the same place. + +28:12. And he saw in his sleep a ladder standing upon the earth, and the +top thereof touching heaven: the angels also of God ascending and +descending by it. + +28:13. And the Lord leaning upon the ladder saying to him: I am the Lord +God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: The land, wherein thou +sleepest, I will give to thee and to thy seed. + +28:14. And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth: thou shalt spread +abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: +and IN THEE and thy seed, all the tribes of the earth SHALL BE BLESSED. + +28:15. And I will be thy keeper whithersoever thou goest, and will bring +thee back into this land: neither will I leave thee, till I shall have +accomplished all that I have said. + +28:16. And when Jacob awaked out of sleep, he said: Indeed the Lord is +in this place, and I knew it not. + +28:17. And trembling, he said: How terrible is this place? this is no +other but the house of God, and the gate of heaven. + +28:18. And Jacob arising in the morning, took the stone which he had +laid under his head, and set it up for a title, pouring oil upon the top +of it. + +28:19. And he called the name of the city Bethel, which before was +called Luza. + +Bethel... This name signifies the house of God. + +28:20. And he made a vow, saying: If God shall be with me, and shall +keep me in the way, by which I walk, and shall give me bread to eat, and +raiment to put on, + +28:21. And I shall return prosperously to my father's house: the Lord +shall be my God: + +28:22. And this stone, which I have set up for a title, shall be called +the house of God: and of all things that thou shalt give to me, I will +offer tithes to thee. + +Genesis Chapter 29 + +Jacob serveth Laban seven years for Rachel: but is deceived with Lia: he +afterwards marrieth Rachel. Lia bears him four sons. + +29:1. Then Jacob went on in his journey, and came into the east country. + +29:2. And he saw a well in the field, and three flocks of sheep lying by +it: for the beasts were watered out of it, and the mouth thereof was +closed with a great stone. + +29:3. And the custom was, when all the sheep were gathered together, to +roll away the stone, and after the sheep were watered, to put it on the +mouth of the well again. + +29:4. And he said to the shepherds: Brethren, whence are you? They +answered: Of Haran. + +29:5. And he asked them, saying: Know you Laban, the son of Nachor? They +said: We know him. + +29:6. He said: Is he in health? He is in health, say they: and behold, +Rachel, his daughter, cometh with his flock. + +29:7. And Jacob said: There is yet much day remaining, neither is it +time to bring the flocks into the folds again: first give the sheep +drink, and so lead them back to feed. + +29:8. They answered: We cannot, till all the cattle be gathered +together, and we remove the stone from the well's mouth, that we may +water the flocks. + +29:9. They were yet speaking, and behold Rachel came with her father's +sheep; for she fed the flock. + +29:10. And when Jacob saw her, and knew her to be his cousin german, and +that they were the sheep of Laban, his uncle: he removed the stone +wherewith the well was closed. + +29:11. And having watered the flock, he kissed her: and lifting up his +voice wept. + +29:12. And he told her that he was her father's brother, and the son of +Rebecca: but she went in haste and told her father. + +29:13. Who, when he heard that Jacob his sister's son was come, ran +forth to meet him: and embracing him, and heartily kissing him, brought +him into his house. And when he had heard the causes of his journey, + +29:14. He answered: Thou art my bone and my flesh. And after the days of +one month were expired, + +29:15. He said to him: Because thou art my brother, shalt thou serve me +without wages? Tell me what wages thou wilt have. + +29:16. Now he had two daughters, the name of the elder was Lia; and the +younger was called Rachel. + +29:17. But Lia was blear eyed: Rachel was well favoured, and of a +beautiful countenance. + +29:18. And Jacob being in love with her, said: I will serve thee seven +years for Rachel, thy younger daughter. + +29:19. Laban answered: It is better that I give her to thee than to +another man; stay with me. + +29:20. So Jacob served seven years for Rachel: and they seemed but a few +days, because of the greatness of his love. + +29:21. And he said to Laban: Give me my wife; for now the time is +fulfilled, that I may go in unto her. + +29:22. And he, having invited a great number of his friends to the +feast, made the marriage. + +29:23. And at night he brought in Lia, his daughter, to him, + +29:24. Giving his daughter a handmaid, named Zelpha. Now when Jacob had +gone in to her according to custom, when morning was come he saw it was +Lia. + +29:25. And he said to his father in law: What is it that thou didst mean +to do? did not I serve thee for Rachel? why hast thou deceived me? + +29:26. Laban answered: It is not the custom in this place, to give the +younger in marriage first. + +29:27. Make up the week of days of this match: and I will give thee her +also, for the service that thou shalt render me other seven years. + +29:28. He yielded to his pleasure: and after the week was past, he +married Rachel: + +29:29. To whom her father gave Bala, for her servant. + +29:30. And having at length obtained the marriage he wished for, he +preferred the love of the latter before the former, and served with him +other seven years. + +29:31. And the Lord seeing that he despised Lia, opened her womb, but +her sister remained barren. + +29:32. And she conceived and bore a son, and called his name Ruben, +saying: The Lord saw my affliction: now my husband will love me. + +29:33. And again she conceived and bore a son, and said: Because the +Lord heard that I was despised, he hath given this also to me: and she +called his name Simeon. + +29:34. And she conceived the third time, and bore another son, and said: +Now also my husband will be joined to me, because I have borne him three +sons: and therefore she called his name Levi. + +29:35. The fourth time she conceived and bore a son, and said: Now will +I praise the Lord: and for this she called him Juda. And she left +bearing. + +Genesis Chapter 30 + +Rachel, being barren, delivereth her handmaid to Jacob; she beareth two +sons. Lia ceasing to bear, giveth also her handmaid, and she beareth two +more. Then Lia beareth other two sons and one daughter. Rachel beareth +Joseph. Jacob, desirous to return home, is hired to stay for a certain +part of the flock's increase, whereby he becometh exceeding rich. + +30:1. And Rachel seeing herself without children, envied her sister, and +said to her husband: Give me children, otherwise I shall die. + +30:2. And Jacob being angry with her, answered: Am I as God, who hath +deprived thee of the fruit of thy womb? + +30:3. But she said: I have here my servant Bala: go in unto her, that +she may bear upon my knees, and I may have children by her. + +30:4. And she gave him Bala in marriage: who, + +30:5. When her husband had gone in unto her, conceived and bore a son. + +30:6. And Rachel said: The Lord hath judged for me, and hath heard my +voice, giving me a son; and therefore she called his name Dan. + +30:7. And again Bala conceived, and bore another, + +30:8. For whom Rachel said: God hath compared me with my sister, and I +have prevailed: and she called him Nephthali. + +30:9. Lia perceiving that she had left of bearing, gave Zelpha, her +handmaid, to her husband. + +30:10. And when she had conceived, and brought forth a son, + +30:11. She said: Happily. And therefore called his name Gad. + +30:12. Zelpha also bore another. + +30:13. And Lia said: This is for my happiness: for women will call me +blessed. Therefore she called him Aser. + +30:14. And Ruben going out in the time of the wheat harvest into the +field, found mandrakes: which he brought to his mother Lia. And Rachel +said: Give me part of thy son's mandrakes. + +30:15. She answered: Dost thou think it a small matter, that thou hast +taken my husband from me, unless thou take also my son's mandrakes? +Rachel said: He shall sleep with thee this night, for thy son's +mandrakes. + +30:16. And when Jacob returned at even from the field, Lia went out to +meet him, and said: Thou shalt come in unto me, because I have hired +thee for my son's mandrakes. And he slept with her that night. + +30:17. And God heard her prayers; and she conceived: and bore a fifth +son: + +30:18. And said: God hath given me a reward, because I gave my handmaid +to my husband. And she called his name Issachar. + +30:19. And Lia conceived again, and bore the sixth son, + +30:20. And said: God hath endowed me with a good dowry; this turn also +my husband will be with me, because I have borne him six sons: and +therefore she called his name Zabulon. + +30:21. After whom she bore a daughter, named Dina. + +30:22. The Lord also remembering Rachel, heard her, and opened her womb. + +30:23. And she conceived, and bore a son, saying: God hath taken away my +reproach. + +30:24. And she called his name Joseph: saying: The Lord give me also +another son. + +30:25. And when Joseph was born, Jacob said to his father in law: Send +me away, that I may return into my country, and to my land. + +30:26. Give me my wives, and my children, for whom I have served thee, +that I may depart: thou knowest the service that I have rendered thee. + +30:27. Laban said to him: Let me find favour in thy sight: I have +learned, by experience, that God hath blessed me for thy sake. + +30:28. Appoint thy wages which I shall give thee. + +30:29. But he answered: Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how +great thy possession hath been in my hands. + +30:30. Thou hadst but little before I came to thee, and now thou art +become rich: and the Lord hath blessed thee at my coming. It is +reasonable, therefore, that I should now provide also for my own house. + +30:31. And Laban said: What shall I give thee? But he said: I require +nothing; but if thou wilt do what I demand, I will feed and keep thy +sheep again. + +30:32. Go round through all thy flocks, and separate all the sheep of +divers colours, and speckled; and all that is brown and spotted, and of +divers colours, as well among the sheep as among the goats, shall be my +wages. + +30:33. And my justice shall answer for me tomorrow before thee, when the +time of the bargain shall come; and all that is not of divers colours, +and spotted, and brown, as well among the sheep as among the goats, +shall accurse me of theft. + +30:34. And Laban said: I like well what thou demandest. + +30:35. And he separated the same day the she goats, and the sheep, and +the he goats, and the rams of divers colours, and spotted; and all the +flock of one colour, that is, of white and black fleece, he deliverdd +into the hands of his sons. + +30:36. And he set the space of three days journey betwixt himself and +his son in law, who fed the rest of his flock. + +30:37. And Jacob took green rods of poplar, and of almond, and of plane +trees, and pilled them in part: so when the bark was taken off, in the +parts that were pilled, there appeared whiteness: but the parts that +were whole, remained green: and by this means the colour was divers. + +30:38. And he put them in the troughs, where the water was poured out; +that when the flocks should come to drink, they might have the rods +before their eyes, and in the sight of them might conceive. + +30:39. And it came to pass, that in the very heat of coition, the sheep +beheld the rods, and brought forth spotted, and of divers colours, and +speckled. + +30:40. And Jacob separated the flock, and put the rods in the troughs +before the eyes of the rams; and all the white and the black were +Laban's, and the rest were Jacob's, when the flocks were separated one +from the other. + +30:41. So when the ewes went first to ram, Jacob put the rods in the +troughs of water before the eyes of the rams, and of the ewes, that they +might conceive while they were looking upon them. + +30:42. But when the later coming was, and the last conceiving, he did +not put them. And those that were lateward, became Laban's; and they of +the first time, Jacob's. + +30:43. And the man was enriched exceedingly, and he had many flocks, +maidservants and menservants, camels and asses. + +Genesis Chapter 31 + +Jacob's departure: he is pursued and overtaken by Laban. They make a +covenant. + +31:1. But after that he had heard the words of the sons of Laban, +saying: Jacob hath taken away all that was our father's, and being +enriched by his substance is become great. + +31:2. And perceiving also, that Laban's countenance was not towards him +as yesterday and the other day. + +31:3. Especially the Lord saying to him: Return into the land of thy +fathers and to thy kindred, and I will be with thee. + +31:4. He sent, and called Rachel and Lia into the field, where he fed +the flocks, + +31:5. And said to them: I see your father's countenance is not towards +me as yesterday and the other day: but the God of my father hath been +with me. + +31:6. And you know that I have served your father to the uttermost of my +power. + +31:7. Yea your father hath also overreached me, and hath changed my +wages ten times: and yet God hath not suffered him to hurt me. + +31:8. If at any time, he said: The speckled shall be thy wages: all the +sheep brought forth speckled: but when he said on the contrary: Thou +shalt take all the white one for thy wages: all the flocks brought forth +white ones. + +31:9. And God hath taken your father's substance, and given it to me. + +31:10. For after the time came of the ewes conceiving, I lifted up my +eyes, and saw in my sleep, that the males which leaped upon the females +were of divers colours, and spotted, and speckled. + +31:11. And the angel of God said to me in my sleep: Jacob. And I +answered: Here I am. + +31:12. And he said: Lift up thy eyes, and see that all the males leaping +upon the females, are of divers colours, spotted and speckled. For I +have seen all that Laban hath done to thee. + +31:13. I am the God of Bethel, where thou didst anoint the stone, and +make a vow to me. Now therefore arise, and go out of this land, and +return into thy native country. + +31:14. And Rachel and Lia answered: Have we any thing left among the +goods and inheritance of our father's house? + +31:15. Hath he not counted us as strangers, and sold us, and eaten up +the price of us? + +31:16. But God hath taken our father's riches, and delivered them to us, +and to our children: wherefore, do all that God hath commanded thee. + +31:17. Then Jacob rose up, and having set his children and wives upon +camels, went his way. + +31:18. And he took all his substance, and flocks, and whatsoever he had +gotten in Mesopotamia, and went forward to Isaac, his father, to the +land of Chanaan. + +31:19. At that time Laban was gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole +away her father's idols. + +Her father's idols... By this it appears that Laban was an idolater; and +some of the fathers are of opinion that Rachel stole away these idols to +withdraw him from idolatry, removing the occasion of his sin. + +31:20. And Jacob would not confess to his father in law that he was +flying away. + +31:21. And when he was gone, together with all that belonged to him, and +having passed the river, was going on towards mount Galaad, + +31:22. It was told Laban on the third day, that Jacob fled. + +31:23. And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven +days; and overtook him in the mount of Galaad. + +31:24. And he saw in a dream God, saying to him: Take heed thou speak +not any thing harshly against Jacob. + +31:25. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountain: and when he, with +his brethren, had overtaken him, he pitched his tent in the same mount +of Galaad. + +31:26. And he said to Jacob: Why hast thou done thus, to carry away, +without my knowledge, my daughters as captives taken with the sword? + +31:27. Why wouldst thou run away privately, and not acquaint me, that I +might have brought thee on the way with joy, and with songs, and with +timbrels, and with harps? + +31:28. Thou hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and daughters; thou +hast done foolishly; and now indeed, + +31:29. It is in my power to return thee evil; but the God of your father +said to me yesterday: Take heed thou speak not any thing harshly against +Jacob. + +31:30. Suppose thou didst desire to go to thy friends, and hadst a +longing after thy father's house: why hast thou stolen away my gods? + +31:31. Jacob answered: That I departed unknown to thee, it was for fear +lest thou wouldst take away thy daughters by force. + +31:32. But, whereas, thou chargest me with theft: with whomsoever thou +shalt find thy gods, let him be slain before our brethren. Search, and +if thou find any of thy things with me, take them away. Now when he said +this, he knew not that Rachel had stolen the idols. + +31:33. So Laban went into the tent of Jacob, and of Lia, and of both the +handmaids, and found them not. And when he was entered into Rachel's +tent, + +31:34. She, in haste, hid the idols under the camel's furniture, and sat +upon them: and when he had searched all the tent, and found nothing, + +31:35. She said: Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise up before +thee, because it has now happened to me according to the custom of +women. So his careful search was in vain. + +31:36. And Jacob being angry, said in a chiding manner: For what fault +of mine, and for what offence on my part hast thou so hotly pursued me, + +31:37. And searched all my household stuff? What hast thou found of all +the substance of thy house? lay it here before my brethren, and thy +brethren, and let them judge between me and thee. + +31:38. Have I, therefore, been with thee twenty years? thy ewes and +goats were not barren, the rams of thy flocks I did not eat: + +31:39. Neither did I shew thee that which the beast had torn; I made +good all the damage: whatsoever was lost by theft, thou didst exact it +of me: + +31:40. Day and night was I parched with heat, and with frost, and sleep +departed from my eyes. + +31:41. And in this manner have I served thee in thy house twenty years, +fourteen for thy daughters, and six for thy flocks: thou hast changed +also my wages ten times. + +31:42. Unless the God of my father, Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had +stood by me, peradventure now thou hadst sent me away naked: God beheld +my affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesterday. + +31:43. Laban answered him: The daughters are mine, and the children, and +thy flocks, and all things that thou seest are mine: what can I do to my +children, and grandchildren? + +31:44. Come, therefore, let us enter into a league; that it may be for a +testimony between me and thee. + +31:45. And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a title. + +31:46. And he said to his brethren: Bring hither stones. And they, +gathering stones together, made a heap, and they ate upon it. + +31:47. And Laban called it, The witness heap; and Jacob, The hillock of +testimony: each of them according to the propriety of his language. + +31:48. And Laban said: This heap shall be a witness between me and thee +this day, and therefore the name thereof was called Galaad, that is, The +witness heap. + +31:49. The Lord behold and judge between us, when we shall be gone one +from the other. + +31:50. If thou afflict my daughters, and if thou bring in other wives +over them: none is witness of our speech but God, who is present and +beholdeth. + +31:51. And he said again to Jacob: Behold this heap, and the stone which +I have set up between me and thee, + +31:52. Shall be a witness: this heap, I say, and the stone, be they for +a testimony, if either I shall pass beyond it going towards thee, or +thou shalt pass beyond it thinking harm to me. + +31:53. The God of Abraham, and the God of Nachor, the God of their +father, judge betweeen us. And Jacob swore by the fear of his father +Isaac: + +31:54. And after he had offered sacrifices in the mountain, he called +his brethren to eat bread. And when they had eaten, they lodged there: + +31:55. But Laban arose in the night, and kissed his sons and daughters, +and blessed them: and returned to his place. + +Genesis Chapter 32 + +Jacob's vision of angels; his message and presents to Esau; his +wrestling with an angel. + +32:1. Jacob also went on the journey he had begun: and the angels of God +met him. + +32:2. And when he saw them, he said: These are the camps of God, and he +called the name of that place Mahanaim, that is, Camps. + +32:3. And he sent messengers before him to Esau, his brother, to the +land of Seir, to the country of Edom: + +32:4. And he commanded them, saying: Thus shall ye speak to my lord +Esau: Thus saith thy brother Jacob: I have sojourned with Laban, and +have been with him until this day: + +32:5. I have oxen, and asses, and sheep, and menservants, and +womenservants: and now I send a message to my lord, that I may find +favour in thy sight. + +32:6. And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying: We came to Esau, thy +brother, and behold he cometh with speed to meet thee with four hundred +men. + +32:7. Then Jacob was greatly afraid; and in his fear divided the people +that was with him, and the flocks, and the sheep, and the oxen, and the +camels, into two companies, + +32:8. Saying: If Esau come to one company, and destroy it, the other +company that is left, shall escape. + +32:9. And Jacob said: O God of my fahter Abraham, and God of my father +Isaac: O Lord who saidst to me, Return to thy land, and to the place of +thy birth, and I will do well for thee. + +32:10. I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies, and of thy truth +which thou hast fulfilled to thy servant. With my staff I passed over +this Jordan; and now I return with two companies. + +32:11. Deliver me from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am greatly +afraid of him; lest perhaps he come, and kill the mother with the +children. + +32:12. Thou didst say, that thou wouldst do well by me, and multiply my +seed like the sand of the sea, which connot be numbered for multitude. + +32:13. And when he had slept there that night, he set apart, of the +things which he had, presents for his brother Esau, + +32:14. Two hundred she goats, twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and +twenty rams, + +32:15. Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and twenty +bulls, twenty she asses, and ten of their foals. + +32:16. And he sent them by the hands of his servants, every drove by +itself, and he said to his servants: Go before me, and let there be a +space between drove and drove. + +32:17. And he commanded the first, saying: If thou meet my brother Esau, +and he ask thee: Whose art thou? or whither goest thou? or whose are +these before thee? + +32:18. Thou shalt answer: Thy servant Jacob's: he hath sent them as a +present to my lord Esau; and he cometh after us. + +32:19. In like manner he commanded the second, and the third, and all +that followed the droves, saying: Speak ye the same words to Esau, when +ye find him. + +32:20. And ye shall add: Thy servant Jacob himself also followeth after +us; for he said: I will appease him with the presents that go before, +and afterwards I will see him, perhaps he will be gracious to me. + +32:21. So the presents went before him, but himself lodged that night in +the camp. + +32:22. And rising early, he took his two wives and his two handmaids, +with his eleven sons, and passed over the ford of Jaboc. + +32:23. And when all things were brought over that belonged to him, + +32:24. He remained alone; and behold, a man wrestled with him till +morning. + +A man, etc... This was an angel in human shape, as we learn from Osee +12.4. He is called God, ver. 28 and 30, because he represented the +person of the Son of God. This wrestling, in which Jacob, assisted by +God, was a match for an angel, was so ordered (ver. 28,) that he might +learn by this experiment of the divine assistance, that neither Esau, +nor any other man, should have power to hurt him.-It was also spiritual, +as appeareth by his earnest prayer, urging and at last obtaining the +angel's blessing. + +32:25. And when he saw that he could not overcome him, he touched the +sinew of his thigh, and forthwith it shrank. + +32:26. And he said to him: Let me go, for it is break of day. He +answered: I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. + +32:27. And he said: What is thy name? He answered: Jacob. + +32:28. But he said: Thy name shall not be called Jacob, but Israel; for +if thou hast been strong against God, how much more shalt thou prevail +against men? + +32:29. Jacob asked him: Tell me by what name art thou called? He +answered: Why dost thou ask my name? And he blessed him in the same +place. + +32:30. And Jacob called the name of the place Phanuel, saying: I have +seen God face to face, and my soul has been saved. + +Phanuel... This word signifies the face of God, or the sight, or seeing +of God. + +32:31. And immediately the sun rose upon him, after he was past Phanuel; +but he halted on his foot. + +32:32. Therefore the children of Israel, unto this day, eat not the +sinew, that shrank in Jacob's thigh: because he touched the sinew of his +thigh and it shrank. + +Genesis Chapter 33 + +Jacob and Esau meet: Jacob goeth to Salem, where he raiseth an altar. + +33:1. And Jacob lifting up his eyes, saw Esau coming, and with him four +hundred men: and he divided the children of Lia and of Rachel, and of +the two handmaids. + +33:2. And he put both the handmaids and their children foremost: and Lia +and her children in the second place: and Rachel and Joseph last. + +33:3. And he went forward and bowed down with his face to the ground +seven times, until his brother came near. + +33:4. Then Esau ran to meet his brother, and embraced him: and clasping +him fast about the neck, and kissing him, wept. + +33:5. And lifting up his eyes, he saw the women and their children, and +said: What mean these? And do they belong to thee? He answered: They are +the children which God hath given to me, thy servant. + +33:6. Then the handmaids and their children came near and bowed +themselves. + +33:7. Lia also, with her children, came near and bowed down in like +manner; and last of all, Joseph and Rachel bowed down. + +33:8. And Esau said: What are the droves that I met? He answered: That I +might find favour before my lord. + +33:9. But he said: I have plenty, my brother, keep what is thine for +thyself. + +33:10. And Jacob said: Do not so I beseech thee, but if I have found +favour in thy eyes, receive a little present at my hands: for I have +seen thy face, as if I should have seen the countenance of God: be +gracious to me, + +33:11. And take the blessing which I have brought thee, and which God +hath given me, who giveth all things. He took it with much ado at his +brother's earnest pressing him, + +33:12. And said: Let us go on together, and I will accompany thee in thy +journey. + +33:13. And Jacob said: My lord, thou knowest that I have with me tender +children, and sheep, and kine with young: which if I should cause to be +overdriven, in one day all the flocks will die. + +33:14. May it please my lord to go before his servant: and I will follow +softly after him, as I shall see my children to be able, until I come to +my lord in Seir. + +33:15. Esau answered: I beseech thee, that some of the people, at least, +who are with me, may stay to accompany thee in the way. And he said: +There is no necessity: I want nothing else but only to find favour, my +lord, in thy sight. + +33:16. So Esau returned that day, the way that he came, to Seir. + +33:17. And Jacob came to Socoth: where having built a house, and pitched +tents, he called the name of the place Socoth, that is, Tents. + +33:18. And he passed over to Salem, a city of the Sichemites, which is +in the land of Chanaan, after he returned from Mesopotamia of Syria: and +he dwelt by the town. + +33:19. And he bought that part of the field, in which he pitched his +tents, of the children of Hemor, the father of Sichem, for a hundred +lambs. + +33:20. And raising an altar there, he invoked upon it the most mighty +God of Israel. + +Genesis Chapter 34 + +Dina is ravished, for which the Sichemites are destroyed. + +34:1. And Dina the daughter of Lia went out to see the women of that +country. + +34:2. And when Sichem the son of Hemor the Hevite, the prince of that +land, saw her, he was in love with her: and took her away, and lay with +her, ravishing the virgin. + +34:3. And his soul was fast knit unto her; and whereas she was sad, he +comforted her with sweet words. + +34:4. And going to Hemor his father, he said: Get me this damsel to +wife. + +34:5. But when Jacob had heard this, his sons being absent, and employed +in feeding the cattle, he held his peace till they came back. + +34:6. And when Hemor the father of Sichem was come out to speak to +Jacob, + +34:7. Behold his sons came from the field: and hearing what had passed, +they were exceeding angry, because he had done a foul thing in Israel, +and committed an unlawful act, in ravishing Jacob's daughter. + +34:8. And Hemor spoke to them: The soul of my son Sichem has a longing +for your daughter: give her him to wife: + +34:9. And let us contract marriages one with another: give us your +daughters, and take you our daughters. + +34:10. And dwell with us: the land is at your command, till, trade, and +possess it. + +34:11. Sichem also said to her father and to her brethren: Let me find +favour in your sight, and whatsoever you shall appoint I will give: + +34:12. Raise the dowry, and ask gifts, and I will gladly give what you +shall demand: only give me this damsel to wife. + +34:13. The sons of Jacob answered Sichem and his father deceitfully, +being enraged at the deflowering of their sister: + +Deceitfully... The sons of Jacob, on this occasion, were guilty of a +grievous sin, as well by falsely pretending religion, as by excess of +revenge: though otherwise their zeal against so foul a crime was +commendable. + +34:14. We cannot do what you demand, nor give our sister to one that is +uncircumcised; which with us is unlawful and abominable. + +34:15. But in this we may be allied with you, if you will be like us, +and all the male sex among you be circumcised: + +34:16. Then will we mutually give and take your daughters, and ours; and +we will dwell with you, and will be one people: + +34:17. But if you will not be circumcised, we will take our daughter and +depart. + +34:18. Their offer pleased Hemor, and Sichem, his son: + +34:19. And the young man made no delay, but forthwith fulfilled what was +required: for he loved the damsel exceedingly, and he was the greatest +man in all his father's house. + +34:20. And going into the gate of the city, they spoke to the people: + +34:21. These men are peaceable, and are willing to dwell with us: let +them trade in the land, and till it, which being large and wide wanteth +men to till it: we shall take their daughters for wives, and we will +give them ours. + +34:22. One thing there is for which so great a good is deferred: We must +circumcise every male among us, following the manner of the nation. + +34:23. And their substance, and cattle, and all that they possess, shall +be ours; only in this let us condescend, and by dwelling together, we +shall make one people. + +34:24. And they all agreed, and circumcised all the males. + +34:25. And behold the third day, when the pain of the wound was +greatest: two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, the brothers of +Dina, taking their swords, entered boldly into the city and slew all the +men. + +34:26. And they killed also Hemor and Sichem, and took away their sister +Dina out of Sichem's house. + +34:27. And when they were gone out, the other sons of Jacob came upon +the slain; and plundered the city in revenge of the rape. + +34:28. And they took their sheep, and their herds, and their asses, +wasting all they had in their houses and in their fields. + +34:29. And their children and wives they took captive. + +34:30. And when they had boldly perpetrated these things, Jacob said to +Simeon and Levi: You have troubled me, and made me hateful to the +Chanaanites and Pherezites, the inhabitants of this land. We are few: +they will gather themselves together and kill me; and both I, and my +house shall be destroyed. + +34:31. They answered: Should they abuse our sister as a strumpet? + +Genesis Chapter 35 + +Jacob purgeth his family from idols: goeth by God's commandment to +Bethel, and there buildeth an altar. God appearing again to Jacob +blesseth him, and changeth his name into Israel. Rachel dieth in +childbirth. Isaac also dieth. + +35:1. In the mean time God said to Jacob: Arise and go up to Bethel, and +dwell there, and make there an altar to God, who appeared to thee when +thou didst flee from Esau, thy brother. + +35:2. And Jacob having called together all his household, said: Cast +away the strange gods that are among you, and be cleansed, and change +your garments. + +35:3. Arise, and let us go up to Bethel, that we may make there an altar +to God; who heard me in the day of my affliction, and accompained me in +my journey. + +35:4. So they gave him all the strange gods they had, and the earrings +which were in their ears: and he buried them under the turpentine tree, +that is behind the city of Sichem. + +35:5. And when they were departed, the terror of God fell upon all the +cities round about, and they durst not pursue after them as they went +away. + +35:6. And Jacob came to Luza, which is in the land of Chanaan, surnamed +Bethel: he and all the people that were with him. + +35:7. And he built there an altar, and called the name of that place, +The house of God: for there God appeared to him when he fled from his +brother. + +35:8. At the same time Debora, the nurse of Rebecca, died, and was +buried at the foot of Bethel, under an oak, and the name of that place +was called, The oak of weeping. + +35:9. And God appeared again to Jacob, after he returned from +Mesopotamia of Syria, and he blessed him, + +35:10. Saying: Thou shalt not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall +be thy name. And he called him Israel. + +Israel... This name signifieth one that prevaileth with God. + +35:11. And said to him: I am God almighty, increase thou and be +multiplied. Nations and peoples of nations shall be from thee, and kings +shall come out of thy loins. + +35:12. And the land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give to +thee, and to thy seed after thee. + +35:13. And he departed from him. + +35:14. But he set up a monument of stone, in the place where God had +spoken to him: pouring drink fferings upon it, and pouring oil thereon: + +35:15. And calling the name of that place Bethel. + +35:16. And going forth from thence, he came in the spring time to the +land which leadeth to Ephrata: wherein when Rachel was in travail, + +35:17. By reason of her hard labour, she began to be in danger, and the +midwife said to her: Fear not, for thou shalt have this son also. + +35:18. And when her soul was departing for pain, and death was now at +hand, she called the name of her son Benoni, that is, the son of my +pain: but his father called him Benjamin, that is, the son of the right +hand. + +35:19. So Rachel died, and was buried in the highway that leadeth to +Ephrata, this is Bethlehem. + +35:20. And Jacob erected a pillar over her sepulchre: this is the pillar +of Rachel's monument, to this day. + +35:21. Departing thence, he pitched his tent beyond the Flock tower. + +35:22. And when he dwelt in that country, Ruben went, and slept with +Bala the concubine of his father: which he was not ignorant of. Now the +sons of Jacob were twelve. + +The concubine... She was his lawful wife; but, according to the style of +the Hebrews, is called concubine, because of her servile extraction. + +35:23. The sons of Lia: Ruben the first born, and Simeon, and Levi, and +Juda, and Issachar, and Zabulon. + +35:24. The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. + +35:25. The sons of Bala, Rachel's handmaid: Dan and Nephthali. + +35:26. The sons of Zelpha, Lia's handmaid: Gad and Aser: these are the +sons of Jacob, that were born to him in Mesopotamia of Syria. + +35:27. And he came to Isaac his father in Mambre, the city of Arbee, +this is Hebron: wherein Abraham and Isaac sojourned. + +35:28. And the days of Isaac were a hundred and eighty years. + +35:29. And being spent with age he died, and was gathered to his people, +being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him. + +Genesis Chapter 36 + +Esau with his wives and children parteth from Jacob. An account of his +descendants, and of the first kings of Edom. + +36:1. And these are the generations of Esau, the same is Edom. + +36:2. Esau took wives of the daughters of Chanaan: Ada the daughter of +Elon the Hethite, and Oolibama the daughter of Ana, the daughter of +Sebeon the Hevite: + +Ada... These wives of Esau are called by other names, Gen. 26. But it +was very common amongst the ancients for the same persons to have two +names, as Esau himself was also called Edom. + +36:3. And Basemath, the daughter of Ismael, sister of Nabajoth. + +36:4. And Ada bore Eliphaz: Basemath bore Rahuel. + +36:5. Oolibama bore Jehus, and Ihelon, and Core. These are the sons of +Esau, that were born to him in the land of Chanaan. + +36:6. And Esau took his wives, and his sons and daughters, and every +soul of his house, and his substance, and cattle, and all that he was +able to acquire in the land of Chanaan: and went into another country, +and departed from his brother Jacob. + +36:7. For they were exceeding rich, and could not dwell together: +neither was the land in which they sojourned able to bear them, for the +multitude of their flocks. + +36:8. And Esau dwelt in mount Seir: he is Edom. + +36:9. And these are the generations of Esau, the father of Edom, in +mount Seir. + +36:10. And these the names of his sons: Eliphaz the son of Ada, the wife +of Esau: and Rahuel, the son of Basemath, his wife. + +36:11. And Eliphaz had sons: Theman, Omar, Sepho, and Gatham and Cenez. + +36:12. And Thamna was the concubine of Eliphaz, the son of Esau: and she +bore him Amalech. These are the sons of Ada, the wife of Esau. + +36:13. And the sons of Rahuel were Nahath and Zara, Samma and Meza. +These were the sons of Basemath, the wife of Esau. + +36:14. And these were the sons of Oolibama, the daughter of Ana, the +daughter of Sebeon, the wife of Esau, whom she bore to him, Jehus, and +Ihelon, and Core. + +36:15. These were dukes of the sons of Esau: the sons of Eliphaz, the +firstborn of Esau: duke Theman, duke Omar, duke Sepho, duke Cenez, + +36:16. Duke Core, duke Gatham, duke Amalech: these are the sons of +Eliphaz, in the land of Edom, and these the sons of Ada. + +36:17. And these were the sons of Rahuel, the son of Esau: duke Nahath, +duke Zara, duke Samma, duke Meza. And these are the dukes of Rahuel, in +the land of Edom: these the sons of Basemath, the wife of Esau. + +36:18. And these the sons of Oolibama, the wife of Esau: duke Jehus, +duke Ihelon, duke Core. These are the dukes of Oolibama, the daughter of +Ana, and wife of Esau. + +36:19. These are the sons of Esau, and these the dukes of them: the same +is Edom. + +36:20. These are the sons of Seir, the Horrite, the inhabitants of the +land: Lotan, and Sobal, and Sebeon, and Ana, + +36:21. And Dison, and Eser, and Disan. These are dukes of the Horrites, +the sons of Seir, in the land of Edom. + +36:22. And Lotan had sons: Hori and Heman. And the sister of Lotan was +Thamna. + +36:23. And these the sons of Sobal: Alvan, and Manahat, and Ebal, and +Sepho, and Onam. + +36:24. And these the sons of Sebeon: Aia and Ana. This is Ana that found +the hot waters in the wilderness, when he fed the asses of Sebeon, his +father: + +36:25. And he had a son Dison, and a daughter Oolibama. + +36:26. And these were the sons of Dison: Hamdan, and Eseban, and +Jethram, and Charan. + +36:27. These also were the sons of Eser: Balaan, and Zavan, and Acan. + +36:28. And Dison had sons: Hus and Aram. + +36:29. These were dukes of the Horrites: duke Lotan, duke Sobal, duke +Sebeon, duke Ana, + +36:30. Duke Dison, duke Eser, duke Disan: these were dukes of the +Horrites that ruled in the land of Seir. + +36:31. And the kings that ruled in the land of Edom, before the children +of Israel had a king, were these: + +36:32. Bela the son of Beor, and the name of his city Denaba. + +36:33. And Bela died, and Jobab, the son of Zara, of Bosra, reigned in +his stead. + +36:34. And when Jobab was dead, Husam, of the land of the Themanites, +reigned in his stead. + +36:35. And after his death, Adad, the son of Badad, reigned in his +stead, who defeated the Madianites in the country of Boab; and the name +of his city was Avith. + +36:36. And when Adad was dead, there reigned in his stead, Semla, of +Masreca. + +36:37. And he being dead, Saul, of the river Rohoboth, reigned in his +stead. + +36:38. And when he also was dead, Balanan, the son of Achobor, succeeded +to the kingdom. + +36:39. This man also being dead, Adar reigned in his place; and the name +of his city was Phau: and his wife was called Meetabel, the daughter of +Matred, daughter of Mezaab. + +36:40. And these are the names of the dukes of Esau in their kindreds, +and places, and callings: duke Thamna, duke Alva, duke Jetheth, + +36:41. Duke Oolibama, duke Ela, duke Phinon, + +36:42. Duke Cenez, duke Theman, duke Mabsar, + +36:43. Duke Magdiel, duke Hiram: these are the dukes of Edom dwelling in +the land of their government; the same is Esau, the father of the +Edomites. + +Genesis Chapter 37 + +Joseph's dreams: he is sold by his brethren, and carried into Egypt. + +37:1. And Jacob dwelt in the land of Chanaan, wherein his father +sojourned. + +37:2. And these are his generations: Joseph, when he was sixteen years +old, was feeding the flock with his brethren, being but a boy: and he +was with the sons of Bala and of Zelpha his father's wives: and he +accused his brethren to his father of a most wicked crime. + +37:3. Now Israel loved Joseph above all his sons, because he had him in +his old age: and he made him a coat of divers colours. + +37:4. And his brethren seeing that he was loved by his father, more than +all his sons, hated hem, and could not speak peaceably to him. + +37:5. Now it fell out also that he told his brethren a dream, that he +had dreamed: which occasioned them to hate him the more. + +A dream... These dreams of Joseph were prophetical, and sent from God; +as were also those which he interpreted, Gen. 40. and 41.; otherwise +generally speaking, the observing of dreams is condemned in the +Scripture, as superstitious and sinful. See Deut. 18.10; Eccli. 34.2,3. + +37:6. And he said to them: Hear my dream which I dreamed. + +37:7. I thought we were binding sheaves in the field: and my sheaf arose +as it were, and stood, and your sheaves standing about bowed down before +my sheaf. + +37:8. His brethren answered: Shalt thou be our king? or shall we be +subject to thy dominion? Therefore this matter of his dreams and words +ministered nourishment to their envy and hatred. + +37:9. He dreamed also another dream, which he told his brethren, saying: +I saw in a dream, as it were the sun, and the moon, and eleven stars +worshipping me. + +37:10. And when he had told this to his father, and brethren, his father +rebuked him and said: What meaneth this dream that thou hast dreamed? +shall I and thy mother, and thy brethren worship thee upon the earth? + +Worship... This word is not used here to signify divine worship, but an +inferior veneration, expressed by the bowing of the body, and that, +according to the manner of the eastern nations, down to the ground. + +37:11. His brethren therefore envied him: but his father considered the +thing with himself. + +37:12. And when his brethren abode in Sechem, feeding their father's +flocks, + +37:13. Israel said to him: Thy brethren feed the sheep in Sichem: come, +I will send thee to them. And when he answered: + +37:14. I am ready: he said to him: Go, and see if all things be well +with thy brethren, and the cattle: and bring me word again what is +doing. So being sent from the vale of Hebron, he came to Sichem: + +37:15. And a man found him there wandering in the field, and asked what +he sought. + +37:16. But he answered: I seek my brethren, tell me where they feed the +flocks. + +37:17. And the man said to him: They are departed from this place: for I +heard them say: Let us go to Dothain. And Joseph went forward after his +brethren, and found them in Dothain. + +37:18. And when they saw him afar off, before he came nigh them, they +thought to kill him: + +37:19. And said one to another: Behold the dreamer cometh. + +37:20. Come, let us kill him, and cast him into some old pit: and we +will say: Some evil beast hath devoured him: and then it shall appear +what his dreams avail him: + +37:21. And Ruben hearing this, endeavoured to deliver him out of their +hands, and said: + +37:22. Do not take away his life, nor shed his blood: but cast him into +this pit, that is in the wilderness, and keep your hands harmless: now +he said this, being desirous to deliver him out of their hands and to +restore him to his father. + +37:23. And as soon as he came to his brethren, they forthwith stript him +of his outside coat, that was of divers colours: + +37:24. And cast him into an old pit where there was not water. + +37:25. And sitting down to eat bread, they saw some Ismaelites on their +way coming from Galaad, with their camels, carrying spices, and balm, +and myrrh to Egypt. + +37:26. And Juda said to his brethren: What will it profit us to kill our +brother, and conceal his blood? + +37:27. It is better that he be sold to the Ismaelites, and that our +hands be not defiled: for he is our brother and our flesh. His brethren +agreed to his words. + +37:28. And when the Madianite merchants passed by, they drew him out of +the pit, and sold him to the Ismaelites, for twenty pieces of silver: +and they led him into Egypt. + +37:29. And Ruben returning to the pit, found not the boy: + +37:30. And rending his garments he went to his brethren, and said: The +boy doth not appear, and whither shall I go? + +37:31. And they took his coat, and dipped it in the blood of a kid, +which they had killed: + +37:32. Sending some to carry it to their father, and to say: This we +have found: see whether it be thy son's coat, or not. + +37:33. And the father acknowledging it, said: It is my son's coat, an +evil wild beast hath eaten him, a beast hath devoured Joseph. + +37:34. And tearing his garments, he put on sackcloth, mourning for his +son a long time. + +37:35. And all his children being gathered together to comfort their +father in his sorrow, he would not receive comfort, but said: I will go +down to my son into hell, mourning. And whilst he continued weeping, + +Into hell... That is, into limbo, the place where the souls of the just +were received before the death of our Redeemer. For allowing that the +word hell sometimes is taken for the grave, it cannot be so taken in +this place; since Jacob did not believe his son to be in the grave, +(whom he supposed to be devoured by a wild beast,) and therefore could +not mean to go down to him thither: but certainly meant the place of +rest where he believed his soul to be. + +37:36. The Madianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Putiphar, an eunuch of +Pharao, captain of the soldiers. + +An eunuch... This word sometimes signifies a chamberlain, courtier, or +officer of the king: and so it is taken in this place. + +Genesis Chapter 38 + +The sons of Juda: the death of Her and Onan: the birth of Phares and +Zara. + +38:1. At that time Juda went down from his brethren, and turned in to a +certain Odollamite, named Hiras. + +38:2. And he saw there the daughter of a man of Chanaan, called Sue: and +taking her to wife, he went in unto her. + +38:3. And she conceived, and bore a son, and called his name Her. + +38:4. And conceiving again, she bore a son, and called him Onan. + +38:5. She bore also a third: whom she called Sela. After whose birth, +she ceased to bear any more. + +38:6. And Juda took a wife for Her, his first born, whose name was +Thamar. + +38:7. And Her, the first born of Juda, was wicked in the sight of the +Lord: and was slain by him. + +38:8. Juda, therefore, said to Onan his son: Go in to thy brother's wife +and marry her, that thou mayst raise seed to thy brother. + +38:9. He knowing that the children should not be his, when he went in to +his brother's wife, he spilled his seed upon the ground, lest children +should be born in his brother's name. + +38:10. And therefore the Lord slew him, because he did a detestable +thing: + +38:11. Wherefore Juda said to Thamar his daughter-in-law: Remain a widow +in thy father's house, till Sela my son grow up: for he was afraid lest +he also might die, as his brethren did. She went her way, and dwelt in +her father's house. + +38:12. And after many days were past: the daughter of Sue the wife of +Juda died: and when he had taken comfort after his mourning, he went up +to Thamnas, to the shearers of his sheep, he and Hiras the Odollamite, +the shepherd of his flock. + +38:13. And it was told Thamar that her father-in-law was come up to +Thamnas to shear his sheep. + +38:14. And she put off the garments of her widowhood, and took a veil: +and changing her dress, sat in the cross way, that leadeth to Thamnas: +because Sela was grown up, and she had not been married to him. + +38:15. When Juda saw her, he thought she was a harlot: for she had +covered her face, lest she should be known. + +38:16. And going to her, he said: Suffer me to lie with thee: for he +knew her not to be his daughter-in-law. And she answered: What wilt thou +give me to enjoy my company? + +38:17. He said: I will send thee a kid out of the flock. And when she +said again: I will suffer what thou wilt, if thou give me a pledge, till +thou send what thou promisest. + +38:18. Juda said: What wilt thou have for a pledge? She answered: Thy +ring and bracelet, and the staff which thou holdest in thy hand. The +woman therefore at one copulation conceived. + +38:19. And she arose and went her way: and putting off the apparel which +she had taken, put on the garments of her widowhood. + +38:20. And Juda sent a kid by his shepherd, the Odollamite, that he +might receive the pledge again, which he had given to the woman: but he, +not finding her, + +38:21. Asked the men of that place: Where is the woman that sat in the +cross way? And when they all made answer: There was no harlot in this +place, + +38:22. He returned to Juda, and said to him: I have not found her; +moreover, the men of that place said to me, that there never sat a +harlot there. + +38:23. Juda said: Let her take it to herself, surely she cannot charge +us with a lie, I sent the kid which I promised: and thou didst not find +her. + +38:24. And behold, after three months, they told Juda, saying: Thamar, +thy daughter-in-law, hath played the harlot, and she appeareth to have a +big belly. And Juda said: Bring her out that she may be burnt. + +38:25. But when she was led to execution, she sent to her father in law, +saying: By the man, to whom these things belong, I am with child. See +whose ring, and bracelet, and staff this is. + +38:26. But he acknowledging the gifts, said: She is juster than I: +because I did not give her to Sela, my son. However he knew her no more. + +38:27. And when she was ready to be brought to bed, there appeared twins +in her womb: and in the very delivery of the infants, one put forth a +hand, whereon the midwife tied a scarlet thread, saying: + +38:28. This shall come forth the first. + +38:29. But he drawing back his hand, the other came forth: and the woman +said: Why is the partition divided for thee? and therefore called his +name Phares. + +Phares... That is, a breach or division. + +38:30. Afterwards his brother came out, on whose hand was the scarlet +thread: and she called his name Zara. + +Genesis Chapter 39 + +Joseph hath charge of his master's house: rejecteth his mistress's +solicitations: is falsely accused by her, and cast into prison, where he +hath the charge of all the prisoners. + +39:1. And Joseph was brought into Egypt, and Putiphar, an eunuch of +Pharao, chief captain of the army, an Egyptian, bought him of the +Ismaelites, by whom he was brought. + +39:2. And the Lord was with him, and he was a prosperous man in all +things: and he dwelt in his master's house: + +39:3. Who knew very well that the Lord was with him, and made all that +he did to prosper in his hand. + +39:4. And Joseph found favour in the sight of his master, and ministered +to him: and being set over all by him, he governed the house committed +to him, and all things that were delivered to him: + +39:5. And the Lord blessed the house of the Egyptian for Joseph's sake, +and multiplied all his substance, both at home and in the fields. + +39:6. Neither knew he any other thing, but the bread which he ate. And +Joseph was of a beautiful countenance, and comely to behold. + +39:7. And after many days, his mistress cast her eyes on Joseph, and +said: Lie with me. + +39:8. But he in no wise consenting to that wicked act said to her: +Behold, my master hath delivered all things to me, and knoweth not what +he hath in his own house: + +39:9. Neither is there any thing which is not in my power, or that he +hath not delivered to me, but thee, who art his wife; how then can I do +this wicked thing, and sin against my God? + +39:10. With such words as these day by day, both the woman was +importunate with the young man, and he refused the adultery. + +39:11. Now it happened on a certain day, that Joseph went into the +house, and was doing some business, without any man with him: + +39:12. And she catching the skirt of his garment, said: Lie with me. But +he leaving the garment in her hand, fled, and went out. + +39:13. And when the woman saw the garment in her hands, and herself +disregarded, + +39:14. She called to her the men of her house, and said to them: See, he +hath brought in a Hebrew, to abuse us: he came in to me, to lie with me; +and when I cried out, + +39:15. And he heard my voice, he left the garment that I held, and got +him out. + +39:16. For a proof therefore of her fidelity, she kept the garment, and +shewed it to her husband when he returned home: + +A proof of her fidelity... or an argument to gain credit, argumentum +fidei. + +39:17. And said: The Hebrew servant, whom thou hast brought, came to me +to abuse me. + +39:18. And when he heard me cry, he left the garment which I held, and +fled out. + +39:19. His master hearing these things, and giving too much credit to +his wife's words, was very angry, + +39:20. And cast Joseph into the prison, where the king's prisoners were +kept, and he was there shut up. + +39:21. But the Lord was with Joseph, and having mercy upon him gave him +favour in the sight of the chief keeper of the prison: + +39:22. Who delivered into his hand all the prisoners that were kept in +custody: and whatsoever was done, was under him. + +39:23. Neither did he himself know any thing, having committed all +things to him: for the Lord was with him, and made all that he did to +prosper. + +Genesis Chapter 40 + +Joseph interpreteth the dreams of two of Pharao's servants in prison: +the event declareth the interpretations to be true, but Joseph is +forgotten. + +40:1. After this, it came to pass, that two eunuchs, the butler and the +baker of the king of Egypt, offended their lord. + +40:2. And Pharao being angry with them, (now the one was chief butler, +the other chief baker,) + +40:3. He sent them to the prison of the commander of the soldiers, in +which Joseph also was prisoner. + +40:4. But the keeper of the prison delivered them to Joseph, and he +served them. Some little time passed, and they were kept in custody. + +40:5. And they both dreamed a dream the same night, according to the +interpretation agreeing to themselves: + +40:6. And when Joseph was come into them in the morning, and saw them +sad, + +40:7. He asked them, saying: Why is your countenance sadder today than +usual? + +40:8. They answered: We have dreamed a dream, and there is nobody to +interpret it to us. And Joseph said to them: Doth not interpretation +belong to God? Tell me what you have dreamed: + +Doth not interpretation belong to God?... When dreams are from God, as +these were, the interpretation of them is a gift of God. But the +generality of dreams are not of this sort; but either proceed from the +natural complexions and dispositions of persons, or the roving of their +imaginations in the day on such objects as they are much affected with, +or from their mind being disturbed with cares and troubles, and +oppressed with bodily infirmities: or they are suggested by evil +spirits, to flatter, or to terrify weak minds, in order to gain belief, +and so draw them into error or superstition; or at least to trouble them +in their sleep, whom they cannot move when they are awake: so that the +general rule, with regard to dreams, is not to observe them, nor to give +any credit to them. + +40:9. The chief butler first told his dream: I saw before me a vine, + +40:10. On which were three branches, which by little and little sent out +buds, and after the blossoms brought forth ripe grapes: + +40:11. And the cup of Pharao was in my hand: and I took the grapes, and +pressed them into the cup which I held, and I gave the cup to Pharao. + +40:12. Joseph answered: This is the interpretation of the dream: The +three branches, are yet three days: + +40:13. After which Pharao will remember thy service, and will restore +thee to thy former place: and thou shalt present him the cup according +to thy office, as before thou was wont to do. + +40:14. Only remember me when it shall be well with thee, and do me this +kindness: to put Pharao in mind to take me out of this prison: + +40:15. For I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews, and here +without any fault was cast into the dungeon. + +40:16. The chief baker seeing that he had wisely interpreted the dream, +said: I also dreamed a dream, That I had three baskets of meal upon my +head: + +40:17. And that in one basket which was uppermost, I carried all meats +that are made by the art of baking, and that the birds ate out of it. + +40:18. Joseph answered: This is the interpretation of the dream: The +three baskets, are yet three days: + +40:19. After which Pharao will take thy head from thee, and hang thee on +a cross, and the birds shall tear thy flesh. + +40:20. The third day after this was the birthday of Pharao: and he made +a great feast for his servants, and at the banquet remembered the chief +butler, and the chief baker. + +40:21. And he restored the one to his place, to present him the cup: + +40:22. The other he hanged on a gibbet, that the truth of the +interpreter might be shewn. + +40:23. But the chief butler, when things prospered with him, forgot his +interpreter. + +Genesis Chapter 41 + +Joseph interpreteth the two dreams of Pharao: he is made ruler over all +Egypt. + +41:1. After two years Pharao had a dream. He thought he stood by the +river, + +41:2. Out of which came up seven kine, very beautiful and fat: and they +fed in marshy places. + +41:3. Other seven also came up out of the river, ill favoured, and lean +fleshed: and they fed on the very bank of the river, in green places: + +41:4. And they devoured them, whose bodies were very beautiful and well +conditioned. So Pharao awoke. + +41:5. He slept again, and dreamed another dream: Seven ears of corn came +up upon one stalk full and fair: + +41:6. Then seven other ears sprung up thin and blasted, + +41:7. And devoured all the beauty of the former. Pharao awaked after his +rest: + +41:8. And when morning was come, being struck with fear, he sent to all +the interpreters of Egypt, and to all the wise men: and they being +called for, he told them his dream, and there was not any one that could +interpret it. + +41:9. Then at length the chief butler remembering, said: I confess my +sin: + +41:10. The king being angry with his servants, commanded me and the +chief baker to be cast into the prison of the captain of the soldiers. + +41:11. Where in one night both of us dreamed a dream forboding things to +come. + +41:12. There was there a young man a Hebrew, servant to the same captain +of the soldiers: to whom we told our dreams, + +41:13. And we heard what afterwards the event of the thing proved to be +so. For I was restored to my office: and he was hanged upon a gibbet. + +41:14. Forthwith at the king's command Joseph was brought out of the +prison, and they shaved him: and changing his apparel brought him in to +him. + +41:15. And he said to him: I have dreamed dreams, and there is no one +that can expound them: Now I have heard that thou art very wise at +interpreting them: + +41:16. Joseph answered: Without me, God shall give Pharao a prosperous +answer. + +41:17. So Pharao told what he had dreamed: Methought I stood upon the +bank of the river, + +41:18. And seven kine came up out of the river, exceeding beautiful and +full of flesh: and they grazed on green places in a marshy pasture. + +41:19. And behold, there followed these, other seven kine, so very ill +favoured and lean, that I never saw the like in the land of Egypt: + +41:20. And they devoured and consumed the former, + +41:21. And yet gave no mark of their being full: but were as lean and +ill favoured as before. I awoke, and then fell asleep again, + +41:22. And dreamed a dream: Seven ears of corn grew up upon one stalk, +full and very fair. + +41:23. Other seven also thin and blasted, sprung of the stalk: + +41:24. And they devoured the beauty of the former: I told this dream to +the conjecturers, and there is no man that can expound it. + +41:25. Joseph answered: The king's dream is one: God hath shewn to +Pharao what he is about to do. + +41:26. The seven beautiful kine, and the seven full ears, are seven +years of plenty: and both contain the same meaning of the dream. + +41:27. And the seven lean and thin kine that came up after them, and the +seven thin ears that were blasted with the burning wind, are seven years +of famine to come: + +41:28. Which shall be fulfilled in this order. + +41:29. Behold, there shall come seven years of great plenty in the whole +land of Egypt: + +41:30. After which shall follow other seven years of so great scarcity, +that all the abundance before shall be forgotten: for the famine shall +consume all the land, + +41:31. And the greatness of the scarcity shall destroy the greatness of +the plenty. + +41:32. And for that thou didst see the second time a dream pertaining to +the same thing: it is a token of the certainty, and that the word of God +cometh to pass, and is fulfilled speedily. + +41:33. Now therefore let the king provide a wise and industrious man, +and make him ruler over the land of Egypt: + +41:34. That he may appoint overseers over all the countries: and gather +into barns the fifth part of the fruits, during the seven fruitful +years, + +41:35. That shall now presently ensue: and let all the corn be laid up, +under Pharao's hands, and be reserved in the cities. + +41:36. And let it be in readiness, against the famine of seven years to +come, which shall oppress Egypt, and the land shall not be consumed with +scarcity. + +41:37. The counsel pleased Pharao, and all his servants. + +41:38. And he said to them: Can we find such another man, that is full +of the spirit of God? + +41:39. He said therefore to Joseph: Seeing God hath shewn thee all that +thou hast said, can I find one wiser and one like unto thee? + +41:40. Thou shalt be over my house, and at the commandment of thy mouth +all the people shall obey: only in the kingly throne will I be above +thee. + +41:41. And again Pharao said to Joseph: Behold, I have appointed thee +over the whole land of Egypt. + +41:42. And he took his ring from his own hand, and gave it into his +hand: and he put upon him a robe of silk, and put a chain of gold about +his neck. + +41:43. And he made him go up into his second chariot, the crier +proclaiming that all should bow their knee before him, and that they +should know he was made governor over the whole land of Egypt. + +41:44. And the king said to Joseph: I am Pharao: without thy commandment +no man shall move hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. + +41:45. And he turned his name, and called him in the Egyptian tongue the +saviour of the world. And he gave him to wife Aseneth, the daughter of +Putiphare, priest of Heliopolis. Then Joseph went out to the land of +Egypt. + +The saviour of the world... Zaphnah paaneah. + +41:46. (Now he was thirty years old when he stood before king Pharao), +and he went round all the countries of Egypt. + +41:47. And the fruitfulness of the seven years came: and the corn being +bound up into sheaves, was gathered together into the barns of Egypt. + +41:48. And all the abundance of grain was laid up in every city. + +41:49. And there was so great abundance of wheat, that it was equal to +the sand of the sea, and the plenty exceeded measure. + +41:50. And before the famine came, Joseph had two sons born: whom +Aseneth, the daughter of Putiphare, priest of Heliopolis, bore unto him. + +41:51. And he called the name of the firstborn Manasses, saying: God +hath made me to forget all my labours, and my father's house. + +Manasses... That is, oblivion, or forgetting. + +41:52. And he named the second Ephraim, saying: God hath made me to grow +in the land of my poverty. + +Ephraim... That is, fruitful, or growing. + +41:53. Now when the seven years of plenty that had been in Egypt were +passed: + +41:54. The seven years of scarcity, which Joseph had foretold, began to +come: and the famine prevailed in the whole world, but there was bread +in all the land of Egypt. + +41:55. And when there also they began to be famished, the people cried +to Pharao, for food. And he said to them: Go to Joseph: and do all that +he shall say to you. + +41:56. And the famine increased daily in all the land: and Joseph opened +all the barns, and sold to the Egyptians: for the famine had oppressed +them also. + +41:57. And all provinces came into Egypt, to buy food, and to seek some +relief of their want. + +Genesis Chapter 42 + +Jacob sendeth his ten sons to buy corn in Egypt. Their treatment by +Joseph. + +42:1. And Jacob hearing that food was sold in Egypt, said to his sons: +Why are ye careless? + +42:2. I have heard that wheat is sold in Egypt: Go ye down, and buy us +necessaries, that we may live, and not be consumed with want. + +42:3. So the ten brethren of Joseph went down, to buy corn in Egypt: + +42:4. Whilst Benjamin was kept at home by Jacob, who said to his +brethren: Lest perhaps he take any harm in the journey. + +42:5. And they entered into the land of Egypt with others that went to +buy. For the famine was in the land of Chanaan. + +42:6. And Joseph was governor in the land of Egypt, and corn was sold by +his direction to the people. And when his brethren had bowed down to +him, + +42:7. And he knew them, he spoke as it were to strangers, somewhat +roughly, asking them: Whence came you? They answered: From the land of +Chanaan, to buy necessaries of life. + +42:8. And though he knew his brethren, he was not known by them. + +42:9. And remembering the dreams, which formerly he had dreamed, he said +to them: You are spies. You are come to view the weaker parts of the +land. + +You are spies... This he said by way of examining them, to see what they +would answer. + +42:10. But they said: It is not so, my lord; but thy servants are come +to buy food. + +42:11. We are all the sons of one man: we are come as peaceable men, +neither do thy servants go about any evil. + +42:12. And he answered them: It is otherwise: you are come to consider +the unfenced parts of this land. + +42:13. But they said: We thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of +one man in the land of Chanaan: the youngest is with our father, the +other is not living. + +42:14. He saith, This is it that I said: You are spies. + +42:15. I shall now presently try what you are: by the health of Pharao, +you shall not depart hence, until your youngest brother come. + +42:16. Send one of you to fetch him: and you shall be in prison, till +what you have said be proved, whether it be true or false: or else by +the health of Pharao you are spies. + +Or else by the health of Pharao you are spies... That is, if these +things you say be proved false, you are to be held for spies for your +lying, and shall be treated as such. Joseph dealt in this manner with +his brethren, to bring them by the means of affliction to a sense of +their former sin, and a sincere repentance for it. + +42:17. So he put them in prison three days. + +42:18. And the third day he brought them out of prison, and said: Do as +I have said, and you shall live: for I fear God. + +42:19. If you be peaceable men, let one of your brethren be bound in +prison: and go ye your ways, and carry the corn that you have bought, +unto your houses. + +42:20. And bring your youngest brother to me, that I may find your words +to be true, and you may not die. They did as he had said. + +42:21. And they talked one to another: We deserve to suffer these +things, because we have sinned against our brother, seeing the anguish +of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear: therefore is +this affliction come upon us. + +42:22. And Ruben, one of them, said: Did not I say to you: Do not sin +against the boy; and you would not hear me? Behold his blood is +required. + +42:23. And they knew not that Joseph understood, because he spoke to +them by an interpreter. + +42:24. And he turned himself away a little while, and wept: and +returning, he spoke to them. + +42:25. And taking Simeon, and binding him in their presence, he +commanded his servants to fill their sacks with wheat, and to put every +man's money again in their sacks, and to give them besides provisions +for the way: and they did so. + +42:26. But they having loaded their asses with the corn went their way. + +42:27. And one of them opening his sack, to give his beast provender in +the inn, saw the money in the sack's mouth, + +42:28. And said to his brethren: My money is given me again; behold it +is in the sack. And they were astonished, and troubled, and said to one +another: What is this that God hath done unto us? + +42:29. And they came to Jacob their father in the land of Chanaan, and +they told him all things that had befallen them, saying: + +42:30. The lord of the land spoke roughly to us, and took us to be spies +of the country. + +42:31. And we answered him: We are peaceable men, and we mean no plot. + +42:32. We are twelve brethren born of one father: one is not living, the +youngest is with our father in the land of Chanaan. + +42:33. And he said to us: Hereby shall I know that you are peaceable +men: Leave one of your brethren with me, and take ye necessary provision +for your houses, and go your ways, + +42:34. And bring your youngest brother to me, that I may know you are +not spies: and you may receive this man again, that is kept in prison: +and afterwards may have leave to buy what you will. + +42:35. When they had told this, they poured out their corn, and every +man found his money tied in the mouth of his sack: and all being +astonished together, + +42:36. Their father Jacob said: You have made me to be without children: +Joseph is not living, Simeon is kept in bonds, and Benjamin you will +take away: all these evils are fallen upon me. + +42:37. And Ruben answered him: Kill my two sons, if I bring him not +again to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will restore him to thee. + +42:38. But he said: My son shall not go down with you: his brother is +dead, and he is left alone: if any mischief befall him in the land to +which you go, you will bring down my grey hairs with sorrow to hell. + +To hell... That is, to that place, where the souls then remained, as +above, chapter 37. ver. 35. + +Genesis Chapter 43 + +The sons of Jacob go again into Egypt with Benjamin. They are +entertained by Joseph. + +43:1. In the mean time the famine was heavy upon all the land. + +43:2. And when they had eaten up all the corn, which they had brought +out of Egypt, Jacob said to his sons: Go again, and buy us a little +food. + +43:3. Juda answered: The man declared unto us with the attestation of an +oath, saying: You shall not see my face, unless you bring your youngest +brother with you. + +43:4. If therefore thou wilt send him with us, we will set out together, +and will buy necessaries for thee. + +43:5. But if thou wilt not, we will not go: for the man, as we have +often said, declared unto us, saying: You shall not see my face without +your youngest brother. + +43:6. Israel said to them: You have done this for my misery, in that you +told him you had also another brother. + +43:7. But they answered: The man asked us in order concerning our +kindred: if our father lived: if we had a brother: and we answered him +regularly, according to what he demanded: could we know that he would +say: Bring hither your brother with you? + +43:8. And Juda said to his father: Send the boy with me, that we may set +forward, and may live: lest both we and our children perish. + +43:9. I take the boy upon me, require him at my hand: unless I bring him +again, and restore him to thee, I will be guilty of sin against thee for +ever. + +43:10. If delay had not been made, we had been here again the second +time. + +43:11. Then Israel said to them: If it must needs be so, do what you +will: take of the best fruits of the land in your vessels, and carry +down presents to the man, a little balm, and honey, and storax, myrrh, +turpentine, and almonds. + +Balm... Literally rosin, resinae; but here by that name is meant balm. + +43:12. And take with you double money, and carry back what you found in +your sacks, lest perhaps it was done by mistake. + +43:13. And take also your brother, and go to the man. + +43:14. And may my almighty God make him favourable to you: and send back +with you your brother, whom he keepeth, and this Benjamin: and as for me +I shall be desolate without children. + +43:15. So the men took the presents, and double money, and Benjamin: and +went down into Egypt, and stood before Joseph. + +43:16. And when he had seen them, and Benjamin with them, he commanded +the steward of his house, saying: Bring in the men into the house, and +kill victims, and prepare a feast: because they shall eat with me at +noon. + +43:17. He did as he was commanded, and brought the men into the house. + +43:18. And they being much afraid, said there one to another: Because of +the money, which we carried back the first time in our sacks, we are +brought in: that he may bring upon us a false accusation, and by +violence make slaves of us and our asses. + +43:19. Wherefore, going up to the steward of the house, at the door, + +43:20. They said: Sir, we desire thee to hear us. We came down once +before to buy food: + +43:21. And when we had bought, and were come to the inn, we opened our +sacks, and found our money in the mouths of the sacks: which we have now +brought again in the same weight. + +43:22. And we have brought other money besides, to buy what we want: we +cannot tell who put it in our bags. + +43:23. But he answered: Peace be with you, fear not: your God, and the +God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks. For the +money, which you gave me, I have for good. And he brought Simeon out to +them. + +43:24. And having brought them into the house, he fetched water, and +they washed their feet, and he gave provender to their asses. + +43:25. But they made ready the presents, against Joseph came at noon: +for they had heard that they should eat bread there. + +43:26. Then Joseph came in to his house, and they offered him the +presents, holding them in their hands; and they bowed down with their +face to the ground. + +43:27. But he courteously saluting them again, asked them, saying: Is +the old man your father in health, of whom you told me? Is he yet +living? + +43:28. And they answered: Thy servant our father, is in health; he is +yet living. And bowing themselves, they made obeisance to him. + +43:29. And Joseph lifting up his eyes, saw Benjamin, his brother by the +same mother, and said: Is this your young brother, of whom you told me? +And he said: God be gracious to thee, my son. + +43:30. And he made haste, because his heart was moved upon his brother, +and tears gushed out: and going into his chamber, he wept. + +43:31. And when he had washed his face, coming out again, he refrained +himself, and said: Set bread on the table. + +43:32. And when it was set on, for Joseph apart, and for his brethren +apart, for the Egyptians also that ate with him apart, (for it is +unlawful for the Egyptians to eat with the Hebrews, and they think such +a feast profane): + +43:33. They sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, +and the youngest according to his age. And they wondered very much; + +43:34. Taking the messes which they received of him: and the greater +mess came to Benjamin, so that it exceeded by five parts. And they +drank, and were merry with him. + +Genesis Chapter 44 + +Joseph's contrivance to stop his brethren. The humble supplication of +Juda. + +44:1. And Joseph commanded the steward of his house, saying: Fill their +sacks with corn, as much as they can hold: and put the money of every +one in the top of his sack. + +44:2. And in the mouth of the younger's sack put my silver cup, and the +price which he gave for the wheat. And it was so done. + +44:3. And when the morning arose, they were sent away with their asses. + +44:4. And when they were now departed out of the city, and had gone +forward a little way: Joseph sending for the steward of his house, said: +Arise, and pursue after the men: and when thou hast overtaken them, say +to them: Why have you returned evil for good? + +44:5. The cup which you have stolen, is that in which my lord drinketh, +and in which he is wont to divine: you have done a very evil thing. + +44:6. He did as he had commanded him. And having overtaken them, he +spoke to them the same words. + +44:7. And they answered: Why doth our lord speak so, as though thy +servants had committed so heinous a fact? + +44:8. The money, that we found in the top of our sacks, we brought back +to thee from the land of Chanaan: how then should it be that we should +steal out of thy lord's house, gold or silver? + +44:9. With whomsoever of thy servants shall be found that which thou +seekest, let him die, and we will be the bondmen of my lord. + +44:10. And he said to them: Let it be according to your sentence: with +whomsoever it shall be found, let him be my servant, and you shall be +blameless. + +44:11. Then they speedily took down their sacks to the ground, and every +man opened his sack. + +44:12. Which when he had searched, beginning at the eldest, and ending +at the youngest, he found the cup in Benjamin's sack. + +44:13. Then they rent their garments, and loading their asses again, +returned into the town. + +44:14. And Juda at the head of his brethren went in to Joseph (for he +was not yet gone out of the place) and they all together fell down +before him on the ground. + +44:15. And he said to them: Why would you do so? know you not that there +is no one like me in the science of divining. + +The science of divining... He speaks of himself according to what he was +esteemed in that kingdom. And indeed, he being truly a prophet, knew +more without comparison than any of the Egyptian sorcerers. + +44:16. And Juda said to him: What shall we answer my lord? or what shall +we say, or be able justly to allege? God hath found out the iniquity of +thy servants: behold, we are all bondmen to my lord, both we, and he +with whom the cup was found. + +44:17. Joseph answered: God forbid that I should do so: he that stole +the cup, he shall be my bondman: and go you away free to your father. + +44:18. Then Juda coming nearer, said boldly: I beseech thee, my lord, +let thy servant speak a word in thy ears, and be not angry with thy +servant: for after Pharao thou art. + +44:19. My lord. Thou didst ask thy servants the first time: Have you a +father or a brother. + +44:20. And we answered thee, my lord: We have a father an old man, and a +young boy, that was born in his old age; whose brother by the mother is +dead; and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him +tenderly. + +44:21. And thou saidst to thy servants: Bring him hither to me, and I +will set my eyes on him. + +44:22. We suggested to my lord: The boy cannot leave his father: for if +he leave him, he will die. + +44:23. And thou saidst to thy servants: Except your youngest brother +come with you, you shall see my face no more. + +44:24. Therefore when we were gone up to thy servant our father, we told +him all that my lord had said. + +44:25. And our father said: Go again, and buy us a little wheat. + +44:26. And we said to him: We cannot go: if our youngest brother go down +with us, we will set out together: otherwise, without him we dare not +see the man's face. + +44:27. Whereunto he answered: You know that my wife bore me two. + +44:28. One went out, and you said: A beast devoured him; and hitherto he +appeareth not. + +44:29. If you take this also, and any thing befall him in the way, you +will bring down my grey hairs with sorrow unto hell. + +44:30. Therefore, if I shall go to thy servant, our father, and the boy +be wanting, (whereas his life dependeth upon the life of him,) + +44:31. And he shall see that he is not with us, he will die, and thy +servants shall bring down his grey hairs with sorrow unto hell. + +His gray hairs... That is, his person, now far advanced in years.-With +sorrow unto hell... The Hebrew word for hell is here sheol, the Greek +hades: it is not taken for the hell of the damned; but for that place of +souls below where the servants of God were kept before the coming of +Christ. Which place, both in the Scripture and in the creed, is named +hell. + +44:32. Let me be thy proper servant, who took him into my trust, and +promised, saying: If I bring him not again, I will be guilty of sin +against my father for ever. + +44:33. Therefore I, thy servant, will stay instead of the boy in the +service of my lord, and let the boy go up with his brethren. + +44:34. For I cannot return to my father without the boy, lest I be a +witness of the calamity that will oppress my father. + +Genesis Chapter 45 + +Joseph maketh himself known to his brethren: and sendeth for his father. + +45:1. Joseph could no longer refrain himself before many that stood by: +whereupon he commanded that all should go out, and no stranger be +present at their knowing one another. + +45:2. And he lifted up his voice with weeping, which the Egyptians, and +all the house of Pharao heard. + +45:3. And he said to his brethren: I am Joseph: Is my father yet living? +His brethren could not answer him, being struck with exceeding great +fear. + +45:4. And he said mildly to them: Come nearer to me. And when they were +come near him, he said: I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into +Egypt. + +45:5. Be not afraid, and let it not seem to you a hard case that you +sold me into these countries: for God sent me before you into Egypt for +your preservation. + +45:6. For it is two years since the famine began to be upon the land, +and five years more remain, wherein there can be neither ploughing nor +reaping. + +45:7. And God sent me before, that you may be preserved upon the earth, +and may have food to live. + +45:8. Not by your counsel was I sent hither, but by the will of God: who +hath made me as it were a father to Pharao, and lord of his whole house, +and governor in all the land of Egypt. + +45:9. Make haste, and go ye up to my father, and say to him: Thus saith +thy son Joseph: God hath made me lord of the whole land of Egypt; come +down to me, linger not. + +45:10. And thou shalt dwell in the land of Gessen: and thou shalt be +near me, thou and thy sons, and thy sons' sons, thy sheep, and thy +herds, and all things that thou hast. + +45:11. And there I will feed thee, (for there are yet five years of +famine remaining) lest both thou perish, and thy house, and all things +that thou hast. + +45:12. Behold, your eyes, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, see that +it is my mouth that speaketh to you. + +45:13. You shall tell my father of all my glory, and all things that you +have seen in Egypt: make haste and bring him to me. + +45:14. And falling upon the neck of his brother Benjamin, he embraced +him and wept: and Benjamin in like manner wept also on his neck. + +45:15. And Joseph kissed all his brethren, and wept upon every one of +them: after which they were emboldened to speak to him. + +45:16. And it was heard, and the fame was spread abroad in the king's +court: The brethren of Joseph are come; and Pharao with all his family +was glad. + +45:17. And he spoke to Joseph that he should give orders to his +brethren, saying: Load your beasts, and go into the land of Chanaan, + +45:18. And bring away from thence your father and kindred, and come to +me; and I will give you all the good things of Egypt, that you may eat +the marrow of the land. + +45:19. Give orders also that they take wagons out of the land of Egypt, +for the carriage of their children and their wives; and say: Take up +your father, and make haste to come with all speed: + +45:20. And leave nothing of your household stuff; for all the riches of +Egypt shall be yours. + +45:21. And the sons of Israel did as they were bid. And Joseph gave them +wagons according to Pharao's commandment: and provisions for the way. + +45:22. He ordered also to be brought out for every one of them two +robes: but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, with five +robes of the best: + +45:23. Sending to his father as much money and raiment; adding besides, +ten he asses, to carry off all the riches of Egypt, and as many she +asses, carrying wheat and bread for the journey. + +45:24. So he sent away his brethren, and at their departing said to +them: Be not angry in the way. + +45:25. And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Chanaan, +to their father Jacob. + +45:26. And they told him, saying: Joseph, thy son, is living; and he is +ruler in all the land of Egypt. Which when Jacob heard, he awaked as it +were out of a deep sleep, yet did not believe them. + +45:27. They, on the other side, told the whole order of the thing. And +when he saw the wagons, and all that he had sent, his spirit revived, + +45:28. And he said: It is enough for me if Joseph, my son, be yet +living: I will go and see him before I die. + +Genesis Chapter 46 + +Israel, waranted by a vision from God, goeth down into Egypt with all +his family. + +46:1. And Israel taking his journey, with all that he had, came to the +well of the oath, and killing victims there to the God of his father +Isaac, + +The well of the oath... Bersabee. + +46:2. He heard him, by a vision in the night, calling him, and saying to +him: Jacob, Jacob. And he answered him: Lo, here I am. + +46:3. God said to him: I am the most mighty God of thy father; fear not, +go down into Egypt, for I will make a great nation of thee there. + +46:4. I will go down with thee thither, and will bring thee back again +from thence: Joseph also shall put his hands upon thy eyes. + +46:5. And Jacob rose up from the well of the oath: and his sons took him +up, with their children and wives in the wagons, which Pharao had sent +to carry the old man, + +46:6. And all that he had in the land of Chanaan: and he came into Egypt +with all his seed; + +46:7. His sons, and grandsons, daughters, and all his offspring +together. + +46:8. And these are the names of the children of Israel, that entered +into Egypt, he and his children. His firstborn Ruben, + +46:9. The sons of Ruben: Henoch and Phallu, and Hesron and Charmi. + +46:10. The sons of Simeon: Jamuel and Jamin and Ahod, and Jachin and +Sohar, and Saul, the son of a woman of Chanaan. + +46:11. The sons of Levi: Gerson and Caath, and Merari. + +46:12. The sons of Juda: Her and Onan, and Sela, and Phares and Zara. +And Her and Onan died in the land of Chanaan. And sons were born to +Phares: Hesron and Hamul. + +46:13. The sons of Issachar: Thola and Phua, and Job and Semron. + +46:14. The sons of Zabulon: Sared, and Elon, and Jahelel. + +46:15. These are the sons of Lia, whom she bore in Mesopotamia of Syria, +with Dina, his daughter. All the souls of her sons and daughters, +thirty-three. + +46:16. The sons of Gad: Sephion and Haggi, and Suni and Esebon, and Heri +and Arodi, and Areli. + +46:17. The sons of Aser: Jamne and Jesua, and Jessuri and Beria, and +Sara their sister. The sons of Beria: Heber and Melchiel. + +46:18. These are the sons of Zelpha, whom Laban gave to Lia, his +daughter. And these she bore to Jacob, sixteen souls. + +46:19. The sons of Rachel, Jacob's wife: Joseph and Benjamin. + +46:20. And sons were born to Joseph, in the land of Egypt, whom Aseneth, +the daughter of Putiphare, priest of Heliopolis, bore him: Manasses and +Ephraim. + +46:21. The sons of Benjamin: Bela and Bechor, and Asbel and Gera, and +Naaman and Echi, and Ross and Mophim, and Ophim and Ared. + +46:22. These are the sons of Rachel, whom she bore to Jacob: all the +souls, fourteen. + +46:23. The sons of Dan: Husim. + +46:24. The sons of Nephthali: Jaziel and Guni, and Jeser and Sallem. + +46:25. These are the sons of Bala, whom Laban gave to Rachel, his +daughter: and these she bore to Jacob: all the souls, seven. + +46:26. All the souls that went with Jacob into Egypt, and that came out +of his thigh, besides his sons' wives, sixty-six. + +46:27. And the sons of Joseph, that were born to him in the land of +Egypt, two souls. All the souls of the house of Jacob, that entered into +Egypt, were seventy. + +46:28. And he sent Juda before him to Joseph, to tell him; and that he +should meet him in Gessen. + +46:29. And when he was come thither, Joseph made ready his chariot, and +went up to meet his father in the same place: and seeing him, he fell +upon his neck, and embracing him, wept. + +46:30. And the father said to Joseph: Now shall I die with joy, becuase +I have seen thy face, and leave thee alive. + +46:31. And Joseph said to his brethren, and to all his father's house: I +will go up, and will tell Pharao, and will say to him: My brethren, and +my father's house, that were in the land of Chanaan, are come to me: + +46:32. And the men are shepherds, and their occupation is to feed +cattle; their flocks, and herds, and all they have, they have brought +with them. + +46:33. And when he shall call you, and shall say: What is your +occupation? + +46:34. You shall answer: We, thy servants, are shepherds, from our +infancy until now, both we and our fathers. And this you shall say, that +you may dwell in the land of Gessen, because the Egyptians have all +shepherds in abomination. + +Genesis Chapter 47 + +Jacob and his sons are presented before Pharao: he giveth them the land +of Gessen. The famine forceth the Egyptians to sell all their +possessions to the king. + +47:1. Then Joseph went in and told Pharao, saying: My father and +brethren, their sheep and their herds, and all that they possess, are +come out of the land of Chanaan: and behold they stay in the land of +Gessen. + +47:2. Five men also, the last of his brethren, he presented before the +king: + +The last...Extremos. Some interpret this word of the chiefest, and most +rightly: but Joseph seems rather to have chosen out such as had the +meanest appearance, that Pharao might not think of employing them at +court, with danger of their morals and religion. + +47:3. And he asked them: What is your occupation? They answered: We, thy +servants, are shepherds, both we and our fathers. + +47:4. We are come to sojourn in thy land, because there is no grass for +the flocks of thy servants, the famine being very grievous in the land +of Chanaan: and we pray thee to give orders that we thy servants may be +in the land of Gessen. + +47:5. The king therefore said to Joseph: Thy father and thy brethren are +come to thee. + +47:6. The land of Egypt is before thee: and make them dwell in the best +place, and give them the land of Gessen. And if thou knowest that there +are industrious men among them, make them rulers over my cattle. + +47:7. After this Joseph brought in his father to the king, and presented +him before him: and he blessed him. + +47:8. And being asked by him: How many are the days of the years of thy +life? + +47:9. He answered: The days of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty +years, few, and evil, and they are not come up to the days of the +pilgrimage of my fathers. + +47:10. And blessing the king, he went out. + +47:11. But Joseph gave a possession to his father and his brethren in +Egypt, in the best place of the land, in Ramesses, as Pharao had +commanded. + +47:12. And he nourished them, and all his father's house, allowing food +to every one. + +47:13. For in the whole world there was want of bread, and a famine had +oppressed the land, more especially of Egypt and Chanaan; + +47:14. Out of which he gathered up all the money for the corn which they +bought, and brought it in to the king's treasure. + +47:15. And when the buyers wanted money, all Egypt came to Joseph, +saying: Give us bread: why should we die in thy presence, having now no +money? + +47:16. And he answered them: Bring me your cattle, and for them I will +give you food, if you have no money. + +47:17. And when they had brought them, he gave them food in exchange for +their horses, and sheep, and oxen, and asses: and he maintained them +that year for the exchange of their cattle. + +47:18. And they came the second year, and said to him: We will not hide +from our lord, how that our money is spent, and our cattle also are +gone: neither art thou ignorant that we have nothing now left but our +bodies and our lands. + +47:19. Why therefore shall we die before thy eyes? we will be thine, +both we and our lands: buy us to be the king's servants, and give us +seed, lest for want of tillers the land be turned into a wilderness. + +47:20. So Joesph bought all the land of Egypt, every man selling his +possessions, because of the greatness of the famine. And he brought it +into Pharao's hands: + +47:21. And all its people from one end of the borders of Egypt, even to +the other end thereof, + +47:22. Except the land of the priests, which had been given them by the +king: to whom also a certain allowance of food was given out of the +public stores, and therefore they were not forced to sell their +possessions. + +47:23. Then Joseph said to the people: Behold, as you see, both you and +your lands belong to Pharao; take seed and sow the fields, + +47:24. That you may have corn. The fifth part you shall give to the +king; the other four you shall have for seed, and for food for your +families and children. + +47:25. And they answered: our life is in thy hand; only let my lord look +favourably upon us, and we will gladly serve the king. + +47:26. From that time unto this day, in the whole land of Egypt, the +fifth part is paid to the kings, and it is become as a law, except the +land of the priests, which was free from this covenant. + +47:27. So Israel dwelt in Egypt, that is, in the land of Gessen, and +possessed it; and grew, and was multiplied exceedingly. + +47:28. And he lived in it seventeen years: and all the days of his life +came to a hundred and forty-seven years. + +47:29. And when he saw that the day of his death drew nigh, he called +his son Joseph, and said to him: If I have found favour in thy sight, +put thy hand under my thigh; and thou shalt shew me this kindness and +truth, not to bury me in Egypt. + +47:30. But I will sleep with my fathers, and thou shalt take me away out +of this land, and bury me in the burying place of my ancestors. And +Joseph answered him: I will do what thou hast commanded. + +47:31. And he said: Swear then to me. And as he was swearing, Israel +adored God, turning to the bed's head. + +To the bed's head... St. Paul, Heb. 11.21, following the Greek +translation of the Septuagint, reads adored the top of his rod. Where +note, that the same word in the Hebrew, according to the different +pointing of it, signifies both a bed and a rod. And to verify both these +sentences, we must understand that Jacob leaning on Joseph's rod adored, +turning towards the head of his bed: which adoration, inasmuch as it was +referred to God, was an absolute and sovereign worship: but inasmuch as +it was referred to the rod of Joseph, as a figure of the sceptre, that +is, of the royal dignity of Christ, was only an inferior and relative +honour. + +Genesis Chapter 48 + +Joseph visiteth his father in his sickness, who adopteth his two sons +Manasses and Ephraim, and blesseth them, preferring the younger before +the elder. + +48:1. After these things, it was told Joseph that his father was sick; +and he set out to go to him, taking his two sons Manasses and Ephraim. + +48:2. And it was told the old man: Behold thy son Joseph cometh to thee. +And being strengthened, he sat on his bed. + +48:3. And when Joseph was come in to him, he said: God almighty +apppeared to me at Luza, which is in the land of Chanaan, and he blessed +me, + +48:4. And said: I will cause thee to increase and multiply, and I will +make of thee a multitude of people: and I will give this land to thee, +and to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession. + +48:5. So thy two sons, who were born to thee in the land of Egypt before +I came hither to thee, shall be mine: Ephraim and Manasses shall be +reputed to me as Ruben and Simeon. + +48:6. But the rest whom thou shalt have after them, shall be thine, and +shall be called by the name of their brethren in their possessions. + +48:7. For, when I came out of Mesopotamia, Rachel died from me in the +land of Chanaan in the very journey, and it was spring time: and I was +going to Ephrata, and I buried her near the way of Ephrata, which by +another name is called Bethlehem. + +48:8. Then seeing his sons, he said to him: Who are these? + +48:9. He answered: They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this +place. And he said: Bring them to me, that I may bless them. + +48:10. For Israel's eyes were dim by reason of his great age, and he +could not see clearly. And when they were brought to him, he kissed and +embraced them, + +48:11. And said to his son: I am not deprived of seeing thee; moreover +God hath shewn me thy seed. + +48:12. And when Joseph had taken them from his father's lap, he bowed +down with his face to the ground. + +48:13. And he set Ephraim on his right hand, that is, towards the left +hand of Israel; but Manasses on his left hand, to wit, towards his +father's right hand, and brought them near to him. + +48:14. But he, stretching forth his right hand, put it upon the head of +Ephraim, the younger brother; and the left upon the head of Manasses, +who was the elder, changing his hands. + +48:15. And Jacob blessed the sons of Joseph, and said: God, in whose +sight my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, God that feedeth me from my +youth until this day: + +48:16. The angel that delivereth me from all evils, bless these boys: +and let my name be called upon them, and the names of my fathers Abraham +and Isaac; and may they grow into a multitude upon the earth. + +48:17. And Joseph seeing that his father had put his right hand upon the +head of Ephraim, was much displeased: and taking his father's hand, he +tried to lift it from Ephraim's head, and to remove it to the head of +Manasses. + +48:18. And he said to his father: It should not be so, my father; for +this is the firstborn, put thy right hand upon his head. + +48:19. But he refusing, said: I know, my son, I know: and this also +shall become a people, and shall be multiplied; but his younger brother +shall be greater than he; and his seed shall grow into nations. + +48:20. And he blessed them at that time, saying: In thee shall Israel be +blessed, and it shall be said: God do to thee as to Ephraim, and as to +Manasses. And he set Ephraim before Manasses. + +48:21. And he said to Joseph, his son: Behold I die, and God will be +with you, and will bring you back into the land of your fathers. + +48:22. I give thee a portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the +hand of the Amorrhite with my sword and bow. + +Genesis Chapter 49 + +Jacob's prophetical blessings of his twelve sons: his death. + +49:1. And Jacob called his sons, and said to them: Gather yourselves +together, that I may tell you the things that shall befall you in the +last days. + +49:2. Gather yourselves together, and hear, O ye sons of Jacob, hearken +to Israel, your father: + +49:3. Ruben, my firstborn, thou art my strength, and the beginning of my +sorrow; excelling in gifts, greater in command. + +My strength, etc... He calls him his strength, as being born whilst his +father was in his full strength and vigour: he calls him the beginning +of his sorrow, because cares and sorrows usually come on with the birth +of children. Excelling in gifts, etc., because the firstborn had a title +to a double portion, and to have the command over his brethren, which +Ruben forfeited by his sin; being poured out as water, that is, spilt +and lost. + +49:4. Thou art poured out as water, grow thou not; because thou wentest +up to thy father's bed, and didst defile his couch. + +Grow thou not... This was not meant by way of a curse or imprecation; +but by way of a prophecy foretelling that the tribe of Ruben should not +inherit the pre-eminences usually annexed to the first birthright, viz., +the double portion, the being prince or lord over the other brethren, +and the priesthood: of which the double portion was given to Joseph, the +princely office to Juda, and the priesthood to Levi. + +49:5. Simeon and Levi brethren: vessels of iniquity waging war. + +49:6. Let not my soul go into their counsel, nor my glory be in their +assembly: because in their fury they slew a man, and in their selfwill +they undermined a wall. + +Slew a man,... viz., Sichem the son of Hemor, with all his people, Gen. +34.; mystically and prophetically it alludes to Christ, whom their +posterity, viz., the priests and the scribes, put to death. + +49:7. Cursed be their fury, because it was stubborn: and their wrath, +because it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and will scatter them +in Israel. + +49:8. Juda, thee shall thy brethren praise: thy hand shall be on the +necks of thy enemies; the sons of thy father shall bow down to thee. + +49:9. Juda is a lion's whelp: to the prey, my son, thou art gone up: +resting thou hast couched as a lion, and as a lioness, who shall rouse +him? + +A lion's whelp, etc... This blessing of Juda foretelleth the strength of +his tribe, the fertility of his inheritance; and principally that the +sceptre and legislative power should not be utterly taken away from his +race till about the time of the coming of Christ: as in effect it never +was: which is a demonstration against the modern Jews, that the Messiah +is long since come; for the sceptre has long since been utterly taken +away from Juda. + +49:10. The sceptre shall not be taken away from Juda, nor a ruler from +his thigh, till he come that is to be sent, and he shall be the +expectation of nations. + +49:11. Tying his foal to the vineyard, and his ass, O my son, to the +vine. He shall wash his robe in wine, and his garment in the blood of +the grape. + +49:12. His eyes are more beautiful than wine, and his teeth whiter than +milk. + +49:13. Zabulon shall dwell on the seashore, and in the road of ships, +reaching as far as Sidon. + +49:14. Issachar shall be a strong ass, lying down between the borders. + +49:15. He saw rest that it was good: and the land that it was excellent: +and he bowed his shoulder to carry, and became a servant under tribute. + +49:16. Dan shall judge his people like another tribe in Israel. + +Dan shall judge, etc... This was verified in Samson, who was of the +tribe of Dan, and began to deliver Israel. Judges 13.5. But as this +deliverance was but temporal and very imperfect, the holy patriarch +(ver. 18) aspires after another kind of deliverer, saying: I will look +for thy salvation, O Lord. + +49:17. Let Dan be a snake in the way, a serpent in the path, that biteth +the horse's heels, that his rider may fall backward. + +49:18. I will look for thy salvation, O Lord. + +49:19. Gad, being girded, shall fight before him: and he himself shall +be girded backward. + +Gad being girded, etc... It seems to allude to the tribe of Gad; when +after they had received for their lot the land of Galaad, they marched +in arms before the rest of the Israelites, to the conquest of the land +of Chanaan: from whence they afterwards returned loaded with spoils. See +Jos. 4. and 12. + +49:20. Aser, his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield dainties to +kings. + +49:21. Nephthali, a hart let loose, and giving words of beauty. + +49:22. Joseph is a growing son, a growing son and comely to behold: the +daughters run to and fro upon the wall; + +Run to and fro, etc... To behold his beauty; whilst his envious brethren +turned their darts against him, etc. + +49:23. But they that held darts, provoked him, and quarrelled with him, +and envied him. + +49:24. His bow rested upon the strong, and the bands of his arms and his +hands were loosed, by the hands of the mighty one of Jacob: thence he +came forth a pastor, the stone of Israel. + +His bow rested upon the strong, etc... That is, upon God, who was his +strength: who also loosed his bands, and brought him out of prison to be +the pastor, that is, the feeder and ruler of Egypt, and the stone, that +is, the rock and support of Israel. + +49:25. The God of thy father shall be thy helper, and the Almighty shall +bless thee with the blessings of heaven above, with the blessings of the +deep that lieth beneath, with the blessings of the breasts and of the +womb. + +49:26. The blessings of thy father are strengthened with the blessings +of his fathers: until the desire of the everlasting hills should come: +may they be upon the head of Joseph, and upon the crown of the Nazarite +among his brethren. + +The blessings of thy father, etc... That is, thy father's blessings are +made more prevalent and effectual in thy regard, by the additional +strength they receive from his inheriting the blessings of his +progenitors Abraham and Isaac. The desire of the everlasting hills, +etc... These blessings all looked forward towards Christ, called the +desire of the everlasting hills, as being longed for, as it were, by the +whole creation. Mystically, the patriarchs and prophets are called the +everlasting hills, by reason of the eminence of their wisdom and +holiness. The Nazarite... This word signifies one separated; and agrees +to Joseph, as being separated from, and more eminent than, his brethren. +As the ancient Nazarites were so called from their being set aside for +God, and vowed to him. + +49:27. Benjamin a ravenous wolf, in the morning shall eat the prey, and +in the evening shall divide the spoil. + +49:28. All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: these things their +father spoke to them, and he blessed every one with their proper +blessings. + +49:29. And he charged them, saying: I am now going to be gathered to my +people: bury me with my fathers in the double cave, which is in the +field of Ephron the Hethite, + +To be gathered to my people... That is, I am going to die, and so to +follow my ancestors that are gone before me, and to join their company +in another world. + +49:30. Over against Mambre, in the land of Chanaan, which Abraham bought +together with the field, of Ephron the Hethite, for a possession to bury +in. + +49:31. There they buried him, and Sara his wife: there was Isaac buried +with Rebecca, his wife: there also Lia doth lie buried. + +49:32. And when he had ended the commandments, wherewith he instructed +his sons, he drew up his feet upon the bed, and died: and he was +gathered to his people. + +Genesis Chapter 50 + +The mourning for Jacob, and his interment. Joseph's kindness towards his +brethren. His death. + +50:1. And when Joseph saw this, he fell upon his father's face, weeping +and kissing him. + +50:2. And he commanded his servants, the physicians, to embalm his +father. + +50:3. And while they were fulfilling his commands, there passed forty +days: for this was the manner with bodies that were embalmed, and Egypt +mourned for him seventy days. + +50:4. And the time of the mourning being expired, Joseph spoke to the +family of Pharao: If I have found favour in your sight, speak in the +ears of Pharao: + +50:5. For my father made me swear to him, saying: Behold I die; thou +shalt bury me in my sepulchre which I have digged for myself in the land +of Chanaan. So I will go up and bury my father, and return. + +50:6. And Pharao said to him: Go up and bury thy father according as he +made thee swear. + +50:7. So he went up, and there went with him all the ancients of +Pharao's house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt. + +50:8. And the house of Joseph with his brethren, except their children, +and their flocks and herds, which they left in the land of Gessen. + +50:9. He had also in his train chariots and horsemen: and it was a great +company. + +50:10. And they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is situated +beyond the Jordan: where celebrating the exequies with a great and +vehement lamentation, they spent full seven days. + +50:11. And when the inhabitants of Chanaan saw this, they said: This is +a great mourning to the Egyptians. And therefore the name of that place +was called, The mourning of Egypt. + +50:12. So the sons of Jacob did as he had commanded them. + +50:13. And carrying him into the land of Chanaan, they buried him in the +double cave, which Abraham had bought together with the field for a +possession of a burying place, of Ehpron, the Hethite, over against +Mambre. + +50:14. And Joseph returned into Egypt with his brethren, and all that +were in his company, after he had buried his father. + +50:15. Now he being dead, his brethren were afraid, and talked one with +another: Lest perhaps he should remember the wrong he suffered, and +requite us all the evil that we did to him. + +50:16. And they sent a message to him, saying: Thy father commanded us +before he died, + +50:17. That we should say thus much to thee from him: I beseech thee to +forget the wickedness of thy brethren, and the sin and malice they +practised against thee: we also pray thee, to forgive the servants of +the God of thy father this wickedness. And when Joseph heard this, he +wept. + +50:18. And his brethren came to him; and worshipping prostrate on the +ground, they said: We are thy servants. + +50:19. And he answered them: Fear not: can we resist the will of God? + +50:20. You thought evil against me: but God turned it into good, that he +might exalt me, as at present you see, and might save many people. + +50:21. Fear not: I will feed you and your children. And he comforted +them, and spoke gently and mildly. + +50:22. And he dwelt in Egypt with all his father's house; and lived a +hundred and ten years. And he saw the children of Ephraim to the third +generation. The children also of Machir, the sons of Manasses, were born +on Joseph's knees. + +50:23. After which he told his brethren: God will visit you after my +death, and will make you go up out of this land, to the land which he +swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. + +50:24. And he made them swear to him, saying: God will visit you, carry +my bones with you out of this place: + +50:25. And he died, being a hundred and ten years old. And being +embalmed, he was laid in a coffin in Egypt. + + + + + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, THE BIBLE, DOUAY-RHEIMS, BOOK 1 *** + +********** This file should be named 8301.txt or 8301.zip *********** + +Produced by David Widger + +Project Gutenberg eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the US +unless a copyright notice is included. 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