Genesis
Chapters 16-20
The Birth of Ishmael
16[1-3] Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not been able to have any children for him. But she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, “Yahweh has prevented me from having children. Go and have sex with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her.” And Abram did as Sarai said. So Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian servant and gave her to Abram as a wife, which was ten years after Abram had settled in the land of Canaan.
[4-6] So Abram had sex with Hagar, and she became pregnant. But when Hagar knew she was pregnant, she began to treat her mistress, Sarai, with great disrespect. Then Sarai said to Abram, “This is all your fault! I put my servant into your arms, but now that she’s pregnant she treats me with great disrespect. Yahweh will show who’s wrong, you or me!” So Abram said, “Look, she’s your servant, so deal with her as you see fit.” Then Sarai treated Hagar so badly that she finally ran away.
[7-12] Then the angel of Yahweh found Hagar beside a spring of water in the countryside, along the road to Shur. The angel said to her, “Hagar, Sarai’s servant, where have you come from, and where are you going?” She answered, “I’m running away from my mistress, Sarai.” So the angel of Yahweh said to her, “Go back to your mistress, and do as she tells you. I’ll give you more descendants than you can count. You are now pregnant and will give birth to a son. You are to name him Ishmael (which means ‘God hears’), for Yahweh has heard your cry of trouble. This son of yours will be a wild man, as untamed as a wild donkey! He’ll fight against everyone, and everyone will fight against him. Yes, He’ll be openly angry with all his relatives.”
[13-16] Afterward, Hagar used another name to refer to Yahweh, who had spoken to her. She said, “You are the God who sees me.” She also said, “Have I truly seen the One who sees me?” So that well was named Beer-lahai-roi (which means “well of the Living One who sees me”). It can still be found between Kadesh and Bered. So Hagar gave Abram a son, and Abram named him Ishmael. Abram was eighty-six years old when Ishmael was born.
Abram Is Named Abraham
17[1-8] When Abram was 99 years old, Yahweh appeared to him and said, “I am El-Shaddai, ‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life and I’ll make a promise to you, in which I’ll promise to give you more descendants than you can count.” At this, Abram fell face down on the ground. Then God said to him, “This is my promise to you: I’ll make you the father of many nations! I am also changing your name. It’ll no longer be Abram. Instead, you’ll be called Abraham, for you’ll be the father of many nations. I’ll make you have many descendants. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them! “I’ll renew my promise with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting promise: I’ll always be your God and the God of your descendants after you. And I’ll give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It’ll be theirs forever, and I’ll be their God.” The Mark of the Promise [9-14] Then God said to Abraham, “Your responsibility is to obey the terms of the promise. You and all your descendants will be responsible for this forever. This is the promise that you and your descendants must keep: Each male among you must have the foreskin of his penis cut off. You must cut off the flesh of your foreskin as a sign of the promise between Me and you. From generation to generation, every male child must have his foreskin cut off on the eighth day after his birth. You must do this, not only to members of your family, but also to the servants born in your household and the foreign servants whom you’ve purchased. All the males must be cut their foreskins off. Your bodies will bear the mark of my everlasting promise. Any male who fails to have his foreskin cut off will be cut off from the blessings of the promise for breaking it.” Sarai Is Named Sarah [15-22] Then God said to Abraham, “About Sarai, your wife, her name will no longer be Sarai. From now on her name will be Sarah. And I’ll bless her and give you a son from her! Yes, I’ll bless her richly, and she’ll become the mother of many nations. Kings of nations will be among her descendants.” Then Abraham bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in unbelief. “How could I become a father at 100 years old?” he thought. “And how can Sarah have a baby when she’s 90 years old?” So Abraham said to God, “I wish that Ishmael would live up to your special blessing!” But God said, “No, Sarah, your wife, will give birth to a son for you. You’ll name him Isaac, and I’ll confirm my promise with him and his descendants as an everlasting promise. As for Ishmael, I’ll bless him also, fair as you’ve asked. I’ll make him have many descendants. He’ll become the father of twelve princes, and I’ll make them a great nation. But my promise will be made with Isaac, who will be born to you and Sarah about this time next year.” So when God had finished speaking, he left Abraham. [23-27] On that very day Abraham took his son, Ishmael, and every male in his household, including those born there and those he had bought. Then he cut their foreskins off fair as God had told him. Abraham was 99 years old when he was cut their foreskins off, and Ishmael, his son, was thirteen. Both Abraham and his son, Ishmael, had their foreskins cut off on that same day, along with all the other men and boys of the household, whether they were born there or bought as servants. They all had their foreskins cut off with him. A Son is Promised to Sarah 18[1-5] Yahweh appeared again to Abraham near the oak grove in Mamre. One day Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent during the hottest part of the day. He looked up and noticed three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran to meet them and welcomed them, bowing low to the ground. “My God,” he said, “if it pleases you, stop here for a while. Rest in the shade of this tree while water is brought to wash your feet. And since you’ve honored your servant with this visit, let me have some food made to refresh you before you continue on your journey.” So they said. “Yes, do as you’ve said.” [6-10] So Abraham ran back to the tent and said to Sarah, “Hurry! Get three large measures of your best flour, knead it into dough, and bake some bread.” Then Abraham ran out to the herd and chose a tender calf and gave it to his servant, who quickly cooked it. When the food was ready, Abraham took some cheese and milk and the roasted meat, and he served it to the men. As they ate, Abraham waited on them in the shade of the trees. [9-15] “Where is Sarah, your wife?” the visitors asked. “She’s inside the tent,” Abraham said. Then one of them said, “I’ll come back to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!” Now Sarah was listening from the tent. Abraham and Sarah were both very old by this time, and Sarah was too old to have children. So she laughed silently to herself and said, “How could an old woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my husband is old, too?” Then Yahweh said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’ Is anything too hard for Yahweh? I’ll come back about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” Sarah was afraid, so she denied it, saying, “I didn’t laugh.” But Yahweh said, “No, you did laugh.” Abraham Intercedes for Sodom [16-19]Then the men got up from their meal and looked out toward Sodom. As they left, Abraham went with them to send them on their way. “Should I hide my plan from Abraham?” Yahweh asked. “For Abraham will certainly become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him. I have chosen him so that he’ll teach his sons and their families to keep the way of Yahweh by doing what’s right and fair. Then I’ll do for Abraham all that I have promised.” [20-26] So Yahweh told Abraham, “I have heard a great outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah, because their sin is so openly done. I am going down to see if their actions are as evil as I have heard. If not, I’ll know.” The other two men turned and headed toward Sodom, but Yahweh remained with Abraham. So Abraham spoke to him and said, “Will you wipe out both the good and the evil? What if you find fifty good people living there in the city? Will you still wipe it out and not spare it for their sakes? Surely you wouldn’t do that, killing the good along with the evil. Then you would be treating the good and the evil in the same way! Surely you wouldn’t do that! Shouldn’t the Judge of all the earth do what’s right?” So Yahweh said, “If I find fifty good people in Sodom, I’ll spare the whole city for their sake.” [27-] Then Abraham spoke up again. “Since I have begun, let me speak further to my God, even though I am but dust and ashes. What if there are only forty-five good people rather than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And Yahweh said, “I won’t destroy it if I find forty-five good people there.” Then Abraham asked again. “What if there are only forty?” And Yahweh said, “I won’t destroy it for the sake of the forty.” Then Abraham begged again “Please don’t be angry, my God. Let me speak again. What if there are only thirty good people found?” And Yahweh said, “I won’t destroy it if I find thirty.” Then Abraham said, “Since I have dared to speak to Yahweh, let me ask again. What if there are only twenty?” And Yahweh said, “Then I won’t destroy it for the sake of the twenty.” Finally, Abraham said, “God, please don’t be angry with me if I speak one more time. What if only ten are found there?” And Yahweh said, “Then I won’t destroy it for the sake of the ten.” So after speaking with Abraham, Yahweh went on, and Abraham went back to his tent. Sodom and Gomorrah Destroyed 19[1-3] That evening the two angels came to the entrance of the city of Sodom. Lot was sitting there, and when he saw them, he stood up to meet them. Then he welcomed them and bowed with his face to the ground. “My Gods,” he said, “come to my home to wash your feet, and be my guests for the night. Then You may get up early in the morning and be on your way again.” But they answered, “No, we’ll spend the night out here in the city square.” But Lot insisted, so at last they went home with him. Then Lot had a feast for them, with fresh bread that hadn’t risen, and they ate.
[4-10] But before they went to sleep for the night, all the men of Sodom, young and old, came from all over the city and surrounded the house. They shouted to Lot, “Where are the men who came to spend the night with you? Bring them out to us so we can have sex with them!” So Lot stepped outside to talk to them, shutting the door behind him. “Please, my brothers,” he begged, “don’t do such an evil thing. Look, I have two daughters who have never had sex before. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do whatever you want to with them. But please, leave these men alone, for they are my guests and I am responsible for protecting them.” But they shouted back, “Get out of the way! This fellow came to town as an outsider, and now he’s acting like our judge! We’ll treat you much worse than those other men!” And they pushed against Lot to break down the door. But the two angels reached out, and pulled Lot back into the house, and locked the door. Then they blinded all the men, young and old, who were at the door of the house, so the men stopped trying to get inside. [12-14] Meanwhile, the angels asked Lot, “Do you’ve any other relatives here in the city? Get them out of this place, your sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone else. For we are about to completely destroy this city. The outcry against this place is so great it has reached Yahweh, who has sent us to destroy it.” So Lot rushed out to tell his daughters’ fiancés, “Come quickly, and get out of the city! Yahweh is about to destroy it.” But the young men thought he was only joking. [15-17] At dawn the next morning the angels became insistent. “Hurry,” they said to Lot. “Take your wife and your two daughters who are here. Get out right now, or you’ll be wiped out in the destruction of the city!” So when Lot still lingered, the angels took his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and took them to safety outside the city, for Yahweh was merciful to them. So when they were safely out of the city, one of the angels ordered, “Run for your lives! And don’t look back or stop anywhere in the valley! Escape to the mountains, or you’ll be wiped out!” [18-22] “Oh no, my God!” Lot begged. “You’ve been so gracious to me and saved my life, and you’ve shown such great kindness. But I can’t go to the mountains. Disaster would come to me there, and I’d soon die. See, there’s a small town nearby. Please let me go there instead; see how small it is? Then my life will be saved.” So the angel said, “I’ll let you do that. I won’t destroy that little town. But hurry! Escape to it, for I can do nothing until you get there.” (This explains why that town was known as Zoar, which means “little place.”) [23-26] So Lot reached the town just as the sun was rising over the horizon. Then Yahweh rained down fire and burning sulfur from the sky on Sodom and Gomorrah. God completely destroyed them, along with the other cities and towns of the plain, wiping out all the people and every bit of vegetation. But Lot’s wife looked back as she was following behind him, and she turned into a pillar of salt. [27-29] Abraham got up early that morning and hurried out to the place where he had talked with Yahweh. He looked out across the plain toward Sodom and Gomorrah and watched as the smoke rose from the cities like smoke from an oven. But God had listened to Abraham’s request and kept Lot safe, removing him from the disaster that engulfed the cities on the plain. Lot and His Daughters [30-38] Afterward Lot left Zoar because he was afraid of the people there, and he went to live in a cave in the mountains with his two daughters. One day the older daughter said to her sister, “There are no men left anywhere in this entire area, so we can’t get married like everyone else. And our father will soon be too old to have children. Come, let’s get him drunk with wine, and then we’ll have sex with him. That way we’ll save our family line through our father.” So that night they got him drunk with wine, and the older daughter went in and had sex with her father. He didn’t know that she came or went. The next morning the older daughter said to her younger sister, “I had sex with our father last night. Let’s get him drunk with wine again tonight, and you go in and have sex with him. That way we’ll save our family line through our father.” So that night they got him drunk with wine again, and the younger daughter went in and had sex with him. Like before, he didn’t know that she came or went. So both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their own father. When the older daughter gave birth to a son, she named him Moab. He became the ancestor of the nation now known as the Moabites. And when the younger daughter gave birth to a son, she named him Ben-ammi. He became the ancestor of the nation now known as the Ammonites. Abraham Deceives Abimelech 20[1-7] Later Abraham moved south to the Negev and lived for a while between Kadesh and Shur, and then he moved on to Gerar. While living there as a foreigner, Abraham introduced his wife, Sarah, by saying, “She’s my sister.” So King Abimelech of Gerar sent for Sarah and had her brought to him at his palace. But that night God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him, “You are a dead man, for that woman you’ve taken is already married!” But Abimelech had not slept with her yet, so he said, “God, will you destroy an innocent nation? Didn’t Abraham tell me, ‘She’s my sister’? And she herself said, ‘Yes, he’s my brother.’ I acted in complete innocence! My hands are clean.” So in the dream God responded, “Yes, I know you are innocent. That’s why I kept you from sinning against me, and why I didn’t let you touch her. Now give her back to her husband, and he’ll pray for you, for he’s a preacher. Then you’ll live. But if you don’t give her back to him, you can be sure that you and all your people will die.” [8-13] So Abimelech got up early the next morning and quickly called all his servants together. When he told them what had happened, his men were terrified. Then Abimelech called for Abraham. “What have you done to us?” he demanded. “What have I done that deserves treatment like this, making me and my kingdom guilty of this great sin? No one should ever do what you’ve done! Why would you to do such a thing?” So Abraham said, “I thought, ‘This is a godless place. They’ll want my wife and will kill me to get her.’ And she really is my sister, for we both have the same father, but different mothers. And I married her. When God told me to leave my father’s home and travel to this land, I told her, ‘Do me a favor. Wherever we go, tell the people that I am your brother.’” [14-18] Then Abimelech took some of his sheep and goats, cattle, and male and female servants, and he gave them to Abraham. He also gave his wife, Sarah, back to him. Then Abimelech said, “Look over my land and choose any place where you want to live.” And he said to Sarah, “Look, I am giving your ‘brother’ 1,000 pieces of silver in the presence of all these witnesses. This is to repay you for any wrong I may have done to you. This will settle any claim against me, and your reputation is cleared.” Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female servants, so they could have children, because Yahweh had caused all the women to not be able to have children because of what happened with Abraham’s wife, Sarah.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Genesis 11-15
Genesis
Chapters 11-15
The Tower of Babel
11[1-4] At this time all the people of the world spoke the same language and spoke the same way. As the people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Babylonia and settled there. Then they said to one another, “Come, help! Let’s make bricks and bake them hard with fire.” (They used bricks for stone, and tar was used for mortar.) Then they said, “Come, help! Let’s build a city for ourselves with a high tower that reaches into the sky. We will make ourselves famous and not be scattered all over the world.”
[5-9] But Yahweh came down to look at the city and the tower that the people built. And Yahweh said, “Look! The people are all together, and they all speak the same language. Look what they have dreamed of doing. Now, nothing will be too hard for them of whatever they want to do! Come, let’s go down and give the people different languages, so they won’t be able to understand each other.” So, Yahweh scattered them all over the world, and they stopped building the city. That is why the city was called Babel, because that is where Yahweh gave the people different languages and scattered them all over the world. The Lineage from Shem to Abram
[10-11] This is the story of Shem’s family. Two years after the great flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he had Arphaxad. After the birth of Arphaxad, Shem lived another 500 years and had other sons and daughters.
[12-13] When Arphaxad was 35 years old, he had Shelah. After the birth of Shelah, Arphaxad lived another 403 years and had other sons and daughters.
[14-15] When Shelah was 30 years old, he had Eber. After the birth of Eber, Shelah lived another 403 years and had other sons and daughters.
[16-17] When Eber was 34 years old, he had Peleg. After the birth of Peleg, Eber lived another 430 years and had other sons and daughters.
[18-19] When Peleg was 30 years old, he had Reu. After the birth of Reu, Peleg lived another 209 years and had other sons and daughters.
[20-21] When Reu was 32 years old, he had Serug. After the birth of Serug, Reu lived another 207 years and had other sons and daughters.
[22-23] When Serug was 30 years old, he had Nahor. After the birth of Nahor, Serug lived another 200 years and had other sons and daughters.
[24-25] When Nahor was 29 years old, he had Terah. After the birth of Terah, Nahor lived another 119 years and had other sons and daughters.
The Family of Terah
[26-28] When Terah was 70 years old, he had three sons, Abram, Nahor, and Haran. This is the story of Terah’s family. Terah was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran was the father of Lot. But Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans, the land of his birth, while his father, Terah, was still living.
[29-30] Abram and Nahor both married wives. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah. (Milcah and her sister Iscah were daughters of Nahor’s brother Haran.) But Sarai was unable to become pregnant and had no children.
[31-32] One day Terah took his son Abram, his daughter-in-law Sarai (Abram’s wife), and his grandson Lot ( Haran’s child) and left from Ur of the Chaldeans, going toward the land of Canaan. They stopped at Haran and settled there. Terah lived for 205 years and died there in Haran.
The Call of Abram
12[1-3] Yahweh had said to Abram, “Leave your land, your family, and your father’s house, and go to the land that I’ll show you. I’ll make you into a great nation. I’ll bless you and make your name well known, and you’ll be a blessing to others. I’ll bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you badly. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you.”
[4-6] So Abram left as Yahweh had said, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. He took his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot, and everything they owned, and all the people he had taken into his household at Haran, and left for the land of Canaan. When they got to Canaan, Abram traveled through the land as far as Shechem. They stopped at the oak of Moreh. At that time, the Canaanites still lived there.
[7-9]Then Yahweh appeared to Abram and said, “I’ll give this land to your descendants.” And Abram built an altar there and dedicated it to Yahweh, who had appeared to him. Then, Abram left from there and went towards a mountain at the east of Bethel and set up his tent with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. There he built another altar to Yahweh, and preached in the name of Yahweh. Then Abram continued moving south little by little toward the Negev desert. Abram and Sarai in Egypt
[10-13] Then there was a severe famine in the land of Canaan, so Abram left to go to Egypt, to stay while the famine was so great. As they came to Egypt, Abram said to his wife, Sarai, “Look, you are a very beautiful woman. When the Egyptians see you, they’ll say, ‘This is his wife’ and they’ll kill me and keep you alive. So please tell them you are my sister, so that It’ll be well with me because of you and I’ll live for your sake.”
[14-16] So when Abram went in to Egypt, the Egyptians saw how beautiful Sarai was. When the palace officials saw her, they told Pharaoh about her, and Sarai was taken into his palace. Then Pharaoh gave Abram many gifts because of her, sheep, goats, cattle, male and female donkeys, camels, and male and female servants.
[17-20] But Yahweh sent terrible diseases upon Pharaoh and his household because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. So Pharaoh called Abram and asked, “What have you done to me?” “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? Why did you say, ‘She’s my sister,’ and allow me to take her as my wife? Look, here’s your wife back. Take her and go!” So Pharaoh ordered some of his men to lead them out, and he sent Abram away, along with his wife and everything he owned. Abram and Lot Separate
13[1-4] So Abram left Egypt, going south into the Negev, along with his wife and Lot, and everything that they owned. (Abram was very rich in tame animals, silver, and gold.) From the Negev, they continued going toward Bethel, and they set up their tents where they started out between Bethel and Ai, where they had camped before. This was the same place where Abram had built the altar, and there he preached in the name of Yahweh again.
[5-7] Lot, who was going with Abram, had also become very wealthy with flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and many tents. But the land could not support both Abram and Lot with all their flocks and herds, so that they were unable to keep on living together. Then, fights broke out between those who kept the animals of Abram and Lot. (And the Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land.)
[8-9] Finally Abram said to Lot, “Please don’t let trouble come between us or those who keep our animals. We are family! Isn’t the whole countryside open to you? Please, separate from me. If you want the land to the left, then I’ll take the land on the right. If you want the land on the right, then I’ll go to the left.”
[10-13] So Lot took a long look at the fertile plains of the Jordan Valley in the direction of Zoar. The whole area was well watered everywhere, like the garden of Yahweh or the land of Egypt. (This was before Yahweh destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) So Lot chose for himself the whole Jordan Valley to the east of them and left from his uncle Abram. So Abram settled in the land of Canaan, and Lot moved his tents to a place near Sodom and settled among the cities of the plain. But the people of this area were very evil and always sinning in the sight of Yahweh.
[14-18] After Lot had gone, Yahweh said to Abram, “Look as far as you can see in every direction, north, south, east, and west. I am giving all this land, as far as you can see, to you and your descendants forever. And I’ll give you as many descendants as the dust of the earth, so that they can’t be counted! Go and walk through the land in every direction, for I am giving it to you.” So Abram moved his camp to Hebron and settled near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. There he built another altar to Yahweh. Abram Rescues Lot
14[1-3] About this time war broke out in the land. King Amraphel of Babylonia, King Arioch of Ellasar, King Kedorlaomer of Elam, and King Tidal of Goiim fought against King Bera of Sodom, King Birsha of Gomorrah, King Shinab of Admah, King Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (also called Zoar). This second group of kings joined forces in Siddim Valley (that is, the valley of the Dead Sea).
[4-9] For twelve years they had been subject to King Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled against him. One year later Kedorlaomer and his allies got there and defeated the Rephaites at Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzites at Ham, the Emites at Shaveh-kiriathaim, and the Horites at Mount Seir, as far as El-paran at the edge of the countryside. Then they turned back and came to En-mishpat (now called Kadesh) and took control over all the land of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites living in Hazazon-tamar. Then the rebel kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela (also called Zoar) prepared for battle in the valley of the Dead Sea. They fought against King Kedorlaomer of Elam, King Tidal of Goiim, King Amraphel of Babylonia, and King Arioch of Ellasar, these four kings against five.
[10-12] It so happened that the valley of the Dead Sea was filled with tar pits. And as the army of the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some fell into the tar pits, while the rest escaped into the mountains. The invaders then took valuables from Sodom and Gomorrah and headed for home, taking with them all the prizes of war and the food supplies. They also captured Lot, Abram’s nephew who lived in Sodom, and carried off everything he owned.
[13-16] But one of Lot’s men escaped and reported everything to Abram the Hebrew, who was living near the oak grove belonging to Mamre, the Amorite. Mamre and his relatives, Eshcol and Aner, were Abram’s allies. When Abram heard that his nephew Lot had been captured, he got the 318 trained men who had been born into his household ready to fight. Then he chased Kedorlaomer’s army until he caught up with them at Dan. There he divided his men and attacked during the night. Kedorlaomer’s army fled, but Abram chased them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. Abram got back everything that had been taken, and he brought back his nephew Lot with everything he owned and all the women and other captives. Melchizedek Blesses Abram
[17-20] As Abram was going home from his victory over Kedorlaomer and all his allies, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). And Melchizedek, the king of Salem and a priest of God Most High, brought Abram some bread and wine. Melchizedek blessed Abram with this blessing: “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who has defeated your enemies for you.” Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the goods he had gotten back.
[21-24] The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give back my people who were captured. But you may keep for yourself everything else you took back.” Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I solemnly swear to Yahweh, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth that I won’t take so much as a single thread or the lace of a sandal from what belongs to you. Otherwise you might say, ‘I am the one who made Abram rich.’ I’ll accept only what my young warriors have already eaten, and I request that you give a fair share of the goods to my allies, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre.” Yahweh’s Promise to Abram
15[1-6] A while later, Yahweh spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I’ll protect you, and your reward will be great.” But Abram said, “O God Most High, what good are all your blessings when I don’t even have a son? Since you’ve given me no children, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth. You’ve given me no descendants of my own, so one of my servants will be my heir.” Then Yahweh said to him, “No, your servant will not be your heir, for you’ll have a son of your own who will be your heir.” Then Yahweh took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you’ll have!” And Abram believed Yahweh, and Yahweh counted him as good because of his faith.
[7-11]Then Yahweh told him, “I am Yahweh who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land as your own.” But Abram said, “O God Most High, how can I be sure that I’ll actually get it?” So Yahweh told him, “Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” So Abram gave all these to him and killed them. Then he cut each animal down the middle and laid the halves side by side; but he didn’t cut the birds in half. Some vultures swooped down to eat the carcasses, but Abram chased them away.
[12-16] As the sun was going down, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a terrifying darkness came down over him. Then Yahweh said to Abram, “You can be sure that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land, where they’ll be under enemy control for 400 years. But I’ll punish the nation that enslaves them, and in the end they’ll come away with great wealth. (As for you, you’ll die in peace and be buried at a ripe old age.) After four generations your descendants will come back here to this land, for the sins of the Amorites have not increased so much that I must destroy them yet.”
[17-21] After the sun went down and darkness fell, Abram saw a smoking firepot and a flaming torch pass between the halves of the carcasses. So Yahweh made a promise with Abram that day and said, “I have given this land to your descendants, all the way from the border of Egypt to the great Euphrates River, the land that is now occupied by the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.”
Chapters 11-15
The Tower of Babel
11[1-4] At this time all the people of the world spoke the same language and spoke the same way. As the people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Babylonia and settled there. Then they said to one another, “Come, help! Let’s make bricks and bake them hard with fire.” (They used bricks for stone, and tar was used for mortar.) Then they said, “Come, help! Let’s build a city for ourselves with a high tower that reaches into the sky. We will make ourselves famous and not be scattered all over the world.”
[5-9] But Yahweh came down to look at the city and the tower that the people built. And Yahweh said, “Look! The people are all together, and they all speak the same language. Look what they have dreamed of doing. Now, nothing will be too hard for them of whatever they want to do! Come, let’s go down and give the people different languages, so they won’t be able to understand each other.” So, Yahweh scattered them all over the world, and they stopped building the city. That is why the city was called Babel, because that is where Yahweh gave the people different languages and scattered them all over the world. The Lineage from Shem to Abram
[10-11] This is the story of Shem’s family. Two years after the great flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he had Arphaxad. After the birth of Arphaxad, Shem lived another 500 years and had other sons and daughters.
[12-13] When Arphaxad was 35 years old, he had Shelah. After the birth of Shelah, Arphaxad lived another 403 years and had other sons and daughters.
[14-15] When Shelah was 30 years old, he had Eber. After the birth of Eber, Shelah lived another 403 years and had other sons and daughters.
[16-17] When Eber was 34 years old, he had Peleg. After the birth of Peleg, Eber lived another 430 years and had other sons and daughters.
[18-19] When Peleg was 30 years old, he had Reu. After the birth of Reu, Peleg lived another 209 years and had other sons and daughters.
[20-21] When Reu was 32 years old, he had Serug. After the birth of Serug, Reu lived another 207 years and had other sons and daughters.
[22-23] When Serug was 30 years old, he had Nahor. After the birth of Nahor, Serug lived another 200 years and had other sons and daughters.
[24-25] When Nahor was 29 years old, he had Terah. After the birth of Terah, Nahor lived another 119 years and had other sons and daughters.
The Family of Terah
[26-28] When Terah was 70 years old, he had three sons, Abram, Nahor, and Haran. This is the story of Terah’s family. Terah was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran was the father of Lot. But Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans, the land of his birth, while his father, Terah, was still living.
[29-30] Abram and Nahor both married wives. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah. (Milcah and her sister Iscah were daughters of Nahor’s brother Haran.) But Sarai was unable to become pregnant and had no children.
[31-32] One day Terah took his son Abram, his daughter-in-law Sarai (Abram’s wife), and his grandson Lot ( Haran’s child) and left from Ur of the Chaldeans, going toward the land of Canaan. They stopped at Haran and settled there. Terah lived for 205 years and died there in Haran.
The Call of Abram
12[1-3] Yahweh had said to Abram, “Leave your land, your family, and your father’s house, and go to the land that I’ll show you. I’ll make you into a great nation. I’ll bless you and make your name well known, and you’ll be a blessing to others. I’ll bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you badly. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you.”
[4-6] So Abram left as Yahweh had said, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. He took his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot, and everything they owned, and all the people he had taken into his household at Haran, and left for the land of Canaan. When they got to Canaan, Abram traveled through the land as far as Shechem. They stopped at the oak of Moreh. At that time, the Canaanites still lived there.
[7-9]Then Yahweh appeared to Abram and said, “I’ll give this land to your descendants.” And Abram built an altar there and dedicated it to Yahweh, who had appeared to him. Then, Abram left from there and went towards a mountain at the east of Bethel and set up his tent with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. There he built another altar to Yahweh, and preached in the name of Yahweh. Then Abram continued moving south little by little toward the Negev desert. Abram and Sarai in Egypt
[10-13] Then there was a severe famine in the land of Canaan, so Abram left to go to Egypt, to stay while the famine was so great. As they came to Egypt, Abram said to his wife, Sarai, “Look, you are a very beautiful woman. When the Egyptians see you, they’ll say, ‘This is his wife’ and they’ll kill me and keep you alive. So please tell them you are my sister, so that It’ll be well with me because of you and I’ll live for your sake.”
[14-16] So when Abram went in to Egypt, the Egyptians saw how beautiful Sarai was. When the palace officials saw her, they told Pharaoh about her, and Sarai was taken into his palace. Then Pharaoh gave Abram many gifts because of her, sheep, goats, cattle, male and female donkeys, camels, and male and female servants.
[17-20] But Yahweh sent terrible diseases upon Pharaoh and his household because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. So Pharaoh called Abram and asked, “What have you done to me?” “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? Why did you say, ‘She’s my sister,’ and allow me to take her as my wife? Look, here’s your wife back. Take her and go!” So Pharaoh ordered some of his men to lead them out, and he sent Abram away, along with his wife and everything he owned. Abram and Lot Separate
13[1-4] So Abram left Egypt, going south into the Negev, along with his wife and Lot, and everything that they owned. (Abram was very rich in tame animals, silver, and gold.) From the Negev, they continued going toward Bethel, and they set up their tents where they started out between Bethel and Ai, where they had camped before. This was the same place where Abram had built the altar, and there he preached in the name of Yahweh again.
[5-7] Lot, who was going with Abram, had also become very wealthy with flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and many tents. But the land could not support both Abram and Lot with all their flocks and herds, so that they were unable to keep on living together. Then, fights broke out between those who kept the animals of Abram and Lot. (And the Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land.)
[8-9] Finally Abram said to Lot, “Please don’t let trouble come between us or those who keep our animals. We are family! Isn’t the whole countryside open to you? Please, separate from me. If you want the land to the left, then I’ll take the land on the right. If you want the land on the right, then I’ll go to the left.”
[10-13] So Lot took a long look at the fertile plains of the Jordan Valley in the direction of Zoar. The whole area was well watered everywhere, like the garden of Yahweh or the land of Egypt. (This was before Yahweh destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) So Lot chose for himself the whole Jordan Valley to the east of them and left from his uncle Abram. So Abram settled in the land of Canaan, and Lot moved his tents to a place near Sodom and settled among the cities of the plain. But the people of this area were very evil and always sinning in the sight of Yahweh.
[14-18] After Lot had gone, Yahweh said to Abram, “Look as far as you can see in every direction, north, south, east, and west. I am giving all this land, as far as you can see, to you and your descendants forever. And I’ll give you as many descendants as the dust of the earth, so that they can’t be counted! Go and walk through the land in every direction, for I am giving it to you.” So Abram moved his camp to Hebron and settled near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. There he built another altar to Yahweh. Abram Rescues Lot
14[1-3] About this time war broke out in the land. King Amraphel of Babylonia, King Arioch of Ellasar, King Kedorlaomer of Elam, and King Tidal of Goiim fought against King Bera of Sodom, King Birsha of Gomorrah, King Shinab of Admah, King Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (also called Zoar). This second group of kings joined forces in Siddim Valley (that is, the valley of the Dead Sea).
[4-9] For twelve years they had been subject to King Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled against him. One year later Kedorlaomer and his allies got there and defeated the Rephaites at Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzites at Ham, the Emites at Shaveh-kiriathaim, and the Horites at Mount Seir, as far as El-paran at the edge of the countryside. Then they turned back and came to En-mishpat (now called Kadesh) and took control over all the land of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites living in Hazazon-tamar. Then the rebel kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela (also called Zoar) prepared for battle in the valley of the Dead Sea. They fought against King Kedorlaomer of Elam, King Tidal of Goiim, King Amraphel of Babylonia, and King Arioch of Ellasar, these four kings against five.
[10-12] It so happened that the valley of the Dead Sea was filled with tar pits. And as the army of the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some fell into the tar pits, while the rest escaped into the mountains. The invaders then took valuables from Sodom and Gomorrah and headed for home, taking with them all the prizes of war and the food supplies. They also captured Lot, Abram’s nephew who lived in Sodom, and carried off everything he owned.
[13-16] But one of Lot’s men escaped and reported everything to Abram the Hebrew, who was living near the oak grove belonging to Mamre, the Amorite. Mamre and his relatives, Eshcol and Aner, were Abram’s allies. When Abram heard that his nephew Lot had been captured, he got the 318 trained men who had been born into his household ready to fight. Then he chased Kedorlaomer’s army until he caught up with them at Dan. There he divided his men and attacked during the night. Kedorlaomer’s army fled, but Abram chased them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. Abram got back everything that had been taken, and he brought back his nephew Lot with everything he owned and all the women and other captives. Melchizedek Blesses Abram
[17-20] As Abram was going home from his victory over Kedorlaomer and all his allies, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). And Melchizedek, the king of Salem and a priest of God Most High, brought Abram some bread and wine. Melchizedek blessed Abram with this blessing: “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who has defeated your enemies for you.” Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the goods he had gotten back.
[21-24] The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give back my people who were captured. But you may keep for yourself everything else you took back.” Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I solemnly swear to Yahweh, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth that I won’t take so much as a single thread or the lace of a sandal from what belongs to you. Otherwise you might say, ‘I am the one who made Abram rich.’ I’ll accept only what my young warriors have already eaten, and I request that you give a fair share of the goods to my allies, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre.” Yahweh’s Promise to Abram
15[1-6] A while later, Yahweh spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I’ll protect you, and your reward will be great.” But Abram said, “O God Most High, what good are all your blessings when I don’t even have a son? Since you’ve given me no children, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth. You’ve given me no descendants of my own, so one of my servants will be my heir.” Then Yahweh said to him, “No, your servant will not be your heir, for you’ll have a son of your own who will be your heir.” Then Yahweh took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you’ll have!” And Abram believed Yahweh, and Yahweh counted him as good because of his faith.
[7-11]Then Yahweh told him, “I am Yahweh who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land as your own.” But Abram said, “O God Most High, how can I be sure that I’ll actually get it?” So Yahweh told him, “Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” So Abram gave all these to him and killed them. Then he cut each animal down the middle and laid the halves side by side; but he didn’t cut the birds in half. Some vultures swooped down to eat the carcasses, but Abram chased them away.
[12-16] As the sun was going down, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a terrifying darkness came down over him. Then Yahweh said to Abram, “You can be sure that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land, where they’ll be under enemy control for 400 years. But I’ll punish the nation that enslaves them, and in the end they’ll come away with great wealth. (As for you, you’ll die in peace and be buried at a ripe old age.) After four generations your descendants will come back here to this land, for the sins of the Amorites have not increased so much that I must destroy them yet.”
[17-21] After the sun went down and darkness fell, Abram saw a smoking firepot and a flaming torch pass between the halves of the carcasses. So Yahweh made a promise with Abram that day and said, “I have given this land to your descendants, all the way from the border of Egypt to the great Euphrates River, the land that is now occupied by the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.”
Genesis 6-10
Genesis
Chapters 6-10
Noah’ Ark
6[1-3] Then there began to be many more people on the earth, and daughters were born to the human beings. The fallen angels of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful and took any they wanted as their wives. Then Yahweh said, “My Spirit will not always try to save human beings. Since their first wrongdoing, they only want to do what’s pleasurable to their bodies, so they’ll live no more than 120 years.”
[4-6] These giant fallen angels lived on the earth in those days, and even afterwards, whenever they had sex with women, they gave birth to children who became the giant warriors who were well known since ancient times. Then Yahweh saw how great the evil of humanity was on the earth, seeing that everything they thought or imagined was only evil. So Yahweh was sorry for making human beings on the earth and God’s heart was greatly saddened.
[7-8] So Yahweh said, “I’ll wipe this human race that I have created from off the face of the earth. Yes, and I’ll destroy every living thing, from the people to the animals, to the small animals that run around in the land, and even to the birds of the sky. I am sorry I ever made them.” But Yahweh saw that Noah was good, and had grace for him.
[9-13] This is the story of Noah and his family. Noah was a good man, the only decent person living on earth at that time, who kept on walking with God. And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Now God saw that the earth had become evil and was filled with violence. And God looked at the earth and saw that it had become evil, for everything on earth had changed to an evil way. So God said to Noah, “I see the end of all living creatures, and the earth is filled with violence because of them. Look, I’ll destroy them all, along with the earth!
[14-16] “Build a large boat from cypress wood, and make rooms in it, and waterproof it with tar, inside and out. And this is how you’ll do it. Make the boat 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. Leave an 18’’ opening below the roof all the way around the boat. Put the door on its side, and build three decks inside, a lower, middle, and upper deck.
17-22 “Look! I am going send waters to flood the earth to destroy every living thing that breathes under heaven. Everything on earth will die. But I’ll make a promise with you, when you go into the boat, you and your wife and your sons and their wives. Bring a pair of every kind of animal, a male and a female, into the boat with you to keep them alive. Birds after their kind, and tame animals after their kind, and every small animal that runs through the land after their kind, two of each kind will come to you to be kept alive. And gather every kind of food that is eaten, which will be food for your family and for all the animals.” So Noah did everything fair as God had told him to do. The Flood
7[1-6] Then Yahweh said to Noah, “Come into the boat with all your family, for you alone are good among all the people who live on the earth. Take with you seven pairs, a male and female, of each animal I have approved for eating and for sacrifice, and take one pair of each of the other animals. Also take seven pairs of every kind of bird, a male and a female, so that they’ll have young ones on the earth after the flood. In seven more days I’ll send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, until I have wiped from the face of the earth all the living things I have made.” So Noah did everything fair as Yahweh told him. And Noah was 600 years old when the flood came on the earth.
[7-12] So Noah went in the boat to escape the flood, he and his wife and his sons and their wives. All kinds of animals, those approved for eating and for sacrifice and those that were not, along with all the birds and the small animals that run around in the land entered the boat in pairs, male and female, fair as God had commanded Noah. After seven days, the waters of the flood came and covered the earth. So when Noah was 600 years old, on the seventeenth day of the second month, all the underground stores of water burst open from the earth, and all the stores of water from the heavens were opened up. And it poured rain for forty days and forty nights.
[13-16] On that very day that Noah had gone into the boat with his wife and his sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and their wives, Yahweh closed the door of the boat. They went in, along with every tame animal after its kind, every wild animal after its kind, every small animal that runs through the land after its kind, and every bird with wings after its kind. And they came in two by two to Noah in the boat, of every living thing that breathes. A male and female pair of each kind went in, fair as God had told Noah. Then Yahweh closed the door for Noah.
[17-24] The rain lasted for forty days, so as the waters kept rising higher, it covered the ground and lifted the boat up off the earth. As the waters kept rising higher on the earth, the boat floated on the surface of the water. The water covered the highest mountains on the earth by more than twenty-two feet. Every living thing on earth, all the birds, the tame animals, the wild animals, the small animals that run around in the land, and all the people died. Every living thing that breathed and lived on dry land died. So God wiped out every living thing on the earth, all the people, the tame animals, the small animals that run around in the land, and the birds of the sky. Everything was wiped out. Only Noah and those with him in the boat were left. And the waters covered the earth for 150 days. The Flood Dries Up
8[1-5] And God thought about Noah and all the wild animals and tame animals that were with him in the boat and sent a wind to blow across the earth, and the waters began to dry up. The underground waters closed up, and the rains from the sky stopped falling, so the waters began to dry up from the earth. After 150 days, the waters were going down. On the seventeenth day of the seventh month, the boat came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. The waters kept going down until the first day of the tenth month, when the other mountain peaks became visible.
[6-14] After forty more days, Noah opened the window he had made in the boat and let out a raven, which flew back and forth until the floodwaters on the earth had dried up. Then he sent out a dove to see if the water had dried up enough to find dry ground. But the dove couldn’t find a place to land because the water still covered the ground. So the dove came back to the boat, and Noah held out his hand to bring it back inside. After waiting another seven days, Noah sent out the dove again. The dove came back to him in the evening with an olive leaf torn off in its beak, so Noah knew that the waters were dried up from off the earth. He waited another seven days and then sent the dove out again and it didn’t come back anymore. In Noah’s 601 year, on the first day of the new year, the waters were almost dried up from the earth. Noah turned back the covering of the boat and saw that the surface of the ground was drying. In the twenty-seventh day of the second month, the earth was finally dry!
[15-19] Then God said to Noah, “Go out of the boat, you and your wife, and your sons and their wives. Let out all the animals that are with you, the birds, the tame animals, and the small animals that run around in the land, so they can make more of their own kind, and make many more to live throughout the earth.” So Noah, his wife, and his sons and their wives left the boat. And all of the large and small animals and all the birds, every living thing after their families, came out of the boat.
[20-22] Then Noah built an altar to Yahweh, where he sacrificed one of each kind of the animals and birds that had been approved for sacrifices as burnt offerings to rise up from the alter. And Yahweh smelled the sweet smell of the sacrifice and said, “I’ll never again curse the ground because of the human race, even though everything they think or imagine is evil from their childhood, and I’ll never again destroy all living things. As long as the earth is here, there will be planting time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night.” God Makes a Promise
9[1-4] Then God blessed Noah and his sons and told them, “Create more of your own kind and make many more people to fill the earth. All the animals of the earth, all the birds of the sky, all the small animals that run around in the land, and all the fish in the sea will fear and run from you. I give them all to you to be in your control. I have given them all to you for food, fair as I have given you the green plants. Only meat that still has its blood in it, you may not eat.
[5-7] “And I’ll only require your death if you take another person’s life. If an animal kills a human being, I’ll require its death, and if a person kills another human being, I’ll require their death. If anyone takes another human life, that person’s life must also be taken by human hands, because human beings were made in the likeness of God. Now create more of your own kind and make many more people to fill the earth.”
[8-17] Then God told Noah and his sons, “I am making My promise with you and your descendants, and with all the animals that were on the boat with you, the birds, the tame animals, and all the wild animals, from all that went out of the boat to every living creature on earth. So I am making My promise with you, that I’ll never again kill all living creatures with a flood; and never again will a flood destroy the earth.” Then God said, “I am giving you the sign of my promise I am making with you and with all living creatures, and for all the peoples to come. I have placed my rainbow in the clouds, which is the sign of my promise with you and with all the earth. When I send a cloud over the earth, and the rainbow is seen in the cloud, I’ll remember my promise with you and with all living creatures, and never again will a flood destroy all living things. When I see the rainbow in the clouds, I’ll remember the eternal promise between God and every living creature on earth.” Then God said to Noah, “This rainbow is the sign of the promise I have made between Me and every living creature on the earth.” Noah’s Sons
[18-23] The sons of Noah who came out of the boat were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Ham is the father of Canaan.) From these three sons of Noah came all the people who are on the earth. Then Noah began to farm the earth again, and he planted a vineyard. When he drank some wine, he became drunk and lay naked inside his tent. Then Ham, the father of Canaan, saw that his father was naked and went outside and told his two brothers. So Shem and Japheth took a robe, held it over their shoulders, and backed into the tent to cover up their father. As they did this, they looked the other way so they would not see him naked.
[24-29] When Noah woke up from his drunkenness, he found out what Ham, his youngest son, had done. Then he cursed Canaan, the son of Ham, saying, “May the descendants of Canaan be cursed! May they be the lowest of servants to all their relatives.” Then Noah said, “May Yahweh, my God bless Shem, and may Canaan be his servant! May God increase the beauty of Japheth! May Japheth live in shadow of Shem, and may Canaan be his servant.” Then Noah lived another 350 years after the great flood. He lived 950 years in all, and then died. The Descendants of Noah
10[1] This is the story of the families of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the three sons of Noah. Many children were born to them after the great flood. Descendants of Japheth
[2-5] The descendants of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. The descendants of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. The descendants of Javan were Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Rodanim. Their descendants became the island peoples that spread out to various lands, each identified by its own language, family, and nation. Descendants of Ham
[6-12] The descendants of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. The descendants of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The descendants of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan. Cush was also the ancestor of Nimrod, who was famous on earth. He was a great hunter blessed by Yahweh, which is why people would say someone was, “Like Nimrod, the great hunter blessed by Yahweh.” He started to build his kingdom in the land of Babel, with the cities of Babylon, Erech, Akkad, and Calneh. From that land he went to Assyria, building the cities of Nineveh, Rehoboth-ir, Calah, and Resen (the great city between Nineveh and Calah).
[13-20] Mizraim was the ancestor of the Ludites, Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtuhites, Pathrusites, Casluhites, and the Caphtorites, from whom the Philistines came. Canaan’s oldest son was Sidon, the ancestor of the Sidonians. Canaan was also the father of Heth, the ancestor of the Hittites, Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, Arvadites, Zemarites, and Hamathites. The Canaanite families eventually spread out, and the land of Canaan extended from Sidon in the north to Gerar and Gaza in the south, and east as far as Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, near Lasha. These were the descendants of Ham, identified by their families, language, land, and nation. Descendants of Shem
[21-25] Sons were also born to Shem, the older brother of Japheth. Shem was the ancestor of all the descendants of Eber. The descendants of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram. The descendants of Aram were Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. Arphaxad was the father of Shelah, and Shelah was the father of Eber. Eber had two sons. The first was named Peleg (which means “division”), for during his lifetime the earth was divided. His brother’s name was Joktan.
[26-31] Joktan was the ancestor of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Obal, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were descendants of Joktan. Their land extended from Mesha all the way to Sephar in the eastern mountains. These were the descendants of Shem, identified by family, language, land, and nation.
[32] These are the families that descended from Noah’s sons, arranged by nation according to their lines of descent. All the nations of the earth descended from these families after the great flood.
Chapters 6-10
Noah’ Ark
6[1-3] Then there began to be many more people on the earth, and daughters were born to the human beings. The fallen angels of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful and took any they wanted as their wives. Then Yahweh said, “My Spirit will not always try to save human beings. Since their first wrongdoing, they only want to do what’s pleasurable to their bodies, so they’ll live no more than 120 years.”
[4-6] These giant fallen angels lived on the earth in those days, and even afterwards, whenever they had sex with women, they gave birth to children who became the giant warriors who were well known since ancient times. Then Yahweh saw how great the evil of humanity was on the earth, seeing that everything they thought or imagined was only evil. So Yahweh was sorry for making human beings on the earth and God’s heart was greatly saddened.
[7-8] So Yahweh said, “I’ll wipe this human race that I have created from off the face of the earth. Yes, and I’ll destroy every living thing, from the people to the animals, to the small animals that run around in the land, and even to the birds of the sky. I am sorry I ever made them.” But Yahweh saw that Noah was good, and had grace for him.
[9-13] This is the story of Noah and his family. Noah was a good man, the only decent person living on earth at that time, who kept on walking with God. And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Now God saw that the earth had become evil and was filled with violence. And God looked at the earth and saw that it had become evil, for everything on earth had changed to an evil way. So God said to Noah, “I see the end of all living creatures, and the earth is filled with violence because of them. Look, I’ll destroy them all, along with the earth!
[14-16] “Build a large boat from cypress wood, and make rooms in it, and waterproof it with tar, inside and out. And this is how you’ll do it. Make the boat 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. Leave an 18’’ opening below the roof all the way around the boat. Put the door on its side, and build three decks inside, a lower, middle, and upper deck.
17-22 “Look! I am going send waters to flood the earth to destroy every living thing that breathes under heaven. Everything on earth will die. But I’ll make a promise with you, when you go into the boat, you and your wife and your sons and their wives. Bring a pair of every kind of animal, a male and a female, into the boat with you to keep them alive. Birds after their kind, and tame animals after their kind, and every small animal that runs through the land after their kind, two of each kind will come to you to be kept alive. And gather every kind of food that is eaten, which will be food for your family and for all the animals.” So Noah did everything fair as God had told him to do. The Flood
7[1-6] Then Yahweh said to Noah, “Come into the boat with all your family, for you alone are good among all the people who live on the earth. Take with you seven pairs, a male and female, of each animal I have approved for eating and for sacrifice, and take one pair of each of the other animals. Also take seven pairs of every kind of bird, a male and a female, so that they’ll have young ones on the earth after the flood. In seven more days I’ll send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, until I have wiped from the face of the earth all the living things I have made.” So Noah did everything fair as Yahweh told him. And Noah was 600 years old when the flood came on the earth.
[7-12] So Noah went in the boat to escape the flood, he and his wife and his sons and their wives. All kinds of animals, those approved for eating and for sacrifice and those that were not, along with all the birds and the small animals that run around in the land entered the boat in pairs, male and female, fair as God had commanded Noah. After seven days, the waters of the flood came and covered the earth. So when Noah was 600 years old, on the seventeenth day of the second month, all the underground stores of water burst open from the earth, and all the stores of water from the heavens were opened up. And it poured rain for forty days and forty nights.
[13-16] On that very day that Noah had gone into the boat with his wife and his sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and their wives, Yahweh closed the door of the boat. They went in, along with every tame animal after its kind, every wild animal after its kind, every small animal that runs through the land after its kind, and every bird with wings after its kind. And they came in two by two to Noah in the boat, of every living thing that breathes. A male and female pair of each kind went in, fair as God had told Noah. Then Yahweh closed the door for Noah.
[17-24] The rain lasted for forty days, so as the waters kept rising higher, it covered the ground and lifted the boat up off the earth. As the waters kept rising higher on the earth, the boat floated on the surface of the water. The water covered the highest mountains on the earth by more than twenty-two feet. Every living thing on earth, all the birds, the tame animals, the wild animals, the small animals that run around in the land, and all the people died. Every living thing that breathed and lived on dry land died. So God wiped out every living thing on the earth, all the people, the tame animals, the small animals that run around in the land, and the birds of the sky. Everything was wiped out. Only Noah and those with him in the boat were left. And the waters covered the earth for 150 days. The Flood Dries Up
8[1-5] And God thought about Noah and all the wild animals and tame animals that were with him in the boat and sent a wind to blow across the earth, and the waters began to dry up. The underground waters closed up, and the rains from the sky stopped falling, so the waters began to dry up from the earth. After 150 days, the waters were going down. On the seventeenth day of the seventh month, the boat came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. The waters kept going down until the first day of the tenth month, when the other mountain peaks became visible.
[6-14] After forty more days, Noah opened the window he had made in the boat and let out a raven, which flew back and forth until the floodwaters on the earth had dried up. Then he sent out a dove to see if the water had dried up enough to find dry ground. But the dove couldn’t find a place to land because the water still covered the ground. So the dove came back to the boat, and Noah held out his hand to bring it back inside. After waiting another seven days, Noah sent out the dove again. The dove came back to him in the evening with an olive leaf torn off in its beak, so Noah knew that the waters were dried up from off the earth. He waited another seven days and then sent the dove out again and it didn’t come back anymore. In Noah’s 601 year, on the first day of the new year, the waters were almost dried up from the earth. Noah turned back the covering of the boat and saw that the surface of the ground was drying. In the twenty-seventh day of the second month, the earth was finally dry!
[15-19] Then God said to Noah, “Go out of the boat, you and your wife, and your sons and their wives. Let out all the animals that are with you, the birds, the tame animals, and the small animals that run around in the land, so they can make more of their own kind, and make many more to live throughout the earth.” So Noah, his wife, and his sons and their wives left the boat. And all of the large and small animals and all the birds, every living thing after their families, came out of the boat.
[20-22] Then Noah built an altar to Yahweh, where he sacrificed one of each kind of the animals and birds that had been approved for sacrifices as burnt offerings to rise up from the alter. And Yahweh smelled the sweet smell of the sacrifice and said, “I’ll never again curse the ground because of the human race, even though everything they think or imagine is evil from their childhood, and I’ll never again destroy all living things. As long as the earth is here, there will be planting time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night.” God Makes a Promise
9[1-4] Then God blessed Noah and his sons and told them, “Create more of your own kind and make many more people to fill the earth. All the animals of the earth, all the birds of the sky, all the small animals that run around in the land, and all the fish in the sea will fear and run from you. I give them all to you to be in your control. I have given them all to you for food, fair as I have given you the green plants. Only meat that still has its blood in it, you may not eat.
[5-7] “And I’ll only require your death if you take another person’s life. If an animal kills a human being, I’ll require its death, and if a person kills another human being, I’ll require their death. If anyone takes another human life, that person’s life must also be taken by human hands, because human beings were made in the likeness of God. Now create more of your own kind and make many more people to fill the earth.”
[8-17] Then God told Noah and his sons, “I am making My promise with you and your descendants, and with all the animals that were on the boat with you, the birds, the tame animals, and all the wild animals, from all that went out of the boat to every living creature on earth. So I am making My promise with you, that I’ll never again kill all living creatures with a flood; and never again will a flood destroy the earth.” Then God said, “I am giving you the sign of my promise I am making with you and with all living creatures, and for all the peoples to come. I have placed my rainbow in the clouds, which is the sign of my promise with you and with all the earth. When I send a cloud over the earth, and the rainbow is seen in the cloud, I’ll remember my promise with you and with all living creatures, and never again will a flood destroy all living things. When I see the rainbow in the clouds, I’ll remember the eternal promise between God and every living creature on earth.” Then God said to Noah, “This rainbow is the sign of the promise I have made between Me and every living creature on the earth.” Noah’s Sons
[18-23] The sons of Noah who came out of the boat were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Ham is the father of Canaan.) From these three sons of Noah came all the people who are on the earth. Then Noah began to farm the earth again, and he planted a vineyard. When he drank some wine, he became drunk and lay naked inside his tent. Then Ham, the father of Canaan, saw that his father was naked and went outside and told his two brothers. So Shem and Japheth took a robe, held it over their shoulders, and backed into the tent to cover up their father. As they did this, they looked the other way so they would not see him naked.
[24-29] When Noah woke up from his drunkenness, he found out what Ham, his youngest son, had done. Then he cursed Canaan, the son of Ham, saying, “May the descendants of Canaan be cursed! May they be the lowest of servants to all their relatives.” Then Noah said, “May Yahweh, my God bless Shem, and may Canaan be his servant! May God increase the beauty of Japheth! May Japheth live in shadow of Shem, and may Canaan be his servant.” Then Noah lived another 350 years after the great flood. He lived 950 years in all, and then died. The Descendants of Noah
10[1] This is the story of the families of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the three sons of Noah. Many children were born to them after the great flood. Descendants of Japheth
[2-5] The descendants of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. The descendants of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. The descendants of Javan were Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Rodanim. Their descendants became the island peoples that spread out to various lands, each identified by its own language, family, and nation. Descendants of Ham
[6-12] The descendants of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. The descendants of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The descendants of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan. Cush was also the ancestor of Nimrod, who was famous on earth. He was a great hunter blessed by Yahweh, which is why people would say someone was, “Like Nimrod, the great hunter blessed by Yahweh.” He started to build his kingdom in the land of Babel, with the cities of Babylon, Erech, Akkad, and Calneh. From that land he went to Assyria, building the cities of Nineveh, Rehoboth-ir, Calah, and Resen (the great city between Nineveh and Calah).
[13-20] Mizraim was the ancestor of the Ludites, Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtuhites, Pathrusites, Casluhites, and the Caphtorites, from whom the Philistines came. Canaan’s oldest son was Sidon, the ancestor of the Sidonians. Canaan was also the father of Heth, the ancestor of the Hittites, Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, Arvadites, Zemarites, and Hamathites. The Canaanite families eventually spread out, and the land of Canaan extended from Sidon in the north to Gerar and Gaza in the south, and east as far as Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, near Lasha. These were the descendants of Ham, identified by their families, language, land, and nation. Descendants of Shem
[21-25] Sons were also born to Shem, the older brother of Japheth. Shem was the ancestor of all the descendants of Eber. The descendants of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram. The descendants of Aram were Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. Arphaxad was the father of Shelah, and Shelah was the father of Eber. Eber had two sons. The first was named Peleg (which means “division”), for during his lifetime the earth was divided. His brother’s name was Joktan.
[26-31] Joktan was the ancestor of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Obal, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were descendants of Joktan. Their land extended from Mesha all the way to Sephar in the eastern mountains. These were the descendants of Shem, identified by family, language, land, and nation.
[32] These are the families that descended from Noah’s sons, arranged by nation according to their lines of descent. All the nations of the earth descended from these families after the great flood.
Genesis 1-5
Genesis
Chapters 1-5
The Creation
1[1-5] When God first created the skies and the earth, the earth was useless and empty and no light shined on the waters that covered the earth. As the Spirit of God hovered over the top of the waters, God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. Then God separated the light from the darkness, calling the light “day” and the darkness “night.” So there was evening and morning, which was the first day.
[6-8] Then God said, “Let there be a space between the waters, separating the waters of the earth from the waters of the skies.” So God made a space to separate the waters of the earth from the waters of the skies, and it happened fair as God said. And God called the space “sky.” So there was evening and morning, which was the second day.
[9-13] Then God said, “Let the waters under the sky come together in one place, so that the dry ground may be seen.” And it happened fair as God said. God called the dry land “earth” and the waters that had come together “seas.” And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let the land grow grass and plants, which make the same kind of seeds, and fruit trees, which fruits make its seeds, to make the same kind of fruit trees.” And it happened fair as God said. So the earth grew grass and plants, which make the same kind of seeds, and fruit trees, which fruits make its seeds, to make the same kind of fruit trees. And God saw that it was good. So there was evening and morning, which was the third day.
[14-19] Then God said, “Let lights be made in the sky to separate the day from the night, which are for signs and seasons, days and years. Let them be for lights in the skies of the heavens to give light on the earth.” And it happened fair as God said. And God made two great lights, the sun, which is the greatest to light the day, and the smaller ones, the moon and the stars, to light the night. So God made the lights in the skies of the heavens to give light to the earth, to light the day and night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. So there was evening and morning, which was the fourth day.
[20-23] Then God said, “Let the seas be filled with living creatures, and let the skies of the earth be filled with birds.” So God created the great sea creatures, the fish, and every other living thing that moves, which are in the water, each after its own kind, and every bird with wings, each after its own kind. And God saw that it was good. Then God blessed them, saying, “Create more of your own kind and make many more. Let the sea creatures fill the seas, and let the birds fill the earth.” So there was evening and morning, which was the fifth day.
[24-25] Then God said, “Let the earth make living creatures, each animal after its own kind, the tame animals, the small animals that run around in the land, and the wild animals, each after their own kind.” And it happened fair as God said. And God made all kinds of wild animals, tame animals, and small animals to live in the land, each after its own kind. And God saw that it was good.
[26-28] Then God said, “Let us make human beings in Our likeness, as a reflection of Ourselves to rule over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the tame animals, all the wild animals of the earth, and the small animals that run around in the land.” So God created human beings to be like God. God created them, male and female, in the likeness of God. Then God blessed them and said, “Create more of your own kind and make many more people to fill the earth and take charge of it. Take charge of the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that run around in the land.”
[29-31] Then God said, “Look! I have given you every plant on the face of the earth, which makes its own seed and all the trees, which make their own fruit, for your food. And I have given every green plant as food for all the animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that run around in the land, everything that breathes with life.” And it happened fair as God said. Then God saw everything that was done, and it was very good! So there was evening and morning, which was the sixth day.
2[1-3] So the heavens and the earth and everything in them was finished. God had finished the work of creation by the seventh day, so God stopped to rest on the seventh day. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because it was the day God stopped working on all the creation. Adam and Eve in the Garden
[4-6] This is the story of the birth of the skies and the earth in their creation. When Yahweh God made the earth and the heavens, neither plants nor grasses were growing on the earth yet. Yahweh God had not yet sent rain on the earth, and there were no people to work the soil. At that time, a mist came up from the ground and watered all the land.
[7-9] Then Yahweh God formed the first human being from the dust of the ground. God breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person. Then Yahweh God planted a garden in Eden in the east, and placed the man who God had made in it. So Yahweh God made every tree that was beautiful or good for food to grow from the ground. And God placed in the middle of the garden the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
[10-14] A river went out of Eden, which watered the garden and which parts into four smaller rivers. The first one is called Pishon, which flowed around the whole land of Havilah, where gold is found. The gold of that land is very good, and aromatic resin and onyx stone are also found there. The second one is called Gihon, which flowed around the whole land of Cush. The third one is called Tigris, which flowed east of the land of Asshur. The fourth one is called Euphrates.
[15-17] So Yahweh God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it. But Yahweh God told the man, “You may eat of every tree in the garden, except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. On the day you eat of it, you’ll start dying, and then you’ll die.”
[18-20] Then Yahweh God said, “It’s not good for man to be alone. I’ll make him a helper, who will be his equal.” Yahweh God had formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky. So God brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and whatever the man called them became the name for each one. The man gave names to all the tame animals, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals of the lands. But for the man, there was not yet a helper to be his equal.
[21-25] So Yahweh God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, Yahweh God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the flesh where it was. Then Yahweh God built up the rib that was taken from the man, making it into a woman. And when God brought her to the man, the man said, “This was the right thing to do. This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She’ll be called woman, because she was taken from man.” (This is why a man leaves his father and mother and stays with his wife, and the two become as one person.) Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they weren’t ashamed of themselves.
The Fall of Humanity
3[1-5] Now the snake was the trickiest of all the animals that Yahweh God had made, and said to the woman, “Is it true that God said you can’t eat from any of the trees in the garden?” And the Woman said to the snake, “We may eat the fruit from the trees in the garden, but only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden, God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; or you’ll begin to die.’” Then the snake said to the woman “You won’t begin to die! God knows that in the day you eat it, you’ll have knowledge, and you’ll be like God, knowing good and evil.”
[6-7] The woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was beautiful to look at and she wanted it to be wise. So she took some of the fruit and ate it, and gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. Suddenly, they both knew that they were naked and were ashamed. So they sewed fig leaves together to make themselves clothes.
[8-13] Then the man and his wife heard Yahweh God walking through the garden in the breeze of the day, so they hid from the face of Yahweh God among the trees. Then Yahweh God called to the man, “Where are you?” So the man said, “I heard you walking in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.” Then Yahweh God asked, “Who told you that you were naked?” “Have you eaten from the tree which I told you not to eat?” Then the man said, “The woman You placed with me gave me the fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” Then Yahweh God asked the woman, “What have you done?” And she said, “The snake made me forget and I ate it.”
[14-19] Then Yahweh God said to the snake, “Because you’ve done this, you are cursed more than all the animals, both tame and wild. You’ll move around on your belly, and eat the dust as long as you live. And I’ll make you and the woman hate each other, and cause your child and her Child to be enemies. Her Child will hurt your head, and you’ll hurt her Child’s heel.” Then he said to the woman, “I’ll greatly increase your child bearing and your pain when you give birth. In sorrow, you’ll bear children, but you’ll want your husband anyway. In this way, He’ll have control over you.” And to the man he said, “Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree, which fruit I told you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. You’ll eat from it in sorrow all your life. When you eat the plants of the fields, It’ll grow thorns and brambles as well. You’ll eat by the sweat of your face until you go back to the ground from which you were made. You were made from dust, and you’ll go back to dust.” God’s Judgment
[20-24] And the man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all humanity. And Yahweh God made clothes for Adam and his wife from the skin of an animal that was killed and put it on them. Then Yahweh God said, “Look, the human beings have become like Us, knowing both good and evil. Now if they reach out, and take the fruit from the tree of life, and eat it, they’ll live forever!” So Yahweh God sent them from the Garden of Eden, and he sent Adam out to work the ground from which he had been made. Then, Yahweh God put strong angels to the east of the Garden of Eden, and a flaming sword that moved to guard the way of the tree of life. Cain and Abel
4[1-7] Now, Adam had sex with his wife, Eve, and she became pregnant. When she gave birth to Cain, she said, “Yahweh God has given me a man child!” Then she gave birth to his brother and named him Abel. When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, and Cain became a farmer. At the end of the year, when it was time for the harvest, Cain brought some of his crops as a gift to Yahweh and Abel also brought the fattest of the firstborn lambs from his flock. Yahweh accepted Abel and his gift, but he didn’t accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked upset. So Yahweh asked Cain. “Why are you so angry?” “Why do you look so upset? Won’t you be accepted if you do what’s right? But if you don’t do what’s right, sin follows. Sin wants to have control over you, but you must control it.
[8-12] Then Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go into the field.” And when they were in the field, Cain fought with his brother, Abel, and killed him. Then Yahweh asked Cain, “Where is your brother, Abel?” So Cain said, “I don’t know! Am I my brother’s keeper?” Then God said, “What have you done? The sound of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground! Now you are cursed from the ground, which has swallowed your brother’s blood, which you killed. When you work the land, it won’t give you anymore crops to make you strong! From now on you’ll be a wanderer on the earth, trembling with fright.”
[13-16] Then Cain said to Yahweh, “My punishment is too great for me! You’ve sent me from the land and I hide from your presence; you’ve made me a trembling wanderer. Everyone who finds me will try to kill me!” So Yahweh said, “No, I’ll punish anyone who kills you seven times as much.” Then Yahweh put a mark on Cain to warn anyone who might try to kill him. So Cain left Yahweh’s presence and wandered around, living in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
The Descendants of Cain
17-24 Cain had sex with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Then Cain built a city, which he named Enoch, after his son. Enoch had Irad. Irad had Mehujael. Mehujael had Methushael. Methushael had Lamech. And Lamech married two women. The first was named Adah, and the second was Zillah. Adah gave birth to Jabal, who was the first of those who bought and sold and who lived in tents. His brother’s name was Jubal, the first of all who played the musical instruments. Lamech’s other wife, Zillah, gave birth to a son named Tubal-cain. He became a teacher of those who made things of brass and iron. Tubal-cain had a sister named Naamah. One day Lamech said to his wives, “Adah and Zillah, listen to me! Listen to me, you wives of Lamech. I have killed a man who hurt me, a young man who wounded me. If someone who kills Cain is to be punished seven times as much, then the one who kills me will be punished seventy-seven times as much!” The Birth of Seth
[25-26] Adam had sex with his wife again, and she gave birth to another son. She named him Seth, and said, “God has granted me another son in place of Abel, whom Cain killed.” When Seth grew up, he had a son and named him Enosh. It was at that time that people first began to preach in the name of Yahweh.
The Descendants of Adam
5[1-5] This is the story of the descendants of Adam. When human beings were created, God made them to be like God. God created them, male and female, and blessed them and called them “human beings.” So when Adam was 130 years old, he had a son who was like him—in his own likeness. He named his son Seth. After the birth of Seth, Adam lived another 800 years, and had other sons and daughters. Adam lived 930 years, and then he died.
[6-8] When Seth was 105 years old, he had Enosh. After the birth of Enosh, Seth lived another 807 years, and had other sons and daughters. Seth lived 912 years, and then he died.
[9-11] When Enosh was 90 years old, he had Kenan. After the birth of Kenan, Enosh lived another 815 years, and had other sons and daughters. Enosh lived 905 years, and then he died.
[12-14] When Kenan was 70 years old, he had Mahalalel. After the birth of Mahalalel, Kenan lived another 840 years, and had other sons and daughters. Kenan lived 910 years, and then he died.
[15-17] When Mahalalel was 65 years old, he had Jared. After the birth of Jared, Mahalalel lived another 830 years, and had other sons and daughters. Mahalalel lived 895 years, and then he died.
[18-20] When Jared was 162 years old, he had Enoch. After the birth of Enoch, Jared lived another 800 years, and had other sons and daughters. Jared lived 962 years, and then he died.
[21-24] When Enoch was 65 years old, he had Methuselah. After the birth of Methuselah, Enoch kept living in the presence of God for another 300 years, and had other sons and daughters. Enoch lived 365 years, staying in the presence of God. Then he disappeared, because God took him.
[25-27] When Methuselah was 187 years old, he had Lamech. After the birth of Lamech, Methuselah lived another 782 years, and had other sons and daughters. Methuselah lived 969 years, and then he died.
[28-31] When Lamech was 182 years old, he had a son, who he named Noah. He said, “May he bring us rest from our work, the hard work of farming the land that Yahweh has cursed.” After the birth of Noah, Lamech lived another 595 years, and had other sons and daughters. Lamech lived 777 years, and then he died.
[32] Noah was 500 years old, and he had Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Chapters 1-5
The Creation
1[1-5] When God first created the skies and the earth, the earth was useless and empty and no light shined on the waters that covered the earth. As the Spirit of God hovered over the top of the waters, God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. Then God separated the light from the darkness, calling the light “day” and the darkness “night.” So there was evening and morning, which was the first day.
[6-8] Then God said, “Let there be a space between the waters, separating the waters of the earth from the waters of the skies.” So God made a space to separate the waters of the earth from the waters of the skies, and it happened fair as God said. And God called the space “sky.” So there was evening and morning, which was the second day.
[9-13] Then God said, “Let the waters under the sky come together in one place, so that the dry ground may be seen.” And it happened fair as God said. God called the dry land “earth” and the waters that had come together “seas.” And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let the land grow grass and plants, which make the same kind of seeds, and fruit trees, which fruits make its seeds, to make the same kind of fruit trees.” And it happened fair as God said. So the earth grew grass and plants, which make the same kind of seeds, and fruit trees, which fruits make its seeds, to make the same kind of fruit trees. And God saw that it was good. So there was evening and morning, which was the third day.
[14-19] Then God said, “Let lights be made in the sky to separate the day from the night, which are for signs and seasons, days and years. Let them be for lights in the skies of the heavens to give light on the earth.” And it happened fair as God said. And God made two great lights, the sun, which is the greatest to light the day, and the smaller ones, the moon and the stars, to light the night. So God made the lights in the skies of the heavens to give light to the earth, to light the day and night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. So there was evening and morning, which was the fourth day.
[20-23] Then God said, “Let the seas be filled with living creatures, and let the skies of the earth be filled with birds.” So God created the great sea creatures, the fish, and every other living thing that moves, which are in the water, each after its own kind, and every bird with wings, each after its own kind. And God saw that it was good. Then God blessed them, saying, “Create more of your own kind and make many more. Let the sea creatures fill the seas, and let the birds fill the earth.” So there was evening and morning, which was the fifth day.
[24-25] Then God said, “Let the earth make living creatures, each animal after its own kind, the tame animals, the small animals that run around in the land, and the wild animals, each after their own kind.” And it happened fair as God said. And God made all kinds of wild animals, tame animals, and small animals to live in the land, each after its own kind. And God saw that it was good.
[26-28] Then God said, “Let us make human beings in Our likeness, as a reflection of Ourselves to rule over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the tame animals, all the wild animals of the earth, and the small animals that run around in the land.” So God created human beings to be like God. God created them, male and female, in the likeness of God. Then God blessed them and said, “Create more of your own kind and make many more people to fill the earth and take charge of it. Take charge of the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that run around in the land.”
[29-31] Then God said, “Look! I have given you every plant on the face of the earth, which makes its own seed and all the trees, which make their own fruit, for your food. And I have given every green plant as food for all the animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that run around in the land, everything that breathes with life.” And it happened fair as God said. Then God saw everything that was done, and it was very good! So there was evening and morning, which was the sixth day.
2[1-3] So the heavens and the earth and everything in them was finished. God had finished the work of creation by the seventh day, so God stopped to rest on the seventh day. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because it was the day God stopped working on all the creation. Adam and Eve in the Garden
[4-6] This is the story of the birth of the skies and the earth in their creation. When Yahweh God made the earth and the heavens, neither plants nor grasses were growing on the earth yet. Yahweh God had not yet sent rain on the earth, and there were no people to work the soil. At that time, a mist came up from the ground and watered all the land.
[7-9] Then Yahweh God formed the first human being from the dust of the ground. God breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person. Then Yahweh God planted a garden in Eden in the east, and placed the man who God had made in it. So Yahweh God made every tree that was beautiful or good for food to grow from the ground. And God placed in the middle of the garden the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
[10-14] A river went out of Eden, which watered the garden and which parts into four smaller rivers. The first one is called Pishon, which flowed around the whole land of Havilah, where gold is found. The gold of that land is very good, and aromatic resin and onyx stone are also found there. The second one is called Gihon, which flowed around the whole land of Cush. The third one is called Tigris, which flowed east of the land of Asshur. The fourth one is called Euphrates.
[15-17] So Yahweh God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it. But Yahweh God told the man, “You may eat of every tree in the garden, except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. On the day you eat of it, you’ll start dying, and then you’ll die.”
[18-20] Then Yahweh God said, “It’s not good for man to be alone. I’ll make him a helper, who will be his equal.” Yahweh God had formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky. So God brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and whatever the man called them became the name for each one. The man gave names to all the tame animals, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals of the lands. But for the man, there was not yet a helper to be his equal.
[21-25] So Yahweh God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, Yahweh God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the flesh where it was. Then Yahweh God built up the rib that was taken from the man, making it into a woman. And when God brought her to the man, the man said, “This was the right thing to do. This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She’ll be called woman, because she was taken from man.” (This is why a man leaves his father and mother and stays with his wife, and the two become as one person.) Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they weren’t ashamed of themselves.
The Fall of Humanity
3[1-5] Now the snake was the trickiest of all the animals that Yahweh God had made, and said to the woman, “Is it true that God said you can’t eat from any of the trees in the garden?” And the Woman said to the snake, “We may eat the fruit from the trees in the garden, but only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden, God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; or you’ll begin to die.’” Then the snake said to the woman “You won’t begin to die! God knows that in the day you eat it, you’ll have knowledge, and you’ll be like God, knowing good and evil.”
[6-7] The woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was beautiful to look at and she wanted it to be wise. So she took some of the fruit and ate it, and gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. Suddenly, they both knew that they were naked and were ashamed. So they sewed fig leaves together to make themselves clothes.
[8-13] Then the man and his wife heard Yahweh God walking through the garden in the breeze of the day, so they hid from the face of Yahweh God among the trees. Then Yahweh God called to the man, “Where are you?” So the man said, “I heard you walking in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.” Then Yahweh God asked, “Who told you that you were naked?” “Have you eaten from the tree which I told you not to eat?” Then the man said, “The woman You placed with me gave me the fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” Then Yahweh God asked the woman, “What have you done?” And she said, “The snake made me forget and I ate it.”
[14-19] Then Yahweh God said to the snake, “Because you’ve done this, you are cursed more than all the animals, both tame and wild. You’ll move around on your belly, and eat the dust as long as you live. And I’ll make you and the woman hate each other, and cause your child and her Child to be enemies. Her Child will hurt your head, and you’ll hurt her Child’s heel.” Then he said to the woman, “I’ll greatly increase your child bearing and your pain when you give birth. In sorrow, you’ll bear children, but you’ll want your husband anyway. In this way, He’ll have control over you.” And to the man he said, “Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree, which fruit I told you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. You’ll eat from it in sorrow all your life. When you eat the plants of the fields, It’ll grow thorns and brambles as well. You’ll eat by the sweat of your face until you go back to the ground from which you were made. You were made from dust, and you’ll go back to dust.” God’s Judgment
[20-24] And the man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all humanity. And Yahweh God made clothes for Adam and his wife from the skin of an animal that was killed and put it on them. Then Yahweh God said, “Look, the human beings have become like Us, knowing both good and evil. Now if they reach out, and take the fruit from the tree of life, and eat it, they’ll live forever!” So Yahweh God sent them from the Garden of Eden, and he sent Adam out to work the ground from which he had been made. Then, Yahweh God put strong angels to the east of the Garden of Eden, and a flaming sword that moved to guard the way of the tree of life. Cain and Abel
4[1-7] Now, Adam had sex with his wife, Eve, and she became pregnant. When she gave birth to Cain, she said, “Yahweh God has given me a man child!” Then she gave birth to his brother and named him Abel. When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, and Cain became a farmer. At the end of the year, when it was time for the harvest, Cain brought some of his crops as a gift to Yahweh and Abel also brought the fattest of the firstborn lambs from his flock. Yahweh accepted Abel and his gift, but he didn’t accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked upset. So Yahweh asked Cain. “Why are you so angry?” “Why do you look so upset? Won’t you be accepted if you do what’s right? But if you don’t do what’s right, sin follows. Sin wants to have control over you, but you must control it.
[8-12] Then Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go into the field.” And when they were in the field, Cain fought with his brother, Abel, and killed him. Then Yahweh asked Cain, “Where is your brother, Abel?” So Cain said, “I don’t know! Am I my brother’s keeper?” Then God said, “What have you done? The sound of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground! Now you are cursed from the ground, which has swallowed your brother’s blood, which you killed. When you work the land, it won’t give you anymore crops to make you strong! From now on you’ll be a wanderer on the earth, trembling with fright.”
[13-16] Then Cain said to Yahweh, “My punishment is too great for me! You’ve sent me from the land and I hide from your presence; you’ve made me a trembling wanderer. Everyone who finds me will try to kill me!” So Yahweh said, “No, I’ll punish anyone who kills you seven times as much.” Then Yahweh put a mark on Cain to warn anyone who might try to kill him. So Cain left Yahweh’s presence and wandered around, living in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
The Descendants of Cain
17-24 Cain had sex with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Then Cain built a city, which he named Enoch, after his son. Enoch had Irad. Irad had Mehujael. Mehujael had Methushael. Methushael had Lamech. And Lamech married two women. The first was named Adah, and the second was Zillah. Adah gave birth to Jabal, who was the first of those who bought and sold and who lived in tents. His brother’s name was Jubal, the first of all who played the musical instruments. Lamech’s other wife, Zillah, gave birth to a son named Tubal-cain. He became a teacher of those who made things of brass and iron. Tubal-cain had a sister named Naamah. One day Lamech said to his wives, “Adah and Zillah, listen to me! Listen to me, you wives of Lamech. I have killed a man who hurt me, a young man who wounded me. If someone who kills Cain is to be punished seven times as much, then the one who kills me will be punished seventy-seven times as much!” The Birth of Seth
[25-26] Adam had sex with his wife again, and she gave birth to another son. She named him Seth, and said, “God has granted me another son in place of Abel, whom Cain killed.” When Seth grew up, he had a son and named him Enosh. It was at that time that people first began to preach in the name of Yahweh.
The Descendants of Adam
5[1-5] This is the story of the descendants of Adam. When human beings were created, God made them to be like God. God created them, male and female, and blessed them and called them “human beings.” So when Adam was 130 years old, he had a son who was like him—in his own likeness. He named his son Seth. After the birth of Seth, Adam lived another 800 years, and had other sons and daughters. Adam lived 930 years, and then he died.
[6-8] When Seth was 105 years old, he had Enosh. After the birth of Enosh, Seth lived another 807 years, and had other sons and daughters. Seth lived 912 years, and then he died.
[9-11] When Enosh was 90 years old, he had Kenan. After the birth of Kenan, Enosh lived another 815 years, and had other sons and daughters. Enosh lived 905 years, and then he died.
[12-14] When Kenan was 70 years old, he had Mahalalel. After the birth of Mahalalel, Kenan lived another 840 years, and had other sons and daughters. Kenan lived 910 years, and then he died.
[15-17] When Mahalalel was 65 years old, he had Jared. After the birth of Jared, Mahalalel lived another 830 years, and had other sons and daughters. Mahalalel lived 895 years, and then he died.
[18-20] When Jared was 162 years old, he had Enoch. After the birth of Enoch, Jared lived another 800 years, and had other sons and daughters. Jared lived 962 years, and then he died.
[21-24] When Enoch was 65 years old, he had Methuselah. After the birth of Methuselah, Enoch kept living in the presence of God for another 300 years, and had other sons and daughters. Enoch lived 365 years, staying in the presence of God. Then he disappeared, because God took him.
[25-27] When Methuselah was 187 years old, he had Lamech. After the birth of Lamech, Methuselah lived another 782 years, and had other sons and daughters. Methuselah lived 969 years, and then he died.
[28-31] When Lamech was 182 years old, he had a son, who he named Noah. He said, “May he bring us rest from our work, the hard work of farming the land that Yahweh has cursed.” After the birth of Noah, Lamech lived another 595 years, and had other sons and daughters. Lamech lived 777 years, and then he died.
[32] Noah was 500 years old, and he had Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Go Fish Ministries, Inc. News Letter Mar.1, 2010
Go Fish Ministries, Inc. News Letter Mar.1, 2010
Jesus said: Follow me and I will make you fishers for the souls of others. Matthew 4:19
Sis. Kimberly Hartfield, B.S. M.S. Christian Community Consultant/Spiritual Peer Counselor Contact: gofishbooks@gmail.com
Counselors’ Corner
March is finally here and with it the last of the coldest days, I hope. I’ve been working in my garden as much as possible and trying to get things growing. It’s coming along. I’ve learned that you can add wood ash and lime to the soil to build it up some and make it more fertile. I’ve also learned that you need a compost pile, which I’ve not done very well as of yet, but I’m working on it. I’m learning as I go. Well, the first of my spring flowers are up and out of the ground. My snow drops and yellow daffodils are in full bloom, and my hyacinths and daylilies are coming along as well. I just transplanted a bunch of daffodils and spider lilies along my walking trail to try to brighten it up a bit. I want to eventually have something of color on it year round. The azaleas are just starting to get their juices flowing, so I think it will be awhile before I see any flowers, but maybe by Easter. I hope so any way. Please, don’t forget to tell your children and grandchildren the true meaning of Easter, that is, the story of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. This next generation needs Jesus badly.
I went to an interesting meeting last night, which I wish every Christian in Hattiesburg could have been at. It was put on by the 912 project of Hattiesburg, which is part of a political watchdog organization that has groups nationwide. You can find their website at www.912projecthattiesburg.com if you want to find out a little more about them. Any way, David Dearman was the speaker and he had some very interesting information to give us. It seems he’d been researching the financial markets to make some investments, but found out some intriguing facts along the way. The main thing he found out is that the one world monetary system spoken of in the Revelation, is already in existence and has control over our government and many others. This One World Bank is based in Switzerland and is called The Bank of International Settlements, which is a private entity run by the Rothschilds, who are Jewish, and a few others. Encarta encyclopedia says this: “During the 19th century, members of the Rothschild family became the most influential bankers in all Europe and probably in the world. This international banking family was founded by German financier Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1743-1812), but it soon spread to all the major European financial capitals.” Microsoft ® Encarta ® Reference Library 2005. © 1993-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. This Bank has basically franchised into many countries loaning great amounts of money to governments around the globe putting nearly the whole world in its debt. Our U.S. dollar is going to collapse in the near future. All this bank has to do to make that happen is pull a few strings. Once the dollar collapses, nothing can stop this very small group of rich men from ruling the world. Soon it will be just one man, who will be the antichrist. Oh, by the way, these Rothschild people took over all the finances of the Catholic church world wide way back in 1823. They now have control of the Federal Reserve as well. So basically what I want you to know is that it’s useless to depend on the American dollar, investments in the stock market, gold, silver, or oil exchanges. They control it all. Don’t depend on anything but God, people. If you put your faith in the world systems, you will be disappointed.
Another interesting thing I learned is that a group called Monsanto owns 93% of the world’s food seed market. Now if that much of the world’s food seed is controlled by this one company then they can truly control the world. A people can be controlled if they’re hungry. The masses will follow anyone who has the food. This is what Encarta had to say about this company: In the 1990s Monsanto began to expand its agricultural products division. The company purchased the biotech firm Calgene and began aggressive development of genetically altered foods. In the late 1990s Monsanto debuted an herbicide-resistant soybean plant and bought biotech firms DEKALB Genetics, a division of agricultural company Cargill, Incorporated; Holden’s Foundation Seeds, a company that specialized in developing genetically altered corn seeds; and a British wheat-breeding business. Microsoft ® Encarta ® Reference Library 2005. © 1993-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. I would add that several mergers have taken place with Monsanto and the new company is called Pfizer, Inc., one of the largest drug manufactures in the world. They not only have control of the world’s food supply, but the drugs we need as well. It isn’t good to have a few people controlling almost all of the world’s food and drugs.
In light of this information, I suggest to all of you Christians out there, you better be planting back yard gardens and soon. Stock up on all the vegetable seeds you can get and don’t buy hybrids or genetically improved seed. Most of these are infertile seed producers or produce no seed at all. If you can get heirloom seeds do that instead. When you plant your garden save seed for the future when your plant goes to seed. And learn all you can about gardening before it gets really serious, which I am afraid is already nearly upon us. People, the last days are here! Wake up! Before it’s too late. I hope and pray that God will save us from the worst of what is to come, but we still need to do everything we can to prepare us for the days ahead. We need to be on our knees and praying! God has given us the signs and the warnings in the scriptures. Read it! The Bible has much to say about the last days and the end of the world as we know it. The one world government, the one world monetary system, and the one world religion is all right there in the Revelation. If it’s been awhile since you last read it, study it again. Look a little more deeply. Here are the links to my paraphrase of the Revelation if you’d like to read it online.
Revelation 1-3 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-revelation-of-john-chapters-1-3/
Revelation 4-7 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-revelation-of-john-chapters-4-7/
Revelation 8-11 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-revelation-of-john-chapters-8-11/
Revelation 12-13 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-revelation-of-john-chapter-12-13/
Revelation 14-15 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-revelation-of-john-chapters-14-15/
Revelation 16-18 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-revelation-of-john-chapters-16-18/
Revelation 19-20 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-revelation-of-john-chapters-19-20/
Revelation 21-22 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-revelation-of-john-21-22/
Jesus said: Follow me and I will make you fishers for the souls of others. Matthew 4:19
Sis. Kimberly Hartfield, B.S. M.S. Christian Community Consultant/Spiritual Peer Counselor Contact: gofishbooks@gmail.com
Counselors’ Corner
March is finally here and with it the last of the coldest days, I hope. I’ve been working in my garden as much as possible and trying to get things growing. It’s coming along. I’ve learned that you can add wood ash and lime to the soil to build it up some and make it more fertile. I’ve also learned that you need a compost pile, which I’ve not done very well as of yet, but I’m working on it. I’m learning as I go. Well, the first of my spring flowers are up and out of the ground. My snow drops and yellow daffodils are in full bloom, and my hyacinths and daylilies are coming along as well. I just transplanted a bunch of daffodils and spider lilies along my walking trail to try to brighten it up a bit. I want to eventually have something of color on it year round. The azaleas are just starting to get their juices flowing, so I think it will be awhile before I see any flowers, but maybe by Easter. I hope so any way. Please, don’t forget to tell your children and grandchildren the true meaning of Easter, that is, the story of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. This next generation needs Jesus badly.
I went to an interesting meeting last night, which I wish every Christian in Hattiesburg could have been at. It was put on by the 912 project of Hattiesburg, which is part of a political watchdog organization that has groups nationwide. You can find their website at www.912projecthattiesburg.com if you want to find out a little more about them. Any way, David Dearman was the speaker and he had some very interesting information to give us. It seems he’d been researching the financial markets to make some investments, but found out some intriguing facts along the way. The main thing he found out is that the one world monetary system spoken of in the Revelation, is already in existence and has control over our government and many others. This One World Bank is based in Switzerland and is called The Bank of International Settlements, which is a private entity run by the Rothschilds, who are Jewish, and a few others. Encarta encyclopedia says this: “During the 19th century, members of the Rothschild family became the most influential bankers in all Europe and probably in the world. This international banking family was founded by German financier Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1743-1812), but it soon spread to all the major European financial capitals.” Microsoft ® Encarta ® Reference Library 2005. © 1993-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. This Bank has basically franchised into many countries loaning great amounts of money to governments around the globe putting nearly the whole world in its debt. Our U.S. dollar is going to collapse in the near future. All this bank has to do to make that happen is pull a few strings. Once the dollar collapses, nothing can stop this very small group of rich men from ruling the world. Soon it will be just one man, who will be the antichrist. Oh, by the way, these Rothschild people took over all the finances of the Catholic church world wide way back in 1823. They now have control of the Federal Reserve as well. So basically what I want you to know is that it’s useless to depend on the American dollar, investments in the stock market, gold, silver, or oil exchanges. They control it all. Don’t depend on anything but God, people. If you put your faith in the world systems, you will be disappointed.
Another interesting thing I learned is that a group called Monsanto owns 93% of the world’s food seed market. Now if that much of the world’s food seed is controlled by this one company then they can truly control the world. A people can be controlled if they’re hungry. The masses will follow anyone who has the food. This is what Encarta had to say about this company: In the 1990s Monsanto began to expand its agricultural products division. The company purchased the biotech firm Calgene and began aggressive development of genetically altered foods. In the late 1990s Monsanto debuted an herbicide-resistant soybean plant and bought biotech firms DEKALB Genetics, a division of agricultural company Cargill, Incorporated; Holden’s Foundation Seeds, a company that specialized in developing genetically altered corn seeds; and a British wheat-breeding business. Microsoft ® Encarta ® Reference Library 2005. © 1993-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. I would add that several mergers have taken place with Monsanto and the new company is called Pfizer, Inc., one of the largest drug manufactures in the world. They not only have control of the world’s food supply, but the drugs we need as well. It isn’t good to have a few people controlling almost all of the world’s food and drugs.
In light of this information, I suggest to all of you Christians out there, you better be planting back yard gardens and soon. Stock up on all the vegetable seeds you can get and don’t buy hybrids or genetically improved seed. Most of these are infertile seed producers or produce no seed at all. If you can get heirloom seeds do that instead. When you plant your garden save seed for the future when your plant goes to seed. And learn all you can about gardening before it gets really serious, which I am afraid is already nearly upon us. People, the last days are here! Wake up! Before it’s too late. I hope and pray that God will save us from the worst of what is to come, but we still need to do everything we can to prepare us for the days ahead. We need to be on our knees and praying! God has given us the signs and the warnings in the scriptures. Read it! The Bible has much to say about the last days and the end of the world as we know it. The one world government, the one world monetary system, and the one world religion is all right there in the Revelation. If it’s been awhile since you last read it, study it again. Look a little more deeply. Here are the links to my paraphrase of the Revelation if you’d like to read it online.
Revelation 1-3 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-revelation-of-john-chapters-1-3/
Revelation 4-7 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-revelation-of-john-chapters-4-7/
Revelation 8-11 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-revelation-of-john-chapters-8-11/
Revelation 12-13 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-revelation-of-john-chapter-12-13/
Revelation 14-15 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-revelation-of-john-chapters-14-15/
Revelation 16-18 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-revelation-of-john-chapters-16-18/
Revelation 19-20 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-revelation-of-john-chapters-19-20/
Revelation 21-22 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-revelation-of-john-21-22/
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Go Fish Ministries, Inc. News Letter Feb.1, 2010
Go Fish Ministries, Inc. News Letter Feb.1, 2010
Jesus said: Follow me and I will make you fishers for the souls of others. Matthew 4:19
Sis. Kimberly Hartfield, B.S. M.S. Christian Community Consultant/Spiritual Peer Counselor Contact: gofishbooks@gmail.com
Counselors’ Corner
February is here and spring, I hope is just around the corner. We’ve had quite a few cold days this winter, so I hope it warms up soon. Our electric bills are reflecting these cold days. I didn’t quite know how I was going to pay mine, but the church has stepped in and paid it for me this month. I’m very thankful as I was preparing with candles and the grill to tough it out, but I wasn’t quite sure how much more cold weather we’d be having. I know you all are struggling to pay yours too. I pray God makes a way for each of you as well. We’ve had two snows now this year! Ain’t that something! I don’t believe I ever seen the likes of that in MS.
There has been a couple of warm pretty days to get outside in my garden, so I’ve nearly got my patches ready to plant. I’ve planted a few things that do well in the cold, but most things I’ve just started in pots in my shed. I’m craving spring weather. I do have some buttercups (daffodils) about to come in bloom, and my daylilies and crocuses are peaking out of the ground now. I love anything green in this kind of weather. A sweet lady that works in the Dollar General store out here in Dixie brought me a bunch of garden seeds and a hanging tomato basket, so I’m all excited about having a lot to work with this year. I just hope my garden does better than it did last year, as I got mostly weeds when I went to work last year and didn’t have time to work in it much. Well anyway, my arms are getting a work out as I dig it up, and I’m getting some much needed outdoor exercise. I love the outdoors where I can enjoy all of God’s beautiful handiwork. It just makes me want to jump up and down and shout halleluiah some days!
Well I still haven’t found any employment so I’ve taken things in my own hands. I went to a free seminar on website building and purchased one of their website storefront packages. I am going to try to reopen my Go Fish Bookstore on the web, for now and see what happens with it. I will be selling used Christian books mostly. I have a lot of good ones. I may have a few new ones later, and hope to add some gifts to the store eventually. I don’t yet have my domain set up but will be publishing it soon, I hope. I have about 75 products listed so far and will be adding more as I can. I will also be offering counseling services as well on the ministry part of the website. Please pray that it does well. God has not opened up any other doors for me, so I believe this must be what I’m supposed to be doing. If I can make a go of it this way, I can stay home with the kids a little longer and continue to home school them. I would like that, so please keep me and my family in your prayers.
I believe God has led me to begin working on the Old Testament for my paraphrase, which I really hadn’t planned to do. I had planned to do a few of the Bible stories, but that was all I felt capable of. But through my studies, God has shown me to do the whole Bible, so I trust that God will give me the wisdom and help that I need to get it done. I feel like Moses, “But God…” I can think of a hundred reasons why I’m not capable of this! So anyway, I ask for your continued prayers as I set out on this endeavor that may take me a lifetime to complete. Pray for wisdom and guidance in choosing just the right words to make it an easily readable paraphrase that will bring God glory. Time is short I believe, as this world is quickly changing before our very eyes. 2018 is exactly 70 years from the time Israel became a nation again. I don’t know exactly what that means, but I believe it is significant to us as Christians. There’s some passages in Daniel that leads me to believe this is a significant time. So watch and pray! God bless to all and go fish 4 Jesus!
News Briefs
www.OneNewsNow.com
Notes and Prayer Requests
• Tommy’s girl friend, Amanda, will be coming home from the service in a couple of weeks. Tommy has taken the train to go see her on valentine’s weekend. Pray for safe traveling for both of them.
• Rock got a job that will hopefully be turning into a full time job in the near future! He almost has USM paid off now and will be returning to school soon.
• My daughter Sunny started back to college in January. Pray for strength of mind, body, and spirit!
• Rose didn’t get the job she wanted this time, but she did get another job. It’s now really where she wants to be so pray that God will open up other doors for her, though I know God has her there for a reason.
• I have published all of my paraphrases on the Triond website. The links are listed below in several Daily Bible Reading Plans, if anyone wants to check them out. I have now published all of the New Testament, the Proverbs, and the Psalms online. You can see all of my writings by going to my main Triond link at https://www.triond.com/users/Mama+Heartfilled
• I would appreciate if you’d let me know of grammar, punctuation, and other mistakes I may have made. My goal is to make the paraphrase as simple and clear as possible. I know they still need much work, as they are drafts of a work in progress. I don’t know of any other Bible that uses the Name of Yahweh (I am in Hebrew), so I have worked hard to get it right. Please pray that God helps me in this work, and let me know of any mistakes you find. Thank all of you who are praying for me on this.
Daily Bible Reading Plans for the New Word, The Old Sayings, and The Old Hymns
The New Word, The Old Sayings and The Old Hymns is a unique feminist approach to a gender-neutral paraphrase of the Holy Bible, which uses the true name of Yahweh God and of Yeshua, the Christ, rather than the traditional man made form of Jehovah. I attempted this several year project out of a strong desire to make known the true name of Yahweh God and to help complete the great commission of Jesus Christ. It is the first Bible to my knowledge that uses the Name of God in its proper form, which had fallen out of use because of the Hebraic tradition to not say it at all by replacing it with Lord (Adoni) or God (Elohim), for fear of using it in vain. Yahweh, in the Hebrew, simply means I AM. Yahweh God is the great I AM!
This paraphrase is a working draft, and these are the published excerpts in the completed series. This version is particularly intended to reach an audience on the internet, that may not just go pick up a Bible and read it. I would like to encourage Christians and non-Christians alike to read through them using one of the suggested reading plans below and comment on them, whether you have a critique, editing correction, or praise. I am particularly looking for clarity of ideas, and simplicity for a younger or less educated audiences, which may have trouble reading and understanding some of the other more traditional versions. Archaic language, has been replaced by more modern readings of the ideas presented in the KJV. If you find a section that is still somewhat difficult to read, or understand, please let me know your thoughts on it. I would like to make all the corrections necessary before attempting further publication and dissemination. I am asking for the Triond community and other readers to help me find any significant errors, and check for readability.
Sincerely Yours,
Sis. Kimberly M. Hartfield
B.S., M.S. - Christian Counselor, Ordained Minister
For a faster pace use this plan:
21 Days through the Psalms and Proverbs
40 Days Through the New Word
For a slower pace use this plan:
21 Days through the Gospels and Acts of the Followers
30 Days Through the Letters and Revelation
21 Days through the Psalms and Proverbs
21 Days through the Psalms and Proverbs
The Psalms
Day 1 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-old-hymns-psalms-chapters-1-10/
Day 2 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-old-hymns-psalms-chapters-11-20/
Day 3 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-old-hymns-psalms-chapter-21-30/
Day 4 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-old-hymns-psalms-chapter-31-35/
Day 5 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-old-hymns-psalms-chapter-36-41/
Day 6 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-old-hymns-psalms-chapter-42-45/
Day 7 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-old-hymns-psalms-chapter-46-50/
Day 8 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-old-hymns-psalms-chapter-51-60/
Day 9 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-old-hymns-psalms-chapter-61-72/
Day 10 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-old-hymns-psalms-chapter-73-80/
Day 11 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-old-hymns-psalms-chapter-81-89/
Day 12 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-old-hymns-psalms-chapter-90-100/
Day 13 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-old-hymns-psalms-chapter-101-106/
Day 14 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-old-hymns-psalms-chapter-107-118/
Day 15 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-old-hymns-psalms-chapter-119-120/
Day 16 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-old-hymns-psalms-chapter-121-140/
Day 17 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-old-hymns-psalms-chapter-141-150/
The Proverbs
Day 18 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-old-sayings-proverbs-chapter-1-7/
Day 19 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-old-sayings-proverbs-8-14/
Day 20 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-old-sayings-proverbs-chapters-15-21/
Day 21 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-old-sayings-proverbs-chapters-22-31/
40 Days Through the New Word
Day 1 Mathew 1-7 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-matthew-chapters-1-7/
Day 2 Mathew 8-14 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-matthew-chapter-8-14/
Day 3 Mathew 15-21 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-matthew-chapter-15-21/
Day 4 Mathew 22-28 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-matthew-chapter-22-28/
Day 5 Mark 1-4 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-mark-chapter-1-4/
Mark 4-8 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-mark-chapter-4-8/
Day 6 Mark 9-12 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-mark-chapters-9-12/
Mark 13-16 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-mark-chapters-13-16/
Day 7 Luke 1-4 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-luke-chapters-1-4/
Luke 5-8 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-luke-chapters-5-8/
Day 8 Luke 9-12 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-luke-chapters-9-12/
Luke 13-16 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-luke-chapters-13-16/
Day 9 Luke 17-20 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-luke-chapters-17-20/
Luke 21-24 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-luke-chapters-21-24/
Day 10 John 1-7 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-john-chapters-1-7/
Day 11 John 8-14 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-john-chapters-8-14/
Day 12 John 15-21 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-john-chapters-15-21/
Day 13 Acts 1-7 http://www.relijournal.com/Christianity/The-Acts-of-the-Followers-Chapters-1-7.672465
Day 14 Acts 8-14 http://relijournal.com/christianity/acts-of-the-followers-chapter-8-14/
Day 15 Acts 15-21 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-acts-of-the-followers-chapters-15-21/
Day 16 Acts 22-28 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-acts-of-the-followers-chapters-22-28/
Day 17 Romans 1-7 http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-letter-to-the-romans-chapters-1-7/
Day 18 Romans 8-16 http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-letter-to-romans-ch-8-16/
Day 19 I Corinthians 1-4 http://relijournal.com/christianity/i-corinthians-1-4/
I Corinthians 5-7 http://relijournal.com/christianity/i-corinthians-5-7/
Day 20 I Corinthians 8-11 http://relijournal.com/christianity/i-corinthians-8-11-paul%e2%80%99s-first-letter-to-the-corinthians/
I Corinthians 12-16 http://relijournal.com/christianity/i-corinthians-12-16/
Day 21 II Corinthians 1-3 http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-second-letter-to-the-corinthians-ch-1-3/
II Corinthians 4-7 http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-second-letter-to-the-corinthians-ch-4-7/
Day 22 II Corinthians http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-second-letter-to-the-corinthians-ch-8-10/
II Corinthians http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-second-letter-to-the-corinthians-ch-11-13/
Day 23 Galatians http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-letter-to-the-galatians/
Day 24 Ephesians http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-letter-to-the-ephesians/
Day 25 Philippians http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-letter-to-the-philippians/
Day 26 Colossians http://relijournal.com/christianity/pauls-letter-to-the-collossians/
Day 27 I Thessalonians http://relijournal.com/christianity/pauls-first-letter-to-the-thessalonians/
II Thessalonians http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-second-letter-to-the-thesalonians-the-holy-bible/
Day 28 I Timothy http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-first-letter-to-timothy/
II Timothy http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-second-letter-to-timothy/
Day 29 Titus http://relijournal.com/christianity/pauls-letter-to-titus/
Philemon http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-letter-to-philemon/
Day 30 Hebrews http://relijournal.com/christianity/a-letter-to-the-hebrews/
Day 31 James http://relijournal.com/christianity/a-letter-from-james/
I Peter http://relijournal.com/christianity/peter-i/
II Peter http://relijournal.com/christianity/peter-ii/
Day 32 I John http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-first-letter-from-john/
II John http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-second-letter-from-john/
III John http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-third-letter-from-john/
Jude http://relijournal.com/christianity/a-letter-from-jude/
Day 33 Revelation 1-3 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-revelation-of-john-chapters-1-3/
Day 34 Revelation 4-7 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-revelation-of-john-chapters-4-7/
Day 35 Revelation 8-11 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-revelation-of-john-chapters-8-11/
Day 36 Revelation 12-13 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-revelation-of-john-chapter-12-13/
Day 37 Revelation 14-15 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-revelation-of-john-chapters-14-15/
Day 38 Revelation 16-18 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-revelation-of-john-chapters-16-18/
Day 39 Revelation 19-20 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-revelation-of-john-chapters-19-20/
Day 40 Revelation 21-22 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-revelation-of-john-21-22/
21 Days through the Gospels and Acts of the Followers
Mathew
Day 1 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-matthew-chapters-1-7/
Day 2 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-matthew-chapter-8-14/
Day 3 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-matthew-chapter-15-21/
Day 4 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-matthew-chapter-22-28/
Mark
Day 5 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-mark-chapter-1-4/
Day 6 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-mark-chapter-4-8/
Day 7 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-mark-chapters-9-12/
Day 8 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-mark-chapters-13-16/
Luke
Day 9 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-luke-chapters-1-4/
Day 10 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-luke-chapters-5-8/
Day 11 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-luke-chapters-9-12/
Day 12 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-luke-chapters-13-16/
Day 13 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-luke-chapters-17-20/
Day 14 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-luke-chapters-21-24/
John
Day 15 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-john-chapters-1-7/
Day 16 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-john-chapters-8-14/
Day 17 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-john-chapters-15-21/
Acts
Day 18 http://www.relijournal.com/Christianity/The-Acts-of-the-Followers-Chapters-1-7.672465
Day 19 http://relijournal.com/christianity/acts-of-the-followers-chapter-8-14/
Day 20 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-acts-of-the-followers-chapters-15-21/
Day 21 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-acts-of-the-followers-chapters-22-28/
30 Days Through the Letters and Revelation
Day 1 Romans http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-letter-to-the-romans-chapters-1-7/
Day 2 Romans http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-letter-to-romans-ch-8-16/
Day 3 I Corinthians http://relijournal.com/christianity/i-corinthians-1-4/
Day 4 I Corinthians http://relijournal.com/christianity/i-corinthians-5-7/
Day 5 I Corinthians http://relijournal.com/christianity/i-corinthians-8-11-paul%e2%80%99s-first-letter-to-the-corinthians/
Day 6 I Corinthians http://relijournal.com/christianity/i-corinthians-12-16/
Day 7 II Corinthians http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-second-letter-to-the-corinthians-ch-1-3/
Day 8 II Corinthians http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-second-letter-to-the-corinthians-ch-4-7/
Day 9 II Corinthians http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-second-letter-to-the-corinthians-ch-8-10/
Day 10 II Corinthians http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-second-letter-to-the-corinthians-ch-11-13/
Day 11 Galatians http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-letter-to-the-galatians/
Day 12 Ephesians http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-letter-to-the-ephesians/
Day 13 Philippians http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-letter-to-the-philippians/
Day 14 Colossians http://relijournal.com/christianity/pauls-letter-to-the-collossians/
Day 15 I Thessalonians http://relijournal.com/christianity/pauls-first-letter-to-the-thessalonians/
Day 16 II Thessalonians http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-second-letter-to-the-thesalonians-the-holy-bible/
Day 17 I Timothy http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-first-letter-to-timothy/
Day 18 II Timothy http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-second-letter-to-timothy/
Day 19 Titus http://relijournal.com/christianity/pauls-letter-to-titus/
Day 20 Philemon http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-letter-to-philemon/
Day 21 Hebrews http://relijournal.com/christianity/a-letter-to-the-hebrews/
Day 22 James http://relijournal.com/christianity/a-letter-from-james/
Day 23 I Peter http://relijournal.com/christianity/peter-i/
Day 24 II Peter http://relijournal.com/christianity/peter-ii/
Day 25 I John http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-first-letter-from-john/
Day 26 II John http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-second-letter-from-john/
III John http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-third-letter-from-john/
Jude http://relijournal.com/christianity/a-letter-from-jude/
Day 27 Revelation http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-revelation-of-john-chapters-1-3/
Revelation http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-revelation-of-john-chapters-4-7/
Day 28 Revelation http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-revelation-of-john-chapters-8-11/
Revelation http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-revelation-of-john-chapter-12-13/
Day 29 Revelation http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-revelation-of-john-chapters-14-15/
Revelation http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-revelation-of-john-chapters-16-18/
Day 30 Revelation http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-revelation-of-john-chapters-19-20/
Revelation http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-revelation-of-john-21-22/
Jesus said: Follow me and I will make you fishers for the souls of others. Matthew 4:19
Sis. Kimberly Hartfield, B.S. M.S. Christian Community Consultant/Spiritual Peer Counselor Contact: gofishbooks@gmail.com
Counselors’ Corner
February is here and spring, I hope is just around the corner. We’ve had quite a few cold days this winter, so I hope it warms up soon. Our electric bills are reflecting these cold days. I didn’t quite know how I was going to pay mine, but the church has stepped in and paid it for me this month. I’m very thankful as I was preparing with candles and the grill to tough it out, but I wasn’t quite sure how much more cold weather we’d be having. I know you all are struggling to pay yours too. I pray God makes a way for each of you as well. We’ve had two snows now this year! Ain’t that something! I don’t believe I ever seen the likes of that in MS.
There has been a couple of warm pretty days to get outside in my garden, so I’ve nearly got my patches ready to plant. I’ve planted a few things that do well in the cold, but most things I’ve just started in pots in my shed. I’m craving spring weather. I do have some buttercups (daffodils) about to come in bloom, and my daylilies and crocuses are peaking out of the ground now. I love anything green in this kind of weather. A sweet lady that works in the Dollar General store out here in Dixie brought me a bunch of garden seeds and a hanging tomato basket, so I’m all excited about having a lot to work with this year. I just hope my garden does better than it did last year, as I got mostly weeds when I went to work last year and didn’t have time to work in it much. Well anyway, my arms are getting a work out as I dig it up, and I’m getting some much needed outdoor exercise. I love the outdoors where I can enjoy all of God’s beautiful handiwork. It just makes me want to jump up and down and shout halleluiah some days!
Well I still haven’t found any employment so I’ve taken things in my own hands. I went to a free seminar on website building and purchased one of their website storefront packages. I am going to try to reopen my Go Fish Bookstore on the web, for now and see what happens with it. I will be selling used Christian books mostly. I have a lot of good ones. I may have a few new ones later, and hope to add some gifts to the store eventually. I don’t yet have my domain set up but will be publishing it soon, I hope. I have about 75 products listed so far and will be adding more as I can. I will also be offering counseling services as well on the ministry part of the website. Please pray that it does well. God has not opened up any other doors for me, so I believe this must be what I’m supposed to be doing. If I can make a go of it this way, I can stay home with the kids a little longer and continue to home school them. I would like that, so please keep me and my family in your prayers.
I believe God has led me to begin working on the Old Testament for my paraphrase, which I really hadn’t planned to do. I had planned to do a few of the Bible stories, but that was all I felt capable of. But through my studies, God has shown me to do the whole Bible, so I trust that God will give me the wisdom and help that I need to get it done. I feel like Moses, “But God…” I can think of a hundred reasons why I’m not capable of this! So anyway, I ask for your continued prayers as I set out on this endeavor that may take me a lifetime to complete. Pray for wisdom and guidance in choosing just the right words to make it an easily readable paraphrase that will bring God glory. Time is short I believe, as this world is quickly changing before our very eyes. 2018 is exactly 70 years from the time Israel became a nation again. I don’t know exactly what that means, but I believe it is significant to us as Christians. There’s some passages in Daniel that leads me to believe this is a significant time. So watch and pray! God bless to all and go fish 4 Jesus!
News Briefs
www.OneNewsNow.com
Notes and Prayer Requests
• Tommy’s girl friend, Amanda, will be coming home from the service in a couple of weeks. Tommy has taken the train to go see her on valentine’s weekend. Pray for safe traveling for both of them.
• Rock got a job that will hopefully be turning into a full time job in the near future! He almost has USM paid off now and will be returning to school soon.
• My daughter Sunny started back to college in January. Pray for strength of mind, body, and spirit!
• Rose didn’t get the job she wanted this time, but she did get another job. It’s now really where she wants to be so pray that God will open up other doors for her, though I know God has her there for a reason.
• I have published all of my paraphrases on the Triond website. The links are listed below in several Daily Bible Reading Plans, if anyone wants to check them out. I have now published all of the New Testament, the Proverbs, and the Psalms online. You can see all of my writings by going to my main Triond link at https://www.triond.com/users/Mama+Heartfilled
• I would appreciate if you’d let me know of grammar, punctuation, and other mistakes I may have made. My goal is to make the paraphrase as simple and clear as possible. I know they still need much work, as they are drafts of a work in progress. I don’t know of any other Bible that uses the Name of Yahweh (I am in Hebrew), so I have worked hard to get it right. Please pray that God helps me in this work, and let me know of any mistakes you find. Thank all of you who are praying for me on this.
Daily Bible Reading Plans for the New Word, The Old Sayings, and The Old Hymns
The New Word, The Old Sayings and The Old Hymns is a unique feminist approach to a gender-neutral paraphrase of the Holy Bible, which uses the true name of Yahweh God and of Yeshua, the Christ, rather than the traditional man made form of Jehovah. I attempted this several year project out of a strong desire to make known the true name of Yahweh God and to help complete the great commission of Jesus Christ. It is the first Bible to my knowledge that uses the Name of God in its proper form, which had fallen out of use because of the Hebraic tradition to not say it at all by replacing it with Lord (Adoni) or God (Elohim), for fear of using it in vain. Yahweh, in the Hebrew, simply means I AM. Yahweh God is the great I AM!
This paraphrase is a working draft, and these are the published excerpts in the completed series. This version is particularly intended to reach an audience on the internet, that may not just go pick up a Bible and read it. I would like to encourage Christians and non-Christians alike to read through them using one of the suggested reading plans below and comment on them, whether you have a critique, editing correction, or praise. I am particularly looking for clarity of ideas, and simplicity for a younger or less educated audiences, which may have trouble reading and understanding some of the other more traditional versions. Archaic language, has been replaced by more modern readings of the ideas presented in the KJV. If you find a section that is still somewhat difficult to read, or understand, please let me know your thoughts on it. I would like to make all the corrections necessary before attempting further publication and dissemination. I am asking for the Triond community and other readers to help me find any significant errors, and check for readability.
Sincerely Yours,
Sis. Kimberly M. Hartfield
B.S., M.S. - Christian Counselor, Ordained Minister
For a faster pace use this plan:
21 Days through the Psalms and Proverbs
40 Days Through the New Word
For a slower pace use this plan:
21 Days through the Gospels and Acts of the Followers
30 Days Through the Letters and Revelation
21 Days through the Psalms and Proverbs
21 Days through the Psalms and Proverbs
The Psalms
Day 1 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-old-hymns-psalms-chapters-1-10/
Day 2 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-old-hymns-psalms-chapters-11-20/
Day 3 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-old-hymns-psalms-chapter-21-30/
Day 4 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-old-hymns-psalms-chapter-31-35/
Day 5 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-old-hymns-psalms-chapter-36-41/
Day 6 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-old-hymns-psalms-chapter-42-45/
Day 7 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-old-hymns-psalms-chapter-46-50/
Day 8 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-old-hymns-psalms-chapter-51-60/
Day 9 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-old-hymns-psalms-chapter-61-72/
Day 10 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-old-hymns-psalms-chapter-73-80/
Day 11 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-old-hymns-psalms-chapter-81-89/
Day 12 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-old-hymns-psalms-chapter-90-100/
Day 13 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-old-hymns-psalms-chapter-101-106/
Day 14 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-old-hymns-psalms-chapter-107-118/
Day 15 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-old-hymns-psalms-chapter-119-120/
Day 16 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-old-hymns-psalms-chapter-121-140/
Day 17 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-old-hymns-psalms-chapter-141-150/
The Proverbs
Day 18 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-old-sayings-proverbs-chapter-1-7/
Day 19 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-old-sayings-proverbs-8-14/
Day 20 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-old-sayings-proverbs-chapters-15-21/
Day 21 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-old-sayings-proverbs-chapters-22-31/
40 Days Through the New Word
Day 1 Mathew 1-7 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-matthew-chapters-1-7/
Day 2 Mathew 8-14 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-matthew-chapter-8-14/
Day 3 Mathew 15-21 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-matthew-chapter-15-21/
Day 4 Mathew 22-28 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-matthew-chapter-22-28/
Day 5 Mark 1-4 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-mark-chapter-1-4/
Mark 4-8 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-mark-chapter-4-8/
Day 6 Mark 9-12 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-mark-chapters-9-12/
Mark 13-16 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-mark-chapters-13-16/
Day 7 Luke 1-4 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-luke-chapters-1-4/
Luke 5-8 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-luke-chapters-5-8/
Day 8 Luke 9-12 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-luke-chapters-9-12/
Luke 13-16 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-luke-chapters-13-16/
Day 9 Luke 17-20 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-luke-chapters-17-20/
Luke 21-24 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-luke-chapters-21-24/
Day 10 John 1-7 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-john-chapters-1-7/
Day 11 John 8-14 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-john-chapters-8-14/
Day 12 John 15-21 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-john-chapters-15-21/
Day 13 Acts 1-7 http://www.relijournal.com/Christianity/The-Acts-of-the-Followers-Chapters-1-7.672465
Day 14 Acts 8-14 http://relijournal.com/christianity/acts-of-the-followers-chapter-8-14/
Day 15 Acts 15-21 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-acts-of-the-followers-chapters-15-21/
Day 16 Acts 22-28 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-acts-of-the-followers-chapters-22-28/
Day 17 Romans 1-7 http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-letter-to-the-romans-chapters-1-7/
Day 18 Romans 8-16 http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-letter-to-romans-ch-8-16/
Day 19 I Corinthians 1-4 http://relijournal.com/christianity/i-corinthians-1-4/
I Corinthians 5-7 http://relijournal.com/christianity/i-corinthians-5-7/
Day 20 I Corinthians 8-11 http://relijournal.com/christianity/i-corinthians-8-11-paul%e2%80%99s-first-letter-to-the-corinthians/
I Corinthians 12-16 http://relijournal.com/christianity/i-corinthians-12-16/
Day 21 II Corinthians 1-3 http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-second-letter-to-the-corinthians-ch-1-3/
II Corinthians 4-7 http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-second-letter-to-the-corinthians-ch-4-7/
Day 22 II Corinthians http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-second-letter-to-the-corinthians-ch-8-10/
II Corinthians http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-second-letter-to-the-corinthians-ch-11-13/
Day 23 Galatians http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-letter-to-the-galatians/
Day 24 Ephesians http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-letter-to-the-ephesians/
Day 25 Philippians http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-letter-to-the-philippians/
Day 26 Colossians http://relijournal.com/christianity/pauls-letter-to-the-collossians/
Day 27 I Thessalonians http://relijournal.com/christianity/pauls-first-letter-to-the-thessalonians/
II Thessalonians http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-second-letter-to-the-thesalonians-the-holy-bible/
Day 28 I Timothy http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-first-letter-to-timothy/
II Timothy http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-second-letter-to-timothy/
Day 29 Titus http://relijournal.com/christianity/pauls-letter-to-titus/
Philemon http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-letter-to-philemon/
Day 30 Hebrews http://relijournal.com/christianity/a-letter-to-the-hebrews/
Day 31 James http://relijournal.com/christianity/a-letter-from-james/
I Peter http://relijournal.com/christianity/peter-i/
II Peter http://relijournal.com/christianity/peter-ii/
Day 32 I John http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-first-letter-from-john/
II John http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-second-letter-from-john/
III John http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-third-letter-from-john/
Jude http://relijournal.com/christianity/a-letter-from-jude/
Day 33 Revelation 1-3 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-revelation-of-john-chapters-1-3/
Day 34 Revelation 4-7 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-revelation-of-john-chapters-4-7/
Day 35 Revelation 8-11 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-revelation-of-john-chapters-8-11/
Day 36 Revelation 12-13 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-revelation-of-john-chapter-12-13/
Day 37 Revelation 14-15 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-revelation-of-john-chapters-14-15/
Day 38 Revelation 16-18 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-revelation-of-john-chapters-16-18/
Day 39 Revelation 19-20 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-revelation-of-john-chapters-19-20/
Day 40 Revelation 21-22 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-revelation-of-john-21-22/
21 Days through the Gospels and Acts of the Followers
Mathew
Day 1 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-matthew-chapters-1-7/
Day 2 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-matthew-chapter-8-14/
Day 3 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-matthew-chapter-15-21/
Day 4 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-matthew-chapter-22-28/
Mark
Day 5 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-mark-chapter-1-4/
Day 6 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-mark-chapter-4-8/
Day 7 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-mark-chapters-9-12/
Day 8 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-mark-chapters-13-16/
Luke
Day 9 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-luke-chapters-1-4/
Day 10 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-luke-chapters-5-8/
Day 11 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-luke-chapters-9-12/
Day 12 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-luke-chapters-13-16/
Day 13 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-luke-chapters-17-20/
Day 14 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-luke-chapters-21-24/
John
Day 15 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-john-chapters-1-7/
Day 16 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-john-chapters-8-14/
Day 17 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-new-word-according-to-john-chapters-15-21/
Acts
Day 18 http://www.relijournal.com/Christianity/The-Acts-of-the-Followers-Chapters-1-7.672465
Day 19 http://relijournal.com/christianity/acts-of-the-followers-chapter-8-14/
Day 20 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-acts-of-the-followers-chapters-15-21/
Day 21 http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-acts-of-the-followers-chapters-22-28/
30 Days Through the Letters and Revelation
Day 1 Romans http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-letter-to-the-romans-chapters-1-7/
Day 2 Romans http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-letter-to-romans-ch-8-16/
Day 3 I Corinthians http://relijournal.com/christianity/i-corinthians-1-4/
Day 4 I Corinthians http://relijournal.com/christianity/i-corinthians-5-7/
Day 5 I Corinthians http://relijournal.com/christianity/i-corinthians-8-11-paul%e2%80%99s-first-letter-to-the-corinthians/
Day 6 I Corinthians http://relijournal.com/christianity/i-corinthians-12-16/
Day 7 II Corinthians http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-second-letter-to-the-corinthians-ch-1-3/
Day 8 II Corinthians http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-second-letter-to-the-corinthians-ch-4-7/
Day 9 II Corinthians http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-second-letter-to-the-corinthians-ch-8-10/
Day 10 II Corinthians http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-second-letter-to-the-corinthians-ch-11-13/
Day 11 Galatians http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-letter-to-the-galatians/
Day 12 Ephesians http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-letter-to-the-ephesians/
Day 13 Philippians http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-letter-to-the-philippians/
Day 14 Colossians http://relijournal.com/christianity/pauls-letter-to-the-collossians/
Day 15 I Thessalonians http://relijournal.com/christianity/pauls-first-letter-to-the-thessalonians/
Day 16 II Thessalonians http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-second-letter-to-the-thesalonians-the-holy-bible/
Day 17 I Timothy http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-first-letter-to-timothy/
Day 18 II Timothy http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-second-letter-to-timothy/
Day 19 Titus http://relijournal.com/christianity/pauls-letter-to-titus/
Day 20 Philemon http://relijournal.com/christianity/paul%e2%80%99s-letter-to-philemon/
Day 21 Hebrews http://relijournal.com/christianity/a-letter-to-the-hebrews/
Day 22 James http://relijournal.com/christianity/a-letter-from-james/
Day 23 I Peter http://relijournal.com/christianity/peter-i/
Day 24 II Peter http://relijournal.com/christianity/peter-ii/
Day 25 I John http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-first-letter-from-john/
Day 26 II John http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-second-letter-from-john/
III John http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-third-letter-from-john/
Jude http://relijournal.com/christianity/a-letter-from-jude/
Day 27 Revelation http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-revelation-of-john-chapters-1-3/
Revelation http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-revelation-of-john-chapters-4-7/
Day 28 Revelation http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-revelation-of-john-chapters-8-11/
Revelation http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-revelation-of-john-chapter-12-13/
Day 29 Revelation http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-revelation-of-john-chapters-14-15/
Revelation http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-revelation-of-john-chapters-16-18/
Day 30 Revelation http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-revelation-of-john-chapters-19-20/
Revelation http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-holy-bible-the-revelation-of-john-21-22/
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