Then the Lord said to Noah, “Enter the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you alone are righteous before Me in this generation.

Isn’t the whole land before you? Separate from me: if you go to the left, I will go to the right; if you go to the right, I will go to the left.”

Lot looked out and saw that the entire Jordan Valley as far as Zoar was well watered everywhere like the Lord’s garden and the land of Egypt. This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.

Then Abraham took curds and milk, and the calf that he had prepared, and set them before the men. He served them as they ate under the tree.

The men turned from there and went toward Sodom while Abraham remained standing before the Lord.

Before they went to bed, the men of the city of Sodom, both young and old, the whole population, surrounded the house.

for we are about to destroy this place because the outcry against its people is so great before the Lord, that the Lord has sent us to destroy it.”

Early in the morning Abraham went to the place where he had stood before the Lord.

Abimelech said, “Look, my land is before you. Settle wherever you want.”

The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from my native land, who spoke to me and swore to me, ‘I will give this land to your offspring’—He will send His angel before you, and you can take a wife for my son from there.

Before he had finished speaking, there was Rebekah—daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah, the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor—coming with a jug on her shoulder.

A meal was set before him, but he said, “I will not eat until I have said what I have to say.”

So Laban said, “Please speak.”

He said to me, ‘The Lord before whom I have walked will send His angel with you and make your journey a success, and you will take a wife for my son from my family and from my father’s household.

“Before I had finished praying silently, there was Rebekah coming with her jug on her shoulder, and she went down to the spring and drew water. So I said to her: Please let me have a drink.

When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed to the ground before the Lord.

Then make me a delicious meal that I love and bring it to me to eat, so that I can bless you before I die.”

‘Bring me the game and make a delicious meal for me to eat so that I can bless you in the Lord’s presence before I die.’

Then take it to your father to eat so that he may bless you before he dies.”

Isaac began to tremble uncontrollably. “Who was it then,” he said, “who hunted game and brought it to me? I ate it all before you came in, and I blessed him. Indeed, he will be blessed!”

Laban answered, “It is not the custom in this place to give the younger daughter in marriage before the firstborn.

For you had very little before I came, but now your wealth has increased. The Lord has blessed you because of me. And now, when will I also do something for my own family?”

If you find your gods with anyone here, he will not live! Before our relatives, point out anything that is yours and take it.” Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the idols.

You’ve searched all my possessions! Have you found anything of yours? Put it here before my relatives and yours, and let them decide between the two of us.

Live with us. The land is before you. Settle here, move about, and acquire property in it.”

These are the kings who ruled in the land of Edom
before any king ruled over the Israelites:

He told his father and brothers, but his father rebuked him. “What kind of dream is this that you have had?” he said. “Are your mother and brothers and I going to come and bow down to the ground before you?”

They saw him in the distance, and before he had reached them, they plotted to kill him.

When they had devoured them, you could not tell that they had devoured them; their appearance was as bad as it had been before. Then I woke up.

He had Joseph ride in his second chariot, and servants called out before him, “Abrek!” So he placed him over all the land of Egypt.

Two sons were born to Joseph before the years of famine arrived. Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest at On, bore them to him.

Joseph was in charge of the country; he sold grain to all its people. His brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the ground.

He turned away from them and wept. Then he turned back and spoke to them. He took Simeon from them and had him bound before their eyes.

I will be responsible for him. You can hold me personally accountable! If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, I will be guilty before you forever.

The men took this gift, double the amount of money, and Benjamin. They made their way down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.

When Joseph came home, they brought him the gift they had carried into the house, and they bowed to the ground before him.

They were seated before him in order by age, from the firstborn to the youngest. The men looked at each other in astonishment.

When Judah and his brothers reached Joseph’s house, he was still there. They fell to the ground before him.

Then Israel said, “Enough! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go to see him before I die.”

He took five of his brothers and presented them before Pharaoh.

the land of Egypt is open before you; settle your father and brothers in the best part of the land. They can live in the land of Goshen. If you know of any capable men among them, put them in charge of my livestock.”

Joseph then brought his father Jacob and presented him before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.

Your two sons born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt are now mine. Ephraim and Manasseh belong to me just as Reuben and Simeon do.

Then he blessed Joseph and said:

The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,
the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,

So he blessed them that day with these words:

The nation Israel will invoke blessings by you, saying,
“May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh,”
putting Ephraim before Manasseh.

So they sent this message to Joseph, “Before he died your father gave a command:

Then his brothers also came to him, bowed down before him, and said, “We are your slaves!”