"Even God knows that on the day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened and you'll become like God, knowing good and evil."

The LORD God told the Shining One, "Because you have done this, you are more cursed than all the livestock, and more than all the earth's animals, You'll crawl on your belly and eat dust as long as you live.

"I'll place hostility between you and the woman, between your offspring and her offspring. He'll strike you on the head, and you'll strike him on the heel."

He told the woman, "I'll greatly increase the pain of your labor during childbirth. It will be painful for you to bear children, "since your trust is turning toward your husband, and he will dominate you."

He told the man, "Because you have listened to what your wife said, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, "You must not eat from it,' cursed is the ground because of you. You'll eat from it through pain-filled labor for the rest of your life.

It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you'll eat the plants from the meadows.

You will eat food by the sweat of your brow until you're buried in the ground, because you were taken from it. You're made from dust and you'll return to dust."

If you do what is appropriate, you'll be accepted, won't you? But if you don't do what is appropriate, sin is crouching near your doorway, turning toward you. Now as for you, will you take dominion over it?"

Whenever you work the ground, it will no longer yield its produce to you, and you'll wander throughout the earth as a fugitive."

"You're driving me from the soil today. I'll be hidden from you, and I'll wander throughout the earth as a fugitive. In the future, whoever finds me will kill me."

Seven days from now I'll send rain on the earth for 40 days and 40 nights, and I'll destroy every living creature that I've made."

Also, I will certainly demand an accounting regarding bloodshed, from every animal and from every human being. I'll demand an accounting from every human being for the life of another human being.

I'll remember my covenant between me and you and every living creature, so that water will never again become a flood to destroy all living beings.

He drank some of the wine, got drunk, and lay down naked right in the middle of his tent.

Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot (Haran's son), and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram's wife, and they journeyed together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan. But when they had gone as far as Haran, they settled there,

I'll make a great nation of your descendants, I'll bless you, and I'll make your reputation great, so that you will be a blessing.

I'll bless those who bless you, but I'll curse the one who curses you, and through you all the people of the earth will be blessed."

Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "I'll give this land to your descendants." So Abram built an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him.

When the Egyptians see you, they will say, "She is his wife.' Then they'll kill me, but allow you to live.

Please say that you are my sister, so things will go well for me for your sake. That way, you'll be saving my life."

I'll make your descendants as plentiful as the specks of dust of the earth, so that if one could count the specks of dust of the earth, then your descendants could also be counted.

Now as for you, you'll die peacefully, join your ancestors, and be buried at a good old age.

He'll be a wild donkey of a man. He'll be against everyone, and everyone will be against him. He will live in conflict with all of his relatives."

I'll establish my covenant between me and you, and I'll greatly increase your numbers."

Your name is no longer to be Abram. Instead your name will be Abraham, since I'll make you the father of many nations.

I'm going to cause you to have many descendants, and I'll bring nations from you. Kings will come from you.

I'll give to you and to your descendants the land to which you have traveled all the land of Canaan as an eternal possession. I will be their God."

But God replied, "No, but your wife Sarah will give birth to your son, and you are to name him Isaac. I'll confirm my covenant with him as an eternal covenant for his descendants.

And as for Ishmael, I've heard you. I'll bless him, and he'll have many descendants. I will multiply him greatly, he'll father twelve tribal leaders, and I'll cause his descendants to become a great nation.

Now as to Isaac, I'll confirm my covenant with him, to whom Sarah will give birth as your son at this time next year."

he glanced up and saw three men standing there, not far from him. As soon as he noticed them, Abraham ran from the tent entrance to greet them and bowed low to the ground.

I'll have some water brought to wash your feet while you rest under the tree.

I'll bring some food for you, and after that you may continue your journey, since you have come to visit your servant." So they replied, "Okay! Do what you've proposed."

The LORD said, "If I find 50 righteous people within Sodom, I'll forgive the whole place for their sake."

The two angels entered Sodom at sunset while Lot was sitting in the gate area of the city. When Lot saw them, he got up, greeted them, bowed low with his face to the ground,

Before they could lie down, all the men of Sodom and its outskirts, both young and old, surrounded the house.

"Do you have anyone else here in the city?" the angels asked Lot. "A son-in-law? Sons? Daughters? Get them out of this place,

Lot then went out and told his sons-in-law (they had married his daughters), "Get out of here! The LORD is going to destroy this city!" But his sons-in-law thought he was joking.

Then one of them said, "Flee for your lives! Don't look back or stop anywhere on the plain. Escape to the hills, or you'll be swept away!"

"Your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have shown me your gracious love in how you have dealt with me by keeping me alive. I cannot escape to the hills, because I'm afraid the disaster will overtake me, and I'll die.

Look, there is a town nearby where I can flee, and it's a small one. Let me escape there! It's a small one, isn't it? That way I'll stay alive!"

"All right," the angel replied to Lot, "I'll agree with your request! I won't overthrow the town that you mentioned.

Come on! Let's make our father drink wine, and then we'll have sex with him so we can preserve our father's lineage."

So they had their father drink wine that night, and the older one had sexual relations with her father, but he was not aware when she lay down or when she got up.

The next day the firstborn told the younger one, "Look! I had sex with my father last night. Let's make him drink wine tonight again as well. Then you have sex with him, too. That way we'll preserve our father's lineage."

So they made their father drink wine that night as well, so he was not aware when she lay down or when she got up.

Now then, return the man's wife. As a matter of fact, he's a prophet and can intercede for you so you'll live. But if you don't return her, be aware that you and all who are yours will certainly die."

Abraham ordered his two servants, "Both of you are to stay here with the donkey. Now as for the youth and me, we'll go up there, we'll worship, and then we'll return to you."

"Don't lay your hand on the youth!" he said. "Don't do anything to him, because I've just demonstrated that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only unique one, from me."

"No, sir. Listen to me! I'll give you the field, and I'll give you the cave that's in it. I give it to you publicly, in the sight of my people. Bury your dead."

If the woman isn't willing to follow you, then you'll be free from this oath to me. Just don't take my son back there!"

May it be that the young woman to whom I ask, "Please, lower your jug so that I may drink,' responds, "Have a drink, and I'll water your camels as well.' May she be the one whom you have chosen for your servant Isaac. This is how I'll know that you have shown your gracious love to my master."

When she had finished giving him a drink, she also said, "I'll also draw water for your camels until they've had enough to drink."

Only then will you be released from fulfilling my oath. However, when you come to my family, if they don't give her to you, you'll be released from fulfilling my oath.'

But they said, "We'll call the young lady and see what she has to say about this."

That's when the LORD appeared to Isaac. "You are not to go down to Egypt," he said. "Instead, you are to settle down in an area within this land where I'll tell you.

Remain in this land, and I'll be with and bless you by giving all these lands to you and to your descendants in fulfillment of my solemn promise that I made to your father Abraham.

I'll cause you to have as many descendants as the stars of the heavens, and I'll certainly give all these lands to your descendants. Later on, through your descendants all the nations of the earth will bless one another.

So Abimelech called Isaac and confronted him. "She is definitely your wife!" he accused him, "So why did you claim, "She's my sister?'" Isaac responded, "Because I had thought ""otherwise, I'll die on account of her.'"

by which you'll agree not to do us any harm, just as we haven't harmed you, since we've done nothing but good for you after we sent you away in peace. As a result, you've been tremendously blessed by the LORD."

Go to the flock and bring me two healthy young goats. I'll prepare some delicious food for your father, just the way he loves it.

My father might touch me and he'll realize that I'm deceiving him. Then, I'll bring a curse on myself instead of a blessing."

By your sword you'll live; but you'll serve your brother. But when you've become restless, you'll break off his yoke from your neck."

After that happens and he has forgotten what you've done to him, I'll send for you so you can return from there. Why should I be bereaved of you both in one day?"

this stone that I've erected in the form of a pillar will be God's house, and I'll give you a tenth of everything that you give to me."

Now Laban happened to have two daughters. The older one was named Leah and the younger was named Rachel.

Leah looked rather plain, but Rachel was lovely in form and appearance.

Jacob loved Rachel, so he made this offer to Laban: "I'll serve you for seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter."

That night Laban took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob. He had marital relations with her.

Laban also gave his servant woman Zilpah to Leah to be her maidservant.

The next morning, Jacob realized that it was Leah! "What have you done to me?" he demanded of Laban. "Didn't I serve you for seven years in order to marry Rachel? Why did you deceive me?"

Fulfill the week for this daughter, then we'll give you the other one in exchange for serving me another seven years."

Later, the LORD noticed that Leah was being neglected, so he made her fertile, while Rachel remained childless.

Leah conceived, bore a son, and named him Reuben, because she was saying, "The LORD had looked on my torture, so now my husband will love me."

Then she conceived yet again, bore a son, and said, "This time I'll praise the LORD." So she named him Judah. Then she stopped bearing children.

Rachel noticed that she was not bearing children for Jacob, so because she envied her sister Leah, she told Jacob, "If you don't give me sons, I'm going to die!"

When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing children, she took her woman servant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife.

Leah's servant Zilpah bore a son to Jacob,

and Leah exclaimed, "How fortunate!" So she named him Gad.

Later, Leah's servant Zilpah bore a second son for Jacob.

Some time later, during the wheat harvest season, Reuben went out and found some mandrakes in the field and brought them back for his mother Leah. Then Rachel told Leah, "Please give me your son's mandrakes."

In response, Leah asked her, "Wasn't it enough that you've taken away my husband? Now you also want to take my son's mandrakes!" But Rachel replied, "Okay, let's let Jacob sleep with you tonight in exchange for your son's mandrakes."

When Jacob came in from the field that evening, Leah went to meet him and told him, "You're having sex with me tonight. I traded my son's mandrakes for you!" So he slept with her that night.

God heard what Leah had said, so she conceived and bore a fifth son for Jacob.

Then Leah said, "God has paid me for giving my servant to my husband as his wife." So she named him Issachar.

Later, Leah conceived again and bore a sixth son for Jacob.

Then Leah said, "God has given me a good gift. This time my husband will exalt me, because I've borne him six sons." So she named him Zebulun.

After that, Leah conceived, bore a daughter, and named her Dinah.

Give me my wives and children for whom I've served you. Then I'll leave, since you're aware of my service to you."

Name your wage, and I'll give it to you."

In the future, you'll be able to verify my honesty because, when you come to check what I've earned, if you find a goat that's not speckled or spotted or a sheep that's not black, then it will have been stolen by me."

"Okay," Laban replied. "We'll do it the way you've asked."

Then the LORD ordered Jacob, "Go back to your father's territory and to your relatives. I'll be with you."

Jacob sent for Rachel and Leah to come out to the field where his flock was

Then Rachel and Leah asked him, "Do we have anything left of inheritance remaining in our father's house?

So Laban entered Jacob's tent, Leah's tent, and the tents of the two maid servants, but he didn't find them. Then he left Leah's tent and entered Rachel's tent.

Now that you've searched all my belongings, what did you find that belongs to your house? Set it here in front of our relatives and we'll let them judge between us!

I now have cattle, donkeys, flocks, and male and female servants. I'm sending this message to you, sir, so that you'll show favor to me."'"

Then Jacob prayed, "O God of my father Abraham, O God of my father Isaac, O LORD, you who told me, "Return to your country and to your relatives and I'll cause things to go well for you.'

Jacob was thinking, "I'll pacify him with the presents that are being sent ahead of me. Then, when I meet him, perhaps he'll accept me." So the presents went ahead of him, while he spent that night in the camp.