for all the wildlife of the earth, for every bird of the sky, and for every creature that crawls on the earth—everything having the breath of life in it. I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so.

Then the Lord God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.

The Lord God caused to grow out of the ground every tree pleasing in appearance and good for food, including the tree of life in the middle of the garden, as well as the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Then the Lord God said to the serpent:

Because you have done this,
you are cursed more than any livestock
and more than any wild animal.
You will move on your belly
and eat dust all the days of your life.

And He said to Adam, “Because you listened to your wife’s voice and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘Do not eat from it’:

The ground is cursed because of you.
You will eat from it by means of painful labor
all the days of your life.

The Lord God said, “Since man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil, he must not reach out, take from the tree of life, eat, and live forever.”

He drove man out and stationed the cherubim and the flaming, whirling sword east of the garden of Eden to guard the way to the tree of life.

So Adam’s life lasted 930 years; then he died.

So Seth’s life lasted 912 years; then he died.

So Enosh’s life lasted 905 years; then he died.

So Kenan’s life lasted 910 years; then he died.

So Mahalalel’s life lasted 895 years; then he died.

So Jared’s life lasted 962 years; then he died.

So Enoch’s life lasted 365 years.

So Methuselah’s life lasted 969 years; then he died.

So Lamech’s life lasted 777 years; then he died.

“Understand that I am bringing a flood—floodwaters on the earth to destroy every creature under heaven with the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will die.

In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the sources of the watery depths burst open, the floodgates of the sky were opened,

Two of all flesh that has the breath of life in it entered the ark with Noah.

Everything with the breath of the spirit of life in its nostrils—everything on dry land died.

When the dove came to him at evening, there was a plucked olive leaf in her beak. So Noah knew that the water on the earth’s surface had gone down.

I will require the life of every animal and every man for your life and your blood. I will require the life of each man’s brother for a man’s life.

So Noah’s life lasted 950 years; then he died.

There was a famine in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine in the land was severe.

When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ They will kill me but let you live.

Please say you’re my sister so it will go well for me because of you, and my life will be spared on your account.”

So Abram moved his tent and went to live near the oaks of Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar to the Lord.

This man will be like a wild donkey.
His hand will be against everyone,
and everyone’s hand will be against him;
he will live at odds with all his brothers.

When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him, saying, “I am God Almighty. Live in My presence and be blameless.

So Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael were acceptable to You!”

But the Lord asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Can I really have a baby when I’m old?’

Sarah denied it. “I did not laugh,” she said, because she was afraid.

But He replied, “No, you did laugh.”

Your servant has indeed found favor in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness by saving my life. But I can’t run to the mountains; the disaster will overtake me, and I will die.

Lot departed from Zoar and lived in the mountains along with his two daughters, because he was afraid to live in Zoar. Instead, he and his two daughters lived in a cave.

Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, know that you will certainly die, you and all who are yours.”

Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and everyone who hears will laugh with me.”

“Take your son,” He said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”

Now Sarah lived 127 years; these were all the years of her life.

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

My master put me under this oath: ‘You will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites in whose land I live

This is the length of Abraham’s life: 175 years.

This is the length of Ishmael’s life: 137 years. He took his last breath and died, and was gathered to his people.

The Lord appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt. Live in the land that I tell you about;

They made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah.

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.”

You will live by your sword,
and you will serve your brother.
But when you rebel,
you will break his yoke from your neck.

So Rebekah said to Isaac, “I’m sick of my life because of these Hittite women. If Jacob marries a Hittite woman like one of them, what good is my life?”

May God give you and your offspring the blessing of Abraham so that you may possess the land where you live as a foreigner, the land God gave to Abraham.”

So Jacob worked seven years for Rachel, and they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.

Leah conceived, gave birth to a son, and named him Reuben, for she said, “The Lord has seen my affliction; surely my husband will love me now.”

She conceived again, gave birth to a son, and said, “At last, my husband will become attached to me because I have borne three sons for him.” Therefore he was named Levi.

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.

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

Then we will give you our daughters, take your daughters for ourselves, live with you, and become one people.

“These men are peaceful toward us,” they said. “Let them live in our land and move about in it, for indeed, the region is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters as our wives and give our daughters to them.

But the men will agree to live with us and be one people only on this condition: if all our men are circumcised as they are.

Won’t their livestock, their possessions, and all their animals become ours? Only let us agree with them, and they will live with us.”

On the third day, when they were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, took their swords, went into the unsuspecting city, and killed every male.

Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me, making me odious to the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites and the Perizzites. We are few in number; if they unite against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.”

Leah’s sons were Reuben (Jacob’s firstborn),
Simeon, Levi, Judah,
Issachar, and Zebulun.

For their possessions were too many for them to live together, and because of their herds, the land where they stayed could not support them.

When Reuben heard this, he tried to save him from them. He said, “Let’s not take his life.”

Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Remain a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up.” For he thought, “He might die too, like his brothers.” So Tamar went to live in her father’s house.

Listen,” he went on, “I have heard there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us so that we will live and not die.”

On the third day Joseph said to them, “I fear God—do this and you will live.

Then Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me. We will be on our way so that we may live and not die—neither we, nor you, nor our children.

“So if I come to your servant my father and the boy is not with us—his life is wrapped up with the boy’s life—

And now don’t be worried or angry with yourselves for selling me here, because God sent me ahead of you to preserve life.

Levi’s sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

Then they said to Pharaoh, “We have come to live in the land for a while because there is no grazing land for your servants’ sheep, since the famine in the land of Canaan has been severe. So now, please let your servants settle in the land of Goshen.”

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.”

Why should we die here in front of you—both us and our land? Buy us and our land in exchange for food. Then we with our land will become Pharaoh’s slaves. Give us seed so that we can live and not die, and so that the land won’t become desolate.”

Now Jacob lived in the land of Egypt 17 years, and his life span was 147 years.

When the time drew near for him to die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh and promise me that you will deal with me in kindness and faithfulness. Do not bury me in Egypt.

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,

Simeon and Levi are brothers;
their knives are vicious weapons.

Zebulun will live by the seashore
and will be a harbor for ships,
and his territory will be next to Sidon.

Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah;

“When you help the Hebrew women give birth, observe them as they deliver. If the child is a son, kill him, but if it’s a daughter, she may live.”

The Hebrew midwives, however, feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had told them; they let the boys live.

So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this and let the boys live?”

Pharaoh then commanded all his people: “You must throw every son born to the Hebrews into the Nile, but let every daughter live.”

Now a man from the family of Levi married a Levite woman.

When Pharaoh heard about this, he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in the land of Midian, and sat down by a well.

These are the names of the sons of Levi
according to their genealogy:
Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
Levi lived 137 years.

But if you will not let My people go, then I will send swarms of flies against you, your officials, your people, and your houses. The Egyptians’ houses will swarm with flies, and so will the land where they live.

However, I have let you live for this purpose: to show you My power and to make My name known in all the earth.

You will lead the people
You have redeemed
with Your faithful love;
You will guide them to Your holy dwelling
with Your strength.

Instruct them about the statutes and laws, and teach them the way to live and what they must do.

No hand may touch him; instead he will be stoned or shot with arrows. No animal or man will live. When the ram’s horn sounds a long blast, they may go up the mountain.”

but showing faithful love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commands.

Honor your father and your mother so that you may have a long life in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

“But if the slave declares: ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I do not want to leave as a free man,’

his master is to bring him to the judges and then bring him to the door or doorpost. His master must pierce his ear with an awl, and he will serve his master for life.

If there is an injury, then you must give life for life,

If instead a ransom is demanded of him, he can pay a redemption price for his life in the full amount demanded from him.

“When a man’s ox injures his neighbor’s ox and it dies, they must sell the live ox and divide its proceeds; they must also divide the dead animal.

“You must not allow a sorceress to live.

take one loaf of bread, one cake of bread made with oil, and one wafer from the basket of unleavened bread that is before the Lord;

But He answered, “You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live.”