God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that this was good (pleasing, useful) and He affirmed and sustained it.

God also said, “Look, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the surface of the entire earth and every tree whose fruit contains seed. This food will be for you,

With this the heavens and the earth were completed, including all of their vast array.

This is the history of [the origin of] the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day [that is, days of creation] that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens—

The name of the first is Pishon: this is the one which flows through the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold;

And the name of the second river is Gihon: this river goes round all the land of Cush.

The name of the third river is Hiddekel: this is the one which flows in front of Assyria. The fourth river is the Euphrates.

And Man said, This time it is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh: this shall be called Woman, because this was taken out of a man.

This is why a man leaves his father and mother and bonds with his wife, and they become one flesh.

So the Lord God asked the woman, “What is this you have done?”

And the woman said, “It was the serpent. He deceived me, and I ate.”

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.

Behold, You have driven me out this day from the face of the land; and from Your face (presence) I will be hidden, and I will be a fugitive and an [aimless] vagabond on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”

The LORD told him, "This won't happen, because whoever kills you will suffer seven times the vengeance." Then the LORD placed a sign on Cain so that no one finding him would kill him.

After this, Cain left the presence of the LORD and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

And Seth had a son, and he gave him the name of Enosh: at this time men first made use of the name of the Lord in worship.

This is the historical record of Adam's generations. When God created mankind, he made them in his own likeness.

The length of time Adam lived after he became the father of Seth was 800 years; during this time he had other sons and daughters.

whom he named Noah, because he said, "May this one comfort us from our work, from pain that is caused by our manual labor, and from the ground that the LORD has cursed."

The Nephilim were on the earth in those days (and also after this) when the sons of God were having sexual relations with the daughters of humankind, who gave birth to their children. They were the mighty heroes of old, the famous men.

These are the records of the generations (family history) of Noah. Noah was a righteous man [one who was just and had right standing with God], blameless in his [evil] generation; Noah walked (lived) [in habitual fellowship] with God.

By this time, the earth had become ruined in God's opinion and filled with violence.

Make the ark like this: 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high.

I, even I, do bring the flood of waters on this earth, to destroy all flesh having the breath of life from under the sky. Everything that is in the earth will die.

Noah did all of this, precisely as God had commanded.

Then the LORD told Noah, "Come you and all your household into the ark, because I've seen that you alone are righteous in this generation.

From all clean cattle thou shalt take to thee seven; seven male and female; and from cattle which are not clean, this two, male and female.

In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, in the seventeenth day of the month, in this day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of the heavens were opened up.

In this same day, Noah and Shem and Ham and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, entered into the ark.

Noah sent out a raven, which went this way and that till the waters were gone from the earth.

He waited another seven days and sent the dove out again, but it did not return to him this time.

And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between Me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all future generations:

God also told Noah, "This is the symbol of the covenant that I've established between me and everything that lives on the earth."

These are the records of the generations (descendants) of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah; and the sons born to them after the flood:

He was a strong taker of prey before the face of Jehovah; for this he will say, As Nimrod the strong hunter before the face of Jehovah.

and Resen, between Nineveh and Calah: this is the great city.

The LORD said, "Look! They are one people with the same language for all of them, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. Nothing that they have a mind to do will be impossible for them!

For this cause, was the name thereof called Babel; because there, did Yahweh confuse the speech of all the earth, - and, from thence, did Yahweh scatter them abroad, over the face of all the earth.

These are the records of the generations of Shem [from whom Abraham descended]. Shem was a hundred years old when he became the father of Arpachshad, two years after the flood.

Now these are the records of the descendants of Terah. Terah was the father of Abram (Abraham), Nahor, and Haran; and Haran was the father of Lot.

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.

After this there came a dearth in the land. And Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there, for the dearth was sore in the land.

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

Then Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this that you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife?

This was the place where he had first built the altar, and there Abram worshiped the Lord.

Lot looked around and noticed that the whole Jordan plain as far as Zoar was well-watered like the garden of the LORD or like the land of Egypt. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)

And the Lord had said to Abram, after Lot was parted from him, From this place where you are take a look to the north and to the south, to the east and to the west:

Made war with Bera, king of Sodom, and with Birsha, king of Gomorrah, Shinab, king of Admah, and Shemeber, king of Zeboim, and the king of Bela, this is Zoar.

All of this latter group of kings allied together in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea).

And they shall turn back and shall come to En-Mishpat; this is Kadesh; and they shall smite all the field of the Amalekites and also of the Amorites dwelling in Hazezon Tamar.

And there shall come forth the king of Sodom and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboim, and the king of Bela (this is Zoar), and they shall set in array with them the war in the valley of Siddim,

And the king of Sodom shall come forth to his meeting (after his return from the destroying of Chedorlaomer and the kings which were with him) at the valley of Shaveh; this is the king's valley.

Abram said, “Lord God, what reward will You give me, since I am [leaving this world] childless, and he who will be the owner and heir of my house is this [servant] Eliezer from Damascus?”

A message came from the LORD to him again: "This one will not be your heir. Instead, the child who will be born to you will be your heir."

The LORD spoke to him, "I am the LORD, who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land as an inheritance."

Then the LORD told Abram, "You can be certain about this: Your descendants will be foreigners in a land that isn't theirs. They will be slaves there and will be oppressed for 400 years.

And also the nation whom they shall serve, I will judge, and after this they shall come forth with great substance.

That very day the LORD made this covenant with Abram: "I'm giving this land to your descendants, from the river of Egypt to the great Euphrates River

Abram listened to Sarai's suggestion, so Abram's wife Sarai took her Egyptian servant, Hagar, and gave her as a wife to her husband Abram. This took place ten years after Abram had settled in the land of Canaan.

Sarai said to Abram, "This wrong is your fault. I gave my handmaid into your bosom, and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes. Yahweh judge between me and you."

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.

And to the Lord who was talking with her she gave this name, You are a God who is seen; for she said, Have I not even here in the waste land had a vision of God and am still living?

For this, the well was called, The well of him seeing me; behold, between Kadesh and between Bered.

"As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of a multitude of nations.

This is My covenant, which you are to keep, between Me and you and your offspring after you: Every one of your males must be circumcised.

You are all to be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin, and this is to be the sign of the covenant between me and you.

Throughout your generations, every male among you at eight days old is to be circumcised. This includes a slave born in your house and one purchased with money from any foreigner. The one who is not your offspring,

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."

And Abraham taketh Ishmael his son, and all those born in his house, and all those bought with his money -- every male among the men of Abraham's house -- and circumciseth the flesh of their foreskin, in this self-same day, as God hath spoken with him.

in this self-same day hath Abraham been circumcised, and Ishmael his son;

I will bring a bit of bread so that you may strengthen yourselves. This is why you have passed your servant’s way. Later, you can continue on.”

“Yes,” they replied, “do as you have said.”

And he said, I will certainly return to thee at this time of the year, and behold, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah was listening at the tent-door, which was behind him.

So Sarah laughed to herself saying, "After I am worn out and my husband is old, shall [this] pleasure be to me?"

And Jehovah said to Abraham, Why is this, that Sarah laughs, saying, Shall I indeed bear, when I am become old?

Is any matter too wonderful for Jehovah? At the time appointed I will return to thee, at this time of the year, and Sarah shall have a son.

After this, the men set out from there and looked out over Sodom. Abraham went with them to send them off.

For I have chosen him so that he will command his children and his house after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just. This is how the Lord will fulfill to Abraham what He promised him.”

That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

Then Abraham said, “Oh may the Lord not be angry [with me], and I will speak only this once; suppose ten [righteous people] are found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.”

And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.

He said, “Don’t do this evil, my brothers.

Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man. I pray you, let me bring them out to you, and you do to them as you see fit. But do nothing to these men, for this is why they came under the shadow of my roof.

But they replied, "Get out of the way! This man came here as a foreigner, and now he's acting like a judge! So we're going to deal more harshly with you than with them." Then they pushed hard against the man (that is, against Lot), intending to break down the door.

"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,

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.”

So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were [betrothed, and legally promised] to marry his daughters, and said, “Get up, get out of this place, for the Lord is about to destroy this city!” But to his sons-in-law he appeared to be joking.

As dawn was breaking, the angels pressured Lot. "Get going!" they told him. "Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be engulfed by the devastation that's coming to this city."

Your servant has found favor with you, and you have shown me great kindness by sparing my life. But I am not able to escape to the mountains because this disaster will overtake me and I'll die.

Look, this town is close enough for me to run to. It is a small place. Please let me go there—it’s only a small place, isn’t it?—so that I can survive.”

And the angel said to him, “Behold, I grant you this request also; I will not destroy this town of which you have spoken.

Escape there quickly, for I cannot do [this] thing until you get there." Therefore, there name of the city was called Zoar.

And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.

In this way both of Lot's daughters became pregnant by their father.

And the first-born will bring forth a son, and she will call his name Moab: this the father of Moab till this day.

And the small also, she will bring forth a son, and she will call his name the son of my people: this the father of the sons of Ammon till this day.

And Abraham will say as to Sarah his wife, This my sister: and Abimelech, king of Gerar, will send and take Sarah.

Did he not say to me, This my sister? and she also, she said he is my brother: in the uprightness of my heart, and in cleanness of my hands have I done this.

And God will say to him in a dream, I knew also that in the uprightness of thy heart thou didst this; and I also will restrain thee from sinning against me: for this I suffered thee not to touch her.

Abimelech also asked Abraham, "What could you have been thinking when you did this?"

"I thought that there's no fear of God in this place," Abraham replied, "and that they would kill me because of my wife.

When God caused me to journey from my father's house, I asked her to do me this favor and say, "He's my brother.'"