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Revenge against Shechem

34 One day Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, went to visit some of the young women who lived in the area. But when the local prince, Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, saw Dinah, he seized her and raped her. But then he fell in love with her, and he tried to win her affection with tender words. He said to his father, Hamor, “Get me this young girl. I want to marry her.”

Soon Jacob heard that Shechem had defiled his daughter, Dinah. But since his sons were out in the fields herding his livestock, he said nothing until they returned. Hamor, Shechem’s father, came to discuss the matter with Jacob. Meanwhile, Jacob’s sons had come in from the field as soon as they heard what had happened. They were shocked and furious that their sister had been raped. Shechem had done a disgraceful thing against Jacob’s family,[a] something that should never be done.

Hamor tried to speak with Jacob and his sons. “My son Shechem is truly in love with your daughter,” he said. “Please let him marry her. In fact, let’s arrange other marriages, too. You give us your daughters for our sons, and we will give you our daughters for your sons. 10 And you may live among us; the land is open to you! Settle here and trade with us. And feel free to buy property in the area.”

11 Then Shechem himself spoke to Dinah’s father and brothers. “Please be kind to me, and let me marry her,” he begged. “I will give you whatever you ask. 12 No matter what dowry or gift you demand, I will gladly pay it—just give me the girl as my wife.”

13 But since Shechem had defiled their sister, Dinah, Jacob’s sons responded deceitfully to Shechem and his father, Hamor. 14 They said to them, “We couldn’t possibly allow this, because you’re not circumcised. It would be a disgrace for our sister to marry a man like you! 15 But here is a solution. If every man among you will be circumcised like we are, 16 then we will give you our daughters, and we’ll take your daughters for ourselves. We will live among you and become one people. 17 But if you don’t agree to be circumcised, we will take her and be on our way.”

18 Hamor and his son Shechem agreed to their proposal. 19 Shechem wasted no time in acting on this request, for he wanted Jacob’s daughter desperately. Shechem was a highly respected member of his family, 20 and he went with his father, Hamor, to present this proposal to the leaders at the town gate.

21 “These men are our friends,” they said. “Let’s invite them to live here among us and trade freely. Look, the land is large enough to hold them. We can take their daughters as wives and let them marry ours. 22 But they will consider staying here and becoming one people with us only if all of our men are circumcised, just as they are. 23 But if we do this, all their livestock and possessions will eventually be ours. Come, let’s agree to their terms and let them settle here among us.”

24 So all the men in the town council agreed with Hamor and Shechem, and every male in the town was circumcised. 25 But three days later, when their wounds were still sore, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, who were Dinah’s full brothers, took their swords and entered the town without opposition. Then they slaughtered every male there, 26 including Hamor and his son Shechem. They killed them with their swords, then took Dinah from Shechem’s house and returned to their camp.

27 Meanwhile, the rest of Jacob’s sons arrived. Finding the men slaughtered, they plundered the town because their sister had been defiled there. 28 They seized all the flocks and herds and donkeys—everything they could lay their hands on, both inside the town and outside in the fields. 29 They looted all their wealth and plundered their houses. They also took all their little children and wives and led them away as captives.

30 Afterward Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have ruined me! You’ve made me stink among all the people of this land—among all the Canaanites and Perizzites. We are so few that they will join forces and crush us. I will be ruined, and my entire household will be wiped out!”

31 “But why should we let him treat our sister like a prostitute?” they retorted angrily.

Jacob’s Return to Bethel

35 Then God said to Jacob, “Get ready and move to Bethel and settle there. Build an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother, Esau.”

So Jacob told everyone in his household, “Get rid of all your pagan idols, purify yourselves, and put on clean clothing. We are now going to Bethel, where I will build an altar to the God who answered my prayers when I was in distress. He has been with me wherever I have gone.”

So they gave Jacob all their pagan idols and earrings, and he buried them under the great tree near Shechem. As they set out, a terror from God spread over the people in all the towns of that area, so no one attacked Jacob’s family.

Eventually, Jacob and his household arrived at Luz (also called Bethel) in Canaan. Jacob built an altar there and named the place El-bethel (which means “God of Bethel”), because God had appeared to him there when he was fleeing from his brother, Esau.

Soon after this, Rebekah’s old nurse, Deborah, died. She was buried beneath the oak tree in the valley below Bethel. Ever since, the tree has been called Allon-bacuth (which means “oak of weeping”).

Now that Jacob had returned from Paddan-aram, God appeared to him again at Bethel. God blessed him, 10 saying, “Your name is Jacob, but you will not be called Jacob any longer. From now on your name will be Israel.”[b] So God renamed him Israel.

11 Then God said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Be fruitful and multiply. You will become a great nation, even many nations. Kings will be among your descendants! 12 And I will give you the land I once gave to Abraham and Isaac. Yes, I will give it to you and your descendants after you.” 13 Then God went up from the place where he had spoken to Jacob.

14 Jacob set up a stone pillar to mark the place where God had spoken to him. Then he poured wine over it as an offering to God and anointed the pillar with olive oil. 15 And Jacob named the place Bethel (which means “house of God”), because God had spoken to him there.

The Deaths of Rachel and Isaac

16 Leaving Bethel, Jacob and his clan moved on toward Ephrath. But Rachel went into labor while they were still some distance away. Her labor pains were intense. 17 After a very hard delivery, the midwife finally exclaimed, “Don’t be afraid—you have another son!” 18 Rachel was about to die, but with her last breath she named the baby Ben-oni (which means “son of my sorrow”). The baby’s father, however, called him Benjamin (which means “son of my right hand”). 19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). 20 Jacob set up a stone monument over Rachel’s grave, and it can be seen there to this day.

21 Then Jacob[c] traveled on and camped beyond Migdal-eder. 22 While he was living there, Reuben had intercourse with Bilhah, his father’s concubine, and Jacob soon heard about it.

These are the names of the twelve sons of Jacob:

23 The sons of Leah were Reuben (Jacob’s oldest son), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.

24 The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin.

25 The sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, were Dan and Naphtali.

26 The sons of Zilpah, Leah’s servant, were Gad and Asher.

These are the names of the sons who were born to Jacob at Paddan-aram.

27 So Jacob returned to his father, Isaac, in Mamre, which is near Kiriath-arba (now called Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had both lived as foreigners. 28 Isaac lived for 180 years. 29 Then he breathed his last and died at a ripe old age, joining his ancestors in death. And his sons, Esau and Jacob, buried him.

Descendants of Esau

36 This is the account of the descendants of Esau (also known as Edom). Esau married two young women from Canaan: Adah, the daughter of Elon the Hittite; and Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite. He also married his cousin Basemath, who was the daughter of Ishmael and the sister of Nebaioth. Adah gave birth to a son named Eliphaz for Esau. Basemath gave birth to a son named Reuel. Oholibamah gave birth to sons named Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. All these sons were born to Esau in the land of Canaan.

Esau took his wives, his children, and his entire household, along with his livestock and cattle—all the wealth he had acquired in the land of Canaan—and moved away from his brother, Jacob. There was not enough land to support them both because of all the livestock and possessions they had acquired. So Esau (also known as Edom) settled in the hill country of Seir.

This is the account of Esau’s descendants, the Edomites, who lived in the hill country of Seir.

10 These are the names of Esau’s sons: Eliphaz, the son of Esau’s wife Adah; and Reuel, the son of Esau’s wife Basemath.

11 The descendants of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz. 12 Timna, the concubine of Esau’s son Eliphaz, gave birth to a son named Amalek. These are the descendants of Esau’s wife Adah.

13 The descendants of Reuel were Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These are the descendants of Esau’s wife Basemath.

14 Esau also had sons through Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon. Their names were Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.

15 These are the descendants of Esau who became the leaders of various clans:

The descendants of Esau’s oldest son, Eliphaz, became the leaders of the clans of Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz, 16 Korah, Gatam, and Amalek. These are the clan leaders in the land of Edom who descended from Eliphaz. All these were descendants of Esau’s wife Adah.

17 The descendants of Esau’s son Reuel became the leaders of the clans of Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These are the clan leaders in the land of Edom who descended from Reuel. All these were descendants of Esau’s wife Basemath.

18 The descendants of Esau and his wife Oholibamah became the leaders of the clans of Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These are the clan leaders who descended from Esau’s wife Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah.

19 These are the clans descended from Esau (also known as Edom), identified by their clan leaders.

Original Peoples of Edom

20 These are the names of the tribes that descended from Seir the Horite. They lived in the land of Edom: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, 21 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These were the Horite clan leaders, the descendants of Seir, who lived in the land of Edom.

22 The descendants of Lotan were Hori and Hemam. Lotan’s sister was named Timna.

23 The descendants of Shobal were Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam.

24 The descendants of Zibeon were Aiah and Anah. (This is the Anah who discovered the hot springs in the wilderness while he was grazing his father’s donkeys.)

25 The descendants of Anah were his son, Dishon, and his daughter, Oholibamah.

26 The descendants of Dishon[d] were Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Keran.

27 The descendants of Ezer were Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan.

28 The descendants of Dishan were Uz and Aran.

29 So these were the leaders of the Horite clans: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, 30 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. The Horite clans are named after their clan leaders, who lived in the land of Seir.

Rulers of Edom

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

32 Bela son of Beor, who ruled in Edom from his city of Dinhabah.

33 When Bela died, Jobab son of Zerah from Bozrah became king in his place.

34 When Jobab died, Husham from the land of the Temanites became king in his place.

35 When Husham died, Hadad son of Bedad became king in his place and ruled from the city of Avith. He was the one who defeated the Midianites in the land of Moab.

36 When Hadad died, Samlah from the city of Masrekah became king in his place.

37 When Samlah died, Shaul from the city of Rehoboth-on-the-River became king in his place.

38 When Shaul died, Baal-hanan son of Acbor became king in his place.

39 When Baal-hanan son of Acbor died, Hadad[f] became king in his place and ruled from the city of Pau. His wife was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred and granddaughter of Me-zahab.

40 These are the names of the leaders of the clans descended from Esau, who lived in the places named for them: Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, 41 Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, 42 Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, 43 Magdiel, and Iram. These are the leaders of the clans of Edom, listed according to their settlements in the land they occupied. They all descended from Esau, the ancestor of the Edomites.

Footnotes

  1. 34:7 Hebrew a disgraceful thing in Israel.
  2. 35:10 Jacob sounds like the Hebrew words for “heel” and “deceiver.” Israel means “God fights.”
  3. 35:21 Hebrew Israel; also in 35:22a. The names “Jacob” and “Israel” are often interchanged throughout the Old Testament, referring sometimes to the individual patriarch and sometimes to the nation.
  4. 36:26 Hebrew Dishan, a variant spelling of Dishon; compare 36:21, 28.
  5. 36:31 Or before an Israelite king ruled over them.
  6. 36:39 As in some Hebrew manuscripts, Samaritan Pentateuch, and Syriac version (see also 1 Chr 1:50); most Hebrew manuscripts read Hadar.

The Treachery of Jacob’s Sons

34 Now (A)Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to [a]visit the daughters of the land. When Shechem the son of Hamor (B)the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, he took her and lay with her and raped her. But [b]he was deeply attracted to Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the girl and [c]spoke tenderly to her. So Shechem (C)spoke to his father Hamor, saying, “Get me this young woman as a wife.” Now Jacob heard that he had defiled his daughter Dinah; but his sons were with his livestock in the field, so Jacob said nothing until they came in. Then Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him. Now the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard about it; and the men were grieved, and they were very angry because he had done a [d](D)disgraceful thing in Israel by [e]sleeping with Jacob’s daughter, for such a thing ought not to be done.

But Hamor spoke with them, saying, “The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter; please give her to him [f]in marriage. And intermarry with us; give your daughters to us and take our daughters for yourselves. 10 So you will live with us, and (E)the land shall be [g]open to you; live and (F)trade in it and (G)acquire property in it.” 11 Shechem also said to her father and to her brothers, “Let me find favor in your sight, and I will give whatever you tell me. 12 Demand of me ever so much bridal payment and gift, and I will give whatever you tell me; but give me the girl [h]in marriage.”

13 But Jacob’s sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor with deceit, because he had defiled their sister Dinah. 14 They said to them, “We cannot do this thing, that is, give our sister to a (H)man who is uncircumcised, for that would be a disgrace to us. 15 Only on this condition will we consent to you: if you will become like us, in that every male of you will be circumcised, 16 then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters for ourselves, and we will live with you and become one people. 17 But if you do not listen to us to be circumcised, then we will take our daughter and go.”

18 Now their words seemed [i]reasonable to Hamor and Shechem, Hamor’s son. 19 The young man did not delay to do [j]this, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter. Now he was more respected than all the household of his father. 20 So Hamor and his son Shechem came to the (I)gate of their city and spoke to the people of their city, saying, 21 “These men are [k]friendly to us; therefore let them live in the land and trade in it, for behold, the land is [l]large enough for them. We will take their daughters [m]in marriage, and give our daughters to them. 22 Only on this condition will the men consent to us to live with us, to become one people: that every male among us be circumcised just as they are circumcised. 23 Will their livestock and their property and all their animals not be ours? Let’s just consent to them, and they will live with us.” 24 (J)All who went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor and to his son Shechem, and every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city.

25 Now it came about on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of Jacob’s sons—(K)Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers—each took his sword and came upon the city undetected, and killed every male. 26 They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah from Shechem’s house, and left. 27 Jacob’s sons came upon those killed and looted the city, because they had defiled their sister. 28 They took their flocks, their herds, and their donkeys, and that which was in the city and that which was in the field; 29 and they captured and looted all their wealth and all their little ones and their wives, even everything that was in the houses. 30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have (L)brought trouble on me by (M)making me repulsive among the inhabitants of the land, among (N)the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and [n](O)since my men are few in number, they will band together against me and [o]attack me, and I will be destroyed, I and my household!” 31 But they said, “Should he [p]treat our sister like a prostitute?”

Jacob Moves to Bethel

35 Then God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to (P)Bethel and live there, and make an altar there to (Q)God, who appeared to you (R)when you fled [q]from your brother Esau.” So Jacob said to his (S)household and to all who were with him, “Remove (T)the foreign gods which are among you, and (U)purify yourselves and change your garments; and let’s arise and go up to Bethel, and I will make (V)an altar there to God, (W)who answered me on the day of my distress and (X)has been with me [r]wherever I have gone.” So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods which [s]they had and the rings which were in their ears, and Jacob hid them under the [t]oak which was near Shechem.

As they journeyed, there was [u](Y)a great terror upon the cities which were around them, and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob. So Jacob came to (Z)Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him. Then (AA)he built an altar there, and called the place [v]El-bethel, because there God had revealed Himself to him when he fled [w]from his brother. Now (AB)Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died, and she was buried below Bethel under the oak; and it was named [x]Allon-bacuth.

Jacob Is Named Israel

Then God appeared to Jacob again when he came from Paddan-aram, and He (AC)blessed him. 10 (AD)God said to him,

“Your name is Jacob;
[y]You shall no longer be called Jacob,
But Israel shall be your name.”

So He called [z]him Israel. 11 God also said to him,

“I am [aa](AE)God Almighty;
(AF)Be fruitful and multiply;
A nation and a (AG)multitude of nations shall [ab]come from you,
And (AH)kings shall [ac]come from [ad]you.
12 And (AI)the land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac,
I will give to you,
And I will give the land to your [ae]descendants after you.”

13 Then (AJ)God went up from him at the place where He had spoken with him. 14 So Jacob set up (AK)a memorial stone in the place where He had spoken with him, a memorial of stone, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it. 15 And Jacob named the place where God had spoken with him, [af](AL)Bethel.

16 Then they journeyed on from Bethel; but when there was still some distance to go to (AM)Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and she suffered severe difficulties in her labor. 17 And when she was suffering severe difficulties in her labor, the midwife said to her, “Do not fear, for (AN)you have another son!” 18 And it came about, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she named him [ag]Ben-oni; but his father called him [ah]Benjamin. 19 So (AO)Rachel died and was buried on the way to (AP)Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). 20 And Jacob set up a memorial stone over her grave; that is the (AQ)memorial stone of Rachel’s grave to this day. 21 Then Israel journeyed on and pitched his tent beyond the [ai](AR)tower of [aj]Eder.

The Sons of Israel

22 And it came about, while Israel was living in that land, that (AS)Reuben went and slept with his father’s concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard about it.

Now there were twelve sons of Jacob— 23 (AT)the sons of Leah were Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, then Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun; 24 (AU)the sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin; 25 and (AV)the sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s female slave, were Dan and Naphtali; 26 and (AW)the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s female slave, were Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

27 Jacob came to his father Isaac at (AX)Mamre of (AY)Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had resided.

28 Now the days of Isaac were (AZ)180 years. 29 Then Isaac breathed his last and died, and was (BA)gathered to his people, an (BB)old man [ak]of ripe age; and (BC)his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

Esau Moves

36 Now these are the records of the generations of (BD)Esau (that is, Edom).

Esau (BE)took his wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and (BF)Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, the [al](BG)granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite; also Basemath, Ishmael’s daughter, the sister of Nebaioth. Adah bore (BH)Eliphaz to Esau, and Basemath gave birth to Reuel, and Oholibamah gave birth to Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These are the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan.

(BI)Then Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all [am]his household, and his livestock and all his cattle, and all his property which he had acquired in the land of Canaan, and went to another land away from his brother Jacob. (BJ)For their possessions had become too great for them to live together, and the (BK)land where they (BL)resided could not support them because of their livestock. So Esau lived in the hill country of (BM)Seir; Esau is (BN)Edom.

Descendants of Esau

These then are the records of the generations of Esau the father of [an]the Edomites in the hill country of Seir. 10 These are the names of Esau’s sons: Eliphaz the son of Esau’s wife Adah, and Reuel the son of Esau’s wife Basemath. 11 The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, [ao]Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz. 12 Timna was a concubine of Esau’s son Eliphaz, and she bore (BO)Amalek to Eliphaz. These are the sons of Esau’s wife Adah. 13 And these are the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These were the sons of Esau’s wife Basemath. 14 And these were the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah, the [ap]granddaughter of Zibeon: [aq]she bore to Esau Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.

15 These are the chiefs of the sons of Esau. The sons of Eliphaz, the firstborn of Esau, are chief Teman, chief Omar, chief Zepho, chief Kenaz, 16 chief Korah, chief Gatam, and chief Amalek. These are the chiefs [ar]descended from Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Adah. 17 And these are the sons of Reuel, Esau’s son: chief Nahath, chief Zerah, chief Shammah, and chief Mizzah. These are the chiefs [as]descended from Reuel in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Esau’s wife Basemath. 18 And these are the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah: chief Jeush, chief Jalam, and chief Korah. These are the chiefs [at]descended from Esau’s wife Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah. 19 These are the sons of Esau (that is, Edom), and these are their chiefs.

20 These are the sons of Seir (BP)the Horite, the inhabitants of the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, 21 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These are the chiefs [au]descended from the Horites, the sons of Seir in the land of Edom. 22 And the sons of Lotan were Hori and [av]Hemam; and Lotan’s sister was Timna. 23 And these are the sons of Shobal: [aw]Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, [ax]Shepho, and Onam. 24 And these are the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah—he is the Anah who found the hot springs in the wilderness when he was pasturing the donkeys of his father Zibeon. 25 And these are the children of Anah: Dishon, and Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah. 26 And these are the sons of [ay](BQ)Dishon: [az]Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran. 27 These are the sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and [ba]Akan. 28 These are the sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran. 29 These are the chiefs [bb]descended from the Horites: chief Lotan, chief Shobal, chief Zibeon, chief Anah, 30 chief Dishon, chief Ezer, and chief Dishan. These are the chiefs [bc]descended from the Horites, according to their various chiefs in the land of Seir.

31 Now these are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any (BR)king reigned over the sons of Israel. 32 [bd](BS)Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom, and the name of his city was Dinhabah. 33 Then Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah became king in his place. 34 Then Jobab died, and Husham of the land of the Temanites became king in his place. 35 Then Husham died, and Hadad the son of Bedad, who [be]defeated Midian in the field of Moab, became king in his place; and the name of his city was Avith. 36 Then Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah became king in his place. 37 Then Samlah died, and Shaul of Rehoboth on the Euphrates River became king in his place. 38 Then Shaul died, and Baal-hanan the son of Achbor became king in his place. 39 Then Baal-hanan the son of Achbor died, and [bf]Hadar became king in his place; and the name of his city was [bg]Pau; and his wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, daughter of Mezahab.

40 Now these are the names of the chiefs [bh]descended from Esau, according to their families and their localities, by their names: chief Timna, chief [bi]Alvah, chief Jetheth, 41 chief Oholibamah, chief Elah, chief Pinon, 42 chief Kenaz, chief Teman, chief Mibzar, 43 chief Magdiel, and chief Iram. These are the chiefs of Edom (that is, Esau, the father of [bj]the Edomites), according to their settlements in the land of their possession.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 34:1 Lit see
  2. Genesis 34:3 Lit His soul clung
  3. Genesis 34:3 Lit spoke to the heart of the girl
  4. Genesis 34:7 Lit senseless
  5. Genesis 34:7 I.e., violating her
  6. Genesis 34:8 Lit for a wife
  7. Genesis 34:10 Lit before you
  8. Genesis 34:12 Lit for a wife
  9. Genesis 34:18 Lit good
  10. Genesis 34:19 Lit the thing
  11. Genesis 34:21 Lit peaceful
  12. Genesis 34:21 Lit wide of hands before them
  13. Genesis 34:21 Lit to us for wives
  14. Genesis 34:30 Lit I, few in number
  15. Genesis 34:30 Lit strike
  16. Genesis 34:31 Or make
  17. Genesis 35:1 Lit from the face of
  18. Genesis 35:3 Lit in the way which
  19. Genesis 35:4 Lit were in their hand
  20. Genesis 35:4 Or terebinth
  21. Genesis 35:5 Or a terror of God
  22. Genesis 35:7 I.e., the God of Bethel
  23. Genesis 35:7 Lit from the face of
  24. Genesis 35:8 I.e., oak of weeping
  25. Genesis 35:10 Lit Your name
  26. Genesis 35:10 Lit his name
  27. Genesis 35:11 Heb El Shaddai
  28. Genesis 35:11 Or come into being
  29. Genesis 35:11 Or come into being
  30. Genesis 35:11 Lit your loins
  31. Genesis 35:12 Lit seed
  32. Genesis 35:15 I.e., house of God
  33. Genesis 35:18 I.e., the son of my sorrow
  34. Genesis 35:18 I.e., the son of the right hand
  35. Genesis 35:21 Heb Migdal-eder
  36. Genesis 35:21 Or flock
  37. Genesis 35:29 Lit and satisfied with days
  38. Genesis 36:2 Lit daughter; LXX son (referring to Anah)
  39. Genesis 36:6 Lit the souls of his house
  40. Genesis 36:9 Lit Edom
  41. Genesis 36:11 In 1 Chr 1:36, Zephi
  42. Genesis 36:14 See note v 2
  43. Genesis 36:14 Lit and she
  44. Genesis 36:16 Lit of Eliphaz
  45. Genesis 36:17 Lit of Reuel
  46. Genesis 36:18 Lit of Oholibamah, Esau’s wife
  47. Genesis 36:21 Lit of the Horites
  48. Genesis 36:22 In 1 Chr 1:39, Homam
  49. Genesis 36:23 In 1 Chr 1:40, Alian
  50. Genesis 36:23 In 1 Chr 1:40, Shephi
  51. Genesis 36:26 Heb Dishan
  52. Genesis 36:26 In 1 Chr 1:41, Hamran
  53. Genesis 36:27 In 1 Chr 1:42, Jaakan
  54. Genesis 36:29 Lit of the Horites
  55. Genesis 36:30 Lit of the Horites
  56. Genesis 36:32 Lit And Bela
  57. Genesis 36:35 Or struck
  58. Genesis 36:39 In 1 Chr 1:50, Hadad
  59. Genesis 36:39 In 1 Chr 1:50, Pai
  60. Genesis 36:40 Lit of Esau
  61. Genesis 36:40 In 1 Chr 1:51, Aliah
  62. Genesis 36:43 Heb Edom

Dinah and the Shechemites

34 Now Dinah,(A) the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the women of the land. When Shechem(B) son of Hamor(C) the Hivite,(D) the ruler of that area, saw her, he took her and raped her.(E) His heart was drawn to Dinah(F) daughter of Jacob;(G) he loved(H) the young woman and spoke tenderly(I) to her. And Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Get me this girl as my wife.”(J)

When Jacob heard that his daughter Dinah had been defiled,(K) his sons were in the fields with his livestock; so he did nothing about it until they came home.

Then Shechem’s father Hamor went out to talk with Jacob.(L) Meanwhile, Jacob’s sons had come in from the fields as soon as they heard what had happened. They were shocked(M) and furious,(N) because Shechem had done an outrageous thing in[a] Israel(O) by sleeping with Jacob’s daughter—a thing that should not be done.(P)

But Hamor said to them, “My son Shechem has his heart set on your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife.(Q) Intermarry with us; give us your daughters and take our daughters for yourselves.(R) 10 You can settle among us;(S) the land is open to you.(T) Live in it, trade[b] in it,(U) and acquire property in it.(V)

11 Then Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes,(W) and I will give you whatever you ask. 12 Make the price for the bride(X) and the gift I am to bring as great as you like, and I’ll pay whatever you ask me. Only give me the young woman as my wife.”

13 Because their sister Dinah had been defiled,(Y) Jacob’s sons replied deceitfully(Z) as they spoke to Shechem and his father Hamor. 14 They said to them, “We can’t do such a thing; we can’t give our sister to a man who is not circumcised.(AA) That would be a disgrace to us. 15 We will enter into an agreement with you on one condition(AB) only: that you become like us by circumcising all your males.(AC) 16 Then we will give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves.(AD) We’ll settle among you and become one people with you.(AE) 17 But if you will not agree to be circumcised, we’ll take our sister and go.”

18 Their proposal seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem. 19 The young man, who was the most honored(AF) of all his father’s family, lost no time in doing what they said, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter.(AG) 20 So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city(AH) to speak to the men of their city. 21 “These men are friendly toward us,” they said. “Let them live in our land and trade in it;(AI) the land has plenty of room for them. We can marry their daughters and they can marry ours.(AJ) 22 But the men will agree to live with us as one people only on the condition that our males be circumcised,(AK) as they themselves are. 23 Won’t their livestock, their property and all their other animals become ours?(AL) So let us agree to their terms, and they will settle among us.(AM)

24 All the men who went out of the city gate(AN) agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male in the city was circumcised.

25 Three days later, while all of them were still in pain,(AO) two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon(AP) and Levi,(AQ) Dinah’s brothers, took their swords(AR) and attacked the unsuspecting city,(AS) killing every male.(AT) 26 They put Hamor and his son Shechem to the sword(AU) and took Dinah(AV) from Shechem’s house and left. 27 The sons of Jacob came upon the dead bodies and looted the city(AW) where[c] their sister had been defiled.(AX) 28 They seized their flocks and herds and donkeys(AY) and everything else of theirs in the city and out in the fields.(AZ) 29 They carried off all their wealth and all their women and children,(BA) taking as plunder(BB) everything in the houses.(BC)

30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble(BD) on me by making me obnoxious(BE) to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people living in this land.(BF) We are few in number,(BG) and if they join forces against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.”

31 But they replied, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?(BH)

Jacob Returns to Bethel

35 Then God said to Jacob, “Go up to Bethel(BI) and settle there, and build an altar(BJ) there to God,(BK) who appeared to you(BL) when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.”(BM)

So Jacob said to his household(BN) and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods(BO) you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes.(BP) Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God,(BQ) who answered me in the day of my distress(BR) and who has been with me wherever I have gone.(BS) So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears,(BT) and Jacob buried them under the oak(BU) at Shechem.(BV) Then they set out, and the terror of God(BW) fell on the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.(BX)

Jacob and all the people with him came to Luz(BY) (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan.(BZ) There he built an altar,(CA) and he called the place El Bethel,[d](CB) because it was there that God revealed himself to him(CC) when he was fleeing from his brother.(CD)

Now Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse,(CE) died and was buried under the oak(CF) outside Bethel.(CG) So it was named Allon Bakuth.[e]

After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram,[f](CH) God appeared to him again and blessed him.(CI) 10 God said to him, “Your name is Jacob,[g] but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel.[h](CJ) So he named him Israel.

11 And God said to him, “I am God Almighty[i];(CK) be fruitful and increase in number.(CL) A nation(CM) and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants.(CN) 12 The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.(CO)(CP) 13 Then God went up from him(CQ) at the place where he had talked with him.

14 Jacob set up a stone pillar(CR) at the place where God had talked with him, and he poured out a drink offering(CS) on it; he also poured oil on it.(CT) 15 Jacob called the place where God had talked with him Bethel.[j](CU)

The Deaths of Rachel and Isaac(CV)

16 Then they moved on from Bethel. While they were still some distance from Ephrath,(CW) Rachel(CX) began to give birth and had great difficulty. 17 And as she was having great difficulty in childbirth, the midwife(CY) said to her, “Don’t despair, for you have another son.”(CZ) 18 As she breathed her last—for she was dying—she named her son Ben-Oni.[k](DA) But his father named him Benjamin.[l](DB)

19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath(DC) (that is, Bethlehem(DD)). 20 Over her tomb Jacob set up a pillar, and to this day(DE) that pillar marks Rachel’s tomb.(DF)

21 Israel moved on again and pitched his tent beyond Migdal Eder.(DG) 22 While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father’s concubine(DH) Bilhah,(DI) and Israel heard of it.

Jacob had twelve sons:

23 The sons of Leah:(DJ)

Reuben the firstborn(DK) of Jacob,

Simeon, Levi, Judah,(DL) Issachar and Zebulun.(DM)

24 The sons of Rachel:

Joseph(DN) and Benjamin.(DO)

25 The sons of Rachel’s servant Bilhah:(DP)

Dan and Naphtali.(DQ)

26 The sons of Leah’s servant Zilpah:(DR)

Gad(DS) and Asher.(DT)

These were the sons of Jacob,(DU) who were born to him in Paddan Aram.(DV)

27 Jacob came home to his father Isaac(DW) in Mamre,(DX) near Kiriath Arba(DY) (that is, Hebron),(DZ) where Abraham and Isaac had stayed.(EA) 28 Isaac lived a hundred and eighty years.(EB) 29 Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people,(EC) old and full of years.(ED) And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.(EE)

Esau’s Descendants(EF)(EG)

36 This is the account(EH) of the family line of Esau (that is, Edom).(EI)

Esau took his wives from the women of Canaan:(EJ) Adah daughter of Elon the Hittite,(EK) and Oholibamah(EL) daughter of Anah(EM) and granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite(EN) also Basemath(EO) daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth.(EP)

Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, Basemath bore Reuel,(EQ) and Oholibamah bore Jeush, Jalam and Korah.(ER) These were the sons of Esau, who were born to him in Canaan.

Esau took his wives and sons and daughters and all the members of his household, as well as his livestock and all his other animals and all the goods he had acquired in Canaan,(ES) and moved to a land some distance from his brother Jacob.(ET) Their possessions were too great for them to remain together; the land where they were staying could not support them both because of their livestock.(EU) So Esau(EV) (that is, Edom)(EW) settled in the hill country of Seir.(EX)

This is the account(EY) of the family line of Esau the father of the Edomites(EZ) in the hill country of Seir.

10 These are the names of Esau’s sons:

Eliphaz, the son of Esau’s wife Adah, and Reuel, the son of Esau’s wife Basemath.(FA)

11 The sons of Eliphaz:(FB)

Teman,(FC) Omar, Zepho, Gatam and Kenaz.(FD)

12 Esau’s son Eliphaz also had a concubine(FE) named Timna, who bore him Amalek.(FF) These were grandsons of Esau’s wife Adah.(FG)

13 The sons of Reuel:

Nahath, Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah. These were grandsons of Esau’s wife Basemath.(FH)

14 The sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah(FI) daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon, whom she bore to Esau:

Jeush, Jalam and Korah.(FJ)

15 These were the chiefs(FK) among Esau’s descendants:

The sons of Eliphaz the firstborn of Esau:

Chiefs Teman,(FL) Omar, Zepho, Kenaz,(FM) 16 Korah,[m] Gatam and Amalek. These were the chiefs descended from Eliphaz(FN) in Edom;(FO) they were grandsons of Adah.(FP)

17 The sons of Esau’s son Reuel:(FQ)

Chiefs Nahath, Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah. These were the chiefs descended from Reuel in Edom; they were grandsons of Esau’s wife Basemath.(FR)

18 The sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah:(FS)

Chiefs Jeush, Jalam and Korah.(FT) These were the chiefs descended from Esau’s wife Oholibamah daughter of Anah.

19 These were the sons of Esau(FU) (that is, Edom),(FV) and these were their chiefs.(FW)

20 These were the sons of Seir the Horite,(FX) who were living in the region:

Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah,(FY) 21 Dishon, Ezer and Dishan. These sons of Seir in Edom were Horite chiefs.(FZ)

22 The sons of Lotan:

Hori and Homam.[n] Timna was Lotan’s sister.

23 The sons of Shobal:

Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho and Onam.

24 The sons of Zibeon:(GA)

Aiah and Anah. This is the Anah who discovered the hot springs[o](GB) in the desert while he was grazing the donkeys(GC) of his father Zibeon.

25 The children of Anah:(GD)

Dishon and Oholibamah(GE) daughter of Anah.

26 The sons of Dishon[p]:

Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran and Keran.

27 The sons of Ezer:

Bilhan, Zaavan and Akan.

28 The sons of Dishan:

Uz and Aran.

29 These were the Horite chiefs:

Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah,(GF) 30 Dishon, Ezer and Dishan. These were the Horite chiefs,(GG) according to their divisions, in the land of Seir.

The Rulers of Edom(GH)

31 These were the kings who reigned in Edom before any Israelite king(GI) reigned:

32 Bela son of Beor became king of Edom. His city was named Dinhabah.

33 When Bela died, Jobab son of Zerah from Bozrah(GJ) succeeded him as king.

34 When Jobab died, Husham from the land of the Temanites(GK) succeeded him as king.

35 When Husham died, Hadad son of Bedad, who defeated Midian(GL) in the country of Moab,(GM) succeeded him as king. His city was named Avith.

36 When Hadad died, Samlah from Masrekah succeeded him as king.

37 When Samlah died, Shaul from Rehoboth(GN) on the river succeeded him as king.

38 When Shaul died, Baal-Hanan son of Akbor succeeded him as king.

39 When Baal-Hanan son of Akbor died, Hadad[q] succeeded him as king. His city was named Pau, and his wife’s name was Mehetabel daughter of Matred, the daughter of Me-Zahab.

40 These were the chiefs(GO) descended from Esau, by name, according to their clans and regions:

Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, 41 Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, 42 Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, 43 Magdiel and Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom, according to their settlements in the land they occupied.

This is the family line of Esau, the father of the Edomites.(GP)

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 34:7 Or against
  2. Genesis 34:10 Or move about freely; also in verse 21
  3. Genesis 34:27 Or because
  4. Genesis 35:7 El Bethel means God of Bethel.
  5. Genesis 35:8 Allon Bakuth means oak of weeping.
  6. Genesis 35:9 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia; also in verse 26
  7. Genesis 35:10 Jacob means he grasps the heel, a Hebrew idiom for he deceives.
  8. Genesis 35:10 Israel probably means he struggles with God.
  9. Genesis 35:11 Hebrew El-Shaddai
  10. Genesis 35:15 Bethel means house of God.
  11. Genesis 35:18 Ben-Oni means son of my trouble.
  12. Genesis 35:18 Benjamin means son of my right hand.
  13. Genesis 36:16 Masoretic Text; Samaritan Pentateuch (also verse 11 and 1 Chron. 1:36) does not have Korah.
  14. Genesis 36:22 Hebrew Hemam, a variant of Homam (see 1 Chron. 1:39)
  15. Genesis 36:24 Vulgate; Syriac discovered water; the meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  16. Genesis 36:26 Hebrew Dishan, a variant of Dishon
  17. Genesis 36:39 Many manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Samaritan Pentateuch and Syriac (see also 1 Chron. 1:50); most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text Hadar

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

14 One Sabbath day Jesus went to eat dinner in the home of a leader of the Pharisees, and the people were watching him closely. There was a man there whose arms and legs were swollen.[a] Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in religious law, “Is it permitted in the law to heal people on the Sabbath day, or not?” When they refused to answer, Jesus touched the sick man and healed him and sent him away. Then he turned to them and said, “Which of you doesn’t work on the Sabbath? If your son[b] or your cow falls into a pit, don’t you rush to get him out?” Again they could not answer.

Jesus Teaches about Humility

When Jesus noticed that all who had come to the dinner were trying to sit in the seats of honor near the head of the table, he gave them this advice: “When you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the seat of honor. What if someone who is more distinguished than you has also been invited? The host will come and say, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then you will be embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table!

10 “Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place for you!’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests. 11 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

12 Then he turned to his host. “When you put on a luncheon or a banquet,” he said, “don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward. 13 Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14 Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.”

Parable of the Great Feast

15 Hearing this, a man sitting at the table with Jesus exclaimed, “What a blessing it will be to attend a banquet[c] in the Kingdom of God!”

16 Jesus replied with this story: “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. 17 When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’ 18 But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’ 19 Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’ 20 Another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’

21 “The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ 22 After the servant had done this, he reported, ‘There is still room for more.’ 23 So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full. 24 For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.’”

The Cost of Being a Disciple

25 A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them, 26 “If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. 27 And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.

28 “But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? 29 Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. 30 They would say, ‘There’s the person who started that building and couldn’t afford to finish it!’

31 “Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him? 32 And if he can’t, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace while the enemy is still far away. 33 So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.

34 “Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? 35 Flavorless salt is good neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. It is thrown away. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!”

Footnotes

  1. 14:2 Or who had dropsy.
  2. 14:5 Some manuscripts read donkey.
  3. 14:15 Greek to eat bread.

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

14 It happened that when He went into the house of one of the [a]leaders of the Pharisees on the Sabbath to eat bread, (A)they were watching Him [b]closely. And [c]there in front of Him was a man suffering from [d]edema. And Jesus responded and said to the [e](B)lawyers and [f]Pharisees, (C)Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” But they kept silent. And He took hold of him and healed him, and sent him away. And He said to them, [g](D)Which one of you will have a son or an ox fall into a well, and will not immediately pull him out on a Sabbath day?” (E)And they could offer no reply to this.

Parable of the Guests

Now He began telling a parable to the invited guests when He noticed how (F)they had been picking out the places of honor at the table, saying to them, “Whenever you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, (G)do not [h]take the place of honor, for someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him, and the one who invited you [i]both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then (H)in disgrace you will proceed to occupy the last place. 10 But whenever you are invited, go and [j]take the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, (I)move up higher’; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are [k]dining at the table with you. 11 (J)For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

12 Now He also went on to say to the one who had invited Him, “Whenever you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor wealthy neighbors, otherwise they may also invite you to a meal in return, and that will be your [l]repayment. 13 But whenever you give a [m]banquet, invite people who are poor, who have disabilities, who are limping, and people who are blind; 14 and you will be blessed, since they [n]do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at (K)the resurrection of the righteous.”

15 Now when one of those who were reclining at the table with Him heard this, he said to Him, “(L)Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!”

Parable of the Dinner

16 But He said to him, (M)A man was giving a big dinner, and he invited many; 17 and at the dinner hour he sent his slave to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, because everything is ready now.’ 18 And yet they all alike began to make excuses. The first one said to him, ‘I purchased a field and I need to go out to look at it; [o]please consider me excused.’ 19 And another one said, ‘I bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; [p]please consider me excused.’ 20 And another one said, ‘(N)I took a woman as my wife, and for that reason I cannot come.’ 21 And the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the head of the household became angry and said to his slave, ‘Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here those who are poor, those with disabilities, those who are blind, and those who are limping.’ 22 And later the slave said, ‘Master, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ 23 And the master said to the slave, ‘Go out into the roads and the hedges and press upon them to come in, so that my house will be filled. 24 For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my dinner.’”

Discipleship Tested

25 Now [q]large crowds were going along with Him, and He turned and said to them, 26 (O)If anyone comes to Me and does not [r]hate his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. 27 Whoever does not (P)carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who are watching it will begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build, and was not able to finish!’ 31 Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and (Q)consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to face the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 Otherwise, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and requests terms of peace. 33 So then, none of you can be My disciple who (R)does not [s]give up all his own possessions.

34 “Therefore, salt is good; but (S)if even salt has become tasteless, with what will it be [t]seasoned? 35 It is useless either for the soil or the manure pile, so it is thrown out. (T)The one who has ears to hear, [u]let him hear.”

Footnotes

  1. Luke 14:1 I.e., members of the Sanhedrin
  2. Luke 14:1 Or maliciously
  3. Luke 14:2 Lit behold
  4. Luke 14:2 I.e., extreme swelling
  5. Luke 14:3 I.e., experts in Mosaic Law
  6. Luke 14:3 Lit Pharisees, saying
  7. Luke 14:5 Lit Whose son of you...will fall
  8. Luke 14:8 Lit recline at
  9. Luke 14:9 Lit and him
  10. Luke 14:10 Lit recline at
  11. Luke 14:10 Lit reclining
  12. Luke 14:12 Or reward
  13. Luke 14:13 Or reception
  14. Luke 14:14 Or are unable to
  15. Luke 14:18 Lit I request of you
  16. Luke 14:19 Lit I request of you
  17. Luke 14:25 Lit many
  18. Luke 14:26 I.e., in comparison to his love for Me
  19. Luke 14:33 Or renounce
  20. Luke 14:34 Or salted
  21. Luke 14:35 Or hear! Or listen!

Jesus at a Pharisee’s House(A)

14 One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee,(B) he was being carefully watched.(C) There in front of him was a man suffering from abnormal swelling of his body. Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law,(D) “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?”(E) But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him on his way.

Then he asked them, “If one of you has a child[a] or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull it out?”(F) And they had nothing to say.

When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table,(G) he told them this parable: “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. 10 But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. 11 For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”(H)

12 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,(I) 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”(J)

The Parable of the Great Banquet(K)

15 When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast(L) in the kingdom of God.”(M)

16 Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’

18 “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’

19 “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’

20 “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’

21 “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’(N)

22 “‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’

23 “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’”(O)

The Cost of Being a Disciple

25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.(P) 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.(Q)

28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.(R)

34 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?(S) 35 It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.(T)

“Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”(U)

Footnotes

  1. Luke 14:5 Some manuscripts donkey