Salt and Light

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.^(A)

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world.^(B) A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.^{(C) 16} In the same way, let your light shine before others,^(D) that they may see your good deeds^(E) and glorify^(F) your Father in heaven.

The Fulfillment of the Law

¹⁷ “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.^{(G) 18} For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.^{(H) 19} Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands^(I) and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.^(J)

Stephen’s Speech to the Sanhedrin

7 Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these charges true?”

² To this he replied: “Brothers and fathers,^(A) listen to me! The God of glory^(B) appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Harran.^{(C) 3} ‘Leave your country and your people,’ God said, ‘and go to the land I will show you.’^[a](D)

⁴ “So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Harran. After the death of his father, God sent him to this land where you are now living.^{(E) 5} He gave him no inheritance here,^(F) not even enough ground to set his foot on. But God promised him that he and his descendants after him would possess the land,^(G) even though at that time Abraham had no child. ⁶ God spoke to him in this way: ‘For four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated.^{(H) 7} But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves,’ God said, ‘and afterward they will come out of that country and worship me in this place.’^{[b](I) 8} Then he gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision.^(J) And Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him eight days after his birth.^(K) Later Isaac became the father of Jacob,^(L) and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs.^(M)

⁹ “Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph,^(N) they sold him as a slave into Egypt.^(O) But God was with him^{(P) 10} and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt. So Pharaoh made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace.^(Q)

¹¹ “Then a famine struck all Egypt and Canaan, bringing great suffering, and our ancestors could not find food.^{(R) 12} When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our forefathers on their first visit.^{(S) 13} On their second visit, Joseph told his brothers who he was,^(T) and Pharaoh learned about Joseph’s family.^{(U) 14} After this, Joseph sent for his father Jacob and his whole family,^(V) seventy-five in all.^{(W) 15} Then Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our ancestors died.^{(X) 16} Their bodies were brought back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a certain sum of money.^(Y)

¹⁷ “As the time drew near for God to fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt had greatly increased.^{(Z) 18} Then ‘a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt.’^{[c](AA) 19} He dealt treacherously with our people and oppressed our ancestors by forcing them to throw out their newborn babies so that they would die.^(AB)

²⁰ “At that time Moses was born, and he was no ordinary child.^[d] For three months he was cared for by his family.^{(AC) 21} When he was placed outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him and brought him up as her own son.^{(AD) 22} Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians^(AE) and was powerful in speech and action.

²³ “When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his own people, the Israelites. ²⁴ He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. ²⁵ Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not. ²⁶ The next day Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting. He tried to reconcile them by saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why do you want to hurt each other?’

²⁷ “But the man who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside and said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us?^{(AF) 28} Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’^{[e] 29} When Moses heard this, he fled to Midian, where he settled as a foreigner and had two sons.^(AG)

³⁰ “After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. ³¹ When he saw this, he was amazed at the sight. As he went over to get a closer look, he heard the Lord say:^{(AH) 32} ‘I am the God of your fathers,^(AI) the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’^[f] Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.^(AJ)

³³ “Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.^{(AK) 34} I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.’^[g](AL)

³⁵ “This is the same Moses they had rejected with the words, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’^(AM) He was sent to be their ruler and deliverer by God himself, through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. ³⁶ He led them out of Egypt^(AN) and performed wonders and signs^(AO) in Egypt, at the Red Sea^(AP) and for forty years in the wilderness.^(AQ)

³⁷ “This is the Moses who told the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your own people.’^{[h](AR) 38} He was in the assembly in the wilderness, with the angel^(AS) who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors;^(AT) and he received living words^(AU) to pass on to us.^(AV)

Psalm 11

For the director of music. Of David.

27 When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see,^(A) he called for Esau his older son^(B) and said to him, “My son.”

“Here I am,” he answered.

² Isaac said, “I am now an old man and don’t know the day of my death.^{(C) 3} Now then, get your equipment—your quiver and bow—and go out to the open country^(D) to hunt some wild game for me. ⁴ Prepare me the kind of tasty food I like^(E) and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my blessing^(F) before I die.”^(G)

⁵ Now Rebekah was listening as Isaac spoke to his son Esau. When Esau left for the open country^(H) to hunt game and bring it back, ⁶ Rebekah said to her son Jacob,^(I) “Look, I overheard your father say to your brother Esau, ⁷ ‘Bring me some game and prepare me some tasty food to eat, so that I may give you my blessing in the presence of the Lord before I die.’^{(J) 8} Now, my son, listen carefully and do what I tell you:^{(K) 9} Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats,^(L) so I can prepare some tasty food for your father, just the way he likes it.^{(M) 10} Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may give you his blessing^(N) before he dies.”

¹¹ Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “But my brother Esau is a hairy man^(O) while I have smooth skin. ¹² What if my father touches me?^(P) I would appear to be tricking him and would bring down a curse^(Q) on myself rather than a blessing.”

¹³ His mother said to him, “My son, let the curse fall on me.^(R) Just do what I say;^(S) go and get them for me.”

¹⁴ So he went and got them and brought them to his mother, and she prepared some tasty food, just the way his father liked it.^{(T) 15} Then Rebekah took the best clothes^(U) of Esau her older son,^(V) which she had in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob. ¹⁶ She also covered his hands and the smooth part of his neck with the goatskins.^{(W) 17} Then she handed to her son Jacob the tasty food and the bread she had made.

¹⁸ He went to his father and said, “My father.”

“Yes, my son,” he answered. “Who is it?”^(X)

¹⁹ Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn.^(Y) I have done as you told me. Please sit up and eat some of my game,^(Z) so that you may give me your blessing.”^(AA)

²⁰ Isaac asked his son, “How did you find it so quickly, my son?”

“The Lord your God gave me success,^(AB)” he replied.

²¹ Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come near so I can touch you,^(AC) my son, to know whether you really are my son Esau or not.”

²² Jacob went close to his father Isaac,^(AD) who touched^(AE) him and said, “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” ²³ He did not recognize him, for his hands were hairy like those of his brother Esau;^(AF) so he proceeded to bless him. ²⁴ “Are you really my son Esau?” he asked.

“I am,” he replied.

²⁵ Then he said, “My son, bring me some of your game to eat, so that I may give you my blessing.”^(AG)

Jacob brought it to him and he ate; and he brought some wine and he drank. ²⁶ Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come here, my son, and kiss me.”

²⁷ So he went to him and kissed^(AH) him^(AI). When Isaac caught the smell of his clothes,^(AJ) he blessed him and said,

³⁰ After Isaac finished blessing him, and Jacob had scarcely left his father’s presence, his brother Esau came in from hunting. ³¹ He too prepared some tasty food and brought it to his father. Then he said to him, “My father, please sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may give me your blessing.”^(AS)

³² His father Isaac asked him, “Who are you?”^(AT)

“I am your son,” he answered, “your firstborn, Esau.^(AU)”

³³ Isaac trembled violently and said, “Who was it, then, that hunted game and brought it to me?^(AV) I ate it just before you came and I blessed him—and indeed he will be blessed!^(AW)”

³⁴ When Esau heard his father’s words, he burst out with a loud and bitter cry^(AX) and said to his father, “Bless^(AY) me—me too, my father!”

³⁵ But he said, “Your brother came deceitfully^(AZ) and took your blessing.”^(BA)

³⁶ Esau said, “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob^[a]?^(BB) This is the second time he has taken advantage of^(BC) me: He took my birthright,^(BD) and now he’s taken my blessing!”^(BE) Then he asked, “Haven’t you reserved any blessing for me?”

³⁷ Isaac answered Esau, “I have made him lord over you and have made all his relatives his servants, and I have sustained him with grain and new wine.^(BF) So what can I possibly do for you, my son?”

³⁸ Esau said to his father, “Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me too, my father!” Then Esau wept aloud.^(BG)

³⁹ His father Isaac answered him,^(BH)

⁴¹ Esau held a grudge^(BN) against Jacob^(BO) because of the blessing his father had given him. He said to himself, “The days of mourning^(BP) for my father are near; then I will kill^(BQ) my brother Jacob.”^(BR)

⁴² When Rebekah was told what her older son Esau^(BS) had said, she sent for her younger son Jacob and said to him, “Your brother Esau is planning to avenge himself by killing you.^{(BT) 43} Now then, my son, do what I say:^(BU) Flee at once to my brother Laban^(BV) in Harran.^{(BW) 44} Stay with him for a while^(BX) until your brother’s fury subsides. ⁴⁵ When your brother is no longer angry with you and forgets what you did to him,^(BY) I’ll send word for you to come back from there.^(BZ) Why should I lose both of you in one day?”

⁴⁶ Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I’m disgusted with living because of these Hittite^(CA) women. If Jacob takes a wife from among the women of this land,^(CB) from Hittite women like these, my life will not be worth living.”^(CC)

28 So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed^(CD) him. Then he commanded him: “Do not marry a Canaanite woman.^{(CE) 2} Go at once to Paddan Aram,^[b](CF) to the house of your mother’s father Bethuel.^(CG) Take a wife for yourself there, from among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother.^{(CH) 3} May God Almighty^[c](CI) bless^(CJ) you and make you fruitful^(CK) and increase your numbers^(CL) until you become a community of peoples. ⁴ May he give you and your descendants the blessing given to Abraham,^(CM) so that you may take possession of the land^(CN) where you now reside as a foreigner,^(CO) the land God gave to Abraham.” ⁵ Then Isaac sent Jacob on his way,^(CP) and he went to Paddan Aram,^(CQ) to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean,^(CR) the brother of Rebekah,^(CS) who was the mother of Jacob and Esau.

⁶ Now Esau learned that Isaac had blessed Jacob and had sent him to Paddan Aram to take a wife from there, and that when he blessed him he commanded him, “Do not marry a Canaanite woman,”^{(CT) 7} and that Jacob had obeyed his father and mother and had gone to Paddan Aram. ⁸ Esau then realized how displeasing the Canaanite women^(CU) were to his father Isaac;^{(CV) 9} so he went to Ishmael^(CW) and married Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth^(CX) and daughter of Ishmael son of Abraham, in addition to the wives he already had.^(CY)

Jacob’s Dream at Bethel

¹⁰ Jacob left Beersheba^(CZ) and set out for Harran.^{(DA) 11} When he reached a certain place,^(DB) he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head^(DC) and lay down to sleep. ¹² He had a dream^(DD) in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.^{(DE) 13} There above it^[d] stood the Lord,^(DF) and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac.^(DG) I will give you and your descendants the land^(DH) on which you are lying.^{(DI) 14} Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you^(DJ) will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south.^(DK) All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.^{[e](DL) 15} I am with you^(DM) and will watch over you^(DN) wherever you go,^(DO) and I will bring you back to this land.^(DP) I will not leave you^(DQ) until I have done what I have promised you.^(DR)”^(DS)

¹⁶ When Jacob awoke from his sleep,^(DT) he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” ¹⁷ He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place!^(DU) This is none other than the house of God;^(DV) this is the gate of heaven.”

¹⁸ Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head^(DW) and set it up as a pillar^(DX) and poured oil on top of it.^{(DY) 19} He called that place Bethel,^[f](DZ) though the city used to be called Luz.^(EA)

²⁰ Then Jacob made a vow,^(EB) saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me^(EC) on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear^{(ED) 21} so that I return safely^(EE) to my father’s household,^(EF) then the Lord^[g] will be my God^{(EG) 22} and^[h] this stone that I have set up as a pillar^(EH) will be God’s house,^(EI) and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.^(EJ)”

The Death of Abraham^(A)

25 Abraham had taken another wife, whose name was Keturah. ² She bore him Zimran,^(B) Jokshan, Medan, Midian,^(C) Ishbak and Shuah.^{(D) 3} Jokshan was the father of Sheba^(E) and Dedan;^(F) the descendants of Dedan were the Ashurites, the Letushites and the Leummites. ⁴ The sons of Midian were Ephah,^(G) Epher, Hanok, Abida and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah.

⁵ Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac.^{(H) 6} But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines^(I) and sent them away from his son Isaac^(J) to the land of the east.^(K)

⁷ Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years.^{(L) 8} Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age,^(M) an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people.^{(N) 9} His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him^(O) in the cave of Machpelah^(P) near Mamre,^(Q) in the field of Ephron^(R) son of Zohar the Hittite,^{(S) 10} the field Abraham had bought from the Hittites.^[a](T) There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. ¹¹ After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac,^(U) who then lived near Beer Lahai Roi.^(V)

Ishmael’s Sons^(W)

¹² This is the account^(X) of the family line of Abraham’s son Ishmael, whom Sarah’s slave, Hagar^(Y) the Egyptian, bore to Abraham.^(Z)

¹³ These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, listed in the order of their birth: Nebaioth^(AA) the firstborn of Ishmael, Kedar,^(AB) Adbeel, Mibsam, ¹⁴ Mishma, Dumah,^(AC) Massa, ¹⁵ Hadad, Tema,^(AD) Jetur,^(AE) Naphish and Kedemah. ¹⁶ These were the sons of Ishmael, and these are the names of the twelve tribal rulers^(AF) according to their settlements and camps.^{(AG) 17} Ishmael lived a hundred and thirty-seven years. He breathed his last and died, and he was gathered to his people.^{(AH) 18} His descendants^(AI) settled in the area from Havilah to Shur,^(AJ) near the eastern border of Egypt, as you go toward Ashur. And they lived in hostility toward^[b] all the tribes related to them.^(AK)

Jacob and Esau

¹⁹ This is the account^(AL) of the family line of Abraham’s son Isaac.

Abraham became the father of Isaac, ²⁰ and Isaac was forty years old^(AM) when he married Rebekah^(AN) daughter of Bethuel^(AO) the Aramean from Paddan Aram^[c](AP) and sister of Laban^(AQ) the Aramean.^(AR)

²¹ Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless.^(AS) The Lord answered his prayer,^(AT) and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. ²² The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord.^(AU)

²³ The Lord said to her,

²⁴ When the time came for her to give birth,^(AX) there were twin boys in her womb.^{(AY) 25} The first to come out was red,^(AZ) and his whole body was like a hairy garment;^(BA) so they named him Esau.^{[d](BB) 26} After this, his brother came out,^(BC) with his hand grasping Esau’s heel;^(BD) so he was named Jacob.^[e](BE) Isaac was sixty years old^(BF) when Rebekah gave birth to them.

²⁷ The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter,^(BG) a man of the open country,^(BH) while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents. ²⁸ Isaac, who had a taste for wild game,^(BI) loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.^(BJ)

²⁹ Once when Jacob was cooking some stew,^(BK) Esau came in from the open country,^(BL) famished. ³⁰ He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew!^(BM) I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.^[f])^(BN)

³¹ Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.^(BO)”

³² “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?”

³³ But Jacob said, “Swear^(BP) to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright^(BQ) to Jacob.

³⁴ Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew.^(BR) He ate and drank, and then got up and left.

So Esau despised his birthright.

Isaac and Abimelek^(BS)

26 Now there was a famine in the land^(BT)—besides the previous famine in Abraham’s time—and Isaac went to Abimelek king of the Philistines^(BU) in Gerar.^{(BV) 2} The Lord appeared^(BW) to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt;^(BX) live in the land where I tell you to live.^{(BY) 3} Stay in this land for a while,^(BZ) and I will be with you^(CA) and will bless you.^(CB) For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands^(CC) and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham.^{(CD) 4} I will make your descendants^(CE) as numerous as the stars in the sky^(CF) and will give them all these lands,^(CG) and through your offspring^[g] all nations on earth will be blessed,^{[h](CH) 5} because Abraham obeyed me^(CI) and did everything I required of him, keeping my commands, my decrees^(CJ) and my instructions.^(CK)” ⁶ So Isaac stayed in Gerar.^(CL)

⁷ When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,^(CM)” because he was afraid to say, “She is my wife.” He thought, “The men of this place might kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is beautiful.”

⁸ When Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelek king of the Philistines^(CN) looked down from a window and saw Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah. ⁹ So Abimelek summoned Isaac and said, “She is really your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?^(CO)”

Isaac answered him, “Because I thought I might lose my life on account of her.”

¹⁰ Then Abimelek said, “What is this you have done to us?^(CP) One of the men might well have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.”

¹¹ So Abimelek gave orders to all the people: “Anyone who harms^(CQ) this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”^(CR)

¹² Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold,^(CS) because the Lord blessed him.^{(CT) 13} The man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy.^{(CU) 14} He had so many flocks and herds and servants^(CV) that the Philistines envied him.^{(CW) 15} So all the wells^(CX) that his father’s servants had dug in the time of his father Abraham, the Philistines stopped up,^(CY) filling them with earth.

¹⁶ Then Abimelek said to Isaac, “Move away from us;^(CZ) you have become too powerful for us.^(DA)”

¹⁷ So Isaac moved away from there and encamped in the Valley of Gerar,^(DB) where he settled. ¹⁸ Isaac reopened the wells^(DC) that had been dug in the time of his father Abraham, which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham died, and he gave them the same names his father had given them.

¹⁹ Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and discovered a well of fresh water there. ²⁰ But the herders of Gerar quarreled^(DD) with those of Isaac and said, “The water is ours!”^(DE) So he named the well Esek,^[i] because they disputed with him. ²¹ Then they dug another well, but they quarreled^(DF) over that one also; so he named it Sitnah.^{[j] 22} He moved on from there and dug another well, and no one quarreled over it. He named it Rehoboth,^[k](DG) saying, “Now the Lord has given us room^(DH) and we will flourish^(DI) in the land.”

²³ From there he went up to Beersheba.^{(DJ) 24} That night the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham.^(DK) Do not be afraid,^(DL) for I am with you;^(DM) I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants^(DN) for the sake of my servant Abraham.”^(DO)

²⁵ Isaac built an altar^(DP) there and called on the name of the Lord.^(DQ) There he pitched his tent, and there his servants dug a well.^(DR)

²⁶ Meanwhile, Abimelek had come to him from Gerar, with Ahuzzath his personal adviser and Phicol the commander of his forces.^{(DS) 27} Isaac asked them, “Why have you come to me, since you were hostile to me and sent me away?^(DT)”

²⁸ They answered, “We saw clearly that the Lord was with you;^(DU) so we said, ‘There ought to be a sworn agreement between us’—between us and you. Let us make a treaty^(DV) with you ²⁹ that you will do us no harm,^(DW) just as we did not harm you but always treated you well and sent you away peacefully. And now you are blessed by the Lord.”^(DX)

³⁰ Isaac then made a feast^(DY) for them, and they ate and drank. ³¹ Early the next morning the men swore an oath^(DZ) to each other. Then Isaac sent them on their way, and they went away peacefully.

³² That day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well^(EA) they had dug. They said, “We’ve found water!” ³³ He called it Shibah,^[l] and to this day the name of the town has been Beersheba.^[m](EB)

Jacob Takes Esau’s Blessing

³⁴ When Esau was forty years old,^(EC) he married Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and also Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite.^{(ED) 35} They were a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah.^(EE)