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The Table of Nations
This is the account of Shem, Ham and Japheth, Noah’s sons, who themselves had sons after the flood.
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(From these the maritime peoples spread out into their territories by their clans within their nations, each with its own language.)
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These are the sons of Ham by their clans and languages, in their territories and nations.
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These are the sons of Shem by their clans and languages, in their territories and nations.
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These are the clans of Noah’s sons, according to their lines of descent, within their nations. From these the nations spread out over the earth after the flood.
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“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
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But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions.
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“As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations.
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No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.
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I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.
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I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”
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And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation.
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Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him.
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Now Abimelek had not gone near her, so he said, “Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation?
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I will make the son of the slave into a nation also, because he is your offspring.”
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Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.”
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and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”
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His descendants settled in the area from Havilah to Shur, near the eastern border of Egypt, as you go toward Ashur. And they lived in hostility toward all the tribes related to them.
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The Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.”
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I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed,
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May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed.”
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And God said to him, “I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants.
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“I am God, the God of your father,” he said. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there.
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But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations.”
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The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his.
