The Israelites Oppressed

1 These are the names of the sons of Israel^(A) who went to Egypt with Jacob, each with his family: ² Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah; ³ Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin; ⁴ Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher.^{(B) 5} The descendants of Jacob numbered seventy^[a] in all;^(C) Joseph was already in Egypt.

⁶ Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died,^{(D) 7} but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers^(E) and became so numerous that the land was filled with them.

⁸ Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt.^{(F) 9} “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerous^(G) for us.^{(H) 10} Come, we must deal shrewdly^(I) with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.”^(J)

¹¹ So they put slave masters^(K) over them to oppress them with forced labor,^(L) and they built Pithom and Rameses^(M) as store cities^(N) for Pharaoh. ¹² But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites ¹³ and worked them ruthlessly.^{(O) 14} They made their lives bitter with harsh labor^(P) in brick^(Q) and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly.^(R)

¹⁵ The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives,^(S) whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, ¹⁶ “When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.”^{(T) 17} The midwives, however, feared^(U) God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do;^(V) they let the boys live. ¹⁸ Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?”

¹⁹ The midwives answered Pharaoh, “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive.”^(W)

²⁰ So God was kind to the midwives^(X) and the people increased and became even more numerous. ²¹ And because the midwives feared^(Y) God, he gave them families^(Z) of their own.

The Lord’s Covenant With Abram

15 After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram^(A) in a vision:^(B)

² But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord,^(F) what can you give me since I remain childless^(G) and the one who will inherit^[c] my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?^(H)” ³ And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant^(I) in my household^(J) will be my heir.”

⁴ Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.^(K)” ⁵ He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars^(L)—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring^[d] be.”^(M)

⁶ Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.^(N)

⁷ He also said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out^(O) of Ur of the Chaldeans^(P) to give you this land to take possession of it.”^(Q)

⁸ But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord,^(R) how can I know^(S) that I will gain possession of it?”^(T)

⁹ So the Lord said to him, “Bring me a heifer,^(U) a goat and a ram, each three years old,^(V) along with a dove and a young pigeon.^(W)”

¹⁰ Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other;^(X) the birds, however, he did not cut in half.^{(Y) 11} Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses,^(Z) but Abram drove them away.

¹² As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep,^(AA) and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. ¹³ Then the Lord said to him, “Know for certain that for four hundred years^(AB) your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved^(AC) and mistreated there. ¹⁴ But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out^(AD) with great possessions.^{(AE) 15} You, however, will go to your ancestors^(AF) in peace and be buried at a good old age.^{(AG) 16} In the fourth generation^(AH) your descendants will come back here,^(AI) for the sin of the Amorites^(AJ) has not yet reached its full measure.”

¹⁷ When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch^(AK) appeared and passed between the pieces.^{(AL) 18} On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram^(AM) and said, “To your descendants I give this land,^(AN) from the Wadi^[e] of Egypt^(AO) to the great river, the Euphrates^(AP)— ¹⁹ the land of the Kenites,^(AQ) Kenizzites, Kadmonites, ²⁰ Hittites,^(AR) Perizzites,^(AS) Rephaites,^{(AT) 21} Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.”^(AU)

⁴ Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.”^(A) When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt!^{(B) 5} And now, do not be distressed^(C) and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here,^(D) because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.^{(E) 6} For two years now there has been famine^(F) in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. ⁷ But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant^(G) on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.^[a](H)

⁸ “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God.^(I) He made me father^(J) to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.^{(K) 9} Now hurry^(L) back to my father and say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; don’t delay.^{(M) 10} You shall live in the region of Goshen^(N) and be near me—you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have.^{(O) 11} I will provide for you there,^(P) because five years of famine^(Q) are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.’^(R)

¹² “You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin,^(S) that it is really I who am speaking to you.^{(T) 13} Tell my father about all the honor accorded me in Egypt^(U) and about everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly.^(V)”

¹⁴ Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin^(W) embraced him,^(X) weeping. ¹⁵ And he kissed^(Y) all his brothers and wept over them.^(Z) Afterward his brothers talked with him.^(AA)

¹⁶ When the news reached Pharaoh’s palace that Joseph’s brothers had come,^(AB) Pharaoh and all his officials^(AC) were pleased.^{(AD) 17} Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals^(AE) and return to the land of Canaan,^{(AF) 18} and bring your father and your families back to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt^(AG) and you can enjoy the fat of the land.’^(AH)

³ “I am God, the God of your father,”^(A) he said. “Do not be afraid^(B) to go down to Egypt,^(C) for I will make you into a great nation^(D) there.^{(E) 4} I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again.^(F) And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes.^(G)”

Isaac and Abimelek^(A)

26 Now there was a famine in the land^(B)—besides the previous famine in Abraham’s time—and Isaac went to Abimelek king of the Philistines^(C) in Gerar.^{(D) 2} The Lord appeared^(E) to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt;^(F) live in the land where I tell you to live.^{(G) 3} Stay in this land for a while,^(H) and I will be with you^(I) and will bless you.^(J) For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands^(K) and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham.^{(L) 4} I will make your descendants^(M) as numerous as the stars in the sky^(N) and will give them all these lands,^(O) and through your offspring^[a] all nations on earth will be blessed,^{[b](P) 5} because Abraham obeyed me^(Q) and did everything I required of him, keeping my commands, my decrees^(R) and my instructions.^(S)” ⁶ So Isaac stayed in Gerar.^(T)

⁷ When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,^(U)” 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^(V) 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’?^(W)”

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?^(X) 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^(Y) this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”^(Z)

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

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

¹⁷ So Isaac moved away from there and encamped in the Valley of Gerar,^(AJ) where he settled. ¹⁸ Isaac reopened the wells^(AK) 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^(AL) with those of Isaac and said, “The water is ours!”^(AM) So he named the well Esek,^[c] because they disputed with him. ²¹ Then they dug another well, but they quarreled^(AN) over that one also; so he named it Sitnah.^{[d] 22} He moved on from there and dug another well, and no one quarreled over it. He named it Rehoboth,^[e](AO) saying, “Now the Lord has given us room^(AP) and we will flourish^(AQ) in the land.”

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

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

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

²⁸ They answered, “We saw clearly that the Lord was with you;^(BC) so we said, ‘There ought to be a sworn agreement between us’—between us and you. Let us make a treaty^(BD) with you ²⁹ that you will do us no harm,^(BE) 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.”^(BF)

³⁰ Isaac then made a feast^(BG) for them, and they ate and drank. ³¹ Early the next morning the men swore an oath^(BH) 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^(BI) they had dug. They said, “We’ve found water!” ³³ He called it Shibah,^[f] and to this day the name of the town has been Beersheba.^[g](BJ)

Jacob Takes Esau’s Blessing

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

27 When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see,^(BN) he called for Esau his older son^(BO) 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.^{(BP) 3} Now then, get your equipment—your quiver and bow—and go out to the open country^(BQ) to hunt some wild game for me. ⁴ Prepare me the kind of tasty food I like^(BR) and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my blessing^(BS) before I die.”^(BT)

⁵ Now Rebekah was listening as Isaac spoke to his son Esau. When Esau left for the open country^(BU) to hunt game and bring it back, ⁶ Rebekah said to her son Jacob,^(BV) “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.’^{(BW) 8} Now, my son, listen carefully and do what I tell you:^{(BX) 9} Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats,^(BY) so I can prepare some tasty food for your father, just the way he likes it.^{(BZ) 10} Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may give you his blessing^(CA) before he dies.”

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

¹³ His mother said to him, “My son, let the curse fall on me.^(CE) Just do what I say;^(CF) 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.^{(CG) 15} Then Rebekah took the best clothes^(CH) of Esau her older son,^(CI) 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.^{(CJ) 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?”^(CK)

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

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

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

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

²² Jacob went close to his father Isaac,^(CQ) who touched^(CR) 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;^(CS) 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.”^(CT)

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^(CU) him^(CV). When Isaac caught the smell of his clothes,^(CW) 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.”^(DF)

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

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

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

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

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

³⁶ Esau said, “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob^[h]?^(DO) This is the second time he has taken advantage of^(DP) me: He took my birthright,^(DQ) and now he’s taken my blessing!”^(DR) 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.^(DS) 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.^(DT)

³⁹ His father Isaac answered him,^(DU)

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

⁴² When Rebekah was told what her older son Esau^(EF) had said, she sent for her younger son Jacob and said to him, “Your brother Esau is planning to avenge himself by killing you.^{(EG) 43} Now then, my son, do what I say:^(EH) Flee at once to my brother Laban^(EI) in Harran.^{(EJ) 44} Stay with him for a while^(EK) until your brother’s fury subsides. ⁴⁵ When your brother is no longer angry with you and forgets what you did to him,^(EL) I’ll send word for you to come back from there.^(EM) 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^(EN) women. If Jacob takes a wife from among the women of this land,^(EO) from Hittite women like these, my life will not be worth living.”^(EP)