52 When Abraham's servant heard their words, (A)he bowed himself to the earth before the Lord. 53 And the servant brought out jewelry of silver and of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave to her brother and to her mother costly ornaments. 54 And he and the men who were with him ate and drank, and they spent the night there. When they arose in the morning, he said, (B)“Send me away to my master.” 55 Her brother and her mother said, “Let the young woman remain with us a while, at least ten days; after that she may go.” 56 But he said to them, “Do not delay me, since the Lord has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master.” 57 They said, “Let us call the young woman and ask her.” 58 And they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” She said, “I will go.” 59 So they sent away Rebekah their sister and (C)her nurse, and Abraham's servant and his men. 60 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her,

“Our sister, may you (D)become
    thousands of ten thousands,
and (E)may your offspring possess
    the gate of those who hate him!”[a]

61 Then Rebekah and her young women arose and rode on the camels and followed the man. Thus the servant took Rebekah and went his way.

62 Now Isaac had returned from (F)Beer-lahai-roi and was dwelling in the Negeb. 63 And Isaac went out (G)to meditate in the field toward evening. And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, there were camels coming. 64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel 65 and said to the servant, “Who is that man, walking in the field to meet us?” The servant said, “It is my master.” So she took her veil and covered herself. 66 And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. 67 Then Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was (H)comforted after his mother's (I)death.

Abraham's Death and His Descendants

25 Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. (J)She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. Jokshan fathered Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah. (K)Abraham gave all he had to Isaac. But to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, and while he was still living he (L)sent them away from his son Isaac, eastward (M)to the east country.

These are the days of the years of Abraham's life, 175 years. Abraham (N)breathed his last and (O)died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. Isaac and Ishmael (P)his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, east of Mamre, 10 the field (Q)that Abraham purchased from the Hittites. (R)There Abraham was buried, with Sarah his wife. 11 After the death of Abraham, God blessed Isaac his son. And Isaac settled at (S)Beer-lahai-roi.

12 These are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, (T)whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's servant, bore to Abraham. 13 (U)These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, named in the order of their birth: (V)Nebaioth, the firstborn of Ishmael; and (W)Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadad, (X)Tema, (Y)Jetur, (Z)Naphish, and Kedemah. 16 These are the sons of Ishmael and these are their names, by their villages and by their encampments, (AA)twelve princes according to their tribes. 17 (These are the years of the life of Ishmael: 137 years. He (AB)breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people.) 18 (AC)They settled from Havilah to (AD)Shur, which is opposite Egypt in the direction of Assyria. He settled[b] over against all his kinsmen.

The Birth of Esau and Jacob

19 These are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: (AE)Abraham fathered Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, (AF)the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of (AG)Paddan-aram, (AH)the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. 21 And Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. And (AI)the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 The children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it is thus, why is this happening to me?”[c] So she went (AJ)to inquire of the Lord. 23 And the Lord said to her,

(AK)“Two nations are in your womb,
    and two peoples from within you[d] shall be divided;
(AL)the one shall be stronger than the other,
    (AM)the older shall serve the younger.”

24 When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25 The first came out red, (AN)all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau. 26 Afterward his brother came out with (AO)his hand holding Esau's heel, so (AP)his name was called Jacob.[e] Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

27 When the boys grew up, Esau was (AQ)a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, (AR)dwelling in tents. 28 Isaac loved Esau because (AS)he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Esau Sells His Birthright

29 Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. 30 And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!” (Therefore his name was called Edom.[f]) 31 Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright now.” 32 Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” 33 Jacob said, “Swear to me now.” So he swore to him and (AT)sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

God's Promise to Isaac

26 Now there was a famine in the land, besides (AU)the former famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerar to (AV)Abimelech king of the (AW)Philistines. And the Lord appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; dwell (AX)in the land of which I shall tell you. (AY)Sojourn in this land, and (AZ)I will be with you and will bless you, for (BA)to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish (BB)the oath that I swore to Abraham your father. (BC)I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And (BD)in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because (BE)Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.”

Isaac and Abimelech

So Isaac settled in Gerar. When the men of the place asked him about his wife, (BF)he said, “She is my sister,” for (BG)he feared to say, “My wife,” thinking, “lest the men of the place should kill me because of Rebekah,” because (BH)she was attractive in appearance. When he had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out of a window and saw Isaac laughing with[g] Rebekah his wife. So Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Behold, she is your wife. How then could you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac said to him, “Because I thought, ‘Lest I die because of her.’” 10 Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and (BI)you would have brought guilt upon us.” 11 So Abimelech warned all the people, saying, “Whoever touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”

12 And Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. The Lord (BJ)blessed him, 13 and the man became rich, and gained more and more until he became very wealthy. 14 He had possessions of flocks and herds and many servants, so that the Philistines (BK)envied him. 15 (Now the Philistines had stopped and filled with earth all the wells (BL)that his father's servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father.) 16 And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.”

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 24:60 Or hate them
  2. Genesis 25:18 Hebrew fell
  3. Genesis 25:22 Or why do I live?
  4. Genesis 25:23 Or from birth
  5. Genesis 25:26 Jacob means He takes by the heel, or He cheats
  6. Genesis 25:30 Edom sounds like the Hebrew for red
  7. Genesis 26:8 Hebrew may suggest an intimate relationship

52 When Abraham’s servant heard what they said, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord.(A) 53 Then the servant brought out gold and silver jewelry and articles of clothing(B) and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave costly gifts(C) to her brother and to her mother. 54 Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night there.

When they got up the next morning, he said, “Send me on my way(D) to my master.”

55 But her brother and her mother replied, “Let the young woman remain with us ten days or so;(E) then you[a] may go.”

56 But he said to them, “Do not detain me, now that the Lord has granted success(F) to my journey. Send me on my way(G) so I may go to my master.”

57 Then they said, “Let’s call the young woman and ask her about it.”(H) 58 So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?”

“I will go,”(I) she said.

59 So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way,(J) along with her nurse(K) and Abraham’s servant and his men. 60 And they blessed(L) Rebekah and said to her,

“Our sister, may you increase
    to thousands upon thousands;(M)
may your offspring possess
    the cities of their enemies.”(N)

61 Then Rebekah and her attendants(O) got ready and mounted the camels and went back with the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left.

62 Now Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi,(P) for he was living in the Negev.(Q) 63 He went out to the field one evening to meditate,[b](R) and as he looked up,(S) he saw camels approaching. 64 Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel(T) 65 and asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?”

“He is my master,” the servant answered. So she took her veil(U) and covered herself.

66 Then the servant told Isaac all he had done. 67 Isaac brought her into the tent(V) of his mother Sarah,(W) and he married Rebekah.(X) So she became his wife, and he loved her;(Y) and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.(Z)

The Death of Abraham(AA)

25 Abraham had taken another wife, whose name was Keturah. She bore him Zimran,(AB) Jokshan, Medan, Midian,(AC) Ishbak and Shuah.(AD) Jokshan was the father of Sheba(AE) and Dedan;(AF) the descendants of Dedan were the Ashurites, the Letushites and the Leummites. The sons of Midian were Ephah,(AG) Epher, Hanok, Abida and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah.

Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac.(AH) But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines(AI) and sent them away from his son Isaac(AJ) to the land of the east.(AK)

Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years.(AL) Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age,(AM) an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people.(AN) His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him(AO) in the cave of Machpelah(AP) near Mamre,(AQ) in the field of Ephron(AR) son of Zohar the Hittite,(AS) 10 the field Abraham had bought from the Hittites.[c](AT) There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. 11 After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac,(AU) who then lived near Beer Lahai Roi.(AV)

Ishmael’s Sons(AW)

12 This is the account(AX) of the family line of Abraham’s son Ishmael, whom Sarah’s slave, Hagar(AY) the Egyptian, bore to Abraham.(AZ)

13 These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, listed in the order of their birth: Nebaioth(BA) the firstborn of Ishmael, Kedar,(BB) Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah,(BC) Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema,(BD) Jetur,(BE) Naphish and Kedemah. 16 These were the sons of Ishmael, and these are the names of the twelve tribal rulers(BF) according to their settlements and camps.(BG) 17 Ishmael lived a hundred and thirty-seven years. He breathed his last and died, and he was gathered to his people.(BH) 18 His descendants(BI) settled in the area from Havilah to Shur,(BJ) near the eastern border of Egypt, as you go toward Ashur. And they lived in hostility toward[d] all the tribes related to them.(BK)

Jacob and Esau

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

Abraham became the father of Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years old(BM) when he married Rebekah(BN) daughter of Bethuel(BO) the Aramean from Paddan Aram[e](BP) and sister of Laban(BQ) the Aramean.(BR)

21 Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless.(BS) The Lord answered his prayer,(BT) 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.(BU)

23 The Lord said to her,

“Two nations(BV) 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.(BW)

24 When the time came for her to give birth,(BX) there were twin boys in her womb.(BY) 25 The first to come out was red,(BZ) and his whole body was like a hairy garment;(CA) so they named him Esau.[f](CB) 26 After this, his brother came out,(CC) with his hand grasping Esau’s heel;(CD) so he was named Jacob.[g](CE) Isaac was sixty years old(CF) when Rebekah gave birth to them.

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

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

31 Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.(CO)

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

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

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

So Esau despised his birthright.

Isaac and Abimelek(CS)

26 Now there was a famine in the land(CT)—besides the previous famine in Abraham’s time—and Isaac went to Abimelek king of the Philistines(CU) in Gerar.(CV) The Lord appeared(CW) to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt;(CX) live in the land where I tell you to live.(CY) Stay in this land for a while,(CZ) and I will be with you(DA) and will bless you.(DB) For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands(DC) and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham.(DD) I will make your descendants(DE) as numerous as the stars in the sky(DF) and will give them all these lands,(DG) and through your offspring[i] all nations on earth will be blessed,[j](DH) because Abraham obeyed me(DI) and did everything I required of him, keeping my commands, my decrees(DJ) and my instructions.(DK) So Isaac stayed in Gerar.(DL)

When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,(DM)” 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.”

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

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?(DP) 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(DQ) this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”(DR)

12 Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold,(DS) because the Lord blessed him.(DT) 13 The man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy.(DU) 14 He had so many flocks and herds and servants(DV) that the Philistines envied him.(DW) 15 So all the wells(DX) that his father’s servants had dug in the time of his father Abraham, the Philistines stopped up,(DY) filling them with earth.

16 Then Abimelek said to Isaac, “Move away from us;(DZ) you have become too powerful for us.(EA)

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 24:55 Or she
  2. Genesis 24:63 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  3. Genesis 25:10 Or the descendants of Heth
  4. Genesis 25:18 Or lived to the east of
  5. Genesis 25:20 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
  6. Genesis 25:25 Esau may mean hairy.
  7. Genesis 25:26 Jacob means he grasps the heel, a Hebrew idiom for he deceives.
  8. Genesis 25:30 Edom means red.
  9. Genesis 26:4 Or seed
  10. Genesis 26:4 Or and all nations on earth will use the name of your offspring in blessings (see 48:20)

The Cost of Following Jesus

18 Now (A)when Jesus saw a crowd around him, (B)he gave orders to go over to the other side. 19 (C)And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 20 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 21 Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 22 And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave (D)the dead to bury their own dead.”

Jesus Calms a Storm

23 (E)And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but (F)he was asleep. 25 And they went and woke him, saying, (G)“Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” 26 And he said to them, “Why are you (H)afraid, (I)O you of little faith?” Then he rose and (J)rebuked the winds and the sea, and (K)there was a great calm. 27 And the men (L)marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even (M)winds and sea obey him?”

Jesus Heals Two Men with Demons

28 (N)And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes,[a] two (O)demon-possessed[b] men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. 29 And behold, they (P)cried out, “What have you to do with us, (Q)O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us (R)before the time?” 30 Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them. 31 And the demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.” 32 And he said to them, “Go.” So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters. 33 The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the (S)demon-possessed men. 34 And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, (T)they begged him to leave their region.

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 8:28 Some manuscripts Gergesenes; some Gerasenes
  2. Matthew 8:28 Greek daimonizomai (demonized); also verse 33; elsewhere rendered oppressed by demons

The Cost of Following Jesus(A)

18 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake.(B) 19 Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

20 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man(C) has no place to lay his head.”

21 Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

22 But Jesus told him, “Follow me,(D) and let the dead bury their own dead.”

Jesus Calms the Storm(E)(F)

23 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

26 He replied, “You of little faith,(G) why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.(H)

27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

Jesus Restores Two Demon-Possessed Men(I)

28 When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes,[a] two demon-possessed(J) men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. 29 “What do you want with us,(K) Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?”(L)

30 Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. 31 The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”

32 He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. 33 Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.(M)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 8:28 Some manuscripts Gergesenes; other manuscripts Gerasenes

Why Do You Hide Yourself?

10 Why, O Lord, do you stand (A)far away?
    Why (B)do you hide yourself in (C)times of trouble?

In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor;
    let them (D)be caught in the schemes that they have devised.
For the wicked (E)boasts of the desires of his soul,
    and the one greedy for gain (F)curses[a] and (G)renounces the Lord.
In the pride of his face[b] the wicked does not (H)seek him;[c]
    all his thoughts are, (I)“There is no God.”
His ways prosper at all times;
    your judgments are on high, (J)out of his sight;
    as for all his foes, he (K)puffs at them.
He (L)says in his heart, “I shall not be moved;
    throughout all generations I (M)shall not meet adversity.”
(N)His mouth is filled with cursing and (O)deceit and (P)oppression;
    (Q)under his tongue are (R)mischief and (S)iniquity.
He sits in ambush in the villages;
    in (T)hiding places he murders the innocent.
His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;
    he lurks in ambush like (U)a lion in his (V)thicket;
he (W)lurks that he may seize the poor;
    he seizes the poor when he draws him into his (X)net.
10 The helpless are crushed, sink down,
    and fall by his might.
11 He says in his heart, “God has forgotten,
    he has (Y)hidden his face, he (Z)will never see it.”

12 (AA)Arise, O Lord; O God, (AB)lift up your hand;
    (AC)forget not the afflicted.
13 Why does the wicked (AD)renounce God
    and say in his heart, “You will not (AE)call to account”?
14 But you do see, for you (AF)note mischief and vexation,
    that you may take it into your hands;
to you the helpless (AG)commits himself;
    you have been (AH)the helper of the fatherless.
15 (AI)Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer;
    (AJ)call his wickedness to account till you find none.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 10:3 Or and he blesses the one greedy for gain
  2. Psalm 10:4 Or of his anger
  3. Psalm 10:4 Or the wicked says, “He will not call to account”

Psalm 10[a]

Why, Lord, do you stand far off?(A)
    Why do you hide yourself(B) in times of trouble?

In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak,(C)
    who are caught in the schemes he devises.
He boasts(D) about the cravings of his heart;
    he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord.(E)
In his pride the wicked man does not seek him;
    in all his thoughts there is no room for God.(F)
His ways are always prosperous;
    your laws are rejected by[b] him;
    he sneers at all his enemies.
He says to himself, “Nothing will ever shake me.”
    He swears, “No one will ever do me harm.”(G)

His mouth is full(H) of lies and threats;(I)
    trouble and evil are under his tongue.(J)
He lies in wait(K) near the villages;
    from ambush he murders the innocent.(L)
His eyes watch in secret for his victims;
    like a lion in cover he lies in wait.
He lies in wait to catch the helpless;(M)
    he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.(N)
10 His victims are crushed,(O) they collapse;
    they fall under his strength.
11 He says to himself, “God will never notice;(P)
    he covers his face and never sees.”(Q)

12 Arise,(R) Lord! Lift up your hand,(S) O God.
    Do not forget the helpless.(T)
13 Why does the wicked man revile God?(U)
    Why does he say to himself,
    “He won’t call me to account”?(V)
14 But you, God, see the trouble(W) of the afflicted;
    you consider their grief and take it in hand.
The victims commit themselves to you;(X)
    you are the helper(Y) of the fatherless.
15 Break the arm of the wicked man;(Z)
    call the evildoer to account for his wickedness
    that would not otherwise be found out.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 10:1 Psalms 9 and 10 may originally have been a single acrostic poem in which alternating lines began with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. In the Septuagint they constitute one psalm.
  2. Psalm 10:5 See Septuagint; Hebrew / they are haughty, and your laws are far from

(A)Be not wise in your own eyes;
    (B)fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
It will be (C)healing to your flesh[a]
    and (D)refreshment[b] to your bones.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 3:8 Hebrew navel
  2. Proverbs 3:8 Or medicine

Do not be wise in your own eyes;(A)
    fear the Lord(B) and shun evil.(C)
This will bring health to your body(D)
    and nourishment to your bones.(E)

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