God’s Covenant With Noah

9 Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth.^{(A) 2} The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds in the sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your hands.^{(B) 3} Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you.^(C) Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.^(D)

⁴ “But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it.^{(E) 5} And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting.^(F) I will demand an accounting from every animal.^(G) And from each human being, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being.^(H)

⁷ As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it.”^(K)

⁸ Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: ⁹ “I now establish my covenant with you^(L) and with your descendants after you ¹⁰ and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. ¹¹ I establish my covenant^(M) with you:^(N) Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.^(O)”

¹² And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant^(P) I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come:^{(Q) 13} I have set my rainbow^(R) in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. ¹⁴ Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow^(S) appears in the clouds, ¹⁵ I will remember my covenant^(T) between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.^{(U) 16} Whenever the rainbow^(V) appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant^(W) between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”

¹⁷ So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant^(X) I have established between me and all life on the earth.”

The Tower of Babel

11 Now the whole world had one language^(A) and a common speech. ² As people moved eastward,^[a] they found a plain in Shinar^[b](B) and settled there.

³ They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks^(C) and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone,^(D) and tar^(E) for mortar. ⁴ Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens,^(F) so that we may make a name^(G) for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered^(H) over the face of the whole earth.”^(I)

⁵ But the Lord came down^(J) to see the city and the tower the people were building. ⁶ The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language^(K) they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. ⁷ Come, let us^(L) go down^(M) and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”^(N)

⁸ So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth,^(O) and they stopped building the city. ⁹ That is why it was called Babel^[c](P)—because there the Lord confused the language^(Q) of the whole world.^(R) From there the Lord scattered^(S) them over the face of the whole earth.

The Second Journey to Egypt

43 Now the famine was still severe in the land.^{(A) 2} So when they had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt,^(B) their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more food.”^(C)

³ But Judah^(D) said to him, “The man warned us solemnly, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’^{(E) 4} If you will send our brother along with us, we will go down and buy food for you.^{(F) 5} But if you will not send him, we will not go down, because the man said to us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.^(G)’”

⁶ Israel^(H) asked, “Why did you bring this trouble^(I) on me by telling the man you had another brother?”

⁷ They replied, “The man questioned us closely about ourselves and our family. ‘Is your father still living?’^(J) he asked us. ‘Do you have another brother?’^(K) We simply answered his questions. How were we to know he would say, ‘Bring your brother down here’?”^(L)

⁸ Then Judah^(M) said to Israel^(N) his father, “Send the boy along with me and we will go at once, so that we and you and our children may live and not die.^{(O) 9} I myself will guarantee his safety; you can hold me personally responsible for him.^(P) If I do not bring him back to you and set him here before you, I will bear the blame^(Q) before you all my life.^{(R) 10} As it is, if we had not delayed,^(S) we could have gone and returned twice.”

¹¹ Then their father Israel^(T) said to them, “If it must be, then do this: Put some of the best products^(U) of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift^(V)—a little balm^(W) and a little honey, some spices^(X) and myrrh,^(Y) some pistachio nuts and almonds. ¹² Take double the amount^(Z) of silver with you, for you must return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks.^(AA) Perhaps it was a mistake. ¹³ Take your brother also and go back to the man at once.^{(AB) 14} And may God Almighty^[a](AC) grant you mercy^(AD) before the man so that he will let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you.^(AE) As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”^(AF)

¹⁵ So the men took the gifts and double the amount of silver,^(AG) and Benjamin also. They hurried^(AH) down to Egypt and presented themselves^(AI) to Joseph. ¹⁶ When Joseph saw Benjamin^(AJ) with them, he said to the steward of his house,^(AK) “Take these men to my house, slaughter an animal and prepare a meal;^(AL) they are to eat with me at noon.”

¹⁷ The man did as Joseph told him and took the men to Joseph’s house.^{(AM) 18} Now the men were frightened^(AN) when they were taken to his house.^(AO) They thought, “We were brought here because of the silver that was put back into our sacks^(AP) the first time. He wants to attack us^(AQ) and overpower us and seize us as slaves^(AR) and take our donkeys.^(AS)”

¹⁹ So they went up to Joseph’s steward^(AT) and spoke to him at the entrance to the house. ²⁰ “We beg your pardon, our lord,” they said, “we came down here the first time to buy food.^{(AU) 21} But at the place where we stopped for the night we opened our sacks and each of us found his silver—the exact weight—in the mouth of his sack. So we have brought it back with us.^{(AV) 22} We have also brought additional silver with us to buy food. We don’t know who put our silver in our sacks.”

²³ “It’s all right,” he said. “Don’t be afraid. Your God, the God of your father,^(AW) has given you treasure in your sacks;^(AX) I received your silver.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.^(AY)

²⁴ The steward took the men into Joseph’s house,^(AZ) gave them water to wash their feet^(BA) and provided fodder for their donkeys. ²⁵ They prepared their gifts^(BB) for Joseph’s arrival at noon,^(BC) because they had heard that they were to eat there.

²⁶ When Joseph came home,^(BD) they presented to him the gifts^(BE) they had brought into the house, and they bowed down before him to the ground.^{(BF) 27} He asked them how they were, and then he said, “How is your aged father^(BG) you told me about? Is he still living?”^(BH)

²⁸ They replied, “Your servant our father^(BI) is still alive and well.” And they bowed down,^(BJ) prostrating themselves before him.^(BK)

²⁹ As he looked about and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son,^(BL) he asked, “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?”^(BM) And he said, “God be gracious to you,^(BN) my son.” ³⁰ Deeply moved^(BO) at the sight of his brother, Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to weep. He went into his private room and wept^(BP) there.

³¹ After he had washed his face, he came out and, controlling himself,^(BQ) said, “Serve the food.”^(BR)

³² They served him by himself, the brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews,^(BS) for that is detestable to Egyptians.^{(BT) 33} The men had been seated before him in the order of their ages, from the firstborn^(BU) to the youngest;^(BV) and they looked at each other in astonishment. ³⁴ When portions were served to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as anyone else’s.^(BW) So they feasted^(BX) and drank freely with him.

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial^(A)

²⁷ “You will all fall away,” Jesus told them, “for it is written:

²⁸ But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”^(C)

²⁹ Peter declared, “Even if all fall away, I will not.”

³⁰ “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “today—yes, tonight—before the rooster crows twice^[b] you yourself will disown me three times.”^(D)

³¹ But Peter insisted emphatically, “Even if I have to die with you,^(E) I will never disown you.” And all the others said the same.

Gethsemane^(F)

³² They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” ³³ He took Peter, James and John^(G) along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. ³⁴ “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,”^(H) he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.”

³⁵ Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour^(I) might pass from him. ³⁶ “Abba,^[c] Father,”^(J) he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup^(K) from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”^(L)

³⁷ Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? ³⁸ Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.^(M) The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”^(N)

³⁹ Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. ⁴⁰ When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him.

⁴¹ Returning the third time, he said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour^(O) has come. Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. ⁴² Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”

Jesus Arrested^(P)

⁴³ Just as he was speaking, Judas,^(Q) one of the Twelve, appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders.

⁴⁴ Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.” ⁴⁵ Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Rabbi!”^(R) and kissed him. ⁴⁶ The men seized Jesus and arrested him. ⁴⁷ Then one of those standing near drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.

⁴⁸ “Am I leading a rebellion,” said Jesus, “that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? ⁴⁹ Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts,^(S) and you did not arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.”^{(T) 50} Then everyone deserted him and fled.^(U)

⁵¹ A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, ⁵² he fled naked, leaving his garment behind.

³¹ “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked^(A) to sift all of you as wheat.^{(B) 32} But I have prayed for you,^(C) Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”^(D)

³³ But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”^(E)

³⁴ Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”

³⁵ Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals,^(F) did you lack anything?”

“Nothing,” they answered.

³⁶ He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. ³⁷ It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors’^[a];^(G) and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.”

³⁸ The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.”

“That’s enough!” he replied.

Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives^(H)

³⁹ Jesus went out as usual^(I) to the Mount of Olives,^(J) and his disciples followed him. ⁴⁰ On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.”^{(K) 41} He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down^(L) and prayed, ⁴² “Father, if you are willing, take this cup^(M) from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”^{(N) 43} An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.^{(O) 44} And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.^[b]

⁴⁵ When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. ⁴⁶ “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”^(P)

Jesus Arrested^(Q)

⁴⁷ While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, ⁴⁸ but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

⁴⁹ When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?”^{(R) 50} And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.

⁵¹ But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.

⁵² Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard,^(S) and the elders, who had come for him, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs? ⁵³ Every day I was with you in the temple courts,^(T) and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour^(U)—when darkness reigns.”^(V)