The Fall

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”

Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear.

But they said, “Stand back!” And they said, “This fellow came to sojourn, and he has become the judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them.” Then they pressed hard against the man Lot, and drew near to break the door down.

And the Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.”

And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.”

And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”

Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to any other man; stay with me.”

So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served Laban for another seven years.

Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors.

But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.

Then Judah identified them and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not know her again.

He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?”

You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you.”

But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great. Nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.”

Moreover, I have given to you rather than to your brothers one mountain slope that I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow.”

His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.

Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”

Water from the Rock

All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.

Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel.

Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods, because in this affair they dealt arrogantly with the people.”

“Whoever sacrifices to any god, other than the Lord alone, shall be devoted to destruction.

The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when you give the Lord's offering to make atonement for your lives.

And the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock,

and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by.

and said to Moses, “The people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the Lord has commanded us to do.”