Then God commanded, “Let the earth produce all kinds of animal life: domestic and wild, large and small”—and it was done.

Then the Lord God took some soil from the ground and formed a man out of it; he breathed life-giving breath into his nostrils and the man began to live.

He made all kinds of beautiful trees grow there and produce good fruit. In the middle of the garden stood the tree that gives life and the tree that gives knowledge of what is good and what is bad.

And he said to the man, “You listened to your wife and ate the fruit which I told you not to eat. Because of what you have done, the ground will be under a curse. You will have to work hard all your life to make it produce enough food for you.

Adam and Eve Are Sent Out of the Garden

Then the Lord God said, “Now these human beings have become like one of us and have knowledge of what is good and what is bad. They must not be allowed to take fruit from the tree that gives life, eat it, and live forever.”

Then at the east side of the garden he put living creatures and a flaming sword which turned in all directions. This was to keep anyone from coming near the tree that gives life.

He spent his life in fellowship with God, and then he disappeared, because God took him away.

The one thing you must not eat is meat with blood still in it; I forbid this because the life is in the blood.

If anyone takes human life, he will be punished. I will punish with death any animal that takes a human life.

So let's separate. Choose any part of the land you want. You go one way, and I'll go the other.”

Lot looked around and saw that the whole Jordan Valley, all the way to Zoar, had plenty of water, like the Garden of the Lord or like the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord had destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.)

When Abram heard that his nephew had been captured, he called together all the fighting men in his camp, 318 in all, and pursued the four kings all the way to Dan.

Abraham Pleads for Sodom

Then the men left and went to a place where they could look down at Sodom, and Abraham went with them to send them on their way.

and said, “Sirs, I am here to serve you. Please come to my house. You can wash your feet and spend the night. In the morning you can get up early and go on your way.” But they answered, “No, we will spend the night here in the city square.”

But they said, “Get out of our way, you foreigner! Who are you to tell us what to do? Out of our way, or we will treat you worse than them.” They pushed Lot back and moved up to break down the door.

You have done me a great favor and saved my life. But the hills are too far away; the disaster will overtake me, and I will die before I get there.

In this way both of Lot's daughters became pregnant by their own father.

There is only one way for you to be free from your vow: if you go to my relatives and they refuse you, then you will be free.’

The descendants of Ishmael lived in the territory between Havilah and Shur, to the east of Egypt on the way to Assyria. They lived apart from the other descendants of Abraham.

They made life miserable for Isaac and Rebecca.

Perhaps my father will touch me and find out that I am deceiving him; in this way, I will bring a curse on myself instead of a blessing.”

Jacob Arrives at Laban's Home

Jacob continued on his way and went toward the land of the East.

She said, “Here is my slave Bilhah; sleep with her, so that she can have a child for me. In this way I can become a mother through her.”

Jacob kept the sheep separate from the goats and made them face in the direction of the streaked and black animals of Laban's flock. In this way he built up his own flock and kept it apart from Laban's.

In this way Jacob became very wealthy. He had many flocks, slaves, camels, and donkeys.