Day 1
3 God said, "Let there be light." And there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good and He separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light day and He called the darkness night. This was the first evening and morning, one day. Day 2
6 Next God said, "Let there be air to separate the waters below from the waters above." 7 So God made the sky between the waters on the earth and waters above the earth. 8 God called the air between the waters above and the waters below heaven. This took place in an evening and a morning, the second day.

Day 3
9 Then God gathered the waters under the heavens together into one place making dry land appear. 10 He called the dry land Earth and the waters He called Seas. He saw that what He had done was good. 11 Then He made vegetation. There were plants bearing seed and capable of reproducing. And there were fruit trees bearing fruit capable of reproducing from its seed. 12 So the earth brought forth grass and herbs, each with its own seed, and trees with fruit containing its own seed after its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 He did this during the evening and the morning of the third day.

Day 4
14 Then God said, "Let there be lights in the heavens to divide the day from the night. They are to determine the seasons, the days and the years." 15 "Let their light shine upon the earth." Here is what He did. 16 He made two great lights, the greater light was to rule the day and the lesser light was to rule the night. He also made stars. 17 God set these in the sky to give light to the earth. 18 They were to rule over the day and the night, dividing the light from the darkness. God saw that what He had done was good. 19 And this evening and morning were the fourth day.

Day 5
20 Then God said, "Let the waters bring forth moving creatures in abundance and birds to fly in the air above the earth." 21 He created great sea creatures and other creatures that live in the water. These were abundant, and each was capable of reproducing after its own kind. God was please with all of this. 22 He blessed these creatures, saying, "Be fruitful and fill the waters in the sea, and let the birds multiply on the earth." 23 And that evening and morning was the fifth day.

Day 6
24 Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures, each after its own kind: cattle as well as creeping things and other kinds of beasts on the dry land." And it was so. 25 God made them all, beasts, cattle and creeping things, each one after its own kind. And God saw that it was good.

26 And then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish and the birds, the cattle, as well as the other beasts and everything that moves on the ground." 27 So God created man in His own image. He created them male and female. 28 God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth." 29 And God said to them, "I have given you every herb bearing seed and every tree bearing fruit with seed to be your food." 30 "And to the beasts of the earth, the birds of the air and every creeping thing I have given every green herb." And it was so. 31 God saw all that He had made and it was very good. And this evening and morning was the sixth day.

Genesis 2 - RWB Paraphrase (25 V)
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God Finished Creation in Six Days and Rested on the Seventh Day
1 The previous chapter told us how the earth with its atmosphere was created along with everything else on the earth.

Day 7
2 And on the seventh day God rested from all His work of creating the earth and its inhabitants. 3 He blessed the seventh day and set it aside because it was the day after He had finished creating the earth. 4 This is the account of the time when God created the heavens and the earth.

God Made Adam From Dust
5 There was a time just before God had made man when no herb had yet grown, for God had not watered the earth and there was no one to cultivate the ground. 6 Then a mist went up from the earth and watered everything. 7 Then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground. 8 The LORD God planted a garden to the east in Eden where He put the man He had made. 9 And out of the ground the LORD made every tree grow that is pleasant to look at and good for food. And He placed the tree of life in the middle of the garden. He also placed the tree of the knowledge of good and evil there. 10 A river flowed out of Eden. After watering the garden it split into four rivers. 11 The first is named Pison. It goes through the entire land of Havilah where there is gold. 12 The gold there is of a fine quality. It also has bdellium and onyx stone. 13 The second river is Gihon. It flows through all of Ethiopia. 14 The third river is the Tigris. It flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

15 And the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to cultivate and care for it. 16 He told the man that he could eat freely of any tree in the garden, 17 except from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. From this tree he was never to eat. Should he eat from this tree he would surely die.

God Made a Helper for Adam
18 The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make someone suitable as his helper." 19 So the LORD God brought every sort of beast and bird to Adam to see what he would call it, and that became its name. 20 Adam gave names to all the cattle, to every bird and to every beast of the field. But he did not find even one who could be his helper.

21 Then the LORD God caused Adam to sleep. While he slept God took out one of his ribs and closed up the opening. 22 And from Adam's rib He made the woman and brought her to the man. 23 When Adam saw her he recognized that she was like him. He called her Woman because she was taken out of Man. 24 This is the reason a man leaves his father and mother, to be joined to his wife, so that they become one flesh. 25 They were both naked and were not ashamed.

Genesis 3 - RWB Paraphrase (24 V)
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The Serpent Tempts Eve
1 At that time the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. The serpent spoke to the woman, saying, "Is there any tree in the garden that God has told you that you must not eat from?" 2 The woman answered, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of this garden." 3 But God told us we may not eat the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden, or touch it. If we do this we will die. 4 The serpent said to the woman, "You will not die." 5 "God knows that on the day you eat it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." Eve Gives the Forbidden Fruit to Adam and He Eats It Too
6 When the woman saw the tree as good for food, she liked what she saw, and believed it would make her wise. So she picked some of its fruit and ate it. Then she took some to her husband, and he ate it with her, and disobeyed with her. 7 Both of them now had their eyes opened. They saw that they were naked. Feeling the need to be covered, they made aprons from fig leaves to cover themselves.

God Comes Looking for Adam and Eve
8 In the cool of the evening they heard the LORD God walking in the garden and they hid themselves among the trees, for they didn't want Him to see them. 9 The LORD God called to Adam, saying, "Where are you?" 10 Adam answered, "I heard your voice in the garden and was afraid, because I was naked and hid myself." 11 God said, "Who told you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree I told you not to eat from?" 12 And the man answered, "The woman you gave me brought some of its fruit to me and I ate it." 13 Then The LORD God said to the woman, "What have you done?" The woman replied, "The serpent deceived me and I ate from the tree." 14 Then the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this you are cursed above all cattle and beasts of the field. You will move about on your belly and eat dust all the days of your life." 15 "I will put animosity between your offspring and her offspring. One from her seed will bruise your head and you will bruise his heel."

16 And He said to the woman, "I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth and your conception. Nevertheless, your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you."

17 To Adam He said, "Because you have listened to your wife and eaten from the tree which I commanded you not to eat from, lest you die, the ground is now cursed. Making a living and getting what you need from it will be a struggle all the days of your life." 18 "Thorns and thistles will vie for space with the plants you grow in the field." 19 "Eating will require your sweat until you return to the dust of the ground from which you were taken. You are dust and to dust you shall return."

20 Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all the living. 21 The LORD God made garments of skins for Adam and Eve so that they would not be naked. 22 And the LORD God said, "See, the man has become like Us, knowing good and evil. If he continues to eat from the tree he will live forever." 23 So the LORD God sent Adam out of the garden to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. 24 Then He stationed cherubim with flaming swords at the garden's edge to guard the way to the tree of life.

Genesis 4 - RWB Paraphrase (26 V)
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Adam and Eve Have Cain and Abel
1 Adam had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. She said, "The LORD has given me a manchild." 2 She had another son whom she named Abel. He was a shepherd of flocks while Cain cultivated the ground.

3 In the course of time Cain brought some of his produce as an offering to the LORD. 4 Abel also brought an offering from the best of his flock. The LORD showed regard for Abel and his offering. 5 God showed no regard for Cain and his offering. This made Cain despondent and then angry. 6 The LORD spoke to Cain, asking him, "Why are you angry?" 7 "If you do well will it not make you happy? But if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door trying to control you. You must master it."

Cain Kills Abel
8 Cain found a time to talk with his brother Abel while they were in the field. Here he attacked Abel and killed him. 9 The LORD came to Cain and asked him, "Where is your brother Abel?" He replied, "I do not know. Is it my responsibility to keep track of him?" 10 Then God said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying out to Me from the ground." 11 "Now you are cursed from the ground which received your brother's blood when you killed him." 12 "From now on when you cultivate the ground it will not yield its strength to you. You will be a fugitive and a vagrant on the earth." 13 Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is too great for me!" 14 "You have driven me from the use of the ground and from Your presence. As a fugitive and a vagrant I will be killed by whoever finds me." 15 The LORD said to Cain, "Whoever kills you will have vengeance taken on him sevenfold." For this reason the LORD set a mark on Cain so that no one would kill him.

16 Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and settle in the land of Nod, east of Eden. 17 He had relations with his wife and she conceived and bore a son named Enoch. Cain built a city and named it after his son. 18 Enoch had a son named Irad. Irad had a son named Mehujael. Mehujael had a son named Methusael and Methusael had a son named Lamech. 19 Lamech married two women. One was named Adah and the other Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal. His descendants lived in tents and had livestock. 21 His brother's name was Jubal whose descendants played the lyre, the harp and the pipe. 22 Zillah gave birth to TubalCain. He forged things of bronze and iron. His sister was Naamaah.

23 Lamech said to his wives, "Adah and Zillah, listen to what I say. I killed a young man for striking and wounding me." 24 "If Cain is to be avenged sevenfold, then I should be avenged seventy-sevenfold."

25 Adam had relations with his wife again and she gave birth to a son. She named him Seth, "For," she said, "God has appointed another son to replace Abel whom Cain killed." 26 And Seth had a son whose name was Enos. It was at this time that men began to call upon the name of the LORD.

Genesis 5 - RWB Paraphrase (32 V)
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A List of Men From Adam to Noah and How Long They Lived
1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female. He blessed them and named them Man when He created them.

Adam - Formed By God From The Red Soil
3 Adam lived an hundred and thirty years and begat a son in his own likeness, according to his own image, and named him Seth. 4 After Seth was born, Adam live eight hundred years, and he had other sons and daughters. 5 All the days of Adam were nine hundred and thirty years, and then he died.

Seth - Anointed, Compensation
6 Seth lived one hundred and five years before he became the father of Enosh. 7 Then he lived another eight hundred and seven years after Enosh was born. And he had other sons and daughters. 8 So all of his days were nine hundred and twelve years, and then he died.

Enosh - Denotes Man As Frail And Mortal
9 Enosh lived ninety years and then became the father of Cainan. 10 Then Enosh lived eight hundred and fifteen years after Cainan was born, and he had other sons and daughters. 11 So all the days of Enosh were nine hundred and five years, and he died.

Cainan - Uncertain Meaning
12 Cainan lived seventy years before he became the father of Mahalalel. 13 And Cainan lived eight hundred and forty years after Mahalalel was born and he had other sons and daughters. 14 So all of Cainan's days were nine hundred and ten years, and he died.

Mahalalel - Praise Of God
15 Mahalalel lived sixty five years before becoming the Father of Jared. 16 Then he lived another eight hundred and thirty years and had other sons and daughters. 17 And all the days of Mahalalel were eight hundred and ninety five years, and he died.

Jared - Rose (Flower)
18 Jared lived one hundred and sixty two years and he became the father of Enoch. 19 Then he lived another eight hundred years and had other sons and daughters. 20 And all of the days of Jared were nine hundred and sixty two years, and he died.

Enoch - Dedicated, Trained
21 Enoch lived sixty five years and then became the father of Methuselah. 22 Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after Methuselah was born. He also had other sons and daughters. 23 All the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty five years. 24 Enoch walked with God. And he was not found, for God took him. Methuselah - Man Of The Javelin
25 And Methuselah lived one hundred and eighty seven years, and became the father of Lamech. 26 Then Methuselah lived another seven hundred and eighty two years and had other sons and daughters. 27 So all of Methuselah's days were nine hundred and sixty nine years, and he died.

Lamech - Possibly To Make Low
28 Lamech lived one hundred and eighty two years, and became the father of a son. 29 He called his name Noah, saying, "This one will give us rest from our work and from the toil of our hands from working the ground the LORD has cursed." 30 Then Lamech lived another five hundred and ninety five years after he became the father of Noah, and he had other sons and daughters. 31 So all the days of Lamech were seven hundred and seventy seven years, and he died.

Noah - Comfort, Long-Lived, Repose
32 Noah was five hundred years old when he became the father of Shem, Ham and Japheth.

Genesis 6 - RWB Paraphrase (22 V)
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The Earth Becomes Corrupt
1 It came about that when ungodly men began to multiply on the earth, and daughters were born to them, 2 that the godly young men saw the daughters of the ungodly as very desirable. They took these young women as wives without considering their spiritual condition. 3 Then the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not always strive with man. He is flesh and is prone to sin. His days shall be shortened to one hundred and twenty years."

4 There were giants on the earth in those days. As the godly men married the ungodly women, their children became the renowned mighty men of old. 5 The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every imagination of the heart was evil continually. 6 He was deeply grieved that He had made man on the earth. 7 The LORD said, "I will blot out man whom I have created. I will destroy man and animal, creeping things and the birds, for I am sorry that I made them." 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. 9 These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time and he walked with the LORD. 10 He became the father of three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth.

11 Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight and filled with violence. 12 As God looked over the earth, He saw that all flesh had corrupted their ways. 13 God said to Noah, "I have decided to destroy all flesh, for the earth is filled with their violence." 14 "Make an ark of gopher wood with rooms in it and cover it with pitch inside and out." 15 "Here is the plan you shall use. The length of the ark will be three hundred cubits (450 feet). Its breadth will be fifty cubits (75 feet) and its height thirty cubits (45 feet)." 16 "Make a window for the ark one cubit (18 inches) from the top. Set a door on the side, and make the ark with a lower, second and third deck."

God Establishes His Covenant with Noah
17 "Behold, I am bringing a flood upon the earth to destroy all flesh, everything with the breath of life. Everything on the earth shall perish." 18 "But I will establish My covenant with you. You shall enter the ark with your wife, your sons, and your son's wives." 19 "And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring a male and a female into the ark, so that they will be kept alive with you through the flood." 20 "This will include each kind of bird and each kind of animal, as well as every creeping thing. There will be two of everything in order to keep them alive through the flood." 21 "And you are to take food for yourself and all the animals with you." 22 Noah did everything just as the LORD had commanded him.

Genesis 7 - RWB Paraphrase (24 V)
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Noah And His Family Enter The Ark With The Animals
1 The LORD said to Noah, "I want you to enter the ark with your household, because you alone are righteous before Me at this time." 2 You shall take with you of every clean animal by sevens, both male his female. Of the unclean animals take only one pair, a male and his female." 3 "Of the birds take seven, male and female, to keep them alive on the earth." 4 "Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights. I will blot out every living thing on the earth." 5 Noah did just as the LORD had commanded him. 6 When the flood of water came on the earth Noah was six hundred years old.

7 So Noah and his wife, and their sons with their wives, entered the ark to escape the flood waters. 8 And there came into the ark clean and unclean animals, birds and other creatures that creep on the ground. 9 They came into the ark by twos, male and female, just as God had commanded Noah. 10 And so it was that after seven days the waters of the flood came upon the earth.

11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day, the fountains of the deep burst open, and the floodgates of the sky were opened. 12 And the rain fell upon the earth for forty days and forty nights. 13 Noah and his family, along the animals, entered the ark on the same day, 14 they and every beast after its kind, all the cattle after their kind, everything that creeps on the earth after its kind, and all sorts of birds, each after its kind. 15 So they all went into the ark to Noah, by twos of all flesh in which was the breath of life. 16 Those that entered, male and female of all flesh, entered as God had commanded Noah. After everything was inside, the LORD closed the door.

The Flood Came After God Closed the Door of the Ark
17 And the flood came upon the earth for forty days. As the water increased it lifted the ark up from the earth. 18 The floodwaters prevailed, covering more and more of the earth with the ark floating on its surface. 19 The waters prevailed, rising higher and higher, until every mountain was covered, 20 until it was fifteen cubits (nearly 25 feet) higher than the highest mountain. 21 All flesh that moved on the earth perished: birds, cattle, beasts and every creeping thing. And all mankind perished, too, 22 for everything on dry land that had the breath of life died. 23 In this way God blotted out every living thing on the face of the earth: men, animals and birds. All were destroyed by the flood. Only Noah was left with those in the ark with him. 24 The water prevailed upon the earth for one hundred and fifty days (about five months).

Genesis 8 - RWB Paraphrase (22 V)
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God Remembered Noah and Everything in the Ark
1 God remembered Noah and everything in the ark. And He caused a wind to pass over the earth to make the water subside. 2 The fountains of the deep and the floodgates of the sky were closed and the rain stopped. 3 The waters receded steadily and at the end of one hundred and fifty days (five months) the waters were much lower. 4 In the seventh month on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest within the mountains of Ararat. 5 The waters continued to decrease until the tenth month. On the first day of the tenth month the tops of mountains were visible.

Noah Sends Out a Dove
6 After another forty days Noah opened the window of the ark, 7 and sent out a raven. It flew back and forth over the earth until the water was dried up. 8 So he sent out a dove, to see if the waters were down enough to leave dry ground. 9 The dove found no place to rest and returned to the ark. 10 Noah waited seven more days before sending the dove out once more. 11 Toward evening the dove returned with a freshly picked olive leaf. Then Noah knew that the flood waters had gone down. 12 Seven days later he sent the dove out once more. This time she did not return to the ark.

13 In the six hundred and first year of Noah's life, on the first day of the first month, the waters were dried up from the earth. Noah removed the covering of the ark and saw that the ground was dry. 14 It was the second month and the twenty seventh day the earth was dry.

God Told Noah That Everyone Could Leave The Ark
15 Then God said to Noah, 16 "go out from the ark with your wife and your sons and your son's wives." 17 "Bring every living thing out of the ark, birds, animals and every creeping thing, that they may breed and multiply on the earth." 18 So Noah and his family went out of the ark. 19 And all of the beasts, birds and creeping things went out from the ark. 20 Noah built an alter to the LORD and took one of every clean animal and clean bird, and offered each as a burnt offering to the LORD. 21 The LORD smelled the soothing aroma and said to Himself, "I will never again curse the ground on account of man whose thoughts are always evil. And I will never again destroy every living thing as I did in the flood." 22 "While the earth remains, seed time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall not cease."

Genesis 9 - RWB Paraphrase (29 V)
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God Blessed Noah And His Sons
1 God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, "Be fruitful. Multiply and fill the earth." 2 "Every beast of the earth and all the birds will fear you. Everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea are under your authority." 3 "I have given you every thing that is alive as food along with the green plants." 4 "But you must not to eat flesh with its blood." 5 "If you eat the blood of animals I will require your blood." 6 "And whoever sheds man's blood, then his blood shall be shed, for man is made in the image of God." 7 "But you are to be fruitful and multiply, filling the earth with your descendants."

8 Then God spoke to Noah and his sons, saying, 9 "I am establishing a covenant with you and your descendants," 10 "and with every living creature that is with you, including the birds, the cattle and every beast of the earth, with everything that came out of the ark." 11 "I am establishing My covenant with you when I promise that I will never again send a flood of water to destroy all life on the earth." 12 And God said, "Here is the sign of this covenant I am making with you and every living creature that is with you, for all generations." The Sign of God's Covenant with the Earth
13 "I am setting My bow in the clouds as a sign of My covenant with the earth." 14 "And whenever I bring a cloud over the earth, the bow will be seen in the cloud." 15 "I will remember My covenant with you and every living creature. Never again shall a flood of water destroy all flesh." 16 "When the bow is in the cloud, I will look upon it and remember My everlasting covenant with every living creature on the earth." 17 And God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant I have established between Me and all flesh on the earth."

18 The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham and Japheth. Ham was the father of Canaan. 19 From Noah's three sons the whole earth was populated.

20 Noah began farming and he planted a vineyard. 21 In time he drank the wine of it. He became drunk and lay in his tent uncovered. 22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father's nakedness and told his two brothers who were outside. 23 So Shem and Japheth took a garment and laying it on their shoulders, walked backwards to cover their father, being careful not to see his nakedness. 24 When Noah awoke from the affects of the wine, he learned what his youngest son had done. 25 He said, "Canaan is cursed. He shall be a servant of servants to his brothers." 26 He also said, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem. Let Canaan be his servant." 27 May God enlarge Japheth and let him dwell in the tents of Shem. And let Canaan be his servant. 28 Noah lived three hundred and fifty years after the flood. 29 So all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years, and then he died.

Genesis 10 - RWB Paraphrase (32 V)
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A List of the Generations of Noah's Sons
1 Here is a list of the generations of Noah's sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, and the sons born to them after the flood.

Japheth - May He Expand
2 The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech and Tiras. 3 The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Riphath and Togarmah. 4 And the sons of Javan were Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim and Dodanim. 5 By these the coastlands of the nations were organized, according to each language, with families forming nations.

Ham - Hot, Heat, Brown
6 The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put and Canaan. 7 And the sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah and Sabtechah. The sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan. 8 Cush became the father of Nimrod who became mighty on the earth. 9 He was known for being a mighty hunter before the LORD. 10 The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11 From that land he went forth to Assyria to build Nineveh, Rehoboth and Calah, 12 and Resen which was between Nineveh and Calah. This city became great. 13 Mizraim became father of Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, 14 Pathrusim and Casluhim from which the Philistines and Caphtorim came. 15 Canaan became the father of Sidon, his firstborn, Heth, 16 the Jebusite, the Amorite, the Girgashite, 17 the Hivite, the Arkite, the Sinite, 18 the Arvadite, the Zemarite and the Hamathite. Afterward the families of the Canaanite were spread abroad. 19 The territory of the Canaanite extended from Sidon as you go toward Gerar, as far as Gaza, then over toward Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. 20 These are the sons of Ham, according to their families, languages and lands by nations.

Shem - Renown
21 To Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, and the older brother of Japheth, children were born. 22 The sons of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud and Aram. 23 And the sons of Aram were Uz, Hul, Gether and Mash.

Arpachshad - Healer, Releaser
24 Arpachshad became the father of Shelah, and Shelah became the father of Eber.

Peleg - Brook, A Little River
25 Two sons were born to Eber. One was Peleg, because in his days the earth was divided. His brother's name was Joktan. 26 Joktan became the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jarah, 27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29 Ophir, Havilah and Jobab. All of these were the sons of Joktan. 30 They settled the land from Mesha on towards Sephar, on the way to the hill country of the east. 31 These are the sons of Shem, according to their families, languages, lands and nations.

32 These are families of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies by their nations as they were separated on the earth after the flood.

Genesis 11 - RWB Paraphrase (32 V)
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The LORD Confounded the Language of All the Earth
1 After the flood all the people used one language. 2 As they journeyed east, they settled on a plain in the land of Shinar. 3 They decided to make bricks, burning them thoroughly. They used the bricks in place of stones and for mortar they used tar. 4 Their plan was to build a city with a tower that would reach into heaven. They wanted to make a name for themselves and not be scattered over the whole earth. 5 The LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. 6 He said, "See how the people are one people with one language. This is just the beginning. They will be able to do whatever they propose to do." 7 "Let Us confuse their language. Then they will not understand one another." 8 So the LORD scattered them over the whole earth and they stopped building the city. 9 The city's name was called Babel because the LORD confounded the language of all the earth. The LORD did this as a way to scattered the people over the whole earth.

A Listing Of The Generations From Shem To Abraham
Shem - Renowned
10 Shem was one hundred years old when he became the father of Arpachshad two years after the flood.

11 Shem lived five hundred years after he became the father of Arpachshad. He had other sons and daughters.

Arpachshad - Healer, Releaser
12 Arpachshad lived thirty five years and became the father of Shelah. 13 And Arpachshad lived four hundred and three years after he became the father of Shelah, and he had other sons and daughters.

Shelah - That Breaks, Unties, Undresses
14 Shelah lived thirty years and became the father of Eber. 15 And Shelah lived four hundred and three years after becoming the father of Eber and he had other sons and daughters.

Eber - One That Passes, Anger
16 Eber lived thirty four years before becoming the father of Peleg. 17 And Eber lived four hundred and thirty more years having other sons and daughters.

Peleg - Brook, A Little River
18 Peleg lived thirty years and became the father of Reu. 19 Then he lived another two hundred and nine years having more sons and daughters.

Reu - His Friend, His Shepherd
20 Reu lived thirty two years before becoming the father of Serug. 21 Then Reu lived two hundred and seven more years having other sons and daughters.

Serug - Branch
22 Serug lived thirty years before becoming the father of Nahor. 23 Then he lived an additional two hundred years and had other sons and daughters.

24 Nahor lived twenty nine years and then became the father of Terah. 25 After this Nahor lived one hundred and nineteen years and fathered other sons and daughters.

Terah - One Banished
26 Terah lived seventy years and became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. 27 Here is the record of the generations of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. Haran became the father of Lot. 28 Haran died while his father Terah was living in Ur of the Chaldeans.

Abram - Exalted Father
29 Abram and Nahor took wives. Abram's wife was Sarai and Nahor's wife was Milcah. She was the daughter of Haran. Her sister was Iscah.

Sarai - Quarrelsome
30 Sarai was unable to have children.

31 Terah took his son Abram and Abram's wife Sarai, who was his daughter-in-law, and his grandson Lot, who was Haran's son, and left Ur of the Chaldeans for the land of Canaan. They went as far as Haran, and settled there. 32 The days of Terah were two hundred and five years and he died in Haran.

Genesis 12 - RWB Paraphrase (20 V)
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The Lord Told Abram to Leave His Country
1 The LORD said to Abram, "Leave your country and the relatives in your father's house. I want you to go to a land I will show you." 2 "I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great. And you shall be a blessing." 3 "I will bless those who bless you and if anyone curses you I will curse him. Through you all the people of the world will be blessed."

4 So Abram followed the LORD's command. He left Haran for Canaan taking Lot went with him. Abram was seventy five years old when he left Haran. 5 He took his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot. They took all of their possessions and the people they had acquired in Haran and they traveled to Canaan. 6 Abram passed through the land as far as the oak of Moreh at Shechem. The inhabitants of the land were Canaanites.

7 The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "I am giving this land to your descendants." So Abram built and alter to the LORD who had appeared to him there.

8 Then he moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel. There he pitched his tent between Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. He built an alter to the LORD and called upon His name. 9 After that Abram journeyed toward the Negev.

10 There was a famine in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt where he stayed for a while because the famine was severe. 11 Before reaching Egypt Abram said to his wife Sarai, "You are a beautiful woman." 12 "The Egyptians will say, 'She is his wife,' and they will kill me but keep you alive." 13 "Please say that you are my sister so that they will not kill me in order to have you."

14 So it was that when Abram arrived in Egypt, the Egyptians saw that Sarai was very beautiful. 15 Pharaoh's officials told him of her great beauty and they brought her into Pharaoh's house. 16 And because of her, Pharaoh treated Abram well. He giving him sheep, oxen, donkeys and camels, and male and female servants. 17 But the LORD struck Pharaoh and his house with a great plague on account of Sarai, Abram's wife. 18 Then Pharaoh called Abram and said, "What have you done to me? Why didn't you tell me she was your wife?" 19 "Why did you say she was your sister? Because of that I took her as my wife. Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go." 20 And Pharaoh commanded his men to escort Abram away with his wife and all of his belongings.

Genesis 13 - RWB Paraphrase (18 V)
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Abram and Lot Separate Their Camps and Livestock
1 Abram left Egypt with his wife and all that he had. Lot went with him into the Negev. 2 Abram was very rich in livestock, silver and gold. 3 He went from the Negev up near Bethel where he had first pitched his tent between Ai and Bethel. 4 This was where he had formerly made an alter and called on the name of the LORD.

5 Lot had followed Abram with his own flocks and herds. 6 There was not enough pasture for both of their herds in that place because their possessions were so great. 7 Strife arose between their herdsmen. And they were sharing the pasture land with the Canaanites and the Perizzites. 8 Abram said to Lot, "There shouldn't be any strife between us or our herdsmen, for we are kinsmen." 9 "The whole land is before you. Choose wherever you wish to dwell and I will go to a different place." 10 Lot looked toward the valley of the Jordan and saw that it was well watered. This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. It was like the garden of the LORD. The land of Egypt as you travel towards Zoar was also like this.

11 So Lot chose the valley of the Jordan and journeyed east. Thus they were separated from each other. 12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan and Lot settled in the cities of the valley not far from Sodom. 13 The men of Sodom were very wicked. They were sinning greatly against the LORD.

14 After Lot had left, the LORD said to Abram, "Look in every direction from where you are standing." 15 "Everywhere you look I will give to you and your descendants forever." 16 "I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth, more than anyone can count." 17 "Arise, walk anywhere in the land. Wherever you go, what you see is what I will give to you."

18 Abram moved his tent to the plain of Mamre in Hebron and there he built an alter to the LORD.

Genesis 14 - RWB Paraphrase (24 V)
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Lot Is Taken Captive and Abram Comes to the Rescue
1 In the days of Amraphel the king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, 2 made war with Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar. 3 All these came as allies to the valley of Siddim, which is now the Salt Sea. 4 For twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer. But in the thirteenth year they rebelled. 5 In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and his allies came and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth-Karmaim, the Zuzim in Ham and the Emim in Shaveh-Kiriathaim, 6 and the Horites in Mount Seir, as far as Elparan by the wilderness. 7 Then they came back to Enmishpat, which is Kadesh, and conquered all the country of the Amalekites and the Amorites who lived in HazazonTamar. 8 The king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim and the king of Bela, that is Zoar, came out to battle against them in the valley of Siddim, 9 against Chedorlaomer, Elam, Tidal, Amraphel, and Bela, four kings against five.

10 The valley of Siddim was full of tar pits. As the kings and their men from Sodom and Gomorrah fled, they fell in these pits. And some survived by fleeing to the hill country. 11 The invaders took all of the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, including their food supply. 12 And they took Lot, Abram's nephew, along with his possessions, because he was now living in Sodom. 13 Someone escaped and came and told Abram, who was living by the oaks of Mamre which belonged to the Amorite, the brother of Eshcol and Aner. These were allies with Abram.

14 When Abram heard that Lot had been taken captive, he led three hundred and eighteen of his trained men and pursued the invaders as far as Dan. 15 Dividing his forces, he attacked them at night and defeated them. He then pursued them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus.

16 Abram brought back Lot and his possessions, and the people with him. 17 As he returned from defeating Chedorlaomer and his allies, the king of Sodom came out to meet him at the valley of Shavah known as the King's Valley.

Abram Pays Tithe to Melchizedek King of Salem
18 And Melchizedek king of Salem and priest of God Most High, brought out bread and wine. 19 He blessed Abram saying, "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth." 20 "And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand." And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. 21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, "Just give me back my people and keep the goods." 22 But Abram said, "I have sworn to the LORD God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth," 23 "that I will not take anything that belongs to you, not even a thread or sandal thong, lest you should ever say that you made Abram rich." 24 "I ask for nothing except what the young men have eaten and the share belonging to Aner, Eshcol and Mamre. Let them have their share."

Genesis 15 - RWB Paraphrase (21 V)
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God Promises Abram a Child of His Own
1 After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Fear not Abram. I am your protection. Your reward shall be very great." 2 Abram said, "O LORD God, what will You give me? I am childless and the heir of everything I own is Eliezer of Damascus." 3 "For You have not given me a child to be my heir."

4 The LORD said, "Your servant shall not be your heir. Your heir shall be a child from your own body." 5 Then the LORD took Abram outside and said, "Look to the heavens. Can you count the stars? That is how many descendants you shall have." 6 Abram believed the LORD and He counted it to him for righteousness, 7 and He said to Abram, "I am the LORD Who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to possess this land." 8 Then Abram said, "O LORD God, how may I know that I will possess it?"

9 So the LORD said to him, "Bring Me a three year old heifer, a three year old female goat, a three year old ram, a turtle dove and a young pigeon." 10 Abram brought each of these animals to the LORD and cut them in two, laying each half opposite the other half. However, he did not cut the birds. 11 When birds of prey tried to eat the carcasses Abram drove them away. 12 As the sun was going down Abram fell into a deep sleep and felt a great terror of darkness coming over him. 13 God said to Abram, "Know and understand that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not their own. They will be oppressed as slaves for four hundred years." 14 "After I have judged the nation they are serving, they will come out of that place with many possessions." 15 "But you, Abram, shall go to your fathers in peace. You will be buried at a ripe old age." 16 "It will be the fourth generation of your descendants that return home. As it now stands, the Amorite's iniquity is not yet complete."

God Promises Specific Land For Abram's Descendants
17 When the sun had set and it was very dark, there appeared a smoking furnace and a burning torch which passed between the animal pieces. 18 And on that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your descendants I have given this land, from the River of Egypt all the way to the River Euphrates." 19 "I will give them the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites," 20 "the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Rephaim," 21 "the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Girashite and the Jebusite."

Genesis 16 - RWB Paraphrase (16 V)
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Sarai Gives Her Handmaid Hagar to Abram As His Wife
1 Sarai had never given any children to Abram, and she had an Egyptian maid named Hagar. 2 So she proposed to Abram that since the LORD had prevented her from bearing children, perhaps she could obtain children through Hagar. And Abram listened to Sarai. 3 It had been ten years since Abram had come to Canaan and now Sarai decided to give Hagar the Egyptian to her husband as his wife. 4 When Hagar became pregnant by Abram she no longer had any respect for Sarai. 5 Sarai said to Abram, "May the wrong you have done to me come back upon you. May the LORD judge between you and me." 6 So Abram said, "She is your maid and it is within your power to do to her as you think best." So Sarai treated Hagar harshly and she fled from Sarai's presence.

7 The angel of the LORD found Hagar by a spring in the wilderness on the way to Shur. 8 He said to her, "Hagar, Sarai's maid. Where have you come from and where are you going?" She answered, "I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai."

The Lord Promises Hagar Many Descendants
9 Then the angel of the LORD said to Hagar, "Return to your mistress, and submit to her authority," 10 "and I will greatly multiply your descendants so that there will be too many to count." 11 The angel of the LORD then added, "See, you are now with child and it will be a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the LORD has heard your troubles." 12 "He will be wild and untamable, and his hand will be against everyone, and everyone will be against him. He will live to the east of his brothers."

13 Hagar called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, "You are a God Who sees, for I have looked at Him and I am still alive."

14 The name of that well was BeerLahaiRoi. It is between Kadesh and Bered.

15 So Hagar bore a son to Abram and he named him Ishmael. 16 Abram was eighty six years old when Ishmael was born.

Genesis 17 - RWB Paraphrase (27 V)
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God Changes Abram's Name to Abraham and Sarai's Name to Sarah
1 When Abram was ninty-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty. Walk before Me and be blameless." 2 "I will establish My covenant with you, and multiply you exceedingly." 3 Abram fell on his face while God continued speaking. He said, 4 "As for Me, My covenant is with you, and you will be the father of a multitude of nations." 5 You will no longer be known as Abram. Your name shall be Abraham, for I will make you the father of many nations. 6 "I will make you exceedingly fruitful. Nations will come from you and kings will come out of you." 7 "I will establish My everlasting covenant with you and your descendants throughout their generations. I will be your God and the God of your descendants." 8 "I will give the land where you are sojourning to you and your descendants. All the land of Canaan will be your everlasting possession. I will be the God of your descendants." 9 And God continued, saying to Abraham, "You and your descendants are to keep My covenant throughout their generations." 10 "Here is the covenant which you and your descendants shall keep: every male shall be circumcised." 11 "You are to circumcise the flesh of your foreskin as a sign of the covenant between you and Me." 12 "When a male is eight days old he shall be circumcised. This is to be done throughout all your generations. This includes the servants born in your house or those bought with money from any foreigner." 13 "Those born in your house or purchased are to be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant." 14 "Any male whose foreskin is not circumcised shall be cut off from his people because he has broken My covenant."

15 Then God said to Abraham, "Your wife's name shall no longer be Sarai. Her name shall be Sarah." 16 "I will bless her and through her give you a son. Through him she shall be the mother of many nations. Kings of peoples will come from her." 17 Abraham fell on his face and laughed to himself, thinking, "Can a child be born to a man who is an hundred years old? Is it possible for Sarah, who is ninety years old to bear a child?" 18 Then Abraham said to God, "Couldn't Ishmael be the one to live before you?" 19 But God said, "No, Sarah your wife will bear a son and you shall name him Isaac. With him I will establish My everlasting covenant, both for him and his descendants." 20 "I have heard your request for Ishmael, and I will bless him. He will be fruitful. I will multiply him very greatly. He will be the father of twelve princes and I will make him a great nation." 21 "But I will establish My covenant with Isaac whom Sarah will bear to you around this time next year."

22 When God had finished talking with Abraham, He went up from him. 23 Then Abraham took his son Ishmael, and all the male servants born in his house and those who had been purchased, every male in his household, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin on the same day that God had spoken to him. 24 Abraham was ninty-nine years of age when he was circumcised, 25 and his son Ishmael was thirteen. 26 Both of them were circumcised on the same day, 27 as were all the men of his household, whether purchased from a foreigner, or born in his house.

Genesis 18 - RWB Paraphrase (33 V)
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The Lord Appeared to Abram and Ate a Meal with Him
1 The LORD appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre. He was sitting at the door of his tent during the heat of the day. 2 Looking up, he noticed three men standing nearby. When he saw them he ran to them and bow down before them, 3 and said, "My Lord, if I have found favor with You, please do not pass by Your servant." 4 "Please, let a little water be brought to wash your feet while you rest under the tree." 5 "And I will bring some bread for Your refreshment. After visiting for a while You can be on your way." and they agreed to his offer. 6 So Abraham hurried inside and asked Sarah to quickly prepare enough fine flour to make some loaves of bread. 7 Then he ran to the herd and took a tender young calf and asked his servant to quickly prepare it. 8 Taking butter and milk along with the rest of the food he had prepared, he placed everything before them, and stood by while they ate.

9 Then they said to him, "Where is your wife Sarah?" He answered, "Inside the tent."

The Lord Told When the Son Would Be Born to Sarah
10 The Stranger said, "I will surely return to you at this time next year, and Sarah, your wife, will have a son." Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind Him.

11 Now Abraham and Sarah were both advanced in age. Sarah was past the age when she could bear children. 12 She laughed to herself, saying, "After I am old, shall I then have this pleasure, since my lord is old also?" 13 Then the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say that she is surely too old to bear a child?" 14 "Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you. At this time next year Sarah will have a son." 15 Sarah was afraid and denied having laughed. And He said to her, "Yes, you laughed."

16 The men got up and looked toward Sodom. Abraham walked with them to send them on their way. 17 The LORD said, "Shall I keep from Abraham what I am about to do?" 18 "He will surely become a great and mighty nation and through him all the nations will be blessed." 19 "For I have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD, doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring to pass all that He has spoken concerning Abraham."

20 Then the LORD said, "The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great because their great sin." 21 "I am going down and see if they are as bad as I have been told." 22 Then the other two men turned and went toward Sodom while Abraham stood by the LORD. 23 Abraham came near to Him and said, "Will You actually destroy the righteous with the wicked?" 24 "What if there are fifty righteous people in the city. Will you sweep away everyone, including the fifty righteous in their midst?" 25 "Can it be right to destroy the righteous with the wicked, treating both the same. As the Judge of all the earth you will surely deal justly." 26 So the LORD said, "If I find fifty righteous in the city I will spare the whole place for their sake." 27 Then Abraham replied, "I am but dust and ashes and yet I am speaking to the LORD." 28 "Maybe there aren't fifty righteous in the city, but only forty-five. Will you destroy everyone, because only forty-five are righteous?" And He replied, I will not destroy it if I find forty-five righteous. 29 Abraham spoke once more, saying, "Suppose there are only forty to be found?" And He said, "I will not destroy it on account of the forty." 30 The Abraham said, "O may the LORD not be angry with what I say next. Suppose only thirty are found there?" And He said "I will not destroy it if thirty are found there." 31 Then Abraham said, "I will ask the LORD again, suppose twenty are found there?" And He said, "I will not destroy it on account of the twenty." 32 Then Abraham said, "Please do not be angry with me for speaking only one more time. What if there are ten found there?" And the LORD said, "I will not destroy it on account of the ten." 33 When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham He departed, and Abraham returned to his place.

Genesis 19 - RWB Paraphrase (38 V)
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Lot and His Two Daughters Are Rescued Before Sodom Is Destroyed
1 As evening drew on, two angels came to Sodom. Lot was sitting at the gate of the city. When he saw them he rose to meet them and bowed his face to the ground. 2 He said, "My lords, please come to my house, wash your feet and spend the night. In the morning you may rise early and be on your way." But they replied, "No thank you. We will spend the night here in the square." 3 But Lot continued to urge them until they consented to go with him to his house where he prepared a good meal for them, even baking unleavened bread, and they ate. 4 Before they had lain down, the men of Sodom surrounded the house. There were young and old from every part of the city. 5 They called to Lot saying, "Where are the men you took home with you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may misuse them." 6 Lot went outside shutting the door behind him. 7 He said to the men, "Please, my brothers, do not act wickedly." 8 "You know that I have two daughters who are virgins. Let me bring them out to you to do with them as you please. But, please, do nothing to my guests who have come under my roof." 9 But they said, "Stand aside. You are not one of us, so why are you acting like a judge toward us? Take care, or we will treat you worse than them." They pushed so hard against Lot that they nearly broke the door in.

10 The two men inside reached out and brought Lot back into the house and shut the door. 11 And they struck everyone of the men outside with blindness, so that they grew weary as they tried to find the door. 12 Then the two men asked Lot, "Who else do you have in this city? Get your family and in-laws out of the city." 13 "For we are about to destroy this place because what they are doing has become so offensive to the LORD."

14 Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, saying, "Get out of this place, for the LORD is about to destroy this city." They treated him as though he was a joke.

15 As morning came the angels urged Lot to take his wife and his two daughters living with them, and leave immediately, lest they be swept away in the punishment of the city. 16 Lot hesitated, so, taking him, his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the two men led them out of the city, for the LORD had compassion on Lot. 17 When they were outside the city, one of the men said, "Escape for your life. Do not look behind you and do not stay anywhere in this valley. Escape to the mountains, lest you be swept away in the destruction." 18 But Lot said to them, "Oh no my lords!" 19 "Behold, if I have found favor in your sight and you want to show me kindness, understand that sending me to the mountains is like a death sentence." 20 "Over there is a small town. Please let me go there so that I will not die." 21 And the angel granted his request promising not to overthrow that little town. 22 He said, "Hurry and go there, for I cannot do anything until you get there." The name of the town was Zoar.

23 The sun had risen when Lot got to Zoar. 24 Then the LORD rained fire and brimstone out of heaven on Sodom and Gomorrah, 25 overthrowing those cities and all the inhabitants of the valley.

26 But Lot's wife lagged behind, and looking back, she became a pillar of salt.

27 Abraham got up early the next morning and went to the place where he had stood with the LORD. 28 As he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, he saw smoke ascending as from a furnace. 29 But when God destroyed the cities of the valley, He remembered Abraham and sent Lot away from the destruction of the place where he had been living. 30 Because Lot was afraid to stay in Zoar, he went up in the mountains to live in a cave with his two daughters. 31 The older daughter said to the younger, "Our father is old, and there is no one for us to marry." 32 "Let's get father drunk and lie with him that our family may be preserved." 33 So they made him drunk and the firstborn went in and lay with her father. He never knew when she came in to him, or when she left. 34 On the following day the older daughter said to her younger sister, "Last night it was my turn. Tonight it will be yours. Let us make him drunk with wine again. After that you go in to him that we may preserve our family." 35 That evening they once again made their father drunk with wine and the younger went in and lay with him without him knowing when she came in or when she went out. 36 In this way both of Lot's daughters were pregnant by their father. 37 The older daughter bore a son and named him Moab and he became the father of the Moabites. 38 The younger daughter also bore a son and named him BenAmmi. He became the father of Ammon.

Genesis 20 - RWB Paraphrase (18 V)
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Abraham Lied About His Wife Sarah
1 Abraham journeyed from where he had been living down to the Negev and settled between Kadesh and Shur, sojourning in Gerar. 2 He told Abimelech, the king of Gerar, that Sarah was his sister. So Abimelech sent and took her. 3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream during the night, saying, "You are a dead man because the woman you have taken is married." 4 Abimelech had not yet come near her. He said, "Lord, will you slay a nation even when it is blameless?" 5 "He told me she was his sister? And she said, 'He is my brother.' I was innocent in doing this." 6 God said, "Yes, I know you did this in the integrity of your heart. This is why I have kept you from sinning against Me by warning you before you touched her." 7 "Now restore the man's wife to him, for he is a prophet. He will pray for you and you will live. However, if you do not restore her, know that you will surely die along with all who belong to you." 8 So Abimelech got up early the next morning and called all his servants together. The men were very frightened when they heard what had happened.

9 Then Abimelech called Abraham and asked, "How have I sinned against you that you should cause me to sin? You should not have treated me this way." 10 "Why did you do this?" 11 Abraham said, "I did not think that anyone would fear God in this place. I thought that I would be killed because of my wife." 12 "And in truth, she is my sister, my father's daughter but not my mother's, and she became my wife." 13 "So wherever God has caused me to travel, I have asked her to do me the kindness of referring to me as her brother." 14 Abimelech gave Abraham sheep and oxen, men and women servants, and he restored Sarah to him. 15 Abimelech said, "My land is before you. Settle wherever it pleases you." 16 And to Sarah he said, "I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. This will be your vindication before any who might question how you have been treated. Before all men you are cleared." 17 So Abraham prayed to God and God healed Abimelech, his wife and his maids, so that they could have children. 18 For the LORD had closed up their wombs because Abimelech had taken Sarah, Abraham's wife.

Genesis 21 - RWB Paraphrase (34 V)
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Sarah Bears a Son to Abraham
1 Then the LORD visited Sarah and did for her as He had promised. 2 She conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age at the very time God had appointed. 3 Abraham named him Isaac. 4 He circumcised his son when he was eight days old, just as the LORD had commanded. 5 At Isaac's birth Abraham was one hundred years old. 6 Sarah said, "God has given me laughter and everyone within hearing will laugh with me." 7 "Who could have told Abraham that Sarah would nurse a child. Yet, I have borne a son to him in his old age."

8 When the child had grown and been weaned, Abraham made a great feast. 9 Sarah saw Hagar's son mocking Isaac. 10 So Sarah told Abraham, "You must drive this maid and her son out of the camp. He must not be an heir along with Isaac." 11 This greatly troubled Abraham. 12 But God said to Abraham, "Do not be concerned for the lad of your maid. Do as Sarah has asked. Your descendants are to come through Isaac." 13 "Because the son of your maid is your descendant, I will make of him a nation, too." 14 So Abraham got up early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and put these on Hagar's shoulder. He then sent her and the boy away to wander in the wilderness of Beersheba. 15 When the water was gone, she left the boy under one of the bushes in that place, 16 and went about a bow shot away so she would not have to see him die. Then she lifted up her voice and wept.

17 God heard the lad crying. Then the angel of God called from heaven to Hagar. He asked her, "What is the matter? Do not be afraid. God had heard the lad's voice." 18 "Get up. Take the child by the hand, for I will make a great nation of him." 19 Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. She went to it, filled the water skin and gave water to her boy.

20 God was with the lad and he grew and became an archer, 21 and lived in the wilderness of Paran. His mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt. 22 Now it happened at that time that Abimelech and Philcol, the commander of his army, spoke with Abraham, saying, "God blesses everything you do." 23 Swear to me in God's presence that you will not deal falsely with me or my descendants. Just as I have shown you kindness so shall you show kindness to me and the land where you have sojourned. 24 Abraham said, "I swear it." 25 But then, Abraham complained to Abimelech because his servants had seized a well that he, Abraham, had dug. 26 Abimelech said, "This is the first time I have heard anything about this." 27 Abraham gave sheep and oxen to Abimelech and they made a covenant. 28 After that Abraham took seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. 29 Abimelech asked Abraham, "What are these for?" 30 Abraham said, "You shall take these seven ewe lambs from me as a witness that I have dug this well." 31 After that he called the place Beersheba, because the two of them took an oath there. 32 After making this covenant with Abraham at Beersheba, Abimelech and Philcol, the commander of his army, returned to the land of the Philistines.

33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba and called on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God. 34 And Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines for a long time.

Genesis 22 - RWB Paraphrase (24 V)
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God Tested Abraham
1 It was after this that God tested Abraham, saying to him, "Abraham!" And he answered, "Yes Lord. I am listening." 2 God said, "Take Isaac, your only son, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will direct you to." 3 So Abraham got up early in the morning and saddled his donkey. He took two of his young men and Isaac his son, and prepared the wood for the burnt offering. And they started out for Moriah.

4 On the third day out, Abraham looked up and saw the place from a distance. 5 He told his young men to wait by the donkey while he and Isaac went to Moriah to worship and then return. 6 Abraham laid the wood for the burnt offering on his son Isaac, and taking the fire and the knife, he and Isaac walked on together.

7 Isaac said, "My father!" And Abraham said, "Yes?" Isaac said, "I see that we have the fire and wood. Where is the Lamb for the burnt offering?" 8 Abraham said, "My son, God will provide for this requirement." And they continued walking. 9 When they arrived at the place God had indicated, Abraham built the alter. After arranging the wood on it, he then bound his son Isaac and laid him on the alter on top of the wood. 10 As he reached for the knife to take his son's life, 11 the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven saying "Abraham, Abraham!" And he answered, "Here I am." 12 And the angel said, "Do not raise your hand against the lad. I now know that you fear God because you have not held back your only son from Me." 13 Then Abraham looked up and saw behind him a ram was caught by his horns in a bush. He took the ram and offered him as the burnt offering in place of his son. 14 Abraham named that place, "The LORD will provide." And it is said to this day, "On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided."

15 Then the angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time, 16 and said to him, "I promise that because you have not held back your only son," 17 "I will greatly bless you, multiplying your descendants as the stars of the heavens and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants shall possess the gates of their enemies." 18 "All the nations of the earth shall be blessed through your seed because you have obeyed My voice."

19 Abraham returned to where his young men were waiting and together they returned to Beersheba where he continued to live.

20 Sometime later Abraham learned that Milcah had borne children to his brother Nahor. 21 Uz was his firstborn and Buz was his brother. Buz was the father of Aram, 22 Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph and Bethuel. 23 Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. These eight were born to Milcah by Nahor, Abraham's brother. 24 Nahor's concubine, Reumah, also bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash and Maacah.

Genesis 23 - RWB Paraphrase (20 V)
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Sarah Dies and Abraham Buys a Field
1 Sarah had lived one hundred and twenty-seven years. 2 She died in KiriathArba which became Hebron in Canaan, and Abraham mourned for her.

3 Abraham got up from mourning for Sarah and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying, 4 "I am a stranger and a sojourner among you. Give me a burial site so that I may bury my dead." 5 The sons of Heth answered him saying, 6 "You are a mighty prince among us. You may use the best of our grave sites. No one will refuse you this." 7 Then Abraham stood up and bowed to the sons of Heth. 8 He said, "If you want me to be able to bury my dead, hear me out. Ask Ephron, the son of Zohar for me," 9 "that he may give me the cave of Machpelah which he owns, the one at the end of his field. I will pay the full price for it in your presence, so that I may have it for a burial site."

10 Ephron the Hitite was sitting among the sons of Heth. He answered Abraham in the hearing of the sons of Heth, and everyone else sitting at the gate of his city. 11 He said, "I will give you the field and the cave on it. Let all who are here today witness that I have given it to you so that you may bury your dead." 12 Abraham bowed before the people of the land. 13 He said to Ephron while everyone listened, "Please hear me out and accept what the field is worth so that I may bury my dead." 14 Ephron answered Abraham, saying, 15 "My friend, consider this. What is a piece of land that is worth four hundred shekels of silver between you and me? Bury your dead."

16 Abraham listened to what Ephron said in the presence of the sons of Heth and gave Ephron four hundred shekels of silver according to the commercial standard.

17 So Ephron's field in Machpelah which faced Mamre, along with its cave and all its trees were deeded over to Abraham, 18 and he became its owner with the sons of Heth as witness. Everyone in the area knew of the purchase.

19 So Abraham buried his wife in the cave of Machpelah which faces Mamre, and it was later known as Hebron in the land of Canaan. 20 He was given a deed to the field and its cave by the sons of Heth, and from that time it was recognized as his burial site.

Genesis 24 - RWB Paraphrase (67 V)
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Abraham Sends His Trusted Servant to Find a Wife for Isaac
1 Abraham had become very old. The LORD had blessed him in every way. 2 Speaking to his oldest and most trusted servant, he said, "I want you to make a binding agreement with me by placing your hand under my thigh." 3 "Swear to me by the LORD, the God of heaven, that you will not take a wife for my son from among the Canaanites." 4 "Instead, you are to go to my relatives to get a wife for him." 5 His servant said, "Suppose the woman is not willing to come back with me? Should I then take Isaac to the land you came from?" 6 Abraham said, "Be sure that you do not take him back there." 7 The LORD God of heaven brought me here from my father's house in the land of my birth. He has sworn to me that He will give this land to my descendants. He will send his angel before you to help you find a wife in that place for my son. 8 "But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you are free from this oath. But do not take my son back there." 9 So his servant placed his hand under Abraham's thigh and swore to carry out Abraham's wishes on this matter.

10 Taking a variety of choice things from his master's household the servant placed them on ten camels and set out for the city of Nahor in Mesopotamia.

11 Arriving at Nahor he made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well. It was evening and women were coming out to draw water. 12 He prayed, "O LORD, the God of my master Abraham, please give me success today and show kindness to my master Abraham." 13 "As I am standing by this well and the daughters of the city come out to draw water," 14 "let it be a sign that the girl I ask for a drink of water will not only give me a drink, but also offer to water my camels as well. Then I will know You have appointed this one to be the wife of Isaac. This is how I will know that you have shown loving kindness to my master."

15 While he was speaking to the LORD, Rebekah, who was born of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, the wife of Abraham's brother Nahor, came from the city with her water jar on her shoulder. 16 She was very beautiful and had never been married. She came to the spring and filled her water jar. 17 Hurrying to meet her, the servant of Abraham said, "Please let me have a little water from your jar." 18 She said, "Drink my lord," and quickly lowered the water jar so he could have a drink. 19 When he had finished drinking, she said, "I will draw water for your camels as well until they have finished drinking." 20 She quickly emptied the jar in the watering trough and ran back to the well to draw water for all his camels.

21 As this took place, the man watched her in silence, eager to know if the LORD was making his journey successful.

22 When the camels had finished drinking, he took out a gold ring weighing a half-shekel (one fifth of an ounce, $824 at today's value) and two gold bracelets for her wrists, each weighing ten shekels (four ounces, $13,184 at today's value). 23 He then asked her, "Whose daughter are you? Would it be possible for us to stay at your father's house?" 24 She answered."I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor." 25 Then she added, "We have plenty of straw and feed, and room for you to stay the night." 26 Then the man bowed down and worshipped the LORD. 27 He said, "Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham. He has not forsaken His loving kindness and His truth toward my master. The LORD has guided me to the house of my master's brothers." 28 Then the girl ran and told everything to those in her mother's household.

29 Rebekah had a brother by the name of Laban and he ran to meet the man at the spring. 30 Having heard Rebekah's account of all that had happened and seeing the ring and the bracelets on her wrists, he went to see this man who was standing by his camels. 31 Laban said to him, "Come. You are blessed of the LORD. There is no need to remain here for I have prepared a place for you and your camels." 32 So the man went into the house while Laban unloaded the camels and gave them straw and feed. After that he brought water and wash the man's feet and the feet of the men with him.

33 When food had been set before him, the man said, "I will not eat until I have told you why I have come." They said, "Please tell us."

34 He began by saying, "I am Abraham's servant." 35 "The LORD has greatly blessed my master, making him very rich. He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, servants and maids, camels and donkeys." 36 "His wife Sarah bore him a son in her old age and Abraham has given everything to his son." 37 "My master made me swear to not take a wife for his son from the Canaanites in the land where he lives." 38 "He told me that I must go to the house of his relatives and get a wife for his son Isaac." 39 "I said, 'What if the woman is not willing to come back with me?'" 40 He answered me, saying, "The LORD, before whom I walk, will send His angel with you to make your journey successful. You will find a wife for my son from among my relatives and my father's house." 41 "But if my relatives do not agree to give her to you, you will be free from my oath." 42 "So I came to the spring today and said to the LORD, 'If you will make my journey a success." 43 "Then let it be that as I stand by the spring and a maiden comes to the spring to draw water, when I ask her for a little water to drink from her jar," 44 "and if she offers me a drink and then offers to also water my camels, let her be the woman you have appointed for my master's son.'" 45 "Before I had finished praying, Rebekah came with her water jar and filled it at the spring. And I asked her for a drink." 46 "She offered me a drink and said that she would also water my camels. After I drank she immediately began drawing watering them as well." 47 "I asked her whose daughter she was. She said she was the daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him. I then put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her wrists." 48 "And I bowed down and worshiped the LORD and blessed the LORD God of my master, Abraham, because He had guided me to the daughter of my master's kinsman that I might find a wife for his son." 49 "Tell me, are you going to deal kindly with my master? If not, let me know so that I may decide what to do next."

50 Then Laban and Bethuel said, "The matter has come from the LORD. We cannot say good or bad." 51 "Here is Rebekah. Take her and go. Let her be the wife of your master's son."

52 After Abraham's servant heard these words, he bowed himself before the LORD. 53 He then gave articles of silver and gold, and garments, to Rebekah. He also gave precious things for her brother and mother.

54 He and his men ate, drank and stayed the night. In the morning he said, "Send me back to my master." 55 Her brother and mother said, "Let Rebekah stay with us at least ten days. After that she may go." 56 But he replied, "Do not delay me, since the LORD has given me success. Send me away that I may go to my master." 57 They said, "We will ask the girl what she thinks about going immediately." 58 They asked Rebekah if she would go immediately, and she said, "I will go."

59 So they sent Rebekah and her nurse with Abraham's servant, 60 and they blessed Rebekah, saying, "May you be blessed, our sister. May you be multiplied to thousands and ten thousands. May your descendants possess the gate of those who hate them." 61 Then Rebekah arose with her maids and mounted the camels. And following the man they departed.

Isaac Meets Rebekah
62 Isaac was coming back from BeerLahaiRoi to where he lived in the Negev. 63 He was in the field meditating in the cool of the evening. As he looked up, he saw camels coming. 64 Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and seeing Isaac she got down from the camel. 65 She asked the servant, "Who is that man walking toward us?" The servant said, "He is my master." She then covered herself with a veil.

66 The servant then related to Isaac everything that had happened. 67 And Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother Sarah's tent. And she became his wife. He loved her and was comforted after his mother's death.

Genesis 25 - RWB Paraphrase (34 V)
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Abraham Took Another Wife
1 Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. 2 She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah. 3 Jokshan became the father of Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim and Leummim. 4 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida and Eldaah. All of these were Keturah's children. 5 Abraham gave all that He had to Isaac. 6 But He also gave gifts to the sons of his concubines while he was still living, and sent them away to the east, away from his son Isaac.

Abraham Dies
7 Abraham lived one hundred and seventy five years. 8 Then he breathed his last breath having lived to a ripe old age and satisfied with life. So he was gathered to his people. 9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah facing Mamre, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite. 10 Abraham had purchased the field from the sons of Heth and buried Sarah there.

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11 God blessed Isaac after Abraham's death. He was living by BeerLahaiRoi.

The Generations of Ishmael
12 This is the list of the generations of Ishmael, born to Abraham by Hagar, Sarah's maid. 13 This is a list of his sons in the order of their birth: Nebaioth, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah. 16 These are Ishmael's son's names, according to their villages and camps, twelve princes according to their tribes. 17 Ishmael lived one hundred and thirty seven years. 18 His sons settled from Havilah to Shur east of Egypt on the way to Assyria. He settled in defiance of all his relatives.

19 Here is a list of the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son. 20 Isaac was forty years of age when he took as his wife Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-Aram. She was the sister of Laban the Aramean. 21 Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife because she was barren. The LORD answered his prayer and Rebekah conceived. 22 The children struggled together within her. She asked the LORD, "What can this mean?" 23 The LORD said to her, "Two nations are in your womb. When they become two peoples they shall be divided. One will be stronger, and the older shall serve the younger."

Esau and Jacob Are Born
24 When her time to deliver had come, she had twins. 25 The first came out red and hairy like a garment. They named him Esau. 26 Then his brother was born holding on to Esau's heel. They named him Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when they were born.

27 When they grew up Esau became a skillful hunter, a man who was comfortable in the field. Jacob was a quiet man, preferring to live in tents. 28 Isaac loved Esau because he enjoyed the wild game he brought home. And Rebekah love Jacob.

Esau Sells His Birthright
29 One day Jacob was cooking some stew when Esau returned from the field. He was very hungry. 30 Esau said to Jacob, "Please give me some of your red stew. I'm famished." This is why he was called Edom. 31 Jacob said, "First, sell me your birthright." 32 Esau replied, "I am about to die. What do I care about the birthright?" 33 Jacob persisted, saying, "Prove your intention by swearing to me." So Esau swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew and he ate and drank and was on his way. This showed just how little he cared for the birthright.

Genesis 26 - RWB Paraphrase (35 V)
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Isaac Lies About His Wife
1 A famine came to the land like the one in the days of Abraham. Isaac went to Gerar, to Abimelech, the king of the Philistines. 2 The LORD appeared to him and told him not to go down to Egypt."Stay in the land where I will direct you." 3 "Sojourn in this land I will be with you. I will give you and your descendants all of these lands to fulfill the oath I swore to your father Abraham." 4 "I will multiply your descendants so that they are numbered like the stars of heaven. I will give them all these lands and through them all of the nations of the earth will be blessed." 5 "I will do this because Abraham obeyed Me, keeping My charge, My commandments, My statutes and My laws."

6 So Isaac lived in Gerar. 7 When the men of the place asked about his wife Isaac said, "She is my sister," because he was afraid to say she was his wife. He thought they might kill him on account of her beauty. 8 After he had been in Gerar for a long time, Abimelech, the king of the Philistines, looked out a window and saw Isaac caressing Rebekah. 9 Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, "Surely she is your wife. Why did you say she is your sister?" Isaac said, "I feared for my life and thought that I might die on her account." 10 Abimelech said, "What you have done is wrong. One of us might have been guilty of taking your wife for himself." 11 So Abimelech told all the people to not touch Isaac's wife on penalty of death.

12 Isaac sowed a crop in that land reaped a hundred fold that same year, because the LORD blessed him. 13 He became very wealthy. 14 His flocks, his herds and his great household caused the Philistines to envy him. 15 The Philistines had filled with dirt the wells his father had dug.

16 Abimelech told Isaac to move away because his holdings were too much for him to continue to live with them. 17 So Isaac move his herds and household to the valley of Gerar.

18 Isaac dug again his father's wells that the Philistines had filled in. He gave them the same names his father had given them. 19 When Isaac's servants dug in that valley and found a flowing well, 20 the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac's herdsman. They claimed that the water was theirs. So Isaac named that well Esek, because they had contended with him.

21 His servants dug another well and that one was quarreled over, too, so he named it Sitnah. 22 Isaac moved away from that place and dug yet another well. There was no quarreling over it so he named it Rehoboth, for he said, "At last the LORD has made room for us and we will be fruitful."

23 After that he went up to Beersheba. 24 The LORD appeared to him the same night and said, "I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for the sake of My servant Abraham." 25 So Isaac built an alter there and called upon the name of the LORD. He pitched his tent and his servants dug a well.

26 Then Abimelech came from Gerar with his advisor, Ahuzzath, and Philcol, the commander of his army. 27 Isaac asked them, "Why have you come to me, since you wanted nothing to do with me and sent me away?" 28 They replied, "We can tell that the LORD is with you and we want to make a covenant with you." 29 "We want to be sure that you will do us no harm, just as we did you no harm when we sent you away. It is clear to us that the LORD is blessing you." 30 So Isaac made them a feast and they ate and drank together. 31 In the morning they got up early and exchanged oaths and Isaac sent them away in peace.

32 It was that same day that Isaac's servants told him that they had reached water in the well they had been digging. 33 He called that well Shibah and the name of the city is Beersheba to this day.

34 Esau was forty years old when he married Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite. He also married Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. 35 These two caused Isaac and Rebekah much grief.

Genesis 27 - RWB Paraphrase (46 V)
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Isaac Plans to Give the Birthright to Esau
1 When Isaac was old and could no longer see, he called for his older son Esau. 2 Isaac said to him, "I am old and I do not know when I will die." 3 "Please take your hunting gear and get me some game." 4 "Then prepare the kind of meal I so enjoy. I want to bless you before I die."

Rebekah and Jacob Plan to Steal the Birthright
5 Rebekah heard Isaac talking to Esau. So when he had gone out to hunt game for his father, 6 she told Jacob what she had heard his father say to Esau. 7 "Esau has gone to get some game for his father and prepare a tasty dish that he may eat it and bless him in the presence of the LORD before he dies."

8 "Listen, my son, and do as I command you." 9 "Bring me two choice young goats from the flock that I may prepare a tasty dish for your father. I know what he likes." 10 "Then you shall take it to him that he may eat and bless you before his death." 11 Jacob said, "Esau is hairy and I am not." 12 "Perhaps my father will feel of me and discover the deception. Then he will curse me instead of blessing me." 13 His mother replied, "My son, let any curse on you fall instead on me."

14 So Jacob brought the goats to his mother and she made the food tasty just the way his father liked it. 15 Next Rebekah put Esau's best garments on Jacob. 16 And she put the skins of the young goats on the exposed skin of Jacob's hands and neck. 17 Then she gave Jacob the tasty dish she had prepared for Isaac.

18 Coming to his father, Jacob greeted him. Isaac asked him, "Who are you?" 19 Jacob answered, "I am Esau, your firstborn. I have done as you asked. Sit up and eat of my game so that you may bless me." 20 Isaac said, "My son, how did you get back so quickly?" Jacob replied, "The LORD your God made it happen." 21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, "Come closer that I may feel you and know that you are actually Esau." 22 So Jacob came close and Isaac felt of him, saying, "I hear the voice of Jacob but these are Esau's hands." 23 The hairy skins on Jacob's hands made Isaac believe he was his brother Esau. So Isaac bless him. 24 Then he said, "Are you really my son Esau?" And Jacob said, "I am." 25 So Isaac said, "Bring the food to me, and I will eat my son's game. Then I will bless you."

Jacob brought the food to Isaac and he ate. He also gave him wine to drink. 26 Then Isaac said, "Come close and kiss me, my son." 27 So Jacob came close and kissed him. And when Isaac smelled the garments Jacob wore, he blessed him and said, "Your garments have the smell of a field that is blessed of the LORD." Isaac Blesses Jacob
28 "Therefore, may God give you the dew of heaven and the good things of the earth including an abundance of grain and new wine." 29 "May people serve you and nations bow down to you. You will be the master of your brothers and they will bow down to you. Those who curse you will be cursed and those who bless you will be blessed."

Esau Prepares to Receive His father's Blessing
30 As Isaac finished blessing Jacob and Jacob had gone from Isaac's presence, Esau came in from the hunt. 31 He had made a tasty dish from his hunt and was now bringing it to his father. He said, "Please get up and eat the game I have prepared for you, that you may bless me." 32 Isaac said, "Who are you?" He answered, "I am Esau, your firstborn." 33 Isaac trembled greatly and said, "Who was it that hunted game and brought it to me just a little while ago? I ate it and blessed him and he has the blessing." 34 When Esau heard this he cried out bitterly, "O my father, bless me, too." 35 Isaac said, "Your brother came deceitfully and has taken your blessing." 36 Then Esau said, "He is correctly named Jacob. Twice he has usurped what is mine. He took my birthright and now he has stolen my blessing. Haven't you reserved a blessing for me?" 37 Isaac replied, "I have made him your master. All his relatives are to be his servants. He is blessed with grain and new wine. What then can I do for you, my son?" 38 Esau said, "Don't you have even one blessing for me? O my father, bless me." And he wept bitterly. 39 Then Isaac answered him, saying, "You will dwell where it is not fertile and have little water." 40 "You will live by your sword and you will serve your brother. Eventually you will break his yoke from your neck."

Esau Plans to Kill Jacob
41 So Esau hated Jacob because he had stolen his father's blessing. He planned to kill Jacob after his father was gone. 42 Rebekah heard of his plans and sent for Jacob. She said, "Esau is consoling himself by planning to kill you." 43 "Now do as I tell you. Go to my brother, Laban, in Haran." 44 "Stay with him until your brother's fury subsides." 45 "When he has forgotten what you did to him I will send for you. Why should I lose both of you in one day?"

46 Rebekah said to Isaac, "I am weary of living beside the daughters of Heth. Should Jacob take a wife like one of these my life will not be worth living."

Genesis 28 - RWB Paraphrase (22 V)
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Isaac Blesses Jacob Ad Sends Him Away to His Relatives
1 Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and told him that he must not take a wife from among the Canaanites. 2 He said, "I want you to go to Paddan-Aram to the house of Bethuel who is your mother's father. Get a wife from the daughters of Laban, your mother's brother." 3 "And may God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful, multiplying you so that you become a company of people." 4 "May He give you and your descendants the blessing of Abraham, so that you may possess the land God gave to Abraham." 5 So Isaac sent Jacob to Paddan-Aram to Laban the son of Bethuel the Aramean, Rebekah's brother. 6 Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him to get a wife from Paddan-Aram, saying, "You shall not take a wife from Canaan," 7 and that Jacob had obeyed his father and his mother by going there. 8 Esau knew that the young women of Canaan displease his father Isaac. 9 So he went to Ishmael and arranged to marry his daughter, Mahalath, who had a sister named Nebaioth. This was Esau's third wife. 10 By now Jacob had departed from Beersheba for Haran. 11 Finding himself in a deserted place when the sun went down, he found a stone to use as a pillow for his head.

Jacob Has a Dream of a Ladder Reaching to Heaven
12 Jacob had a dream in which he saw a ladder reaching up to heaven. Angels of God were going up and down this ladder. 13 He saw the LORD standing at the top of the ladder. He said, "I am the LORD God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I am going to give you and your descendants the land where you are now lying." 14 "Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth in number. They will spread out to the west and the east, to the north and the south. Through you and your descendants all the earth will be blessed." 15 "Behold, I am with you. I will keep you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you. Everything I have promised I will do for you." 16 Jacob woke up and said to himself, "Surely the LORD is in this place and I was not aware of it." 17 Fear filled him as he considered the awesomeness of the place."Surely," he thought, "This must be the gate to heaven and the house of God." 18 Jacob got up early the next morning and took the stone he had used as a pillow. Setting it up as a pillar, he poured oil on top of it. 19 This place had previously been known as Luz. Jacob named the place Bethel.

Jacob Makes a Vow to God at Bethel
20 Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and keep me while I am on my journey, providing me with food and clothing," 21 "and bring me safely back to my father's house, then the LORD will be my God." 22 "This stone which I have set up as a pillar will be God's house and of everything He gives me I will surely give a tenth back to Him."

Genesis 29 - RWB Paraphrase (35 V)
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Jacob Comes to the Land Where His Relatives Live
1 Jacob continued his journey until he came to the land of the people of the east. 2 He saw a well in the field with three flocks of sheep lying beside it. The sheep would be watered from the well but a stone covered the mouth of the well. 3 When all the flocks had come to the well the shepherds would get together to remove the stone that covered the well. After the sheep had been watered the shepherds would replace the stone over the well.

4 Jacob said to them, "My brothers, where are you from?" They said, "Haran." 5 He said, "Are you acquainted with Laban the son of Nahor?" They said, "Yes." 6 Then he asked, "Is all well with him?" They said, "It is well. His daughter Rachel is just now coming with his sheep." 7 Jacob said, "The sun is still high. It is not time for the livestock to be here. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture." 8 They answered, "We have to wait for all the flocks to be here before we roll the stone off of the well." 9 As they spoke, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess.

Jacob Waters Laban's Flock
10 When Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban who was his mother's brother, and the sheep she was bringing, he rolled the stone from the mouth of the well and watered the flock. 11 Then he kissed Rachel and wept. 12 He explained to her that he was a relative of her father since he was Rebekah's son. She then ran to tell her father. 13 When Laban heard that Jacob, Rebekah's son had come, he ran to meet him. He embraced and kissed him, and brought him home. And Jacob told him all the news. 14 Looking at Jacob, Laban said, "You surely are bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh." And Jacob stayed with him for a month.

Jacob Makes A Deal With Laban
15 Then Laban said, "You are my relative and cannot serve me for nothing. What should your wages be?" 16 Now Laban had two daughters. The older was Leah and the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah's eyes were delicate but Jacob was more attracted to Rachel's beauty, 18 and he immediately loved her. So he said to Laban, "I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter, Rachel." 19 Laban replied, "Better that I give her to you than anyone else. Stay with me."

20 So Jacob serve Laban for seven years. His love for Rachel was so great that the time seemed like only a few days to him. 21 When the seven years were completed, Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife, for I have completed my time."

22 Laban made a feast for all the men of the place, Laban Gives Jacob Leah Instead Of Rachel
23 and that evening brought his older daughter, Leah, to Jacob, but Jacob did not know it was Leah. 24 Laban also gave his maid Zilpah to be Leah's maid.

25 In the morning Jacob discovered that Laban had given him Leah to be his wife instead of Rachel. He said to Laban, "What have you done to me? Did I not serve you seven years for Rachel? Why have you deceived me?" 26 Laban answered, "It is not our practice to marry off the younger before the older." 27 "Complete the first week with Leah and, if you like, and I will give you Rachel for an additional seven years of service." 28 Jacob agreed and after a week Laban gave him Rachel as his wife. 29 Laban gave Bilhah to Rachel to be her maid.

30 Jacob served Laban another seven years for Rachel and he loved her more than Leah. 31 The LORD saw that Leah was not loved and he opened her womb while Rachel remained childless. 32 Leah bore a son and named him Reuben, for she said, "The LORD has seen my affliction and now my husband will love me." 33 Then she had another son and said, "Because the LORD has heard that I am not loved, He has given me another son." So she named him Simeon. 34 Then she bore yet another son and said, "Surely my husband will love me because I have given him three sons." She named this one Levi. 35 And she conceived once more and said, "I will praise the LORD." And she named him Judah. After that she stopped having children.

Genesis 30 - RWB Paraphrase (43 V)
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Rachel Is Unhappy Because Leah Has Children and She Does Not
1 Rachel saw that Leah had children and she did not. She said to Jacob, "Give me children or I will die." 2 This made Jacob angry. He said, "Am I in the place of God and able to grant or deny you children?" 3 So Rachel offered her maid Bilhah, to Jacob, saying to him, "Go in to her so that she may conceive and bear a child on my knees, that I, too, may have children." 4 So Jacob did as Rachel asked and took her as his wife, 5 and she conceived and bore Jacob a son. 6 Then Rachel said, "God has vindicated me. He has surely heard my voice and given me a son." And she named him Dan. 7 Then Bilhah conceived a second time and bore Jacob a second son. 8 Rachel said, "With mighty wrestling I have contended with my sister, Leah, and I have prevailed." She named this son Naphtali.

9 When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing children she gave her maid Zilpah to Jacob as his wife. 10 And Zilpah bore Jacob a son. 11 Then Leah said, "How fortunate!" She named him Gad. 12 And Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. 13 And Leah said, "I am happy and women will call me blessed." She named this one Asher.

14 In the days of the wheat harvest Reuben found mandrakes in the field and brought them to his mother. When Rachel saw the mandrakes, she said to Leah, "Please give me some of your son's mandrakes." 15 Leah said, "Isn't it enough that you have taken my husband. Now you are asking for my son's mandrakes?" So Rachel said, "Give me the mandrakes and Jacob can sleep with you tonight." 16 That evening when Jacob came in from the field, Leah went out to meet him, and told him of the deal that she had made with Rachel by giving her the mandrakes. So Jacob stayed with her that night.

17 God saw Leah's need and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. 18 Then Leah said, "God has rewarded my struggle." She named the boy Issachar. 19 Leah conceived again and bore a sixth son to Jacob. 20 She said, "God has endowed me with a great gift. Now my husband will stay with me because I have given him six sons." She named this one Zebulun. 21 Next she bore him a daughter and named her Dinah.

Rachel Gives Birth to Joseph
22 Then God remembered Rachel and opened her womb. 23 She conceived a son and said, "God has taken away my reproach." 24 She named the boy Joseph and added, "May the LORD give me another son."

Jacob Wants to Go to His Father But Agrees to Keep Stay with Laban
25 It was after Joseph's birth Jacob said to Laban, "Send me back to my father and my own country." 26 "Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you and let me go, for I have fulfilled the contract you made with me." 27 But Laban said to him, "Please stay with me, for I have observed that the LORD has blessed me because of you." 28 "If you will stay with me, you can name your wages and I will pay them." 29 Jacob said, "You know full well of how I have served you and how your cattle have fared with me." 30 "You had little before I came and it has now increased many times over. The LORD has blessed you since I arrived. But now I need to provide for my own future." 31 Laban said, "What shall I give you?" Jacob replied, "You will not give me anything. Just do this one thing for me, and I will continue to manage your flocks." 32 "Let me pass through your entire flock today and remove the speckled and spotted sheep and all the black ones, too. And I will use the same culling standards for the goats. These will be my wages." 33 "My honesty and the justness of my wages will be easy to determine. If any in my flock is found to not have spot or speckles, it will be the same as if I stole it from you."

34 Laban agreed to these wages, 35 and on that day he (Laban) removed the striped and spotted male goats, all the speckled and spotted female goats, and all the black ones, putting them in the care of his sons. 36 Laban put a distance of three days journey between their two flocks, and Jacob continued to care for Laban's flocks.

37 After this Jacob took fresh rods of poplar and almond and other local trees and peeled strips of bark from them exposing the white beneath the bark. 38 He set these rods with missing bark in front of the troughs where the flocks were watered. When they came to drink in the evening, they would mate. 39 So the flocks that mated by those rods brought forth striped, spotted and speckled offspring. 40 Jacob then separated out all those that were not white and moved them to his own herds which were kept separate from Laban's. 41 Jacob noticed when the stronger animals were mating, and would then set the striped and spotted rods where the flocks would see them when they mated. 42 If the weaker of the flock were being watered, he did not put the pealed rods where they could be viewed by the flocks. So the feeble were Laban's and the stronger were Jacob's. 43 And Jacob grew very rich with large flocks. He had male and female servants, camels and donkeys.

Genesis 31 - RWB Paraphrase (55 V)
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Jacob Decides It Is Time to Go to His Father
1 Jacob became aware that Laban's sons were saying that he had stolen the wealth of their father. 2 He also noticed that Laban's attitude was not as friendly as it had once been. 3 Then the LORD spoke to Jacob saying, "Return to the land of your fathers, and I will be with you."

4 When Jacob was out in the field with his flock he called for Rachel and Leah. 5 He said to them, "I see that your father's attitude has changed toward me. But the God of my fathers had been with me." 6 "You know that I have served your father with all my strength." 7 "Yet he has cheated me and changed my wages ten times. But God has kept him from doing me harm." 8 "When he agreed that the speckled should be my wages, only speckled were born to the flock. If he decided that the striped should be my wages, the flock brought forth striped." 9 "So you see, God has given me your father's livestock." 10 "At those times when the flock was mating, I had a dream. The male goats were mating with the striped, speckled and mottled." 11 "The angel of the God spoke to me in a dream, saying, 'Jacob,' and I replied, 'Here I am.'" 12 "He said, 'Notice that it is the striped, speckled and mottled male goats that mate? For I have seen how Laban has treated you." 13 "I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the stone you set up as a pillar, the place where you made a vow to Me. It is now time for you to leave this land return to the land of your birth." 14 Rachel and Leah said to him, "Is any of our inheritance left for us in our father's house?" 15 "He treats us like foreigners. He has not only sold us, but has also used up our dowry." 16 "Without question the wealth which God has taken from our father belongs to us and our children. Do whatever God has told you to do."

17 So Jacob put his children and his wives on camels. 18 He started out for Canaan where his father Isaac lived. And he drove all the livestock he had acquired in Paddan-Aram.

19 Laban had gone to shear his flock and while he was away, Rachel stole her father's household idols. 20 Jacob did not tell Laban the Aramean that he was leaving. 21 He took everything he had and crossed the Euphrates River and headed for the hill country of Gilead. 22 It wasn't until the third day that Laban learned that Jacob had fled. 23 Taking his kinsmen Laban pursued Jacob for seven days. When he finally caught up with him he was in the hill country of Gilead. 24 That night God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream, saying, "Be careful not to say anything good or bad to Jacob."

25 When Laban overtook Jacob he was camped in the hill country. 26 Laban said to Jacob, "Why did you leave secretly and carry away my daughters like stolen captives?" 27 "If you had told me you were leaving I could have sent you away with celebration and music." 28 "You didn't even allow me the opportunity to kiss my grandchildren. You did foolishly." 29 "I have the power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night. He said, 'Do not speak anything good or bad to Jacob.'"

Laban Searches for His Idols
30 "I understand that you are leaving because you want to see your father's house. But why did you steal my gods?"

31 Jacob said, "I left without telling you because I thought you would not let your daughters go with me." 32 "But whoever has stolen your gods shall not live. While everyone watches, search wherever you wish and take what is yours." Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen her father's idols.

Laban Looks For His Idols
33 So Laban went into Jacob's tent, and then Leah's, and each of the two maids. But he did not find his idols. Then he went to Rachel's tent. 34 She had hidden his household idols in the camel's saddle and she was sitting on it. Laban looked all through the tent and did not find them. 35 Rachel said to her father, "Please, my lord, do not be angry with me for not getting up. It is that time of the month for me." So he did not find the idols.

36 Now Jacob was angry with Laban."What is my offence that you have hotly pursued me?" 37 "You have search through all my goods and have not found anything of yours. Let's get this straightened out between us in the presence of everyone here today." 38 "For twenty years I have been with you. I have watched over your ewes and female goats. I have not eaten the rams of your flock." 39 "If an animal was torn by the wild beasts, I bore the loss myself. If anything was stolen, day or night, you required it of my hand." 40 "I lost sleep and suffered from the cold." 41 "During the twenty years I have been in your house I served fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock. And you changed my wages ten times." 42 "If it were not for the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, I think you would have sent me away empty handed. God has seen my affliction and toil, and has rendered His judgment by rebuking you last night." 43 Laban replied, "These daughters are mine and their children are mine. So are the flocks. Everything you see is mine. But what can I do about my daughters or the children born to them?"

Jacob and Laban Make a Covenant
44 "Come, let's make a covenant that it may always be a witness between us." 45 So Jacob set up a stone as a pillar, 46 and he invited his kinsmen to gather more stones and make a heap. Then they ate together by the heap. 47 Laban called the place JegarSahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed. 48 Laban said, "This heap is a witness between you and me." The heap was called Galeed, 49 and Mizpah, for he said, "May the LORD watch between you and me while we are absent from each other." 50 "If you mistreat my daughters, or take other wives, though no man knows about it, God will be witness between you and me." 51 "And take note of this heap and this pillar which I have set up between you and me." 52 "It is a witness to remind us that neither of us is to pass by it to harm the other." 53 "The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us." And so Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac."

" 54 Jacob then offered a sacrifice on the mountain, calling his kinsmen to the meal. They ate and spent the night on the mountain. 55 Early the next morning Laban arose and kissed his grandchildren and blessed them. After that he left for his own home.

Genesis 32 - RWB Paraphrase (32 V)
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Jacob Sends a Message and a Present to Esau
1 As Jacob went on his way, God's angels met him. 2 When he saw them he said, "This is God's camp." So he named the place Mahanaim. 3 Then he sent messengers on ahead to his brother Esau in Edom. 4 He instructed them, "This is what you are to say to my lord Esau, 'Your servant Jacob has sojourned with Laban until now.'" 5 "I have acquired my own things. I have sent to tell my lord that I want to find favor in his sight." 6 The messengers returned to Jacob to say that Esau was coming to meet him and he had four hundred men with him. 7 This made Jacob afraid. He divided his people and his flocks into two groups. 8 He thought, "If Esau attacks one of the companies, the other may escape." 9 Then he prayed, "O God of my father Isaac, You told me to return to my country and my relatives and you would prosper me." 10 "I am not worthy of all Your loving kindness and faithfulness to me. I only had a staff when I crossed the Jordan. Now I am two companies." 11 "Deliver me from the hand of my brother Esau. I am afraid he will attack me and my family." 12 "You said that You would surely prosper me and make my descendants to be without number."

13 So Jacob spent the night there. The next day he prepared a present to send to Esau. 14 He sent two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15 thirty milking camels with their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 16 He had his servants deliver these in separate droves with some distance between each drove. 17 He told the driver of the first drove what to say when Esau asked who the animals belonged to? 18 "You shall say, 'These are a present from Jacob to my lord Esau. He is coming behind us.'" 19 Jacob told the second and third groups of servants of each drove to give the same answer. 20 "Always say, 'Your servant Jacob is behind us.' Perhaps he will be appeased with these presents and think well of me." 21 So his presents went before him while he spent the night camped in that place.

Jacob Wrestles with An Angel and Is Given a New Name
22 During the night he got up and took his two wives, their maids and their children across the Jabbok. 23 He sent across the stream whatever he had. 24 Then he remained alone and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. 25 As they wrestled, neither prevailed against the other. Finally Jacob's opponet touched the socket of his thigh and dislocated it. 26 The Man said, "Let me go for dawn is coming." But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." Jacob Become Israel
27 The Man asked him, "What is your name?" And he replied, "Jacob." 28 And the Man said, "Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel. For you have wrestled with God and with men, and have prevailed." 29 Then Jacob said, "Please tell me Your name." But the Man said, "Why do you ask my name?" And he blessed him there.

30 So Jacob named the place Peniel, for he said, "I have seen God face to face and I did not die." 31 The sun was rising as he crossed Penuel and dislocated thigh made him limp. 32 For this reason the children of Israel do not eat the sinew of the hip which is on the socket of the thigh, because God had touched Jacob's thigh in the sinew of his hip that night.

Genesis 33 - RWB Paraphrase (20 V)
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Jacob Meets Esau
1 And Jacob looked in the distance and saw Esau coming with four hundred men. So he decided to divide the children and put them with their mothers. 2 He placed the maids with their children in front followed by Leah with her children and Rachel and Joseph last of all. 3 Jacob went on ahead of them, bowing to the ground seven times until his brother came near. 4 Esau ran to meet him and fell on his neck, embracing and kissing him as they both wept.

5 Esau looked up and seeing the women and children, asked, "Whose are these with you?" Jacob said, "They are the children God has graciously given to your servant." 6 Then Leah and Rachel's maids came near with their children and they all bowed down. 7 Next Leah came with her children and they bowed down. Last of all came Rachel and Joseph and they bowed down.

8 Esau asked, "What do you mean by all the animals which I have met along the way?" Jacob replied, "I sent them that I might find favor in your sight, my lord." 9 Esau said, "But I have plenty of my own. Keep them for yourself." 10 Jacob answered, "If I have found favor in your sight, please take this present from me, for I see your face as one who sees the face of God, because you have received me with favor." 11 "Please accept this gift for God has dealt graciously with me. I have plenty. So Esau accepted the gifts."

12 Then Esau said, "Let us be on our way. I will go before you." 13 But Jacob replied, "My lord knows that the children are small and the flocks and herds are nursing and require much care and watching. If I drive them too hard even one day, they will die." 14 Please let my lord pass on his way and I will proceed at my leisure, according to the pace the children and the cattle can endure. I will come to my lord at Seir. 15 Esau said, "Let me leave some men to help you, But Jacob replied, "There is no need for that."

" 16 So Esau returned to his home in Seir, 17 and Jacob journeyed to Succoth where he built a house and shelter for his livestock.

18 Jacob made it safely to Shechem in the land of Canaan, and camped near the city, having come all the way from Paddan-Aram. 19 He bought a piece of land from the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, for one hundred pieces of money, and there he pitched his tent. 20 He erected an alter and called it ElEloheIsrael.

Genesis 34 - RWB Paraphrase (31 V)
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Dinah Gets in Trouble in Shechem
1 Dinah, Leah's daughter, went to visit the daughters of the land. 2 Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, who was the prince of the land, saw her and took her by force and lay with her. 3 He was very attracted to Dinah, Jacob's daughter, and loved her and spoke tenderly to her. 4 So Shechem asked his father to arrange for the girl to be his wife. 5 When Jacob heard that Dinah had been defiled, his sons were with his livestock in the field, so he kept quiet until they came in from their work.

6 Then Hamor, Shechem's father, went to speak with Jacob. 7 When the sons of Jacob had come in from the field and heard about the disgraceful thing that Shechem had done to their sister Dinah, they were incensed.

8 But Hamor spoke with them saying, "My son Shechem loves Dinah very much. Please give her to him in marriage." 9 "Intermarry with us by giving your daughters to us and taking our daughters for yourselves." 10 "The land will be open to you and you may live among us. We can live together and trade with each other, and you can acquire property in the land." 11 Shechem then spoke up, saying, "If I have found favor in your sight, ask what you will for your daughter and I will give it." 12 "I am willing to give any bridal payment you specify for the privilege of marrying your daughter."

Jacob's Sons Plan Their Revenge
13 But since Shechem had defiled their sister Dinah, Jacob's sons answered him deceitfully. 14 They said, "It would be a disgrace to us to give our sister to an uncircumcised man." 15 "You can marry our sister on one condition. You and every Noe of your men must be circumcised." 16 "Then we will give our daughters to you and take your daughters for ourselves, and live together as one people." 17 "But unless you do this you cannot have Dinah."

18 What Jacob's sons said seemed reasonable to Hamor and his son Shechem. 19 The young man readily agreed to the idea because he was so taken with Dinah. And he was greatly respected in the city. 20 So when Hamor and Shechem spoke to the men of the city, saying, 21 "These men are friendly toward us. Let them live in the land trade with us. There is room enough for us and them as well. We can take their daughters and give them our daughters." 22 "But it will only happen on one condition. Everyone of us must be circumcised just as they are circumcised." 23 "Will not their livestock and property, including all their animals, become ours? Let's consent to their request so that they will live among us." 24 Everyone coming and going through the gate of the city listened to Hamor and Shechem, and every male agreed to be circumcised.

25 On the third day after they were circumcised, and their pain was at its height, two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, took their swords and went into the city and killed every male, 26 including Hamor and Shechem. They took Dinah from Shechem's house and left. 27 Then Jacob's sons looted the city because of what had been done to their sister. 28 They took their flocks, herds and donkeys. They took whatever they wanted from the city and the field. 29 They also took their women and children along with everything in their houses.

30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You are bringing trouble on me by making me loathsome to the inhabitants of the land. I am a small company. What if the Canaanites and the Perizzites attack me? I and my household will be destroyed." 31 His sons answered, "Should he have treated our sister like a harlot?"

Genesis 35 - RWB Paraphrase (29 V)
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Jacob Moves to Bethel
1 God said to Jacob, "Arise and go up to Bethel, live there and make an alter to me. It was there that I appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau."

2 So Jacob said to his household, "Put away your foreign gods. Purify yourselves and change your garments." 3 "Then let us arise and go up to Bethel. There I will make an alter to God, Who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me since that day." 4 So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears. Jacob hid these under the oak near Shechem.

5 As they journeyed a great terror fell on the cities they passed so that no one bothered them. 6 And Jacob and his people came to Luz, now known as Bethel. 7 There Jacob built an alter and called the place Elbethel, because God had revealed Himself to him there when he was fleeing from his brother.

8 Now Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died and was buried below Bethel under an oak. The place was named Allon-Bacuth.

God Appeared Once More to Jacob
9 God appeared to Jacob again when he came from Paddan-Aram, and He blessed him. 10 God told him that his name had been Jacob, but he should no longer go by that name. His name was now Israel. 11 God said to him, "I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. More than one nation will come from you. And kings will be among your descendants." 12 "The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give to you and your descendants." 13 Then God went up from that place where He had spoken to him. 14 So Jacob set up a pillar of stone in the place where God had spoken and he poured a drink offering and oil over it. 15 And he called the place Bethel because God had spoken to him there.

16 They journeyed from Bethel to Ephrath and as they traveled, Rachel went into hard labor. 17 When her labor became very severe, the midwife told her not to be afraid for she was having another son. 18 As Rachel was dying she named him Benoni, but Jacob called him Benjamin. 19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath. The place is now known as Bethlehem. 20 And Jacob set up a pillar over her grave.

21 Israel journeyed on and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder. 22 It was during this time that Reuben lay with his father's concubine and Israel learned of what he has done. Israel had twelve sons.

23 Reuben was Leah's firstborn. Then she bore Jacob Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun. 24 And Rachel bore him Joseph and Benjamin. 25 Bilhah, Rachel's maid, bore him Dan and Naphtali. 26 And Zilpah, Leah's maid, bore him Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob born to him in Paddan-Aram.

27 Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre of KiriathArba, known now as Hebron. Both Abraham and Isaac had sojourned here. 28 Isaac was one hundred and eighty years old. 29 He breathed his last, died and was gathered to his people having lived a long time. His sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

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Genesis 36 - RWB Paraphrase (43 V)
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The Generations of Esau
1 Here are the generations of Esau, who was also known as Edom. 2 Esau took wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah and the granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite. 3 Also Basemath, Ishmael's daughter, the sister of Nebaioth. 4 Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau and Basemath bore Reuel, 5 and Obolibamah bore Jeush, Jalam and Korah. These are Esau's sons born to him in Canaan.

6 Esau took his wives, his sons and daughters, his household and his livestock and moved away from his brother Jacob. 7 Their property had become too great for them to live together and the land could not sustain their livestock. 8 Esau went to live in the hill country of Seir. Esau is Edom.

9 These are the records of the generations of Esau, the father of the Edomites in the hill country of Seir. 10 Here are his sons by name: Eliphaz the son of Adah, Reuel the son of Basemath. 11 Eliphaz's sons were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam and Kenaz. 12 Eliphaz had a concubine named Timna. She bore him Amalek. These all came from Adah. 13 Reuel's sons were: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah and Missah. These all came from Basemath. 14 Esau's wife Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon, bore him Jeush, Jalam and Korah. 15 The chiefs of Esau's sons were the sons of Eliphaz: Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz, 16 Korah, Gatam and Amalek. These are all descended from Eliphaz in the land of Edom and are sons of Esau's wife Adah.

17 Here are the sons of Reuel, Esau's son: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah, all chiefs and sons of Esau's wife, Basemath. 18 These are Esau's sons by his wife Oholiabmah: Jeush, Jalam and Korah. 19 These are the sons of Esau (Edom) and are their chiefs. 20 These are the sons of Seir the Horite, the inhabitants of the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, 21 Dishon, Ezer and Dishan. These were chiefs descended from the Horites in the land of Edom. 22 The sons of Lotan were Hori and Hemam. Lotan's sister was Timna.

23 These are the sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho and Onam. 24 These are the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah, who found the hot springs in the wilderness while pasturing the donkeys of his father Zibeon. 25 These are the children of Anah: Dishon and her daughter Oholibamah. 26 These are the sons of Dishon: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran and Cheran. 27 Here are the sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan and Akan. 28 These are the sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran. 29 And here are the chief descendants of the Horites: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, 30 Dishon, Ezer and Dishan. These are chief among the Horites in Seir.

31 Now these are the kings who reigned in Edom before Israel had a king. 32 Bela the son of Beor. The name of his city was Dinhabah. 33 After Bela Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah became the king. 34 After Jobab the next king was Husham of the land of the Temanites. 35 After he died Hadad the son of Bedad defeated Midian and became king. His city was Avith. 36 When Hadad died Samlah of Masrekah became king. 37 After Samlah died, Shaul of Rehoboth on the Euphrates River became king. 38 When Shaul died BaalHanan the son of Achbor became king. 39 Then BaalHanan died and Hadar replaced him. The name of his city was Pau. His wife's name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab.

40 Here is a list of the names of the chiefs descended from Esau: Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, 41 Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, 42 Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, 43 Magdiel and Iram.

Genesis 37 - RWB Paraphrase (36 V)
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When Joseph Was Seventeen He Helped with His Father's Flocks
1 Jacob lived in Canaan where his father Isaac had resided. 2 When Joseph was seventeen, he pastured his father's flock with his brothers. And he sometimes brought a bad report about his brothers to their father.

3 Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons, because he was the son of his old age. So he made him a multicolored tunic. 4 His brothers could not help noticing that their father loved him more than them. Because of this they hated him and could say nothing good to him.