 chapters 24 through 30 of Genesis, American Standard Version. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information and to find out how you can volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org recording by Sam Stinson chapter 24. And Abraham was old and well-stricken in age and Jehovah had blessed Abraham in all things and Abraham said unto his servant the elder of his house that ruled over all that he had put I pray thee thy hand under my thigh and I will make thee swear by Jehovah the God of heaven and the God of the earth that thou wilt not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I dwell but thou shalt go unto my country into my kindred and take a wife for my son Isaac and the servant said unto him per adventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou cameest and Abraham said unto him beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again Jehovah the God of heaven who took me from my father's house and from the land of my nativity and who spake unto me and who swear unto me saying unto thy seed while I give this land he will send his angel before thee and thou shalt take a wife for my son from thence and if the woman be not willing to follow thee then thou shalt be clear from this my oath only thou shalt not bring my son thither again and the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swear to him concerning this matter and the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master and departed having all goodly things of his masters in his hand and he arose and went to Mesopotamia unto the city of Nahor and he made the camels to kneel down without the city by the well of water at the time of evening the time that women go out to draw water and he said O Jehovah the God of my master Abraham send me I pray thee good speed this day and show kindness unto my master Abraham behold I am standing by the fountain of water and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water and let it come to pass that the damsel to whom I shall say let down thy picture I pray thee that I may drink and she shall say drink and I will give thy camels drink also let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac and thereby shall I know that thou hast showed kindness unto my master and it came to pass before he had done speaking that behold Rebecca came out who was born to Bethel well the son of Milka the wife of Nahor Abraham's brother with her picture upon her shoulder and the damsel was very fair to look upon a virgin neither had any man known her and she went down to the fountain and filled her picture and came up and the servant ran to meet her and said give me to drink I pray thee a little water from thy picture and she said drink my Lord and she hasted and let down her picture upon her hand and gave him drink and when she had done giving him drink she said I will draw for thy camels also until they have done drinking and she hasted and emptied her picture into the trough and ran again unto the well to draw in true for all his camels and the man looked steadfastly on her holding his peace to know whether Jehovah had made his journey prosperous or not and it came to pass as the camels had done drinking that the man took a golden ring of half a shekel weight and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold and said whose daughter art thou? tell me I pray thee is there room in thy father's house for us to lodge in? and she said unto him I am the daughter of Bethel well the son of Milka whom she bear unto Nahor she said moreover unto him we have both straw and preventer enough and room to lodge in and the man bowed his head and worshiped Jehovah and he said blessed be Jehovah the God of my master Abraham who hath not forsaken his loving kindness and his truth toward my master as for me Jehovah hath led me in the way to the house of my master's brethren and the damsel ran and told her mother's house according to these words and Rebecca had a brother and his name was Laban and Laban ran out unto the man unto the fountain and it came to pass when he saw the ring and the bracelets upon his sister's hands and when he heard the words of Rebecca his sister sang thus spake the man unto me that he came unto the man and behold he was standing by the camels at the fountain and he said come in thou blessed of Jehovah wherefore standest thou without for I have prepared the house and room for the camels and the man came into the house and he ungirded the camels and he gave straw and preventer for the camels and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men that were with him and there was set food before him to eat but he said I will not eat until I have told mine errand and he said speak on and he said I am Abraham's servant and Jehovah hath blessed my master greatly and he has become great and he hath given him flocks and herds and silver and gold and men servants and maid servants and camels and asses and Sarah my master's wife bear a son to my master when she was old and unto him hath he given all that he hath and my master made me swear saying thou shalt not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites in whose land I dwell but thou shalt go unto my father's house and to my kindred and take a wife for my son and I said unto my master per adventure the woman will not follow me and he said unto me Jehovah before whom I walk will send his angel with thee and prosper thy way and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred and of my father's house then shalt thou be clear from my oath when thou comest to my kindred and if they give her not to thee thou shalt be clear from my oath and I came this day unto the fountain and said oh Jehovah the God of my master Abraham if now thou do prosper my way which I go behold I am standing by the fountain of water and let it come to pass that the maiden that cometh forth to draw to whom I shall say give me I pray the ill little water from thy pitcher to drink and she shall say to me both drink thou and I will also draw for thy camels let the same be the woman whom Jehovah hath appointed for my master's son and before I had done speaking in my heart behold Rebecca came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder and she went down unto the fountain and drew and I said unto her let me drink I pray thee and she made haste and let down her pitcher from her shoulder and said drink and I will give thy camels drink also so I drank and she made the camels drink also and I asked her and said whose daughter art thou and she said the daughter of Bethuel Nahor's son whom Milka bear unto him and I put the ring upon her nose and the bracelets upon her hands and I bowed my head and worshiped Jehovah and blessed Jehovah the God of my master Abraham who had led me in the right way to take my master's brother's daughter for his son and now if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master tell me and if not tell me that I may turn to the right hand or to the left then Laban and Bethuel answered and said the thing proceeded from Jehovah we cannot speak unto thee bad or good behold Rebecca is before thee take her and go and let her be thy master's son's wife as Jehovah hath spoken and it came to pass that when Abraham's servant heard their words he bowed himself down to the earth unto Jehovah and the servant brought forth jewels of silver and jewels of gold and raiment and gave them to Rebecca he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things and they did eat and drink he and the men that were with him and tarried all night and they rose up in the morning and he said send me away unto my master and her brother and her mother said let the damsel abide with us a few days at the least ten after that she shall go and he said unto them hinder me not seeing Jehovah hath prospered my way send me away that I may go to my master and they said we will call the damsel and inquire at her mouth and they called Rebecca and said unto her will thou go with this man and she said I will go and they sent away Rebecca their sister and her nurse and Abraham's servant and his men and they blessed Rebecca and said unto her our sister be thou the mother of thousands of ten thousands and let thy seed possess the gate of those that hate them and Rebecca arose and her damsels and they rode upon the camels and followed the man and the servant took Rebecca and went his way and Isaac came from the way of beer Lahai Roy for he dwelt in the land of the south and Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide and he lifted up his eyes and saw and behold there were camels coming and Rebecca lifted up her eyes and when she saw Isaac she alighted from the camel and she said unto the servant what man is this that walketh in the field to meet us and the servant said it is my master and she took her veil and covered herself and the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done and Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent and took Rebecca and she became his wife and he loved her and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death end of chapter 24 chapter 25 and Abraham took another wife and her name was Ketura and she bear him Ximram and Jokshin and Meedon and Midian and Ishbeck and Shua and Jokshin begat Shiba and Deedon and the sons of Deedon were Asharim and Lettu Xim and Leum Mim and the sons of Midian Ifa and Ifa and Hanuk and Abedah and Eldah all these were the children of Ketura and Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac but unto the sons of the concubines that Abraham had Abraham gave gifts and he sent them away from Isaac his son while he yet lived eastward unto the east country and these are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived 103 score and 15 years and Abraham gave up the ghost and died in a good old age an old man and full of years and was gathered to his people and Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Makpala in the field of Ephraim the son of Zohar the Hittite which is before Mamre the field which Abraham purchased of the children of Heth there was Abraham buried and Sarah his wife and it came to pass after the death of Abraham that God blessed Isaac his son and Isaac dwelt by Bir Lahairoi now these are the generations of Ishmael Abraham's son whom Hagar the Egyptian Sarah's hand made bear unto Abraham and these are the names of the sons of Ishmael by their names according to their generations the first born of Ishmael Nibayyath and Tidar and Ad-Bel and Mibsam and Mishma and Duma and Massa Heda and Tima Jeter Nafish and Kedema these are the sons of Ishmael and these are their names by their villages and by their encampments 12 princes according to their nations and these are the years of the life of Ishmael 130 and 7 years and he gave up the ghost and died and was gathered unto his people and they dwelt from Havela unto Shur that is before Egypt as thou goest toward Assyria he abode over against all his brethren and these are the generations of Isaac Abraham's son Abraham begat Isaac and Isaac was 40 years old when he took Rebekah the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padinoram the sister of Laban, the Syrian to be his wife and Isaac entreated Jehovah for his wife because she was barren and Jehovah was entreated of him and Rebekah his wife conceived and the children struggled together within her and she said if it be so, wherefore do I live? and she went to inquire of Jehovah and Jehovah said unto her two nations are in thy womb and two peoples shall be separated from thy bowels and the one people shall be stronger than the other people and the elder shall serve the younger and when her days to be delivered were fulfilled behold, there were twins in her womb and the first came forth red all over like a hairy garment and they called his name Esau and after that came forth his brother and his hand had hold on Esau's heel and his name was called Jacob and Isaac was three-score years old when she bear him and the boys grew and Esau was a skillful hunter a man of the field and Jacob was a quiet man dwelling in tents now Isaac loved Esau because he did eat of his venison and Rebekah loved Jacob and Jacob boiled potage and Esau came in from the field and he was faint and Esau said to Jacob feed me, I pray thee with that same red potage for I am faint therefore it was his name called Edom and Jacob said sell me first thy birthright and Esau said behold, I'm about to die and what profit shall the birthright do to me? and Jacob said swear to me first and he swear unto him and he sold his birthright unto Jacob and Jacob gave Esau bread and potage of lentils and he did eat and drink and rose up and went his way so Esau despised his birthright End of Chapter 25 Chapter 26 and there was a famine in the land besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham and Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar and Jehovah appeared unto him and said go not down into Egypt dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of sojourn in this land and I will be with thee and will bless thee for unto thee and unto thy seed I will give all these lands and I will establish the oath which I swear unto Abraham thy father and I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven and will give unto thy seed all these lands and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed because that Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge my commandments my statutes and my laws and Isaac dwelt in Gerar and the men of the place asked him of his wife and he said she is my sister for he feared to say my wife lest said he the men of the place should kill me for Rebecca because she was fair to look upon and it came to pass when he had been there a long time that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window and saw and behold Isaac was sporting with Rebecca his wife and Abimelech called Isaac and said behold of a surety she is thy wife and how saidest thou she is my sister and Isaac said unto him because I said lest I die because of her and Abimelech said what is this thou has done unto us one of the people might easily have lain with thy wife and thou wouldest have brought guiltiness upon us and Abimelech charged all the people saying he that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death and Isaac sowed in that land and found in the same year a hundredfold and Jehovah blessed him and the man waxed great and grew more and more until he became very great and he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great household and the Philistines envied him now all the wells which his father's servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father the Philistines had stopped and filled with earth and Abimelech said unto Isaac go from us for thou art much mightier than we and Isaac departed thence and encamped in the valley of Gerar and dwelt there and Isaac digged again the wells of water which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them and Isaac's servants digged in the valley and found there a well of springing water and the herdsmen of Gerar strove with Isaac's herdsmen saying the water is ours and he called the name of the well E sec because they contended with him and they digged another well and they strove for that also and he called the name of it Sitna and he removed from thence and digged another well and for that they strove not and he called the name of it Re Ha Baath and he said for now Jehovah hath made room for us and we shall be fruitful in the land and he went up from thence to Beersheba and Jehovah appeared unto him the same night and said I am the God of Abraham thy father fear not for I am with thee and will bless thee and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham's sake and he builded an altar there and called upon the name of Jehovah and pitched his tent there and their Isaac's servants digged a well then Abimelech went to him from Gerar and Ahuzath his friend and Fykel the captain of his host and Isaac said unto them wherefore are ye coming to me seeing ye hate me and have sent me away from you and they said we saw plainly that Jehovah was with thee and we said let there now be an oath betwixt us even betwixt us and thee and let us make a covenant with thee that thou wilt do us no hurt as we have not touched thee and as we have done unto thee nothing but good and have sent thee away in peace thou art now the blessed of Jehovah and he made them a feast and they did eat and drink and they rose up the times in the morning and swear one to another and Isaac sent them away and they departed from him in peace and it came to pass the same day that Isaac's servants came and told him concerning the well which they had digged and said unto him we have found water and he called it Sheba therefore the name of the city is Beer Sheba unto this day and when Esau was forty years old he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beery the Hittite and Bassima the daughter of Elin the Hittite and they were a grief of mind unto Isaac and it came to pass that when Isaac was old and his eyes were dim so that he could not see he called Esau his elder son and said unto him my son and he said unto him here am I and he said behold now I am old I know not the day of my death now therefore take I pray thee thy weapons thy quiver and thy bow and he said behold now I am old I know not the day of my death and thy bow and go out to the field and take me venison and make me savory food such as I love and bring it to me that I may eat that my soul may bless thee before I die and Rebecca heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son and Esau went to the field to hunt for venison and to bring it and Rebecca spake unto Jacob her son saying behold I heard thy father speaking to Esau thy brother saying bring me venison and make me savory food that I may eat and bless thee before Jehovah before my death now therefore my son obey my voice according to that which I command thee go now to the flock and fetch me from vents two good kids of the goats and I will make them savory food for thy father such as he loveth and thou shalt bring it to thy father that he may eat so that he may bless thee before his death and Jacob said to Rebecca his mother behold Esau my brother is a hairy man and I am a smooth man my father per adventure will feel me and I shall seem to him as a deceiver and I shall bring a curse upon me and not a blessing and his mother said unto him upon me be thy curse my son only obey my voice and go fetch me them and he went and fetched and brought them to his mother and his mother made savory food such as his father loved and Rebecca took the goodly garments of Esau her elder son which were with her in the house and put them upon Jacob her younger son and she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands and upon the smooth of his neck and she gave the savory food in the bread which she had prepared into the hand of her son Jacob and he came unto his father and said my father and he said here am I who art thou my son and Jacob said unto his father I am Esau thy firstborn I have done according as thou bedest me arise I pray thee sit and eat of my venison that thy soul may bless me and Isaac said unto his son how is it that thou hast found it so quickly my son and he said because Jehovah thy God sent me good speed and Isaac said unto Jacob come near I pray thee that I may feel thee my son whether thou be my very son Esau or not and Jacob went near unto Isaac his father and he felt him and said the voice is Jacob's voice but the hands are the hands of Esau and he discerned him not because his hands were hairy as his brother Esau's hands so he blessed him and he said art thou my very son Esau and he said I am and he said bring it near to me and I will eat of my son's venison that my soul may bless thee and he brought it near to him and he did eat and he brought him wine and he drank and his father Isaac said unto him come near now and kiss me my son and he came near and kissed him and he smelled the smell of his raiment and blessed him and said see the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which Jehovah hath blessed and God give thee of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earth and plenty of grain and new wine let peoples serve thee and nations bow down to thee be Lord over thy brethren and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee cursed be every one that cursed thee and blessed be every one that blessed thee and it came to pass as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father that Esau his brother came in from his hunting and he also made savory food and brought it unto his father and he said unto his father let my father arise and eat of his son's venison that thy soul may bless me and Isaac his father said unto him who art thou? and he said I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau and Isaac trembled very exceedingly and said who then is he that hath taken venison and brought it me and I've eaten of all before thou camest and have blessed him yay and he shall be blessed when Esau heard the words of his father he cried with an exceeding great and bitter cry and said unto his father bless me even me also oh my father and he said thy brother came with guile and hath taken away thy blessing and he said is not he rightly named Jacob for he hath supplanted me these two times he took away my birthright and behold now he hath taken away my blessing and he said hath thou not reserved a blessing for me? and Isaac answered and said unto Esau behold I have made him thy lord and all his brethren have I given to him for servants and with grain and new wine have I sustained him and what then shall I do for thee my son? and Esau said unto his father hath thou but one blessing my father bless me even me also oh my father and Esau lifted up his voice and wept and Isaac his father answered and said unto him behold of the fatness of the earth shall be thy dwelling and of the dew of heaven from above and by thy sword shall thou live and thou shall serve thy brother and it shall come to pass when thou shalt break loose that thou shalt shake his yoke from off thy neck and Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him and Esau said in his heart the days of mourning for my father are at hand then will I slay my brother Jacob and the words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebecca and she sent and called Jacob her younger son and said unto him behold thy brother Esau as touching thee death comfort himself purposing to kill thee now therefore my son obey my voice and arise flee thou to Laban my brother to Heron and tarry with him a few days until thy brother's fury turn away until thy brother's anger turn away from thee and he forget that which thou hast done to him then I will send and fetch thee from thence why should I be bereaved of you both in one day and Rebecca said to Isaac I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth such as these of the daughters of the land what good shall my life do me? End of Chapter 27 Chapter 28 and Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and charged him and said unto him thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan arise go to Paddanoram to the house of Bethuel thy mother's father and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother's brother and God Almighty bless thee and make thee fruitful and multiply thee that thou mayest be a company of peoples and give thee the blessing of Abraham to thee and to thy seed with thee that thou mayest inherit the land of thy sojournings which God gave unto Abraham and Isaac sent away Jacob and he went to Paddanoram unto Laban son of Bethuel the Syrian the brother of Rebecca Jacobs and Esau's mother now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddanoram to take him a wife from thence and that as he blessed him he gave him a charge saying thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan and that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother and was gone to Paddanoram and Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father and Esau went unto Ishmael and took besides the wives he had Mahaleth the daughter of Ishmael Abraham's son the sister of Nebioth to be his wife and Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran and he lighted upon a certain place and tarried there all night because the son was set and he took one of the stones of the place and put it under his head and laid down in that place to sleep and he dreamed and behold a ladder set up on the earth and the top of it reached to heaven and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it and behold Jehovah stood above it and said I am Jehovah the God of Abraham thy father and the God of Isaac the land whereon thou liest to thee will I give it and to thy seed and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth and thou shalt spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed and behold I am with thee and will keep thee whithersoever thou goest and will bring thee again into this land for I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of and Jacob awaked out of his sleep and he said surely Jehovah is in this place and I knew it not and he was afraid and said how dreadful is this place this is none other than the house of God and this is the gate of heaven and Jacob rose up early in the morning and took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil upon the top of it and he called the name of that place Bethel but the name of the city was Luz at the first and Jacob vowed a vow saying if God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go and will give me bread to eat and reign it to put on so that I come again to my Father's house in peace and Jehovah will be my God then this stone which I have set up for a pillar shall be God's house and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee End of Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Then Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the children of the East and he looked and behold a well in the field and lo! three flocks of sheep lying there by it for out of that well they watered the flocks and the stone upon the well's mouth was great and thither were all the flocks gathered and they rolled the stone from the well's mouth and watered the sheep and put the stone again upon the well's mouth in its place and Jacob said unto them my brethren whence are ye and they said of heran are we and he said unto them no ye laban the son of Nahor and they said we know him and he said unto them is it well with him and they said it is well and behold Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep and he said lo! it is yet high day neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together water ye the sheep and go and feed them and they said we cannot until all the flocks be gathered together and they rolled the stone from the well's mouth then we water the sheep while he was yet speaking with them Rachel came with her father's sheep for she kept them and it came to pass when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother that Jacob went near and rolled the stone from the well's mouth and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother and Jacob kissed Rachel and lifted up his voice and wept and Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's brother that he was Rebekah's son and she ran and told her father and it came to pass when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister's son that he ran to meet him and embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house and he told Laban all these things and Laban said to him surely thou art my bone and my flesh and he abode with him the space of a month and Laban said unto Jacob because thou art my brother should thou therefore serve me for not tell me what shall thy wages be and Laban had two daughters the name of the elder was Leah and the name of the younger was Rachel and Leah's eyes were tender but Rachel was beautiful and well-favored and Jacob loved Rachel and he said I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter and Laban said it is better that I give her to thee than that I should give her to another man abide with me and Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed unto him but a few days for the love he had to her and Jacob said unto Laban give me my wife for my days are fulfilled that I may go in under her and Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a feast and it came to pass in the evening that he took Leah his daughter and brought her to him and he went in unto her and Laban gave Zilpa his hand made unto his daughter Leah for a hand made and it came to pass in the morning that behold it was Leah and he said to Laban what is this thou hast done unto me did not I serve with thee for Rachel wherefore then hast thou beguiled me and Laban said it is not so done in our place to give the younger before the firstborn fulfill the week of this one and we will give thee the other also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years and Jacob did so and fulfilled her week and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife and Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Vilha his hand made to be her hand made and he went in also unto Rachel and he loved also Rachel more than Leah and served with him yet seven other years and Jehovah saw that Leah was hated and he opened her womb but Rachel was barren and Leah conceived and bear a son and she called his name Reuben for she said because Jehovah hath looked upon my affliction for now my husband will love me and she conceived again bear a son and said because Jehovah hath heard that I am hated he hath therefore given me this son also and she called his name Simeon and she conceived again and bear a son and said now this time will my husband be joined unto me because I have borne him three sons therefore was his name called Levi and she conceived again and bear a son and she said this time will I praise Jehovah therefore she called his name Judah and she left off bearing end of chapter 29 chapter 30 and when Rachel saw that she bear Jacob no children Rachel envied her sister and she said unto Jacob give me children or else I die and Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel and he said am I in God's stead who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb and she said behold my maid Bilhah go in unto her that she may bear upon my knees and I also may obtain children by her and she gave him Bilhah her handmade to wife and Jacob went in unto her and Bilhah conceived and bear Jacob a son and Rachel said God hath judged me and hath also heard my voice and hath given me a son therefore called she his name Dan and Bilhah Rachel's handmade conceived again and bear Jacob a second son and Rachel said with mighty wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister and have prevailed and she called his name Naftali when Leah saw that she had left off bearing she took Zilpa her handmade and gave her to Jacob to wife and Zilpa Leah's handmade bear Jacob a son and Leah said fortune it and she called his name Gad and Zilpa Leah's handmade bear Jacob a second son and Leah said happy am I for the daughters will call me happy and she called his name Asher and Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest and found mandrakes in the field and brought them unto his mother Leah then Rachel said to Leah give me I pray thee of thy son's mandrakes and she said unto her is it a small matter that thou has taken away my husband and what is thou take away my son's mandrakes also and Rachel said therefore he shall lie with thee tonight for thy son's mandrakes and Jacob came from the field in the evening and Leah went out to meet him and said thou must come in unto me for I have surely hired thee with my son's mandrakes and he lay with her that night and God hearkened unto Leah and she conceived and bear Jacob a fifth son and Leah said God hath given me my hire because I gave my handmade to my husband and she called his name Isacar and Leah conceived again and bear a sixth son to Jacob and Leah said God hath endowed me with a good dowry and now will my husband dwell with me because I have borne him six sons and she called his name Zebulun and afterwards she bear a daughter and called her name Dina and God remembered Rachel and God hearkened to her and opened her womb and she conceived and bear a son and said God hath taken away my reproach and she called his name Joseph saying Jehovah add to me another son and it came to pass when Rachel had borne Joseph that Jacob said unto Laban send me away that I may go unto mine own place and to my country give me my wives and my children for whom I have served thee and let me go for thou knowest my service wherewith I have served thee and Laban said unto him if now I have found favor in thine eyes Terry for I have divined that Jehovah hath blessed me for thy sake and he said appoint me thy wages and I will give it and he said unto him thou knowest how I served thee and how thy cattle hath fared with me for it was little which thou hadst before I came and it hath increased unto a multitude and Jehovah hath blessed thee wither so ever I turned and now when shall I provide for mine own house also and he said what shall I give thee and Jacob said thou shalt not give me ought if thou wilt do this thing for me I will again feed thy flock and keep it I will pass through all the flock today removing from thence every speckled and spotted one and every black one among the sheep and the spotted and speckled among the goats and of such shall be my hire so shall my righteousness answer for me hereafter when thou shalt come concerning my hire that is before thee every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats and black among the sheep that if found with me shall be counted stolen and Laban said behold, I would it might be according to thy word and he removed that day the he goats that were ring-streaked and spotted and all the she goats that were speckled and spotted every one that had white in it and all the black ones among the sheep and gave them into the hand of his sons and he set three days journey betwixt himself and Jacob and Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks and Jacob took him rods of fresh poplar and of the almond and of the plain tree and peeled white streaks in them and made the white appear which was in the rods and he set the rods which he had peeled over against the flocks and the gutters in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink and they conceived when they came to drink and the flocks conceived before the rods and the flocks brought forth ring-streaked speckled and spotted and Jacob separated the lambs and set the faces of the flocks toward the ring-streaked and all the black in the flock of Laban and he put his own droves apart and put them not unto Laban's flock and it came to pass when, so-ever, the stronger of the flock did conceive that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the flock in the gutters that they might conceive among the rods but when the flock were feeble he put them not in so the feebler were Laban's and the stronger Jacob's and the man increased exceedingly and had large flocks and maidservants and men-servants and camels and asses End of Chapter 30 Chapters 31-37 of Genesis American Standard Version This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information and to find out how you can volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Sam Stinson Chapter 31 And he heard the words of Laban's sons saying Jacob hath taken away all that was our fathers and of that which was our fathers hath he gotten all this glory and Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban and behold, it was not toward him as before time and Jehovah said unto Jacob Return unto the land of thy fathers and to thy kindred and I will be with thee and Jacob sent in called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock and said unto them I see your fathers countenance that it is not toward me as before time but the God of my father hath been with me and ye know that with all my power I have served your father and your father hath deceived me and changed my wages ten times but God suffered him not to hurt me if he said thus the speckled shall be thy wages then all the flock bear speckled and if he said thus the ringstreaked shall be thy wages then bear all the flock ringstreaked thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father and given them to me and it came to pass at the time that the flock conceive that I lifted up mine eyes and saw in a dream and behold the he goats which leaped upon the flock were ringstreaked, speckled, and grizzled and the angel of God said unto me in the dream Jacob and I said here am I and he said lift up now thine eyes and see all the he goats which leap upon the flock are ringstreaked, speckled, and grizzled for I have seen all that laban doeth unto thee I am the God of Bethel where thou anointest a pillar where thou vowest a vow unto me now arise, get thee out from this land and return unto the land of thy nativity and Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house are we not accounted by him as foreigners for he hath sold us and hath also quite devoured our money for all the riches which God hath taken away from our father that is ours and our children's now then whatsoever God hath said unto thee do then Jacob rose up and said his sons and his wives upon the camels and he carried away all his cattle and all his substance which he hath gathered the cattle of his getting which he hath gathered in Padun Aram to go to Isaac his father unto the land of Canaan now laban was gone to shear his sheep and Rachel stole the tariff him that were her fathers and Jacob stole away unawares to laban the Syrian and that he told him not that he fled so he fled with all that he had and he rose up and passed over the river and set his face toward the mountain of Gilead and it was told laban on the third day that Jacob was fled and he took his brethren with him and pursued after him seven days journey and he overtook him in the mountain of Gilead and God came to laban the Syrian in a dream of the night and said unto him take he to thyself that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad and laban came up with Jacob now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountain and laban with his brethren encamped in the mountain of Gilead and laban said to Jacob what hast thou done that thou hast stolen away unawares to me and carried away my daughters as captives of the sword wherefore didst thou flee secretly and steal away from me and didst not tell me that I might have sent thee away with mirth and with songs with tabret and with harp and didst not suffer me to kiss my sons and my daughters now hast thou done foolishly it is in the power of my hand to do you hurt but the God of your father spake unto me yesterday saying take he to thyself that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad and now though thou wouldst needs be gone because thou soar longest after thy father's house yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods and Jacob answered and said to laban because I was afraid for I said lest thou shouldst take thy daughters from me by force with whomsoever thou findest thy gods he shall not live before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me and take it to thee for Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them and laban went into Jacob's tent and into Leah's tent and into the tent of the two maidservants but he found them not and he went out of Leah's tent and entered into Rachel's tent now Rachel had taken the tariffim and put them in the camel's saddle and sat upon them and laban felt about all the tent but found them not and she said to her father let not my Lord be angry that I cannot rise up before thee for the manner of women is upon me and he searched but found not the tariffim and Jacob was wroth and chowed with laban and Jacob answered and said to laban what is my trespass what is my sin that thou hast hotly pursued after me whereas thou hast felt about all my stuff what hast thou found of all thy household stuff said it here before my brethren and thy brethren that they may judge betwixt us too these twenty years have I been with thee thy ewes and thy she goats have not cast their young and the rams of thy flocks have I not eaten that which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee I bear the loss of it of my hand dits thou require it whether stolen by day or stolen by night thus I was in the day the drought consumed me and the frost by night and my sheep fled from my eyes these twenty years have I been in thy house I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters and six years for thy flock and thou hast changed my wages ten times except the God of my father the God of Abraham and the fear of Isaac had been with me surely now hath thou sent me away empty God hath seen my affliction and the labor of my hands and rebuked thee yesterday night and Laban answered and said unto Jacob the daughters are my daughters and the children are my children and the flocks are my flocks and all that thou seeest is mine and what can I do this day unto thee my daughters or unto their children whom they have borne and now come let us make a covenant I and thou and let it be for a witness between me and thee and Jacob took a stone and set it up for a pillar and Jacob set unto his brethren gather stones and they took stones and made a heap and they did eat there by the heap and Laban called it jagar sahaduthah but Jacob called it galliad and Laban said this heap is witness between me and thee this day therefore was the name of it called galliad and mispa for he said Jehovah watch between me and thee when we are absent one from another if thou shalt afflict my daughters and if thou shalt take wives besides my daughters no man is with us see God is witness betwixt me and thee and Laban said to Jacob behold this heap and behold the pillar which I have set betwixt me and thee this heap be witness and the pillar be witness that I will not pass over this heap to thee and that thou shalt not pass over this heap and this pillar unto me for harm the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor the God of their father judge betwixt us and Jacob swear by the fear of his father Isaac and Jacob offered a sacrifice in the mountain and called his brethren to eat bread and they did eat bread and tarried all night in the mountain and early in the morning Laban rose up and kissed his sons and his daughters and blessed them and Laban departed and returned unto his place end of chapter 31 chapter 32 and Jacob went on his way and the angels of God met him and Jacob said when he saw them this is God's host and he called the name of that place Mahana'im and Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir the field of Edom and he commanded them saying thus shall ye say unto my Lord Esau thus sayeth thy servant Jacob I have sojourned with Laban and stayed until now and I have oxen and asses and flocks and men servants and maid servants and I have sent to tell my Lord that I may find favor in thy sight and the messengers returned to Jacob saying we came to thy brother Esau and moreover he cometh to meet thee and four hundred men with him then Jacob was greatly afraid and was distressed and he divided the people that were with him and the flocks and the herds and the camels and to two companies and he said if Esau come to the one company and smite it then the company which is left shall escape and Jacob said oh God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac oh Jehovah who sets down to me return unto thy country and to thy kindred and I will do thee good I am not worthy of the least of all the loving kindnesses and of all the truth which thou hast showed unto thy servant for with my staff I passed over this Jordan and now I am become two companies deliver me I pray thee from the hand of my brother from the hand of Esau for I fear him lest he come and smite me the mother with the children and thou saidest I will surely do thee good and make thy seed as the sand of the sea which cannot be numbered for multitude and he lodged there that night and took of that which he had with him a present for Esau his brother two hundred she goats and twenty he goats two hundred ewes and twenty rams thirty milch camels and their colts forty cows and ten bowls twenty she asses and ten foals and he delivered them into the hand of his servants every drove by itself and set unto his servants pass over before me and put a space betwixt drove and drove and he commanded the foremost saying when Esau my brother meeteth thee and asketh thee saying whose art thou? and wither goest thou? and whose are these before thee? then thou shalt say they are thy servant Jacobs it is a present sent unto my lord Esau and behold he also is behind us and he commanded also the second and the third and all that followed the droves saying on this manner shall ye speak unto Esau when ye find him and ye shall say moreover behold thy servant Jacobs is behind us for he said I will appease him with the present that goeth before me and afterward I will see his face for adventure he will accept me so the present passed over before him and he himself lodged that night in the company and he rose up that night and took his two wives and his two handmaids and his eleven children and passed over the Ford of the Jabbaq and he took them and sent them over the stream and sent over that which he had and Jacob was left alone and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day and when he saw that he prevailed not against him he touched the hollow of his thigh and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was strained as he wrestled with him and he said let me go for the daybreaketh and he said I will not let thee go except thou bless me and he said unto him what is thy name? and he said Jacob and he said thy name shall be called no more Jacob but Israel for thou hast striven with God and with men and hast prevailed and Jacob asked him and said tell me I pray thee thy name and he said wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name and he blessed him there and Jacob called the name of the place peniel for said he I have seen God face to face and my life is preserved and the sun rose upon him as he passed over penuel and he limped upon his thigh therefore the children of Israel eat not the sinew of the hip which is upon the hollow of the thigh unto this day because he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh in the sinew of the hip end of chapter 32 chapter 33 and Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked and behold Esau was coming and with him 400 men and he divided the children unto Leah and unto Rachel and unto the two handmaids and he put the handmaids and their children foremost and Leah and her children after and Rachel and Joseph hindermost and he himself passed over before them and bowed himself to the ground seven times until he came near to his brother and Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him and they wept and he lifted up his eyes and saw the women and the children and said who are these with thee? and he said the children whom God hath graciously given thy servant then the handmaids came near they and their children and they bowed themselves and Leah also and her children came near and bowed themselves and after came Joseph near and Rachel and they bowed themselves and he said what meanest thou by all this company which I met? and he said to find favor in the sight of my Lord and Esau said I have enough my brother let that which thou hast be thine and Jacob said nay, I pray thee if now I have found favor in thy sight then receive my present at my hand for as much as I have seen thy face as one seeeth the face of God and thou was pleased with me take I pray thee my gift that is brought to thee because God hath dealt graciously with me and because I have enough and he urged him and he took it and he said let us take our journey and let us go and I will go before thee and he said unto him my Lord knoweth that the children are tender and that the flocks and herds with me have their young and if they overdrive them one day all the flocks will die let my Lord I pray thee pass over before his servant and I will lead on gently according to the pace of the cattle that are before me and according to the pace of the children until I come unto my Lord unto Seir and Esau said let me now leave with the some of the folk that are with me and he said what needeth it? let me find favor in the sight of my Lord so Esau returned that day on his way unto Seir and Jacob journeyed to Sukkoth and built him a house and made booths for his cattle therefore the name of the place is called Sukkoth and Jacob came in peace to the city of Shechem which is in the land of Canaan when he came from Padinoram and camped before the city and he bought the parcel of ground where he had spread his tent at the hand of the children of Hamor Shechem's father for a hundred pieces of money and he erected there an altar and called it El Elohe Israel end of chapter 33 chapter 34 and Dina the daughter of Leah whom she bear unto Jacob went out to see the daughters of the land and Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite the prince of the land saw her and he took her and lay with her and humbled her and his soul clave unto Dina the daughter of Jacob and he loved the damsel and spake kindly unto the damsel and Shechem spake unto his father Hamor saying get me this damsel to wife now Jacob heard that he had defiled Dina his daughter and his sons were with his cattle in the field and Jacob held his peace until they came and Hamor the father of Shechem went out unto Jacob to commune with him and the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it and the men were grieved and they were very wroth because he had wrought folly in Israel and lying with Jacob's daughter which thing ought not to be done and Hamor communed with them saying the soul of my son Shechem longeth for your daughter I pray you give her unto him to wife and make ye marriages with us give your daughters unto us and take our daughters unto you and ye shall dwell with us and the land shall be before you dwell and trade ye therein and get you possessions therein and Shechem said unto her father and unto her brethren let me find favor in your eyes and what ye shall say unto me I will give ask me never so much dowry and gift and I will give according as ye shall say unto me but give me the damsel to wife and the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father with guile and spake because he had defiled Dynah their sister and said unto them we cannot do this thing to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised for that were a reproach unto us only on this condition we will consent unto you if ye will be as we are that every male of you be circumcised then will we give our daughters unto you and we will take your daughters to us and we will dwell with you and we will become one people but if ye will not hearken unto us to be circumcised then will we take our daughter and we will be gone and the words pleased Hamor and Shechem Hamor's son and the young man deferred not to do the thing because he had delight in Jacob's daughter and he was honoured above all the house of his father and Hamor and Shechem his son came unto the gate of their city and communed with the men of their city saying these men are peaceable with us therefore let them dwell in the land and trade therein for behold the land is large enough for them let us take their daughters to us for wives and let us give them our daughters only on this condition will the men consent unto us to dwell with us to become one people if every male among us be circumcised as they are circumcised shall not their cattle and their substance and all their beasts be ours only let us consent unto them and they will dwell with us and unto Hamor and unto Shechem his son hearkened all that went out of the gate of his city and every male was circumcised all that went out of the gate of his city and it came to pass on the third day when they were sore that two of the sons of Jacob Simeon and Levi Dinah's brethren took each man his sword and came upon the city unawares and slew all the males and they slew Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword and took Dinah out of Shechem's house and went forth the sons of Jacob came upon the slain and plundered the city because they had defiled their sister they took their flocks and their herds and their asses and that which was in the city and that which was in the field and all their wealth and all their little ones and their wives they took captive and made a prey even all that was in the house and Jacob said to Simeon and Levi he have troubled me to make me odious to the inhabitants of the land among the Canaanites and the Parasites and I being few in number they will gather themselves together against me and smite me and I shall be destroyed I in my house and they said should he deal with our sister as with a harlot? end of chapter 34 chapter 35 and God said unto Jacob arise go up to Bethel and dwell there and make there an altar unto God who appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother then Jacob said unto his household and to all that were with him put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your garments and let us arise and go up to Bethel and I will make there an altar unto God who answered me in the day of my distress and was with me in the way which I went and they gave unto Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hand and the rings which were in their ears and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem and they journeyed and a terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob so Jacob came to Luz which is in the land of Canaan the same as Bethel he and all the people that were with him and he built there an altar and called the place El Bethel because there God was revealed unto him when he fled from the face of his brother and Deborah, Rebecca's nurse, died and she was buried below Bethel under the oak and the name of it was called Elan Bakuth and God appeared unto Jacob again when he came from Patanoram and blessed him and God said unto him Thy name is Jacob Thy name shall not be called any more Jacob but Israel shall be Thy name and he called his name Israel and God said unto him I am God Almighty be fruitful and multiply a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee and kings shall come out of thy loins and the land which I gave unto Abraham and Isaac to thee I will give it and to thy seed after thee will I give the land and God went up from him in the place where he spake with him and Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he spake with him a pillar of stone and he poured out a drink offering thereon and poured oil thereon and Jacob called the name of the place where God spake with him Bethel and they journeyed from Bethel and there was still some distance to come to Ephrath and Rachel travailed and she had hard labor and it came to pass when she was in hard labor that the midwife said unto her fear not for now thou shalt have another son and it came to pass as her soul was departing before she died that she called his name Benoni but his father called him Benjamin and Rachel died and was buried in the way to Ephrath the same is Bethlehem and Jacob set up a pillar upon her grave the same is the pillar of Rachel's grave unto this day and Israel journeyed and spread his tent beyond the tower of Eater and it came to pass while Israel dwelt in that land that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine and Israel heard of it now the sons of Jacob were twelve the sons of Leah Reuben Jacob's firstborn and Simeon and Levi and Judah and Izakar and Zebulun the sons of Rachel Joseph and Benjamin and the sons of Bilhah Rachel's handmaid Dan and Naftali and the sons of Zilpa Leah's handmaid Gad and Asher these are the sons of Jacob that were born to him and Pat and Aram and Jacob came unto Isaac his father to Mamre to Kier, Iath, Arba the same as Hebron where Abraham and Isaac sojourned and the days of Isaac were a hundred and four score years and Isaac gave up the ghost and died and was gathered unto his people old and full of days and Esau and Jacob his sons buried him End of Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Now, these are the generations of Esau the same as Edom Esau took his wives of the daughters of Canaan Aida, the daughter of Ellen the Hittite and Ohol Iba Ma the daughter of Aina the daughter of Zibion the Hivite and Basimoth Ishmael's daughter sister of Neba Ioth and Aida bear to Esau Eliphaz and Basima bear Ruel and Ohol Ibi Ma bear Je'ush and Jalaam and Korah these are the sons of Esau that were born unto him in the land of Canaan and Esau took his wives and his sons and his daughters and all the souls of his house and his cattle and all his beasts and all his possessions which he had gathered in the land of Canaan and went into a land away from his brother Jacob for their substance was too great for them to dwell together and the land of their sojournings could not bear them because of their cattle and Esau dwelt in Mount Serre Esau is Edom and these are the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in Mount Serre these are the names of Esau's sons Eliphaz the son of Aida the wife of Esau Ruel the son of Basima the wife of Esau and the sons of Eliphaz were Timon Omar Zifo Gatam and Kanaz and Timna was concubine to Eliphaz Esau's son and she bear to Eliphaz Amalek these are the sons of Aida Esau's wife and these are the sons of Ruel Nehath and Zira Shama and Mizah these were the sons of Basima Esau's wife and these were the sons of Ohal-e-Bamaath the daughter of Aina the daughter of Zibian Esau's wife and she bear to Esau Je'ush and Jalam and Korah these are the chiefs of the sons of Esau the sons of Eliphaz the firstborn of Esau chief Timon chief Omar chief Zifo chief Kanaz chief Korah chief Gatam chief Amalek these are the chiefs that came of Eliphaz in the land of Edom these are the sons of Aida and these are the sons of Ruel Esau's son chief Nehath chief Zira chief Shama chief Mizah these are the chiefs that came of Ruel in the land of Edom these are the sons of Basima Esau's wife and these are the sons of Ohal-e-Bamaath Esau's wife chief Je'ush chief Jalam chief Korah these are the chiefs that came of Ohal-e-Bamaath the daughter of Aina Esau's wife these are the sons of Esau and these are their chiefs the same is Edom these are the sons of Seir the Horite the inhabitants of the land Lotan and Shobal and Zibian and Aina and Deishan and Ezer and Deishan these are the chiefs that came of the Horites the children of Seir and the land of Edom and the children of Lotan were Hori and He-man and Lotan's sister was Timna and these are the children of Shobal Alvin and Manahath and Ebol Shifo and Onam and these are the children of Zibian Aya and Aina this is Aina who found the hot springs in the wilderness he fed the asses of Zibian his father and these are the children of Aina Deishan and Ohal-e-Bama the daughter of Aina and these are the children of Deishan Hemdan and Eshvan and Ithran and Khehran these are the children of Ezer Bilhan and Za'avan and Akin these are the children of Deishan Ooze and Aaron these are the chiefs that came of the Horites Chief Lotan Chief Shobal Chief Zibian Chief Aina Chief Deishan Chief Ezer Chief Deishan these are the chiefs that came of the Horites according to their chiefs in the land of Seir and these are the kings that reigned in the land of Edom before they reigned any king over the children of Israel and Bila the son of Bior reigned in Edom and the name of his city was Din Ha Ba and Bila died and Jobab the son of Zira of Basra reigned in his stead and Jobab died and Husham of the land of the Timonites reigned in his stead and Husham died and Haydad the son of Bidad who smote Midian in the field of Moab reigned in his stead and the name of his city was Avith and Haydad died and Samla of Masrekah reigned in his stead and Samla died and Sha'ul of Rihabath by the river reigned in his stead and Sha'ul died and Ba'al Hanan the son of Akbor reigned in his stead and Ba'al Hanan the son of Akbor died and Hadar reigned in his stead and the name of his city was Pa'u and his wife's name was Mehet Abel the daughter of Matred the daughter of Mezahab and these are the names of the chiefs that came of Esau according to their families after their places by their names Chief Timna Chief Alva Chief Jetheth Chief Ohal Iba Mah Chief El-Ah Chief Pinon Chief Kinaz Chief Timan Chief Mib-Zar Chief Magdiel Chief E-Ram these are the chiefs of Edom according to their habitations and the land of their possession this is Esau the father of the Edomites End of Chapter 36 Chapter 37 and Jacob dwelt in the land of his father's sojournings and the land of Canaan these are the generations of Jacob Joseph being 17 years old was feeding the flock with his brethren and he was a lad with the sons of Bilhah and with the sons of Zilpa his father's wives and Joseph brought the evil report of them unto their father now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children because he was the son of his old age and he made him a coat of many colors and his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren and they hated him and could not speak peaceably unto him and Joseph dreamed a dream and he told it to his brethren and they hated him yet the more and he said unto them here I pray you this dream which I have dreamed for behold we were binding sheaves in the field and lo my sheaf arose and also stood upright and behold your sheaves came round about and made abysses to my sheaf and his brethren said to him shalt thou indeed reign over us or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us and they hated him yet the more for his dreams and for his words and he dreamed yet another dream and told it to his brethren and said behold I have dreamed yet a dream and behold the son in the moon and eleven stars made abysses to me and he told it to his father and to his brethren and his father rebuked him and said unto him what is this dream that thou hast dreamed shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth and his brethren envied him but his father kept the saying in mind and his brethren went to feed their fathers flock in Shechem and Israel said unto Joseph are not thy brethren feeding the flock in Shechem come and I will send thee unto them and he said to him here am I and he said to him go now see whether it is well with thy brethren and well with the flock and bring me word again so he sent him out of the veil of Hebron and he came to Shechem and a certain man found him and behold he was wandering in the field and the man asked him saying what seekest thou and he said I am seeking my brethren tell me I pray thee where they are feeding the flock and the man said they are departed hence for I heard them say let us go to Dothan and Joseph went after his brethren and found them in Dothan and they saw him afar off and before he came near unto them they conspired against him to slay him and they said one to another behold this dreamer cometh come now therefore and let us slay him and cast him into one of the pits and we will say an evil beast hath devoured him and we shall see what will become of his dreams and Reuben heard it and delivered him out of their hand and said let us not take his life and Reuben said unto them shed no blood cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness but lay no hand upon him that he might deliver him out of their hand to restore him to his father and it came to pass when Joseph was come unto his brethren that they stripped Joseph of his coat the coat of many colors that was on him and they took him and cast him into the pit and the pit was empty there was no water in it and they sat down to eat bread and they lifted up their eyes and looked and behold a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead with their camels bearing spices and balm and myrrh going to carry it down to Egypt and Judah said unto his brethren what prophet is it if we slay our brother and conceal his blood come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and let not our hand be upon him for he is our brother our flesh and his brethren hearkened unto him and there passed by Midianites merchant men and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver and they brought Joseph into Egypt and Reuben returned unto the pit and behold Joseph was not in the pit and he rent his clothes and he returned unto his brethren and said the child is not and I wither shall I go and they took Joseph's coat and killed a he-goat and dipped the coat in the blood and they sent the coat of many colors and they brought it to their father and said this have we found know now whether it is thy son's coat or not and he knew it and said it is my son's coat and evil beast hath devoured him Joseph is without doubt torn in pieces and Jacob rent his garments and put sackcloth upon his loins and mourned for his son many days and all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him but he refused to be comforted and he said for I will go down to Sheol to my son mourning and his father wept for him and the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar an officer of Pharaoh's the captain of the guard End of Chapter 37 Chapters 38-43 of Genesis American Standard Version This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information and to find out how you can volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Sam Stinson Chapter 38 And it came to pass at that time that Judah went down from his brethren and turned in to a certain Adulamite whose name was Hira and Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua and he took her and went in unto her and she conceived and bear a son and he called his name Ur and she conceived again and bear a son and she called his name Onan and she yet again bear a son and called his name Shila and he was at Khazib when she bear him and Judah took a wife for Ur his firstborn and her name was Tamar and Ur, Judah's firstborn was wicked in the sight of Jehovah and Jehovah slew him and Judah said unto Onan Go in unto thy brother's wife and perform the duty of a husband's brother unto her and raise up seed to thy brother and Onan knew that the seed would not be his and it came to pass when he went in unto his brother's wife that he spilled it on the ground lest he should give seed to his brother and the thing which he did was evil in the sight of Jehovah and he slew him also then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law remain a widow in thy father's house till Shila my son be grown up for he said lest he also die like his brethren and Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house and in process of time Shu'a's daughter the wife of Judah died and Judah was comforted and went up unto his sheep sheerers to Timna he and his friend Heera the Ajula might and it was told Tamar saying behold thy father in law goeth up to Timna to shear his sheep and she put off from her the garments of her widowhood and covered herself with her veil and wrapped herself and sat in the gate of Enaim which is by the way to Timna for she saw that Shila was grown up and she was not given unto him to wife when Judah saw her he thought her to be a harlot for she had covered her face and he turned unto her by the way and said come I pray thee let me come in unto thee for he knew not that she was his daughter in law and she said what wilt thou give me that thou mayest come in unto me and he said I will send thee a kid of the goats from the flock and she said wilt thou give me a pledge till thou send it and he said what pledge shall I give thee and she said thy signet and thy cord and thy staff that is in thy hand and he gave them to her and came in unto her and she conceived by him and she arose and went away and put off her veil from her and put on the garments of her widowhood and Judah sent the kid of the goats by the hand of his friend the Ajulamite to receive the pledge from the woman's hand but he found her not then he asked the men of her place saying where is the prostitute that was at Enaim by the wayside and they said there hath been no prostitute here and he returned to Judah and said I have not found her and also the men of the place said there hath been no prostitute here and Judah said let her take it to her lest we be put to shame behold, I sent this kid and thou hast not found her and it came to pass about three months after that it was told Judah saying Tamar, thy daughter-in-law hath played the harlot and moreover behold she is with child by Hordom and Judah said bring her forth and let her be burnt when she was brought forth she sent to her father-in-law saying by the man whose these are am I with child and she said discern I pray thee whose are these the signet and the cords and the staff and Judah acknowledged them and said she is more righteous than I for as much as I gave her not to Sheelah, my son and he knew her again no more and it came to pass in the time of her travail that behold twins were in her womb and it came to pass when she travailed that one put out a hand and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread saying this came out first and it came to pass as he drew back his hand that behold his brother came out and she said wherefore hast thou made a breach for thyself therefore his name was called Perez and afterward came out his brother that had the scarlet thread upon his hand and his name was called Zira end of chapter 38 chapter 39 and Joseph was brought down to Egypt and Potiphar an officer of Pharaohs the captain of the guard an Egyptian bought him of the hand of the Ishmaelites that had brought him down thither and Jehovah was with Joseph and he was a prosperous man and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian and the master saw that Jehovah was with him and that Jehovah made all that he did to prosper in his hand and Jehovah found favor in his sight and he ministered unto him and he made him overseer over his house and all that he had he put into his hand and it came to pass from the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had that Jehovah blessed the Egyptians house for Joseph's sake and the blessing of Jehovah was upon all that he had in the house and in the field and he left all that he had in Joseph's hand and he knew not ought that was with him saved the bread which he did eat and Joseph was comely and well favored and it came to pass after these things that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph and she said, lie with me but he refused and said unto his master's wife behold my master knoweth not what is with me in the house and he hath put all that he hath unto my hand he is not greater in this house than I neither hath he kept back anything from me but thee because thou art his wife how then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God and it came to pass as she spake to Joseph day by day that he hearkened not unto her to lie by her or to be with her and it came to pass about this time that he went into the house to do his work and there was none of the men of the house there within and she caught him by his garment saying lie with me and he left his garment in her hand and fled and got him out and it came to pass when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and was fled forth that she called unto the men of her house and spake unto them saying see he hath brought in a Hebrew unto us to mock us he came in unto me to lie with me and I cried with the loud voice and it came to pass when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried that he left his garment by me and fled and got him out and she laid up his garment by her until his master came home and she spake unto him according to these words saying the Hebrew servant whom thou hast brought unto us came in unto me to mock me and it came to pass as I lifted up my voice and cried that he left his garment by me and fled out and it came to pass when his master heard the words of his wife which she spake unto him saying after this manner did thy servant to me that his wrath was kindled and Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison the place where the king's prisoners were bound and he was there in the prison but Jehovah was with Joseph and showed kindness unto him and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison and the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison and whatsoever they did there he was the doer of it the keeper of the prison looked not to anything that was under his hand because Jehovah was with him and that which he did Jehovah made it to prosper End of Chapter 39 Chapter 40 and it came to pass after these things that the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker offended their lord the king of Egypt and Pharaoh was wrath against his two officers against the chief of the butlers and against the chief of the bakers and he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard into the prison the place where Joseph was bound and the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them and he ministered unto them and they continued a season in ward and they dreamed a dream both of them each man his dream in one night each man according to the interpretation of his dream the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt who were bound in the prison and Joseph came in unto them in the morning and saw them and behold they were sad and he asked Pharaoh's officers that were with him in ward in his master's house saying wherefore look ye so sad today and they said unto him we have dreamed a dream and there is none that can interpret it and Joseph said unto them do not interpretations belong to God tell it me I pray you and the chief butler told his dream to Joseph and said to him in my dream behold a vine was before me and in the vine were three branches and it was as though it budded and its blossoms shot forth and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes and Pharaoh's cup was in my hand and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand and Joseph said unto him this is the interpretation of it the three branches are three days within yet three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head and restore the unto thine office and thou shalt give Pharaoh's cup into his hand after the former manner when thou wasst his butler but have me in thy remembrance when it shall be well with thee and show kindness I pray thee unto me and make mention of me unto Pharaoh and bring me out of this house for indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon when the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good he said unto Joseph I also was in my dream and behold three baskets of white bread were on my head and in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of baked food for Pharaoh and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head and Joseph answered and said this is the interpretation thereof the three baskets are three days within yet three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee and shall hang thee on a tree and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee and it came to pass the third day which was Pharaoh's birthday that he made a feast unto all his servants and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and the head of the chief baker among his servants and he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand but he hanged the chief baker as Joseph had interpreted to them yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph but forget him End of Chapter 40 Chapter 41 and it came to pass at the end of two full years that Pharaoh dreamed and behold he stood by the river and behold there came up out of the river seven kind well-favored and fat fleshed and they fed in the reed grass and behold seven other kind came up after them out of the river ill-favored and lean fleshed and stood by the other kind upon the brink of the river and the ill-favored and lean fleshed kind did eat up the seven well-favored and fat kind so Pharaoh awoke and he slept and dreamed a second time and behold seven years of grain came up upon one stalk rank and good and behold seven years thin and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them and the thin ears swallowed up the seven rank and full ears and Pharaoh awoke and behold it was a dream and it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all the wise men thereof and Pharaoh told them his dream but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh saying I do remember my faults this day Pharaoh was wroth with his servants and put me in ward in the house of the captain of the guard me and the chief baker and we dreamed a dream in one night I and he we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream and there was with us there a young man a Hebrew servant to the captain of the guard and we told him and he interpreted to us our dreams to each man according to his dream he did interpret and it came to pass as he interpreted to us so it was me he restored unto mine office and him he hanged then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon and he shaved himself and changed his raiment and came in unto Pharaoh and Pharaoh said unto Joseph I have dreamed a dream and there is none that can interpret it and I have heard say of thee that when thou hearest a dream thou canst interpret it and Joseph answered Pharaoh saying it is not in me God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace and Pharaoh spake unto Joseph in my dream behold I stood upon the brink of the river and behold there came up out of the river seven kind fat fleshed and well favored and they fed in the reed grass and behold seven other kind came up after them poor and very ill favored and lean fleshed such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness and the lean and ill favored kind did eat up the first seven fat kind and when they had eaten them up it could not be known that they had eaten them but they were still ill favored as at the beginning so I awoke and I saw in my dream and behold seven ears came up upon one stalk full and good and behold seven ears withered thin and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them and the thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears and I told it unto the magicians but there was none that could declare it to me and Joseph said unto Pharaoh the dream of Pharaoh is one what God is about to do he hath declared unto Pharaoh the seven good kind are seven years and the seven good ears are seven years the dream is one and the seven lean and ill favored kind that came up after them are seven years and also the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind they shall be seven years of famine that is the thing which I spake unto Pharaoh what God is about to do he hath showed unto Pharaoh behold there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt and there shall arise after them seven years of famine and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt and the famine shall consume the land and the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine which followeth for it shall be very grievous and for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh it is because the thing is established by God and God will shortly bring it to pass now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise and set him over the land of Egypt let Pharaoh do this and let him appoint overseers over the land and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years and let them gather all the food of these good years that come and lay up grain under the hand of Pharaoh for food in the cities and let them keep it and the food shall be for a store to the land against the seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt that the land perish not through the famine and the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants and Pharaoh said unto his servants can we find such a one as this a man in whom the spirit of God is? and Pharaoh said unto Joseph for as much as God hath showed thee all this there is none so discreet and wise as thou thou shalt be over my house and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled only in the throne will I be greater than thou and Pharaoh said unto Joseph see I have set thee over all the land of Egypt and Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand and put it upon Joseph's hand and arrayed him investors of fine linen and put a gold chain about his neck and he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had and they cried before him bow the knee and he set him over all the land of Egypt and Pharaoh said unto Joseph I am Pharaoh and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or his foot and all the land of Egypt and Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaf-en-Nath-pa-ne-ah and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipharah priest of An and Joseph went out over the land of Egypt and Joseph was 30 years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt and Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went throughout all the land of Egypt and in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls and he gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt and laid up the food in the cities the food of the field which was round about every city laid he up in the same and Joseph laid up grain as the sand of the sea very much until he left off numbering for it was without number and unto Joseph were born two sons before the year of famine came whom Asenath the daughter of Potipharah priest of An bear unto him and Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh for said he God hath made me forget all my toil and all my father's house and the name of the second called he Ephraim for God hath made me fruitful in the land of my affliction and the seven years of plenty that was in the land of Egypt came to an end and the seven years of famine began to come according as Joseph had said and there was famine in all lands but in all the land of Egypt there was bread and when all the land of Egypt was famished the people cried to Pharaoh for bread and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians go unto Joseph what he saith to you do and the famine was over all the face of the earth and Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold unto the Egyptians and the famine was sore in the land of Egypt and all countries came into Egypt to Joseph to buy grain because the famine was sore in all the earth end of chapter 41 chapter 42 now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt and Jacob said unto his sons why do ye look one upon another? and he said behold I have heard that there is grain in Egypt get you down thither and buy for us from thence that we may live and not die and Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy grain from Egypt but Benjamin Joseph's brother Jacob sent not with his brethren for he said lest peradventure harm befall him and the sons of Israel came to buy among those that came for the famine was in the land of Canaan and Joseph was the governor over the land he it was that sold to all the people of the land and Joseph's brethren came and bowed down themselves to him with their faces to the earth and Joseph saw his brethren and he knew them but made himself strange unto them and spake roughly with them and he said unto them whence come ye? and they said from the land of Canaan to buy food and Joseph knew his brethren but they knew not him and Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them and said unto them ye are spies to see the nakedness of the land ye are come and they said unto him nay my lord but to buy food are thy servants come we are all one man's sons we are true men thy servants are no spies and he said unto them nay but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come and they said we thy servants are twelve brethren the sons of one man in the land of Canaan and behold the youngest is this day with our father and one is not and Joseph said unto them that is it that I spake unto you saying ye are spies hereby ye shall be proved by the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence except your youngest brother come hither send one of you and let him fetch your brother and ye shall be bound that your words may be proved whether there be truth in you or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies and he put them all together into ward three days and Joseph said unto them the third day this do and live for I fear God if ye be true men let one of your brethren be bound in your prison house but go ye carry grain for the famine of your houses and bring your youngest brother unto me so shall your words be verified and ye shall not die and they did so and they said one to another we are verily guilty concerning our brother and that we saw the distress of his soul when he besought us and we would not hear therefore is this distress come upon us and Ruben answered them saying Spake I not unto you saying do not sin against the child and he would not hear therefore also behold his blood is required and they knew not that Joseph understood them for there was an interpreter between them and he turned himself about from them and wept and he returned to them and spake to them and took simian from among them and bound him before their eyes then Joseph commanded to fill their vessels with grain and to restore every man's money into his sack and to give them provision for the way and thus was it done unto them and they laded their asses with their grain and departed thence and as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the lodging place he aspired his money and behold it was in the mouth of his sack and he said unto his brethren my money is restored and lo it is even in my sack and their heart failed them and they turned trembling one to another saying what is this that God hath done unto us and they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan and told him all that had befallen them saying the man the Lord of the land spake roughly with us and took us for spies of the country and we said unto him we are true men we are no spies we are twelve brethren sons of our father one is not and the youngest is this day with our father and the land of Canaan and the man the Lord of the land said unto us hereby shall I know that ye are true men leave one of your brethren with me and take grain for the famine of your houses and go your way and bring your youngest brother unto me then shall I know that ye are no spies but that ye are true men so will I deliver you your brother and ye shall traffic in the land and it came to pass as they emptied their sacs that behold every man's bundle of money was in his sac and when they and their father saw their bundles of money they were afraid and Jacob their father said unto them me have ye bereaved of my children Joseph is not and Simeon is not and ye will take Benjamin away all these things are against me and Ruben spake unto his father saying slay my two sons if I bring him not to thee deliver him into my hand and I will bring him to thee again and he said my son shall not go down with you for his brother is dead and he only is left if harm befall him by the way in which ye go then will ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to sheol End of Chapter 42 Chapter 43 and the famine was sore in the land and it came to pass when they had eaten up the grain in which they had brought out of Egypt their father said unto them go again buy us a little food and Judas spake unto him saying the man did solemnly protest unto us saying ye shall not see my face except your brother be with you if thou wilt send our brother with us we will go down and buy thee food but if thou wilt not send him we will not go down but the man said unto us ye shall not see my face except your brother be with you and Israel said wherefore dealt ye so ill with me as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother and they said the man asked straightly concerning ourselves and concerning our kindred saying is your father yet alive have ye another brother and we told him according to the tenor of these words could we in any wise know that he would say bring your brother down and Judas said unto Israel his father send the lad with me and we will arise and go that we may live and not die both we and thou and also our little ones I will be surety for him of my hand shall thou require him if I bring him not unto thee and set him before thee then let me bear the blame for ever for except we had lingered surely we had now returned a second time and their father Israel said unto them if it be so now do this take up the choice fruits of the land in your vessels and carry down the man a present a little balm and a little honey spicery and myrrh nuts and almonds and take double money in your hand and the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacs carry again in your hand per adventure it was an oversight take also your brother and arise go again unto the man and God almighty give you mercy before the man that he may release unto you your other brother and Benjamin and if I be bereaved of my children I am bereaved and the men took that present and they took double money in their hand and Benjamin and rose up and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph and when Joseph saw Benjamin with them he said to the steward of his house bring the men into the house and slay and make ready for the men shall dine with me at noon and the man did as Joseph bade and the man brought the men to Joseph's house and the men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph's house and they said because of the money that was returned in our sacs at the first time are we brought in that he may seek occasion against us and fall upon us and take us for bond men and our asses and they came near to the steward of Joseph's house and they spake unto him at the door of the house and said oh my lord we came indeed down at the first time to buy food and it came to pass when we came to the lodging place that we opened our sacs and behold every man's money was in the mouth of his sac our money in full weight and we have brought it again in our hand and other money have we brought down in our hand to buy food we know not who put our money in our sacs and he said peace be to you fear not your God and the God of your Father hath given you treasure in your sacs I had your money and he brought Simeon out unto them and the man brought the men into Joseph's house and gave them water and they washed their feet and he gave their asses provender and they made ready the present against Joseph's coming at noon for they heard that they should eat bread there and when Joseph came home they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house and bowed down themselves to him to the earth and he asked them of their welfare and said is your father well the old man of whom ye spake is he yet alive and they said thy servant our father is well he is yet alive and they bowed the head and made obeisance and he lifted up his eyes and saw Benjamin his brother his mother's son and said is this your youngest brother of whom ye spake unto me and he said thy be gracious unto thee my son and Joseph made haste for his heart yearned over his brother and he sought where to weep and he entered into his chamber and wept there and he washed his face and came out and he refrained himself and said sit on bread and they set on for him by himself and for them by themselves and for the Egyptians that did eat with him by themselves because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians and they sat before him the first born according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth and the men marveled one with another and he took and sent messes unto them from before him but Benjamin's mess was five times so much as any of theirs and they drank and were merry with him End of chapter 43