Holy Bible

New International Version

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Table of Contents

How to Use This BibleAlphabetical Order of the Books of the BiblePreface

OLD TESTAMENT

NEW TESTAMENT

Table of Weights and Measures

OLD TESTAMENTGenesis (Ge)Exodus (Ex)Leviticus (Lev)Numbers (Nu)Deuteronomy (Dt)Joshua (Jos)Judges (Jdg)Ruth (Ru)1 Samuel (1Sa)2 Samuel (2Sa)1 Kings (1Ki)2 Kings (2Ki)1 Chronicles (1Ch)2 Chronicles (2Ch)Ezra (Ezr)Nehemiah (Ne)Esther (Est)Job (Job)Psalms (Ps)Proverbs (Pr)Ecclesiastes (Ecc)Song of Songs (SS)Isaiah (Isa)Jeremiah (Jer)Lamentations (La)Ezekiel (Eze)Daniel (Da)Hosea (Hos)Joel (Joel)

Amos (Am)Obadiah (Ob)Jonah (Jnh)Micah (Mic)Nahum (Na)Habakkuk (Hab)Zephaniah (Zep)Haggai (Hag)Zechariah (Zec)Malachi (Mal)

NEW TESTAMENTMatthew (Mt)Mark (Mk)Luke (Lk)John (Jn)Acts (Ac)Romans (Ro)1 Corinthians (1Co)2 Corinthians (2Co)Galatians (Gal)Ephesians (Eph)Philippians (Php)Colossians (Col)1 Thessalonians (1Th)2 Thessalonians (2Th)1 Timothy (1Ti)2 Timothy (2Ti)Titus (Titus)Philemon (Phm)Hebrews (Heb)James (Jas)1 Peter (1Pe)2 Peter (2Pe)1 John (1Jn)2 John (2Jn)3 John (3Jn)Jude (Jude)Revelation (Rev)

How to Use the Holy Bible (NIV), eBook Edition

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Footnotes

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A number located inside brackets ([1]) links to a footnote.

Navigation

To navigate throughout this eBook edition Bible, use your reading device to access the Table ofContents. The Table of Contents provides instant access to every book of the Bible, and will point youtoward all of the additional study resources contained within this eBook edition Bible.

If you have further questions, we recommend that you refer to your specific eReader’s instructionmanual or customer support guide.

GenesisGenesis 1 Genesis 2 Genesis 3 Genesis 4 Genesis 5 Genesis 6 Genesis 7 Genesis 8 Genesis 9 Genesis 10 Genesis 11 Genesis 12 Genesis 13 Genesis 14 Genesis 15 Genesis 16 Genesis 17 Genesis 18 Genesis 19 Genesis 20 Genesis 21 Genesis 22 Genesis 23 Genesis 24

Genesis 25 Genesis 26 Genesis 27 Genesis 28 Genesis 29 Genesis 30 Genesis 31 Genesis 32 Genesis 33 Genesis 34 Genesis 35 Genesis 36 Genesis 37 Genesis 38 Genesis 39 Genesis 40 Genesis 41 Genesis 42 Genesis 43 Genesis 44 Genesis 45 Genesis 46 Genesis 47 Genesis 48 Genesis 49

Genesis 50

ExodusExodus 1 Exodus 2 Exodus 3 Exodus 4 Exodus 5 Exodus 6 Exodus 7 Exodus 8 Exodus 9 Exodus 10 Exodus 11 Exodus 12 Exodus 13 Exodus 14 Exodus 15 Exodus 16 Exodus 17 Exodus 18 Exodus 19 Exodus 20 Exodus 21 Exodus 22

Exodus 23 Exodus 24 Exodus 25 Exodus 26 Exodus 27 Exodus 28 Exodus 29 Exodus 30 Exodus 31 Exodus 32 Exodus 33 Exodus 34 Exodus 35 Exodus 36 Exodus 37 Exodus 38 Exodus 39 Exodus 40

LeviticusLeviticus 1 Leviticus 2 Leviticus 3 Leviticus 4 Leviticus 5 Leviticus 6

Leviticus 7 Leviticus 8 Leviticus 9 Leviticus 10 Leviticus 11 Leviticus 12 Leviticus 13 Leviticus 14 Leviticus 15 Leviticus 16 Leviticus 17 Leviticus 18 Leviticus 19 Leviticus 20 Leviticus 21 Leviticus 22 Leviticus 23 Leviticus 24 Leviticus 25 Leviticus 26 Leviticus 27

NumbersNumbers 1 Numbers 2

Numbers 3 Numbers 4 Numbers 5 Numbers 6 Numbers 7 Numbers 8 Numbers 9 Numbers 10 Numbers 11 Numbers 12 Numbers 13 Numbers 14 Numbers 15 Numbers 16 Numbers 17 Numbers 18 Numbers 19 Numbers 20 Numbers 21 Numbers 22 Numbers 23 Numbers 24 Numbers 25 Numbers 26 Numbers 27

Numbers 28 Numbers 29 Numbers 30 Numbers 31 Numbers 32 Numbers 33 Numbers 34 Numbers 35 Numbers 36

DeuteronomyDeuteronomy 1 Deuteronomy 2 Deuteronomy 3 Deuteronomy 4 Deuteronomy 5 Deuteronomy 6 Deuteronomy 7 Deuteronomy 8 Deuteronomy 9 Deuteronomy 10 Deuteronomy 11 Deuteronomy 12 Deuteronomy 13 Deuteronomy 14

Deuteronomy 15 Deuteronomy 16 Deuteronomy 17 Deuteronomy 18 Deuteronomy 19 Deuteronomy 20 Deuteronomy 21 Deuteronomy 22 Deuteronomy 23 Deuteronomy 24 Deuteronomy 25 Deuteronomy 26 Deuteronomy 27 Deuteronomy 28 Deuteronomy 29 Deuteronomy 30 Deuteronomy 31 Deuteronomy 32 Deuteronomy 33 Deuteronomy 34

JoshuaJoshua 1 Joshua 2 Joshua 3 Joshua 4

Joshua 5 Joshua 6 Joshua 7 Joshua 8 Joshua 9 Joshua 10 Joshua 11 Joshua 12 Joshua 13 Joshua 14 Joshua 15 Joshua 16 Joshua 17 Joshua 18 Joshua 19 Joshua 20 Joshua 21 Joshua 22 Joshua 23 Joshua 24

JudgesJudges 1 Judges 2 Judges 3

Judges 4 Judges 5 Judges 6 Judges 7 Judges 8 Judges 9 Judges 10 Judges 11 Judges 12 Judges 13 Judges 14 Judges 15 Judges 16 Judges 17 Judges 18 Judges 19 Judges 20 Judges 21

RuthRuth 1 Ruth 2 Ruth 3 Ruth 4

1 Samuel1 Samuel 1

1 Samuel 2 1 Samuel 3 1 Samuel 4 1 Samuel 5 1 Samuel 6 1 Samuel 7 1 Samuel 8 1 Samuel 9 1 Samuel 10 1 Samuel 11 1 Samuel 12 1 Samuel 13 1 Samuel 14 1 Samuel 15 1 Samuel 16 1 Samuel 17 1 Samuel 18 1 Samuel 19 1 Samuel 20 1 Samuel 21 1 Samuel 22 1 Samuel 23 1 Samuel 24 1 Samuel 25

1 Samuel 26 1 Samuel 27 1 Samuel 28 1 Samuel 29 1 Samuel 30 1 Samuel 31

2 Samuel2 Samuel 1 2 Samuel 2 2 Samuel 3 2 Samuel 4 2 Samuel 5 2 Samuel 6 2 Samuel 7 2 Samuel 8 2 Samuel 9 2 Samuel 10 2 Samuel 11 2 Samuel 12 2 Samuel 13 2 Samuel 14 2 Samuel 15 2 Samuel 16 2 Samuel 17 2 Samuel 18

2 Samuel 19 2 Samuel 20 2 Samuel 21 2 Samuel 22 2 Samuel 23 2 Samuel 24

1 Kings1 Kings 1 1 Kings 2 1 Kings 3 1 Kings 4 1 Kings 5 1 Kings 6 1 Kings 7 1 Kings 8 1 Kings 9 1 Kings 10 1 Kings 11 1 Kings 12 1 Kings 13 1 Kings 14 1 Kings 15 1 Kings 16 1 Kings 17

1 Kings 18 1 Kings 19 1 Kings 20 1 Kings 21 1 Kings 22

2 Kings2 Kings 1 2 Kings 2 2 Kings 3 2 Kings 4 2 Kings 5 2 Kings 6 2 Kings 7 2 Kings 8 2 Kings 9 2 Kings 10 2 Kings 11 2 Kings 12 2 Kings 13 2 Kings 14 2 Kings 15 2 Kings 16 2 Kings 17 2 Kings 18 2 Kings 19

2 Kings 20 2 Kings 21 2 Kings 22 2 Kings 23 2 Kings 24 2 Kings 25

1 Chronicles1 Chronicles 1 1 Chronicles 2 1 Chronicles 3 1 Chronicles 4 1 Chronicles 5 1 Chronicles 6 1 Chronicles 7 1 Chronicles 8 1 Chronicles 9 1 Chronicles 10 1 Chronicles 11 1 Chronicles 12 1 Chronicles 13 1 Chronicles 14 1 Chronicles 15 1 Chronicles 16 1 Chronicles 17

1 Chronicles 18 1 Chronicles 19 1 Chronicles 20 1 Chronicles 21 1 Chronicles 22 1 Chronicles 23 1 Chronicles 24 1 Chronicles 25 1 Chronicles 26 1 Chronicles 27 1 Chronicles 28 1 Chronicles 29

2 Chronicles2 Chronicles 1 2 Chronicles 2 2 Chronicles 3 2 Chronicles 4 2 Chronicles 5 2 Chronicles 6 2 Chronicles 7 2 Chronicles 8 2 Chronicles 9 2 Chronicles 10 2 Chronicles 11 2 Chronicles 12

2 Chronicles 13 2 Chronicles 14 2 Chronicles 15 2 Chronicles 16 2 Chronicles 17 2 Chronicles 18 2 Chronicles 19 2 Chronicles 20 2 Chronicles 21 2 Chronicles 22 2 Chronicles 23 2 Chronicles 24 2 Chronicles 25 2 Chronicles 26 2 Chronicles 27 2 Chronicles 28 2 Chronicles 29 2 Chronicles 30 2 Chronicles 31 2 Chronicles 32 2 Chronicles 33 2 Chronicles 34 2 Chronicles 35 2 Chronicles 36

EzraEzra 1 Ezra 2 Ezra 3 Ezra 4 Ezra 5 Ezra 6 Ezra 7 Ezra 8 Ezra 9 Ezra 10

NehemiahNehemiah 1 Nehemiah 2 Nehemiah 3 Nehemiah 4 Nehemiah 5 Nehemiah 6 Nehemiah 7 Nehemiah 8 Nehemiah 9 Nehemiah 10 Nehemiah 11 Nehemiah 12 Nehemiah 13

EstherEsther 1 Esther 2 Esther 3 Esther 4 Esther 5 Esther 6 Esther 7 Esther 8 Esther 9 Esther 10

JobJob 1 Job 2 Job 3 Job 4 Job 5 Job 6 Job 7 Job 8 Job 9 Job 10 Job 11 Job 12

Job 13 Job 14 Job 15 Job 16 Job 17 Job 18 Job 19 Job 20 Job 21 Job 22 Job 23 Job 24 Job 25 Job 26 Job 27 Job 28 Job 29 Job 30 Job 31 Job 32 Job 33 Job 34 Job 35 Job 36 Job 37

Job 38 Job 39 Job 40 Job 41 Job 42

PsalmsPsalm 1 Psalm 2 Psalm 3 Psalm 4 Psalm 5 Psalm 6 Psalm 7 Psalm 8 Psalm 9 Psalm 10 Psalm 11 Psalm 12 Psalm 13 Psalm 14 Psalm 15 Psalm 16 Psalm 17 Psalm 18

Psalm 19 Psalm 20 Psalm 21 Psalm 22 Psalm 23 Psalm 24 Psalm 25 Psalm 26 Psalm 27 Psalm 28 Psalm 29 Psalm 30 Psalm 31 Psalm 32 Psalm 33 Psalm 34 Psalm 35 Psalm 36 Psalm 37 Psalm 38 Psalm 39 Psalm 40 Psalm 41 Psalm 42 Psalm 43

Psalm 44 Psalm 45 Psalm 46 Psalm 47 Psalm 48 Psalm 49 Psalm 50 Psalm 51 Psalm 52 Psalm 53 Psalm 54 Psalm 55 Psalm 56 Psalm 57 Psalm 58 Psalm 59 Psalm 60 Psalm 61 Psalm 62 Psalm 63 Psalm 64 Psalm 65 Psalm 66 Psalm 67

Psalm 68 Psalm 69 Psalm 70 Psalm 71 Psalm 72 Psalm 73 Psalm 74 Psalm 75 Psalm 76 Psalm 77 Psalm 78 Psalm 79 Psalm 80 Psalm 81 Psalm 82 Psalm 83 Psalm 84 Psalm 85 Psalm 86 Psalm 87 Psalm 88 Psalm 89 Psalm 90 Psalm 91 Psalm 92

Psalm 93 Psalm 94 Psalm 95 Psalm 96 Psalm 97 Psalm 98 Psalm 99 Psalm 100 Psalm 101 Psalm 102 Psalm 103 Psalm 104 Psalm 105 Psalm 106 Psalm 107 Psalm 108 Psalm 109 Psalm 110 Psalm 111 Psalm 112 Psalm 113 Psalm 114 Psalm 115 Psalm 116

Psalm 117 Psalm 118 Psalm 119 Psalm 120 Psalm 121 Psalm 122 Psalm 123 Psalm 124 Psalm 125 Psalm 126 Psalm 127 Psalm 128 Psalm 129 Psalm 130 Psalm 131 Psalm 132 Psalm 133 Psalm 134 Psalm 135 Psalm 136 Psalm 137 Psalm 138 Psalm 139 Psalm 140 Psalm 141

Psalm 142 Psalm 143 Psalm 144 Psalm 145 Psalm 146 Psalm 147 Psalm 148 Psalm 149 Psalm 150

ProverbsProverbs 1 Proverbs 2 Proverbs 3 Proverbs 4 Proverbs 5 Proverbs 6 Proverbs 7 Proverbs 8 Proverbs 9 Proverbs 10 Proverbs 11 Proverbs 12 Proverbs 13 Proverbs 14

Proverbs 15 Proverbs 16 Proverbs 17 Proverbs 18 Proverbs 19 Proverbs 20 Proverbs 21 Proverbs 22 Proverbs 23 Proverbs 24 Proverbs 25 Proverbs 26 Proverbs 27 Proverbs 28 Proverbs 29 Proverbs 30 Proverbs 31

EcclesiastesEcclesiastes 1 Ecclesiastes 2 Ecclesiastes 3 Ecclesiastes 4 Ecclesiastes 5 Ecclesiastes 6 Ecclesiastes 7

Ecclesiastes 8 Ecclesiastes 9 Ecclesiastes 10 Ecclesiastes 11 Ecclesiastes 12

Song of SongsSong of Songs 1 Song of Songs 2 Song of Songs 3 Song of Songs 4 Song of Songs 5 Song of Songs 6 Song of Songs 7 Song of Songs 8

IsaiahIsaiah 1 Isaiah 2 Isaiah 3 Isaiah 4 Isaiah 5 Isaiah 6 Isaiah 7 Isaiah 8 Isaiah 9

Isaiah 10 Isaiah 11 Isaiah 12 Isaiah 13 Isaiah 14 Isaiah 15 Isaiah 16 Isaiah 17 Isaiah 18 Isaiah 19 Isaiah 20 Isaiah 21 Isaiah 22 Isaiah 23 Isaiah 24 Isaiah 25 Isaiah 26 Isaiah 27 Isaiah 28 Isaiah 29 Isaiah 30 Isaiah 31 Isaiah 32 Isaiah 33 Isaiah 34

Isaiah 35 Isaiah 36 Isaiah 37 Isaiah 38 Isaiah 39 Isaiah 40 Isaiah 41 Isaiah 42 Isaiah 43 Isaiah 44 Isaiah 45 Isaiah 46 Isaiah 47 Isaiah 48 Isaiah 49 Isaiah 50 Isaiah 51 Isaiah 52 Isaiah 53 Isaiah 54 Isaiah 55 Isaiah 56 Isaiah 57 Isaiah 58

Isaiah 59 Isaiah 60 Isaiah 61 Isaiah 62 Isaiah 63 Isaiah 64 Isaiah 65 Isaiah 66

JeremiahJeremiah 1 Jeremiah 2 Jeremiah 3 Jeremiah 4 Jeremiah 5 Jeremiah 6 Jeremiah 7 Jeremiah 8 Jeremiah 9 Jeremiah 10 Jeremiah 11 Jeremiah 12 Jeremiah 13 Jeremiah 14 Jeremiah 15 Jeremiah 16

Jeremiah 17 Jeremiah 18 Jeremiah 19 Jeremiah 20 Jeremiah 21 Jeremiah 22 Jeremiah 23 Jeremiah 24 Jeremiah 25 Jeremiah 26 Jeremiah 27 Jeremiah 28 Jeremiah 29 Jeremiah 30 Jeremiah 31 Jeremiah 32 Jeremiah 33 Jeremiah 34 Jeremiah 35 Jeremiah 36 Jeremiah 37 Jeremiah 38 Jeremiah 39 Jeremiah 40

Jeremiah 41 Jeremiah 42 Jeremiah 43 Jeremiah 44 Jeremiah 45 Jeremiah 46 Jeremiah 47 Jeremiah 48 Jeremiah 49 Jeremiah 50 Jeremiah 51 Jeremiah 52

LamentationsLamentations 1 Lamentations 2 Lamentations 3 Lamentations 4 Lamentations 5

EzekielEzekiel 1 Ezekiel 2 Ezekiel 3 Ezekiel 4 Ezekiel 5 Ezekiel 6

Ezekiel 7 Ezekiel 8 Ezekiel 9 Ezekiel 10 Ezekiel 11 Ezekiel 12 Ezekiel 13 Ezekiel 14 Ezekiel 15 Ezekiel 16 Ezekiel 17 Ezekiel 18 Ezekiel 19 Ezekiel 20 Ezekiel 21 Ezekiel 22 Ezekiel 23 Ezekiel 24 Ezekiel 25 Ezekiel 26 Ezekiel 27 Ezekiel 28 Ezekiel 29 Ezekiel 30

Ezekiel 31 Ezekiel 32 Ezekiel 33 Ezekiel 34 Ezekiel 35 Ezekiel 36 Ezekiel 37 Ezekiel 38 Ezekiel 39 Ezekiel 40 Ezekiel 41 Ezekiel 42 Ezekiel 43 Ezekiel 44 Ezekiel 45 Ezekiel 46 Ezekiel 47 Ezekiel 48

DanielDaniel 1 Daniel 2 Daniel 3 Daniel 4 Daniel 5 Daniel 6

Daniel 7 Daniel 8 Daniel 9 Daniel 10 Daniel 11 Daniel 12

HoseaHosea 1 Hosea 2 Hosea 3 Hosea 4 Hosea 5 Hosea 6 Hosea 7 Hosea 8 Hosea 9 Hosea 10 Hosea 11 Hosea 12 Hosea 13 Hosea 14

JoelJoel 1 Joel 2

Joel 3

AmosAmos 1 Amos 2 Amos 3 Amos 4 Amos 5 Amos 6 Amos 7 Amos 8 Amos 9

ObadiahObadiah 1

JonahJonah 1 Jonah 2 Jonah 3 Jonah 4

MicahMicah 1 Micah 2 Micah 3 Micah 4 Micah 5

Micah 6 Micah 7

NahumNahum 1 Nahum 2 Nahum 3

HabakkukHabakkuk 1 Habakkuk 2 Habakkuk 3

ZephaniahZephaniah 1 Zephaniah 2 Zephaniah 3

HaggaiHaggai 1 Haggai 2

ZechariahZechariah 1 Zechariah 2 Zechariah 3 Zechariah 4 Zechariah 5 Zechariah 6

Zechariah 7 Zechariah 8 Zechariah 9 Zechariah 10 Zechariah 11 Zechariah 12 Zechariah 13 Zechariah 14

MalachiMalachi 1 Malachi 2 Malachi 3 Malachi 4

MatthewMatthew 1 Matthew 2 Matthew 3 Matthew 4 Matthew 5 Matthew 6 Matthew 7 Matthew 8 Matthew 9 Matthew 10 Matthew 11

Matthew 12 Matthew 13 Matthew 14 Matthew 15 Matthew 16 Matthew 17 Matthew 18 Matthew 19 Matthew 20 Matthew 21 Matthew 22 Matthew 23 Matthew 24 Matthew 25 Matthew 26 Matthew 27 Matthew 28

MarkMark 1 Mark 2 Mark 3 Mark 4 Mark 5 Mark 6

Mark 7 Mark 8 Mark 9 Mark 10 Mark 11 Mark 12 Mark 13 Mark 14 Mark 15 Mark 16

LukeLuke 1 Luke 2 Luke 3 Luke 4 Luke 5 Luke 6 Luke 7 Luke 8 Luke 9 Luke 10 Luke 11 Luke 12 Luke 13 Luke 14

Luke 15 Luke 16 Luke 17 Luke 18 Luke 19 Luke 20 Luke 21 Luke 22 Luke 23 Luke 24

JohnJohn 1 John 2 John 3 John 4 John 5 John 6 John 7 John 8 John 9 John 10 John 11 John 12 John 13

John 14 John 15 John 16 John 17 John 18 John 19 John 20 John 21

ActsActs 1 Acts 2 Acts 3 Acts 4 Acts 5 Acts 6 Acts 7 Acts 8 Acts 9 Acts 10 Acts 11 Acts 12 Acts 13 Acts 14 Acts 15 Acts 16

Acts 17 Acts 18 Acts 19 Acts 20 Acts 21 Acts 22 Acts 23 Acts 24 Acts 25 Acts 26 Acts 27 Acts 28

RomansRomans 1 Romans 2 Romans 3 Romans 4 Romans 5 Romans 6 Romans 7 Romans 8 Romans 9 Romans 10 Romans 11

Romans 12 Romans 13 Romans 14 Romans 15 Romans 16

1 Corinthians1 Corinthians 1 1 Corinthians 2 1 Corinthians 3 1 Corinthians 4 1 Corinthians 5 1 Corinthians 6 1 Corinthians 7 1 Corinthians 8 1 Corinthians 9 1 Corinthians 10 1 Corinthians 11 1 Corinthians 12 1 Corinthians 13 1 Corinthians 14 1 Corinthians 15 1 Corinthians 16

2 Corinthians2 Corinthians 1 2 Corinthians 2

2 Corinthians 3 2 Corinthians 4 2 Corinthians 5 2 Corinthians 6 2 Corinthians 7 2 Corinthians 8 2 Corinthians 9 2 Corinthians 10 2 Corinthians 11 2 Corinthians 12 2 Corinthians 13

GalatiansGalatians 1 Galatians 2 Galatians 3 Galatians 4 Galatians 5 Galatians 6

EphesiansEphesians 1 Ephesians 2 Ephesians 3 Ephesians 4 Ephesians 5

Ephesians 6

PhilippiansPhilippians 1 Philippians 2 Philippians 3 Philippians 4

ColossiansColossians 1 Colossians 2 Colossians 3 Colossians 4

1 Thessalonians1 Thessalonians 1 1 Thessalonians 2 1 Thessalonians 3 1 Thessalonians 4 1 Thessalonians 5

2 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians 1 2 Thessalonians 2 2 Thessalonians 3

1 Timothy1 Timothy 1 1 Timothy 2

1 Timothy 3 1 Timothy 4 1 Timothy 5 1 Timothy 6

2 Timothy2 Timothy 1 2 Timothy 2 2 Timothy 3 2 Timothy 4

TitusTitus 1 Titus 2 Titus 3

PhilemonPhilemon 1

HebrewsHebrews 1 Hebrews 2 Hebrews 3 Hebrews 4 Hebrews 5 Hebrews 6 Hebrews 7 Hebrews 8

Hebrews 9 Hebrews 10 Hebrews 11 Hebrews 12 Hebrews 13

JamesJames 1 James 2 James 3 James 4 James 5

1 Peter1 Peter 1 1 Peter 2 1 Peter 3 1 Peter 4 1 Peter 5

2 Peter2 Peter 1 2 Peter 2 2 Peter 3

1 John1 John 1 1 John 2

1 John 3 1 John 4 1 John 5

2 John2 John 1

3 John3 John 1

JudeJude 1

RevelationRevelation 1 Revelation 2 Revelation 3 Revelation 4 Revelation 5 Revelation 6 Revelation 7 Revelation 8 Revelation 9 Revelation 10 Revelation 11 Revelation 12 Revelation 13 Revelation 14

Revelation 15 Revelation 16 Revelation 17 Revelation 18 Revelation 19 Revelation 20 Revelation 21 Revelation 22

Alphabetical Order of the Books of the Bible

The books of the New Testament are indicated by italics.

ActsAmos1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesColossians1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansDanielDeuteronomyEcclesiastesEphesiansEstherExodusEzekielEzraGalatiansGenesisHabakkukHaggaiHebrewsHoseaIsaiahJamesJeremiahJobJoelJohn1 John2 John3 JohnJonahJoshuaJudeJudges1 Kings2 KingsLamentationsLeviticus

LukeMalachiMarkMatthewMicahNahumNehemiahNumbersObadiah1 Peter2 PeterPhilemonPhilippiansProverbsPsalmsRevelationRomansRuth1 Samuel2 SamuelSong of Songs1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusZechariahZephaniah

Preface

The goal of the New International version (NIV) is to enable English-speaking people from around theworld to read and hear God’s eternal Word in their own language. Our work as translators is motivatedby our conviction that the Bible is God’s Word in written form. We believe that the Bible contains thedivine answer to the deepest needs of humanity, sheds unique light on our path in a dark world andsets forth the way to our eternal well-being. Out of these deep convictions, we have sought to recreateas far as possible the experience of the original audience—blending transparency to the original textwith accessibility for the millions of English speakers around the world. We have prioritized accuracy,clarity and literary quality with the goal of creating a translation suitable for public and privatereading, evangelism, teaching, preaching, memorizing and liturgical use. We have also sought topreserve a measure of continuity with the long tradition of translating the Scriptures into English.

The complete NIV Bible was first published in 1978. It was a completely new translation made byover a hundred scholars working directly from the best available Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek texts.The translators came from the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand,giving the translation an international scope. They were from many denominations and churches—including Anglican, Assemblies of God, Baptist, Brethren, Christian Reformed, Church of Christ,Evangelical Covenant, Evangelical Free, Lutheran, Mennonite, Methodist, Nazarene, Presbyterian,Wesleyan and others. This breadth of denominational and theological perspective helped to safeguardthe translation from sectarian bias. For these reasons, and by the grace of God, the NIV has gained awide readership in all parts of the English-speaking world.

The work of translating the Bible is never finished. As good as they are, English translations mustbe regularly updated so that they will continue to communicate accurately the meaning of God’sWord. Updates are needed in order to reflect the latest developments in our understanding of thebiblical world and its languages and to keep pace with changes in English usage. Recognizing, then,that the NIV would retain its ability to communicate God’s Word accurately only if it were regularlyupdated, the original translators established The Committee on Bible Translation (CBT). Thecommittee is a self-perpetuating group of biblical scholars charged with keeping abreast of advancesin biblical scholarship and changes in English and issuing periodic updates to the NIV. CBT is anindependent, self-governing body and has sole responsibility for the NIV text. The committee mirrorsthe original group of translators in its diverse international and denominational makeup and in itsunifying commitment to the Bible as God’s inspired Word.

In obedience to its mandate, the committee has issued periodic updates to the NIV. An initialrevision was released in 1984. A more thorough revision process was completed in 2005, resulting inthe separately published Today’s New International version (TNIV). The updated NIV you now havein your hands builds on both the original NIV and the TNIV and represents the latest effort of thecommittee to articulate God’s unchanging Word in the way the original authors might have said it hadthey been speaking in English to the global English-speaking audience today.

The first concern of the translators has continued to be the accuracy of the translation and itsfaithfulness to the intended meaning of the biblical writers. This has moved the translators to gobeyond a formal word-for-word rendering of the original texts. Because thought patterns and syntaxdiffer from language to language, accurate communication of the meaning of the biblical authorsdemands constant regard for varied contextual uses of words and idioms and for frequent

modifications in sentence structures.As an aid to the reader, sectional headings have been inserted. They are not to be regarded as part of

the biblical text and are not intended for oral reading. It is the committee’s hope that these headingsmay prove more helpful to the reader than the traditional chapter divisions, which were introducedlong after the Bible was written.

For the Old Testament the standard Hebrew text, the Masoretic Text as published in the latestedition of Biblia Hebraica, has been used throughout. The Masoretic Text tradition contains marginalnotations that offer variant readings. These have sometimes been followed instead of the text itself.Because such instances involve variants within the Masoretic tradition, they have not been indicatedin the textual notes. In a few cases, words in the basic consonantal text have been divided differentlythan in the Masoretic Text. Such cases are usually indicated in the textual footnotes. The Dead SeaScrolls contain biblical texts that represent an earlier stage of the transmission of the Hebrew text.They have been consulted, as have been the Samaritan Pentateuch and the ancient scribal traditionsconcerning deliberate textual changes. The translators also consulted the more important earlyversions—the Greek Septuagint, Aquila, Symmachus and Theodotion, the Latin vulgate, the SyriacPeshitta, the Aramaic Targums and, for the Psalms, the Juxta Hebraica of Jerome. Readings fromthese versions, the Dead Sea Scrolls and the scribal traditions were occasionally followed where theMasoretic Text seemed doubtful and where accepted principles of textual criticism showed that one ormore of these textual witnesses appeared to provide the correct reading. In rare cases, the committeehas emended the Hebrew text where it appears to have become corrupted at an even earlier stage of itstransmission. These departures from the Masoretic Text are also indicated in the textual footnotes.Sometimes the vowel indicators (which are later additions to the basic consonantal text) found in theMasoretic Text did not, in the judgment of the committee, represent the correct vowels for the originaltext. Accordingly, some words have been read with a different set of vowels. These instances areusually not indicated in the footnotes.

The Greek text used in translating the New Testament is an eclectic one, based on the latest editionsof the Nestle-Aland/United Bible Societies’ Greek New Testament. The committee has made itschoices among the variant readings in accordance with widely accepted principles of New Testamenttextual criticism. Footnotes call attention to places where uncertainty remains.

The New Testament authors, writing in Greek, often quote the Old Testament from its ancientGreek version, the Septuagint. This is one reason why some of the Old Testament quotations in theNIV New Testament are not identical to the corresponding passages in the NIV Old Testament. Suchquotations in the New Testament are indicated with the footnote “(see Septuagint).”

Other footnotes in this version are of several kinds, most of which need no explanation. Thosegiving alternative translations begin with “Or” and generally introduce the alternative with the lastword preceding it in the text, except when it is a single-word alternative. When poetry is quoted in afootnote, a slash mark indicates a line division.

It should be noted that references to diseases, minerals, flora and fauna, architectural details,clothing, jewelry, musical instruments and other articles cannot always be identified with precision.Also, linear measurements and measures of capacity can only be approximated (see the Table ofWeights and Measures ). Although Selah, used mainly in the Psalms, is probably a musical term, itsmeaning is uncertain. Since it may interrupt reading and distract the reader, this word has not beenkept in the English text, but every occurrence has been signaled by a footnote.

One of the main reasons the task of Bible translation is never finished is the change in our ownlanguage, English. Although a basic core of the language remains relatively stable, many diverse andcomplex linguistic factors continue to bring about subtle shifts in the meanings and/or connotations ofeven old, well-established words and phrases. One of the shifts that creates particular challenges to

writers and translators alike is the manner in which gender is presented. The original NIV (1978) waspublished in a time when “a man” would naturally be understood, in many contexts, to be referring toa person, whether male of female. But most English speakers today tend to hear a distinctly maleconnotation in this word. In recognition of this change in English, this edition of the NIV, along withalmost all other recent English translations, substitutes other expressions when the original textintends to refer generically to men and women equally. Thus, for instance, the NIV (1984) renderingof 1 Corinthians 8:3, “But the man who loves God is known by God” becomes in this edition “Butwhoever loves God is known by God.” On the other hand, “man” and “mankind,” as ways of denotingthe human race, are still widely used. This edition of the NIV therefore continues to use these words,along with other expressions, in this way.

A related shift in English creates a greater challenge for modern translations: the move away fromusing the third-person masculine singular pronouns—“he/him/his”—to refer to men and womenequally. This usage does persist at a low level in some forms of English, and this revision thereforeoccasionally uses these pronouns in a generic sense. But the tendency, recognized in day-to-day usageand confirmed by extensive research, is away from the generic use of “he,” “him” and “his.” Inrecognition of this shift in language and in an effort to translate into the “common” English thatpeople are actually using, this revision of the NIV generally uses other constructions when the biblicaltext is plainly addressed to men and women equally. The reader will frequently encounter a “they,”“them” or “their” to express a generic singular idea. Thus, for instance, Mark 8:36 reads: “What goodis it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” This generic use of the “indefinite”or “singular” “they/them/their” has a venerable place in English idiom and has quickly becomeestablished as standard English, spoken and written, all over the world. Where an individual emphasisis deemed to be present, “anyone” or “everyone” or some other equivalent is generally used as theantecedent of such pronouns.

Sometimes the chapter and/or verse numbering in English translations of the Old Testament differsfrom that found in published Hebrew texts. This is particularly the case in the Psalms, where thetraditional titles are often included in the Hebrew verse numbering. Such differences are indicated inthe footnotes at the bottom of the page. In the New Testament, verse numbers that marked off portionsof the traditional English text not supported by the best Greek manuscripts now appear in brackets,with a footnote indicating the text that has been omitted (see, for example, Matthew 17:[21]).

Mark 16:9–20 and John 7:53–8:11, although long accorded virtually equal status with the rest of theGospels in which they stand, have a very questionable—and confused—standing in the textual historyof the New Testament, as noted in the bracketed annotations with which they are set off. A differenttypeface has been chosen for these passages to indicate even more clearly their uncertain status.

Basic formatting of the text, such as lining the poetry, paragraphing (both prose and poetry), settingup of (administrative-like) lists, indenting letters and lengthy prayers within narratives and theinsertion of sectional headings, has been the work of the committee. However, the choice betweensingle-column and double-column formats has been left to the publishers. Also the issuing of “red-letter” editions is a publisher’s choice—one the committee does not endorse.

The committee has again been reminded that every human effort is flawed—including this revisionof the NIV. We trust, however, that many will find in it an improved representation of the Word ofGod, through which they hear his call to faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and to service in his kingdom.We offer this version of the Bible to him in whose name and for whose glory it has been made.

The Committee on Bible Translation

September 2010

The Old TestamentGenesis

Genesis 1

The Beginning

1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2Now the earth was formless and empty,darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

3And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4God saw that the light was good, andhe separated the light from the darkness. 5God called the light “day,” and the darkness hecalled “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

6And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.” 7SoGod made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. Andit was so. 8God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.

9And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry groundappear.” And it was so. 10God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters hecalled “seas.” And God saw that it was good.

11Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the landthat bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. 12The landproduced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit withseed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13And there was evening, andthere was morning—the third day.14And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night,

and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, 15and let them belights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. 16God made twogreat lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night.He also made the stars. 17God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth,18to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that itwas good. 19And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.

20And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth

across the vault of the sky.” 21So God created the great creatures of the sea and everyliving thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to theirkinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22Godblessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas,and let the birds increase on the earth.” 23And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.

24And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock,the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to itskind.” And it was so. 25God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestockaccording to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according totheir kinds. And God saw that it was good.

26Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may ruleover the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,[1]and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

27So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

28God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth andsubdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creaturethat moves on the ground.”

29Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth andevery tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30And to all the beasts ofthe earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.

31God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there wasmorning—the sixth day.

Genesis 2

1Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.

2By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day herested from all his work. 3Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because onit he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

Adam and Eve

4This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the LORD God madethe earth and the heavens.

5Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth[2] and no plant had yet sprung up, for the LORD Godhad not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground, 6but streams[3] came up fromthe earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. 7Then the LORD God formed a man[4] from thedust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

8Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he hadformed. 9The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing tothe eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of theknowledge of good and evil.

10A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters.11The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold.12(The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin[5] and onyx are also there.) 13The name of the secondriver is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush.[6] 14The name of the third river is theTigris; it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

15The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.16And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17but youmust not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you willcertainly die.”

18The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”19Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky.

He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each livingcreature, that was its name. 20So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and allthe wild animals.

But for Adam[7] no suitable helper was found. 21So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deepsleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs[8] and then closed up the place withflesh. 22Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib[9] he had taken out of the man, and he broughther to the man.

23The man said,

“This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.”

24That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.25Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

Genesis 3

The Fall

1Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to thewoman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

2The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3but God did say,‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, oryou will die.’ ”

4“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5“For God knows that when you eatfrom it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

6When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and alsodesirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who waswith her, and he ate it. 7Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked;so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

8Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in thecool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9But the LORD Godcalled to the man, “Where are you?”

10He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”11And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded

you not to eat from?”12The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate

it.”13Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”14So the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this,

“Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. 15And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring[10] and hers; he will crush[11] your head, and you will strike his heel.”

16To the woman he said,

“I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children.

Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”

17To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which Icommanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’

“Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. 18It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”

20Adam[12] named his wife Eve,[13] because she would become the mother of all the living.21The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. 22And the LORD

God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed toreach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” 23So the LORD Godbanished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 24After hedrove the man out, he placed on the east side[14] of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming swordflashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

Genesis 4

Cain and Abel

1Adam[15] made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain.[16] She said,“With the help of the LORD I have brought forth[17] a man.” 2Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.

Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3In the course of time Cain brought some of thefruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. 4And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions fromsome of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5but on Cainand his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

6Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7If you do what isright, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it

desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”8Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” [18] While they were in the field,

Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.9Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”“I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”10The LORD said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the

ground. 11Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receiveyour brother’s blood from your hand. 12When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops foryou. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”

13Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is more than I can bear. 14Today you are driving me fromthe land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, andwhoever finds me will kill me.”

15But the LORD said to him, “Not so[19]; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven timesover.” Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. 16So Cainwent out from the LORD’s presence and lived in the land of Nod,[20] east of Eden.

17Cain made love to his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was thenbuilding a city, and he named it after his son Enoch. 18To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the fatherof Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech.

19Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah. 20Adah gave birth to Jabal; hewas the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock. 21His brother’s name was Jubal; he wasthe father of all who play stringed instruments and pipes. 22Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, whoforged all kinds of tools out of[21] bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain’s sister was Naamah.

23Lamech said to his wives,

“Adah and Zillah, listen to me; wives of Lamech, hear my words. I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for injuring me. 24If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times.”

25Adam made love to his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth,[22] saying,“God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.” 26Seth also had a son, andhe named him Enosh.

At that time people began to call on[23] the name of the LORD.

Genesis 5

From Adam to Noah

1This is the written account of Adam’s family line.

When God created mankind, he made them in the likeness of God. 2He created them male andfemale and blessed them. And he named them “Mankind”[24] when they were created.

3When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he namedhim Seth. 4After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 5Altogether,Adam lived a total of 930 years, and then he died.

6When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father[25] of Enosh. 7After he became the father ofEnosh, Seth lived 807 years and had other sons and daughters. 8Altogether, Seth lived a total of 912years, and then he died.

9When Enosh had lived 90 years, he became the father of Kenan. 10After he became the father ofKenan, Enosh lived 815 years and had other sons and daughters. 11Altogether, Enosh lived a total of905 years, and then he died.

12When Kenan had lived 70 years, he became the father of Mahalalel. 13After he became the fatherof Mahalalel, Kenan lived 840 years and had other sons and daughters. 14Altogether, Kenan lived atotal of 910 years, and then he died.

15When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he became the father of Jared. 16After he became the fatherof Jared, Mahalalel lived 830 years and had other sons and daughters. 17Altogether, Mahalalel lived atotal of 895 years, and then he died.

18When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of Enoch. 19After he became the father ofEnoch, Jared lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 20Altogether, Jared lived a total of 962years, and then he died.

21When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. 22After he became thefather of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters.23Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. 24Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was nomore, because God took him away.

25When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he became the father of Lamech. 26After he became thefather of Lamech, Methuselah lived 782 years and had other sons and daughters. 27Altogether,Methuselah lived a total of 969 years, and then he died.

28When Lamech had lived 182 years, he had a son. 29He named him Noah[26] and said, “He willcomfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the LORD has cursed.”30After Noah was born, Lamech lived 595 years and had other sons and daughters. 31Altogether,Lamech lived a total of 777 years, and then he died.

32After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham and Japheth.

Genesis 6

Wickedness in the World

1When human beings began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, 2thesons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married any of them theychose. 3Then the LORD said, “My Spirit will not contend with[27] humans forever, for they aremortal[28]; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.”

4The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went tothe daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.

5The LORD saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that everyinclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. 6The LORD regretted that hehad made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. 7So the LORD said, “I willwipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birdsand the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” 8But Noah foundfavor in the eyes of the LORD.

Noah and the Flood

9This is the account of Noah and his family.

Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully withGod. 10Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth.

11Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. 12God saw how corrupt theearth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. 13So God said to Noah, “I amgoing to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surelygoing to destroy both them and the earth. 14So make yourself an ark of cypress[29] wood; make roomsin it and coat it with pitch inside and out. 15This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be threehundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high.[30] 16Make a roof for it, leaving below theroof an opening one cubit[31] high all around.[32] Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower,middle and upper decks. 17I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under theheavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. 18But I willestablish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and yoursons’ wives with you. 19You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, tokeep them alive with you. 20Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind ofcreature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. 21You are to take every kindof food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.”

22Noah did everything just as God commanded him.

Genesis 7

1The LORD then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found yourighteous in this generation. 2Take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male and itsmate, and one pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, 3and also seven pairs of everykind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth. 4Seven days fromnow I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of theearth every living creature I have made.”

5And Noah did all that the LORD commanded him.6Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters came on the earth. 7And Noah and his sons

and his wife and his sons’ wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood. 8Pairs of clean andunclean animals, of birds and of all creatures that move along the ground, 9male and female, came toNoah and entered the ark, as God had commanded Noah. 10And after the seven days the floodwaterscame on the earth.

11In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, on the seventeenth day of the second month—on that dayall the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. 12And rainfell on the earth forty days and forty nights.

13On that very day Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, together with his wife and the wivesof his three sons, entered the ark. 14They had with them every wild animal according to its kind, alllivestock according to their kinds, every creature that moves along the ground according to its kindand every bird according to its kind, everything with wings. 15Pairs of all creatures that have thebreath of life in them came to Noah and entered the ark. 16The animals going in were male and femaleof every living thing, as God had commanded Noah. Then the LORD shut him in.

17For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and as the waters increased they lifted the arkhigh above the earth. 18The waters rose and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on thesurface of the water. 19They rose greatly on the earth, and all the high mountains under the entireheavens were covered. 20The waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of more than fifteencubits.[33],[34] 21Every living thing that moved on land perished—birds, livestock, wild animals, all thecreatures that swarm over the earth, and all mankind. 22Everything on dry land that had the breath oflife in its nostrils died. 23Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; people and animalsand the creatures that move along the ground and the birds were wiped from the earth. Only Noah wasleft, and those with him in the ark.

24The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days.

Genesis 8

1But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark,and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded. 2Now the springs of the deep and thefloodgates of the heavens had been closed, and the rain had stopped falling from the sky. 3The water

receded steadily from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the water had gone down,4and on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.5The waters continued to recede until the tenth month, and on the first day of the tenth month the topsof the mountains became visible.

6After forty days Noah opened a window he had made in the ark 7and sent out a raven, and it keptflying back and forth until the water had dried up from the earth. 8Then he sent out a dove to see if thewater had receded from the surface of the ground. 9But the dove could find nowhere to perch becausethere was water over all the surface of the earth; so it returned to Noah in the ark. He reached out hishand and took the dove and brought it back to himself in the ark. 10He waited seven more days andagain sent out the dove from the ark. 11When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beakwas a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth. 12Hewaited seven more days and sent the dove out again, but this time it did not return to him.

13By the first day of the first month of Noah’s six hundred and first year, the water had dried upfrom the earth. Noah then removed the covering from the ark and saw that the surface of the groundwas dry. 14By the twenty-seventh day of the second month the earth was completely dry.

15Then God said to Noah, 16“Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives.17Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you—the birds, the animals, and all the creaturesthat move along the ground—so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in numberon it.”

18So Noah came out, together with his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives. 19All the animals andall the creatures that move along the ground and all the birds—everything that moves on land—cameout of the ark, one kind after another.

20Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, hesacrificed burnt offerings on it. 21The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Neveragain will I curse the ground because of humans, even though[35] every inclination of the human heartis evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.

22“As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”

Genesis 9

God’s Covenant With Noah

1Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill theearth. 2The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds in the sky,on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into yourhands. 3Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the greenplants, I now give you everything.

4“But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it. 5And for your lifeblood I will surelydemand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each human being,too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being.

6“Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind.

7As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it.”8Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: 9“I now establish my covenant with you and with

your descendants after you 10and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestockand all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth.11I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood;never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

12And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every livingcreature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and itwill be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14Whenever I bring clouds over the earthand the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15I will remember my covenant between me and you and allliving creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.16Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenantbetween God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”

17So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all lifeon the earth.”

The Sons of Noah

18The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham and Japheth. (Ham was the father ofCanaan.) 19These were the three sons of Noah, and from them came the people who were scatteredover the whole earth.

20Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded[36] to plant a vineyard. 21When he drank some of its wine, hebecame drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. 22Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked andtold his two brothers outside. 23But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across theirshoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their father’s naked body. Their faces wereturned the other way so that they would not see their father naked.

24When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him, 25he said,

“Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers.”

26He also said,

“Praise be to the LORD, the God of Shem! May Canaan be the slave of Shem. 27May God extend Japheth’s[37] territory; may Japheth live in the tents of Shem, and may Canaan be the slave of Japheth.”

28After the flood Noah lived 350 years. 29Noah lived a total of 950 years, and then he died.

Genesis 10

The Table of Nations

1This is the account of Shem, Ham and Japheth, Noah’s sons, who themselves had sons after the flood.

The Japhethites

2The sons[38] of Japheth:Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshek and Tiras.

3The sons of Gomer:Ashkenaz, Riphath and Togarmah.

4The sons of Javan:Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittites and the Rodanites.[39] 5(From these the maritime peoples

spread out into their territories by their clans within their nations, each with its ownlanguage.)

The Hamites

6The sons of Ham:Cush, Egypt, Put and Canaan.

7The sons of Cush:Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah and Sabteka.

The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan.

8Cush was the father[40] of Nimrod, who became a mighty warrior on the earth. 9He was a mightyhunter before the LORD; that is why it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the LORD.” 10Thefirst centers of his kingdom were Babylon, Uruk, Akkad and Kalneh, in[41] Shinar.[42] 11From that landhe went to Assyria, where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, [43] Calah 12and Resen, which is betweenNineveh and Calah—which is the great city.

13Egypt was the father ofthe Ludites, Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtuhites, 14Pathrusites, Kasluhites (from whom the

Philistines came) and Caphtorites.15Canaan was the father of

Sidon his firstborn,[44] and of the Hittites, 16Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, 17Hivites,Arkites, Sinites, 18Arvadites, Zemarites and Hamathites.

Later the Canaanite clans scattered 19and the borders of Canaan reached from Sidon toward Gerar asfar as Gaza, and then toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboyim, as far as Lasha.

20These are the sons of Ham by their clans and languages, in their territories and nations.

The Semites

21Sons were also born to Shem, whose older brother was[45] Japheth; Shem was the ancestor of allthe sons of Eber.

22The sons of Shem:Elam, Ashur, Arphaxad, Lud and Aram.

23The sons of Aram:Uz, Hul, Gether and Meshek.[46]

24Arphaxad was the father of[47] Shelah,and Shelah the father of Eber.

25Two sons were born to Eber:One was named Peleg,[48] because in his time the earth was divided; his brother was

named Joktan.26Joktan was the father of

Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28Obal, Abimael,Sheba, 29Ophir, Havilah and Jobab. All these were sons of Joktan.

30The region where they lived stretched from Mesha toward Sephar, in the eastern hill country.31These are the sons of Shem by their clans and languages, in their territories and nations.

32These are the clans of Noah’s sons, according to their lines of descent, within their nations. Fromthese the nations spread out over the earth after the flood.

Genesis 11

The Tower of Babel

1Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2As people moved eastward,[49] theyfound a plain in Shinar[50] and settled there.

3They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brickinstead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a towerthat reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scatteredover the face of the whole earth.”

5But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. 6The LORD said, “Ifas one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do willbe impossible for them. 7Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understandeach other.”

8So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9Thatis why it was called Babel[51]—because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world.From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

From Shem to Abram

10This is the account of Shem’s family line.

Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he became the father[52] of Arphaxad.11And after he became the father of Arphaxad, Shem lived 500 years and had other sons anddaughters.

12When Arphaxad had lived 35 years, he became the father of Shelah. 13And after he became thefather of Shelah, Arphaxad lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters.[53]

14When Shelah had lived 30 years, he became the father of Eber. 15And after he became the fatherof Eber, Shelah lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters.

16When Eber had lived 34 years, he became the father of Peleg. 17And after he became the father ofPeleg, Eber lived 430 years and had other sons and daughters.

18When Peleg had lived 30 years, he became the father of Reu. 19And after he became the father ofReu, Peleg lived 209 years and had other sons and daughters.

20When Reu had lived 32 years, he became the father of Serug. 21And after he became the father ofSerug, Reu lived 207 years and had other sons and daughters.

22When Serug had lived 30 years, he became the father of Nahor. 23And after he became the fatherof Nahor, Serug lived 200 years and had other sons and daughters.

24When Nahor had lived 29 years, he became the father of Terah. 25And after he became the fatherof Terah, Nahor lived 119 years and had other sons and daughters.

26After Terah had lived 70 years, he became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran.

Abram’s Family

27This is the account of Terah’s family line.

Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot. 28Whilehis father Terah was still alive, Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans, in the land of his birth. 29Abramand Nahor both married. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife wasMilkah; she was the daughter of Haran, the father of both Milkah and Iskah. 30Now Sarai waschildless because she was not able to conceive.

31Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wifeof his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when theycame to Harran, they settled there.

32Terah lived 205 years, and he died in Harran.

Genesis 12

The Call of Abram

1The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to theland I will show you.

2“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.[54] 3I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”[55]

4So Abram went, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five yearsold when he set out from Harran. 5He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they hadaccumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, andthey arrived there.

6Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At thattime the Canaanites were in the land. 7The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring [56] Iwill give this land.” So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.

8From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the westand Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD.

9Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev.

Abram in Egypt

10Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a whilebecause the famine was severe. 11As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I knowwhat a beautiful woman you are. 12When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Thenthey will kill me but will let you live. 13Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for yoursake and my life will be spared because of you.”

14When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that Sarai was a very beautiful woman. 15Andwhen Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace. 16Hetreated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, maleand female servants, and camels.

17But the LORD inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram’s wifeSarai. 18So Pharaoh summoned Abram. “What have you done to me?” he said. “Why didn’t you tellme she was your wife? 19Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her to be my wife? Nowthen, here is your wife. Take her and go!” 20Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, andthey sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had.

Genesis 13

Abram and Lot Separate

1So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with

him. 2Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold.3From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel

and Ai where his tent had been earlier 4and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called onthe name of the LORD.

5Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. 6But the landcould not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they werenot able to stay together. 7And quarreling arose between Abram’s herders and Lot’s. The Canaanitesand Perizzites were also living in the land at that time.

8So Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between yourherders and mine, for we are close relatives. 9Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. Ifyou go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.”

10Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, likethe garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom andGomorrah.) 11So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. Thetwo men parted company: 12Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities ofthe plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. 13Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinninggreatly against the LORD.

14The LORD said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “Look around from where you are, to thenorth and south, to the east and west. 15All the land that you see I will give to you and youroffspring[57] forever. 16I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone couldcount the dust, then your offspring could be counted. 17Go, walk through the length and breadth of theland, for I am giving it to you.”

18So Abram went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he pitched his tents. Therehe built an altar to the LORD.

Genesis 14

Abram Rescues Lot

1At the time when Amraphel was king of Shinar,[58] Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elamand Tidal king of Goyim, 2these kings went to war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king ofGomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboyim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar).3All these latter kings joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Dead Sea Valley). 4For twelveyears they had been subject to Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

5In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him went out and defeated theRephaites in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim 6and theHorites in the hill country of Seir, as far as El Paran near the desert. 7Then they turned back and went

to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and they conquered the whole territory of the Amalekites, as well asthe Amorites who were living in Hazezon Tamar.

8Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboyim and theking of Bela (that is, Zoar) marched out and drew up their battle lines in the Valley of Siddim 9againstKedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goyim, Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five. 10Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and when the kings ofSodom and Gomorrah fled, some of the men fell into them and the rest fled to the hills. 11The fourkings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food; then they went away. 12Theyalso carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom.

13A man who had escaped came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew. Now Abram was livingnear the great trees of Mamre the Amorite, a brother[59] of Eshkol and Aner, all of whom were alliedwith Abram. 14When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 15During the night Abram dividedhis men to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. 16Herecovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with thewomen and the other people.

17After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king ofSodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).

18Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High,19and he blessed Abram, saying,

“Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. 20And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.”

Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.21The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people and keep the goods for yourself.”22But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “With raised hand I have sworn an oath to the LORD, God

Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, 23that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even athread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’ 24I willaccept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me—to Aner, Eshkol and Mamre. Let them have their share.”

Genesis 15

The LORD’s Covenant With Abram

1After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision:

“Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield,[60] your very great reward.[61]”

2But Abram said, “Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one whowill inherit[62] my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3And Abram said, “You have given me no children;so a servant in my household will be my heir.”

4Then the word of the LORD came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is yourown flesh and blood will be your heir.” 5He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and countthe stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring[63] be.”

6Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.7He also said to him, “I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this

land to take possession of it.”8But Abram said, “Sovereign LORD, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?”9So the LORD said to him, “Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a

dove and a young pigeon.”10Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the

birds, however, he did not cut in half. 11Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abramdrove them away.

12As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came overhim. 13Then the LORD said to him, “Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants willbe strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there. 14But I willpunish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. 15You,however, will go to your ancestors in peace and be buried at a good old age. 16In the fourth generationyour descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its fullmeasure.”

17When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appearedand passed between the pieces. 18On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, “Toyour descendants I give this land, from the Wadi [64] of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates— 19theland of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 21Amorites, Canaanites,Girgashites and Jebusites.”

Genesis 16

Hagar and Ishmael

1Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar;2so she said to Abram, “The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhapsI can build a family through her.”

Abram agreed to what Sarai said. 3So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai hiswife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. 4He slept with Hagar,and she conceived.

When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. 5Then Sarai said to Abram,“You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that sheknows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the LORD judge between you and me.”

6“Your slave is in your hands,” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think best.” Then Saraimistreated Hagar; so she fled from her.

7The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside theroad to Shur. 8And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are yougoing?”

“I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered.9Then the angel of the LORD told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” 10The angel

added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.”11The angel of the LORD also said to her:

“You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael,[65] for the LORD has heard of your misery. 12He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward[66] all his brothers.”

13She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “Ihave now seen[67] the One who sees me.” 14That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi[68]; it isstill there, between Kadesh and Bered.

15So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. 16Abramwas eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.

Genesis 17

The Covenant of Circumcision

1When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty[69];walk before me faithfully and be blameless. 2Then I will make my covenant between me and you andwill greatly increase your numbers.”

3Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, 4“As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will bethe father of many nations. 5No longer will you be called Abram[70]; your name will be Abraham,[71]for I have made you a father of many nations. 6I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations ofyou, and kings will come from you. 7I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant betweenme and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God ofyour descendants after you. 8The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I willgive as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.”

9Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendantsafter you for the generations to come. 10This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you,the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11You are to undergocircumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. 12For the generations tocome every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in yourhousehold or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring. 13Whether bornin your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh isto be an everlasting covenant. 14Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh,will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”

15God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her namewill be Sarah. 16I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she willbe the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”

17Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundredyears old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?” 18And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmaelmight live under your blessing!”

19Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. [72] Iwill establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. 20Andas for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatlyincrease his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation.21But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.”22When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him.

23On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and all those born in his household or bought withhis money, every male in his household, and circumcised them, as God told him. 24Abraham wasninety-nine years old when he was circumcised, 25and his son Ishmael was thirteen; 26Abraham andhis son Ishmael were both circumcised on that very day. 27And every male in Abraham’s household,including those born in his household or bought from a foreigner, was circumcised with him.

Genesis 18

The Three Visitors

1The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance tohis tent in the heat of the day. 2Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he sawthem, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.

3He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord,[73] do not pass your servant by. 4Let a littlewater be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. 5Let me get yousomething to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come to yourservant.”

“Very well,” they answered, “do as you say.”6So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. “Quick,” he said, “get three seahs[74] of the finest flour

and knead it and bake some bread.”7Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to

prepare it. 8He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set thesebefore them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree.

9“Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him.“There, in the tent,” he said.10Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife

will have a son.”Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. 11Abraham and Sarah

were already very old, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. 12So Sarah laughed to herself as shethought, “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?”

13Then the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, nowthat I am old?’ 14Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time nextyear, and Sarah will have a son.”

15Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.”But he said, “Yes, you did laugh.”

Abraham Pleads for Sodom

16When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along withthem to see them on their way. 17Then the LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about todo? 18Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will beblessed through him.[75] 19For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his householdafter him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring aboutfor Abraham what he has promised him.”

20Then the LORD said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin sogrievous 21that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reachedme. If not, I will know.”

22The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the

LORD.[76] 23Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with thewicked? 24What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and notspare[77] the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? 25Far be it from you to do such athing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it fromyou! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?”

26The LORD said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole placefor their sake.”

27Then Abraham spoke up again: “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I amnothing but dust and ashes, 28what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will youdestroy the whole city for lack of five people?”

“If I find forty-five there,” he said, “I will not destroy it.”29Once again he spoke to him, “What if only forty are found there?”He said, “For the sake of forty, I will not do it.”30Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found

there?”He answered, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”31Abraham said, “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be

found there?”He said, “For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it.”32Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can

be found there?”He answered, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.”33When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.

Genesis 19

Sodom and Gomorrah Destroyed

1The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening