Day 91 of 365

¹The whole earth was of one language and of one speech.

²It happened, as they traveled east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they lived there.

³They said one to another, "Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly." They had brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar.

⁴They said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top reaches to the sky, and let us make ourselves a name, lest we be scattered abroad on the surface of the whole earth."

⁵The Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built.

⁶The Lord said, "Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is what they begin to do. Now nothing will be withheld from them, which they intend to do.

⁷Come, let us go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech."

⁸So the Lord scattered them abroad from there on the surface of all the earth. They stopped building the city.

⁹Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. From there, the Lord scattered them abroad on the surface of all the earth.

¹⁰This is the history of the generations of Shem. Shem was one hundred years old and became the father of Arpachshad two years after the flood.

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

¹²Arpachshad lived thirty-five years and became the father of Shelah.

¹³Arpachshad lived four hundred three years after he became the father of Shelah, and became the father of sons and daughters.

¹⁴Shelah lived thirty years, and became the father of Eber:

¹⁵and Shelah lived four hundred three years after he became the father of Eber, and became the father of sons and daughters.

¹⁶Eber lived thirty-four years, and became the father of Peleg.

¹⁷Eber lived four hundred thirty years after he became the father of Peleg, and became the father of sons and daughters.

¹⁸Peleg lived thirty years, and became the father of Reu.

¹⁹Peleg lived two hundred nine years after he became the father of Reu, and became the father of sons and daughters.

²⁰Reu lived thirty-two years, and became the father of Serug.

²¹Reu lived two hundred seven years after he became the father of Serug, and became the father of sons and daughters.

²²Serug lived thirty years, and became the father of Nahor.

²³Serug lived two hundred years after he became the father of Nahor, and became the father of sons and daughters.

²⁴Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and became the father of Terah.

²⁵Nahor lived one hundred nineteen years after he became the father of Terah, and became the father of sons and daughters.

²⁶Terah lived seventy years, and became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

²⁷Now this is the history of the generations of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran became the father of Lot.

²⁸Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldeans.

²⁹Abram and Nahor took wives. The name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran who was also the father of Iscah.

³⁰Sarai was barren. She had no child.

³¹Terah took Abram his son, Lot the son of Haran, his son's son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife. They went forth from Ur of the Chaldeans, to go into the land of Canaan. They came to Haran and lived there.

³²The days of Terah were two hundred five years. Terah died in Haran.

¹Now the Lord said to Abram, "Get out of your country, and from your relatives, and from your father's house, to the land that I will show you.

²I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. You will be a blessing.

³I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you. In you will all of the families of the earth be blessed."

⁴So Abram went, as the Lord had spoken to him. Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed out of Haran.

⁵Abram took Sarai his wife, Lot his brother's son, all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls whom they had gotten in Haran, and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan. Into the land of Canaan they came.

⁶Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. The Canaanite was then in the land.

⁷The Lord appeared to Abram and said, "I will give this land to your seed." He built an altar there to the Lord, who appeared to him.

⁸He left from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.

⁹Abram traveled, going on still toward the Negev.

¹⁰There was a famine in the land. Abram went down into Egypt to live as a foreigner there, for the famine was severe in the land.

¹¹It happened, when he had come near to enter Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, "See now, I know that you are a beautiful woman to look at.

¹²It will happen, when the Egyptians will see you, that they will say, 'This is his wife.' They will kill me, but they will save you alive.

¹³Please say that you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that my soul may live because of you."

¹⁴It happened that when Abram had come into Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.

¹⁵The princes of Pharaoh saw her, and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.

¹⁶He dealt well with Abram for her sake. He had sheep, cattle, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.

¹⁷The Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife.

¹⁸Pharaoh called Abram and said, "What is this that you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife?

¹⁹Why did you say, 'She is my sister,' so that I took her to be my wife? Now therefore, see your wife, take her, and go your way."

²⁰Pharaoh commanded men concerning him, and they brought him on the way with his wife and all that he had.

¹Abram went up out of Egypt: he, his wife, all that he had, and Lot with him, into the Negev.

²Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.

³He went on his journeys from the Negev even to Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai,

⁴to the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first. There Abram called on the name of the Lord.

⁵Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents.

⁶The land was not able to bear them, that they might live together: for their substance was great, so that they could not live together.

⁷There was a strife between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite lived in the land at that time.

⁸Abram said to Lot, "Please, let there be no strife between me and you, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are relatives.

⁹Isn't the whole land before you? Please separate yourself from me. If you go to the left hand, then I will go to the right. Or if you go to the right hand, then I will go to the left."

¹⁰Lot lifted up his eyes, and saw all the plain of the Jordan, that it was well-watered everywhere, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as you go to Zoar.

¹¹So Lot chose the Plain of the Jordan for himself. Lot traveled east, and they separated themselves the one from the other.

¹²Abram lived in the land of Canaan, and Lot lived in the cities of the plain, and moved his tent as far as Sodom.

¹³Now the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinners against the Lord.

¹⁴The Lord said to Abram, after Lot was separated from him, "Now, lift up your eyes, and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward,

¹⁵for all the land which you see, I will give to you, and to your offspring forever.

¹⁶I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then your seed may also be numbered.

¹⁷Arise, walk through the land in its length and in its breadth; for I will give it to you."

¹⁸Abram moved his tent, and came and lived by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to the Lord.

¹He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

²I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust."

³For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler, and from the deadly pestilence.

⁴He will cover you with his feathers. Under his wings you will take refuge. His faithfulness is your shield and rampart.

⁵You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day;

⁶nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that wastes at noonday.

⁷A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it will not come near you.

⁸You will only look with your eyes, and see the recompense of the wicked.

⁹Because you have made Lord your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place,

¹⁰no evil shall happen to you, neither shall any plague come near your dwelling.

¹¹For he will put his angels in charge of you, to guard you in all your ways.

¹²They will bear you up in their hands, so that you won't dash your foot against a stone.

¹³You will tread on the lion and cobra. You will trample the young lion and the serpent underfoot.

¹⁴"Because he has set his love on me, therefore I will deliver him. I will set him on high, because he has known my name.

¹⁵He will call on me, and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him, and honor him.

¹⁶I will satisfy him with long life, and show him my salvation."

¹He who is often rebuked and stiffens his neck will be destroyed suddenly, with no remedy.

²When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; but when the wicked rule, the people groan.

³Whoever loves wisdom brings joy to his father; but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.

⁴The king by justice makes the land stable, but he who takes bribes tears it down.

⁵A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet.

⁶An evil man is snared by his sin, but the righteous can sing and be glad.

⁷The righteous care about justice for the poor. The wicked aren't concerned about knowledge.

⁸Mockers stir up a city, but wise men turn away anger.

⁹If a wise man goes to court with a foolish man, the fool rages or scoffs, and there is no peace.

¹⁰The bloodthirsty hate a man of integrity; and they seek the life of the upright.

¹¹A fool vents all of his anger, but a wise man brings himself under control.

¹²If a ruler listens to lies, all of his officials are wicked.

¹³The poor man and the oppressor have this in common: The Lord gives sight to the eyes of both.

¹⁴The king who fairly judges the poor, his throne shall be established forever.

¹⁵The rod of correction gives wisdom, but a child left to himself causes shame to his mother.

¹⁶When the wicked increase, sin increases; but the righteous will see their downfall.

¹⁷Correct your son, and he will give you peace; yes, he will bring delight to your soul.

¹⁸Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but one who keeps the Law is blessed.

¹⁹A servant can't be corrected by words. Though he understands, yet he will not respond.

²⁰Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

²¹He who pampers his servant from youth will have him become a son in the end.

²²An angry man stirs up strife, and a wrathful man abounds in sin.

²³A man's pride brings him low, but one of lowly spirit gains honor.

²⁴Whoever is an accomplice of a thief is an enemy of his own soul. He takes an oath, but dares not testify.

²⁵The fear of man proves to be a snare, but whoever puts his trust in the Lord is kept safe.

²⁶Many seek the ruler's favor, but a man's justice comes from the Lord.

²⁷A dishonest man detests the righteous, and the upright in their ways detest the wicked.