Bible Stories

Moses And The Ten Plagues

2014-07-17T01:56:00.001-07:00

And The Lord said to Moses, after He saw that Pharaoh's heart was hardened, that Moses must take Pharaoh to the water the next morning. He must then say to to Pharaoh: 'The Lord God of the Hebrews had sent me unto thee, and He said to thee to let His people go, so that they can serve Him in the wilderness; but thee wouldn't hear.'

First Plague: Water Turn Into Blood

And The Lord spoke unto Moses: 'Say to Aaron, 'Take thy rod, and stretch out thy hand upon all the waters of Egypt, that they may become blood, and that there may be blood throughout Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone.'

And Moses and Aaron did as God commanded, and all the waters in Egypt turned into blood, and everything happened as The Lord had said.

But the magicians of Pharaoh also did so with their enchantments, and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he didn't listen to God's message. The Egyptians digged around the river for drinkable water, and the plague went on for seven days.

Second Plague: Frogs

And The Lord then said to Moses to warn Pharaoh that if he doesn't let the Hebrews go to serve Him, that God would smite Egypt's borders with frogs ... 'And the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into thy house, thy bed chamber, upon thy bed, into the house of thy servants, upon thy people, into thy ovens, and into thy kneading troughs.'

And The Lord spoke unto Moses: 'Say to Aaron, 'Take thy rod, and stretch out thy hand upon all the waters of Egypt, and cause the frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt.' Aaron did so, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. But the magicians of Pharaoh also did so with their enchantments.

Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and told them that if God take the frogs away, he would let the Israelites go so that they may sacrifice unto The Lord. Moses and Aaron then went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried unto The Lord because of the frogs that He had brought against Pharaoh. And the Lord did according to the word of Moses, and all the frogs died in the houses, the villages and the fields, except in the river. The Egyptians gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank. But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and went back on his word.

Third Plague: Lice

And The Lord spoke unto Moses: 'Say unto Aaron, 'Take thy rod, and stretch out thy hand and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.'

And they did so, and the dust of the earth became lice in man, and in beast. And the magicians tried to bring forth lice, but they could not. They then said unto Pharaoh: 'This is the finger of God.'

But Pharaoh's heart was hardened and he wouldn't listen, after God took the lice away.

Fourth Plague: Flies

And The Lord said to Moses: 'Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, 'Thus saith The Lord ... Let My people go, that they may serve me. Else, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee and the whole of Egypt, but not in the land of Goshen where My people dwell.'

And The Lord did so, and the land was corrupted by the reason of the swarms of flies. And Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said to them: 'Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land.'

Moses and Aaron then went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried unto The Lord because of the flies that He had brought against Pharaoh. And the Lord did according to the word of Moses, but when the flies was gone, Pharaoh hardened his heart again and went back on his word.

Fifth Plague: Pestilence

Then The Lord said unto Moses: 'Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him: 'So saith The Lord ... Let my people go, that they may serve Me. For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thy heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like Me in all the earth. For now I will stretch out My hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence, and thou shall be cut of the earth.' There was great death in the land of Egypt. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened once again.

Sixth Plague: Boils

And The Lord said unto Moses and unto Aaron: 'Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh.

And it shall become small dust in all the land of Egypt., and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt.

They did as The Lord commanded, and it became as The Lord said. And the magicians could not stand before Moses, for the boils was upon the magicians as well. Man and beast suffered greatly. And The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh.

Seventh Plague: Hail And Fire

And The Lord told Moses to stretch forth his hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt.

And Moses did so, and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground, and fire mingled with the hail.

And the hail destroyed everything in it's path ... man, beast and plant. Except for Goshen where the Israelites lived.

Pharaoh promised again to let the Israelites go, but as soon as the skies cleared up, he hardened his heart.

Eigth Plague: Locusts

The Lord sent the plague of locusts ... so much locusts that the earth was not visible, and they ate everything in their path.

Again Pharaoh promised to let the Israelites go, and again he sinned and hardened his heart, as soon as the locusts was gone.

Nineth Plague: Darkness

Then The Lord hit the land of Egypt with darkness. It was a thick darkness that made everything invisible. It went on for three days.

Again Pharaoh promised to let the Israelites go, and again he sinned and hardened his heart, as soon as the darkness was gone.

The Lord finally had enough of Pharaoh.

Tenth Plague: Death Of The Firstborn

And Moses said to the people: 'Thus sayeth The Lord, 'When the time comes, about midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt, and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh unto the firstborn of the maid servant, and all the firstborn of the beasts, but not again the children of Israel.'

He furthermore instructed Moses that every house of Israel [12] must slay a year old male lamb without blemish ... on the fourteenth day ... take the blood and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. They must eat it in the night, roasted with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs, but the meat must not be raw.

The Lord also said to Moses: 'And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste ... it is the Lord's passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and will smite all the firstborn, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am The Lord. When I see the blood upon the houses, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you.

And it came to pass, that at midnight The Lord smote all of the firstborn, of man and beast, in the land of Egypt ... and there was a great cry in Egypt. But the firstborn of Israel were spared.

Source: Exodus Chapters 8-12

Moses and Aaron Speak To Pharaoh ... The Israelites Suffer

2014-06-24T04:38:00.000-07:00

Moses and Aaron then went to Pharaoh and told him that God demanded that he must set the Israelites free.

Pharaoh refused and said to them that he didn't acknowledge God's authority and that he will never set them free.

Instead he turned the nation's life into a hell.

He commanded his taskmasters to deny them straw to build bricks. He further doubled their working hours, so that they don't have time to praise or talk to God. The Israelite overseers were beaten every day for not getting the workers to make more bricks for Egypt.

When they spoke to Pharaoh over the injustice, he told them that although there was no more straw, that they must deliver their daily quota. The Israelites were scattered all over Egypt to gather straw.

They complaint to Moses and Aaron about how they were treated since Moses spoke to Pharaoh to release them in God's name, and Moses went to speak to God.

The Lord the said to Moses: 'Now thou shalt see what I do to Pharaoh ... for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land.'

The Lord further said to Moses: ' I am the Lord ... and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob [Israel] by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them. And I have also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of

their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.'

'And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered my covenant ... and I will give Canaan to you as an heritage ... I am The Lord.'

When Moses told the Israelites what God had said, they didn't hear, because of their cruel bondage and their anguish of spirit.

And The Lord spoke unto Moses again: 'Go, and speak unto Pharaoh, king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go, out of this land.'

Moses then asked The Lord that if the Israelites didn't hear him, how will Pharaoh hear him?

And The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and put them in charge of the whole nation of the Israelites ... and He put them in charge of Pharaoh to release the children of Israel of their bondage.

Moses then said before The Lord: 'Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh listen to me?'

The Lord said unto Moses: 'See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh ... and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.'

The Lord further said that He will harden Pharaoh's heart and He will multiply His signs and wonders in the land of Egypt ... so that the Egyptians would know the He is The Lord, and that He was going to free the children of Israel from their bondage.

Moses and Aaron did as God commanded them, so did they.

Moses was 40 years of age and Aaron 43 years of age, at that time, when they spoke unto Pharaoh.

The Lord spoke unto Moses and Aaron, saying: 'When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, 'Shew a miracle' to you ... then thou shalt say unto Aaron, 'Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh', and it shall become a serpent.'

Moses and Aaron then went to Pharaoh, and did as The Lord had commanded ... Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent.

Pharaoh called his wise men and sorcerers, and they did the same thing with their enchantments.

Every one cast down his rod and the rods became serpents ... but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.

But Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he didn't hear unto them ... as The Lord had said.

And then God sent His 10 plagues ...

Source: Exodus Chapter 6

The Conversation Between God and Moses ... Moses Returns To Egypt

2014-06-07T07:34:00.000-07:00

And God said moreover unto Moses: 'Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel: The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you, saying: I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt.

'And I have said that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.'

'And they shall hearken to thy voice; and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him: The Lord God of the Hebrews hath met with us; and now let us go, we beseech thee, three day's journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.'

'I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand. And I will stretch out my hand with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof; and after that he will let you go.

And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not be empty. But every woman shall borrow from her neighbour, and of her that so journeth in her house, jewels of silver, jewels of gold, and raiment; and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians.

'I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand. And I will stretch out my hand with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof; and after that he will let you go.

And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not be empty. But every woman shall borrow from her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, jewels of gold, and raiment; and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians.

And Moses answered and said: 'But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say: The Lord hath not appeared unto thee.'

And The Lord said unto him: 'What is it in thine hand?' And he said: 'A rod.' And He said: 'Cast it on the ground.' And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent ... and Moses fled before it. And The Lord said unto Moses: 'Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail.' And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand ... 'so that they may believe that The Lord God of their fathers hath appeared unto thee.'

And The Lord said furthermore unto him: 'Put now thy hand into thy bosom.' And he put his hand into his bosom ... and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow. God then ordered him to put his hand again into his bosom. And he put his hand again into his bosom, and plucked it out of his bosom, and behold, it was turned again as his other flesh.

'And it shall come to pass it they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.'

And The Lord said furthermore: 'If they do not believe these two signs, you must take water from the river, and pour on dry land ... and the water will become blood.'

Moses said to The Lord: 'Oh my Lord, I am not eloquent, slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.'

The Lord then said to Moses: 'Who hath made man's mouth? Or who hath maketh the dumb, or the deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Have not I The Lord?'

Again Moses murmured against the Will of The Lord, and He became angry with Moses. He then told Moses: 'Is not Aaron, the Levite, thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee ... and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart. Thou shall speak unto him, and put words in his mouth ... and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do. And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people ... and he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God. And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs.'

Moses then went and returned to his father-in-law Jethro, and said to him: 'Let me go, I pray thee, and return to my brothers which are in Egypt, and see if they are still alive.' Jethro answered Moses: 'Go in peace.'

The Lord then said to Moses in Midian: 'Go, return into Egypt, for all the men are dead which sought thy life.'

Moses took his wife and his sons, put them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt ... and Moses took the Rod of God in his hand.

And The Lord said unto Moses: 'When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand ... but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.'

'And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh: Thus saith The Lord: Israel is My son, even My firstborn. And I say unto thee: Let My son go, so that he may serve Me ... and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.'

The Lord then instructed Aaron to go into the wilderness to meet Moses. Aaron went and met Moses in the mount of God, and kissed him. Moses then told Aaron all the words of The Lord who had sent him, and all the signs which He had commanded him.

Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel. Aaron spoke all the words that God had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.

And the people believed ... and when they heard that The Lord had visited the children of Israel, and that He looked upon their afflictions, they bowed their heads and worshipped Him.

Exodus: Chapter 4

Moses Fled Egypt ... The Burning Bush

2014-06-05T08:36:00.000-07:00

And it came to past, when Moses became an adult, that he one day went out to visit his Hebrew brothers, and he saw how they suffered.

He saw an Egyptian swearing at one of his brothers, and he became so angry that he killed the Egyptian, when they were alone, and buried him in the sand.

On the second day, when he went out to his brothers, he saw that two of his Hebrew brothers fighting with each other. He asked the one why he would talk in such a manner to his brother. His brother replied: 'Who made you prince and judge over us? Are you going to kill me too, like you killed the Egyptian?' Moses got scared, because he didn't know that anybody saw him, and he knew that it was not a secret.

The story of the killing reached Pharaoh, and he was extremely angry at Moses. He sought to slay Moses.

So Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and went to dwell in the land of Midian. Then, one day, he sat down at a well to rest.

Now, the priest of Midian had seven daughters, whom would go this well to drew water for their father's throughs, to water their father's flock.

And the sheperds came and wanted to drive them away, but Moses stood up to them and helped the daughters, and watered their flock.

When they came to Reuel, their father, he said: 'How is it that you came so soon today?

So they answered: 'An Egyptian delivered us out of the hands of the sheperds, and he also drew enough water for us and the flock.'

And he said to his daughters: 'And where is he? Why is it that you left the man? Call him that he may eat bread.'

And Moses was content to dwell with Reuel [Jethro], and the priest gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses as his wife.

And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom, for he said: 'I have been a stranger in a strange land.'

And as time went on, it came to pass that the king of Egypt died.

And the children of Israel sighed by reason of their bondage, and they cried, and their cry came unto God by reason of His bondage with Israel [Jacob].

And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.

Now, Moses kept the flock of his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.

And the angel of The Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush ... and he looked, and, behold, the bush burning to fire, and the bush was not consumed.

And Moses said: 'I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.'

And when The Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush ... and said: 'Moses, Moses.' And he said: 'Here I am.'

And The Lord said: 'Draw not thy hither ... put off thy shoes from thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.'

Moreover, He said: 'I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'

And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.

And The Lord said: 'I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters ... for I know their sorrows. And I come to deliver them out of the hands of the Egyptians, and to bring them up of that land unto a good land and a large,

unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites.

Now, therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto Me ... and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.

Come now therefore, behold, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.'

And Moses said unto God: 'Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?'

And The Lord said: 'Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee ... when thou hast brought forth the

people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.'

And Moses said unto God: 'Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and say unto them ... The God of thy fathers hath sent me unto you ... and they shall say to me: 'What is his name?' ... what shall I say unto them?'

And God said unto Moses: 'I AM THAT I AM.' ... and He said: 'Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel: I AM hath sent Me unto you.'

Source: Exodus 2-3

Jacob and Joseph died ... Israel became slaves ... Moses was born

2014-02-02T05:50:00.000-08:00

And Israel grew into a strong and wealthy nation in the land of Egypt. All 12 tribes with all their offspring and possessions lived in the best part of Egypt, called Rameses, as Pharaoh commanded.

At the time of his death, Jacob already lived for 17 years in Egypt, and his children buried him in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite, where Jacob's wife Leah, Abraham and Sarah and Isaac and Rebecca were also put to rest.

And then it came to pass that the 12 sons of Jacob and that generation all died.

And the children of Israel (Jacob) were fruitful, and increased and multiplied abundantly. The land was filled with them.

But Pharaoh died and the new king that came to power didn't know anything about Joseph and the Israelites history.

He was deeply worried about their astonishing numbers, in case of war times. So he tasked his taskmaster to turn the Israel nation into slaves, and made the Israelites built the treasure cities Pithon and Raamses. They cruelly made the Israelites built everything that the Egypt king commanded, like the pyramids.

But the more the Egyptians tried to destroy Israel, the more their numbers grew. They treated the Israelites like animals, and commanded the midwives to kill all the newborn Israel boy babies, but not the girls, as a last resort to get control over the nation.

But the midwives feared God and saved the boys as well.

The new Pharaoh (new king) was extremely angry over this, and then he commanded all his people to kill every newborn Israel boy baby that they know off, but not the girls.

But there was a man of the house of Levi (one of the 12 tribes of Isreal) that took a daughter of Levi as his wife, and she conceived a boy, and she kept him hidden for 3 months.

When he grew to big to hide, she built a little ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch. She then put the child in it, and laid it in the flags by the river's bank. And his sister watched over him all the while to see what would happen to him.

The daughter of Pharaoh came to the river to wash herself, while her maidens walked on the riverbank. She suddenly saw the little ark among the flags, and she sent her maidens to fetch it. She opened it and saw the baby boy, and he started to cry. She knew it was a Hebrew (Israel) child.

Then his sister approached her and asked Pharaoh's daughter if she should fetch a Hebrew midwife to take care of the baby. The princess agreed and his sister brought his mother to the princess. And his mother took him and nursed him.

When he grew, she took him to the princess, and he became her son. She called him Moses.

Source: Exodus 1

Joseph Sees His Father Again ... How It Came To Pass That The Israelites Lived In Egypt

2013-05-11T13:58:00.001-07:00

Joseph's brothers left for their journey to bring Israel to his son, Joseph, whom then lived in Egypt and whom was the right hand to Pharaoh.

They finally reached Canaan and came unto Israel [Jacob], their father. And then they told him the amazing news, saying: 'Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt.'

And Jacob's heart fainted, for he didn't believe them.

So they told all the words that Joseph had spoken to them, and when Jacob saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob revived, and he said: 'It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive, and I will go and see him before I die'.

So Israel began his journey with all that he had, and came to Beer-sheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac.

That night God came to him in a vision and called to him: 'Jacob, Jacob'. And Jacob answered: 'Here am I'. The Lord then said to him: 'I am God, the God of thy father. Fear not to go down into Egypt, for I will there make of thee a great nation. I will go down with thee into Egypt, and I will also surely bring thee up again; and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes.'

Joseph rose up from Beer-sheba; and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, and their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him.

And they took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt ... Jacob, and all his seed with him. All the souls of the house of Jacob, which came into Egypt were 310.

Jacob then sent Judah before him to Joseph, to direct him to Goshen ... Jacob was to meet Joseph there.

When Joseph got word that it was time to meet his father again, after all the years that had gone by, he made his chariot ready, and went up to meet Israel his father in Goshen, and presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while.

And Israel said unto Joseph: 'Now, let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art yet alive.'

Joseph said to his family that he would go to Pharaoh to inform him that they had arrived. He also told them to tell Pharaoh, when they meet him, that they had raised and traded cattle, because sheperds were an abomination in Egypt.

Then Joseph went to meet with Pharaoh and told him that his family had reached Goshen. He even took five of his brothers and presented them to Pharaoh.

When Pharaoh asked them about themselves they told him what Joseph had told them to tell him.

Pharaoh then turned to Joseph and said to him: 'Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee. The land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and thy brethren to dwell; and if thou knowest any men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle.'

And Joseph brought in his father and set him before Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.

And Pharaoh said unto Jacob: 'How old art thou?'

And Jacob said unto Pharaoh: 'The days of the years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty years; few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.'

And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.

And Joseph placed his father and his brothers, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh commanded.

And Joseph nourished his father, and his brothers, and all his father's household, with bread, according to their families.

Source: Genesis 46

Jacob Allow Benjamin To Go To Joseph

2013-03-15T05:40:00.000-07:00

And Jacob [Israel] informed his sons that there is no way that Benjamin is going with them to Egypt, because they have already cost him one son, Joseph. He was not prepared to loose another son. Reuben then said to his father that he can kill both Ruben's sons if he didn't bring Benjamin back to his father. But Jacob denied him his request. He told Ruben that losing another son would surely kill him.

But famine was sore in the land. And when all the corn was eaten that they brought from Egypt, Jacob ordered them to go back to Egypt to get more food. They reminded him that Joseph insisted that Benjamin must come with them, otherwise travelling to Egypt would be for nothing. They also told them that Joseph also queried if their father was still alive.

Israel gave in and told them if that was the only way to get food, then it was how it must be. They could take Benjamin with them. He also ordered them to take gifts to Joseph and double their money, including the money that was returned to them on the previous occasion. He also spoke the Lord's mercy over them.

And so they took off with the presents, the money and Benjamin and travelled to Egypt. They finally stood before Joseph.

And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ruler of his house: 'Bring these men home, and slay, and make ready, for these men shall dine with me at noon.'

And the men did as Joseph said, and brought his brothers into the house.

But they were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph's house, and his servants gave them water and washed their feet, and they gave their donkeys food.

And the brothers made ready to present Joseph at noon, for they have heard that they would eat bread there.

And when Joseph came home, they offered him the presents that they brought with them, and they bowed before his feet.

He, in return, ask them about their welfare and their father's welfare ... asking if he was still alive.

They replied that Jacob was in good wealth and bowed again before Joseph.

Joseph then lifted up his eyes and then he saw Benjamin, his mother's son. He then ask the other brothers if Benjamin was the younger brother that they have spoken of.

Joseph then quietly went to his chambers and weep. After he washed his face, he went out told them to eat.

The next morning, before they leave, Joseph ordered that his personal silver cup should be hidden in Benjamin's sack. While they were deep into their journey, Joseph's servants caught up with them, informing them that Joseph's cup was stolen and that they are going to search the brother's sacks. And then they found the cup in Benjamin's sack.

They returned the men to the city. The brother's pleaded with Joseph to let Benjamin go with them, that he was innocent. They told Joseph that if they had to get home without Benjamin, their father would die of sorrow, because he had already lost one son.

And then Joseph could not hold the truth to himself anymore. He ordered his men to leave him, until he was alone with his brothers. He made himself known to his brothers: 'I am Joseph, and is my father still alive?' He brothers couldn't answer him, and just look at him in disbelief.

He asked them to came closer and said to them: 'Be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that you sold me. For God did send me before you to preserve life. So it was not you that sent me, but God'. 'Now go back to my father and tell him that I'm still alive, and that God made me lord of all of Egypt. and that all of you and everything that you have must come to me. I will give you the the land of Goshen to dwell in. And I will take care of you for the next 5 years until the famine will be over'.

Joseph then fell upon Benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck.

When Farao heard that Joseph had reunited with his family, he and his house was very pleased. He promised Joseph that he would take the best of care of Joseph's family, sending the best of wagons to go get Joseph's family, with presents for all.

Source: Genesis Chapter 45

Joseph's Brothers Came To Him For Food

2013-01-13T00:39:00.001-08:00

When Jacob [Israel] saw that there were food in Egypt, he turn to his sons and ask them why are they just standing around and looking at each other, doing nothing.

He then said to them: 'Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt. Get down there and buy food for us, so that we won't die.'

So 10 of Joseph's brother started their journey to Egypt to buy food.

But Jacob didn't send Benjamin with them, because he feared for Benjamin's safety.

And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for famine was in the land of Canaan.

And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he that sold to all the people of the land ... and Joseph's brothers came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth.

Joseph immediately recognised his brothers, but made himself strange unto them.

He said unto them: 'From where are you?.' And they say: 'From the land of Canaan to buy food.'

Joseph remembered his dream where his brother would bow down to him, and said unto them: 'You are spies. You came to see the nakedness of the land that you came to.'

And they said to him: 'No, my lord, we are only here to buy food, as your servants. We are are all one man's sons; we are true men, thy servants are not spies.'

And he said unto them: 'No, you are here as spies.'

And they said: 'Thy servants are 12 brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold the youngest is this day with our father, and one is no more.'

And Joseph said unto them: 'You will prove to me that you are not spies. You will go nowhere until your youngest brother comes to me. Send of you to fetch your brother, and the rest of you will be put in prison, that your words may be proved, if there is any proof in what you say ... or else by the life of Pharaoh surely you are spies.'

And he put them all together in a ward for 3 days.

And Joseph said unto them the 3rd day: 'This will do, and live ... for I fear God. If you are true men, let one of your brother be bound in the house of your prison ... go, carry corn for the hunger of your houses. But bring your youngest brother to me; so shall your words be verified, and you shall not die.'

And they said one to another: 'We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.'

And Reuben answered them: 'Did I not spoke unto you, saying: Do not sin against the child, and you would not hear? Therefore, behold also his blood is required.'

They didn't know that Joseph could understand every word they say, because he was using an interpreter to speak to them.

And Joseph turned away from them and wept bitterly.

When he came back, he choose Simeon and bound him before his brother's eyes. He set the other brothers free.

The Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way.

So they started their journey back to Canaan.

Along the way the brothers stopped to feed there donkeys, and as one of them open his sack to feed his donkey, he nearly got a heart attack!

There in his sack were all his money, easy to see for anybody that would have looked.

He immediately alerted his brother and a great fear was in all their hearts. And they said to one another: 'What is this that God hath done unto us?'

The dreaded journey eventually ended as they reached their father, and then they told him the whole story: 'The man, who is the lord of the land, spoke roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country.

And we said unto him that we are true men and not spies ... that we are 12 brothers, sons of our father; that one is not, and that the youngest stayed home with our father in the land of Canaan.

And the man said to us: 'Hereby shall I know that you are true men; leave one of your brothers here with me, and take food for the famine of your households, and be gone.

And bring your youngest brother to me, then I shall know that you are not spies, but true men. So shall I deliver your brother, and you shall freely travel the land.'

And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack; and when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid.

Source: Genesis 42

Joseph Became Pharaoh's Right Hand Man

2012-12-17T06:46:00.000-08:00

Everything returned to normal, after the execution of Pharaoh's chief baker, and Joseph remained in prison ... for another 2 full years.

At the end of the 2 years, Pharaoh one night dreamed.

He dreamed that he was standing next to a river. And, behold, there came up out of the river 7 well favoured oxen and fatfleshed ... and they fed in the meadow.

And, behold, 7 other oxen came up after them out of the river, ill favoured and leanfleshed, and stood by the other oxen upon the brink of the river.

And the ill favoured and leanfleshed oxen did eat up the 7 well favoured and fat oxen. Just then Pharaoh woke up. He went back to sleep and he dreamed for the second time.

And, behold, 7 ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.

And, behold, 7 thin ears devoured the 7 rank and full ears.

Pharaoh again woke up, and was very glad that it was just a dream.

But when he woke the next morning, he was troubled by the dreams. So he sent for all the magicians in Egypt, as well as all the wise men.

He told them his 2 dreams, but none of them could tell him what it meant.

Suddenly the chief butler spoke unto Pharaoh, saying: 'Pharaoh was angry at me and the chief baker and had put us in prison, two years ago. We dreamed a dream one night, I and he ... we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.

And there was with us a young man, a Hebrew ... servant to the captain of the guard. We told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams, to each manaccording to his dreams he did interpret ... and it came to pass.'

Pharaoh immediately sent for Joseph ... Joseph shaved himself and changed his rainment, before his meeting with Pharaoh.

Upon their meeting, Pharaoh immediately told Joseph about his 2 dreams.

When Pharaoh finished his story, Joseph answered him:

'The dream of Pharaoh is one. God had shown Pharaoh what He is about to do:

The 7 good oxen are 7 good years, and the 7 good ears are 7 years ... the dream is one.

And the 7 thin and ill favoured oxen and the 7 empty ears shall be 7 years of famine.

Behold, there come 7 years of great plenty thoughout Egypt, and then shall arise after them 7 years of famine.

And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of the famine following.'

Joseph then continued: 'Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the 5th part of the land of Egypt in the 7 plenteous years.

Let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities.

And that food shall be for store to the land against the 7 years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt, that the land perish not through the famine.'

And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.

Pharaoh was so impressed with Joseph that he made Joseph his overseer over the Egyptians and said to him: 'Thou shalt be over my house, and according to thy word shall all my people be ruled. Only in the throne will I be greater than thou.'

Pharaoh then took of his ring and gave it to Joseph, and from thereon Joseph always rode at Pharaoh's side.

He also called Joseph by the name Zaphnath-Paaneah and gave him a wife called Asenath, the daughter of the priest of On. He had 2 sons and he called them Manasseh and Ephraim. At that time Joseph was 30 years old.

So Joseph made sure that Egypt gather all the food possible in the 7 fat years, and before the famine hit the land.

And when the hunger came all over the earth, Egypt had food ... and all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn ... because the famine was so sore in all the countries.

Source: Genesis 41

Joseph Got Thrown Into Prison [Pothiphar's Wife Lied] ... And He Interpreted His First Two Dreams In Prison

2012-11-17T04:37:00.002-08:00

So, his brothers sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites, and they in return sold Joseph to Potiphar ... Pharaoh's right hand man.

But The Lord was with Joseph and made him a prosperous man ... while he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian.

Potiphar saw that The Lord was with Joseph and that everything that Joseph touched, turned into gold for him.

So Joseph found grace in his master's eyes ... and Potiphar made Joseph the overseer of his house, and all that he had put into his hand ... and The Lord blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake. And the blessing of The Lord was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field.

Potiphar trusted Joseph completely, because Joseph was a goodly person and well favoured.

But when Potiphar's wife saw the handsome Joseph, she immediately wanted him, and she tried her best to seduce him. When she grasped his robe, he tore loose from her grip and ran like hell.

She then called the guard and cried that Joseph was trying to rape her.

He was thrown into prison ... but God made everybody in the prison like him, even the keeper of the prison found grace in God's eyes.

While Joseph was in prison, the baker and the butler of the king of Egypt offended their king ... and Pharaoh's wrath was against his two head officers, the chief of the butlers, and the chief of the bakers.

So he threw them both in prison ... the same prison where Joseph was.

And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them ... and they continued a season in ward.

Then, one night they both dreamed a personal dream.

When they woke up the next morning, Joseph could see that they both were very sad, and he asked them what was going on.

They told him about their dreams, and that they couldn't understand what it meant, and that they were worried.

He then urged them to tell their dreams to him, because only The Lord could answer them to the meaning of the dreams.

The chief butler then told his dream to Joseph: 'In my dream, behold, a vine was before me. And in the vine were three branches, and it was as though it budded, and her blossoms shot forth, and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes. And Pharaoh's cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, and pressed them in Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand.'

And Joseph said unto him: 'This is the interpretation of it: The three branched are three days. Yet, within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head, restore thee unto thy place ... and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh's cup into his hand, after the former manner when thou wast his butler.

But think on me when it shall be well with thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house ... for indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon.'

When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said unto Joseph: 'I also was in my dream, and, behold, I had three white baskets on my head. And the uppermost basket there was of all manner of bakemeats for Pharaoh ... and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head.'

And Joseph answered and said: 'This is the interpretation thereof ... The three baskets are three days. Yet, within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree, and the birds shall eat thy flesh from thee.'

And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants, and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants.

And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again, and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand.

But he hanged the chief baker ... as Joseph interpreted to them.

Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgave him.

Source: Genesis 40

Joseph Got Sold By His Jealous Brothers

2012-09-18T13:22:00.001-07:00

The Twelve Tribes of Israel [Jacob] were as follows:

The sons of Israel and Leah ... Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun,
The sons of Israel and Zilpah, Leah's handmaid ... Gad and Asher,
The sons of Israel and Rachel ... Joseph and Bejamin,
The sons of Israel and Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid ... Dan and Naphtali.

Esau had five sons that was bared to him in the land of Canaan ... Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jaalam and Korah.

Esau later left Canaan and moved on to Mount Seir, because the land could no longer bear to feed the number of cattle that Esau and his brother

Israel had together.

As time passed, Israel's son Joseph grew into a fine young man that made his father proud.

When Joseph was 17 he took care of the flocks, together with his brothers, the sons of Zilpah and Bilhah.

He told his father everything that they did ... and they got very angry at him for putting them in a bad light in Israel's eyes.

Israel loved Joseph the most and he lovingly made a coat of many colors for Joseph, which Joseph proudly wore wherever he went ... he loved his coat that his father made especially for him.

When his brothers saw that Israel loved Joseph more than anything else, they started to hate Joseph even more.

Then Joseph dreamed a dream ... and told it to his brothers.

He told them his dream: 'For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright ... and behold, your sheaves stood round about, making abeisance to my sheaf.

His brothers didn't like this dream at all. They asked him what he meant ... that they will have to bow before him?

So they took the story to their father, Israel ... and Joseph told the dream again to his father and brothers.

His father rebuked Joseph and said to him: 'What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brothers indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?'

And his brother envied him, but his father observed what was said, and he was thinking about the dream.

Still fuming, Joseph's brother went to Shechem to feed their father's flock.

After a few days Israel called Joseph, confirming with him that his brothers was at Shechem to feed the flock. He then asked Joseph to go to his brothers and the flock to see how things are going ... and then he must get back to Israel to report.

So Joseph immediately started his journey from the safety of Hebron to Shechem.

When he got to Shechem, he started looking for his brothers and the flock, but he couldn't find them. He eventually came upon a lone man and asked him if he had seen his brothers.

The man confirmed that he had ... they went on further to Dothan, where there is more feed for the animals.

Joseph went to Dothan and he found them there.

When his brothers saw him coming from afar, they were fed up with him and decided to kill him and throw him in the first pit they could find ... they wanted to get rid of the pest in their lives ... they would then tell Israel that some wild animal had killed Joseph and eaten him.

They snickered and wandered what would then become of his dreams.

Luckily Reuben overheard this conspiracy and stopped them from killing Joseph.

He said to them: 'Let us not kill him. Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him.' ... that he might rid Joseph out of their hands, to come back for him later and take Joseph back to his father. They then throw Joseph in a pit

So when Joseph reached them, they grabbed him and took of his coat of many colors. They then cast him in the pit ... but the pit was empty, there was no water in it.

They then satisfied sat down to eat a little something, and when they looked up, they saw a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels, bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.

And Judah said to his brothers: 'What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh.' ... and his brothers accepted his proposal.

So they got Joseph out of the pit ... and sold him for 20 pieces of silver to the Ishmeelites and they took Joseph with them to Eqypt.

When Reuben later returned to get Joseph out of the pit, to take him back to his father, he found that Joseph was missing. He demanded from his brothers to tell him where Joseph was, but they covered up what they did by dipping Joseph's coat of colors in lamb's blood and brought it back to their father. They told him that it was all that they have found.

Israel confirmed that it was the coat of many colors that he made for Joseph and said a wild beast must have killed his beloved son.

Israel was beyond himself with grieve ... he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins ... and mourned for his son for a very long time.

All his sons and daughters tried to comfort him ... but he was beyond comfort.

He told them that he would go to his grave mourning for his lost child.

And Joseph was sold, in Egypt, to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, and captain of the guard.

Source: Genesis 37

Jacob's Daughter Dinah Got Ravaged By Shechem ... And Her Brothers Revenged Her

2012-09-07T03:27:00.000-07:00

So, while Esau was on his way back to Seir, Jacob decided to set up house in a place called Succoth.

Then one day Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, went to visit other young girls of the land.

Shechem, the son of Hamor which was the prince of that particular country, saw her walking. So he grabbed her and deflowered her ... and took her with him.

He started to learn to know her and he fell in love with her.

So he went to his father, Hamor, and said to him: 'Get me this damsel to wife.'

Jacob has heard, in the meantime, that his daughter was raped, but he held his peace, because his sons was still out with the cattle in the field.

Hamor went to Jacob to talk about the situation ... and at that time Jacob's sons was back from the field.

When they heard the story of what happened to Dinah they were vivid with anger for what Shechem did to the daughter of Jacob.

Hamor then said to Jacob and his sons: 'My son Shechem likes the daughter of your house very much. Give her to him as a wife and then we can become family and share everything we have. We can then marry into each other's families. You can even choose a piece of ground as your own.'

He furthermore told them that he would pay any price they want. He even promised them gifts beyond their imagination ... they must just give Dinah to Shechem to be his wife.

And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceitfully ... because he had defiled Dina, their sister ... and said: 'We cannot do this thing ... to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised ... for that were reproach unto us.

But in this will we consent unto you ... if you will be as we are, that every male of you be circumcised ... then we will give our daughters unto you, and we will dwell with you and we will become one people.

If you don't do it, we will take our daughters and move on.'

So they had an accord.

Shechem and Hamor went back to the city and told the men of the city what has been arranged.

All the men then lined up to be circumcised ... the women of the Israelites were beautiful and well bred.

They were drowing in pain for the next three days ... and this was the time that Jacob's 2 sons Simeon and Levi made their move.

They took their swords and went into the city boldy ... they killed every man in the city, including Hamor and his son Shechem.

They then found their sister, Dinah, and took her back to her father, Jacob.

Jacob was not happy about the way his 2 sons handled the situation ... he was worried that the Canaanites and the Perizzites would come for revenge ... and Jacob and his would be totally outmanned.

But Simeon and Levi stood by what they did ... they answered their father: 'He should not have treated our sister as a harlot.'

When Jacob was alone, God said to him: 'Pack up and go to Beth-el and stay there. Build an altar there for Me, because I am the God that met with you when you were running away from your brother.

Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him: 'Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments.

And let us arise, and go up to Beth-el and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.'

So everybody gave all the strange gods and all their earrings to Jacob, and he hid it under the oak which was by Shechem.

And while they journeyed to Beth-el, God terrosised the cities that they passed, and the people kept clear from the Israelites.

Eventually Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is Beth-el ... he and all the people that were with him.

He built there an altar and called the place El-beth-el.

And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padanaram, and blessed him, saying unto him: 'Thy name shall not be called Jacob anymore ... but Israel shall be thy name.'

It came to pass that Rebekah became pregnant again ... but she died during labour ... Israel [Jacob] called his son Benjamin.

At last Israel [Jacob] reached his father, Isaac, in Mamre ... and Isaac was 140 years old by this time.

Not long after that Isaac gave up the ghost and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

Genesis 34-35

Jacob Met With Esau For The First Time After Stealing His Birthright, 20 Years Back

2012-08-21T14:01:00.001-07:00

Laban came into sight of Jacob in the mount Gilead. Laban decided to confront Jacob the next day. So they camped for the night.

That night God came to Laban in a dream and said to him: 'Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.'

So Laban did take heed and when he met with Jacob the next morning, they sorted their differences in a calm and reasonable way ... and after friendly farewells Laban and Jacob parted for the first time after Jacob had come to Laban to work and live with him, 20 years earlier.

Jacob was well on his way to Canaan, when he caught sight of angels of The Lord. When he saw them he said: 'This is God's host', and he called the name of that place Mahanaim.

When he found that he was getting close to Esau, he sent messengers before him to Esau, unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom.

He then commanded them, saying: 'You shall speak with my lord Esau. Say to him that I, his servant Jacob, has been with Laban until now. Tell him about my wealth, and that I humbly try to find grace in his eyes.'

The messengers went, but returned with disturbing news. They informed Jacob that while they were on their way to Esau, they had met with Esau. Esau was on his way to Jacob and he had 400 men with him.

Jacob was stressed out of his mind. He was not sure if Esau was carrying a grudge because Jacob stole his blessing 20 years ago, or if he was out for revenge.

He divided everything he had ... animals and people ... into 2 groups, thinking that if Esau were to kill one group, the other group had a chance to get away and survive.

He then prayed to God to deliver him from the hand of his brother, Esau.

He saw that the day was gone, and decided to wait until the next morning, to plan his next move.

The next morning he put together a gift for Esau out of his stock ... 200 she goats and 20 he goats, 200 ewes and 20 rams, 30 milch camels with their colts, 40 kine, 10 bulls, 20 she donkeys and 10 horses.

He then instructed his slaves to take the animals to meet Esau before he would reach Jacob. He said to them to tell Esau ... upon his probable question of who they were and where they came from ... that they must say to him: 'We are the servants of Jacob, your servant. This is a gift to you from him ... and he is travelling behind us.'

Jacob then knew that there is nothing more that he could do to keep him and his save. He will know by the expression on Esau's face what his reaction was on Jacob's gift.

So the slaves got prepared for their journey and they left right away to meet with Esau.

That night Jacob was so worried that he couldn't sleep. He rose during the night and moved his caravan over the ford Jabbok to the other side for more safety.

Eventually he was standing alone on the bank, when he was attacked by a man. They wrestled through the night until morning broke. When the man saw that he couldn't overcome Jacob, he touched Jacob in the hollow of his thigh and Jacob's leg was suddenly handicapped, while he wrestled with the man.

Jacob was getting the overhand and the man finally asked Jacob to let him go.

Jacob told the man that he will only let him go if the man was to bless him.

The man then asked: 'What is your name?' Jacob answered: 'Jacob'. And the man said to Jacob: 'You will no longer be called Jacob. You will be called Israel.'

Jacob blessed and called the place Peniel ... for he had seen God face to face, in the form of a man, and lived to talk about it.

Just when they past Peniel, the sun came up ... and Jacob saw Esau on the horizon, coming towards them.

When the 2 brothers were within reach at last, Jacob bowed 7 times before Esau. Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him and fell on his neck ... and kissed him ... and they wept.

Jacob then introduced his family to Esau and had to insist that Esau took the gift that Jacob sent him ... Esau was a very wealthy man himself, but he at last accept the gift from his brother.

They then started the journey to Edom ... Esau and his men hastily departed first, while Jacob decided on a more relaxed travel pace with the small children, women and baby animals.

So, while Esau was on his way back to Seir, Jacob decided to set up house in a place called Succoth.

He later built an altar in Shalem, a city of Shechem in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padan-aram ... and called it El-elohe-Israel.

Genesis 32-33

Jacob planned to move on ... and Laban tried to cheat him

2012-08-13T04:45:00.000-07:00

So Jacob cornered Laban and asked him to set him free, because Jacob wanted to go back to Canaan with everything he had. He wanted his own place.

Laban didn't like the sound of that, because Laban knew that he was living under God's goodwill as long as Jacob was with him.

So he tried to convince Jacob to stay. He offered Jacob any wage that Jacob wanted. Jacob replied that he knew how well God had taken care of Laban and how rich Laban had gotten, but he, Jacob was on his way. He then made a deal with Laban.

He said to Laban: 'I will pass through all thy flock to day, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and the speckled among the goats ... and they will be my wage. So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come, when it shall come for my hire before thy face ... every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the sheep ... that shall be counted stolen by me.'

Laban agreed to the deal. But he immediately went and removed every single animal that had speckles, or spots or are brown, and put them under the care of his sons, about 3 day's ride from where Jacob was taking care of the other animals.

When Jacob realized what game Laban was playing, he took rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chestnut tree ... and pilled white streaks in them, and made the colored rods appear white. He then set the rods in the gutters in the watering troughs ... so when the flock came to drink they absorb what was in their water.

When the flocks conceived later, they brought forth offspring ringstreaked, speckled and spotted. He kept his flock apart from Laban, and whenever he spotted good cattle in Laban's camp, he would feed them his muti, and they would bare him speckled and spotted cattle.

And he increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and men servants.

Laban's son's got very jealous of Jacob ... Jacob overheard them and he then noticed that Laban too wasn't as friendly as he used to be.

Jacob knew that the time had come for him to move on ... fast!

And then The Lord visited Jacob and said to him: 'Return to the land of thy fathers and to thy kindred, and I will be with thee.'

So Jacob called his wives and told them the whole story of how their father, Laban, kept cheating him, Jacob ... and that Laban and his sons were treating him with jealousy and rudeness. He also told them that The Lord spoke to him and what He had said to Jacob.

Leah and Rachel immediately sided with their husband and said to him to do what God told him to do.

So he packed all his stuff ... and he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten, the cattle of his getting which he had gotten in Padan-aram ... for to go to Isaac, his father in the land of Canaan.

He left quietly and quickly, without telling Laban.

When Laban found out that Jacob had left 3 days earlier, he took his brothers and pursued Jacob ... he caught up with Jacob in 7 days.

Source: Genesis Chapter 31

Jacob Versus His Wives!

2012-07-23T07:29:00.001-07:00

When The Lord saw that Leah was hated, He opened her womb so that she can become pregnant, but Rachel was kept barren.

Leah then had 4 sons ... Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah. And then she stopped getting pregnant.

By this time Rachel saw that she was not going to have children. So she cornered Jacob and ordered him to give her children or else she would die.

Jacob angrily asked her then if he was The Lord, if he had the power to make her pregnant.

She offered him her maid Bilhah and said to him: 'Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her ... and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her.' Jacob made Bilhah pregnant and she had a son. Rachel called him Dan. Bilhah bare Jacob another son and Rachel called him Naphtali. Rachel took the boys and considered them her own children.

When Leah saw that she wasn't getting pregnant anymore she got worried and she too took her maid Zilpah and gave her to Jacob to wife. So Zilpah had a son and Leah called him Gad. Zilpah had another son with Jacob and Leah called him Asher.

In these days a young Reuben would help with the wheat harvest, and rounded up mandrakes [narcotics] in the field and brought them to his mother, Leah. When Rachel saw the mandrakes she wanted it and tried to take them off Leah, but Leah was having none of it. She said to Rachel: 'First you took my husband and now you want my mandrakes as well!'

Rachel wanted the mandrakes badly and so she sold Jacob for the night to Leah, in return for the mandrakes.

That night Jacob had no other choice but to lie with Leah, and she had a 5th son and she called him Issachar. She then had a 6th son and she called him Zebulun. She finally had a daughter and she called her Dinah.

Rachel found mercy in The Lord's eyes and she then became pregnant ... she called her son Joseph.

Then it was time for Jacob to move on, away from Laban.

Source ... Genesis 30

How Laban Trapped Jacob To Marry Leah First

2012-07-04T05:30:00.001-07:00

So Jacob moved into Laban's house and started working for Laban.

After a month has gone by, Laban said to Jacob: 'You are family, but that does not mean that you must work for free. Tell me what I must pay you.'

Laban had 2 daughters ... the eldest was Leah and the youngest was Rachel. Leah had gentle eyes, but Rachel was beautiful.

Jacob loved Rachel and he told Laban that he would work 7 years for Rachel ... Laban agreed.

Jacob then worked the 7 years for Rachel, but it only felt like days to him, because of his deep love for Rachel. He then went to Laban and demanded the hand of Rachel.

The it was the wedding day!

Laban agreed and invited all the people of the area to the big wedding of Jacob and Rachel, but that night Laban brought his daughter Leah to Jacob, and Jacob had intercourse with Leah on the wedding night. Laban also gave his slave Zilpah to Leah as a personal maid.

The next morning when Jacob woke up he saw that it was Leah that he had spent the night with, and not Rachel. He confronted Laban and asked Laban why Laban deceived him by giving him Leah instead of Rachel. Laban answered him that it was a rule of their community that the youngest daughter can't marry before the eldest.

Laban then told Jacob: 'Just wait a week and then I will give Rachel to you, if you agree to work another 7 years.'

Jacob agreed and waited the week. Laban then gave his daughter Rachel to Jacob to be his wife. Laban then gave his slave Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as a personal slave.

Jacob had intercourse with Rachel as well.

He loved Rachel much more than Leah and he stayed and worked for Laban for another 7 years.

Source: The Bible: Genesis 29

Jacob Flees And Meets Rachel

2012-05-16T05:55:00.000-07:00

To help Jacob flee, Rebekah told Isaac that she was tired of the Heth wives of Esau ... and if Jacob also would to marry a Heth girl, she Rebekah might as well die.

Isaac immediately called Jacob, blessed him and send him to Padan-Aram, the house of Bethuel, his grandfather ... where he was to take a bride from the daughters of Laban, his mother's brother.

So Jacob left Beerseba and travelled to Haran.

By sundown he had found a place to overnight, and he used a rock as a pillow ... he went to sleep, and then he dreamed.

The Lord appear to him in his dream and blessed him again. Jacob woke up frightened. He realised that The Lord was in that place, that it was none other than the house of God, and that it was the gate to heaven.

Jacob rose early the next morning, and took the stone that he used as his pillow, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.

He then called it Beth-el ... but the name of that city was called Luz before.

He travelled further to the land in the east.

He suddenly came to a well in the field, and there were 3 flocks of sheep lying by it ... for out of that well they watered the flocks ... and a great stone was upon the mouth of the well ... and the keepers rolled the stone from the well's mouth to water the sheep ... and put the stone again upon the well's mouth in his place.

And Jacob said unto them: 'My brothers, from where are you?' ... and they answered: 'We are from Haran.'

He then asked them if they knew Laban and they answered that they knew him.

He then asked them how Laban was doing and they answered that Laban was great.

It was at that time that Rachel came to the well with her father's sheep to water them. She kept them. When Jacob saw her, he immdetiately rolled away the stone for her and the sheep drank their fill.

And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept. He told her that he was her father Laban's brother and that he was Rebekah's son. She ran to tell her father the good news.

When Laban heard the tidings of Jacob, his sister's son, he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him and brought him to his house ... and Jacob told him everything.

Source: The Bible: Genesis 28

Esau And Jacob Were Born To Isaac And Rebekah

2012-04-18T03:18:00.004-07:00

Abraham died at the age of 175 years. His two sons Isaac and Ismael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron, the son of Zohar the Hittite ... which was before Mamre [close to Hebron]. They buried him in the same cave as his wife, Sarah.

And Isaac was 40 years old when he took Rebekah to be his wife, but she couldn't have children. Isaac prayed to God and The Lord heard his prayer. Rebekah then became pregnant with twins. She asked The Lord why this is, and He answered her that her 2 sons will become two nations.

When they were borne, the 1st child was red and hairy and they called him Esau ... and after that came his brother and his hand was holding onto Esau's heel, and they called him Jacob.

As they grew up, Easu became a man of the field, a cunning hunter ... and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents.

Isaac loved Esau more, because he liked the meat that Esau brought him ... and Rebekah loved Jacob more.

Then, 1 day, Jacob made a pottage of lentiles, and Esau was very hungry and he said to Jacob: 'Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage, for I am faint of hunger.' Jacob answered him: 'Sell me this day thy birthright.' Esau could see no gain in his birthright. So he sold his birthright to Jacob for a pottage of lentiles and bread.

When Isaac was old and blind he called to his eldest son, Esau: 'My son!' and Esau answered: 'I am here.' Isaac then said to Esau: 'Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death. Take thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field and shoot me some game, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat ... that my soul may bless thee before I die.'

Rebekah overheard this conversation and when Esau went out to hunt game for his father, she conspired with Jacob. She told him about the conversation, and then said to him: 'Go find me 2 young coats and I will make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he loves. You must bring it to your father, that he may eat, and that he may bless thee before his death.

Jacob pointed out to her that he had a smooth skin and Easu was hairy ... and that his father would immediately knew that it was not Easu. Rebekah told him to trust her and to go fetch the 2 young coats. He did as his mother said, and went to fetch the goats.

His mother then made savoury meat, just like his father liked it. She then gave Esau's clothes to Jacob, and she then put the skins of the young coats upon Jacob's hands, and upon the smooth of his neck ... and she gave Isaac the savoury meat with bread to give to his father.

Jacob went in by his father and offered him the feast. Isaac was surprised that Esau was already back and asked Isaac: 'How is it that thou had found it so quickly, my son? ... and Jacob answered: 'Because The Lord thy God brought it to me.'

Isaac then felt Jacob's hands and neck and he thought it strange that his son sounded like Jacob, but his skin felt like Esau. He asked if was really Esau and Jacob answered that it was. He then asked Jacob to bring the meat to him: 'Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son's venison, that my soul may bless thee.'

After eating and drinking Isaac asked Jacob to kiss him. As Isaac kissed Jacob, he smelled Esau on his clothes. He then blessed Jacob to be fruitful and have a good life.

When Esau, in turn, offered his savoury meat to his father, later that day, he found out what Jacob had done.

He was beyond himself that Jacob had stole his blessing, he hated Jacob. So he thought to himself that he would bide his time, and with his father's death he would kill Jacob and took back that was his.

But the words of Esau were told to Rebekah and she warned Jacob. She told him to flee to Laban, her brother in Haran, and stay there untill Esau was no longer angry at him. She told him that she would send for him when it was save for him to return.

Source: The Bible: Genesis 25-27

How Isaac Got A Wife

2012-02-24T02:22:00.000-08:00

Sarah, wife of Abraham and mother to Isaac died at the age of 127 years. She died in Kirjath-arba, which is the same as Hebron in the land of Canaan ... and Abraham came from Beer-sheba to mourn for her and weep for her. Isaac took it hard that his mother died.

So, one day he called his eldest servant. Abraham then said to the servant: 'You must swear to me that you will not find a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell.

You must go to my country and my kindred, in Mesopotamia, and find for him a wife there.' The slave then asked Abraham if he should take Isaac back to Mesopotamia if he didn't find a woman who would be willing to follow him back to Canaan.

Abraham answered him that under no circumstances must Isaac set foot in their country, because God gave them the piece of land in Canaan to live on. He then further said to the slave that an angel of The Lord would travel before him to help him find a wife for Isaac. He said to the slave that if he couldn't find a wife for Isaac to travel back to Canaan, the slave would not be punished. But under no circumstances must Isaac set foot in Mesopotamia.

The slave then take a few camels, also loaded with beautiful gifts, and a few men, and they started off on their journey to Mesopotamia.

They, at last, reached the city where Nahor lived. It was the time of day that the women came out to fetch water from the well. The slave then prayed to God to send a wife for Isaac to him. And it wasn't long after the prayer that Rebekah came out. She was the daughter of Bethuel whom was the son of Milcah. Milcah was the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother. Rebekah also had a brother named Laban.

She went down to the well to fetch water and the slave ran to meet her and said to her: 'Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher.' She quickly gave him her pitcher and gave him water to drink. She then said to him: ' I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.'

As the slave watched her he wonders at her, but kept quiet. He wasn't quite sure if the Lord had made his journey a success and that Rebekah was the woman that he must take back to Isaac.

When the camels had done drinking, he gave her a golden earring and 2 bracelets for her arm. He then asked her whos daughter she was and she explained to him who she was. She then offered the hospitability of her father's house to him, and the men, and the camels.

They went in into the house of Rebekah's mother and met with Laban and Bethuel. After settling in the slave told them the whole story and how The Lord had guided them to find Rebekah. The slave then asked if Rebekah was willing to travel back to Canaan with them. She agreed.

They immediately started preparations for the journey back, and the slave gave beautiful gifts to her family upon their departure. Rebekah and her damsels arose and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man, and the servant took Rebekah and went his way.

Meanwhile, Isaac came from the way of the well Lahai-roi, for he dwelt in the south country. And he went out to medidate in the field at the eventide. He lifted his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming.

And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel, covering her face with a vail.

When they reached Isaac the slave told him all the things that he had done.

And Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her, and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.

Source: The Bible: Genesis 24

Bible Stories: Abraham Must Sacrifice His Son Isaac

2012-02-02T03:41:00.000-08:00

Genesis Chapters 1-22

What have we discovered in the first piece of the Bible?

a. Adam and Eve had the minds of children ... there was nothing but The Lord, Eden and the animals to influence them. They only spoke to each other and to The Lord. So, when the Jealous One spoke to Eve, through the snake, there was no reason for her to doubt the words that the snake spoke. She didn't know anything about deception ... because she thought with the mind of a young child, trusting the snake. And so did Adam step into the same trap as Eve ... trusting what he heard.

b. When Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Knowledge, its magical powers opened their eyes to see the reality around them.

The Lord sent them away from Eden ... He didn't destroy Eden ... no ... He sent them away. This means that Eden is still alive on the planet, but that He had closed the eyes of man so that he would not be able to see Eden. The Lord didn't destroy Eden, because of the 2 magical trees that He had brought from heaven to plant in the Garden of Eden ... the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and the Tree of Eternal Life. He was not prepared to destroy these 2 trees.

c. The first ever murder took place when Cain killed his brother Abel in a fit of jealousy. He was jealous because The Lord favored Abel ...they were the sons of Adam and Eve.

d. The sons of God came down to live on Earth. They took harems of human daughters to be their wives. Out of these marriages came children that had the status of gods, because some were giants and some had super powers ... Greek mythology ties in here with the stories of the Titans [the sons of God] and their children with humans [Olympians].

e. Noah had a vineyard after the flood, and he got drunk on the wine of his vineyard.

f. The different languages that earthlings speak originates from the building of Babel. All the people spoke only one language, but when they started thinking about building a tower that will reach heaven, The Lord decided to confuse them with multiple languages. The people then left Babel and scattered all over the world to start their own societies in their own language.

g. Abram and Sarah thought nothing of it to lie, in order to save Abram's life. There were two instances when they lied ... both times to two kings, telling the kings that Sarah was Abram's sister and not his wife. Abram was scared that the men would kill him for Sarah ... apparently were there a shortage of women at that time.

h. God burned down Sodom and Gomorrah with such a vengeance like we've never seen before.

i. Lot's 2 daughters made their father drunk to have intercourse with him, and had children by him.

j. The Lord tested Abraham's faith by asking Abraham to give his son as a offering to God ... but God provided an alternative offering in the end.

Source: The Bible: Genesis 1-22

The King David Cyber Bible

The Birth Of Isaac

2012-02-01T10:33:00.000-08:00

In that time God thought about His promise to Sarah ... and she became pregnant. The child was born when Abraham was a 100 years old ... and Abraham called him Isaac.

When Isaac was 8 days old Abraham circumcised him as The Lord had ordered him to do ... and he held a big party for Isaac on the same day.

But Sarah felt very much ashamed that she had a child at her age ... and when she saw the slave's son Ismael [Abraham's son with the slave Hagar] snickering, she had enough.

She went to Abraham and ordered him to get rid of Hagar and her child. She wanted Hagar out of their lives forever.

Abraham took the problem up with The Lord and The Lord told him to do what Sarah demanded of him. The Lord told Abraham not to worry about Hagar and her child, because The Lord would take care of them and He promised Abraham that He will built the child into a big nation.

So, early the next morning, Abraham put some food and water in a bundle on Hagar's back and send her and her son off into the Wilderness of Beer-sheba.

Hagar walked and walked, not particularly knowing where she can go, when the water and the food started to dry up.

She found a thorn tree and put her child down under it. She then walked away to stand far away from her child. She couldn't bear to watch him die of hunger and thirst ... and then she bursted into tears.

But God had heard the child crying and then the Angel of God called to her: 'What is wrong, Hagar?', and Hagar told him the whole story. He then replied: 'Don't be afraid.

The Lord had heard the cries of the child. Stand up and pick the child up. Hold him close to your bossom, because God is going to make him into a big nation.'

The Angel then opened Hagar's eyes to a well with water and she filled the bottle and gave her child water to drink.

Ismael grew up in the Wilderness of Beer-sheba.

And God was with the boy his whole life ... and he grew up in the wilderness and became an archer.

Source: The Bible: Genesis 21

Abraham and Sarah Lied To King Abimelech

2012-01-19T05:03:00.000-08:00

And so it came to pass that Abraham [previously Abram] and Sarah packed up and did some travelling. They dwelled for a while between Kadesh and Shur and then journeyed to Gerar.

They decided to settle down in Gerar for a while.

When they got there they lied to the king of Gerar ... Abimelech. As with the Egyptian Pharaoh they again said that Sarah was Abraham's sister, and not his wife. Abraham was scared that he would be killed because of Sarah.

Then one night God appeared before Abimelech in a dream, and He said to Abimelech: 'You are going to die if you marry this woman. She is already married.'

Abimelech was scared and he asked The Lord if He would destroy an innocent nation because of her. He told The Lord that Abraham and Sarah told him that Sarah was only Abraham's sister, that he, Abimelech no way could have known what the truth was. And he felt deeply relieved that he didn't have intercourse with her.

The Lord answered him that He knew what was going on, and that was the reason why God is warning him now, before anything got worse. God then ordered him to give Sarah back to Abraham the prophet, ... or else he would die. Sarah was important to God, because of the important child that He had planned for her.

The next morning Abimelech gathered his men and told them the story and they were as much afraid as he was.

Abimelech called Abraham and asked him why he told such a terrible lie. And Abraham told him that he did it because he was afraid for his life, if anybody would know that he was Sarah's husband and not her brother.

Abimelech then decided to get rid of them as soon as possible. So he took sheep, oxen and servants and gave them to Abraham, as well as Sarah. He invited Abraham and Sarah to live anywhere on his land that they wish to. He also gave Abraham a 1000 pieces of silver to keep Sarah quiet about what happened.

God rewarded Abimelech by healing him and his wife, and his slaves ... so that they could have children again. God had closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech ... because of Sarah the wife of Abraham.

Abraham and Sarah went to live in the plains of Gerar.

Source: The Bible: Genesis 20

Lot And His Daughters

2012-01-17T06:47:00.000-08:00

Abram [now called Abraham ... as The Lord renamed him, because he was going to be the father of God's nation] got up the morning of the Great Burning of Sodom and Gomorrah and went to a place where he stood in the Presence of The Lord.

As he looked towards the far horizon, towards Sodom and Gomorrah, there was burning smoke as far as he could see ... as if it was a coal oven.

When The Lord burned everything He thought of Abraham, and He saved Lot, who was family of Abraham.

When Lot and his family hurried away from Sodom, the angel commanded them not to look back, as they were not allowed to see the Wrath of God. He warned them that they would die if they see it. Lot's wife couldn't resist and she turned around and looked back ... she immediately turned into a salt pillar.

Lot waited in Zoar for everything to quiet down after the hell that God had unleashed on Sodom and Gomorrah, and then he and his daughters fled to live in the mountains. He didn't want to take a chance on The Lord's Wrath ... and Zoar was too close for comfort to the then non-existing Sodom and Gomorrah. No, it was safer in the mountains.

They found a suitable cave and decided to live there.

As time goes by, the two daughters saw that their chances were getting slim to find husbands on a mountain in a desert where only three people lived.

Then one night the eldest said the her younger sister: 'We're going nowhere and we need to have children. I say we must make father drunk and have intercourse with him. We can then at least secure that we will get pregnant.'

They agreed and that night they made Lot so drunk that he didn't know that he was having intercourse with his eldest daughter. The next day she arranged with the younger sister that it was her turn.

That night they did the same thing to Lot ... this time it was the younger daughter.

And so did the daughters of Lot got pregnant by their father.

The eldest called her son Moab and he became the father of the Moabites. The youngest called her son Ben-ammi and he became the father of the Ammons.

Source: The Bible: Genesis 19

Sodom and Gomorrah Burned. Lot Was Saved

2012-01-16T08:28:00.000-08:00

It was the day before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Two angels came to Sodom and they came upon Lot, where he sat at the gate.

When Lot saw the strangers approaching, he stood up to meet them. When they reached him, he bowed down and then greeted them: 'Welcome, my lords! Please come to my house and then you can sleep and eat there, and you can wash your feet. You can then resume your journey tomorrow.'

They politely declined and said they don't mind to sleep on the plains, but Lot insisted. So they went with him.

He prepared a meal for them and they ate. But before they could turn in for the night, men came from the city of Sodom to Lot's house and shouted at him: 'Where are the men that came to you tonight?! Bring them to us, we want to have intercourse with them!'

Lot went outside to speak to the men. After locking the door behind him, he turned to the men and said" 'No, friends, don't do this wrong thing. I have 2 daughters that are still virgins. Take them and do with them what you want ... but leave the men alone. They are under the safety of my roof.'

But the men of Sodom was having none of it and shouted out: 'No, get out of the way!' 'This man wants to tell us to do ... we will do him more harm than what we're going to do to the 2 men!'

So they started to push Lot back to open the door. The 2 men inside quickly grabbed Lot and pulled him inside. They locked the door behind Lot and then smite the men outside with blindness so that they wouldn't find the door. The men eventually gave up and went away.

After it quieted down the 2 men turned to Lot and spoke to him: 'Who else is with you that you want to save? ... Whomever you want to save, take them out of this place as quickly as you can! This place has instigated the Wrath of God, because of the lawlessness of the people. We were sent by God to destroy this place.'

Lot went out and spoke to his 2 would-be sons in law and urged them to go with him. They thought he was joking and only shrugged him off.

And then the dawn broke.

Lot thought he still had time when the angels forcefully guided him, his wife and their 2 daughters out of the city, because Lot had found mercy in the eyes of The Lord. The angels urged Lot to run to the hills, to get as far away from Sodom and Gomorrah as he can. Lot spoke to them and asked to go to a little town that he knew about to be safe there with his family. His wish was granted and so did Lot come to the town of Zoar, and the angels spared the town.

Lot reached Zoar as the sun started to climb into morning.

When He was sure that Lot was save, The Lord striked down at the thorn in His side.

The Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire straight out of heaven.

He burned everything. There was nothing left of the two cities or anything alive, even on the plains around the cities ... not even a plant.

The smoke of the burning earth was seen from wide and far ... and Sodom and Gomorrah was wiped from the face of the earth.

Source: The Bible: Genesis 19

Sarai Gave Her Slave To Abram. Hagar Flee From Sarai

2012-01-14T22:08:00.000-08:00

Sarai and Abram tried to have a child, but they weren't successful and Sarai was beginning to feel desperate.

So she came to Abram and said to him: 'The Lord hasn't blessed me with a child. Sleep with my slave, Hagar, and maybe you will then have a child that I can call my own.' Abram also thought it was the best thing to do.

Abram was already living for 10 years in Canaan, when Sarai gave her slave to her husband and Abram slept with Hagar and made her pregnant.

Hagar despised her mistress when she found out that she was carrying Abram's child.

Sarai couldn't miss the repulsion that Hagar had for her and spoke to Abram about it. He replied that Hagar was her slave and therefore can Sarai do with her as she sees fits. So Sarai started to treat Hagar very badly. She treated Hagar so badly that Hagar fled from her into the desert.

There the Angel of The Lord met up with her, by a fountain on the path to Sur, and asked her: 'Hagar, slave of Sarai, where did you come from and where are you going?' So, she told the whole story to the Angel and the Angel replied: 'Go back to your mistress and be obedient to her.'

The Angel of The Lord furthermore said to her: 'I will multiply your seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude ... and you will have a son whom you must call Ismael, because The Lord heard your suffering.

And Ismael will be a wild man. His hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him ... and he will live in hate of his blood relatives.

Hagar then called the Name of The Lord and said: 'You are the God that saw me, and here I saw Him who saw me.'

The fountain was between Kadesh and Bered.

So the fountain was named Beer-lahai-roi. It was situated between Kadesh and Bered.

And so did Hagar brought a son into the world for Abram, and he was 86 years old when Ismael was born.

Source: The Bible: Genesis 16