THE OLD TESTAMENT
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was waste and void; and darkness was upon the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said: Let there be light—and there was light. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.—And God made a vast expanse which he called Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.—And God gathered the waters into one place, and the dry land appeared. And God said: Let the earth put forth grass and herbs and trees bearing fruit. And there was evening and there was morning, a third day.—And God made the two great lights, the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.—And God created the great sea-monsters, and every creature that lives in the waters, and every fowl that flies under heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.—And God made the beasts of the earth, and the cattle, and everything that creeps upon the ground. And God said: Let us make man in our image, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over everything that lives upon the earth. And God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.
And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening andthere was morning, a sixth day. And God rested on the seventh day from all His work, and He blessed the seventh day and hallowed it.(Gen. 1.)
God planted a garden eastward, in Eden. This garden has been called Paradise. And out of the ground God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden; and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And God put man in the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it, and He said: Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of knowledge thou shalt not eat; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die—God said also: It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help, answering to him. And God brought all living creatures to Adam to see what he would call them, and whatsoever Adam called every creature, that was the name thereof; but for man there was not found a help meet for him. And God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and He took one of his ribs and made thereof a woman and brought her unto him. Then Adam said: This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh.—Adam was the first man, and Eve was the first woman.—They were innocent, and knew neither sin, nor sorrow, nor sickness, nor death.(Gen. 2.)
The serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which God had made. And he said unto the woman: Has God truly said: Ye shall not eat of any tree in the garden? The woman answered: Of all the other trees we may freely eat; but of the tree of knowledge God hath said: Ye shall not eat of it, lestye die. The serpent answered: Ye shall not die; for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as God, knowing good and evil. When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and desirable to make one wise, she took of the fruit and ate, and she gave also to her husband, and he ate. Then their eyes were opened, and they knew that they were naked. In the evening they heard the voice of God, and hid themselves among the trees of the garden. Then God called unto Adam and said: Where art thou? And Adam said: I heard Thy voice, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. Then God said: Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree of knowledge? Adam answered: The woman gave me of the fruit, and I ate. Then God said to the woman: What is this thou hast done? She answered: The serpent beguiled me, and I ate. And God said unto the serpent: Cursed art thou above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life. I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: he shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.—Unto the woman God said: In pain thou shalt bring forth children; and thy husband shall rule over thee.—Unto the man God said: Cursed is the ground for thy sake; in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread, till thou return unto the ground; for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. So God drove Adam and Eve out of the garden of Eden, and He placed Cherubim with a flaming sword to keep the way to the tree of life.—Thus sin came into the world, and through sin came sorrow and sickness and death.(Gen. 3.)
Adam and Eve got two sons; the first was called Cain and the second Abel. Cain tilled the ground, andAbel kept sheep. Once they both brought their offerings to the Lord: Cain brought of the fruit of the ground, and Abel of the best of his flock. God had respect unto Abel and his offering; but unto Cain and his offering He had not respect. Then Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And God said unto him: Why is thy countenance fallen? Is it not so that if thou doest well, thou mayst freely look up? And if thou doest not well, sin coucheth at the door, and its desire shall be unto thee, but do thou rule over it. Still Cain rose up against Abel his brother and slew him, when they were in the field. And the Lord asked Cain: Where is thy brother? Cain answered: I know not; am I my brother’s keeper? Then the Lord said: Thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground. Therefore cursed art thou; and a fugitive and a wanderer shalt thou be in the earth. And Cain went and dwelt on the east of Eden. His descendants were inventive and skilful, they invented harps and flutes and forged weapons; but they did also that which was evil in the eyes of the Lord. (Gen. 4.)
Adam and Eve got a son instead of Abel. He was called Seth. Seth and his descendants were pious and were called the children of God; but they were not innocent; for all have sinned in Adam. One of them was called Enoch; he walked with God and did not die; the Lord took him, when he was 365 years old. Methuselah lived 969 years, and is the oldest of all men. His grandson was Noah.(Gen. 5.)
Men multiplied on the earth, and the sons of Seth mingled with the descendants of Cain and took their daughters for wives. Thereby wickedness became great over all the earth, and it repented God that he had made man. But Noah found favor in theeyes of God. Therefore He said to Noah: Make thee an ark, three hundred cubits[1]long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high, and pitch it within and without with pitch; for I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy everything that lives. Noah built the ship which is called the ark, and went into it with his wife and his three sons, Shem, Ham and Japhet, and their wives, and a male and a female of all the animals that cannot live in the water. Then God let it rain for 40 days and 40 nights, and the waters rose 15 cubits over the highest mountains. And every living thing was destroyed upon the earth. Noah only, and those that were with him in the ark, were left alive.
God remembered Noah and caused a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters sank, and the ark rested upon the mountains of Ararat. Noah opened the window, and he sent forth a raven, and it went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth. Then he sent forth a dove, but as she found no rest for her foot, she returned to the ark, and Noah put forth his hand and took her unto him. And he stayed yet seven days, and he sent forth the dove again. And she came back to him again at eventide, and in her mouth she had a fresh olive leaf. And he stayed yet seven days and sent forth the dove again, and she returned not; then Noah knew that the earth must be dry. The waters had then covered the earth for more than one year.
Now Noah went out of the ark and made a thank offering unto the Lord. And the Lord said in His heart: I will not again curse the ground for man’s sake, for man is evil from his youth. While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall not cease. And God set the rainbow in the heavens as a token that He would remember His covenant. Noah lived till he was 950 years old, and is the second father of the human race.(Gen. 6-9.)
7. The Tower of Babel
The whole earth was of one speech. When men journeyed eastward, they found a large plain, and they dwelt there. And they said one to another: Come, let us build a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven, lest we be scattered over the whole earth. But the Lord came down and confounded their language, so the one did not understand the other. Thus the Lord scattered them over all the earth, and they left off building. Therefore the place is called Babel, that is, Confusion.—The descendants of Shem remained in Asia, the descendants of Ham went southwest to Africa, and the descendants of Japhet went westward to Europe.(Gen. 11:1-9.)
Terah descended from Shem. He dwelt in Mesopotamia and had three sons, Abraham, Nahor and Haran. Terah served strange gods. And the Lord said unto Abraham: Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto the land that I will show thee. I will make of thee a great nation, and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed. So Abraham took Sarah, his wife, and his brother’s son Lot, and all that he had, and went to the land of Canaan. And the Lord appeared unto Abraham and said: Unto thy seed will I give this land; and there he builded an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him.
Abraham was very rich in cattle, in silver and in gold; and Lot also, who went with Abraham, had flocks and herds. And there was a strife between the herdsmen of Abraham and the herdsmen of Lot about the pastures. And Abraham said unto Lot: Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between thee and me, and between my herdsmen and thy herdsmen; for we are brethren. Is not the land before thee? If thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or ifthou take the right hand, then I will go to the left. Lot saw that the plain of Jordan was well watered, that it was like the land of Egypt, even as the garden of Jehovah. So Lot chose the plain for himself, and pitched his tents toward Sodom. But the inhabitants of Sodom were wicked, and sinners against the Lord exceedingly.(Gen. 12-13.)
Kings from the East came and made war against the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah, were victorious over them, and carried off the people and their goods. They also carried off Lot and all his goods. When Abraham heard that his brother’s son was taken captive, he led forth his trained men, to the number of 318, pursued the enemy and overtook them; and he brought back all the goods, and set Lot and the people free. When Abraham returned, Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God Most High, went out to him with bread and wine, and blessed him.—And the king of Sodom came and said unto Abraham: Take the goods to thyself and give me the people. But Abraham answered: I will not take a thread nor a shoe-latchet, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abraham rich.(Gen. 14.)
The Lord appeared again unto Abraham and promised him that his seed should become as numerous as the stars of the heavens. Abraham was old, and Sarah was old, and they had no children; but Abraham believed the Lord’s promise, and He reckoned it to him for righteousness.
Abraham sat in the door of his tent in the heat of the day. As he lifted up his eyes, lo, three men stood over against him. Abraham ran to meet them, bowed himself to the earth and said: My lord, pass not by thy servant: let now a little water be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the treeand let me fetch a morsel of bread to strengthen you; after that you shall pass on. And they said: So do, as thou hast said. And Abraham ran unto the herd and had a good calf dressed and prepared, and Sarah took fine meal and baked cakes. And he took butter and milk and set before the men, and he stood by them under the tree, while they did eat. Then one of them said: Where is Sarah your wife? Abraham answered: She is in the tent. Then said he: In a year I will return, and Sarah shall then have a son. Sarah heard this in the tent and laughed; for she thought she was too old to have children. But the one who was the Lord said: Is anything too wonderful for the Lord?(Gen. 15:5, 6; 18:1-14.)
And the men rose up, and Abraham followed them. Then the Lord said: I will destroy Sodom; for its sins are grievous. The two angels went toward Sodom, and Abraham stood alone before the Lord and said: Wilt Thou consume the righteous with the wicked? Peradventure there are fifty righteous within the city; wilt Thou not spare it for the sake of these? The Lord answered: If I find fifty righteous I will not consume it. Abraham said: Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, who am but dust and ashes; peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty, wilt Thou destroy the whole city for lack of five? The Lord answered: I will not destroy it if I find there forty and five. And Abraham continued to pray, until he came down to ten, and the Lord promised to spare the city if He should find ten righteous in it.
Meanwhile the two angels came to Sodom and went in to Lot. Then the men in the city surrounded Lot’s house to seize the angels; but they smote them with blindness, and brought Lot and his wife and his two daughters out of the city. And one of the angels said: Look not behind thee, neither stay in all the plain; escape to the mountain. But Lot’s wife lookedback, and she became a pillar of salt. Then the Lord rained fire from heaven, and the fertile plain where Sodom and Gomorrah stood became the Dead Sea.—Thus it appeared that there were not ten righteous in Sodom.(Gen. 18:16-33; 19.)
God visited Sarah at the time He had promised, and she bare a son, who was called Isaac. Abraham was then 100 years old, and Sarah was 90.
Some years after this it came to pass that God proved Abraham and said: Take now thy son, Isaac, thine only son, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah and offer him on one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his ass, took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he clave the wood for the burnt offering, and went unto the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place afar off. He said then to his young men: Abide ye here, and I and the lad will go yonder and worship. And he took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it upon Isaac, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife; and they went both of them together. Then Isaac said: Father, here is wood and fire; but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? Abraham answered: God will provide himself the lamb, my son. So they went both of them together. When they came to the place, Abraham built an altar, laid the wood in order, bound Isaac and laid him upon the wood. And he stretched forth his hand and took the knife to slay his son. Then the Lord called unto him out of heaven and said: Abraham, Abraham! Lay not thy hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him; for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw a ram behind him, caught in the thicket by his horns. And he took the ram andoffered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.—God called the second time out of heaven and said: Because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me, I will exceedingly bless thee, and I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. So Abraham returned unto his young men and went with them to his home. (Gen. 22:1-19.)
When Sarah was dead, Abraham said to Eliezer, who ruled his house: Promise me that thou wilt not take one of the daughters of the Canaanites to be a wife for my son; but thou shalt go unto my country and to my kindred and take a wife for my son Isaac. Eliezer then took ten of his master’s camels, having all goodly things of his master’s in his hand, and he went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor. And he made his camels kneel down without the city by the well at the time of evening, the time that women go out to draw water. And he said: Lord, God of Abraham, show this day kindness unto my master. I stand now by this well, and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water. I will then say to one of them: Let me drink of thy pitcher. If she answer: Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also; let the same be she that thou hast appointed as wife for Thy servant Isaac. Before he yet had done speaking, Rebekah came out, and she was very fair, and she had her pitcher on her shoulder and went to the well and filled her pitcher. And the servant went to her and said: Give me to drink, I pray thee, of thy pitcher. And she said: Drink, my lord, and I will give thy camels drink also, and she drew water for all his camels. And he wondered greatly while he looked on. When all the camels had done drinking he gave her a ring and two bracelets of gold and said: Whosedaughter are you? Is there room in your father’s house for us to lodge in? She said: I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Nahor. We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in. Then the man bowed his head, worshipped the Lord and said: Blessed be the Lord, who hath led me in the way to the house of my master’s brother. And Rebekah ran home and told all these words.
Rebekah’s brother, Laban, ran out to the man, brought him into the house, gave the camels straw and provender, and set food before him to eat; but he said: I will not eat until I have told mine errand. When he had told all, Laban and Bethuel answered: This comes from the Lord; take Rebekah and go, and let her be thy master’s son’s wife. And they called Rebekah, and said unto her: Wilt thou go with this man? And she said: I will go. Then Eliezer took her and went his way. And Isaac brought her into Sarah’s tent, and she became his wife, and he loved her.
Abraham lived happy in the faith in the Savior, who was to come. He was 175 years old when he died and was gathered to his people. Isaac became heir of all that he had, and became a chief for his people, and the Lord blessed him and said: Unto thee and thy seed will I give the land of Canaan, and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. (Gen. 24; 25: 1-11; 26:3, 4.)
Twenty years had passed, and Rebekah had no children. Then the Lord said to her: Thou shalt bear two sons, and the elder shall serve the younger. When her time came, she bore twins; the first-born was hairy all over, and was called Esau, and the second was called Jacob. And the boys grew, and Esau was a skilful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a quiet man dwelling in tents. And Isaac loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob. Once when Jacob had boiledpottage and Esau came in from the field, feeling faint, Esau said: Give me, I pray thee, the pottage. Jacob answered: Sell me first thy birthright. And Esau said: Behold, I am about to die; what profit shall the birthright do to me? So he sold his birthright to Jacob for that pottage of lentils, and he did eat and drink, and rose up and went his way, and he despised his birthright.(Gen. 25:23-34.)
When Isaac was old and nearly blind, he said one day to Esau: Take thy quiver and thy bow, go out to the field, and take me venison, and make me savory food, that I may eat thereof and bless thee before I die. Rebekah, who heard this, told Jacob to go to the father in Esau’s stead and obtain the blessing. Jacob answered: My brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. My father may feel me, and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing. But she persuaded him, killed two kids of the goats and made savory food, and she put the skins of the kids of goats upon Jacob’s hands and neck, and he went to his father and asked for the blessing. Isaac said: How is it that thou found it so quickly, my son? Jacob answered: The Lord thy God sent me good speed. Isaac said: Come nearer, my son, that I may feel thee. And he felt him and said: The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau. And he did eat of Jacob’s food, and blessed him and set him as lord over his brother, as if he were the first-born, and said: Cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be every one that blesseth thee.
Jacob was scarce gone out before Esau came in from his hunting, made savory food, and brought it in to his father and said: Let my father eat of his son’s venison, that thy soul may bless me. Isaac said: Who art thou? Esau answered: I am Esau, thy first-born son. Then Isaac trembled exceedingly and said: Who then is he that hath taken venison and broughtit to me, and I have eaten of it, and blessed him? and he shall be blessed. Esau answered: Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me? Bless even me also, O my father! And he lifted up his voice and wept. And Isaac said: By thy sword shalt thou live, and thou shalt serve thy brother.—Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing, and threatened to slay him when his father died. Then said Rebekah unto Jacob: Flee to my brother Laban, and tarry with him until thy brother’s fury turn away.(Gen. 27.)
Jacob went away from home, and when the sun was set he lighted upon a certain place and tarried there all night; and he took a stone, and put it under his head and slept. And he dreamed that a ladder was set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And the Lord stood above it and said: I am the God of Abraham and of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it and to thy seed; and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth; and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And I will be with thee and bring thee again into this land. When Jacob awoke he said: How dreadful is this place! This is the house of God, this is the gate of heaven!
Jacob journeyed eastward and came to Laban, his mother’s brother, and he abode with him the space of a month. Then Laban said to him: What shall thy wages be? And Laban had two daughters, Leah and Rachel; and Rachel was beautiful. Therefore Jacob said: I will serve thee seven years for Rachel. And the seven years seemed unto him but a few days, for he loved her. When the seven years were finished Laban gave Leah to him: Jacob said: Did I not serve with thee for Rachel? Wherefore then hast thou beguiled me? Laban said: It is not customary with us to give away the younger before the firstborn.Fulfil the week of this one, and we will give thee the other also. Jacob did so, and then Laban gave him Rachel to wife. Then Jacob had to serve seven other years for Rachel. Afterward he served six years for wages, and God blessed him, so he became very rich. When he saw that Laban became envious of this he went away with his wives and children and all that he had.(Gen. 28-29.)
When Jacob drew near to Canaan, he sent messengers to Esau to find favor in his sight. The messengers returned and said: Thy brother is coming to meet thee, and 400 men with him. Then Jacob was greatly afraid, and he sent a present from his herds and flocks to Esau, and prayed earnestly to the Lord. And the Lord appeared unto him as a man that wrestled with him. But Jacob held out manfully and said: I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. God blessed him, and called him Israel, that is, one who strives with God.
When Jacob saw Esau he bowed himself to the ground seven times; but Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him and kissed him, and they both wept.—Isaac died old (180 years) and full of days, and Esau and Jacob buried him.(Gen. 32; 33; 35:28-29.)
Jacob had 12 sons, of whom Reuben was the oldest; Joseph and Benjamin, the sons of Rachel, were the youngest. Joseph was feeding the flocks with his brothers, and he brought evil report of them unto their father. Now, Jacob loved him more than his other sons, and he made him a long garment. The brothers who saw this hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him. And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brothers: We were binding sheaves in the field, and your sheaves bowed down to my sheaf. And he dreamed another dreamand told it: The sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed down to me. Then his brothers said to him: Shalt thou indeed reign over us? And they hated him yet more. And his father rebuked him and said: What is this dream, thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brothers come to bow down ourselves to thee? But his father kept the saying in his mind.
Once, when the other sons were feeding the flocks in Shechem, Jacob said to Joseph: Go now, see whether it is well with thy brothers and the flock. And Joseph went. When they saw him afar off, they said: Behold, this dreamer cometh, let us slay him, and we shall see what will become of his dreams. But Reuben, who wished to deliver him, said: Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit. And Joseph came to his brothers, and they stripped him of his coat and cast him into the pit, which was empty. And they sat down to eat; and some merchants came with their camels bearing spices and balsam to Egypt. Judah said: Let us sell him to these merchants, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother. And they sold him for 20 pieces of silver. Reuben had meanwhile been away. When he returned to the pit, and Joseph was not there, he went to his brothers and said: The child is not there, and I, whither shall I go? They then killed a he-goat and dipped the coat in the blood, and sent it to their father and said: This have we found; know now whether it is thy son’s coat? And he knew it and said: It is my son’s coat; an evil beast has devoured him. And he mourned for his son many days, wept and would not be comforted. (Gen. 37.)
The merchants brought Joseph to Egypt and sold him to Potiphar, the captain of the life-guard of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. God was with Joseph and made him to prosper, and Potiphar made himoverseer over his house. Potiphar’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph to seduce him; but Joseph answered: How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? She then accused him to her husband, saying: This stranger tried to seduce me. Potiphar believed his wife, and cast Joseph into prison.
God was with Joseph and gave him favor with the keeper of the prison, and he set him over the other prisoners.(Gen. 39.)
Pharaoh became offended at his chief butler and his chief baker, and cast them into the prison where Joseph was. When Joseph came to them one morning, he saw that they were sad. The butler said: I dreamed that I saw a vine with three branches, and on the branches were grapes. I took them and pressed the juice into Pharaoh’s cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand. Joseph said: Within three days Pharaoh will restore thee unto thine office; but have me in remembrance who am innocent in this prison.—The baker told his dream and said: I had three baskets of white bread on my head, and in the uppermost basket there was baked food for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat it out of the basket. Joseph said: In three days Pharaoh shall take thy head. And it came to pass, as Joseph had interpreted; but the butler forgot him.
Two years afterward Pharaoh dreamed that he stood by the river Nile. Then there came up out of the river seven fat cows and grazed on the bank. After them came seven lean cows, and devoured the former, but they were still lean. Afterwards he dreamed that seven full and good ears of grain grew on one stalk, and after them seven thin ears that swallowed the former. None of the wise men of Egypt could interpret the dream. Then the butler remembered Joseph, and Pharaoh sent and called Joseph out of the prison, and said: I have heard sayof thee that when thou hearest a dream thou canst interpret it. Joseph answered: It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace. When he had heard the dreams, he interpreted them thus: There shall come seven years of great plenty, and after them seven years of famine that shall consume all that remains from the seven years of plenty. When Pharaoh heard the interpretation he set Joseph over the whole land of Egypt, and Joseph went through the land, and stored up grain during the seven years of plenty.(Gen. 40, 41.)
The famine was sore in all lands, but in Egypt there was grain. And Jacob sent ten of his sons to Egypt to buy grain; but he would not let Benjamin go. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down themselves to him. They knew not him, but he knew them, and remembered his dreams. They said: We are twelve brothers; the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not. But Joseph said: Ye are spies. And he kept them in prison for three days. On the third day he said to them: One of you shall remain in prison; but the others may go home with the grain, and ye shall bring your youngest brother to me, that I may see whether ye speak the truth. They said one to another: We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul when he besought us, and we would not hear him. And they knew not that Joseph understood them; but he turned himself about from them and wept. Simeon was kept, and the others went home.
Jacob would not let Benjamin go with them, but said: Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and Benjamin ye will also take! But the famine was sore in the land, so he must needs send Benjamin. The brothers went to Egypt and stood before Joseph. When he saw Benjamin he said: God be gracious to thee, my son. And he went out and wept. And hewashed his face, and he went in and refrained himself, and said to his servants: Set on bread.—And he commanded the steward of his house: Fill the men’s sacks with grain and put my silver cup in Benjamin’s sack. When they were not yet gone far off he sent his steward after them, the sacks were searched, and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. Joseph would retain Benjamin as his slave; but Judah stood forth and said: Let me remain in his stead, for if we have not him with us, we will bring our father’s gray hairs with sorrow into the grave.(Gen. 42-44.)
Then Joseph could not refrain himself any longer, but said: I am Joseph. Doth my father yet live? His brothers could not answer him for fear; but Joseph spoke kindly to them, kissed them all, and wept on Benjamin’s neck. Afterwards he said: Make haste, and go home and tell my father that I am lord of all Egypt, and bring him hither. They went home and told all this; but Jacob’s heart fainted, for he believed them not. But when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent, he said: It is enough; Joseph, my son, is yet alive; I will go down and see him before I die.(Gen. 45.)
The Lord spoke to Jacob in a vision, saying: Fear not to go down to Egypt, for I will be with thee and bring thee up again, and Joseph shall close thine eyes. So Jacob moved down to Egypt with his whole family, 70 souls, and all that he had. When Joseph heard of his coming he made ready his chariot, and went up to meet him in Goshen. And he fell on his father’s neck and wept a good while. Jacob said: Now let me die, since I have seen that thou art yet alive.—On Pharaoh’s command Joseph gave unto his father Goshen to dwell in, for in Goshen were good pastures, and Jacob and his sons were shepherds.—Jacob lived inEgypt 17 years, and became 147 years old. A short time before his death he blessed Joseph’s two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, and added: They shall be my sons, even as Reuben and Simeon. After that he gathered all his sons about him, blessed them and told them what should befall them in the latter days, and foretold of the Savior, whom he called the Prince of Peace.—Joseph brought his body up to Canaan and buried it in the sepulchre of Abraham and Isaac.
Joseph’s brothers feared that he would now revenge himself on them. When he heard this, Joseph wept and said: Am I in the place of God? Ye meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to save much people alive.—Joseph died, being 110 years old, and they embalmed his body and put it in a coffin in Egypt to take it with them up to Canaan, when God should visit them.(Gen. 46-50.)
The children of Israel dwelt in Goshen for 430 years and became a numerous people. There arose a new king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph, and he said: The Israelites are more and mightier than we, and have become a menace to us. Therefore he afflicted them with hard labor; but the more he afflicted them, the more they multiplied, and the more they spread abroad. Then he charged his people, saying: Every son that is born to the Israelites ye shall cast into the Nile, and every daughter ye shall save alive.
At this time a woman of the tribe of Levi bore a son, and when she saw he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. And when she could no longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and she put the child in it, and laid it in the flags by the river’s bank. And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him. And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river; and she had the ark fetched, and opened it, and saw the child, and behold, the babe wept; and she had compassionon him. Then his sister came and asked: Shall I go and call a nurse? Pharaoh’s daughter said to her: Go. And the maiden went and called the child’s mother. And he grew, and the mother brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and she called him Moses, that is, one that is drawn out of the water. (Exodus 1; 2: 1-10.)
When Moses was forty years old he went out to look on the burdens of his brethren, and he saw an Egyptian smiting an Israelite. Moses looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he smote the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. When Pharaoh heard this thing he sought to slay Moses, but he fled to Midian, and came to a priest by the name of Jethro, who had seven daughters, of whom he gave Moses one, Zipporah, for wife. And Moses dwelt in Midian forty years.
Once, when he kept Jethro’s flocks at Mount Horeb, he saw a bush which burned and was not consumed. When he drew near to see, the Lord spoke to him from the bush: I am the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob; I have seen the affliction of my people and have heard their cry; now I will send thee to Pharaoh, and thou shalt bring my people out of Egypt. Moses answered: My brethren will not believe that Thou hast sent me. The Lord said: Cast thy rod on the ground. Moses did so, and it became a serpent, and Moses fled from it. At the Lord’s command Moses took it by the tail, and it became a rod again. The Lord gave him power to work other wonders; but Moses continued to excuse himself and said: I am slow of speech. The Lord answered: I will send thy brother Aaron to thee, and thou shalt put the words in his mouth, and he shall speak for thee. Then Moses returned to Egypt. He met Aaron on the road, and he went with him to the Israelites and toldthem the words of the Lord, and they rejoiced and bowed their heads and worshipped the Lord. (Ex. 2:15-4:31.)
Moses and Aaron came and said to Pharaoh: Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel: Let my people go. Pharaoh answered: Who is Jehovah, that I should hearken unto His voice to let Israel go? I know Him not, and moreover I will not let Israel go.
Moses now performed the wonders that God had given him, but Pharaoh hardened his heart and would not let the people go. Then God said unto Moses: Take thy rod and smite the waters in the Nile. Moses did so, and the waters became blood. When this did not help, God sent nine other plagues upon Egypt. The eighth plague was numberless locusts that covered all the land, and ate every green thing, and the ninth was a thick darkness that lasted for three days; but in Goshen there were no locusts, and there it was light.
The Lord now bade Moses speak to the children of Israel and say: Tonight ye shall kill a lamb in every house, and ye shall take the blood and put it on the two door posts; ye shall roast the lamb and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs; and ye shall stand with your staff in hand, ready to go out.—Thus the Lord instituted the Passover.
At midnight the Lord passed through Egypt and slew all the first-born, from the first-born of Pharaoh to the first-born of the slave. But He saw the blood on the dwellings of Israel and passed over. And there was a great cry in Egypt, and Pharaoh urged Israel to go. So the Israelites went out of Egypt, 600,000 men who could go out to battle, and Moses took the bones of Joseph with him. And the Lord went before them in a pillar of fire by night and in a pillar of cloud by day, and he led them toward the Red Sea. But Pharaoh regretted that he had let Israel depart, and he pursued them with all his chariots andovertook them at the Red Sea. Then the Israelites murmured against Moses and said: Were there not graves enough in Egypt, that thou must take us out in the wilderness to die? Moses answered: Today you shall see the salvation of the Lord. And he stretched forth his hand, and the waters were divided, and the children of Israel walked over on dry ground, while the water stood as a wall on the right hand and on the left. The Egyptians pursued them, but when they were in the midst of the Red Sea, and the Israelites had passed over, Moses again stretched out his hand, and the waters returned and buried all the host of Pharaoh.(Ex. 5-14.)
The children of Israel were now come into the wilderness of Arabia. Here they lacked both water and food, murmured against Moses, and wished they were back to the flesh-pots in Egypt. Moses smote the rock with his rod, and there flowed water; and the Lord sent them manna for food. This lay every morning like hoar-frost on the ground, and melted when the sun rose.
In the third month after they had gone out of Egypt, the Israelites encamped at Mount Sinai. On the third day a thick cloud covered the mountain, and there was heard a sound as of a loud trumpet. The mountain shook and smoked as a furnace, for the Lord descended in fire on the mountain. The Lord then spoke thus to the people:
1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
2. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain.
3. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.
4. Honor thy father and thy mother that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
5. Thou shalt not kill.
6. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
7. Thou shalt not steal.
8. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
9. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house.
10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor’s. (Ex. 16-20.)
At the command of the Lord, Moses afterwards gave laws concerning worship. He made Aaron high priest, and after him his oldest son, and thus successively from son to son. The other sons of Aaron became priests, and the other descendants of Levi, or the Levites, became their assistants.—A Tabernacle, or large tent, was raised and divided into two parts: The Holy of Holies and the Holy Place. In the Holy of Holies was a chest, called the Ark of the Covenant, and a pot filled with manna. The ark was overlaid with gold, the cover was of pure gold, and was called the Mercy Seat. Only the high priest might enter the Holy of Holies, and even he only once a year. The Holy Place was for the priests. Round about the Tabernacle was the Court, which was without a roof, here the people should assemble.—The seventh day of the week was the day of rest, or the Sabbath.—There were three great feasts: The Passover, in memory of the passing out of Egypt; The Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost; and The Feast of Tabernacles, in memory of Israel’s living in tents.—There were many kinds of sacrifices. The most important sacrifice was brought on the great Feast of Atonement, when the high priest went into the Holy of Holies and sprinkled the blood of an ox and of a he-goat on the Mercy Seat for the sins of himself and of the people. (Ex. 23-29; Lev. 16.)
The Lord said to Moses: Come up to me on the mountain, and I will give thee the Tables of the Law. Moses was with the Lord for 40 days and 40 nights.And the Lord gave him the two Tables of the Law. They were written on both sides; the writing was the writing of God; it was written by God’s own finger.—While Moses was on the mountain the people said to Aaron: Make us a god which shall go before us; for Moses does not return. Aaron made a golden calf, and the people danced around it. When Moses came down from the mountain and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger was kindled, and he cast the tables against the mountain so they broke; and he took the golden calf and ground it to powder and strewed it on the brook that runs down the mountain. Then he bade the Levites go with drawn swords through the camp, and 3,000 were killed on the same day.—Moses went again on the mountain, and was there for 40 days and 40 nights, and he ate no bread and drank no water, and the Lord wrote the ten commandments on two new tables of stone. These were afterward kept in the Ark of the Covenant.(Ex. 24, 32, 34.)
The Israelites went from Sinai toward Canaan, and Moses sent twelve spies into the country. These returned, saying: The land is very good; but we are as grasshoppers compared to the inhabitants, of such stature are they. But Joshua and Caleb, two of the spies, replied: We can subdue the land, for the Lord is with us. But it availed not. The people would not go against the Canaanites, but wished to choose a new leader and return to Egypt. Then the glory of the Lord appeared in the Tabernacle, and the Lord spoke thus by Moses: For forty years shall ye wander about in this wilderness, until all those are dead who were 20 years old or over when ye went out of Egypt; none who hath seen my wonders in Egypt shall come into Canaan, except Joshua and Caleb.(Num. 13-14.)
Thus they must for 40 years wander about in the terrible wilderness among serpents and in dry places. But the Lord sustained them, so their clothes were not worn out, and their feet swelled not. Nevertheless they murmured against the Lord and many times tried His patience. Thus they once complained that theyhad neither food nor drink. The Lord then sent fiery serpents among them, and many died from their sting. The people humbled themselves, and Moses interceded for them. The Lord said: Make a serpent of brass and set it upon a standard. When any one had been bitten by a serpent, and he looked up to the serpent of brass, he lived.(Num. 21.)
When the 40 years were ended, the Israelites had come so near to Canaan that only the river Jordan lay between. Moses now went up into Mount Nebo, and the Lord showed him all the land and said: This is the land which I have promised to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob; but thou shalt not enter it. There Moses, the servant of the Lord, died, 120 years old, and the Lord buried him. There never arose a prophet in Israel with whom the Lord spoke thus face to face. (Deut. 34.)
The Lord chose Joshua for leader in the place of Moses, and said to him: As I was with Moses, so will I be with thee. When the Israelites had mourned for Moses 30 days, they made themselves ready to go over Jordan. The priests went before with the Ark of the Covenant, and when their feet touched the waters of Jordan, the water flowed away below and stood still above, and the Israelites went over on dry ground. The manna now ceased, and they ate of the fruit of the land.
Jericho was a city surrounded with strong walls; but the Israelites took it without sword and bow. For six days the priests with the ark and all the armed men walked around the city, once every day; but on the seventh day they went around it seven times, and the seventh time the priests blew the trumpets and the people shouted, and the walls fell, and the town was taken.—After seven years Joshua had subdued 31 kings, and divided the land among the twelve tribes of Israel. The tribe of Levi received no separate portionof land, but 48 cities were given them among the other tribes.
After many years Joshua gathered the tribes of Israel together and said to them: Choose ye this day whom ye will serve, the Lord or the gods of the heathens; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. The people said: We will serve the Lord and hearken to His voice.—Joshua died 110 years old. (Book of Joshua.)
The Israelites served the Lord while Joshua lived; but when he was dead they forgot the Lord, married the daughters of the Canaanites and served strange gods. Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against them, and He gave them into the hands of the heathens. They then cried unto the Lord, and he raised up men to save them. Such men were called Judges. (Judges 2.)
One of these judges was Gideon. The hand of the Midianites rested heavily on Israel. Then the angel of the Lord came to Gideon, as he was threshing wheat, and bade him deliver Israel. Gideon sent messengers to the tribes, and 32,000 men responded. But the Lord said: There are too many people. Israel might boast and say: My own hand hath saved me. Proclaim therefore that whoever is afraid may go home. Then 22,000 went home, and 10,000 remained. The Lord said: The people are yet too many. Choose thee 300 men. Gideon chose 300 men and divided them into three companies, and gave each man a trumpet and an empty pitcher with a torch in it. At midnight he went with them to the camp of the Midianites; they blew the trumpets, broke the pitchers and held up their torches. The Midianites cried and fled, and the Lord turned every man’s sword against his neighbor, and Gideon pursued them.(Judges 6-9.)
Another judge was Jephthah. When he went out against the enemy he made a vow to sacrifice to theLord whatever first came to meet him from his house, when he returned with victory. He came home victorious, and his daughter, his only child, came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances. Jephthah rent his garments, but did with her according to his vow. And the maidens of Israel lamented Jephthah’s daughter for four days every year.(Judges 11.)
When the Philistines oppressed the children of Israel, the Lord sent them a deliverer in Samson. He smote the Philistines again and again, for the Lord had given him such strength that he with his hands tore asunder a young lion which came roaring against him. But he was deluded by a woman called Delilah. She succeeded in coaxing out of him the secret that his strength was in his seven locks of hair. These she shaved off and delivered him to the lords of the Philistines, who put out his eyes and set him to grinding corn. Once when they were assembled for a great feast in the temple of Dagon, their god, they brought out Samson to make sport for them. His hair had now grown, and his strength had returned. The temple rested on pillars. Samson prayed to the Lord, laid hold on the two middle pillars, and bowed himself with might. The temple fell and buried both Samson and his enemies.(Judges 13-16.)
At the time the judges ruled in Israel there was a famine in the land, and a man went from Bethlehem to the land of the Moabites with his wife Naomi and his two sons. The man died, and the sons married women of Moab, Orpah and Ruth. After ten years both the sons were dead, and Naomi made ready to return to the land of her fathers. Orpah and Ruth went with her. On the way Naomi said: Go back, my daughters! The Lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead and with me. Orpah went back; but Ruth said: Thy people shall be my people, and thy God shall be my God; only death shall partus. So they went together and came to Bethlehem. It was at the time of the barley harvest, and Ruth went out to glean heads of grain and came on a field of a rich man by the name of Boaz. When Boaz learned that it was Ruth, who had come with Naomi, he said to the reapers: Let grain fall on the ground that she may glean so much more. And to Ruth he said: If thou thirst come hither and drink, and if thou hunger come hither and eat of my bread. Ruth said: How have I, a stranger, found favor in thine eyes? Boaz answered: I have heard what thou hast done for thy mother-in-law: Thou hast left father and mother and art come to a people thou didst not know. A full reward be given thee of Jehovah, the God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to take refuge. When the harvest was over Boaz took Ruth to wife, and she bore a son who was called Obed. He was the father of Jesse, and Jesse was the father of David the king. (Book of Ruth.)
Eli was high priest and judge. He had two sons who were exceedingly wicked; but he did not restrain them.
The boy Samuel, a son of Elkanah and Hannah, was brought up by Eli and slept in the Tabernacle of the Lord. One night the Lord called Samuel, and Samuel, who did not yet know the Lord, ran to Eli; but Eli answered: I did not call thee, lie down again. The Lord called yet two times to Samuel, and he ran each time to Eli. The high priest now perceived that it was the Lord who called Samuel, and said to him: If he call thee again, answer: Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth. Samuel lay down again, and the Lord called the fourth time to Samuel, and he answered according to Eli’s words. And the voice of the Lord said: Because Eli saw that his sons were wicked, and yet he did not restrain them, therefore I will send destruction upon him and upon his house.In the morning when Eli learned what the Lord had said, he replied: It is the Lord: let him do what seemeth him good.
There was war with the Philistines, and the Israelites were defeated. So they brought the Ark of the Covenant to the camp; but they were again routed, and the Ark was captured by the Philistines. Eli was at that time 98 years old. He was seated in a chair by the wayside watching; for he was anxious for the Ark of God. One who had fled from the battle came and said: Israel is defeated, thy sons are fallen, and God’s Ark is taken. When he heard about the Ark of God, he fell backwards, and his neck was broken, and he died.—The Philistines took the Ark and put it in the temple of the idol Dagon. But as a disease broke out in the land, they brought the Ark back and sent presents with it.(1 Sam. 1-6.)
Samuel was the last of the judges. He journeyed through the land and judged, and he was honored by the people. When he was old he made his two sons judges; but they walked not in the way of their father, but sold judgment for money. Then the elders of the people came to Samuel and said: Now make us a king to judge us and go before us in our wars. This thing displeased Samuel, but the Lord said to him: Hearken unto the voice of the people, for they have not rejected thee, but me have they rejected, that I should no longer be king over them. And the Lord spoke again to Samuel and said: Tomorrow I will send thee a man from the tribe of Benjamin; him shalt thou anoint to be king over my people. On the morrow Samuel saw a man of the tribe of Benjamin; his name was Saul, the son of Kish. There was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people. The Lord said to Samuel: Behold the man of whom I spoke to thee! And Samuel brought him into his house, took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head and said: Now has the Lord anointed thee to be king over His people. On thatday the spirit of God came upon Saul, and the Lord gave him another heart. Then Samuel ceased to be judge.(1 Sam. 7-10.)
Saul was brave and overcame the enemy; but he would also follow his own will and proved disobedient to the law of the Lord. Samuel therefore said to him: Thy kingdom shall not continue, for the Lord has chosen a man after his own heart to be ruler over his people. And the Lord said to Samuel: Fill thy horn with oil and go to Bethlehem, and anoint David, the youngest son of Jesse, to be king after Saul. And Samuel went and anointed David, and the spirit of the Lord came upon him from that day. But the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him. His servants brought David, because he was skilful in playing the harp. When the evil spirit came upon Saul, David played the harp before him, and it went well with Saul, and the evil spirit departed from him.(1 Sam. 11-16.)
There was again war with the Philistines. Among them was a mighty champion by name Goliath, who for 40 days came before the camp and mocked the Israelites, because no one dared to meet him in combat. The king promised to give his daughter to him who could slay the champion. When David came to the camp and learned this, he offered to go against him. But Saul objected: Thou art young, and he is a warrior from his youth. David answered: Once while I kept my father’s sheep there came a lion and a bear and took a lamb; but I went against them, killed them and saved the lamb. The Lord who delivered me from the lion and the bear will also deliver me from this Philistine. Then Saul said: Go, and the Lord be with thee. David took his staff and his sling and five smooth stones from the brook, and wentagainst Goliath. When the champion saw him he cried: Am I a dog that thou comest against me with staves? David answered: Thou comest against me with sword and with spear; but I come against thee in the name of the Lord, the God of hosts. Then he put a stone in his sling and threw it, and struck the champion in the forehead, so he fell to the earth. David ran and drew the Philistine’s sword out of the sheath, and cut off his head. David was placed over the army, and later he got Saul’s daughter to wife. And Jonathan, the son of Saul, loved David as his own soul.(1 Sam. 17.)
When David returned after his victory over Goliath, the women sang: Saul slew a thousand, but David slew ten thousand. For this, Saul became suspicious of David and was his enemy all his life. Twice he threw his javelin at David to spear him to the wall, while he stood playing before him. David was compelled to flee, and wandered about from place to place, for Saul was after him. When David once had hidden in a cave, Saul came into the same cave. David would not put forth his hand against the Lord’s anointed, but went and cut off a piece of his garment. When Saul had left the cave, David went out also and showed him the piece. Saul wept and said: Thou art more righteous than I, for thou hast rewarded evil with good. And Saul went to his house.—Nevertheless he again went in pursuit of David. While he and his people slept, David came to his bed and took away his spear and his cruse of water. When Saul saw that David again had spared his life, he cried: Return, my son David, for I will no more do thee harm! But David went and dwelt in the land of the Philistines until Saul’s death.
There was a great battle with the Philistines. Saul was wounded, and Jonathan had fallen. Saul then said to his armor-bearer: Thrust thy sword throughme. But when he dared not lay his hand on the Lord’s anointed, he placed the sword against his own breast and fell upon it and died. David lamented in a beautiful song the death of Saul and Jonathan. (1 Sam. 18-31; 2 Sam. 1.)