17 January - Genesis 16-18

Jude Sat Aug 18, 2018 4:28 am

My soul doth magnify my YAH, and my spirit hath rejoiced in EL my Saviour; For HE that is mighty hath done to me great things; and Holy is HIS Name. Now unto HIM who is ever present in my helpless estate; who is able to keep me from falling and to present me faultless before the presence of His Glory with exceeding joy, unto the King Eternal, Immortal, Invisible, the only wise EL our Saviour be honour and glory and majesty, dominion and power both now and for ever Halleluyah!

GENESIS 16

1And Sarai, Aḇram’s wife, had borne him no child. And she had a Mitsrite female servant whose name was Hag̅ar.

2And Sarai said to Aḇram, “See, יהוה has kept me from bearing children. Please, go in to my female servant. It might be that I am built up by her.” And Aḇram listened to the voice of Sarai.

3And Sarai, Aḇram’s wife, took Hag̅ar her female servant, the Mitsrite, and gave her to her husband Aḇram to be his wife, after Aḇram had dwelt ten years in the land of Kena‛an.

4And he went in to Hag̅ar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.

5And Sarai said to Aḇram, “My wrong be upon you! I gave my female servant into your bosom. And when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes. Let יהוה judge between you and me.”

6And Aḇram said to Sarai, “See, your female servant is in your hand, do to her what is good in your eyes.” And Sarai treated her harshly, and she fled from her presence.

7And the Messenger of יהוה found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur,

8and He said, “Hag̅ar, Sarai’s female servant, where have you come from, and where are you going?” And she said, “I am fleeing from the presence of Sarai, my mistress.”

9And the Messenger of יהוה said to her, “Return to your mistress, and humble yourself under her hand.”

10And the Messenger of יהוה said to her, “I am going to increase your seed greatly, too numerous to be counted.”

11And the Messenger of יהוה said to her, “See, you are conceiving and bearing a son, and shall call his name Yishma‛ĕl, because יהוה has heard your affliction.

12“And he is to be a wild man, his hand against every one and every one’s hand against him, and dwell over against all his brothers.”

13And she called the Name of יהוה who spoke to her, “You are the Ěl who sees,” for she said, “Even here have I seen after Him who sees me?”

14That is why the well was called Be’ĕr Laḥai Ro’i, see, it is between Qaḏĕsh and Bereḏ.

15And Hag̅ar bore Aḇram a son, and Aḇram called the name of his son, whom Hag̅ar bore, Yishma‛ĕl.

16And Aḇram was eighty-six years old when Hag̅ar bore Yishma‛ĕl to Aḇram.

GENESIS 17

1And it came to be when Aḇram was ninety-nine years old, that יהוה appeared to Aḇram and said to him, “I am Ěl Shaddai – walk before Me and be perfecta.

2“And I give My covenant between Me and you, and shall greatly increase you.”

3And Aḇram fell on his face, and Elohim spoke with him, saying,

4“As for Me, look, My covenant is with you, and you shall become a father of many nations.

5“And no longer is your name called Aḇram, but your name shall be Aḇraham, because I shall make you a father of many nations.

6“And I shall make you bear fruit exceedingly, and make nations of you, and sovereigns shall come from you.

7“And I shall establish My covenant between Me and you and your seed after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be Elohim to you and your seed after you.

8“And I shall give to you and your seed after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Kena‛an, as an everlasting possession. And I shall be their Elohim.”

9And Elohim said to Aḇraham, “As for you, guard My covenant, you and your seed after you throughout their generations.

10“This is My covenant which you guard between Me and you, and your seed after you: Every male child among you is to be circumcised.

11“And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall become a sign of the covenant between Me and you.

12“And a son of eight days is circumcised by you, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with silver from any foreigner who is not of your seed.

13“He who is born in your house, and he who is bought with your silver, has to be circumcised. So shall My covenant be in your flesh, for an everlasting covenant.

14“And an uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, his life shall be cut off from his people – he has broken My covenant.”

15And Elohim said to Aḇraham, “As for Sarai your wife, do not call her name Sarai, for Sarah is her name.

16“And I shall bless her and also give you a son by her. And I shall bless her, and she shall become nations – sovereigns of peoples are to be from her.”

17And Aḇraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Is a child born to a man who is a hundred years old? Or is Sarah, who is ninety years old, to bear a child?”

18And Aḇraham said to Elohim, “Oh, let Yishma‛ĕl live before You!”

19And Elohim said, “No, Sarah your wife is truly bearing a son to you, and you shall call his name Yitsḥaq. And I shall establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

20“And as for Yishma‛ĕl, I have heard you. See, I shall bless him, and shall make him bear fruit, and greatly increase him. He is to bring forth twelve princes, and I shall make him a great nation.

21“But My covenant I establish with Yitsḥaq, whom Sarah is to bear to you at this set time next year.”

22And when He had ended speaking with him, Elohim went up from Aḇraham.

23And Aḇraham took Yishma‛ĕl his son, and all those born in his house and all those bought with his silver, every male among the men of Aḇraham’s house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that same day, as Elohim told him.

24And Aḇraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

25And Yishma‛ĕl his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

26Aḇraham and his son Yishma‛ĕl were circumcised that same day.

27And all the men of his house, born in the house or bought with silver from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.

GENESIS 18

1And יהוה appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamrĕ, while he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day.

2So he lifted his eyes and looked, and saw three men standing opposite him. And when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground,

3and said, “יהוה, if I have now found favour in Your eyes, please do not pass Your servant by.

4“Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.

5“And let me bring a piece of bread and refresh your hearts, and then go on, for this is why you have come to your servant.” And they said, “Do as you have said.”

6So Aḇraham ran into the tent to Sarah and said, “Hurry, make ready three measures of fine flour, knead it and make cakes.”

7And Aḇraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf, gave it to a young man, and he hurried to prepare it.

8And he took curds and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them, and he stood by them under the tree as they ate.

9And they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “See, in the tent.”

10And He said, “I shall certainly return to you according to the time of life, and see, Sarah your wife is to have a son!” And Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.

11Now Aḇraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age, and Sarah was past the way of women.

12And Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my master being old too?”

13And יהוה said to Aḇraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I truly have a child, since I am old?’

14“Is any matter too hard for יהוה? At the appointed time I am going to return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah is to have a son.”

15But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh!”

16And the men rose up from there and looked toward Seḏom, and Aḇraham went with them to send them away.

17And יהוה said, “Shall I hide from Aḇraham what I am doing,

18since Aḇraham is certainly going to become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

19“For I have known him, so that he commands his children and his household after him, to guard the way of יהוה, to do righteousness and right-ruling, so that יהוה brings to Aḇraham what He has spoken to him.”

20And יהוה said, “Because the outcry against Seḏom and Amorah is great, and because their sin is very heavy,

21“I am going down now to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me, and if not, I know.”

22So the men turned away from there and went toward Seḏom, but יהוה still stood before Aḇraham.

23And Aḇraham drew near and said, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the wrong?

24“Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city, would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it?

25“Far be it from You to act in this way, to slay the righteous with the wrong, so that the righteous should be as the wrong. Far be it from You! Does the Judge of all the earth not do right?”

26And יהוה said, “If I find in Seḏom fifty righteous within the city, then I shall spare all the place for their sakes.”

27And Aḇraham answered and said, “Look, please, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to יהוה,

28“Suppose there are five less than the fifty righteous, would You destroy all of the city for lack of five?” And He said, “If I find there forty-five, I do not destroy it.”

29And he spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose there are found forty?” And He said, “I would not do it for the sake of forty.”

30And he said, “Let not יהוה be displeased, and let me speak: Suppose there are found thirty?” And He said, “I would not do it if I find thirty there.”

31And he said, “Look, please, I have taken it upon myself to speak to יהוה: Suppose there are found twenty?” And He said, “I would not destroy it for the sake of twenty.”

32And he said, “Let not יהוה be displeased, and let me speak only this time: Suppose there are found ten?” And He said, “I would not destroy it for the sake of ten.”

33Then יהוה went away as soon as He had ended speaking to Aḇraham. And Aḇraham returned to his place.