Bible stories my children love best of all

Contents

I. The Beginning 1

II. The Flood 1

III. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob .... 11

II The Flood

ADAM had many sons and daughters, and he lived nine hundred and thirty years. His son Seth lived nine hundred and twelve years, and Seth's descendant, Methuselah, lived nine hundred and sixty and nine years.

The people multiplied, and the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was evil continually; and the Lord said: "I will destroy man whom I have created, and beast, and creeping thing, and fowl of the air; for it repenteth Me that I have made them."

Only one man, Noah, found grace in the eyes of the Lord; and God said unto Noah: "The end of all flesh is come; for the earth is filled with violence. Make thee an ark of gopher wood. Rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits,* and the height thirty cubits. A roof shalt thou

*A cubit originally meant the length of the forearm from the elbow to the extremity of the middle finger. The cubit of the Hebrews was nearly eighteen inches.

make to the ark, and a door shalt thou set in the side thereof. With lower, second and third stories shalt thou make it. Behold, I will cause it to rain forty days and forty nights; and every living thing that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the ground. But thou shalt come into the ark, thou, thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives; and of every living thing, two of every sort, male and female, shalt thou bring into the ark to keep them alive with thee. Of the fowls after their kind, and of the cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee to keep them alive; and take thou of all food that is eaten, and it shall be food for thee and for them."

Noah did according unto all that the Lord commanded him; and in the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons, into the ark; and every beast, and all the cattle, and every creeping thing, and every bird of every sort, went into the ark, two and two of all flesh, male and female; and the Lord shut them in.

Forty days it rained, and the waters prevailed and increased greatly, and the ark went on the face of the waters. All the high mountains were covered and all

The^Flood 9

flesh died, both fowl, and cattle, and beast, and every creeping thing, and every man. Noah only was left, and they that were with him in the ark.

God remembered Noah, and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters assuaged. The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain was restrained. The waters decreased and Noah opened the window of the ark and sent forth a dove to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground; but the dove found no rest for the sole of its foot and it returned ; and Noah put forth his hand and brought it into the ark. He stayed seven days, and again he sent the dove out of the ark; and the dove came in to him at eventide, and, lo, in its mouth an olive leaf plucked off. So Noah knew that the waters were abated from the earth. He stayed yet other seven days and sent forth the dove, which returned not again.

More than a year after the flood began, Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the ark rested on the mountains of Ararat. The face of the ground was dried, and God spake unto Noah, saying: "Go forth out of the ark."

So Noah, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives, and every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, went forth out of the ark; and Noah builded an altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. The Lord smelled the sweet savor, and the Lord said : " I will not again smite every thing living, as I have done. While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease."

God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them: "The fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, and on every fowl of the air, and on all the fishes of the sea. Into your hand are they delivered; and behold, I establish my covenant with you and with every living creature. All flesh shall not be cut off any more by the waters of a flood. This is the token of the covenant which I make: I do set my bow in the cloud. It shall come to pass when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud, and I will remember my covenant."

Many years passed and the people increased greatly, and the whole earth was of one family and of one speech. As they journeyed they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. They said one to another: "Let us make brick and build a city, and a tower whose top may reach unto heaven."

The Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the children of men builded ; and the Lord said ; "Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is what they begin to do. Let us confound their language that they may not understand one another's speech."

So the Lord scattered them abroad thence on the face of all the earth. They left off to build the city, and the city was called Babel.

m

ABRAHAM, a descendant of Shem, dwelt in Haran, and the Lord said unto Abraham: " Get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred unto the land that I will show thee; and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless them that bless thee, and him that curseth thee will I curse."

So Abraham took Sarah his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and they went forth into the land of Canaan; and the Lord appeared unto Abraham, and said: "Unto thy seed will I give this land."

Abraham was very rich in cattle, in silver and in gold. Lot also had flocks and herds and tents; and the land was not able to bear them that he and Abraham might dwell together. There was a strife between the herdmen of Abraham's cattle and the herdmen of Lot's cattle, and Abraham said unto Lot: "Let there be no strife between me and thee. Is not the whole land before thee? Separate thyself, I pray thee, from me. If thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou take the right hand, then I will go to the left."

Lot lifted up his eyes and beheld the Plain of Jordan that it was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord. Then Lot chose the Plain of Jordan, and Lot and Abraham separated the one from the other. Lot moved his tent as far as Sodom; but the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners against the Lord exceedingly.

Abraham moved his tent and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre which are in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord. As he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day, lo, three men stood over against him. They were the Lord and two angels. When Abraham saw them, he ran to them, and bowed himself to the earth, and said: "Pass not away from thy servant. Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves; and I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts. After that ye shall pass on."

They said: "So do as thou hast said."

Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said: "Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, and make cakes."

Then he ran unto the herd and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a servant, who dressed it. Abraham took butter, and milk, and the calf which had been prepared, and set this food before the men, and he stood by them, and they did eat.

Later the men rose up and started toward Sodom, and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way; and the Lord said: "Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous, I will go and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry which is come unto me."

The two angels went on toward Sodom, but Abraham stood before the Lord and said: "Wilt thou destroy the righteous with the wicked? Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city, wilt thou not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein ?"

The Lord said : "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous, then I will spare all the place for their sake."

Abraham said : " Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous, wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five?"

The Lord said: "I will not destroy it if I find there forty and five."

Abraham spake yet again and said: "Peradventure there shall be forty found ?"

The Lord said: "I will not destroy it for the forty's sake."

Abraham said: "Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Peradventure there shall thirty be found ?"

The Lord said : " I will not do it if I find thirty there."

Abraham said: "Peradventure there shall be twenty found?"

The Lord said : " I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake."

Abraham said: "Oh let not the Lord be angry, and

I will speak yet this once. Peradventure ten shall be found ?"

The Lord said: "I will not destroy it for the ten's sake;" and the Lord went his way, and Abraham returned.

The two angels came to Sodom at even, and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom. Lot saw them, and rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face to the earth; and he said: "My lords, turn aside, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and ye shall rise early, and go on your way."

He urged them greatly, and they entered his house and he made them a feast and they did eat. But before they lay down, the men of the city compassed the house round, and called unto Lot, and said: "Where are the men that came in to thee this night ? Bring them out unto us."

Lot went out and shut the door after him, and he said: "I pray you, my brethren, unto these men do nothing, forasmuch as they are come under the shadow of my roof."

They said : " Now will we deal worse with thee than with them."

They pressed sore on Lot, and drew near to break the door; but the two men put forth their hands, and pulled Lot into the house; and they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, so they wearied themselves to find the door. Then the two men said unto Lot: "Hast thou here any others of thy family? Whomsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out; for we will destroy this place because the wickedness of its people is waxen great."

Lot went and spake unto his sons-in-law, and his two daughters, and said: "Up, get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city."

But he seemed unto his sons-in-law as one that mocked.

When it was morning the angels hastened Lot, saying: "Arise, take thy wife and thy two daughters, lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city."

He lingered, and the men laid hold on his hand, and on the hand of his wife, and on the hands of his two daughters, and brought them forth, and set them without the city; and the men said unto Lot: "Escape for thy life. Look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the Plain. Escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed."

Lot said unto them: " Oh, not so, my lords. Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight. I cannot escape to the mountain, lest evil overtake me, and I die. There is a city near, and it is a little one. Oh, let me escape thither."

They said unto him: "We have accepted thee concerning this thing also. We will not overthrow the city of which thou hast spoken. Haste thee; for we cannot do anything till thou be arrived thither."

The name of the city was Zoar; and as Lot went toward it, his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. The sun was risen when Lot entered Zoar. Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire out of heaven, and he overthrew those cities and all the Plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and all that grew on the ground.

Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord; and he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the Plain, and, lo, the smoke of the land went up as the smoke of a furnace. But God had remembered Abraham, and had sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow.

Lot went from Zoar to the mountain; for he feared to dwell in Zoar; and he lived in a cave, he and his two daughters.

Sarah, Abraham's wife was without children; and she had a handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar; and Sarah gave her handmaid to Abraham to be his wife. Hagar bare Abraham a son, and Abraham called the name of his son, Ishmael.

In her old age, Sarah, also bare a son, and Abraham named him Isaac. The child grew and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned; and Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, mocking. Wherefore she said unto Abraham: "Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son."

The thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight; but God said unto Abraham: "In all that Sarah hath said, hearken unto her voice."

So Abraham gave bread and a bottle of water unto Hagar and the child, and sent them away. They departed, and wandered in the wilderness; and the water in the bottle was spent, and Hagar cast the child under one of the shrubs. Then she went and sat down a good way off; for she said: "Let me not look on the death of the child."

She lifted up her voice and wept, and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said: 'What aileth thee, Hagar? Fear not. Arise, lift up the lad; for I will make him a great nation."

God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water, and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink. God was with the lad, and he grew, and he dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer; and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.

It came to pass after these things that God did prove Abraham, and said unto him: "Abraham, take now thy son Isaac, and get thee into the land of Moriah, and offer him there for a burnt offering on one of the mountains."

Abraham rose early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and

Isaac his son. He clave the wood for the burnt offering, and journeyed toward the place of which God had told him. On the third day he saw the place afar off, and Abraham said unto his young men: "Abide ye here with the ass, and I and the lad will go yonder, and we will worship, and come again to you."

Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took in his hand the fire and the knife; and they went both of them together. Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said: "Behold the fire, and the wood; but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?"

Abraham said: "God will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son."

They came to the place, and Abraham built an altar, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, on the wood. Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son; and the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said: "Abraham, Abraham."

Abraham said: "Here am I."

The angel said: "Lay not thine hand on the lad; for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son from Him."

Then Abraham saw behind him a ram caught in a thicket by its horns, and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.

The angel of the Lord called unto Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said : " Because thou hast not withheld thy son, I will bless thee, and I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand which is on the seashore. In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed my voice. "

So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they went with him to his dwelling-place.

The life of Sarah was a hundred and seven and twenty years; and Sarah died in Hebron in the land of Canaan.

Abraham was old, and well stricken in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. Abraham said unto his servant, the elder of his house, that ruled over all he had: "I pray thee, swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell; but thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac."

The servant sware to him concerning this matter, and took ten camels, and went unto the city of Abraham's brother Nahor. He made the camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of evening that women go to draw water; and he said: "O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, send me good speed this day. Behold, I stand by the well, and the daughters of the city draw water. Let it come to pass, that the damsel of whom I shall ask drink be she that Thou hast appointed for Thy servant Isaac."

Before he had done speaking, Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel the son of Nahor, Abraham's brother, came with her pitcher on her shoulder; and the damsel was very fair to look on. She went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up. The servant ran to meet her, and said: " Give me to drink, I pray thee."

She said: "Drink, my lord;" and she let down her pitcher on her hand, and gave him drink.

Then she said: "I will draw for thy camels also."

She hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well, and drew for all his camels. The man looked steadfastly on her, and it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that he put on her a golden ring and two bracelets, and said: "Whose daughter art thou? Tell me, I pray thee, is there room in thy father's house for me to lodge ?"

She said unto him: "I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Nahor. We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in."

The man bowed his head, and worshipped the Lord, and said: " Blessed be the God of my master Abraham, who hath led me to my master's brethren."

The damsel ran, and told her mother's household. Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and when he saw the ring and the bracelets she wore, and heard his sister's words, lie went unto the man; and, behold, the man stood by the camels at the well. Laban said: " Come in, thou blessed of the Lord. Wherefore stand - est thou without?"

The man followed Laban to the house, and Laban ungirded the camels, and gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash the man's feet and the feet of the men that were with him. Then there was set meat before him to eat; but he said: "I will not eat until I have told mine errand."

Laban said: "Speak on."

The man said: "I am Abraham's servant. The Lord hath blessed my master greatly, and hath given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and menservants and maidservants, and camels and asses. My master hath a son, the only child of his wife Sarah, and my master made me swear, saying: 'Thou shalt not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites; but thou shalt go to my kindred, and take a wife for my son.' I came this day unto the well, and behold, Rebekah came with her pitcher on her shoulder, and she went down and drew water, and gave me to drink. She made the camels drink also; and she said she was the daughter of Nahor's son, and I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her hands. Then I bowed my head, and blessed the Lord who had led me in the right way to take a daughter of my master's kindred for his son. Now if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me."

Laban and Bethuel answered and said : " The thing proceedeth from the Lord. Rebekah is before thee; take her and let her be thy master's son's wife."

When Abraham's servant heard their words, he brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah. He gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things; and he and the men that were with him did eat and drink, and tarried all night.

They rose up in the morning, and he said: "Send me away unto my master. Hinder me not."

Rebekah's brother and her mother called her, and said : " Wilt thou go with this man ?"

She said: "I will go."

So they sent away Rebekah, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant, and his men. Rebekah and her damsels rode on the camels, and followed the man; and he went his way.

Isaac dwelt in the south country; and Isaac went out to meditate in the field at eventide. He lifted up his eyes, and, behold, there were camels coming, and Rebekah saw Isaac, and alighted off her camel. She said unto the servant: "What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us ?"

The servant said : " It is Isaac."

The servant told Isaac all the things that he had done; and Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother Sarah's tent, and Rebekah became his wife, and he was comforted after his mother's death.

Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac; and these are the years of Abraham's life, a hundred three score and fifteen years; and Abraham died, and his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him.

Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to be his wife; and they had twin children, Esau and Jacob. The boys grew, and Esau became a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob became a dweller in tents. Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison, and Rebekah loved Jacob.

Esau came in from the field, and he was faint; and Esau said to Jacob: "Feed me, I pray thee.

Jacob said: "Sell me first thy birthright. 3

Esau said: "Behold, I am at the point to die, and what profit shall the birthright do to me?"

So he sold his birthright unto Jacob; and Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and Esau did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way.

It came to pass, when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim so that he could not see, he called Esau, and said unto him: "My son, behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death. Therefore, I pray thee, take thy quiver and thy bow, and go and get me some venison. Make me savory meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat, that my soul may bless thee before I die."

Rebekah heard what Isaac said, and when Esau went to hunt for venison, she spake unto Jacob saying: "I heard thy father say to Esau thy brother: 'Bring me venison, and make me savory meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before my death.' Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee. Go to the flock, and fetch me two good kids of the goats, and I will make them savory meat for thy father, such as he loveth; and thou shalt take it to thy father, so that he may bless thee."

Jacob said to his mother: "Behold, Esau is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. My father perad venture will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver, and I shall bring a curse on me, and not a blessing."

His mother said: "On me be thy curse, my son. Only obey my voice."

Then he went and fetched the kids, and his mother made savory meat; and Rebekah took the goodly raiment of Esau, which was in the house, and put it on Jacob; and she put the skins of the kids on his hands, and on the smooth of his neck; and she gave the savory meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.

He went unto his father, and said: "My father."

Isaac said: "Here am I. Who art thou?"

Jacob said: "I am Esau. I have done according as thou badest me. I pray thee, eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me."

Isaac said : " How is it that thou hast prepared it so quickly, my son ?"

Jacob said : " Because the Lord thy'God sent me good speed."

Isaac said unto Jacob: "Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee whether thou be my very son Esau or not."

Jacob went near unto Isaac his father, and Isaac felt him, and said: "The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau."

He discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau's hands; and he said: "I will eat of my son's venison, that my soul may bless thee."

Jacob brought it near to him, and he did eat; and Jacob brought wine, and he drank. Then Isaac said: "Come now, and kiss me, my son."

So Jacob came and kissed him; and Isaac smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, saying:

"See, the smell of my son

Is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed ;

Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven,

And of the fatness of the earth, And plenty of corn and wine.

Let peoples serve thee,

And nations bow down to thee.

Be lord over thy brethren,

And let thy mother's sons bow down to thee.

Cursed be everyone that curseth thee,

And blessed be everyone that blesseth thee."

It came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau came in from his hunting. He also made savory meat, and brought it unto his father, and said: "Let my father arise, and eat of his son's vlenison, that thy soul may bless me."

Isaac said unto him: "Who art thou?"

Esau said : " I am thy son Esau."

Isaac trembled exceedingly, and said : " Who then is he that brought venison to me, before thou earnest, and I have eaten, and have blessed him ?"

When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and bitter cry, and said : " Bless me, even me also, O my father!"