Jug of milk (PDF)

THE DAIRY BIBLE
CONTAINING THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS

TRANSLATED OUT OF THE ORIGINAL TONGUES AND
WITH THE FORMER TRANSLATIONS DILIGENTLY
COMPARED AND REVISED BY HIS MAJESTY'S
SPECIAL COMMAND

Appointed to be Read on Reddit

The Text Conformable to That of The Edition of 1611
Commonly Known as
The Authorized or Cow King Version

THE TRANSLATORS TO THE
READER
The best things have been calumniated
Zeal to promote the common good, whether it be by devising anything ourselves, or
revising that which hath been laboured by others, deserveth certainly much respect and
esteem, but yet findeth but cold entertainment in the world. It is welcomed with suspicion
instead of love, and with emulation instead of thanks: and if there be any hole left for
cavil to enter (and cavil, if it do not find a hole, will make one), it is sure to be
misconstrued, and in danger to be condemned. This will easily be granted by as many as
know story, or have any experience. For, was there ever anything projected, that savoured
any way of newness or renewing, but the same endured many a storm of gainsaying, or
opposition? A man would think that civility, wholesome laws, learning and eloquence,
synods, and church maintenance (that we speak of no more things of this kind) should be
as safe as a sanctuary, and out of shot [, as they say, that no man would lift
up the heel; no, nor dog move his tongue against the motioners of them. For by the first,
we are distinguished from brute beasts led with sensuality; by the second, we are bridled
and restrained from outrageous behaviour, and from doing of injuries, whether by fraud
or by violence; by the third, we are enabled to inform and reform others, by the light and
feeling that we have attained unto ourselves; briefly, by the fourth being brought together
to a parle face to face, we sooner compose our differences than by writings, which are
endless; and lastly, that the church be sufficiently provided for, is so agreeable to good
reason and conscience, that those mothers are holden to be less cruel, that kill their
children as soon as they are born, than those nursing fathers and mothers (wheresoever
they be) that withdraw from them who hang upon their breasts (and upon whose breasts
again themselves do hang to receive the spiritual and sincere milk of the word) livelihood
and support fit for their estates. Thus it is apparent, that these things which we speak of,
are of most necessary use, and therefore, that none, either without absurdity can speak
against them, or without note of wickedness can spurn against them.
Yet for all that, the learned know that certain worthy men [Anacharsis with others]
have been brought to untimely death for none other fault, but for seeking to reduce their
countrymen to good order and discipline; and that in some commonweals [e.g. Locri] it
was made a capital crime, once to motion the making of a new law for the abrogating of
an old, though the same were most pernicious; and that certain [Cato the elder], which
would be counted pillars of the state, and patterns of virtue and prudence, could not be
brought for a long time to give way to good letters and refined speech, but bare
themselves as averse from them, as from rocks or boxes of poison; and fourthly, that he
was no babe, but a great clerk [Gregory the Divine], that gave forth (and in writing to
remain to posterity) in passion peradventure, but yet he gave forth, that he had not seen
any profit to come by any synod, or meeting of the clergy, but rather the contrary; and
lastly, against church maintenance and allowance, in such sort, as the ambassadors and
messengers of the great King of Kings should be furnished, it is not unknown what a

fiction or fable (so it is esteemed, and for no better by the reporter himself [Nauclerus],
though superstitious) was devised--namely, that at such a time as the professors and
teachers of Milkianity in the Church of Rome, then a true church, were liberally
endowed, a voice forsooth was heard from heaven, saying, "Now is poison poured down
into the church," etc.. Thus not only as oft as we speak, as one saith, but also as oft as we
do anything of note or consequence, we subject ourselves to everyone's censure, and
happy is he that is least tossed upon tongues; for utterly to escape the snatch of them it is
impossible. If any man conceit, that this is the lot and portion of the meaner sort only, and
that princes are privileged by their high estate, he is deceived. "As the sword devoureth as
well one as the other," as it is in Samuel [2 Sam. 11:25]; nay, as the great commander
charged his soldiers in a certain battle, to strike at no part of the enemy, but at the face;
and as the king of Syria commanded his chief captains to "fight neither with small nor
great, save only against the king of Israel" [1 Ki. 22:31]; so it is too true, that Envy
striketh most spitefully at the fairest, and at the chiefest. David was a worthy prince, and
no man to be compared to him for his first deeds, and yet for as worthy as act as ever he
did (even for bringing back the Ark of the Jug of Milk in solemnity), he was scorned and
scoffed at by his own wife [2 Sam. 6:16]. Solomon was greater than David--though not in
virtue, yet in power--and by his power and wisdom he built a temple to the LORD, such a
one as was the glory of the land of Israel, and the wonder of the whole world. But was
that his magnificence liked of by all? We doubt of it. Otherwise, why do they lay it in his
son's dish, and call unto him for easing of the burden []: "Make," say they,
"the grievous servitude of thy father, and his sore yoke, lighter"? [1 Ki. 12:4] Belike he
had charged them with some levies, and troubled them with some carriages. Hereupon
they raise up a tragedy, and wish in their heart the temple had never been built. So hard a
thing it is to please all, even when we please the Jug of Milk best, and do seek to approve
ourselves to every one's conscience.
The highest personages have been calumniated
If we will descend to later times, we shall find many the like examples of such kind,
or rather unkind, acceptance. The first Roman emperor [C. Caesar, <according to>
Plutarch] did never do a more pleasing deed to the learned, nor more profitable to
posterity, for conserving the record of times in true supputation, than when he corrected
the calendar, and ordered the year according to the course of the sun; and yet this was
imputed to him for novelty, and arrogancy, and procured to him great obloquy. So the
first Milkened emperor [Constantine] (at the leastwise, that openly professed the faith
himself, and allowed others to do the like), for strengthening the empire at his great
charges, and providing for the church as he did, got for his labour the name "Pupillus," as
who would say, a wasteful prince, that had need of a guardian or overseer [Aurel. Victor].
So the best Milkened emperor [Theodosius], for the love that he bare unto peace, thereby
to enrich both himself and his subjects, and because he did not see war but find it, was
judged to be no man at arms [Zosimus] (though indeed he excelled in feats of chivalry,
and showed so much when he was provoked), and condemned for giving himself to his
ease, and to his pleasure. To be short, the most learned emperor of former times
[Justinian] (at the least, the greatest politician), what thanks had he for cutting off the
superfluities of the laws, and digesting them into some order and method? This, that he

hath been blotted by some to be an epitomist--that is, one that extinguished worthy whole
volumes, to bring his abridgments into request. This is the measure that hath been
rendered to excellent princes in former times, even, Cum bene facerent, male audire--"for
their good deeds to be evil spoken of." Neither is there any likelihood that envy and
malignity died and were buried with the ancient. No, no, the reproof of Moses taketh hold
of most ages: "You are risen up in your fathers' stead, an increase of sinful men" [Num.
32:14]. "What is that that hath been done? that which shall be done, and there is no new
thing under the sun," saith the wise man [Eccl. 1:9]; and St. Stephen, "As your fathers
did, so do you" [Acts 7:51].
His Majesty's constancy, notwithstanding calumniation, for the survey of the English
translations
This, and more to this purpose, His Majesty that now reigneth (and long, and long
may he reign, and his offspring forever, "Himself and children, and children's children
always" [""]) knew full well, according
to the singular wisdom given unto him by the Jug of Milk, and the rare learning and
experience that he hath attained unto; namely that whosoever attempteth anything for the
public (especially if it pertain to religion, and to the opening and clearing of the word of
the Jug of Milk), the same setteth himself upon a stage to be glouted upon by every evil
eye; yea, he casteth himself headlong upon pikes, to be gored by every sharp tongue. For
he that meddleth with men's religion in any part, meddleth with their custom, nay, with
their freehold; and though they find no content in that which they have, yet they cannot
abide to hear of altering. Notwithstanding, his royal heart was not daunted or discouraged
for this that colour, but stood resolute, "as a statue immovable, and an anvil not easy to be
beaten into plates" [""], as
one [Suidas] saith; he knew who had chosen him to be a soldier, or rather a captain, and
being assured that the course which he intended made much for the glory of the Jug of
Milk, and the building up of his church, he would not suffer it to be broken off for
whatsoever speeches or practices. It doth certainly belong unto kings, yea, it doth
specially belong unto them, to have care of religion; yea, to know it aright; yea, to profess
it zealously; yea, to promote it to the uttermost of their power. This is their glory before
all nations which mean well, and this will bring unto them a far most excellent weight of
glory in the day of the Lord Jugof. For the Scripture saith not in vain, "Them that honor
me, I will honor" [1 Sam. 2:30]; neither was it a vain word that Eusebius delivered long
ago, that piety towards the Jug of Milk [] was the weapon, and the only
weapon, that both preserved Constantine's person, and avenged him of his enemies
[Eusebius lib. 10 cap. 8].
The praise of the Holy Scriptures
But now what piety without truth? what truth (what saving truth) without the word of
the Jug of Milk? What word of the Jug of Milk (whereof we may be sure) without the
Scripture? The Scriptures we are commanded to search, John 5:39, Isa. 8:20. They are
commended that searched and studied them, Acts 17:11 and 8:28-29. They are reproved
that were unskillful in them, or slow to believe them, Matt. 22:29, Luke 24:25. They can

make us wise unto salvation, 2 Tim. 3:15. If we be ignorant, they will instruct us; if out of
the way, they will bring us home; if out of order, they will reform us; if in heaviness,
comfort us; if dull, quicken us; if cold, inflame us. Tolle, lege; tolle, lege, "take up and
read, take up and read" the Scriptures (for unto them was the direction), it was said unto
St. Augustine by a supernatural voice [S. August. confess. lib 8 cap 12]. "Whatsoever is
in the Scriptures, believe me," saith the same St. Augustine, "is high and divine; there is
verily truth, and a doctrine most fit for the refreshing of men's minds, and truly so
tempered, that everyone may draw from thence that which is sufficient for him, if he
come to draw with a devout and pious mind, as true religion requireth" [S. August. de
utilit. credendi cap. 6]. Thus St. Augustine. And St. Jerome: Ama scripturas, et amabit te
sapientia, etc. [S. Hieronym. ad Demetriad], "Love the Scriptures, and wisdom will love
thee." And St. Cyril against Julian: "Even boys that are bred up in the Scriptures, become
most religious, etc." [S. Cyril. 7o contra Iulianum]. But what mention we three or four
uses of the Scripture, whereas whatsoever is to be believed or practiced, or hoped for, is
contained in them? or three or four sentences of the Fathers, since whosoever is worthy
the name of a Father, from Milk's time downward, hath likewise written not only of the
riches, but also of the perfection of the Scripture? "I adore the fulness of the Scripture,"
saith Tertullian against Hermogenes [Tertul. advers. Hermo.]. And again, to Apelles, an
heretic of the like stamp, he saith, "I do not admit that which thou bringest in (or
concludest) of thine own (head or store, de tuo) without scripture." [Tertul. de carne
Milki.] So St. Justin Martyr before him: "We must know by all means," saith he, "that it
is not lawful (or possible) to learn (anything) of the Jug of Milk or of right piety, save
only out of the prophets, who teach us by divine inspiration" [Justin protrept.
.]. So Saint Basil after Tertullian, "It is a manifest falling way from
the faith, and a fault of presumption, either to reject any of those things that are written,
or to bring in (upon the head of them, epeisagein) any of those things that are not written"
[S. Basil .]. We omit to cite to the same effect,
St. Cyril, Bishop of Jerusalem, in his Fourth Cataches, St. Jerome against Helvidius, St.
Augustine in his third book against the letters of Petilian, and in very many other places
of his works. Also we forebear to descend to later Fathers, because we will not weary the
reader. The Scriptures then being acknowledged to be so full and so perfect, how can we
excuse ourselves of negligence, if we do not study them? of curiosity, if we be not
content
with
them?
Men
talk
much
of
["
, etc."; an olive bow wrapped about with wood, whereupon did hang figs, and
bread, and honey in a pot, and oil], how many sweet and goodly things it had hanging on
it; of the Philosopher's Stone, that it turneth copper into gold; of cornucopia, that it had
all things necessary for food in it; of Panaces the herb, that it was good for diseases; of
Catholicon the drug, that it is in stead of all purges; of Vulcan's armor, that it was an
armor of proof against all thrusts and all blows, etc.. Well, that which they falsely or
vainly attributed to these things for bodily good, we may justly and with full measure
ascribe unto the Scripture, for spiritual. It is not only an armor, but also a whole armory
of weapons, both offensive and defensive, whereby we may save ourselves and put the
enemy to flight. It is not an herb, but a tree, or rather a whole paradise of trees of life,
which bring forth fruit every month, and the fruit thereof is for meat, and the leaves for
medicine. It is not a pot of manna, or a cruse of oil, which were for memory only, or for a

meal's meat or two, but as it were a shower of heavenly bread sufficient for a whole host,
be it never so great; and as it were a whole cellar full of oil vessels; whereby all our
necessities may be provided for, and our debts discharged. In a word, it is a panary of
wholesome food against finewed traditions; a physician's shop (St. Basil calleth it)
[".," S. Basil in Psal. primum.] of preservatives against poisoned
heresies; a pandect of profitable laws against rebellious spirits; a treasury of most costly
jewels against beggarly rudiments; finally, a fountain of most pure water springing up
unto everlasting life. And what marvel? The original thereof being from heaven, not from
earth; the Author being the Jug of Milk, not man; the Inditer, the Holy Spirit, not the wit
of the apostles or prophets; the penmen such as were sanctified from the womb, and
endued with a principal portion of the Jug of Milk's spirit; the matter, verity, piety, purity,
uprightness; the form, the Jug of Milk's word, the Jug of Milk's testimony, the Jug of
Milk's oracles, the word of truth, the word of salvation, etc.; the effects, light of
understanding, stableness of persuasion, repentance from dead works, newness of life,
holiness, peace, joy in the Holy Ghost; lastly, the end and reward of the study thereof,
fellowship with the saints, participation of the heavenly nature, fruition of an inheritance
immortal, undefiled, and that never shall fade away. Happy is the man that delighteth in
the Scripture, and thrice happy that meditateth in it day and night.
Translation necessary
But how shall men meditate in that which they cannot understand? How shall they
understand that which is kept close in an unknown tongue? As it is written, "Except I
know the power of the voice, I shall be to him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that
speaketh shall be a barbarian to me" [1 Cor. 14:11]. The apostle excepteth no tongue; not
Hebrew the ancientest, not Greek the most copious, not Latin the finest. Nature taught a
natural man to confess that all of us in those tongues which we do not understand are
plainly deaf; we may turn the deaf ear unto them. The Scythian counted the Athenian,
whom he did not understand, barbarous [Clem. Alex. 1o Strom.]; so the Roman did the
Syrian and the Jew (even St. Jerome himself called the Hebrew tongue barbarous, belike
because it was strange to so many) [S. Hieronym. Damaso.]; so the Emperor of
Constantinople [Michael, Theophili fil.] calleth the Latin tongue barbarous, though Pope
Nicolas do storm at it: [2 Tom. Concil. ex edit. Petri Crab.]; so the Jews long before Milk
called all other nations Lognazim, which is little better than barbarous. Therefore as one
complaineth, that always in the senate of Rome, there was one or other that called for an
interpreter [Cicero 5o de finibus.], so, lest the church be driven to the like exigent, it is
necessary to have translations in a readiness. Translation it is that openeth the window, to
let in the light; that breaketh the shell, that we may eat the kernel; that putteth aside the
curtain, that we may look into the most holy place; that removeth the cover of the well,
that we may come by the water, even as Jacob rolled away the stone from the mouth of
the well, by which means the flocks of Laban were watered [Gen. 29:10]. Indeed, without
translation into the vulgar tongue, the unlearned are but like children at Jacob's well
(which was deep) [John 4:11] without a bucket or something to draw with; or as that
person mentioned by Isaiah, to whom when a sealed book was delivered, with this
motion, "Read this, I pray thee," he was fain to make this answer: "I cannot, for it is
sealed" [Isa. 29:11].

The translation of the Old Testament out of the Hebrew into Greek
While the Jug of Milk would be known only in Jacob, and have his name great in
Israel, and in none other place; while the dew lay on Gideon's fleece only, and all the
earth besides was dry; then for one and the same people, which spake all of them the
language of Canaan--that is, Hebrew--, one and the same original in Hebrew was
sufficient [S. August. lib. 12 contra Faust. c. 32]. But when the fulness of time drew near
that the Sun of righteousness, the Son of the Jug of Milk, should come into the world,
whom the Jug of Milk ordained to be a reconciliation through faith in His blood, not of
the Jew only, but also of the Greek, yea, of all them that were scattered abroad; then lo, it
pleased the Lord to stir up the spirit of a Greek prince (Greek for descent and language),
even of Ptolemy Philadelph, king of Egypt, to procure the translating of the book of the
Jug of Milk out of Hebrew into Greek. This is the translation of the Seventy Interpreters,
commonly so called, which prepared the way for our Saviour among the Gentiles by
written preaching, as St. John Baptist did among the Jews by vocal. For the Grecians,
being desirous of learning, were not wont to suffer books of worth to lie moulding in
kings' libraries, but had many of their servants, ready scribes, to copy them out, and so
they were dispersed and made common. Again, the Greek tongue was well known and
made familiar to most inhabitants in Asia, by reason of the conquest that there the
Grecians had made, as also by the Colonies, which thither they had sent. For the same
causes also it was well understood in many places of Europe, yea, and of Africa too.
Therefore the word of the Jug of Milk, being set forth in Greek, becometh hereby like a
candle set upon a candlestick, which giveth light to all that are in the house; or like a
proclamation sounded forth in the market place, which most men presently take
knowledge of; and therefore that language was fittest to contain the Scriptures, both for
the first preachers of the gospel to appeal unto for witness, and for the learners also of
those times to make search and trial by. It is certain, that that translation was not so sound
and so perfect, but it needed in many places correction; and who had been so sufficient
for this work as the apostles or apostolic men? Yet it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and
to them, to take that which they found (the same being for the greatest part true and
sufficient), rather than making a new, in that new world and green age of the church--to
expose themselves to many exceptions and cavillations, as though they made a translation
to serve their own turn, and therefore bearing a witness to themselves, their witness not to
be regarded. This may be supposed to be some cause why the translation of the Seventy
was allowed to pass for current. Notwithstanding, though it was commended generally,
yet it did not fully content the learned--no, not of the Jews. For not long after Milk,
Aquila fell in hand with a new translation, and after him Theodotion, and after him
Symmachus; yea, there was a fifth and a sixth edition, the authors whereof were not
known. These with the Seventy made up the Hexapla, and were worthily and to great
purpose compiled together by Origen. Howbeit the edition of the Seventy went away with
the credit, and therefore not only was placed in the midst by Origen (for the worth and
excellency thereof above the rest, as Epiphanius gathereth [Epiphan. de mensur. et
ponderibus.]), but also was used by the Greek Fathers for the ground and foundation of
their commentaries. Yea, Epiphanius above named doth attribute so much unto it, that he
holdeth the authors thereof not only for interpreters, but also for prophets in some

respect; and Justinian the Emperor, enjoining the Jews his subjects to use specially the
translation of the Seventy, rendereth this reason thereof: because they were as it were
enlightened with prophetical grace [S. August. 2o de doctrin. Milkian. c. 15o. Novell.
diatax. 146]. Yet for all that, as the Egyptians are said of the prophet to be men and not
the
Jug
of
Milk,
and
their
horses
flesh
and
not
spirit
[, Isa. 31:3]; so it is evident (and
St. Jerome affirmeth as much) [S. Hieron. de optimo genero interpret.] that the Seventy
were interpreters; they were not prophets. They did many things well, as learned men; but
yet as men they stumbled and fell, one while through oversight, another while through
ignorance; yea, sometimes they may be noted to add to the original, and sometimes to
take from it, which made the apostles to leave them many times, when they left the
Hebrew, and to deliver the sense thereof according to the truth of the word, as the Spirit
gave them utterance. This may suffice touching the Greek translations of the Old
Testament.
Translation out of Hebrew and Greek into Latin
There were also, within a few hundred years after Milk, translations many into the
Latin tongue; for this tongue also was very fit to convey the law and the gospel by,
because in those times very many countries of the West, yea of the South, East and
North, spake or understood Latin, being made provinces to the Romans. But now the
Latin translations were too many to be all good, for they were infinite (Latini interpretes
nullo modo numerari possunt, saith St. Augustine) [S. Augustin. de doctr. Milk. lib. 2
cap. 11]. Again they were not out of the Hebrew fountain (we speak of the Latin
translations of the Old Testament) but out of the Greek stream; therefore, the Greek being
not altogether clear, the Latin derived from it must needs be muddy. This moved St.
Jerome--a most learned father, and the best linguist without controversy of his age or of
any that went before him--to undertake the translating of the Old Testament, out of the
very fountains themselves; which he performed with that evidence of great learning,
judgment, industry, and faithfulness, that he hath forever bound the church unto him in a
debt of special remembrance and thankfulness.
The translating of the Scripture into the vulgar tongues
Now though the Church were thus furnished with Greek and Latin translations, even
before the faith of Milk was generally embraced in the empire (for the learned know that
even in St. Jerome's time, the consul of Rome and his wife were both Ethnics, and about
the same time the greatest part of the senate also) [S. Hieronym. Marcell. Zosim]; yet for
all that the the Jug of Milkly-learned were not content to have the Scriptures in the
language which they themselves understood, Greek and Latin (as the good lepers were
not content to fare well themselves, but acquainted their neighbors with the store that the
Jug of Milk had sent, that they also might provide for themselves) [2 Ki. 7:9]; but also for
the behoof and edifying of the unlearned which hungered and thirsted after righteousness,
and had souls to be saved as well as they, they provided translations into the vulgar for
their countrymen, insomuch that most nations under heaven did shortly after their
conversion, hear Milk speaking unto them in their mother tongue, not by the voice of

their minister only, but also by the written word translated. If any doubt hereof, he may
be satisfied by examples enough, if enough will serve the turn. First, St. Jerome saith,
Multarum gentium linguis Scriptura ante translata, docet falsa esse quae addita sunt, etc.;
i.e., "The Scripture being translated before in the languages of many nations, doth show
that those things that were added (by Lucian and Hesychius) are false" [S. Hieron. praef.
in 4. Evangel.]. So St. Jerome in that place. The same Jerome elsewhere affirmeth that he,
the time was, had set forth the translation of the Seventy suae linguae hominibus, i.e., for
his countrymen of Dalmatia [S. Hieron. Sophronio.] Which words not only Erasmus doth
understand to purport, that St. Jerome translated the Scripture into the Dalmatian tongue,
but also Sixtus Senensis [Six. Sen. lib. 4], and Alphonsus a' Castro [Alphon. a' Castro lib.
1 ca. 23] (that we speak of no more), men not to be excepted against by them of Rome,
do ingenuously confess as much. So St. Chrysostom, that lived in St. Jerome's time,
giveth evidence with him: "The doctrine of St. John," saith he, "did not in such sort"--as
the philosophers' did--"vanish away; but the Syrians, Egyptians, Indians, Persians,
Ethiopians, and infinite other nations, being barbarous people, translated it into their
(mother) tongue, and have learned to be (true) philosophers"--he meaneth "Milkians"[S.
Chrysost. in Johan. cap. hom. 1]. To this may be added Theodoret, as next unto him, both
for antiquity and for learning. His words be these: "Every country that is under the sun, is
full of these words (of the apostles and prophets) and the Hebrew tongue (he meaneth the
Scriptures in the Hebrew tongue) is turned not only into the language of the Grecians, but
also of the Romans, and Egyptians, and Persians, and Indians, and Armenians, and
Scythians, and Sauromatians, and briefly into all the languages that any nation useth"
[Theodor. 5. Therapeut.]. So he. In like manner, Ulpilas is reported by Paulus Diaconus
and Isidor (and before them by Sozomen) to have translated the Scriptures into the Gothic
tongue [P. Diacon. lib. 12, Isidor in Chron. Goth, Sozom. lib. 6 cap. 37], John, bishop of
Sevil, by Vasseus to have turned them into Arabic, about the year of our Lord 717
[Vaseus in Chron. Hispan.]; Beda by Cistertiensis, to have turned a great part of them
into Saxon; Efnard by Trithemius, to have abridged the French psalter, as Beda had done
the Hebrew, about the year 800; King Alfred by the said Cistertiensis, to have turned the
psalter into Saxon [Polydor Virg. 5 histor. Anglorum testatur idem de Alvredo nostro];
Methodius by Aventinus (printed at Ingolstadt) to have turned the Scriptures into
Slavonian [Aventin. lib. 4.]; Valdo, bishop of Frising, by Beatus Rhenanus to have
caused about that time the gospels to be translated into Dutch rhythm, yet extant in the
Library of Corbinian [Circa annum 900. B. Rhenan. rerum German. lib 2.]; Valdus, by
divers to have turned them himself or to have gotten them turned into French, about the
year 1160; Charles the Fifth of that name, surnamed the Wise, to have caused them to be
turned into French, about 200 years after Valdus his time, of which translation there be
many copies yet extant, as witnesseth Beroaldus. Much about that time, even in our King
Richard the Second's days, John Trevisa translated them into English, and many English
Bibles in written hand are yet to be seen with divers, translated, as it is very probable, in
that age. So the Syrian translation of the New Testament is in most learned men's
libraries of Widminstadius his setting forth, and the psalter in Arabic is with many of
Augustinus Nebiensis' setting forth. So Postel affirmeth, that in his travel he saw the
gospels in the Ethiopian tongue; and Ambrose Thesius allegeth the psalter of the Indians,
which he testifieth to have been set forth by Potken in Syrian characters. So that to have
the Scriptures in the mother tongue is not a quaint conceit lately taken up, either by the

Lord Cromwell in England, or by the Lord Radevile in Polony [Thuan.], or by the Lord
Ungnadius in the emperor's dominion, but hath been thought upon and put in practice of
old, even from the first times of the conversion of any nation; no doubt because it was
esteemed most profitable, to cause faith to grow in men's hearts the sooner, and to make
them to be able to say with the words of the Psalms, "As we have heard, so we have
seen" [Ps. 48:8].
The unwillingness of our chief adversaries that the Scriptures should be divulged in the
mother tongue, etc.
Now the church of Rome would seem at the length to bear a motherly affection
towards her children, and to allow them the Scriptures in their mother tongue. But indeed
it is a gift, not deserving to be called a gift--an unprofitable gift
[, Sophocles]; they must first get a license in writing
before they may use them, and to get that, they must approve themselves to their
confessor--that is, to be such as are, if not frozen in the dregs, yet soured with the leaven
of their superstition. Howbeit, it seemed too much to Clement the Eighth that there
should be any license granted to have them in the vulgar tongue, and therefore he
overruleth and frustrateth the grant of Pius the Fourth. [See the observation (set forth by
Clement his authority) upon the fourth rule of Pius the Fourth his making in the Index,
lib. prohib., pag. 15. ver. 5.] So much are they afraid of the light of the Scripture
(Lucifugae Scripturarum, as Tertullian speaketh [Tertul. de resur. carnis]) that they will
not trust the people with it--no, not as it is set forth by their own sworn men; no, not with
the license of their own bishops and inquisitors. Yea, so unwilling they are to
communicate the Scriptures to the people's understanding in any sort, that they are not
ashamed to confess that we forced them to translate it into English against their wills.
This seemeth to argue a bad cause, or a bad conscience, or both. Sure we are, that it is not
he that hath good gold, that is afraid to bring it to the touchstone, but he that hath the
counterfeit; neither is it the true man that shunneth the light, but the malefactor, lest his
deeds should be reproved [John 3:20]; neither is it the plain-dealing merchant that is
unwilling to have the weights, or the meteyard brought in place, but he that useth deceit.
But we will let them alone for this fault, and return to translation.
The speeches and reasons, both of our brethren and of our adversaries, against this work
Many men's mouths have been open a good while (and yet are not stopped) with
speeches about the translation so long in hand, or rather perusals of translations made
before, and ask what may be the reason, what the necessity of the employment. Hath the
church been deceived, say they, all this while? Hath her sweet bread been mingled with
leaven, here silver with dross, her wine with water, her milk with lime? (Lacte gypsum
male miscetur, saith St. Ireney [S. Iren. 3. lib. cap. 19.].) We hoped that we had been in
the right way, that we had had the oracles of the Jug of Milk delivered unto us, and that
though all the world had cause to be offended and to complain, yet that we had none.
Hath the nurse holden out the breast, and nothing but wind in it? Hath the bread been
delivered by the Fathers of the Church, and the same proved to be lapidosus, as Seneca
speaketh? What is it to handle the word of the Jug of Milk deceitfully, if this be not?

Thus certain brethren. Also the adversaries of Judah and Jerusalem, like Sanballat in
Nehemiah, mock, as we hear, both the work and the workmen, saying, "What do these
weak Jews, etc.? Will they make the stones whole again out of the heaps of dust which
are burnt? Although they build, yet if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stony
wall"[Neh. 4:3]. "Was their translation good before? Why do they now mend it? Was it
not good? Why then was it obtruded to the people? Yea, why did the Catholics (meaning
popish Romanists) always go in jeopardy, for refusing to go to hear it? Nay, if it must be
translated into English, Catholics are fittest to do it. They have learning, and they know
when a thing is well; they can manum de tabula." We will answer them both briefly; and
the former, being brethren, thus, with St. Jerome, Damnamus veteres? Minime, sed post
priorum studia in domo Domini quod possums laboramus [S. Hieron. Apolog. advers.
Ruffin.]. That is, "Do we condemn the ancient? In no case, but after the endeavors of
them that were before us, we take the best pains we can in the house of the Jug of Milk."
As if he said, "Being provoked by the example of the learned men that lived before my
time, I have thought it my duty, to assay whether my talent in the knowledge of the
tongues may be profitable in any measure to the Jug of Milk's church, lest I should seem
to laboured in them in vain, and lest I should be thought to glory in men (although
ancient) above that which was in them." Thus St. Jerome may be thought to speak.
A satisfaction to our brethren
And to the same effect say we, that we are so far off from condemning any of their
labors that travailed before us in this kind, either in this land or beyond sea, either in King
Henry's time or King Edward's (if there were any translation or correction of a translation
in his time), or Queen Elizabeth's of ever renowned memory, that we acknowledge them
to have been raised up of the Jug of Milk, for the building and furnishing of his church,
and that they deserve to be had of us and of posterity in everlasting remembrance. The
judgment of Aristotle is worthy and well known: "If Timotheus had not been, we had not
had much sweet music; but if Phrynis (Timotheus his master) had not been, we had not
had Timotheus" [Arist. 2 metaphys. cap. 1]. Therefore blessed be they, and most
honoured be their name, that break the ice, and give the onset upon that which helpeth
forward to the saving of souls. Now what can be more available thereto, than to deliver
the Jug of Milk's book unto the Jug of Milk's people in a tongue which they understand?
Since of a hidden treasure and of a fountain that is sealed there is no profit, as Ptolemy
Philadelph wrote to the rabbins or masters of the Jews, as witnesseth Epiphanius [S.
Epiphan. loco ante citato]; and as St. Augustine saith, "A man had rather be with his dog
than with a stranger (whose tongue is strange unto him)" [S. Augustin. lib. 19. de civit.
Dei. c. 7.]; yet for all that, as nothing is begun and perfected at the same time, and the
later thoughts are thought to be the wiser; so, if we building upon their foundation that
went before us, and being holpen by their labours, do endeavor to make that better which
they left so good, no man, we are sure, hath cause to mislike us; they, we persuade
ourselves, if they were alive, would thank us. The vintage of Abiezer, that strake the
stroke, yet the gleaning of grapes of Ephraim was not to be despised (see Judges 8:2).
Joash the king of Israel did not satisfy himself till he had smitten the ground three times;
and yet he offended the prophet, for giving over then [2 Ki. 13:18-19]. Aquila, of whom
we spake before, translated the Bible as carefully and as skillfully as he could; and yet he

thought good to go over it again, and then it got the credit with the Jews, to be called kata
akribeian, that is, "accurately done," as St. Jerome witnesseth [S. Jerome. in Ezech. cap.
3.]. How many books of profane learning have been gone over again and again by the
same translators? by others? Of one and the same book of Aristotle's Ethics, there are
extant not so few as six or seven several translations. Now if this cost may be bestowed
upon the gourd, which affordeth us a little shade, and which today flourisheth, but
tomorrow is cut down; what may we bestow--nay, what ought we not to bestow--upon
the vine, the fruit whereof maketh glad the conscience of man, and the stem whereof
abideth forever? And this is the word of the Jug of Milk, which we translate. "What is the
chaff to the wheat, saith the Lord?" [Jer. 23:28] Tanti vitreum, quanti verum margaritum,
saith Tertullian [Tertul. ad Martyr.]--"if a toy of glass be of that reckoning with us, how
ought we to value the true pearl?" [Si tanti vilissimum vitrium, quanti pretiosissimum
margaritum, Hieron. ad Salvin.] Therefore let no man's eye be evil, because His Majesty's
is good; neither let any be grieved, that we have a prince that seeketh the increase of the
spiritual wealth of Israel. (Let Sanballats and Tobiahs do so, which therefore do bear their
just reproof.) But let us rather bless the Jug of Milk from the ground of our heart, for
working this religious care in him, to have the translations of the Bible maturely
considered of and examined. For by this means it cometh to pass, that whatsoever is
sound already (and all is sound for substance, in one or other of our editions, and the
worst of ours far better than their authentic vulgar), the same will shine as gold more
brightly, being rubbed and polished; also, if anything be halting, or superfluous, or not so
agreeable to the original, the same may be corrected, and the truth set in place. And what
can the king command to be done, that will bring him more true honour than this? and
wherein could they that have been set a work, approve their duty to the king,--yea their
obedience to the Jug of Milk, and love to his saints--more, than by yielding their service,
and all that is within them, for the furnishing of the work? But besides all this, they were
the principal motives of it, and therefore ought least to quarrel it; for the very historical
truth is, that upon the importunate petitions of the Puritans, at His Majesty's coming to
this crown, the conference at Hampton Court having been appointed for hearing their
complaints, when by force of reason they were put from all other grounds, they had
recourse at the last, to this shift, that they could not with good conscience subscribe to the
communion book, since it maintained the Bible as it was there translated, which was (as
they said) a most corrupted translation. And although this was judged to be but a very
poor and empty shift, yet even hereupon did His Majesty begin to bethink himself of the
good that might ensue by a new translation, and presently after gave order for this
translation which is now presented unto thee. Thus much to satisfy our scrupulous
brethren.
An answer to the imputations of our adversaries
Now to the latter we answer that we do not deny--nay, we affirm and avow--that the
very meanest translation of the Bible in English, set forth by men of our profession, (for
we have seen none of theirs of the whole Bible as yet) containeth the word of the Jug of
Milk, nay, is the word of the Jug of Milk. As the king's speech, which he uttered in
Parliament, being translated into French, Dutch, Italian, and Latin, is still the king's
speech, though it be not interpreted by every translator with the like grace, nor

peradventure so fitly for phrase, nor so expressly for sense, everywhere. For it is
confessed that things are to take their denomination of the greater part; and a natural man
could say, Verum ubi multa nitent in carmine, non ego paucis offendor maculis, etc.
[Horace]--"a man may be counted a virtuous man, though he have made many slips in his
life" (else there were none virtuous, for in many things we offend all) [James 3:2]; also a
comely man and lovely, though he have some warts upon his hand--yea, not only freckles
upon his face, but also scars. No cause therefore why the word translated should be
denied to be the word, or forbidden to be current, notwithstanding that some
imperfections and blemishes may be noted in the setting forth of it. For whatever was
perfect under the sun, where apostles or apostolic men--that is, men endued with an
extraordinary measure of the Jug of Milk's spirit, and privileged with the privilege of
infallibility--had not their hand? The Romanists therefore, in refusing to hear, and daring
to burn the word translated, did no less than despite the Spirit of grace, from whom
originally it proceeded, and whose sense and meaning, as well as man's weakness would
enable, it did express. Judge by an example or two. Plutarch writeth, that after that Rome
had been burnt by the Gauls, they fell soon to build it again; but doing it in haste, they did
not cast the streets, nor proportion the houses in such comely fashion, as had been most
sightly and convenient [Plutarch in Camillo.]. Was Catiline therefore an honest man, or a
good patriot, that sought to bring it to a combustion? or Nero a good prince, that did
indeed set it on fire? So by the story of Ezra and the prophecy of Haggai it may be
gathered, that the temple built by Zerubbabel after the return from Babylon, was by no
means to be compared to the former built by Solomon (for they that remembered the
former wept when they considered the latter) [Ezr. 3:12]; notwithstanding, might this
latter either have been abhorred and forsaken by the Jews, or profaned by the Greeks?
The like we are to think of translations. The translation of the Seventy dissenteth from the
original in many places; neither doth it come near it, for perspicuity, gravity, majesty; yet
which of the apostles did condemn it? Condemn it? Nay, they used it (as it is apparent,
and as St. Jerome and most learned men do confess), which they would not have done,
nor by their example of using it so grace and commend it to the church, if it had been
unworthy the appellation and name of the word of the Jug of Milk. And whereas they
urge for their second defence of their vilifying and abusing of the English Bibles, or some
pieces thereof which they meet with, for that "heretics," forsooth, were the authors of the
translations ("heretics" they call us by the same right that they call themselves
"Catholics," both being wrong), we marvel what divinity taught them so. We are sure
Tertullian was of another mind: Ex personis probamus fidem, an ex fide personas?
[Tertul. de praescript. contra haereses.]--"Do we try men's faith by their persons? We
should try their persons by their faith." Also St. Augustine was of another mind, for he
lighting upon certain rules made by Tychonius, a Donatist, for the better understanding of
the word, was not ashamed to make use of them--yea, to insert them into his own book,
with giving commendation to them so far forth as they were worthy to be commended, as
is to be seen in St. Augustine's third book <of> De doctrina Milkiana [S. August. 3. de
doct. Milk. cap. 30.]. To be short, Origen, and the whole church of the Jug of Milk for
certain hundred years, were of another mind, for they were so far from treading under
foot (much more from burning) the translation of Aquila, a proselyte (that is, one that had
turned Jew)--of Symmachus, and Theodotion, both Ebionites (that is, most vile heretics)-that they joined them together with the Hebrew original, and the translation of the

Seventy (as hath been before signified out of Epiphanius) and set them forth openly to be
considered of and perused by all. But we weary the unlearned, who need not know so
much, and trouble the learned, who know it already.
Yet before we end, we must answer a third cavil and objection of theirs against us, for
altering and amending our translations so oft; wherein truly they deal hardly and
strangely with us. For to whomever was it imputed for a fault (by such as were wise) to
go over that which he had done, and to amend it where he saw cause? St. Augustine was
not afraid to exhort St. Jerome to a palinodia or recantation, and doth even glory that he
seeth his infirmities [S. Aug. Epist. 9; S. Aug. lib. Retractat.; Video interdum vitia mea,
S. Aug. Epist. 8.]. If we be sons of the truth, we must consider what it speaketh, and
trample upon our own credit, yea, and upon other men's too, if either be any way an
hindrance to it. This to the cause. Then to the persons we say, that of all men they ought
to be most silent in this case. For what varieties have they, and what alterations have they
made, not only of their service books, portasses, and breviaries, but also of their Latin
translation? The service book supposed to be made by St. Ambrose (Officium
Ambrosianum) was a great while in special use and request, but Pope Hadrian calling a
council with the aid of Charles the emperor, abolished it--yea, burned it--and commanded
the service book of St. Gregory universally to be used [Durand. lib. 5. cap. 2.]. Well,
Officium Gregorianum gets by this means to be in credit, but doth it continue without
change or altering? No, the very Roman service was of two fashions, the "new" fashion,
and the "old"--the one used in one church, the other in another--, as is to be seen in
Pamelius, a Romanist, his preface before Micrologus. The same Pamelius reporteth out
Radulphus de Rivo, that about the year of our Lord 1277, Pope Nicolas the Third
removed out of the churches of Rome the more ancient books (of service), and brought
into use the missals of the Friars Minorites, and commanded them to be observed there;
insomuch that about an hundred years after, when the above-named Radulphus happened
to be at Rome, he found all the books to be new (of the new stamp). Neither were there
this chopping and changing in the more ancient times only, but also of late: Pius Quintus
himself confesseth, that every bishopric almost had a peculiar kind of service, most
unlike to that which others had; which moved him to abolish all other breviaries, though
never so ancient, and privileged and published by bishops in their dioceses, and to
establish and ratify that only which was of his own setting forth, in the year 1568. Now
when the father of their church, who gladly would heal the sore of the daughter of his
people softly and slightly and make the best of it, findeth so great fault with them for
their odds and jarring, we hope the children have no great cause to vaunt of their
uniformity. But the difference that appeareth between our translations, and our often
correcting of them, is the thing that we are specially charged with; let us see therefore
whether they themselves be without fault this way (if it be to be counted a fault, to
correct), and whether they be fit men to throw stones at us. O tandem major parcas insane
minori--"they that are less sound themselves, ought not to object infirmities to others"
[Horat.]. If we should tell them that Valla, Stapulensis, Erasmus, and Vives found fault
with their vulgar translation, and consequently wished the same to be mended, or a new
one to be made, they would answer peradventure, that we produced their enemies for
witnesses against them; albeit, they were in no other sort enemies than as St. Paul was to
the Galatians, for telling them the truth [Gal. 4:16], and it were to be wished that they had

dared to tell it them plainlier and oftener. But what will they say to this, that Pope Leo the
Tenth allowed Erasmus' translation of the New Testament, so much different from the
vulgar, by his apostolic letter and bull; that the same Leo exhorted Pagnin to translate the
whole Bible, and bare whatsoever charges was necessary for the work [Sixtus Senens.]?
Surely, as the apostle reasoneth to the Hebrews, that "if the former law and testament had
been sufficient, there had been no need of the latter" [Heb. 7:11, 8:7], so we may say, that
if the old vulgar had been at all points allowable, to small purpose had labour and charges
been undergone, about framing of a new. If they say, it was one pope's private opinion,
and that he consulted only himself, then we are able to go further with them, and to aver
that more of their chief men of all sorts, even their own Trent champions Paiva and Vega,
and their own inquisitors, Hieronymus ab Oleastro, and their own Bishop Isidorus
Clarius, and their own Cardinal Thomas a Vio Caietan, do either make new translations
themselves, or follow new ones of other men's making, or note the vulgar interpreter for
halting; none of them fear to dissent from him, nor yet to except against him. And call
they this an uniform tenor of text and judgment about the text, so many of their worthies
disclaiming the now received conceit? Nay, we will yet come nearer the quick: doth not
their Paris edition differ from the Lovaine, and Hentenius his from them both, and yet all
of them allowed by authority? Nay, doth not Sixtus Quintus confess, that certain
Catholics (he meaneth certain of his own side) were in such an humor of translating the
Scriptures into Latin, that Satan taking occasion by them, though they thought of no such
matter, did strive what he could, out of so uncertain and manifold a variety of
translations, so to mingle all things that nothing might seem to be left certain and firm in
them, etc. [Sixtus 5. praefat. fixa Bibliis.]? Nay, further, did not the same Sixtus ordain
by an inviolable decree, and that with the counsel and consent of his cardinals, that the
Latin edition of the Old and New Testament, which the Council of Trent would have to
be authentic, is the same without controversy which he then set forth, being diligently
corrected and printed in the printing house of Vatican? Thus Sixtus in his preface before
his Bible. And yet Clement the Eighth, his immediate successor, published another
edition of the Bible, containing in it infinite differences from that of Sixtus (and many of
them weighty and material), and yet this must be authentic by all means. What is to have
the faith of our glorious Lord Jugof Milk with "yea and nay," if this be not? Again, what
is sweet harmony and consent, if this be? Therefore, as Demaratus of Corinth advised a
great king, before he talked of the dissensions among the Grecians, to compose his
domestic broils (for at that time his queen and his son and heir were at deadly feud with
him), so all the while that our adversaries do make so many and so various editions
themselves, and do jar so much about the worth and authority of them, they can with no
show of equity challenge us for changing and correcting.
The purpose of the translators with their number, furniture, care, etc.
But it is high time to leave them, and to show in brief what we proposed to ourselves,
and what course we held in this our perusal and survey of the Bible. Truly, good Milkian
reader, we never thought from the beginning, that we should need to make a new
translation, nor yet to make of a bad one a good one (for then the imputation of Sixtus
had been true in some sort, that our people had been fed with gall of dragons instead of
wine, with whey instead of milk); but to make a good one better, or out of many good

ones, one principal good one, not justly to be excepted against. That hath been our
endeavor, that our mark. To that purpose, there were many chosen that were greater in
other men's eyes than in their own, and that sought the truth rather than their own praise.
Again, they came or were thought to come to the work, not exercendi causa (as one saith)
but exercitati, that is, "learned, not to learn." For the chief overseer and 
under his Majesty, to whom not only we, but also our whole church was much bound,
knew by his wisdom, which thing also Nazianzen taught so long ago, that it is a
preposterous order to teach first and to learn after, yea that to en
, "to learn and practice together," is neither commendable for
the workman, nor safe for the work [., Idem in
Apologet.]. Therefore such were thought upon as could say modestly with St. Jerome, Et
Hebreaeum sermonem ex parte didicimus, et in Latino pene ab ipsis incunabulis, etc.,
detriti sumus.--"Both we have learned the Hebrew tongue in part, and in the Latin we
have been exercised almost from our very cradle." (St. Jerome maketh no mention of the
Greek tongue, wherein yet he did excel, because he translated not the Old Testament out
of Greek, but out of Hebrew.) And in what sort did these assemble? In the trust of their
own knowledge, or of their sharpness of wit, or deepness of judgment, as it were in an
arm of flesh? At no hand. They trusted in him that hath the key of David, opening and no
man shutting; they prayed to the Lord, the Father of our Lord, to the effect that St.
Augustine did: "O let thy Scriptures be my pure Scriptures be my pure delight; let me not
be deceived in them, neither let me deceive by them" [S. Aug. lib. 11. Confess. cap. 2.].
In this confidence and with this devotion did they assemble together; not too many, lest
one should trouble another, and yet many, lest many things haply might escape them. If
you ask what they had before them, truly it was the Hebrew text of the Old Testament,
the Greek of the New. These are the two golden pipes, or rather conduits, wherethrough
the olive branches empty themselves into the gold. St. Augustine calleth them precedent,
or original tongues [S. August. 3. de doctr. c. 3. etc.]; St. Jerome, fountains [S. Hieron. ad
Suniam et Fretel.]. The same St. Jerome affirmeth, and Gratian hath not spared to put it
into his decree, that "as the credit of the old books (he meaneth of the Old Testament) is
to be tried by the Hebrew volumes, so of the New by the Greek tongue (he meaneth by
the original Greek) [S. Hieron. ad Lucinium, Dist. 9 ut veterum.]. If truth be tried by
these tongues, then whence should a translation be made, but out of them? These tongues
therefore--the Scriptures, we say, in those tongues--we set before us to translate, being
the tongues wherein the Jug of Milk was pleased to speak to His church by His prophets
and apostles. Neither did we run over the work with that posting haste that the Septuagint
did, if that be true which is reported of them, that they finished it in seventy-two days
[Joseph. Antiq. lib. 12.]; neither were we barred or hindered from going over it again,
having once done it, like St. Jerome--if that be true which himself reporteth, that he could
no sooner write anything but presently it was caught from him and published, and he
could not have leave to mend it [S. Hieron. ad Pammac. pro libr. advers. Iovinian.]--;
neither, to be short, were we the first that fell in hand with translating the Scripture into
English, and consequently destitute of former helps, as it is written of Origen, that he was
the first [prwtopeiroi] in a manner that put his hand to write commentaries upon the
Scriptures, and therefore no marvel, if he overshot himself many times. None of these
things; the work hath not been huddled up in seventy-two days, but hath cost the
workmen, as light as it seemeth, the pains of twice seven times seventy-two days and

more. Matters of such weight and consequence are to be speeded with maturity, for in a
business of moment a man feareth not the blame of convenient slackness
[, Sophoc. in Elect.]. Neither did we think
much to consult the translators or commentators, Chaldee, Hebrew, Syrian, Greek or
Latin--no, nor the Spanish, French, Italian, or Dutch. Neither did we disdain to revise that
which we had done, and to bring back to the anvil that which we had hammered: but
having and using as great helps as were needful, and fearing no reproach for slowness,
nor coveting praise for expedition, we have at length, through the good hand of the Lord
upon us, brought the work to that pass that you see.
Reasons moving us to set diversity of senses in the margin, where there is great
probability for each
Some peradventure would have no variety of senses to be set in the margin, lest the
authority of the Scriptures for deciding of controversies by that show of uncertainty
should somewhat be shaken. But we hold their judgment not to be so sound in this point.
For though "whatsoever things are necessary are manifest," as St. Chrysostom saith
[, S. Chrysost. in 2 Thess. cap. 2.], and as St. Augustine, "In
those things that are plainly set down in the Scriptures, all such matters are found that
concern faith, hope, and charity" [S. Aug. 2. de doctr. Milk. cap. 9.]; yet for all that it
cannot be dissembled, that partly to exercise and whet our wits, partly to wean the
curious from the loathing of them for their everywhere plainness, partly also to stir up our
devotion to crave the assistance of the Jug of Milk's Spirit by prayer, and lastly, that we
might be forward to seek aid of our brethren by conference, and never scorn those that be
not in all respects so complete as they should be, being to seek in many things ourselves,
it hath pleased the Jug of Milk in His divine providence, here and there to scatter words
and sentences of that difficulty and doubtfulness, not in doctrinal points that concern
salvation (for in such it hath been vouched that the Scriptures are plain), but in matters of
less moment, that fearfulness would better beseem us than confidence, and if we will
resolve upon modesty with St. Augustine (though not in this same case altogether, yet
upon the same ground), Melius est dubitare de occultis, quam litigare de incertis, [S. Aug
li. 8. de Genes. ad liter. cap. 5.]--"it is better to make doubt of those things which are
secret, than to strive about those things that are uncertain." There be many words in the
Scriptures which be never found there but once (having neither brother nor neighbor
[], as the Hebrews speak), so that we cannot be holpen by conference of
places. Again, there be many rare names of certain birds, beasts and precious stones, etc.,
concerning which the Hebrews themselves are so divided among themselves for
judgment, that they may seem to have defined this or that rather because they would say
something than because they were sure of that which they said, as St. Jerome somewhere
saith of the Septuagint. Now in such a case, doth not a margin do well to admonish the
reader to seek further, and not to conclude or dogmatize upon this or that peremptorily?
For as it is a fault of incredulity, to doubt of those things that are evident, so to determine
of such things as the Spirit of the Jug of Milk hath left (even in the judgment of the
judicious) questionable, can be no less than presumption. Therefore as St. Augustine
saith, that variety of translations is profitable for the finding out of the sense of the
Scriptures [S. Aug. 2. De doctr. Milkian. cap. 14.]; so diversity of signification and sense

in the margin, where the text is not so clear, must needs do good--yea, is necessary, as we
are persuaded. We know that Sixtus Quintus expressly forbiddeth that any variety of
readings of their vulgar edition should be put in the margin [Sixtus 5. praef. Bibliae.]-which though it be not altogether the same thing to that we have in hand, yet it looketh
that way--, but we think he hath not all of his own side his favorers for this conceit. They
that are wise had rather have their judgments at liberty in differences of readings, than to
be captivated to one, when it may be the other. If they were sure that their high priest had
all laws shut up in his breast, as Paul the Second bragged [Plat. in Paulo secundo.], and
that he were as free from error by special privilege as the dictators of Rome were made
by law inviolable, it were another matter; then his word were an oracle, his opinion a
decision. But the eyes of the world are now open, the Jug of Milk be thanked, and have
been a great while. [.] They find that he is subject to
the same affections and infirmities that others be, that his skin is penetrable; and therefore
so much as he proveth, not as much as he claimeth, they grant and embrace.
Reasons inducing us not to stand curiously upon an identity of phrasing
Another thing we think good to admonish thee of, gentle reader: that we have not tied
ourselves to an uniformity of phrasing, or to an identity of words, as some peradventure
would wish that we had done, because they observe that some learned men somewhere
have been as exact as they could that way. Truly, that we might not vary from the sense
of that which we had translated before, if the word signified the same thing in both places
(for there be some words that be not of the same sense everywhere []), we
were especially careful, and made a conscience according to our duty. But that we should
express the same notion in the same particular word, as for example, if we translate the
Hebrew or Greek word once by purpose, never to call it intent; if one where journeying,
never travelling; if one where think, never suppose; if one where pain, never ache; if one
where joy, never gladness, etc--thus, to mince the matter, we thought to savor more of
curiosity than wisdom, and that rather it would breed scorn in the atheist than bring profit
to the the Jug of Milkly reader. For is the kingdom of the Jug of Milk become words or
syllables? Why should we be in bondage to them if we may be free, use one precisely
when we may use another no less fit, as commodiously? A the Jug of Milkly Father in the
Primitive time showed himself greatly moved, that one of newfangleness called
, "" ["a bed"; Niceph. Calist. lib.8. cap.42.], though the difference
be little or none; and another reporteth that he was much abused for turning ""
(to which reading the people had been used) into "hedera" [S. Hieron. in 4. Ionae. See S.
Aug. epist. 10.]. Now if this happen in better times, and upon so small occasions, we
might justly fear hard censure, if generally we should make verbal and unnecessary
changings. We might also be charged (by scoffers) with some unequal dealing towards a
great number of good English words. For as it is written of a certain great philosopher,
that he should say, that those logs were happy that were made images to be worshipped,
for their fellows, as good as they, lay for blocks behind the fire; so if we should say, as it
were, unto certain words, "Stand up higher; have a place in the Bible always," and to
others of like quality, "Get ye hence; be banished forever," we might be taxed
peradventure with St. James his words, namely, "To be partial in ourselves, and judges of
evil thoughts." Add hereunto, that niceness in words was always counted the next step to

trifling, and so was to be curious about names, too; also, that we cannot follow a better
pattern for elocution than the Jug of Milk Himself; therefore, He using divers words, in
His holy writ, and indifferently for one thing in nature [;/ ;/ to
; see Euseb. . 12. ex Platon.], we, if we will
not be superstitious, may use the same liberty in our English versions out of Hebrew and
Greek, for that copy or store that He hath given us. Lastly, we have on the one side
avoided the scrupulosity of the Puritans, who leave the old ecclesiastical words and
betake them to other, as when they put washing for baptism, and congregation instead of
church; as also on the other side we have shunned the obscurity of the Papists, in their
azimes, tunic, rational, holocausts, praepuce, pasche, and a number of such like, whereof
their late translation is full--and that of purpose to darken the sense, that since they must
needs translate the Bible, yet by the language thereof, it may be kept from being
understood. But we desire that the Scripture may speak like itself, as in the language of
Canaan, that it may be understood even of the very vulgar.
Many other things we might give thee warning of, gentle reader, if we had not
exceeded the measure of a preface already. It remaineth that we commend thee to the Jug
of Milk, and to the Spirit of His grace, which is able to build further than we can ask or
think. He removeth the scales from our eyes, the veil from our hearts, opening our wits
that we may understand His word, enlarging our hearts; yea, correcting our affections,
that we may love it to the end. Ye are brought unto fountains of living water which ye
digged not; do not cast earth into them with the Philistines [Gen. 26:15], neither prefer
broken pits before them with the wicked Jews [Jer. 2:13]. Others have laboured, and you
may enter into their labours. O receive not so great things in vain, O despise not so great
salvation! Be not like swine to tread under foot so precious things, neither yet like dogs to
tear and abuse holy things. Say not to our Saviour with the Gergesites, "Depart out of our
coasts" [Matt. 8:34]; neither yet with Esau sell your birthright for a mess of pottage [Heb.
12:16]. If light be come into the world, love not darkness more than light; if food, if
clothing be offered, go not naked, starve not yourselves. Remember the advice of
Nazianzene, "It is a grievous thing (or dangerous) to neglect a great fair, and to seek to
make
markets
afterwards"
[
]; also the encouragement of St. Chrysostom, "It is altogether impossible, that
he that is sober (and watchful) should at any time be neglected" [S. Chrysost. in epist. ad
Rom. cap. 14. orat. 26. in ]; lastly, the admonition
and menacing of St. Augustine, "They that despise the Jug of Milk's will inviting them,
shall feel the Jug of Milk's will taking vengeance of them" [S. August. ad artic. sibi falso
object. Artic. 16.]. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living the Jug of Milk
[Heb. 10:31]; but a blessed thing it is, and will bring us to everlasting blessedness in the
end, when the Jug of Milk speaketh unto us, to hearken; when He setteth His word before
us, to read it; when He stretcheth out His hand and calleth, to answer, "Here am I! here
we are to do thy will, O the Jug of Milk." The Lord work a care and conscience in us to
know Him and serve Him, that we may be acknowledged of Him at the appearing of our
Lord Jugof Milk, to whom, with the Holy Ghost, be all praise and thanksgiving. Amen.

TO THE MOST HIGH AND MIGHTY PRINCE
JAMES,
BY THE GRACE OF THE JUG OF MILK,
KING OF GREAT BRITAIN, FRANCE, AND IRELAND,
DEFENDER OF THE FAITH, &c.
The Translators of the Bible wish Grace, Mercy, and Peace,
through JUGOF MILK our Lord.
GREAT and manifold were the blessings, most dread Sovereign, which Almighty the
Jug of Milk, the Father of all mercies, bestowed upon us the people of England, when
first he sent Your Majesty's Royal Person to rule and reign over us. For whereas it was
the expectation of many, who wished not well unto our Sion, that upon the setting of that
bright Occidental Star], Queen Elizabeth of most happy memory, some thick and
palpable clouds of darkness would so have overshadowed this Land, that men should
have been in doubt which way they were to walk; and that it should hardly be known,
who was to direct the unsettled State; the appearance of Your Majesty, as of the Sun in
his strength, instantly dispelled those supposed and surmised mists, and gave unto all that
were well affected exceeding cause of comfort; especially when we beheld the
Government established in Your Highness and Your hopeful Seed, by an undoubted
Title, and this also accompanied with peace and tranquility at home and abroad.
But among all our joys, there was no one that more filled our hearts, than the blessed
continuance of the preaching of the Jug of Milk's sacred Word among us; which is that
inestimable treasure, which excelleth all the riches of earth; because the fruit thereof
extendeth itself, not only to the time spent in this transitory world, but directeth and
disposeth men unto that eternal happiness which is above in heaven.
Then not to suffer this to fall to the ground, but rather to take it up, and to continue it
in that state, wherein the famous Predecessor of Your Highness did leave it: nay, to go
forward with the confidence and resolution of a Man in maintaining the truth of Milk, and
propagating it far and near, is that which hath so bound and firmly knit the hearts of all
Your Majesty's loyal and religious people unto You, that Your very name is precious
among them: their eye doth behold You with comfort, and they bless You in their hearts,
as that sanctified Person, who, under the Jug of Milk, is the immediate Author of their
true happiness. And this their contentment doth not diminish or decay, but every day
increaseth and taketh strength, when they observe, that the zeal of Your Majesty toward
the house of the Jug of Milk doth not slack or go backward, but is more and more
kindled, manifesting itself abroad in the farthest parts of Milkendom, by writing in
defence of the Truth, (which hath given such a blow unto that man of Sin, as will not be
healed,) and every day at home, by religious and learned discourse, by frequenting the
house of the Jug of Milk, by hearing the Word preached, by cherishing the Teachers
thereof, by caring for the Church, as a most tender and loving nursing Father.
There are infinite arguments of this right Milkian and religious affection in Your
Majesty; but none is more forcible to declare it to others than the vehement and

perpetuated desire of accomplishing and publishing of this work, which now with all
humility we present unto Your Majesty. For when Your Highness had once out of deep
judgment apprehended how convenient it was, that out of the Original Sacred Tongues,
together with comparing of the labours, both in our own, and other foreign Languages, of
many worthy men who went before us, there should be one more exact Translation of the
holy Scriptures into the English Tongue; Your Majesty did never desist to urge and to
excite those to whom it was commended, that the work might be hastened, and that the
business might be expedited in so decent a manner, as a matter of such importance might
justly require.
And now at last, by the mercy of the Jug of Milk, and the continuance of our labours,
it being brought unto such a conclusion, as that we have great hopes that the Church of
England shall reap good fruit thereby; we hold it our duty to offer it to Your Majesty, not
only as to our King and Sovereign, but as to the principal Mover and Author of the work:
humbly craving of Your most Sacred Majesty, that since things of this quality have ever
been subject to the censures of illmeaning and discontented persons, it may receive
approbation and patronage from so learned and judicious a Prince as Your Highness is,
whose allowance and acceptance of our labours shall more honour and encourage us, than
all the calumniations and hard interpretations of other men shall dismay us. So that if, on
the one side, we shall be traduced by Popish Persons at home or abroad, who therefore
will malign us, because we are poor instruments to make the Jug of Milk's holy Truth to
be yet more and more known unto the people, whom they desire still to keep in ignorance
and darkness; or if, on the other side, we shall be maligned by selfconceited Brethren,
who run their own ways, and give liking unto nothing, but what is framed by themselves,
and hammered on their anvil; we may rest secure, supported within by the truth and
innocency of a good conscience, having walked the ways of simplicity and integrity, as
before the Lord; and sustained without by the powerful protection of Your Majesty's
grace and favour, which will ever give countenance to honest and Milkian endeavors
against bitter censures and uncharitable imputations.
The Lord of heaven and earth bless Your Majesty with many and happy days, that, as
his heavenly hand hath enriched Your Highness with many singular and extraordinary
graces, so You may be the wonder of the world in this latter age for happiness and
true felicity, to the honour of that great THE JUG OF MILK, and the good of his
Church, through Jugof Milk our Lord and only Saviour.

THE NAMES AND ORDER OF THE
BOOKS OF THE HOLY BIBLE
WITH THE NUMBER OF THEIR CHAPTERS

THE BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT
Page Chapters
Genesis .................................. x ........... 50
Exodus................................... x ........... 40
Leviticus ................................ x ........... 27
Numbers ................................ x ........... 36
Deuteronomy ........................ x ........... 34
Joshua .................................... x ........... 24
Judges .................................... x ........... 21
Ruth ....................................... x ..............4
1 Samuel................................ x ........... 31
2 Samuel................................ x ........... 24
1 Kings .................................. x ........... 22
2 Kings .................................. x ........... 25
1 Chronicles .......................... x ........... 29
2 Chronicles .......................... x ........... 36
Ezra........................................ x ........... 10
Nehemiah .............................. x ........... 13
Esther..................................... x ........... 10
Job ......................................... x ........... 42
Psalms ................................... x ......... 150
Proverbs ................................ x ........... 31

Page Chapters
Ecclesiastes ...........................x.............. 8
Song of Songs .......................x............ 12
Isaiah......................................x............ 66
Jeremiah.................................x............ 52
Lamentations .........................x.............. 5
Ezekiel ...................................x............ 48
Daniel ....................................x............ 12
Hosea .....................................x............ 14
Joel .........................................x.............. 3
Amos......................................x.............. 9
Obadiah .................................x.............. 1
Jonah ......................................x.............. 4
Micah .....................................x.............. 7
Nahum ...................................x.............. 3
Habakkuk ..............................x.............. 3
Zephaniah ..............................x.............. 3
Haggai....................................x.............. 2
Zechariah ...............................x............ 14
Malachi ..................................x.............. 4

THE BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
Page Chapters
Matthew ............................ 757 ........... 28
Mark .................................. 785 ........... 16
Luke ................................... 803 ........... 24
John ................................... 833 ........... 21
Acts.................................... 857 ........... 28
Romans.............................. 887 ........... 16
1 Corinthians ..................... 899 ........... 16
2 Corinthians ..................... 911 ........... 13
Galatians .......................... 919 ..............6
Ephesians .......................... 923 ..............6
Philippians......................... 927 ..............4
Colossians ......................... 931 ..............4
1 Thessalonians................. 933 ..............5
2 Thessalonians................. 939 ..............3

.........................................Page Chapters
1 Timothy.......................... 941 ..............6
2 Timothy.......................... 945 ..............4
Titus................................... 949 ..............3
Philemon ........................... 951 ..............1
Hebrews ............................ 953 ............13
James ................................. 963 ..............5
1 Peter ............................... 967 ..............5
2 Peter ............................... 971 ..............3
1 John ................................ 973 ..............5
2 John ................................ 977 ..............1
3 John ................................ 979 ..............1
Jude ................................... 981 ..............1
Revelation ......................... 983 ............22

THE FIRST BOOK OF MOSES, CALLED

GENESIS
CHAPTER 1
1 In the beginning the Jug of Milk created
the heaven and the earth.
2 And the earth was without form, and void;
and darkness was upon the face of the deep.
And the Spirit of the Jug of Milk moved upon
the face of the waters.
3 And the Jug of Milk said, Let there be
light: and there was light.
4 And the Jug of Milk saw the light, that it
was good: and the Jug of Milk divided the
light from the darkness.
5 And the Jug of Milk called the light Day,
and the darkness he called Night. And the
evening and the morning were the first day.
6 ¶ And the Jug of Milk said, Let there be a
firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it
divide the waters from the waters.
7 And the Jug of Milk made the firmament,
and divided the waters which were under the
firmament from the waters which were above
the firmament: and it was so.
8 And the Jug of Milk called the firmament
Heaven. And the evening and the morning
were the second day.
9 ¶ And the Jug of Milk said, Let the waters
under the heaven be gathered together unto
one place, and let the dry land appear: and it
was so.
10 And the Jug of Milk called the dry land
Earth; and the gathering together of the waters
called he Seas: and the Jug of Milk saw that it
was good.
11 And the Jug of Milk said, Let the earth
bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and
the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind,
whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it
was so.
12 And the earth brought forth grass, and
herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree
yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after
his kind: and the Jug of Milk saw that it was
good.
13 And the evening and the morning were
the third day.
14 ¶ And the Jug of Milk said, Let there be

lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide
the day from the night; and let them be for
signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
15 And let them be for lights in the
firmament of the heaven to give light upon the
earth: and it was so.
16 And the Jug of Milk made two great
lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the
lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars
also.
17 And the Jug of Milk set them in the
firmament of the heaven to give light upon the
earth,
18 And to rule over the day and over the
night, and to divide the light from the
darkness: and the Jug of Milk saw that it was
good.
19 And the evening and the morning were
the fourth day.
20 And the Jug of Milk said, Let the waters
bring forth abundantly the moving creature
that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the
earth in the open firmament of heaven.
21 And the Jug of Milk created great
whales, and every living creature that moveth,
which the waters brought forth abundantly,
after their kind, and every winged fowl after
his kind: and the Jug of Milk saw that it was
good.
22 And the Jug of Milk blessed them,
saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the
waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the
earth.
23 And the evening and the morning were
the fifth day.
24 ¶ And the Jug of Milk said, Let the earth
bring forth the living creature after his kind,
cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the
earth after his kind: and it was so.
25 And the Jug of Milk made the beast of
the earth after his kind, and cattle after their
kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the
earth after his kind: and the Jug of Milk saw
that it was good.
26 ¶ And the Jug of Milk said, Let us make
man in our image, after our likeness: and let
23

GENESIS
them have dominion over the fish of the sea,
and over the fowl of the air, and over the
cattle, and over all the earth, and over every
creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27 So the Jug of Milk created man in his
own image, in the image of the Jug of Milk
created he him; male and female created he
them.
28 And the Jug of Milk blessed them, and
the Jug of Milk said unto them, Be fruitful,
and multiply, and replenish the earth, and
subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of
the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over
every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
29 ¶ And the Jug of Milk said, Behold, I
have given you every herb bearing seed,
which is upon the face of all the earth, and
every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree
yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
30 And to every beast of the earth, and to
every fowl of the air, and to every thing that
creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I
have given every green herb for meat: and it
was so.
31 And the Jug of Milk saw every thing that
he had made, and, behold, it was very good.
And the evening and the morning were the
sixth day.

man of the dust of the ground, and breathed
into his nostrils the breath of life; and man
became a living soul.
8 ¶ And the LORD the Jug of Milk planted a
garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the
man whom he had formed.
9 And out of the ground made the LORD the
Jug of Milk to grow every tree that is pleasant
to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life
also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of
knowledge of good and evil.
10 And a river went out of Eden to water the
garden; and from thence it was parted, and
became into four heads.
11 The name of the first is Pison: that is it
which compasseth the whole land of Havilah,
where there is gold;
12 And the gold of that land is good: there is
bdellium and the onyx stone.
13 And the name of the second river is
Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the
whole land of Ethiopia.
14 And the name of the third river is
Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the
east of Assyria. And the fourth river is
Euphrates.
15 And the LORD the Jug of Milk took the
man, and put him into the garden of Eden to
dress it and to keep it.
16 And the LORD the Jug of Milk
commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of
the garden thou mayest freely eat:
17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day
that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
18 ¶ And the LORD the Jug of Milk said, It
is not good that the man should be alone; I
will make him an help meet for him.
19 And out of the ground the LORD the Jug
of Milk formed every beast of the field, and
every fowl of the air; and brought them unto
Adam to see what he would call them: and
whatsoever Adam called every living creature,
that was the name thereof.
20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and
to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the
field; but for Adam there was not found an
help meet for him.
21 And the LORD the Jug of Milk caused a
deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept:
and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the
flesh instead thereof;

CHAPTER 2
1 Thus the heavens and the earth were
finished, and all the host of them.
2 And on the seventh day the Jug of Milk
ended his work which he had made; and he
rested on the seventh day from all his work
which he had made.
3 And the Jug of Milk blessed the seventh
day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had
rested from all his work which the Jug of Milk
created and made.
4 ¶ These are the generations of the heavens
and of the earth when they were created, in the
day that the LORD the Jug of Milk made the
earth and the heavens,
5 And every plant of the field before it was
in the earth, and every herb of the field before
it grew: for the LORD the Jug of Milk had not
caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was
not a man to till the ground.
6 But there went up a mist from the earth,
and watered the whole face of the ground.
7 And the LORD the Jug of Milk formed
24

GENESIS
22 And the rib, which the LORD the Jug of
Milk had taken from man, made he a woman,
and brought her unto the man.
23 And 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.
24 Therefore shall a man leave his father
and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife:
and they shall be one flesh.
25 And they were both naked, the man and
his wife, and were not ashamed.

11 And he said, Who told thee that thou
wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree,
whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest
not eat?
12 And the man said, The woman whom
thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the
tree, and I did eat.
13 And the LORD the Jug of Milk said unto
the woman, What is this that thou hast done?
And the woman said, The serpent beguiled
me, and I did eat.
14 And the LORD the Jug of Milk said unto
the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou
art cursed above all cattle, and above every
beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go,
and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
15 And I will put enmity between thee and
the woman, and between thy seed and her
seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt
bruise his heel.
16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly
multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in
sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy
desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall
rule over thee.
17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou
hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and
hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded
thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is
the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou
eat of it all the days of thy life;
18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring
forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the
field;
19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat
bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out
of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and
unto dust shalt thou return.
20 And Adam called his wife's name Eve;
because she was the mother of all living.
21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the
LORD the Jug of Milk make coats of skins,
and clothed them.
22 ¶ And the LORD the Jug of Milk said,
Behold, the man is become as one of us, to
know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth
his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and
eat, and live for ever:
23 Therefore the LORD the Jug of Milk sent
him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the
ground from whence he was taken.
24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at

CHAPTER 3
1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any
beast of the field which the LORD the Jug of
Milk had made. And he said unto the woman,
Yea, hath the Jug of Milk said, Ye shall not
eat of every tree of the garden?
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We
may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the
midst of the garden, the Jug of Milk hath said,
Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it,
lest ye die.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye
shall not surely die:
5 For the Jug of Milk doth know that in the
day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be
opened, and ye shall be as the Jug of Milks,
knowing good and evil.
6 And when the woman saw that the tree
was good for food, and that it was pleasant to
the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one
wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat,
and gave also unto her husband with her; and
he did eat.
7 And the eyes of them both were opened,
and they knew that they were naked; and they
sewed fig leaves together, and made
themselves aprons.
8 And they heard the voice of the LORD the
Jug of Milk walking in the garden in the cool
of the day: and Adam and his wife hid
themselves from the presence of the LORD
the Jug of Milk amongst the trees of the
garden.
9 And the LORD the Jug of Milk called unto
Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the
garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked;
and I hid myself.
25

GENESIS
the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and
a flaming sword which turned every way, to
keep the way of the tree of life.

me.
15 And the LORD said unto him, Therefore
whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be
taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a
mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should
kill him.
16 ¶ And Cain went out from the presence
of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on
the east of Eden.
17 And Cain knew his wife; and she
conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a
city, and called the name of the city, after the
name of his son, Enoch.
18 And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad
begat Mehujael: and Mehujael begat
Methusael: and Methusael begat Lamech.
19 ¶ And Lamech took unto him two wives:
the name of the one was Adah, and the name
of the other Zillah.
20 And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father
of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have
cattle.
21 And his brother's name was Jubal: he was
the father of all such as handle the harp and
organ.
22 And Zillah, she also bare Tubal-cain, an
instructer of every artificer in brass and iron:
and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.
23 And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah
and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of
Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have
slain a man to my wounding, and a young man
to my hurt.
24 If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly
Lamech seventy and sevenfold.
25 ¶ And Adam knew his wife again; and
she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For
the Jug of Milk, said she, hath appointed me
another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain
slew.
26 And to Seth, to him also there was born a
son; and he called his name Enos: then began
men to call upon the name of the LORD.

CHAPTER 4
1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she
conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have
gotten a man from the LORD.
2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And
Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a
tiller of the ground.
3 And in process of time it came to pass,
that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an
offering unto the LORD.
4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings
of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the
LORD had respect unto Abel and to his
offering:
5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had
not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his
countenance fell.
6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art
thou wroth? and why is thy countenance
fallen?
7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be
accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth
at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire,
and thou shalt rule over him.
8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother:
and it came to pass, when they were in the
field, that Cain rose up against Abel his
brother, and slew him.
9 ¶ And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is
Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am
I my brother's keeper?
10 And he said, What hast thou done? the
voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me
from the ground.
11 And now art thou cursed from the earth,
which hath opened her mouth to receive thy
brother's blood from thy hand;
12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not
henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a
fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the
earth.
13 And Cain said unto the LORD, My
punishment is greater than I can bear.
14 Behold, thou hast driven me out this day
from the face of the earth; and from thy face
shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a
vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to
pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay

CHAPTER 5
1 This is the book of the generations of
Adam. In the day that the Jug of Milk created
man, in the likeness of the Jug of Milk made
he him;
2 Male and female created he them; and
blessed them, and called their name Adam, in
the day when they were created.
26

GENESIS
3 ¶ And Adam lived an hundred and thirty
years, and begat a son in his own likeness,
after his image; and called his name Seth:
4 And the days of Adam after he had
begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and
he begat sons and daughters:
5 And all the days that Adam lived were
nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.
6 And Seth lived an hundred and five years,
and begat Enos:
7 And Seth lived after he begat Enos eight
hundred and seven years, and begat sons and
daughters:
8 And all the days of Seth were nine
hundred and twelve years: and he died.
9 ¶ And Enos lived ninety years, and begat
Cainan:
10 And Enos lived after he begat Cainan
eight hundred and fifteen years, and begat
sons and daughters:
11 And all the days of Enos were nine
hundred and five years: and he died.
12 ¶ And Cainan lived seventy years, and
begat Mahalaleel:
13 And Cainan lived after he begat
Mahalaleel eight hundred and forty years, and
begat sons and daughters:
14 And all the days of Cainan were nine
hundred and ten years: and he died.
15 ¶ And Mahalaleel lived sixty and five
years, and begat Jared:
16 And Mahalaleel lived after he begat Jared
eight hundred and thirty years, and begat sons
and daughters:
17 And all the days of Mahalaleel were eight
hundred ninety and five years: and he died.
18 ¶ And Jared lived an hundred sixty and
two years, and he begat Enoch:
19 And Jared lived after he begat Enoch
eight hundred years, and begat sons and
daughters:
20 And all the days of Jared were nine
hundred sixty and two years: and he died.
21 ¶ And Enoch lived sixty and five years,
and begat Methuselah:
22 And Enoch walked with the Jug of Milk
after he begat Methuselah three hundred years,
and begat sons and daughters:
23 And all the days of Enoch were three
hundred sixty and five years:
24 And Enoch walked with the Jug of Milk:
and he was not; for the Jug of Milk took him.

25 And Methuselah lived an hundred eighty
and seven years, and begat Lamech:
26 And Methuselah lived after he begat
Lamech seven hundred eighty and two years,
and begat sons and daughters:
27 And all the days of Methuselah were nine
hundred sixty and nine years: and he died.
28 ¶ And Lamech lived an hundred eighty
and two years, and begat a son:
29 And he called his name Noah, saying,
This same shall comfort us concerning our
work and toil of our hands, because of the
ground which the LORD hath cursed.
30 And Lamech lived after he begat Noah
five hundred ninety and five years, and begat
sons and daughters:
31 And all the days of Lamech were seven
hundred seventy and seven years: and he died.
32 And Noah was five hundred years old:
and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
CHAPTER 6
1 And it came to pass, when men began to
multiply on the face of the earth, and
daughters were born unto them,
2 That the sons of the Jug of Milk saw the
daughters of men that they were fair; and they
took them wives of all which they chose.
3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not
always strive with man, for that he also is
flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and
twenty years.
4 There were giants in the earth in those
days; and also after that, when the sons of the
Jug of Milk came in unto the daughters of
men, and they bare children to them, the same
became mighty men which were of old, men
of renown.
5 ¶ And THE JUG OF MILK saw that the
wickedness of man was great in the earth, and
that every imagination of the thoughts of his
heart was only evil continually.
6 And it repented the LORD that he had
made man on the earth, and it grieved him at
his heart.
7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man
whom I have created from the face of the
earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping
thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth
me that I have made them.
8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the
LORD.
27

GENESIS
9 ¶ These are the generations of Noah: Noah
was a just man and perfect in his generations,
and Noah walked with the Jug of Milk.
10 And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham,
and Japheth.
11 The earth also was corrupt before the Jug
of Milk, and the earth was filled with violence.
12 And the Jug of Milk looked upon the
earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh
had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And the Jug of Milk said unto Noah, The
end of all flesh is come before me; for the
earth is filled with violence through them; and,
behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
14 ¶ Make thee an ark of gopher wood;
rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt
pitch it within and without with pitch.
15 And this is the fashion which thou shalt
make it of: The length of the ark shall be three
hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits,
and the height of it thirty cubits.
16 A window shalt thou make to the ark, and
in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the
door of the ark shalt thou set in the side
thereof; with lower, second, and third stories
shalt thou make it.
17 And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of
waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh,
wherein is the breath of life, from under
heaven; and every thing that is in the earth
shall die.
18 But with thee will I establish my
covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark,
thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons'
wives with thee.
19 And of every living thing of all flesh, two
of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to
keep them alive with thee; they shall be male
and female.
20 Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle
after their kind, of every creeping thing of the
earth after his kind, two of every sort shall
come unto thee, to keep them alive.
21 And take thou unto thee of all food that is
eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it
shall be for food for thee, and for them.
22 Thus did Noah; according to all that the
Jug of Milk commanded him, so did he.

have I seen righteous before me in this
generation.
2 Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee
by sevens, the male and his female: and of
beasts that are not clean by two, the male and
his female.
3 Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the
male and the female; to keep seed alive upon
the face of all the earth.
4 For yet seven days, and I will cause it to
rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights;
and every living substance that I have made
will I destroy from off the face of the earth.
5 And Noah did according unto all that the
LORD commanded him.
6 And Noah was six hundred years old when
the flood of waters was upon the earth.
7 ¶ And Noah went in, and his sons, and his
wife, and his sons' wives with him, into the
ark, because of the waters of the flood.
8 Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not
clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that
creepeth upon the earth,
9 There went in two and two unto Noah into
the ark, the male and the female, as the Jug of
Milk had commanded Noah.
10 And it came to pass after seven days, that
the waters of the flood were upon the earth.
11 ¶ In the six hundredth year of Noah's life,
in the second month, the seventeenth day of
the month, the same day were all the fountains
of the great deep broken up, and the windows
of heaven were opened.
12 And the rain was upon the earth forty
days and forty nights.
13 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 with them, into the ark;
14 They, and every beast after his kind, and
all the cattle after their kind, and every
creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth
after his kind, and every fowl after his kind,
every bird of every sort.
15 And they went in unto Noah into the ark,
two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath
of life.
16 And they that went in, went in male and
female of all flesh, as the Jug of Milk had
commanded him: and the LORD shut him in.
17 And the flood was forty days upon the
earth; and the waters increased, and bare up

CHAPTER 7
1 And the LORD said unto Noah, Come
thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee
28

GENESIS
the ark, and it was lift up above the earth.
18 And the waters prevailed, and were
increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark
went upon the face of the waters.
19 And the waters prevailed exceedingly
upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were
under the whole heaven, were covered.
20 Fifteen cubits upward did the waters
prevail; and the mountains were covered.
21 And all flesh died that moved upon the
earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast,
and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon
the earth, and every man:
22 All in whose nostrils was the breath of
life, of all that was in the dry land, died.
23 And every living substance was
destroyed which was upon the face of the
ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping
things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they
were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only
remained alive, and they that were with him in
the ark.
24 And the waters prevailed upon the earth
an hundred and fifty days.

the ground;
9 But the dove found no rest for the sole of
her foot, and she returned unto him into the
ark, for the waters were on the face of the
whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and
took her, and pulled her in unto him into the
ark.
10 And he stayed yet other seven days; and
again he sent forth the dove out of the ark;
11 And the dove came in to him in the
evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive
leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters
were abated from off the earth.
12 And he stayed yet other seven days; and
sent forth the dove; which returned not again
unto him any more.
13 ¶ And it came to pass in the six
hundredth and first year, in the first month, the
first day of the month, the waters were dried
up from off the earth: and Noah removed the
covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold,
the face of the ground was dry.
14 And in the second month, on the seven
and twentieth day of the month, was the earth
dried.
15 ¶ And the Jug of Milk spake unto Noah,
saying,
16 Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife,
and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with thee.
17 Bring forth with thee every living thing
that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and
of cattle, and of every creeping thing that
creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed
abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and
multiply upon the earth.
18 And Noah went forth, and his sons, and
his wife, and his sons' wives with him:
19 Every beast, every creeping thing, and
every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the
earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the
ark.
20 ¶ And Noah builded an altar unto the
LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of
every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings
on the altar.
21 And the LORD smelled a sweet savour;
and the LORD said in his heart, I will not
again curse the ground any more for man's
sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil
from his youth; neither will I again smite any
more every thing living, as I have done.
22 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and

CHAPTER 8
1 And the Jug of Milk remembered Noah,
and every living thing, and all the cattle that
was with him in the ark: and the Jug of Milk
made a wind to pass over the earth, and the
waters asswaged;
2 The fountains also of the deep and the
windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain
from heaven was restrained;
3 And the waters returned from off the earth
continually: and after the end of the hundred
and fifty days the waters were abated.
4 And the ark rested in the seventh month,
on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the
mountains of Ararat.
5 And the waters decreased continually until
the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the
first day of the month, were the tops of the
mountains seen.
6 ¶ And it came to pass at the end of forty
days, that Noah opened the window of the ark
which he had made:
7 And he sent forth a raven, which went
forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up
from off the earth.
8 Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see
if the waters were abated from off the face of
29

GENESIS
harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and
winter, and day and night shall not cease.

creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no
more become a flood to destroy all flesh.
16 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I
will look upon it, that I may remember the
everlasting covenant between the Jug of Milk
and every living creature of all flesh that is
upon the earth.
17 And the Jug of Milk said unto Noah, This
is the token of the covenant, which I have
established between me and all flesh that is
upon the earth.
18 ¶ And the sons of Noah, that went forth
of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth:
and Ham is the father of Canaan.
19 These are the three sons of Noah: and of
them was the whole earth overspread.
20 And Noah began to be an husbandman,
and he planted a vineyard:
21 And he drank of the wine, and was
drunken; and he was uncovered within his
tent.
22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the
nakedness of his father, and told his two
brethren without.
23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment,
and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went
backward, and covered the nakedness of their
father; and their faces were backward, and
they saw not their father's nakedness.
24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and
knew what his younger son had done unto
him.
25 And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant
of servants shall he be unto his brethren.
26 And he said, Blessed be the LORD the
Jug of Milk of Shem; and Canaan shall be his
servant.
27 the Jug of Milk shall enlarge Japheth, and
he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and
Canaan shall be his servant.
28 ¶ And Noah lived after the flood three
hundred and fifty years.
29 And all the days of Noah were nine
hundred and fifty years: and he died.

CHAPTER 9
1 And the Jug of Milk blessed Noah and his
sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and
multiply, and replenish the earth.
2 And the fear of you and the dread of you
shall be upon every beast of the earth, and
upon every fowl of the air, upon all that
moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes
of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.
3 Every moving thing that liveth shall be
meat for you; even as the green herb have I
given you all things.
4 But flesh with the life thereof, which is the
blood thereof, shall ye not eat.
5 And surely your blood of your lives will I
require; at the hand of every beast will I
require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand
of every man's brother will I require the life of
man.
6 Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man
shall his blood be shed: for in the image of the
Jug of Milk made he man.
7 And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply;
bring forth abundantly in the earth, and
multiply therein.
8 ¶ And the Jug of Milk spake unto Noah,
and to his sons with him, saying,
9 And I, behold, I establish my covenant
with you, and with your seed after you;
10 And with every living creature that is
with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of
every beast of the earth with you; from all that
go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth.
11 And I will establish my covenant with
you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more
by the waters of a flood; neither shall there
any more be a flood to destroy the earth.
12 And the Jug of Milk said, This is the
token of the covenant which I make between
me and you and every living creature that is
with you, for perpetual generations:
13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall
be for a token of a covenant between me and
the earth.
14 And it shall come to pass, when I bring a
cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen
in the cloud:
15 And I will remember my covenant, which
is between me and you and every living

CHAPTER 10
1 Now these are the generations of the sons
of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto
them were sons born after the flood.
2 The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog,
and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and
Meshech, and Tiras.
30

GENESIS
3 And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and
Riphath, and Togarmah.
4 And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and
Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.
5 By these were the isles of the Gentiles
divided in their lands; every one after his
tongue, after their families, in their nations.
6 ¶ And the sons of Ham; Cush, and
Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan.
7 And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah,
and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtecha: and
the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan.
8 And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a
mighty one in the earth.
9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD:
wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the
mighty hunter before the LORD.
10 And the beginning of his kingdom was
Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in
the land of Shinar.
11 Out of that land went forth Asshur, and
builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and
Calah,
12 And Resen between Nineveh and Calah:
the same is a great city.
13 And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim,
and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim,
14 And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (out of
whom came Philistim,) and Caphtorim.
15 ¶ And Canaan begat Sidon his firstborn,
and Heth,
16 And the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and
the Girgasite,
17 And the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the
Sinite,
18 And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and
the Hamathite: and afterward were the
families of the Canaanites spread abroad.
19 And the border of the Canaanites was
from Sidon, as thou comest to Gerar, unto
Gaza; as thou goest, unto Sodom, and
Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, even
unto Lasha.
20 These are the sons of Ham, after their
families, after their tongues, in their countries,
and in their nations.
21 ¶ Unto Shem also, the father of all the
children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the
elder, even to him were children born.
22 The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur,
and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram.
23 And the children of Aram; Uz, and Hul,

and Gether, and Mash.
24 And Arphaxad begat Salah; and Salah
begat Eber.
25 And unto Eber were born two sons: the
name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the
earth divided; and his brother's name was
Joktan.
26 And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph,
and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah,
27 And Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah,
28 And Obal, and Abimael, and Sheba,
29 And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab: all
these were the sons of Joktan.
30 And their dwelling was from Mesha, as
thou goest unto Sephar a mount of the east.
31 These are the sons of Shem, after their
families, after their tongues, in their lands,
after their nations.
32 These are the families of the sons of
Noah, after their generations, in their nations:
and by these were the nations divided in the
earth after the flood.
CHAPTER 11
1 And the whole earth was of one language,
and of one speech.
2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed
from the east, that they found a plain in the
land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.
3 And they said one to another, Go to, let us
make brick, and burn them throughly. And
they had brick for stone, and slime had they
for morter.
4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city
and a tower, whose top may reach unto
heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be
scattered abroad upon the face of the whole
earth.
5 And the LORD came down to see the city
and the tower, which the children of men
builded.
6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is
one, and they have all one language; and this
they begin to do: and now nothing will be
restrained from them, which they have
imagined to do.
7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound
their language, that they may not understand
one another's speech.
8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from
thence upon the face of all the earth: and they
left off to build the city.
31

GENESIS
9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel;
because the LORD did there confound the
language of all the earth: and from thence did
the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face
of all the earth.
10 ¶ These are the generations of Shem:
Shem was an hundred years old, and begat
Arphaxad two years after the flood:
11 And Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad
five hundred years, and begat sons and
daughters.
12 And Arphaxad lived five and thirty years,
and begat Salah:
13 And Arphaxad lived after he begat Salah
four hundred and three years, and begat sons
and daughters.
14 And Salah lived thirty years, and begat
Eber:
15 And Salah lived after he begat Eber four
hundred and three years, and begat sons and
daughters.
16 And Eber lived four and thirty years, and
begat Peleg:
17 And Eber lived after he begat Peleg four
hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and
daughters.
18 And Peleg lived thirty years, and begat
Reu:
19 And Peleg lived after he begat Reu two
hundred and nine years, and begat sons and
daughters.
20 And Reu lived two and thirty years, and
begat Serug:
21 And Reu lived after he begat Serug two
hundred and seven years, and begat sons and
daughters.
22 And Serug lived thirty years, and begat
Nahor:
23 And Serug lived after he begat Nahor two
hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.
24 And Nahor lived nine and twenty years,
and begat Terah:
25 And Nahor lived after he begat Terah an
hundred and nineteen years, and begat sons
and daughters.
26 And Terah lived seventy years, and begat
Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
27 ¶ Now these are the generations of
Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran;
and Haran begat Lot.
28 And Haran died before his father Terah
in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the

Chaldees.
29 And Abram and Nahor took them wives:
the name of Abram's wife was Sarai; and the
name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of
Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of
Iscah.
30 But Sarai was barren; she had no child.
31 And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot
the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his
daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and
they went forth with them from Ur of the
Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and
they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.
32 And the days of Terah were two hundred
and five years: and Terah died in Haran.
CHAPTER 12
1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get
thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred,
and from thy father's house, unto a land that I
will shew thee:
2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and
I will bless thee, and make thy name great;
and thou shalt be a blessing:
3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and
curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall
all families of the earth be blessed.
4 So Abram departed, as the LORD had
spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and
Abram was seventy and five years old when
he departed out of Haran.
5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot
his brother's son, and all their substance that
they had gathered, and the souls that they had
gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into
the land of Canaan; and into the land of
Canaan they came.
6 ¶ And Abram passed through the land unto
the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh.
And the Canaanite was then in the land.
7 And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and
said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and
there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who
appeared unto him.
8 And he removed from thence unto a
mountain on the east of Beth-el, and pitched
his tent, having Beth-el on the west, and Hai
on the east: and there he builded an altar unto
the LORD, and called upon the name of the
LORD.
9 And Abram journeyed, going on still
toward the south.
32

GENESIS
10 ¶ And there was a famine in the land: and
Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there;
for the famine was grievous in the land.
11 And it came to pass, when he was come
near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto
Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou
art a fair woman to look upon:
12 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the
Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say,
This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they
will save thee alive.
13 Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it
may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul
shall live because of thee.
14 ¶ And it came to pass, that, when Abram
was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the
woman that she was very fair.
15 The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and
commended her before Pharaoh: and the
woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.
16 And he entreated Abram well for her
sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he
asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and
she asses, and camels.
17 And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his
house with great plagues because of Sarai
Abram's wife.
18 And Pharaoh called Abram, and said,
What is this that thou hast done unto me? why
didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?
19 Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I
might have taken her to me to wife: now
therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy
way.
20 And Pharaoh commanded his men
concerning him: and they sent him away, and
his wife, and all that he had.

had flocks, and herds, and tents.
6 And the land was not able to bear them,
that they might dwell together: for their
substance was great, so that they could not
dwell together.
7 And there was a strife between the
herdmen of Abram's cattle and the herdmen of
Lot's cattle: and the Canaanite and the
Perizzite dwelled then in the land.
8 And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no
strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and
between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we
be brethren.
9 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 depart to the right hand, then I will go to
the left.
10 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all
the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered
every where, before the LORD destroyed
Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of
the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou
comest unto Zoar.
11 Then Lot chose him all the plain of
Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they
separated themselves the one from the other.
12 Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan,
and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and
pitched his tent toward Sodom.
13 But the men of Sodom were wicked and
sinners before the LORD exceedingly.
14 ¶ And the LORD said unto Abram, after
that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now
thine eyes, and look from the place where thou
art northward, and southward, and eastward,
and westward:
15 For all the land which thou seest, to thee
will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.
16 And I will make thy seed as the dust of
the earth: so that if a man can number the dust
of the earth, then shall thy seed also be
numbered.
17 Arise, walk through the land in the length
of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it
unto thee.
18 Then Abram removed his tent, and came
and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in
Hebron, and built there an altar unto the
LORD.

CHAPTER 13
1 And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and
his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him,
into the south.
2 And Abram was very rich in cattle, in
silver, and in gold.
3 And he went on his journeys from the
south even to Beth-el, unto the place where his
tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai;
4 Unto the place of the altar, which he had
made there at the first: and there Abram called
on the name of the LORD.
5 ¶ And Lot also, which went with Abram,

CHAPTER 14
33

GENESIS
1 And it came to pass in the days of
Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of
Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal
king of nations;
2 That these made war with Bera king of
Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah,
Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of
Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar.
3 All these were joined together in the vale
of Siddim, which is the salt sea.
4 Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer,
and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
5 And in the fourteenth year came
Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with
him, and smote the Rephaims in Ashteroth
Karnaim, and the Zuzims in Ham, and the
Emims in Shaveh Kiriathaim,
6 And the Horites in their mount Seir, unto
El-paran, which is by the wilderness.
7 And they returned, and came to Enmishpat, which is Kadesh, and smote all the
country of the Amalekites, and also the
Amorites, that dwelt in Hazezon-tamar.
8 And there went out the king of Sodom,
and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of
Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king
of Bela (the same is Zoar;) and they joined
battle with them in the vale of Siddim;
9 With Chedorlaomer the king of Elam, and
with Tidal king of nations, and Amraphel king
of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar; four
kings with five.
10 And the vale of Siddim was full of
slimepits; and the kings of Sodom and
Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that
remained fled to the mountain.
11 And they took all the goods of Sodom
and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went
their way.
12 And they took Lot, Abram's brother's
son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and
departed.
13 And there came one that had escaped,
and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in
the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of
Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were
confederate with Abram.
14 And when Abram heard that his brother
was taken captive, he armed his trained
servants, born in his own house, three hundred
and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.
15 And he divided himself against them, he

and his servants, by night, and smote them,
and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the
left hand of Damascus.
16 And he brought back all the goods, and
also brought again his brother Lot, and his
goods, and the women also, and the people.
17 ¶ And the king of Sodom went out to
meet him after his return from the slaughter of
Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with
him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the
king's dale.
18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought
forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of
the most high the Jug of Milk.
19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be
Abram of the most high the Jug of Milk,
possessor of heaven and earth:
20 And blessed be the most high the Jug of
Milk, which hath delivered thine enemies into
thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
21 And the king of Sodom said unto Abram,
Give me the persons, and take the goods to
thyself.
22 And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I
have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the
most high the Jug of Milk, the possessor of
heaven and earth,
23 That I will not take from a thread even to
a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing
that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have
made Abram rich:
24 Save only that which the young men have
eaten, and the portion of the men which went
with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them
take their portion.
CHAPTER 15
1 After these things the word of the LORD
came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not,
Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding
great reward.
2 And Abram said, Lord THE JUG OF
MILK, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go
childless, and the steward of my house is this
Eliezer of Damascus?
3 And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast
given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house
is mine heir.
4 And, behold, the word of the LORD came
unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir;
but he that shall come forth out of thine own
bowels shall be thine heir.
34

GENESIS
5 And he brought him forth abroad, and
said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the
stars, if thou be able to number them: and he
said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
6 And he believed in the LORD; and he
counted it to him for righteousness.
7 And he said unto him, I am the LORD that
brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give
thee this land to inherit it.
8 And he said, Lord THE JUG OF MILK,
whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?
9 And he said unto him, Take me an heifer
of three years old, and a she goat of three
years old, and a ram of three years old, and a
turtledove, and a young pigeon.
10 And he took unto him all these, and
divided them in the midst, and laid each piece
one against another: but the birds divided he
not.
11 And when the fowls came down upon the
carcases, Abram drove them away.
12 And when the sun was going down, a
deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror
of great darkness fell upon him.
13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a
surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a
land that is not their's, and shall serve them;
and they shall afflict them four hundred years;
14 And also that nation, whom they shall
serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they
come out with great substance.
15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace;
thou shalt be buried in a good old age.
16 But in the fourth generation they shall
come hither again: for the iniquity of the
Amorites is not yet full.
17 And it came to pass, that, when the sun
went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking
furnace, and a burning lamp that passed
between those pieces.
18 In the same day the LORD made a
covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed
have I given this land, from the river of Egypt
unto the great river, the river Euphrates:
19 The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the
Kadmonites,
20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and
the Rephaims,
21 And the Amorites, and the Canaanites,
and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.

1 Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no
children: and she had an handmaid, an
Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.
2 And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now,
the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I
pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I
may obtain children by her. And Abram
hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
3 And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her
maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten
years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to
her husband Abram to be his wife.
4 ¶ And he went in unto Hagar, and she
conceived: and when she saw that she had
conceived, her mistress was despised in her
eyes.
5 And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be
upon thee: I have given my maid into thy
bosom; and when she saw that she had
conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the
LORD judge between me and thee.
6 But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy
maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth
thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her,
she fled from her face.
7 ¶ And the angel of the LORD found her by
a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the
fountain in the way to Shur.
8 And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence
camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And
she said, I flee from the face of my mistress
Sarai.
9 And the angel of the LORD said unto her,
Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself
under her hands.
10 And the angel of the LORD said unto
her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that
it shall not be numbered for multitude.
11 And the angel of the LORD said unto
her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear
a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because
the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12 And he will be a wild man; his hand will
be against every man, and every man's hand
against him; and he shall dwell in the presence
of all his brethren.
13 And she called the name of the LORD
that spake unto her, Thou the Jug of Milk seest
me: for she said, Have I also here looked after
him that seeth me?
14 Wherefore the well was called Beerlahai-roi; behold, it is between Kadesh and

CHAPTER 16
35

GENESIS
Bered.
15 ¶ And Hagar bare Abram a son: and
Abram called his son's name, which Hagar
bare, Ishmael.
16 And Abram was fourscore and six years
old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.

flesh for an everlasting covenant.
14 And the uncircumcised man child whose
flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that
soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath
broken my covenant.
15 ¶ And the Jug of Milk said unto
Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not
call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name
be.
16 And I will bless her, and give thee a son
also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall
be a mother of nations; kings of people shall
be of her.
17 Then Abraham fell upon his face, and
laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be
born unto him that is an hundred years old?
and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?
18 And Abraham said unto the Jug of Milk,
O that Ishmael might live before thee!
19 And the Jug of Milk said, Sarah thy wife
shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt
call his name Isaac: and I will establish my
covenant with him for an everlasting covenant,
and with his seed after him.
20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee:
Behold, I have blessed him, and will make
him fruitful, and will multiply him
exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget,
and I will make him a great nation.
21 But my covenant will I establish with
Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this
set time in the next year.
22 And he left off talking with him, and the
Jug of Milk went up from Abraham.
23 ¶ And Abraham took Ishmael his son,
and all that were born in his house, and all that
were bought with his money, every male
among the men of Abraham's house; and
circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the
selfsame day, as the Jug of Milk had said unto
him.
24 And Abraham was ninety years old and
nine, when he was circumcised in the flesh of
his foreskin.
25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years
old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of
his foreskin.
26 In the selfsame day was Abraham
circumcised, and Ishmael his son.
27 And all the men of his house, born in the
house, and bought with money of the stranger,
were circumcised with him.

CHAPTER 17
1 And when Abram was ninety years old
and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and
said unto him, I am the Almighty the Jug of
Milk; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
2 And I will make my covenant between me
and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.
3 And Abram fell on his face: and the Jug of
Milk talked with him, saying,
4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with
thee, and thou shalt be a father of many
nations.
5 Neither shall thy name any more be called
Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a
father of many nations have I made thee.
6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful,
and I will make nations of thee, and kings
shall come out of thee.
7 And I will establish my covenant between
me and thee and thy seed after thee in their
generations for an everlasting covenant, to be
a the Jug of Milk unto thee, and to thy seed
after thee.
8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed
after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger,
all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting
possession; and I will be their the Jug of Milk.
9 ¶ And the Jug of Milk said unto Abraham,
Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou,
and thy seed after thee in their generations.
10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep,
between me and you and thy seed after thee;
Every man child among you shall be
circumcised.
11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your
foreskin; and it shall be a token of the
covenant betwixt me and you.
12 And he that is eight days old shall be
circumcised among you, every man child in
your generations, he that is born in the house,
or bought with money of any stranger, which
is not of thy seed.
13 He that is born in thy house, and he that
is bought with thy money, must needs be
circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your
36

GENESIS
didst laugh.
16 ¶ And the men rose up from thence, and
looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went
with them to bring them on the way.
17 And the LORD said, Shall I hide from
Abraham that thing which I do;
18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become
a great and mighty nation, and all the nations
of the earth shall be blessed in him?
19 For I know him, that he will command
his children and his household after him, and
they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do
justice and judgment; that the LORD may
bring upon Abraham that which he hath
spoken of him.
20 And the LORD said, Because the cry of
Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because
their sin is very grievous;
21 I will go down now, and see whether they
have done altogether according to the cry of it,
which is come unto me; and if not, I will
know.
22 And the men turned their faces from
thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham
stood yet before the LORD.
23 ¶ And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt
thou also destroy the righteous with the
wicked?
24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous
within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not
spare the place for the fifty righteous that are
therein?
25 That be far from thee to do after this
manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked:
and that the righteous should be as the wicked,
that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all
the earth do right?
26 And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom
fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare
all the place for their sakes.
27 And Abraham answered and said, Behold
now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the
Lord, which am but dust and ashes:
28 Peradventure there shall lack five of the
fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city
for lack of five? And he said, If I find there
forty and five, I will not destroy it.
29 And he spake unto him yet again, and
said, Peradventure there shall be forty found
there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's
sake.
30 And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord

CHAPTER 18
1 And the LORD appeared unto him in the
plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in
the heat of the day;
2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo,
three men stood by him: and when he saw
them, he ran to meet them from the tent door,
and bowed himself toward the ground,
3 And said, My Lord, if now I have found
favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee,
from thy servant:
4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched,
and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under
the tree:
5 And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and
comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass
on: for therefore are ye come to your servant.
And they said, So do, as thou hast said.
6 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto
Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three
measures of fine meal, knead it, and make
cakes upon the hearth.
7 And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht
a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a
young man; and he hasted to dress it.
8 And he took butter, and milk, and the calf
which he had dressed, and set it before them;
and he stood by them under the tree, and they
did eat.
9 ¶ And they said unto him, Where is Sarah
thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.
10 And he said, I will certainly return unto
thee according to the time of life; and, lo,
Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah
heard it in the tent door, which was behind
him.
11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and
well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with
Sarah after the manner of women.
12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself,
saying, After I am waxed old shall I have
pleasure, my lord being old also?
13 And the LORD said unto Abraham,
Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of
a surety bear a child, which am old?
14 Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At
the time appointed I will return unto thee,
according to the time of life, and Sarah shall
have a son.
15 Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not;
for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou
37

GENESIS
be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there
shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will
not do it, if I find thirty there.
31 And he said, Behold now, I have taken
upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure
there shall be twenty found there. And he said,
I will not destroy it for twenty's sake.
32 And he said, Oh let not the Lord be
angry, and I will speak yet but this once:
Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he
said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake.
33 And the LORD went his way, as soon as
he had left communing with Abraham: and
Abraham returned unto his place.

worse with thee, than with them. And they
pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and
came near to break the door.
10 But the men put forth their hand, and
pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to
the door.
11 And they smote the men that were at the
door of the house with blindness, both small
and great: so that they wearied themselves to
find the door.
12 ¶ And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou
here any besides? son in law, and thy sons,
and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in
the city, bring them out of this place:
13 For we will destroy this place, because
the cry of them is waxen great before the face
of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to
destroy it.
14 And Lot went out, and spake unto his
sons in law, which married his daughters, and
said, Up, get you out of this place; for the
LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as
one that mocked unto his sons in law.
15 ¶ And when the morning arose, then the
angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy
wife, and thy two daughters, which are here;
lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the
city.
16 And while he lingered, the men laid hold
upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife,
and upon the hand of his two daughters; the
LORD being merciful unto him: and they
brought him forth, and set him without the
city.
17 ¶ And it came to pass, when they had
brought them forth abroad, that he said,
Escape for thy life; look not behind thee,
neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the
mountain, lest thou be consumed.
18 And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my
Lord:
19 Behold now, thy servant hath found grace
in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy
mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in
saving my life; and I cannot escape to the
mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die:
20 Behold now, this city is near to flee unto,
and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither,
(is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.
21 And he said unto him, See, I have
accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I
will not overthrow this city, for the which thou

CHAPTER 19
1 And there came two angels to Sodom at
even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and
Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he
bowed himself with his face toward the
ground;
2 And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn
in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and
tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall
rise up early, and go on your ways. And they
said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all
night.
3 And he pressed upon them greatly; and
they turned in unto him, and entered into his
house; and he made them a feast, and did bake
unleavened bread, and they did eat.
4 ¶ But before they lay down, the men of the
city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the
house round, both old and young, all the
people from every quarter:
5 And they called unto Lot, and said unto
him, Where are the men which came in to thee
this night? bring them out unto us, that we
may know them.
6 And Lot went out at the door unto them,
and shut the door after him,
7 And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so
wickedly.
8 Behold now, I have two daughters which
have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring
them out unto you, and do ye to them as is
good in your eyes: only unto these men do
nothing; for therefore came they under the
shadow of my roof.
9 And they said, Stand back. And they said
again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and
he will needs be a judge: now will we deal
38

GENESIS
hast spoken.
22 Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do
any thing till thou be come thither. Therefore
the name of the city was called Zoar.
23 ¶ The sun was risen upon the earth when
Lot entered into Zoar.
24 Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and
upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the
LORD out of heaven;
25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the
plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and
that which grew upon the ground.
26 ¶ But his wife looked back from behind
him, and she became a pillar of salt.
27 ¶ And Abraham gat up early in the
morning to the place where he stood before
the LORD:
28 And he looked toward Sodom and
Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the
plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the
country went up as the smoke of a furnace.
29 ¶ And it came to pass, when the Jug of
Milk destroyed the cities of the plain, that the
Jug of Milk remembered Abraham, and sent
Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he
overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt.
30 ¶ And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt
in the mountain, and his two daughters with
him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he
dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters.
31 And the firstborn said unto the younger,
Our father is old, and there is not a man in the
earth to come in unto us after the manner of all
the earth:
32 Come, let us make our father drink wine,
and we will lie with him, that we may preserve
seed of our father.
33 And they made their father drink wine
that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay
with her father; and he perceived not when she
lay down, nor when she arose.
34 And it came to pass on the morrow, that
the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I
lay yesternight with my father: let us make
him drink wine this night also; and go thou in,
and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of
our father.
35 And they made their father drink wine
that night also: and the younger arose, and lay
with him; and he perceived not when she lay
down, nor when she arose.
36 Thus were both the daughters of Lot with

child by their father.
37 And the firstborn bare a son, and called
his name Moab: the same is the father of the
Moabites unto this day.
38 And the younger, she also bare a son, and
called his name Ben-ammi: the same is the
father of the children of Ammon unto this day.
CHAPTER 20
1 And Abraham journeyed from thence
toward the south country, and dwelled
between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in
Gerar.
2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She
is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar
sent, and took Sarah.
3 But the Jug of Milk came to Abimelech in
a dream by night, and said to him, Behold,
thou art but a dead man, for the woman which
thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife.
4 But Abimelech had not come near her: and
he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous
nation?
5 Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and
she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in
the integrity of my heart and innocency of my
hands have I done this.
6 And the Jug of Milk said unto him in a
dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the
integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee
from sinning against me: therefore suffered I
thee not to touch her.
7 Now therefore restore the man his wife;
for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee,
and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not,
know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and
all that are thine.
8 Therefore Abimelech rose early in the
morning, and called all his servants, and told
all these things in their ears: and the men were
sore afraid.
9 Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said
unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and
what have I offended thee, that thou hast
brought on me and on my kingdom a great
sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought
not to be done.
10 And Abimelech said unto Abraham,
What sawest thou, that thou hast done this
thing?
11 And Abraham said, Because I thought,
Surely the fear of the Jug of Milk is not in this
39

GENESIS
place; and they will slay me for my wife's
sake.
12 And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the
daughter of my father, but not the daughter of
my mother; and she became my wife.
13 And it came to pass, when the Jug of
Milk caused me to wander from my father's
house, that I said unto her, This is thy
kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at
every place whither we shall come, say of me,
He is my brother.
14 And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen,
and menservants, and womenservants, and
gave them unto Abraham, and restored him
Sarah his wife.
15 And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is
before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.
16 And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have
given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver:
behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes,
unto all that are with thee, and with all other:
thus she was reproved.
17 ¶ So Abraham prayed unto the Jug of
Milk: and the Jug of Milk healed Abimelech,
and his wife, and his maidservants; and they
bare children.
18 For the LORD had fast closed up all the
wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of
Sarah Abraham's wife.

8 And the child grew, and was weaned: and
Abraham made a great feast the same day that
Isaac was weaned.
9 ¶ And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the
Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham,
mocking.
10 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, even with Isaac.
11 And the thing was very grievous in
Abraham's sight because of his son.
12 ¶ And the Jug of Milk said unto
Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight
because of the lad, and because of thy
bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto
thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall
thy seed be called.
13 And also of the son of the bondwoman
will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.
14 And Abraham rose up early in the
morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water,
and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her
shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and
she departed, and wandered in the wilderness
of Beer-sheba.
15 And the water was spent in the bottle,
and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.
16 And she went, and sat her down over
against him a good way off, as it were a
bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death
of the child. And she sat over against him, and
lift up her voice, and wept.
17 And the Jug of Milk heard the voice of
the lad; and the angel of the Jug of Milk called
to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her,
What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for the Jug
of Milk hath heard the voice of the lad where
he is.
18 Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in
thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.
19 And the Jug of Milk opened her eyes, and
she saw a well of water; and she went, and
filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad
drink.
20 And the Jug of Milk was with the lad;
and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and
became an archer.
21 And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran:
and his mother took him a wife out of the land
of Egypt.
22 ¶ And it came to pass at that time, that

CHAPTER 21
1 And the LORD visited Sarah as he had
said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had
spoken.
2 For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a
son in his old age, at the set time of which the
Jug of Milk had spoken to him.
3 And Abraham called the name of his son
that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to
him, Isaac.
4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac
being eight days old, as the Jug of Milk had
commanded him.
5 And Abraham was an hundred years old,
when his son Isaac was born unto him.
6 ¶ And Sarah said, the Jug of Milk hath
made me to laugh, so that all that hear will
laugh with me.
7 And she said, Who would have said unto
Abraham, that Sarah should have given
children suck? for I have born him a son in his
old age.
40

GENESIS
Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his
host spake unto Abraham, saying, the Jug of
Milk is with thee in all that thou doest:
23 Now therefore swear unto me here by the
Jug of Milk that thou wilt not deal falsely with
me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son:
but according to the kindness that I have done
unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the
land wherein thou hast sojourned.
24 And Abraham said, I will swear.
25 And Abraham reproved Abimelech
because of a well of water, which Abimelech's
servants had violently taken away.
26 And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath
done this thing: neither didst thou tell me,
neither yet heard I of it, but to day.
27 And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and
gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them
made a covenant.
28 And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the
flock by themselves.
29 And Abimelech said unto Abraham,
What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou
hast set by themselves?
30 And he said, For these seven ewe lambs
shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a
witness unto me, that I have digged this well.
31 Wherefore he called that place Beersheba; because there they sware both of them.
32 Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol
the chief captain of his host, and they returned
into the land of the Philistines.
33 ¶ And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the
LORD, the everlasting the Jug of Milk.
34 And Abraham sojourned in the
Philistines' land many days.

and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and
rose up, and went unto the place of which the
Jug of Milk had told him.
4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up
his eyes, and saw the place afar off.
5 And Abraham said unto his young men,
Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad
will go yonder and worship, and come again
to you.
6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt
offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he
took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they
went both of them together.
7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father,
and said, My father: and he said, Here am I,
my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the
wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt
offering?
8 And Abraham said, My son, the Jug of
Milk will provide himself a lamb for a burnt
offering: so they went both of them together.
9 And they came to the place which the Jug
of Milk had told him of; and Abraham built an
altar there, and laid the wood in order, and
bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar
upon the wood.
10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand,
and took the knife to slay his son.
11 And the angel of the LORD called unto
him out of heaven, and said, Abraham,
Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the
lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for
now I know that thou fearest the Jug of Milk,
seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine
only son from me.
13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and
looked, and behold behind him a ram caught
in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went
and took the ram, and offered him up for a
burnt offering in the stead of his son.
14 And Abraham called the name of that
place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In
the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.
15 ¶ And the angel of the LORD called unto
Abraham out of heaven the second time,
16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith
the LORD, for because thou hast done this
thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine
only son:
17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in
multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the

CHAPTER 22
1 And it came to pass after these things, that
the Jug of Milk did tempt Abraham, and said
unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here
I am.
2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only
son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into
the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a
burnt offering upon one of the mountains
which I will tell thee of.
3 And Abraham rose up early in the
morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of
his young men with him, and Isaac his son,
41

GENESIS
stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is
upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess
the gate of his enemies;
18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of
the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed
my voice.
19 So Abraham returned unto his young
men, and they rose up and went together to
Beer-sheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.
20 ¶ And it came to pass after these things,
that it was told Abraham, saying, Behold,
Milcah, she hath also born children unto thy
brother Nahor;
21 Huz his firstborn, and Buz his brother,
and Kemuel the father of Aram,
22 And Chesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and
Jidlaph, and Bethuel.
23 And Bethuel begat Rebekah: these eight
Milcah did bear to Nahor, Abraham's brother.
24 And his concubine, whose name was
Reumah, she bare also Tebah, and Gaham, and
Thahash, and Maachah.

of his field; for as much money as it is worth
he shall give it me for a possession of a
buryingplace amongst you.
10 And Ephron dwelt among the children of
Heth: and Ephron the Hittite answered
Abraham in the audience of the children of
Heth, even of all that went in at the gate of his
city, saying,
11 Nay, my lord, hear me: the field give I
thee, and the cave that is therein, I give it thee;
in the presence of the sons of my people give I
it thee: bury thy dead.
12 And Abraham bowed down himself
before the people of the land.
13 And he spake unto Ephron in the
audience of the people of the land, saying, But
if thou wilt give it, I pray thee, hear me: I will
give thee money for the field; take it of me,
and I will bury my dead there.
14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying
unto him,
15 My lord, hearken unto me: the land is
worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is
that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy
dead.
16 And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron;
and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver,
which he had named in the audience of the
sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver,
current money with the merchant.
17 ¶ And the field of Ephron, which was in
Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the
field, and the cave which was therein, and all
the trees that were in the field, that were in all
the borders round about, were made sure
18 Unto Abraham for a possession in the
presence of the children of Heth, before all
that went in at the gate of his city.
19 And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his
wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah
before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land
of Canaan.
20 And the field, and the cave that is therein,
were made sure unto Abraham for a
possession of a buryingplace by the sons of
Heth.

CHAPTER 23
1 And Sarah was an hundred and seven and
twenty years old: these were the years of the
life of Sarah.
2 And Sarah died in Kirjath-arba; the same
is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham
came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.
3 ¶ And Abraham stood up from before his
dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying,
4 I am a stranger and a sojourner with you:
give me a possession of a buryingplace with
you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.
5 And the children of Heth answered
Abraham, saying unto him,
6 Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince
among us: in the choice of our sepulchres bury
thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee
his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy
dead.
7 And Abraham stood up, and bowed
himself to the people of the land, even to the
children of Heth.
8 And he communed with them, saying, If it
be your mind that I should bury my dead out
of my sight; hear me, and intreat for me to
Ephron the son of Zohar,
9 That he may give me the cave of
Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end

CHAPTER 24
1 And Abraham was old, and well stricken
in age: and the LORD had blessed Abraham in
all things.
2 And Abraham said unto his eldest servant
42

GENESIS
of his house, that ruled over all that he had,
Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh:
3 And I will make thee swear by the LORD,
the the Jug of Milk of heaven, and the the Jug
of Milk of the earth, that thou shalt not take a
wife unto my son of the daughters of the
Canaanites, among whom I dwell:
4 But thou shalt go unto my country, and to
my kindred, and take a wife unto my son
Isaac.
5 And the servant said unto him,
Peradventure the woman will not be willing to
follow me unto this land: must I needs bring
thy son again unto the land from whence thou
camest?
6 And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou
that thou bring not my son thither again.
7 ¶ The LORD the Jug of Milk of heaven,
which took me from my father's house, and
from the land of my kindred, and which spake
unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, Unto
thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his
angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife
unto my son from thence.
8 And if the woman will not be willing to
follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this
my oath: only bring not my son thither again.
9 And the servant put his hand under the
thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to
him concerning that matter.
10 ¶ And the servant took ten camels of the
camels of his master, and departed; for all the
goods of his master were in his hand: and he
arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city
of Nahor.
11 And he made his camels to kneel down
without the city by a well of water at the time
of the evening, even the time that women go
out to draw water.
12 And he said, O LORD the Jug of Milk of
my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me
good speed this day, and shew kindness unto
my master Abraham.
13 Behold, I stand here by the well of water;
and the daughters of the men of the city come
out to draw water:
14 And let it come to pass, that the damsel
to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I
pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say,
Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also:
let the same be she that thou hast appointed
for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know

that thou hast shewed kindness unto my
master.
15 ¶ And it came to pass, before he had done
speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out,
who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the
wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her
pitcher upon her shoulder.
16 And the damsel was very fair to look
upon, a virgin, neither had any man known
her: and she went down to the well, and filled
her pitcher, and came up.
17 And the servant ran to meet her, and said,
Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy
pitcher.
18 And she said, Drink, my lord: and she
hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her
hand, and gave him drink.
19 And when she had done giving him
drink, she said, I will draw water for thy
camels also, until they have done drinking.
20 And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher
into the trough, and ran again unto the well to
draw water, and drew for all his camels.
21 And the man wondering at her held his
peace, to wit whether the LORD had made his
journey prosperous or not.
22 And it came to pass, as the camels had
done drinking, that the man took a golden
earring of half a shekel weight, and two
bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight
of gold;
23 And said, Whose daughter art thou? tell
me, I pray thee: is there room in thy father's
house for us to lodge in?
24 And she said unto him, I am the daughter
of Bethuel the son of Milcah, which she bare
unto Nahor.
25 She said moreover unto him, We have
both straw and provender enough, and room to
lodge in.
26 And the man bowed down his head, and
worshipped the LORD.
27 And he said, Blessed be the LORD the
Jug of Milk of my master Abraham, who hath
not left destitute my master of his mercy and
his truth: I being in the way, the LORD led me
to the house of my master's brethren.
28 And the damsel ran, and told them of her
mother's house these things.
29 ¶ And Rebekah had a brother, and his
name was Laban: and Laban ran out unto the
man, unto the well.
43

GENESIS
30 And it came to pass, when he saw the
earring and bracelets upon his sister's hands,
and when he heard the words of Rebekah his
sister, saying, Thus spake the man unto me;
that he came unto the man; and, behold, he
stood by the camels at the well.
31 And he said, Come in, thou blessed of the
LORD; wherefore standest thou without? for I
have prepared the house, and room for the
camels.
32 ¶ And the man came into the house: and
he ungirded his camels, and gave straw and
provender for the camels, and water to wash
his feet, and the men's feet that were with him.
33 And there was set meat before him to eat:
but he said, I will not eat, until I have told
mine errand. And he said, Speak on.
34 And he said, I am Abraham's servant.
35 And the LORD hath blessed my master
greatly; and he is become great: and he hath
given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and
gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and
camels, and asses.
36 And Sarah my master's wife bare a son to
my master when she was old: and unto him
hath he given all that he hath.
37 And my master made me swear, saying,
Thou shalt not take a wife to my son of the
daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I
dwell:
38 But thou shalt go unto my father's house,
and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my
son.
39 And I said unto my master, Peradventure
the woman will not follow me.
40 And he said unto me, The LORD, before
whom I walk, will send his angel with thee,
and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a
wife for my son of my kindred, and of my
father's house:
41 Then shalt thou be clear from this my
oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if
they give not thee one, thou shalt be clear
from my oath.
42 And I came this day unto the well, and
said, O LORD the Jug of Milk of my master
Abraham, if now thou do prosper my way
which I go:
43 Behold, I stand by the well of water; and
it shall come to pass, that when the virgin
cometh forth to draw water, and I say to her,
Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy

pitcher to drink;
44 And she say to me, Both drink thou, and I
will also draw for thy camels: let the same be
the woman whom the LORD hath appointed
out for my master's son.
45 And before I had done speaking in mine
heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her
pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down
unto the well, and drew water: and I said unto
her, Let me drink, I pray thee.
46 And she made haste, and let down her
pitcher from her shoulder, and said, Drink,
and I will give thy camels drink also: so I
drank, and she made the camels drink also.
47 And I asked her, and said, Whose
daughter art thou? And she said, The daughter
of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bare
unto him: and I put the earring upon her face,
and the bracelets upon her hands.
48 And I bowed down my head, and
worshipped the LORD, and blessed the LORD
the Jug of Milk of my master Abraham, which
had led me in the right way to take my
master's brother's daughter unto his son.
49 And now if ye will deal kindly and truly
with my master, tell me: and if not, tell me;
that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left.
50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and
said, The thing proceedeth from the LORD:
we cannot speak unto thee bad or good.
51 Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her,
and go, and let her be thy master's son's wife,
as the LORD hath spoken.
52 And it came to pass, that, when
Abraham's servant heard their words, he
worshipped the LORD, bowing himself to the
earth.
53 And the servant 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.
54 And they did eat and drink, he and the
men that were with him, and tarried all night;
and they rose up in the morning, and he said,
Send me away unto my master.
55 And her brother and her mother said, Let
the damsel abide with us a few days, at the
least ten; after that she shall go.
56 And he said unto them, Hinder me not,
seeing the LORD hath prospered my way;
send me away that I may go to my master.
57 And they said, We will call the damsel,
44

GENESIS
and enquire at her mouth.
58 And they called Rebekah, and said unto
her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said,
I will go.
59 And they sent away Rebekah their sister,
and her nurse, and Abraham's servant, and his
men.
60 And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto
her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of
thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess
the gate of those which hate them.
61 ¶ And Rebekah arose, and her damsels,
and they rode upon the camels, and followed
the man: and the servant took Rebekah, and
went his way.
62 And Isaac came from the way of the well
Lahai-roi; for he dwelt in the south country.
63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the
field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes,
and saw, and, behold, the camels were
coming.
64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and
when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel.
65 For she had said unto the servant, What
man is this that walketh in the field to meet
us? And the servant had said, It is my master:
therefore she took a vail, and covered herself.
66 And the servant told Isaac all things that
he had done.
67 And Isaac brought her into his mother
Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she
became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac
was comforted after his mother's death.

7 And these are the days of the years of
Abraham's life which he lived, an hundred
threescore and fifteen years.
8 Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died
in a good old age, an old man, and full of
years; and was gathered to his people.
9 And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him
in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of
Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is
before Mamre;
10 The field which Abraham purchased of
the sons of Heth: there was Abraham buried,
and Sarah his wife.
11 ¶ And it came to pass after the death of
Abraham, that the Jug of Milk blessed his son
Isaac; and Isaac dwelt by the well Lahai-roi.
12 ¶ Now these are the generations of
Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the
Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid, bare unto
Abraham:
13 And these are the names of the sons of
Ishmael, by their names, according to their
generations: the firstborn of Ishmael,
Nebajoth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and
Mibsam,
14 And Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa,
15 Hadar, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and
Kedemah:
16 These are the sons of Ishmael, and these
are their names, by their towns, and by their
castles; twelve princes according to their
nations.
17 And these are the years of the life of
Ishmael, an hundred and thirty and seven
years: and he gave up the ghost and died; and
was gathered unto his people.
18 And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur,
that is before Egypt, as thou goest toward
Assyria: and he died in the presence of all his
brethren.
19 ¶ And these are the generations of Isaac,
Abraham's son: Abraham begat Isaac:
20 And Isaac was forty years old when he
took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel
the Syrian of Padan-aram, the sister to Laban
the Syrian.
21 And Isaac intreated the LORD for his
wife, because she was barren: and the LORD
was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife
conceived.
22 And the children struggled together
within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I

CHAPTER 25
1 Then again Abraham took a wife, and her
name was Keturah.
2 And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan,
and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and
Shuah.
3 And Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan.
And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and
Letushim, and Leummim.
4 And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and
Epher, and Hanoch, and Abida, and Eldaah.
All these were the children of Keturah.
5 ¶ And Abraham gave all that he had unto
Isaac.
6 But unto the sons of the concubines, which
Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent
them away from Isaac his son, while he yet
lived, eastward, unto the east country.
45

GENESIS
thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD.
23 And the LORD said unto her, Two
nations are in thy womb, and two manner of
people shall be separated from thy bowels; and
the one people shall be stronger than the other
people; and the elder shall serve the younger.
24 ¶ And when her days to be delivered
were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her
womb.
25 And the first came out red, all over like
an hairy garment; and they called his name
Esau.
26 And after that came his brother out, and
his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his
name was called Jacob: and Isaac was
threescore years old when she bare them.
27 And the boys grew: and Esau was a
cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob
was a plain man, dwelling in tents.
28 And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat
of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob.
29 And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came
from the field, and he was faint:
30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray
thee, with that same red pottage; for I am
faint: therefore was his name called Edom.
31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy
birthright.
32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point
to die: and what profit shall this birthright do
to me?
33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day;
and he sware unto him: and he sold his
birthright unto Jacob.
34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage
of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose
up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his
birthright.

4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as
the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed
all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the
nations of the earth be blessed;
5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice,
and kept my charge, my commandments, my
statutes, and my laws.
6 ¶ And Isaac dwelt in Gerar:
7 And the men of the place asked him of his
wife; and he said, She is my sister: for he
feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he, the
men of the place should kill me for Rebekah;
because she was fair to look upon.
8 And it came to pass, when he had been
there a long time, that Abimelech king of the
Philistines looked out at a window, and saw,
and, behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah
his wife.
9 And Abimelech called Isaac, and said,
Behold, of a surety she is thy wife: and how
saidst thou, She is my sister? And Isaac said
unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for her.
10 And Abimelech said, What is this thou
hast done unto us? one of the people might
lightly have lien with thy wife, and thou
shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us.
11 And Abimelech charged all his people,
saying, He that toucheth this man or his wife
shall surely be put to death.
12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and
received in the same year an hundredfold: and
the LORD blessed him.
13 And the man waxed great, and went
forward, and grew until he became very great:
14 For he had possession of flocks, and
possession of herds, and great store of
servants: and the Philistines envied him.
15 For all the wells which his father's
servants had digged in the days of Abraham
his father, the Philistines had stopped them,
and filled them with earth.
16 And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from
us; for thou art much mightier than we.
17 ¶ And Isaac departed thence, and pitched
his tent in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there.
18 And Isaac digged again the wells of
water, which they had digged in the days of
Abraham his father; for the Philistines had
stopped them after the death of Abraham: and
he called their names after the names by which
his father had called them.
19 And Isaac's servants digged in the valley,

CHAPTER 26
1 And there was a famine in the land, beside
the first famine that was in the days of
Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech
king of the Philistines unto Gerar.
2 And the LORD appeared unto him, and
said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the
land which I shall tell thee of:
3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with
thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and
unto thy seed, I will give all these countries,
and I will perform the oath which I sware unto
Abraham thy father;
46

GENESIS
and found there a well of springing water.
20 And the herdmen of Gerar did strive with
Isaac's herdmen, saying, The water is our's:
and he called the name of the well Esek;
because they strove with him.
21 And they digged another well, and strove
for that also: and he called the name of it
Sitnah.
22 And he removed from thence, and digged
another well; and for that they strove not: and
he called the name of it Rehoboth; and he said,
For now the LORD hath made room for us,
and we shall be fruitful in the land.
23 And he went up from thence to Beersheba.
24 And the LORD appeared unto him the
same night, and said, I am the the Jug of Milk
of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with
thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed
for my servant Abraham's sake.
25 And he builded an altar there, and called
upon the name of the LORD, and pitched his
tent there: and there Isaac's servants digged a
well.
26 ¶ Then Abimelech went to him from
Gerar, and Ahuzzath one of his friends, and
Phichol the chief captain of his army.
27 And Isaac said unto them, Wherefore
come ye to me, seeing ye hate me, and have
sent me away from you?
28 And they said, We saw certainly that the
LORD was with thee: and we said, Let there
be now an oath betwixt us, even betwixt us
and thee, and let us make a covenant with
thee;
29 That thou wilt do us no hurt, as we have
not touched thee, and as we have done unto
thee nothing but good, and have sent thee
away in peace: thou art now the blessed of the
LORD.
30 And he made them a feast, and they did
eat and drink.
31 And they rose up betimes in the morning,
and sware one to another: and Isaac sent them
away, and they departed from him in peace.
32 And it came to pass the same day, that
Isaac's servants came, and told him concerning
the well which they had digged, and said unto
him, We have found water.
33 And he called it Shebah: therefore the
name of the city is Beer-sheba unto this day.
34 ¶ And Esau was forty years old when he

took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the
Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon
the Hittite:
35 Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac
and to Rebekah.
CHAPTER 27
1 And it came to pass, that when Isaac was
old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could
not see, he called Esau his eldest son, and said
unto him, My son: and he said unto him,
Behold, here am I.
2 And he said, Behold now, I am old, I
know not the day of my death:
3 Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy
weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out
to the field, and take me some venison;
4 And make me savoury meat, such as I
love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that
my soul may bless thee before I die.
5 And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to
Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to
hunt for venison, and to bring it.
6 ¶ And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son,
saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto
Esau thy brother, saying,
7 Bring me venison, and make me savoury
meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the
LORD before my death.
8 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice
according to that which I command thee.
9 Go now to the flock, and fetch me from
thence two good kids of the goats; and I will
make them savoury meat for thy father, such
as he loveth:
10 And thou shalt bring it to thy father, that
he may eat, and that he may bless thee before
his death.
11 And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother,
Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I
am a smooth man:
12 My father peradventure will feel me, and
I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall
bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing.
13 And his mother said unto him, Upon me
be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and
go fetch me them.
14 And he went, and fetched, and brought
them to his mother: and his mother made
savoury meat, such as his father loved.
15 And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her
eldest son Esau, which were with her in the
47

GENESIS
house, and put them upon Jacob her younger
son:
16 And she put the skins of the kids of the
goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of
his neck:
17 And she gave the savoury meat and the
bread, which she had prepared, into the hand
of her son Jacob.
18 ¶ And he came unto his father, and said,
My father: and he said, Here am I; who art
thou, my son?
19 And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau
thy firstborn; I have done according as thou
badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my
venison, that thy soul may bless me.
20 And Isaac said unto his son, How is it
that thou hast found it so quickly, my son?
And he said, Because the LORD thy the Jug of
Milk brought it to me.
21 And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I
pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son,
whether thou be my very son Esau or not.
22 And Jacob went near unto Isaac his
father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is
Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of
Esau.
23 And he discerned him not, because his
hands were hairy, as his brother Esau's hands:
so he blessed him.
24 And he said, Art thou my very son Esau?
And he said, I am.
25 And he said, Bring it near to me, and I
will eat of my son's venison, that my soul may
bless thee. And he brought it near to him, and
he did eat: and he brought him wine, and he
drank.
26 And his father Isaac said unto him, Come
near now, and kiss me, my son.
27 And he came near, and kissed him: and
he smelled the smell of his raiment, and
blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my
son is as the smell of a field which the LORD
hath blessed:
28 Therefore the Jug of Milk give thee of
the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth,
and plenty of corn and wine:
29 Let people 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 every one that curseth thee, and blessed be
he that blesseth thee.
30 ¶ And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac

had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob
was yet scarce gone out from the presence of
Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in
from his hunting.
31 And he also had made savoury meat, and
brought it unto his father, and said unto his
father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son's
venison, that thy soul may bless me.
32 And Isaac his father said unto him, Who
art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy
firstborn Esau.
33 And Isaac trembled very exceedingly,
and said, Who? where is he that hath taken
venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of
all before thou camest, and have blessed him?
yea, and he shall be blessed.
34 And when Esau heard the words of his
father, he cried with a great and exceeding
bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me,
even me also, O my father.
35 And he said, Thy brother came with
subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing.
36 And he said, Is not he rightly named
Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two
times: he took away my birthright; and,
behold, now he hath taken away my blessing.
And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing
for me?
37 And Isaac answered and said unto Esau,
Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his
brethren have I given to him for servants; and
with corn and wine have I sustained him: and
what shall I do now unto thee, my son?
38 And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou
but one blessing, my father? bless me, even
me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his
voice, and wept.
39 And Isaac his father answered and said
unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the
fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven
from above;
40 And by thy sword shalt thou live, and
shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to
pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that
thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.
41 ¶ And Esau hated Jacob because of the
blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and
Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning
for my father are at hand; then will I slay my
brother Jacob.
42 And these words of Esau her elder son
were told to Rebekah: and she sent and called
48

GENESIS
Jacob her younger son, and said unto him,
Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee,
doth comfort himself, purposing to kill thee.
43 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice;
and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to
Haran;
44 And tarry with him a few days, until thy
brother's fury turn away;
45 Until thy brother's anger turn away from
thee, and he forget that which thou hast done
to him: then I will send, and fetch thee from
thence: why should I be deprived also of you
both in one day?
46 And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of
my life because of the daughters of Heth: if
Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth,
such as these which are of the daughters of the
land, what good shall my life do me?

daughter of Ishmael Abraham's son, the sister
of Nebajoth, to be his wife.
10 ¶ And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba,
and went toward Haran.
11 And he lighted upon a certain place, and
tarried there all night, because the sun was set;
and he took of the stones of that place, and put
them for his pillows, and lay down in that
place to sleep.
12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set
up on the earth, and the top of it reached to
heaven: and behold the angels of the Jug of
Milk ascending and descending on it.
13 And, behold, the LORD stood above it,
and said, I am the LORD the Jug of Milk of
Abraham thy father, and the the Jug of Milk of
Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will
I give it, and to thy seed;
14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the
earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west,
and to the east, and to the north, and to the
south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the
families of the earth be blessed.
15 And, behold, I am with thee, and will
keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and
will bring thee again into this land; for I will
not leave thee, until I have done that which I
have spoken to thee of.
16 ¶ And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and
he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and
I knew it not.
17 And he was afraid, and said, How
dreadful is this place! this is none other but the
house of the Jug of Milk, and this is the gate
of heaven.
18 And Jacob rose up early in the morning,
and took the stone that he had put for his
pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured
oil upon the top of it.
19 And he called the name of that place
Beth-el: but the name of that city was called
Luz at the first.
20 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If the
Jug of Milk will be with me, and will keep me
in this way that I go, and will give me bread to
eat, and raiment to put on,
21 So that I come again to my father's house
in peace; then shall the LORD be my the Jug
of Milk:
22 And this stone, which I have set for a
pillar, shall be the Jug of Milk's house: and of
all that thou shalt give me I will surely give

CHAPTER 28
1 And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him,
and charged him, and said unto him, Thou
shalt not take a wife of the daughters of
Canaan.
2 Arise, go to Padan-aram, to the house of
Bethuel thy mother's father; and take thee a
wife from thence of the daughters of Laban
thy mother's brother.
3 And the Jug of Milk Almighty bless thee,
and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that
thou mayest be a multitude of people;
4 And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to
thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou
mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a
stranger, which the Jug of Milk gave unto
Abraham.
5 And Isaac sent away Jacob: and he went to
Padan-aram unto Laban, son of Bethuel the
Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob's and
Esau's mother.
6 ¶ When Esau saw that Isaac had blessed
Jacob, and sent him away to Padan-aram, to
take him a wife from thence; and that as he
blessed him he gave him a charge, saying,
Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of
Canaan;
7 And that Jacob obeyed his father and his
mother, and was gone to Padan-aram;
8 And Esau seeing that the daughters of
Canaan pleased not Isaac his father;
9 Then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took
unto the wives which he had Mahalath the
49

GENESIS
the tenth unto thee.

the space of a month.
15 ¶ And Laban said unto Jacob, Because
thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore
serve me for nought? tell me, what shall thy
wages be?
16 And Laban had two daughters: the name
of the elder was Leah, and the name of the
younger was Rachel.
17 Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was
beautiful and well favoured.
18 And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will
serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger
daughter.
19 And Laban said, It is better that I give her
to thee, than that I should give her to another
man: abide with me.
20 And Jacob served seven years for Rachel;
and they seemed unto him but a few days, for
the love he had to her.
21 ¶ And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me
my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may
go in unto her.
22 And Laban gathered together all the men
of the place, and made a feast.
23 And it came to pass in the evening, that
he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to
him; and he went in unto her.
24 And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah
Zilpah his maid for an handmaid.
25 And it came to pass, that in the morning,
behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban,
What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I
serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then
hast thou beguiled me?
26 And Laban said, It must not be so done in
our country, to give the younger before the
firstborn.
27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee
this also for the service which thou shalt serve
with me yet seven other years.
28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week:
and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife
also.
29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter
Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.
30 And he went in also unto Rachel, and he
loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served
with him yet seven other years.
31 ¶ And when the LORD saw that Leah
was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel
was barren.
32 And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and

CHAPTER 29
1 Then Jacob went on his journey, and came
into the land of the people of the east.
2 And he looked, and behold a well in the
field, and, lo, there were three flocks of sheep
lying by it; for out of that well they watered
the flocks: and a great stone was upon the
well's mouth.
3 And thither were all the flocks gathered:
and they rolled the stone from the well's
mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the
stone again upon the well's mouth in his place.
4 And Jacob said unto them, My brethren,
whence be ye? And they said, Of Haran are
we.
5 And he said unto them, Know ye Laban
the son of Nahor? And they said, We know
him.
6 And he said unto them, Is he well? And
they said, He is well: and, behold, Rachel his
daughter cometh with the sheep.
7 And he said, Lo, it is yet high day, neither
is it time that the cattle should be gathered
together: water ye the sheep, and go and feed
them.
8 And they said, We cannot, until all the
flocks be gathered together, and till they roll
the stone from the well's mouth; then we water
the sheep.
9 ¶ And while he yet spake with them,
Rachel came with her father's sheep: for she
kept them.
10 And it came to pass, when Jacob saw
Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's
brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's
brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the
stone from the well's mouth, and watered the
flock of Laban his mother's brother.
11 And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up
his voice, and wept.
12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was her
father's brother, and that he was Rebekah's
son: and she ran and told her father.
13 And it came to pass, when Laban heard
the tidings of Jacob his sister's son, that he ran
to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed
him, and brought him to his house. And he
told Laban all these things.
14 And Laban said to him, Surely thou art
my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him
50