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THE CHILDREN'S BIBLE
SELECTIONS FROM THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS
TRANSLATED AND ARRANGED
BY
HENRY A. SHERMAN
HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT OF RELIGIOUS LITERATURE OF CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS
AND
CHARLES FOSTER KENT
WOOLSEY PROFESSOR OF BIBLICAL LITERATURE IN YALE UNIVERSITY
[Illustration: (C) Curtis Publishing Company
"Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not:
for of such is the kingdom of God"]
NEW YORK
CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS
MCMXXXVI
COPYRIGHT, 1922, BY
CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS
All rights reserved, including that of translation
into foreign languages, including Scandinavian
Printed in the United States of America
PREFACE
"The Children's Bible" provides, in simple English, a translation of
selections from both the Old and the New Testament. These selections
have been made as a result of more than twenty-five years of observation
and study. The text is that of the Bible itself, but in the language of
the child, so that it may easily be read to the younger children and by
those who are older. It is not in words of one syllable, for while the
child is reading the Bible he should gradually learn the meaning of new
words and idioms.
The Bible contains the foundations on which the religious life of the
child must be built. The immortal stories and songs of the Old and New
Testaments are his richest inheritance from the past. To give him this
heritage in language and form that he can understand and enjoy is the
duty and privilege of his parents and teachers.
It is hoped that "The Children's Bible" will meet the need and the
demand, which parents and educators alike have long felt and often
expressed, for a simple translation of selections from the Bible most
suited to the needs and the interests of the child. It is also believed
that after the child has learned to appreciate and love these stories
and songs, he will be eager and able to read the Bible as a whole with
genuine interest and understanding.
CONTENTS
THE OLD TESTAMENT
PAGE
THE STORY OF CREATION 3
GOD'S GOOD GIFTS TO MAN 4
THE FIRST DISOBEDIENCE 5
CAIN AND HIS BROTHER ABEL 6
NOAH AND THE GREAT FLOOD 7
THE STORY OF THE TOWER OF BABEL 9
ABRAHAM THE FRIEND OF GOD AND MAN 10
LOT'S ESCAPE FROM A WICKED CITY 11
GOD'S CARE FOR THE BOY ISHMAEL 14
ABRAHAM'S LOYALTY TO GOD 14
HOW REBEKAH BECAME THE WIFE OF ISAAC 15
HOW JACOB DECEIVED HIS FATHER 19
JACOB'S DREAM 21
THE DECEIVER DECEIVED 22
MEETING A BROTHER WHO HAD BEEN WRONGED 24
JOSEPH SOLD AS A SLAVE BY HIS BROTHERS 26
JOSEPH'S EAGERNESS TO HELP OTHERS 27
A PRISONER WHO BECAME A MIGHTY RULER 29
THE TESTING OF JOSEPH'S BROTHERS 32
JOSEPH'S FORGIVENESS OF HIS BROTHERS 36
JOSEPH'S LOYALTY TO HIS FAMILY 38
THE BOYHOOD AND TRAINING OF MOSES 40
THE VOICE FROM THE BUSH 42
PHARAOH THE STUBBORN RULER 44
THE COST OF BEING CRUEL AND STUBBORN 45
THE ESCAPE FROM EGYPT 49
GOD'S COMMANDS TO THE PEOPLE 52
OUR DUTIES TO GOD AND MAN 54
THE REPORT OF THE HEBREW SPIES 55
THE LAST WORDS OF MOSES 56
CROSSING THE RIVER JORDAN 57
THE CAPTURE OF JERICHO AND AI 60
WOMEN WHO SAVED A NATION 62
GIDEON'S BRAVE BAND 64
JEPHTHAH'S FOOLISH PROMISE 67
SAMSON WHO DID TO OTHERS AS THEY DID TO HIM 69
A STRONG MAN WHO LOST HIS STRENGTH 71
THE DEVOTION OF RUTH 74
SAMUEL THE BOY PROPHET 78
THE ARK AMONG THE PHILISTINES 81
HOW SAMUEL FOUND A LEADER 84
JONATHAN'S BRAVE DEED 87
DAVID'S VICTORY OVER THE GIANT 90
SAUL'S MEAN JEALOUSY 93
JONATHAN'S LOVE FOR DAVID 94
THE COST OF A LIE 97
A SOLDIER WHO SPARED HIS ENEMY 98
ABIGAIL'S SENSIBLE ADVICE 101
MAKING THE BEST OF TROUBLE 103
THE DEATH OF TWO BRAVE WARRIORS 106
A SHEPHERD BOY WHO WAS CALLED TO LEAD A NATION 109
JERUSALEM MADE THE CAPITAL CITY 111
DAVID'S KINDNESS TO JONATHAN'S SON 112
A RICH MAN WHO WAS A THIEF 113
ABSALOM THE UNGRATEFUL SON 115
A BROKEN-HEARTED FATHER 119
HOW SOLOMON BECAME THE RULER OF ISRAEL 120
A YOUNG MAN'S WISE CHOICE 123
BUILDING A GREAT TEMPLE 124
A RULER WHO WRONGED HIS PEOPLE 125
REHOBOAM'S GREAT MISTAKE 127
ELIJAH AND THE WIDOW'S SON 128
THE PROPHET OF FIRE 130
GOD'S LOW WHISPER 132
AHAB THE THIEF 134
MICAIAH'S COURAGE IN TELLING THE TRUTH 135
THE MANTLE OF ELIJAH 137
ELISHA HEALING THE SICK BOY 138
A SLAVE GIRL WHO HELPED HER MASTER 139
ELISHA'S WAY OF TREATING ENEMIES 141
THE END OF AHAB'S SELFISH FAMILY 144
THE BOY JOASH ON THE THRONE OF JUDAH 146
A YOUNG MAN WHO SAID, "SEND ME" 147
JEREMIAH'S CALL TO DO A HARD TASK 148
THE YOUNG JOSIAH AND THE BOOK OF THE LAW 149
THE WRITING OF AN ANCIENT BOOK 151
A PROPHET WHO SAVED A GREAT CITY 153
JEREMIAH'S COURAGE IN DANGER 155
THE SAD FATE OF A GUILTY NATION 156
THE COURAGE OF FOUR CAPTIVES 158
A KING'S STRANGE DREAM 159
THE TEST BY FIRE 162
THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL 164
DANIEL IN THE LIONS' DEN 166
QUEEN ESTHER'S LOVE FOR HER PEOPLE 167
REBUILDING THE TEMPLE 174
NEHEMIAH'S ANSWER TO A CALL FOR HELP 175
OVERCOMING GREAT DIFFICULTIES 177
A BRAVE KNIGHT 179
JONAH THE NARROW-MINDED PATRIOT 180
THE STORY OF JOB 182
THE KING OF GLORY 190
GOD THE LOVING CREATOR 191
GOD THE LOVING FATHER 193
GOD FROM WHOM ALL GOOD THINGS COME 194
GOD'S GOODNESS AND MERCY 194
GOD THE ALL-SEEING 195
GOD WHO ALWAYS WATCHES OVER HIS PEOPLE 197
GOD WHO PROTECTS FROM ALL DANGER 197
GOD'S PROTECTION OF THOSE WHO TRUST IN HIM 199
GOD'S LOVING CARE 200
TRUSTING IN GOD'S CARE 201
A PRAYER OF TRUST 201
SAFETY IN GOD'S CARE 202
GOD OUR REFUGE 203
THE JOY OF WORSHIPPING GOD 204
WHAT GOD ASKS OF THOSE WHO WORSHIP HIM 205
A CALL TO PRAISE GOD 206
THE UNITED SONG OF PRAISE 206
MAN'S PLACE IN GOD'S WORLD 208
THE REWARD OF DOING RIGHT 208
A PRAYER FOR FORGIVENESS 209
THE REWARDS OF LISTENING TO THE ADVICE OF THE WISE 211
WHAT GOD LIKES AND DISLIKES 212
GOD'S CARE FOR THOSE WHO TRY TO DO RIGHT 213
THE WAY TO BE WELL AND HAPPY 214
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING WILLING TO LEARN 214
HOW TO HONOR YOUR PARENTS 215
THE TROUBLES OF THOSE WHO ARE LAZY 216
THINGS THAT ARE BETTER THAN RICHES 216
RIGHT EATING AND DRINKING 217
THE RIGHT USE OF THE TONGUE 218
THE CONTROL OF THE TEMPER 218
WHAT IT MEANS TO BE MODEST 219
BEING GENEROUS AND LOVING 219
THE NEW TESTAMENT
JESUS IS BORN AT BETHLEHEM 223
THE WISE MEN BRING GIFTS TO THE YOUNG CHILD 224
THE BOY JESUS ASKS QUESTIONS 225
JOHN THE BAPTIST TELLS OF JESUS' WORK 225
JESUS DECIDES HOW HE WILL DO HIS WORK 226
JESUS WINS DEVOTED FRIENDS 227
THE WEDDING AT CANA 228
THE HEALING OF THE TEN LEPERS 229
HEALING THE MAN AT THE POOL 229
JESUS TALKS WITH A SAMARITAN WOMAN 230
GIVING LIFE TO A WIDOW'S SON 231
JESUS HEALS THE SICK 232
JESUS CURES A MAN WHO CANNOT WALK 233
JESUS MAKES EVEN WRONG-DOERS HIS FRIENDS 233
JESUS FINDS JOY IN ALL HIS WORK 234
JESUS CALMS THE STORM 235
JESUS HEALS A LITTLE GIRL 236
JESUS VISITS HIS OLD HOME 237
JESUS CALLS TOGETHER HIS FRIENDS AND HELPERS 238
WHAT JESUS ASKS OF HIS FRIENDS AND HELPERS 238
THE WAY TO LEARN FROM JESUS 239
THE REWARDS FOR FOLLOWING JESUS' TEACHINGS 241
GOD'S LOVE EVEN FOR SINNERS 242
GOD'S READINESS TO ANSWER PRAYER 243
HOW TO PRAY 244
WHY WE SHOULD TRUST GOD 245
THE KINGDOM OF GOD 245
THE TWO GREAT COMMANDMENTS 247
THE REWARDS OF MODESTY AND UNSELFISHNESS 247
HOW TO USE MONEY 248
DIFFERENT WAYS OF USING TALENTS 249
THE GOOD SAMARITAN 250
THE WAY TO TREAT THOSE WHO WRONG US 250
THE GOLDEN RULE 251
THE PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY HAPPY 252
JESUS SENDS OUT THE FIRST MISSIONARIES 252
JESUS PRAISES JOHN THE BAPTIST 253
JESUS FEEDS THE HUNGRY 254
JESUS TELLS WHAT IT MEANS TO BE CLEAN 256
JESUS IS KIND TO A STRANGER 256
JESUS MAKES AN HEROIC CHOICE 257
JESUS IS GLORIFIED 258
JESUS TELLS HOW ONE MAY BECOME GREAT 258
JESUS MAKES THE WICKED ZACCHEUS HIS FRIEND 259
JESUS IS GLADLY WELCOMED BY THE PEOPLE 259
JESUS FIGHTS WRONG IN THE TEMPLE 260
JESUS CONDEMNS THOSE WHO PRETEND TO BE GOOD 262
JESUS WARNS HIS DISCIPLES 263
JESUS CURES A BLIND MAN 264
JESUS TELLS WHAT HE CAME TO DO 265
JESUS BRINGS LAZARUS BACK TO LIFE 266
JESUS PRAISES A WOMAN WHO GAVE HER BEST 268
JESUS EATS THE LAST SUPPER WITH HIS DISCIPLES 268
JESUS ENCOURAGES HIS FRIENDS AND HELPERS 269
JESUS IS SEIZED BY THE MOB 271
JESUS IN THE HANDS OF HIS ENEMIES 272
JESUS IS CRUCIFIED BY HIS ENEMIES 274
JESUS CONQUERS DEATH 276
JESUS WALKS AND TALKS WITH TWO OF HIS DISCIPLES 277
JESUS GIVES HIS LAST COMMAND TO HIS HELPERS 278
THE WONDERS OF THE DAY OF PENTECOST 280
THE HEALING OF THE LAME MAN AT THE BEAUTIFUL GATE 281
THE GENEROSITY OF THE EARLY CHRISTIANS 283
STEPHEN THE FIRST CHRISTIAN MARTYR 284
PHILIP AND THE ETHIOPIAN 286
PETER AND THE ROMAN OFFICER 287
PETER'S ESCAPE FROM PRISON 289
PAUL'S ACCOUNT OF WHAT HE SAW AND HEARD ON HIS WAY TO DAMASCUS 290
THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH AT ANTIOCH 291
PAUL AND BARNABAS IN FOREIGN LANDS 292
WHY PAUL WENT TO MACEDONIA 295
PAUL AND SILAS IN MACEDONIA 296
PAUL'S GREAT SPEECH AT ATHENS 298
PAUL WRITES TO HIS FRIENDS AT THESSALONICA 299
PAUL'S WORK AT CORINTH 301
PAUL WRITES TO HIS FRIENDS IN CORINTH 301
THE NEW LIFE AFTER DEATH 304
WAYS OF SHOWING LOVE 305
PAUL'S TRIALS AND VICTORIES AT EPHESUS 305
PAUL WRITES TO THE CHRISTIANS AT ROME 307
PAUL'S LAST JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM 308
PAUL'S NARROW ESCAPE FROM DEATH 310
A PRISONER WHO PREACHED TO HIS JUDGES 313
PAUL'S SHIPWRECK 315
THE END OF PAUL'S LONG JOURNEY 318
PAUL'S LAST WORDS TO HIS FRIENDS 319
THE MEANING OF FAITH 321
THE IMPORTANCE OF DOING WHAT IS RIGHT 322
THE LOVE THAT MAKES MEN BROTHERS 323
THE GLORY AND HONOR THAT JESUS HAS WON 324
THE REWARD OF THE FAITHFUL 326
THE NEW HEAVEN ON EARTH 327
ILLUSTRATIONS
IN COLOR
"The Lord Is My Shepherd" Painted by W. L. Taylor _Cover_
"Suffer the Little Children to
Come Unto Me" Painted by W. L. Taylor _Title page_
FACING PAGE
Hagar and Ishmael in the
Wilderness Painted by W. L. Taylor 14
Rebekah Comes to Isaac Painted by W. L. Taylor 18
Saul and David Painted by W. L. Taylor 90
The Parting of Elijah and Elisha Painted by W. L. Taylor 138
The Prophet Isaiah Painted by W. L. Taylor 148
"Lo, Children Are a Heritage of
the Lord" Painted by W. L. Taylor 194
"I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes Unto
the Hills" Painted by W. L. Taylor 198
The Nativity Painted by W. L. Taylor 223
The Three Wise Men Painted by W. L. Taylor 224
"O Little Town of Bethlehem" Painted by W. L. Taylor 226
Seeking the Lost Sheep Painted by Herbert Moore 242
The Prodigal Son Painted by Herbert Moore 244
The Good Samaritan Painted by Herbert Moore 250
Among the Lowly Painted by L. L'hermitte 256
IN DUOTONE
FACING PAGE
Building the Tower of Babel Painted by J. James Tissot 10
The Testing of Abraham Painted by Fritz von Uhde 16
Joseph Converses with Judah,
His Brother Painted by J. James Tissot 36
The Finding of Moses Painted by Juliaan de Vriendt 42
Ruth Painted by Henry Ryland 76
Daniel's Answer to the King Painted by Briton Riviere 166
Esther Denouncing Haman Painted by Ernest Normand 174
Christ and the Fishermen Painted by E. Zimmerman 228
Raising the Daughter of Jairus Painted by Leon Gerome 236
Christ with Mary and Martha Painted by H. Siemiradzki 238
The Sower Painted by Herbert Moore 240
Christ on the Hilltop Painted by C. A. Slade 252
Christ in the Temple Painted by C. A. Slade 260
The Last Supper 268
The Walk to Emmaus Painted by Eugene Girardet 278
St. Paul Preaching at Athens Painted by Raphael 298
THE OLD TESTAMENT
THE CHILDREN'S BIBLE
THE STORY OF CREATION
In the beginning God made the heavens and the earth, and while the earth
was still unformed, God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.
And God saw that the light was good. Then God separated the light from
the darkness. And God called the light Day and the darkness Night. And
there was an evening and a morning, making the first day.
And God said, "Let there be a sky and let it divide the waters that are
below from the waters that are above the sky." And it was done. And God
called the sky the Heavens. And there was an evening and a morning,
making the second day.
And God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be brought together, and
let the dry land appear." And it was done. And God called the dry land
Earth and the waters that were brought together Seas. And God saw that
it was good.
And God said, "Let plants and trees grow from the earth." And it was
done. And plants and trees grew from the earth, each plant bringing
forth its own kind of seed and each tree its own kind of fruit, and God
saw that it was good. And there was an evening and a morning, making the
third day.
And God said, "Let there be lights in the heavens to separate the night
from the day. Let them be signs to mark the seasons, the days, and the
years. Let them be lights in the heavens to light the earth." And it was
done. So God made the two great lights (the sun and the moon): the
greater to rule the day and the lesser to rule the night. God made the
stars also and placed them in the heavens to throw light upon the earth.
And God saw that it was good. And there was an evening and a morning,
making the fourth day.
And God said, "Let the waters bring forth many living creatures and let
birds fly above the earth and in the sky." And God made large
sea-monsters and all kinds of living creatures with which the waters
abound, and all kinds of birds. And God saw that it was good. And he
blessed them, saying, "Increase and fill the waters in the seas, and let
the birds increase on the earth." And there was an evening and a
morning, making the fifth day.
And God said, "Let the earth bring forth all kinds of living creatures,
cattle and creeping things and wild beasts." And it was done. So God
made all the different kinds of wild beasts, and the cattle, and
everything that crawls upon the ground. And God saw that it was good.
And God said, "Let us make man like ourselves. Let him rule over the
fish in the sea, the birds of the sky, the cattle, the wild beasts and
all the living things that crawl upon the ground." And God made man like
himself, like God he made him. He made them male and female.
And God blessed them, and said to them, "Have children, increase, live
all over the earth, and conquer it; rule over the fish of the sea, the
birds of the sky, and over every living thing that crawls upon the
ground."
And God said, "See, to you I give every plant which grows on all the
earth, and every tree which bears fruit with its own kind of seed. It
shall be food for you. And to every wild beast and to every bird of the
sky and to every thing that crawls on the earth and is alive, I give
every green herb for food." And it was done.
And when God saw everything that he had made, he saw that it was very
good. And there was an evening and a morning, making the sixth day.
And the heavens and the earth were finished and all that there was in
them. And on the seventh day when God had finished the work which he had
done, he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and
made it holy, for in it he rested from all the work which he had done.
GOD'S GOOD GIFTS TO MAN
At the time when Jehovah made earth and heaven, no trees or plants grew
on the earth, for Jehovah had not yet sent the rain; and there was no
man to till the soil; but a mist rose from the earth and watered the
ground.
Then Jehovah made man out of dust taken from the ground and breathed
into him the breath of life; and man became a living being. And Jehovah
planted a garden in Eden, far in the East; and out of the ground he made
grow all kinds of trees that are pleasant to look at and good for food,
also the tree of life and the tree that gives the knowledge of good and
evil.
Then Jehovah took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it
and to care for it. And Jehovah gave the man this command: "You may eat
all you wish from every tree of the garden, except from the tree that
gives the knowledge of good and evil; from this you shall not eat, for
if you eat from it you shall surely die."
Then Jehovah said, "It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make
a companion for him." So out of the ground Jehovah made all the wild
beasts and birds, and brought them to the man to see what he would name
them; and whatever he called each living thing that became its name. But
for the man himself there was found no companion suited to him.
Then Jehovah made the man fall into a deep sleep; and while he slept, he
took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. The rib which
he had taken from the man, Jehovah made into a woman and brought her to
the man. Then the man said, "Because she was made from my body, she
shall be called Woman."
THE FIRST DISOBEDIENCE
Now the serpent was more deceitful than any other animal that Jehovah
had made; and it said to the woman, "Has God really said, 'You shall not
eat from any tree of the garden'?" The woman answered, "We may eat of
the fruit of all the trees of the garden except the fruit of the tree
which is in the middle of the garden, for God has said, 'You shall not
eat from it, nor shall you touch it; for if you do, you shall die.'"
Then the serpent said to the woman, "You shall not surely die; for God
knows that as soon as you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you
will know what is good and what is evil."
When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, beautiful to look at
and that it would make her wise, she took some of its fruit and ate it.
Then she gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.
Then the eyes of both of them were opened, so that they knew that they
were naked; and they sewed fig-leaves together and made girdles for
themselves. When they heard the sound of the footsteps of Jehovah, as he
was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, the man and his wife
hid from him among the trees of the garden.
And Jehovah called to the man and said to him, "Where are you?" and he
answered, "I heard the sound of thy footsteps in the garden and I was
afraid, because I was naked; so I hid myself." Jehovah said, "Who told
you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree from which I
forbade you to eat?" The man answered, "The woman whom thou didst give
to me--she gave me fruit from the tree and I ate." Jehovah said to the
woman, "What is this that you have done?" The woman replied, "The
serpent deceived me, and I ate."
Then Jehovah said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, you shall
be hated more than all beasts. You shall crawl on your belly and eat
dust all your life, and men and serpents shall always be enemies. They
shall bruise your head, and you shall wound them on the heel."
To the woman he said, "I will greatly increase your trouble and your
pain, and you shall be subject to your husband, and he shall rule over
you."
But to the man he said, "Because you have listened to your wife and have
eaten of the tree from which I forbade you to eat, as long as you live
you shall earn a living only by hard work. By hard work shall you raise
food to eat. And you shall die and your body go back to the ground, for
from dust you were made, and to dust you shall return!"
And Jehovah made garments of skins for the man and his wife, and clothed
them. And he sent them out of the garden of Eden to till the ground.
CAIN AND HIS BROTHER ABEL
Adam named his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all living
beings. She had two sons, Cain and Abel. Abel was a shepherd, but Cain
was a farmer.
One day Cain brought, as an offering to Jehovah, some fruit and grain
that he had grown. Abel, too, brought some of the best animals of his
flock and sacrificed their fat pieces to Jehovah. Jehovah was pleased
with Abel and his offering, but Cain and his offering did not please
him.
This made Cain very angry and his face showed it. So Jehovah said to
Cain, "Why are you angry and why do you scowl? If you do what is right
and good, will not your offering be accepted? But if you do wrong, sin
crouches like a wild beast at the door and the desire to sin will
overcome you; but you should master it."
Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let us go into the field." And while
they were in the field, Cain struck his brother Abel and killed him.
When Jehovah said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" Cain answered,
"I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?" Jehovah said, "What have you
done? Hark! your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground. Even
now you are condemned by the very ground that has opened to receive your
brother's blood from your hand. Whenever you till the ground, it shall
no longer yield to you its strength; you shall be a tramp and a wanderer
on the earth."
Then Cain said to Jehovah, "My punishment is more than I can bear. See,
thou hast driven me out to-day from this land, and I shall no longer be
able to worship thee; I shall become a tramp and a wanderer on the
earth, and whoever finds me will kill me."
But Jehovah said to him, "If any one kills you, he shall be punished
sevenfold." So Jehovah placed a mark on Cain, to keep any one who found
him from killing him. And Cain went out from Jehovah's presence and
lived as a wanderer, away from Eden.
NOAH AND THE GREAT FLOOD
When Jehovah saw that men were growing more wicked in the world and that
their thoughts were always evil, he was greatly grieved and regretted
that he had made man. Therefore, Jehovah said, "I will completely
destroy all living beings from off the earth, for I regret that I have
made them."
But Noah had won Jehovah's favor. So Jehovah said to Noah, "I have
decided to put an end to all living beings, for the earth is filled with
their wicked acts. I am going to destroy them from the earth. Make
yourself an ark of cypress wood. Build rooms in the ark, and cover it
within and without with pitch. This is how you shall build it: the ark
shall be five hundred feet long, eighty feet wide, and fifty feet high.
Make a roof for it and place the door on the side. Build it with lower,
second, and third stories. For I am about to bring floods of water upon
the earth to destroy every living creature in which is the breath of
life. Every creature that is on the earth shall die."
Then Jehovah said to Noah, "Enter with all your household into the ark,
for I see that of all the people who are now alive you alone are
upright. Of all the beasts that are fit for food and sacrifice you shall
take with you seven, the male and the female; but of the beasts that are
not fit for food and sacrifice two, the male and the female; and of the
wild birds that are fit for food and sacrifice seven, to keep each kind
alive on all the earth. After seven days I will send rain on the earth
for forty days and forty nights; and I will destroy every living thing
that I have made."
Then Noah did all that Jehovah commanded him. When the waters of the
flood came upon the earth, he, his sons, his wife, and his sons' wives,
together with the beasts that were fit for food and sacrifice and the
beasts that were not fit, and the birds, and everything that creeps upon
the ground, entered the ark because of the waters of the flood.
The rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights, and Jehovah
shut Noah in the ark. And the waters rose higher and higher and raised
up the ark, and it was lifted high above the earth. All creatures living
on the land died. Noah only was left and they who were with him in the
ark.
Then God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the animals that
were with him in the ark. And God caused a wind to blow over the earth,
and the flood went down, the rain from heaven ceased, and the waters
withdrew more and more from the land.
After forty days Noah opened the window of the ark and sent out a raven;
and it kept going to and fro until the waters were dried up on the
earth. He also sent out a dove to see if the waters had gone from the
surface of the earth. But the dove found no rest for her foot, and so
returned to him to the ark, for the waters covered the whole earth.
Therefore, Noah reached out his hand and took her and brought her back
into the ark.
Then he waited seven days longer and again sent out the dove from the
ark. And the dove came in to him at dusk; and in her mouth was a freshly
plucked olive-leaf. So Noah knew that the waters had gone from the
earth. And he waited seven days more and again sent out the dove, but it
did not return to him.
So Noah took off the covering of the ark and looked and saw that the
surface of the ground was dry. Then he, with his sons, his wife, and his
sons' wives, went out of the ark.
And Noah built an altar to Jehovah and took one of every beast and bird
that was fit for sacrifice and offered burnt-offerings on the altar. And
Jehovah said to himself, "I will never again condemn the ground because
of man, nor will I again destroy every living creature, as I have done.
While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and
winter, day and night, shall not cease."
And God said, "This is the sign of the solemn agreement that I make for
all time between me and you and every living creature that is with you:
I have placed my rainbow in the cloud and it shall be the sign of the
solemn agreement between me and the people who live on the earth.
Whenever I bring a cloud over the earth and the rainbow is seen in the
cloud, I will remember the agreement which is between me and you and
every living creature; and the waters shall never again become a flood
to destroy them."
THE STORY OF THE TOWER OF BABEL
All the people of the earth spoke one language; and as they travelled
westward, they found a broad valley in the land of Babylonia, and made
their home there.
Then they said one to another, "Come, let us make bricks and thoroughly
bake them." So they had bricks for stone and asphalt for mortar. And
they said, "Come, let us build us a city, and a tower whose top will
touch the heavens, and thus make a landmark, that we may not be
scattered over all the earth."
But when Jehovah came down to see the city and the tower men had built,
he said, "See, they are one people and all have one language. This is
but the beginning, and now nothing which they plan to do will seem too
difficult for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language,
that they may not understand one another."
So Jehovah scattered them from there over all the earth; and they
stopped building the city. Therefore they named it Babel, which means
Confusion, for there Jehovah confused the language of all the people on
the earth and scattered them over the whole world.
ABRAHAM, THE FRIEND OF GOD AND MAN
The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham and Japheth.
Terah, a descendant of Shem, was the father of Abraham, Nahor and Haran;
and Haran was the father of Lot.
Jehovah said to Abraham, "Go from your country, your relatives, and your
father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you
a great nation; and I will surely bless you and make your name famous,
so that you shall be a blessing. And all the families of the earth shall
ask for themselves a blessing like your own."
So Abraham set out, as Jehovah had commanded him; and Lot went with him.
Abraham was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. He took Sarah his
wife and Lot his brother's son and everything that they had, and started
for the land of Canaan.
Abraham passed through the land to a place called Shechem, to the oak of
Moreh. There Jehovah appeared to Abraham and said, "To your children
will I give this land." There Abraham built an altar to Jehovah who had
appeared to him. From there he removed to the hill near Bethel and
pitched his tent with Bethel on one side and Ai on the other, and there
too he built an altar to Jehovah and prayed to him.
Now Abraham was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold; Lot also,
who went with Abraham, had so many flocks and herds and tents that the
land was not rich enough to support them both. So when there was a
quarrel between Lot's herdsmen and Abraham's herdsmen, Abraham said to
Lot, "I beg of you, let there be no quarrel between me and you, nor
between my herdsmen and yours, for we are relatives. Is not the whole
land before you? I beg of you, separate yourself from me. If you go to
the left, then I will go to the right; or if you go to the right, then I
will go to the left."
[Illustration: _Building the Tower of Babel_
Painted by J. James Tissot]
So Lot looked about and saw that all the plain of the Jordan, as far as
Zoar, was well watered everywhere, like a garden of Jehovah. So Lot
chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan, and lived in the
cities of the plain and moved his tent as far as Sodom. But the men of
Sodom were very wicked and sinned against Jehovah.
Jehovah said to Abraham, after Lot had gone away from him, "Lift up your
eyes and look from the place where you are northward, southward,
eastward and westward, for all the land that you see I will give to you
and to your children forever. I will make them as many as the dust of
the earth, so that if a man can count the dust of the earth, then your
children may also be counted. Rise, walk through the length and breadth
of the land, for I will give it to you."
Then Abraham moved his tent and lived in the oak grove of Mamre, which
is in Hebron, and built there an altar to Jehovah.
Jehovah also appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he was sitting
at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day; and, as he looked
up, three men stood there before him. As soon as he saw them, he ran
from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed to the ground and
said, "Sirs, if you are willing to do me a favor, do not, I beg of you,
pass by your servant. Since you have come to your servant, let a little
water be brought, that you may wash your feet, and lie down under the
tree. And let me bring some food, that you may refresh yourselves;
afterward you may go on your way." They replied, "Do as you have said."
So Abraham hastened to Sarah's tent and said, "Make ready quickly four
measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes." Abraham also ran to
the herd, and took a calf that was tender and good, and gave it to the
servant, and he prepared it quickly. Then Abraham took curd and milk,
with the calf which he had prepared, and served them; and he waited on
them under the tree, while they ate.
Then they said to him, "Where is your wife?" He said, "There, within the
tent." One of them said, "I will surely return to you about nine months
from now, and then, Sarah your wife shall have a son."
LOT'S ESCAPE FROM A WICKED CITY
And Abraham went along with them to start them on their way. Jehovah
said, "The complaint has come that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah have
committed great and terrible sins. I will go down and see whether they
have done exactly as the complaint comes to me; and if they have not, I
will know."
Then the men turned from there and looked off in the direction of Sodom.
Then Abraham drew near to Jehovah and said, "Wilt thou sweep away the
righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are within the city fifty
people who are righteous. Wilt thou sweep away and not spare the place
for the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from thee to do this:
to slay the righteous with the wicked! And that the righteous should be
treated as the wicked, far be it from thee! Shall not the Judge of all
the earth do what is just?" Jehovah said, "If I find in the city of
Sodom fifty who are righteous, I will spare the whole place for their
sake." Abraham answered, "I have dared to speak to Jehovah, even though
I am but dust and ashes. Suppose there be five lacking of the fifty
righteous. Wilt thou sweep away all the city for lack of five?" Jehovah
said, "I will not sweep it away, if I find forty-five there."
Then Abraham spoke to him again, and said, "Suppose forty are found
there?" He replied, "For the sake of forty I will not do it." Then
Abraham said, "Oh, let not Jehovah be angry, but let me speak. Suppose
thirty are found there?" He answered, "I will not do it, if I find
thirty there." Then Abraham said, "Thou seest that I have dared to speak
to Jehovah. Suppose twenty are found there?" He replied, "For the sake
of twenty I will not destroy it." Then Abraham said, "Oh, let not
Jehovah be angry, but let me speak just once more. Suppose ten are found
there?" And he said, "For the sake of the ten I will not destroy it."
Then Jehovah went his way, and Abraham returned home.
Two angels in human form came to Sodom in the evening, as Lot was
sitting at the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose up to meet
them, and he bowed with his face to the earth and said, "Sirs, turn
aside, I beg of you, into your servant's house and spend the night and
wash your feet; then you can rise up early and go on your way." They
said, "No, we will spend the night in the street." But he urged them so
strongly that they went with him and entered his house. And he made a
feast for them and baked bread made without yeast, and they ate.
But before they had lain down, the people of Sodom, both young and old,
all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. And they called
out to Lot, "Where are the men who came in to you to-night? Bring them
out to us that we may do to them what we desire."
Then Lot went out to them at the entrance of his house, but he shut the
door after him. And he said, "I beg of you, my friends, do not do what
is wrong. Do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shadow
of my roof." But they replied, "Stand back, or we will treat you worse
than them." And they pressed hard against Lot and advanced to break the
door. But the men reached out and drew Lot to them into the house and
shut the door. Then they smote the men who were at the door of the
house, both small and great, with blindness, so that they grew tired of
searching for the door.
Then the men said to Lot, "Have you any one else here? Bring your
sons-in-law, your sons, and daughters, and whoever you have in the city
out of this place, for we are about to destroy it, because great
complaint concerning the people has come to Jehovah and he has sent us
to destroy it." So Lot went out and said to his sons-in-law, "Up, go out
of this place, for Jehovah will destroy the city." But his sons-in-law
thought he was only jesting.
When the dawn appeared, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Get up, take your
wife and your two daughters that you may not be swept away in the
punishment of the city." When he hesitated, the men took him by the hand
and led him and his wife and his two daughters outside the city, for
Jehovah was merciful to him.
When they had brought them outside, they said, "Run for your life; do
not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the
heights, that you may not be swept away!" But Lot said to them, "Oh,
sirs, not so! See, your servant has found favor with you, and you have
shown great mercy to me in saving my life. I cannot escape to the
heights, lest some evil overtake me, and I die. See now, this village is
near enough to run to, and it is small. Oh, let me escape there, and my
life will be saved." Jehovah said to him, "I have also granted you this
favor, in that I will not destroy the village of which you have spoken.
Make haste, escape to it, for I can do nothing until you arrive there."
The sun had risen when Lot came to Zoar. Then Jehovah caused brimstone
and fire from heaven to rain upon Sodom and Gomorrah, and he destroyed
those cities and all the plain, with all the people who lived in it and
all that grew on the ground. But Lot's wife, who was following him,
looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
Early in the morning Abraham rose and went to the place where he had
stood before Jehovah; and as he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah and
all the plain, he saw the smoke of the land going up as the smoke of a
smelting-furnace.
GOD'S CARE FOR THE BOY ISHMAEL
Jehovah remembered what he had told Sarah, and he did as he had
promised. So Sarah had a son, and when the child grew up, Abraham made a
great feast on the day that he was weaned. But Sarah saw the son of
Hagar the Egyptian and of Abraham playing with her son Isaac. And she
said to Abraham, "Drive out this slave girl and her son, for the son of
this slave girl shall not be heir with my son Isaac." This request was
very displeasing to Abraham because the boy was his son. But Jehovah
said to Abraham, "Do not be displeased because of the boy and because of
your slave girl. Listen to all that Sarah says to you, for Isaac only
and his children shall bear your name. But I will also make of the son
of the slave girl a great nation, because he is your son."
Then Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of
water and gave it to Hagar; and he put the boy upon her shoulder and
sent her away. So she set out and wandered in the desert of Beersheba.
When the water in the skin was gone, she left the child under one of the
desert shrubs and went a short distance away and sat down opposite him,
for she said, "Let me not see the child die."
While she sat there, the boy began to cry; and Jehovah heard the cry of
the boy, and said, "What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for Jehovah has
heard the cry of the boy. Rise, lift him up, and hold him fast by the
hand, for I will make him a great nation." And Jehovah opened her eyes
and she saw a well of water. Then she went and filled the skin with
water and gave the boy a drink.
And Jehovah cared for the boy; and when he grew up, he lived in the
wilderness of Paran and became a bowman. And his mother secured a wife
for him from Egypt.
ABRAHAM'S LOYALTY TO GOD
Later Jehovah tested Abraham, saying to him, "Abraham"; and he answered,
"Here am I." Jehovah said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you
love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a
burnt-offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you."
[Illustration: (C) _Curtis Publishing Company_
_Hagar and Ishmael in the Wilderness_ Painted by W. L. Taylor]
So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his ass and took two of
his servants with him, and his son Isaac. When he had split the wood for
the burnt-offering, he set out for the place of which God had told him.
On the third day, when Abraham looked up and saw the place in the
distance, he said to his servants, "Stay here with the ass, while I and
the lad go over there. When we have worshipped, we will come back to
you."
Then Abraham took the wood for the burnt-offering and laid it on Isaac,
his son. And he took the fire and the knife, and they both went on
together. And Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!"
and Abraham answered, "Yes, my son." Isaac said, "Here is the fire and
the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt-offering?" Abraham answered,
"My son, God will himself provide a lamb for a burnt-offering." So the
two went on together.
When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the
altar there and laid the wood on it and bound Isaac his son and laid him
on the altar upon the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand, and took
the knife to kill his son. But the angel of Jehovah called to him from
heaven, saying, "Abraham, Abraham!" and he answered, "Here am I." And he
said, "Do not put your hand upon the boy, nor do anything to him, for
now I know that you love God, for you have not refused to give your son,
your only son, to him."
Then Abraham looked up, and he saw a ram caught in the thicket by his
horns. So Abraham took the ram and offered him up as a burnt-offering
instead of his son. And he named the place Jehovah-jireh, which means,
"Jehovah will Provide."
The angel of Jehovah again called to Abraham and said, "Jehovah
declares, 'Because you have done this thing and have not kept back your
son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will make your
children as many as the stars of the heavens and as the sand, which is
on the seashore, so that they shall conquer their enemies, and all the
nations of the earth shall ask for themselves a blessing like theirs,
because you have obeyed my command.'"
HOW REBEKAH BECAME THE WIFE OF ISAAC
When Abraham was very old and Jehovah had blessed him in every way,
Abraham said to the eldest of his household servants, who had charge of
all his affairs, "Put your hand under my hip, while I make you promise
by Jehovah, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not let my son
marry one of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live, but
that you will go to my own country and to my relatives and there get a
wife for my son Isaac." The servant said to him, "Perhaps the woman will
not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I then take your son back
to the land from which you came?" Abraham said to him, "See to it that
you do not take my son back there. Jehovah, the God of heaven, who took
me from my father's house and from my native land and who solemnly
promised me, 'To your children I will give this land,' will send his
angel before you and there you will get a wife for my son. But if the
woman is not willing to come with you, then you will be free from this
promise to me; only never take my son back there." So the servant put
his hand under Abraham's hip and made the promise.
Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and set out with
precious gifts from his master. So he went to the town of Nahor. And he
made the camels kneel down outside the town by the well in the evening,
at the time when women go out to draw water. Then he said, "O Jehovah,
the God of my master Abraham, give me, I pray thee, success to-day, and
show kindness to my master Abraham. Here I am standing by the spring of
water, and the daughters of the men of the town are coming out to draw
water. May that young woman to whom I shall say, 'Please let down your
water-jar that I may drink'; and who answers, 'Drink and I will also
water your camels,' may she be the one thou hast chosen for thy servant
Isaac. By this I shall know that thou hast shown kindness to my master."
Then even before he was through speaking, Rebekah, who was the
grand-daughter of Nahor, Abraham's brother, came out with her water-jar
upon her shoulder. She was very beautiful and unmarried. She went down
to the spring, filled her jar, and came up. Then the servant ran to meet
her and said, "Please let me drink a little water from your jar." She
answered, "Drink, sir," and quickly let down her water-jar from her
shoulder upon her hand and gave him a drink.
[Illustration: _The Testing of Abraham_ Painted by Fritz von Uhde]
When she had finished giving him a drink she said, "I will draw water
for your camels also, until they have finished drinking." So she quickly
emptied her jar into the trough and ran again to the well to draw water,
and drew for all his camels. Meanwhile the man was silently gazing at
her in order to find out whether Jehovah had made his journey successful
or not.
As soon as the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring,
five ounces in weight, and put it in her nose, and put on her arms two
golden bracelets weighing five ounces, and said, "Whose daughter are
you? Tell me, I beg of you. Is there room in your father's house for us
to spend the night?" She answered, "I am the grand-daughter of Milcah
and Nahor. We have plenty of straw and feed, and there is a place for
you to spend the night."
Then the man bowed his head and worshipped Jehovah, saying, "Blessed be
Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham, who has continued to show his
mercy and his faithfulness toward my master. As for me, Jehovah has led
me on the way to the house of my master's relatives."
Then the young woman ran and told these things to her mother's family.
Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban; and Laban ran out to the man at
the spring. And when he saw the bracelets on his sister's hands and the
ring, and when he heard Rebekah say, "This is what the man said to me,"
he went to the man, who was still standing by the camels at the spring,
and said, "Come in, you who are blessed by Jehovah! Why do you stand
outside? For I have cleared the house and have room for the camels." So
he brought the man into the house and took the packs off the camels and
furnished straw and feed for them, and water to wash his feet and the
feet of the men who were with him.
But when food was set before him to eat, he said, "I will not eat until
I have made known my errand." They answered, "Speak." He said, "I am
Abraham's servant; and Jehovah has blessed my master greatly, so that he
has become very rich. He has given him flocks and herds, silver and
gold, servants, and camels and asses. Now Sarah, my master's wife, had a
son when she was old, and my master has given him all that he has. My
master also made me promise, saying, 'Do not let my son marry one of the
daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live, but go to my father's
home and to my relatives and there find a wife for my son.'
"When I said to my master, 'What if the woman will not follow me?' he
said to me, 'Jehovah, whom I love and serve, will send his angel with
you and make you successful, and you will find for my son a wife from
among my relatives and my father's family. Then you shall be free from
your promise to me. But if you go to my family and they do not give her
to you, you shall also be free from your promise to me.' So I came
to-day to the spring and said, 'O Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham,
see, I am standing by the spring of water, if thou wilt make the errand
on which I am going successful, then let the young woman who comes to
draw, to whom I say, Please give me a little water from your jar to
drink, and who shall say to me, Drink, and I will also draw for your
camels, let that one be the woman whom Jehovah has chosen for my
master's son.'
"Even before I was through speaking, Rebekah came out with her water-jar
on her shoulder and went down to the spring and drew water. And when I
said to her, 'Please let me drink,' she quickly let down her water-jar
from her shoulder and answered, 'Drink, and I will also water your
camels.' So I drank, and she also watered the camels. Then I asked her,
'Whose daughter are you?' And she said, 'The grand-daughter of Nahor and
Milcah.' So I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her arms.
And I bowed my head and worshipped and blessed Jehovah the God of my
master Abraham who had led me on the right way to find the daughter of
my master's brother for his son. Tell me whether or not you will deal
kindly and truly with my master, so that I shall know what to do!"
Then Laban and his family answered, "The matter is in the hands of
Jehovah. We cannot say either 'yes' or 'no.' See, Rebekah is before you;
take her and go and let her be the wife of your master's son, as Jehovah
has said."
When Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed to the ground before
Jehovah. Then he brought out gold and silver ornaments and clothing and
gave them to Rebekah. He also gave costly gifts to her brother and to
her mother. And he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent
the night there.
When they rose in the morning, the servant said, "Send me away to my
master." But Rebekah's brother and mother answered, "Let the young woman
stay with us a month or at least ten days; after that she may go." But
he said to them, "Do not delay me, for Jehovah has given me success.
Send me away that I may go to my master."
[Illustration: (C) _Curtis Publishing Company_
_Rebekah Comes to Isaac_ Painted by W. L. Taylor]
Then they said, "We will call the young woman and ask her." So they
called Rebekah and said to her, "Will you go with this man?" She
answered, "I will go." So they sent away their sister Rebekah and her
nurse with Abraham's servant and his men.
They also blessed Rebekah, saying to her, "Our sister! may your children
and their children become thousands and thousands!" Then Rebekah set out
with her maids and, riding upon the camels, they followed the man. So
the servant took Rebekah and went away.
Now Abraham had given all that he had to Isaac and had breathed his
last, dying in a good old age, satisfied with living. In the evening,
when Isaac had gone out in the field to meditate, he looked up and saw
camels coming. Rebekah too looked up, and when she saw Isaac, she
quickly alighted from the camel and said to the servant, "Who is this
man walking in the field to meet us?" When the servant said, "It is my
master," she took her veil and covered her face. Then the servant told
Isaac all that he had done. And Isaac brought Rebekah to the tent of
Sarah his mother, and she became his wife; and he loved her.
HOW JACOB DECEIVED HIS FATHER
Now Isaac prayed to Jehovah for his wife, because she had no children;
and Jehovah heard his prayer, and Rebekah became the mother of twin
boys. They named one Esau and the other Jacob.
As they grew up, Esau became a skilful hunter, a man who lived out in
the fields; but Jacob was a quiet man who stayed about the tents. Isaac
loved Esau, for he was fond of game; but Rebekah loved Jacob.
Once when Jacob was preparing a stew, Esau came in from the fields, and
he was very hungry; so he said to Jacob, "Let me swallow some of that
red stew, for I am very hungry." But Jacob said, "Sell me first of all
your right as the eldest." Esau replied, "See, I am nearly dead now! So
of what use is this birthright to me?" Jacob said, "First solemnly
promise to give it to me." So Esau solemnly promised and sold his
birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and stewed lentils, and
when he had had something to eat and drink, he got up and went away. In
this way Esau gave away his birthright.