Cont'd from the 7QT's about The Big Bang, Evolution, Science, Genesis, heaven and earth and the Bible

Question: But according to science birds are a later development than animals. According to science birds descend from dinosaurs. Yet day 4 has creatures in the seas and birds on the land, "And God 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....Genesis 1:20." and day 5 has animals on land.

Answer: Pterosaurs were the birds of the ancient world. Science has of yet no explanation for their existence. No transitional fossils have been found to account for the existence of pterosaurs.

Question: But Pterosaurs aren't birds.

Answer: That is true, and whales aren't fish but many people consider them fish even today, simply because they inhabit the oceans. In the same way, Pterosaurs can be considered birds.

Question: There are still problems, Day 6, God created man but as yet "..And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew.... Genesis 2:5" How does this jive with day 3, 4 and 5.

Answer: Genesis Chapter 2 is a shift in the narrative. It doesn't focus on the creation of the universe and the earth as much as on the creation of man and the infusion of the Holy Spirit.. It is more Spiritual and theological in nature. Suffice to say for now, that Genesis 1 is completely consistent with science in its portrayal of the creation of the earth. In Genesis 1, man is created after the creatures and after the grasses, "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let 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.....Genesis 1:26"

HUMAN EVOLUTION VS BIBICAL CREATION OF MAN

Question: Doesn't human evolution contradict the Biblical account of the the creation of man by God?

Answer: No. CCC 366 The Church teaches that every spiritual soul is created immediately by God - it is not "produced" by the parents....

Pope John Paul II in his Message to Pontifical Academy of Sciences October 22, 1996 said,

Pius XII stressed this essential point: if the human body takes its origin from pre-existent living matter the spiritual soul is immediately created by God ("animal enim a Deo immediate creari catholica fides nos retinere inhet"; Encyclical Humani generic, AAS 42 [1950], p. 575).
Catholic Information Network (http://www.cin.org/jp2evolu.html)

Therefore, Adam and Eve's soul was created directly by God. The body evolved by processes put into effect by God.

Question: But science says that man descended from apes, while the Bible says that man was formed out of dust, Genesis 2:7 "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul....."

Answer: Science also says that originally all life came fom some primordial mud. In comparison to God, we are all bits of mud and dirt. The Biblical Narrator may have been referring to some apes as a bit of clay and portrayed God as taking a bit of genetic material from this ape to make Adam.

Note also, that all animals were created out of the ground, Genesis 2:19 "And out of the ground the LORD God 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....."

Question: So, did Adam and Eve have belly buttons?

Answer: I don't know. To keep the following answers in perspective we must remember that the human soul was (and continues to be) made directly by God and put into Adam and Eve. The human body may have evolved by processes put in place by God or it may have been made directly by God. I can envision the following possibilities:

1. Adam and Eve were both miraculously created by God as fully formed adults. No belly buttons were necessary.

2. Adam was miraculously engendered in the animal from which the genetic material was taken. Belly button necessary. Eve was miraculously engendered from Adam's Rib, cloned so to speak, no belly button necessary.

3. The Rib taken from Adam may symbolize something else, perhaps the genetic material or process that was used to engender Adam. That is, Eve may have been engendered in the same animal or type of animal as Adam. In which case, Eve may be more accurately described as Adam's sister, not his clone. Belly buttons would be necessary for both.

If the body evolved from an animal, this explains our concupiscence, which we will talk about later.

Question: Concupiscence?

Answer: Yes. Man's propensity to sin.

Question: How does any of that work exactly?

Answer: No one knows that answer. But we can speculate for instance, that an ape existed which had evolved to a certain level of intelligence. God took a little dust, a male infant (or an adult), breathed into it and made it into the first man. Then God took a female from the same species and made the first woman in the same way. He then put them in the Garden of Eden.

Question: What is the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and why can't Adam and Eve eat of it?

Answer: In my opinion, it isn't a green tree. It is a family tree.

God has forbidden Adam and Eve from participating in an animal society which already existed and from which he is keeping them separate. I am speaking specifically of the animal society from which Adam's genetic material may have been taken.

It is a common theme in the Bible that God was setting His People apart from the heathen world. To be set apart is to be holy. Abraham and Moses and the other Prophets were supposed to keep the Hebrew people holy, set apart from the existing pagan societies which would teach them to sin.

Deuteronomy 7

1When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou; 2And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them: 3Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. 4For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.

Question: Where is the sin in Adam and Eve wanting to participate in a pre-existing society?

Answer: First, the sin is in disobeying God's command. Next, the sin is in desiring to participate in a life which is not intimately united to God in the way and with the dignity in which Adam and Eve were created. It is the same as rejecting the love of God.

Question: Where does the snake come into all this?

Answer: I prefer to call him the dragon (See Revelations 12). The Dragon, his name is Lucifer, was once the most beautiful of angels, he became jealous of men when he saw that God had clothed himself in flesh and created beings in His image and likeness. He knew that these beings were inferior to him and that he would be called upon to minister to them as all angels are. Therefore he cried, "I will not serve!" He was thrown from heaven to earth and took 1/3 of the angels with him. Then he decided to trick the humans as well. He showed them their family tree and told them they could be like Gods amongst them.

Question: Like Gods? Then Adam and Eve were already prideful!

Answer: No. Notice that Satan worked on the Woman first. He used her good, maternal feelings to make her believe that they could, with their higher intellligence and strength, take care of these poor creatures. Adam and Eve had never known anything but a loving nurturing God and that is what they wanted to be, loving and nurturing towards these creatures which resembled them so much.

Question: Don't most people say that the Original Sin was a sin of the flesh?

Answer: Yes. But I personally don't subscribe to that answer. The entire Bible characterizes the relationship between God and His people as a marriage covenant. Anytime they sin, it is considered that they have been unfaithful. Sin is characterized as adultery.

In this sense, the sin of Eve was an act of adultery. If we go back to the serpent reference we can readily see that the metaphor fits. Satan is depicted as a serpent that has entered the garden. This is the same garden that Adam must till and protect Genesis 2:15 "And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it....." This garden is a metaphor for the Woman.

Question: Where does the nakedness come in?

Answer:

1. Adam and Eve had seen these creatures from afar and had come in for a closer observation. They hadn't realized that, although they were the same color and overall shape, they were different. They were naked, they had no fur. Their eyes were opened and they were ashamed. They realized that these creatures were not human after all. They realized they had sinned in disobeying.

2. Adam and Eve realized they were naked after they had disobeyed God's command. That is, they realized that they no longer had God's protection and like wild animals searched for a place to hide. They had never known fear before, until then.

Question: Who did Cain marry?

Answer: It is important to note first of all that Cain's line did not survive. It was destroyed during the flood.

Note that Cain's age was not specified as to when he married. This suggests that Cain married immediately after he was exiled from his family. If you notice, Cain never repented from his sin and when he left he had not reconciled with God. His soul was dead and he was essentially no better than the animals that surrounded him. Cain united himself to an ape. His children inherited no soul and their behavior illustrates that they fell further and further away from God. Genesis 4, "23And 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. 24If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold."

Seth, on the other hand, married within the family. The Spiritual Soul given man by God remained in tact and was passed on by the Sons of God (Seth's line). That is why they are called the sons of God. Genesis 4:26 "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."

At that time, the sons of God (Seth's line) began to mix with the daughters of man (Cain's line) and the result was that fewer and fewer men were born with a Spiritual Soul until God had to lament, "My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years....Genesis 6:3"

And the only ones who remained blameless in that age were Noah and his sons, who were from Seth's line. Then came the flood and all of Cain's line was destroyed. A new beginning.

Question: So which is it? According to the 1st Creation Story man was the last creature created, but according to the 2nd Creation Story, man was the first creature created. Compare Genesis 1:26, 27 to Genesis 2:1-23.

Answer: Not really. Man was not complete without woman and woman was created last. Also, the 2nd Creation Story has to be understood in an allegorical sense. Even so, it still fits into the scientific theories we have been addressing.

First of all, when God created man from dust before the first bush sprouted, we must understand that God knew from the beginning that He would create man and Creation itself was ordered in that direction. When God put man in the Garden we understand that all plants were created for man. When God created all creatures and Adam named them, we understand that all creatures were made for man (see Genesis 1:28-31). And then God created Woman thereby completing man.

Question: Nope, that is unacceptable. It is a serious flaw in your ideas.

Answer: Genesis 2:8-9 "And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the LORD God 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.

Note in Genesis 2:8-9, that the Garden existed before man and it can be understood that the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil was already in this garden.

Question: But the scriptures say that God gave all creatures plants to eat, not flesh. How does this relate to Science?

Answer: In an allegorical sense, plants do feed all animals. Flesh eating animals eat plant eating animals and without plants all life as we know it would disappear from this planet.

Question: But death didn't enter the world when Adam sinned. Animals were killing others before man came into being, according to science.

Answer: God is Life. Sin is the separation of man from God. Death is the separation of man from Life.

So it was the introduction of sin in the world which introduced the death of the soul to the world. Since there were no other souls in the world except Adam's and Eve's and they had both separated themselves from God by their sin, then death (of the soul) did enter the world for the first time.

Question: What did God mean "he must not be allowed to eat from the fruit of the tree of life and live forever. paraphrase of Genesis 3:22"?

Answer: He meant, "nothing impure will enter heaven." Revelations 21:27 "And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life."

To "eat from the fruit of the tree of life" means to participate in the life of God. One can not participate in the life of God if one chooses to separate himself from God. That is, if one chooses to commit sin, one separates himself from God.

Notice that Adam and Eve did not immediately repent of their sin. Instead they blamed each other and the serpent. They essentially justified their sin. Therefore they were banished from the presence of God, from paradise.

Question: Who wanted to kill Cain?

Answer: Cain was afraid of the members of the pre-existent family tree. It is scientifically proven that ape societies, gorillas and chimps, even today, attack and kill strangers. Not to mention human societies.

In a sense, Cain was already dead. There is no indication in Scripture that Cain ever regained his soul. Note that Eve is overjoyed to have a 3rd son, Seth, to replace Abel whom Cain killed. Not only had Cain killed Abel but he had effectively killed himself. He was banished fom the ground that had received his brother's blood and could never return. There is tension in the Scriptures between the line of Seth and the line of Cain.

Note that Cain's offspring Lamech bragged that he had killed a young boy and said, "if Cain is avenged sevenfold, I am avenged seventy seven fold." Effectively, Lamech had declared himself God, since God is the one who would avenge Cain, but Lamech avenged himself. Cain's line had descended into hell.

But to Seth a child was born whom he named Enoch and at this time men began to call God by name. Seth's line had ascended towards heaven.

Question: But what is the sin that Adam and Eve committed?

Answer: We can assume that Adam and Eve wanted to do good, because they were good. God said so. They had complete mastery over themselves. Somehow the Serpent (Dragon) tricked them into wanting to be like God. But in what way? All they knew was a loving and nurturing God who had made them in His own image. I assume, they wanted to love and nurture the apes of their family tree and make them into people like themselves,much like we want to love and nurture puppies when we are young.

Question: Surely an excess of love could not be a sin?

Answer: No. But an excess of pride is. Suddenly, where they wanted to love and nurture, pride entered in by way of Satan. Instead of obeying God, they tried to do something independently of God. The Dragon made them forget that without God we can do nothing. They succeeded only in cutting themselves off from God.

Question: So what exactly is the Original Sin and why do we all participate in it?

Answer: You are asking two questions.

1st, what did Adam and Eve actually do to commit Original Sin?

2nd, what are we guilty of? That is, what sin did we inherit from them?

1st, what Adam and Eve did was not an actual physical sin. It was an act of will. They willed something which was not in accord with God's will. By doing so, they separated themselves from God. This is what is known as the original sin.

2nd, what we are guilty of and what we inherited from them is simply the state of being separated from God. We were born in a state of separation from God.

Question: So, what does the apple represent and what does biting the apple represent?

Answer: Its not literally an apple but a fruit. What is the fruit of a family tree but its young. Eve, the Mother of all mankind, saw the young of the pre-existent society and wanted to love and nurture it. The Dragon told her she would be like God amongst these animals. She showed Adam and he felt the same. They believed the Dragon's lie and willed to disobey God. They did not see how they could possibly die amongst these creatures.

Question: So, since we are born in Original Sin, are our souls imperfect?

Answer: No. The CCC 366 states that every "soul is created immediately by God." Therefore our "spiritual" souls must be perfect. The Scriptures say that before we were knit in the womb, God knew us. Jesus says, "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing.... John 6:63" And Paul says, "For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.... (Romans 8:6)"

Here, we are using the words spirit and soul interchangeably. Therefore, we can deduce that sin is not originally in the soul or spirit, but in the flesh.

CCC 365 also says that the union of soul (spirit) and body in man forms a single nature.

At some point, probably conception, the soul is united to the flesh and the sin of the flesh spreads to the soul. Effectively, this cuts us off from God because the soul, before its union with the flesh, is in union with God. Therefore, it is the flesh which causes the spiritual soul to fall and thus we inherit a fallen nature.

Question: But how did sin enter our flesh and stay there?

Answer: The answer is in CCC 377. It says that Adam and Eve had mastery over themselves. In other words, they were created with complete control. But that insinuates that they had something to control. What would that be? Concupiscence and the other faults of the flesh which were already present there but were supernaturally held at bay by the grace of God. This is called "sanctifying grace." However, our parents (Adam and Eve), in deciding to ignore God's command, decided that they didn't want sanctifying grace and lost if for themselves and for us, until Jesus gave it back to us.

Question: But how could sin already be in the flesh if everything that God made is good?

Answer: Consider the animals, they are good, but they are not in union with God to the extent that humans are in union with God. The reason is because animals can't have sanctifying grace. Sanctifying grace is one of the ways in which Adam and Eve resembled God. Sanctifying grace is what we acquire after Baptism and which washes away our sins. But in animals concupiscence and other weaknesses of the flesh aren't sins, they are simply instincts, because they do not have Sanctifying grace. Animals do not have the spiritual souls to tell them of God's existence and to guide them in His ways. Nor do they have God's laws written in their hearts, nor are they created in God's image, nor do they have free will. It is a sin for us to act like animals, without regard to God who created us because we have all of these.

Question: What is the difference between Eve and Mary?

Answer: The short answer is sin. But more than that, Eve was made from pre-existent matter. The concupiscence was held at bay by God's justification but it was not removed, it was still in the flesh but only contained. Mary's flesh on the other hand was purified by the Blood of Christ before it was joined to the soul and knit in the womb.

Question: Didn't Mary inherit human flesh from her parents?

Answer: Yes, but that human flesh was purified before she was concieved in the womb. It never stained her soul.

Question: Are you implying that Adam and Eve's souls were stained in the womb? Isn't that the same as Original Sin?

Answer: No. Their souls were maintained in a state of justice by the presence of God in whose union they were created. When they abandoned God by disobeying Him, their souls were immediately stained by the flesh which contained the animal instincts which do not recognize God's existence (i.e. concupiscence, our tendency to act as animals, without regard for God.)

7QT's about The Big Bang, Evolution, Science, Genesis, heaven and earth and the Bible

I am a revert to Catholicism from atheism.  I was a product of the public schools and well versed in all the scientific dogma they try to pass off as science.  During that time, when I was struggling to understand my faith, if I asked a Christian, whether Protestant or Catholic, about the Big Bang or about Evolution, I would simply be told  not to ask stupid questions. That was not the case if I asked an atheist.  They welcomed questions and gladly threw in their opinions about Church and religion as well.  So, I quickly came to the conclusion, something which I had long suspected to be true, Christianity was a fiction which someone was passing off as the truth.

When I first came back to the Church, I was a product of prayer, meditation and a student of the Mystics and Saints. I had forgotten the questions and doubts which led me to atheism in my youth.  

Then I became a Catechist. 

Suddenly, all the questions and doubts, the cynical comments, the objections came pouring back.  But not from me.  They were coming from my students.  My students were mostly public school children well versed in the theories of the Big Bang and Evolution.  And they asked many probing and skeptical questions.   The very same questions I had asked at their age.  

And I didn't have an answer.  At least, not answers that I liked.  You see, I also was taught in public schools and I was thoroughly familiar with the Big Bang and Evolution. Theories which I found thoroughly plausible but which my traditionally trained Catholic and nonCatholic Christian friends told me completely opposed Christian teaching and the Bible.

So, I prayed.  Then, in 1996, I read that Pope John Paul II said that the theory of evolution was not necessarily against Catholic teaching.

So, I prayed some more.  And I think I received many answers.  

One caveat,  I am a layman.  The answers I am providing are binding on no one.  I believe these answers are true and I have educated my own children based upon these ways of correlating our faith and some scientific theories.  Also, I believe these are the types of answers I was looking for when I was questioning Christianity as a child.

I pray that these answers may be a help and not a hindrance to Catholic Cathechists and that they may be used to evangelize those skeptics who have been produced and are being produced by the Public School systems.

One more thing, I don't believe these answers contradict Catholic Teaching.  But if I discover that they do, I'll be the first to drop them.

--- 1 ---

THE BIG BANG VS BIBLICAL CREATION

Question: Doesn't the Big Bang contradict the Biblical account of creation?

Answer: No. All we need add to the Scientific account is the Prime Mover, the Creator who caused the Big Bang in the first place. Science may have postulated a big bang and found some evidence of the expansion of space, but without God as the explanation for the occurence in the first place they have nothing. Because nothing from nothing is nothing.

Perhaps an example might help. If you found a watch on the floor, would you assume the watch had miraculously made itself? Or would you assume that someone had made it? The universe is far more intricate than a mere watch, some intelligence had to make it.

--- 2 ---

Question: Science tells us that the stars and planets were made first but the Bible says that the earth was made first. Which is right?

Answer: The Bible does not say that the earth was made first. Please read Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth....."

Note that God made the heavens first then the earth. It is concise language, full of meaning and science agrees with this order of events.

--- 3 ---

Question: How could the earth and the universe have been made in 7 days?

Answer: Scripture does say that the universe and the earth were made in 7 days.  But, the 7 day arrangement is a literary device used by the author to more effectively convey the ideas being expressed. It allows the author to single out what he wants to discuss in an orderly fashion. It allows the reader to focus on one thing at a time. It allows our minds to visualize something unknown by using something known.

--- 4 ---

Question: Even so, if the heavens were created first as you say in Genesis 1:1, then why was there still darkness upon the earth in Genesis 1:2? The sun should have been shining by then.

Answer: To this day the surface of Venus is dark. It is covered with clouds. The earth was then much like Venus is today, "formless and empty".

--- 5 ---

Question: Even if I believe that, you must admit that the day by day sequence of events is out of order. According to science, the land was populated last not first.

Answer: The Bible says: And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters....Genesis 1:2

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) paragraph 703 says:

It belongs to the Holy Spirit to rule, sanctify, and animate creation, for he is God...

That means that the Holy Spirit is the animator, principle of life and the Holy Spirit was already over the waters from the beginning before the first day.

--- 6 ---

Question: But the Bible says that the land was populated with life first (Genesis 1:11).

Answer: If the Spirit of God, the Principle of Life, was over the waters first (Genesis 1:2), we can assume that life was in the waters first and then spread to the earth in response to God's call. God didn't say, "Let the land have life" on the first day, He said, "Let the earth bring forth grass....". And this makes complete sense because the life bearing waters had just been drained from the land, leaving there, in my opinion, the seeds of life.

--- 7 ---

Question: But look at day 3, He just now made the sun and the moon.

Answer: If I make my child get up in the morning, I don't literally bring him into existence at that time. I simply order my pre-existing child to get up.

God made the sun, moon and stars when He made the Heavens (Genesis 1:1). God ordered the pre-existing sun, moon and stars to give light and mark the times (Genesis 1:17). This can be understood as some sort of covering being removed from the earth and light penetrated to its surface for the first time.

If you enjoyed that, read the rest, here.

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Douay Genesis 40

Book Of Genesis Chapter 40
Joseph interpreteth the dreams of two of Pharao's servants in prison: the event declareth the interpretations to be true, but Joseph is forgotten.

[1] After this, it came to pass, that two eunuchs, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, offended their lord. [2] And Pharao being angry with them (now the one was chief butler, the other chief baker) [3] He sent them to the prison of the commander of the soldiers, in which Joseph also was prisoner, [4] But the keeper of the prison delivered them to Joseph, and he served them. Some little time passed, and they were kept in custody. [5] And they both dreamed a dream the same night, according to the interpretation agreeing to themselves:

[6] And when Joseph was come in to them in the morning, and saw them sad, [7] He asked them, saying: Why is your countenance sadder today than usual? [8] They answered: We have dreamed a dream, and there is nobody to interpret it to us. And Joseph said to them: Doth not interpretation belong to God? Tell me what you have dreamed. [9] The chief butler first told his dream: I saw before me a vine, [10] On which were three branches, which by little and little sent out buds, and after the blossoms brought forth ripe grapes:

[11] And the cup of Pharao was in my hand: and I took the grapes, and pressed them into the cup which I held, and I gave the cup to Pharao. [12] Joseph answered: This is the interpretation of the dream: The three branches are yet three days: [13] After which Pharao will remember thy service, and will restore thee to thy former place: and thou shalt present him the cup according to thy office, as before thou wast wont to do. [14] Only remember me, when it shall be well with thee, and do me this kindness: to put Pharao in mind to take me out of this prison: [15] For I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews, and here without any fault was cast into the dungeon.

[16] The chief baker seeing that he had wisely interpreted the dream, said: I also dreamed a dream, That I had three baskets of meal upon my head: [17] And that in one basket which was uppermost, I carried all meats that are made by the art of baking, and that the birds ate out of it. [18] Joseph answered: This is the interpretation of the dream: The three baskets are yet three days: [19] After which Pharao will take thy head from thee, and hang thee on a cross, and the birds shall tear thy flesh. [20] The third day after this was the birthday of Pharao: and he made a great feast for his servants, and at the banquet remembered the chief butler, and the chief baker.

[21] And he restored the one to his place to present him the cup: [22] The other he hanged on a gibbet, that the truth of the interpreter might be shewn. [23] But the chief butler, when things prospered with him, forgot his interpreter.

Douay Genesis 39

Book Of Genesis  Chapter 39
Joseph hath charge of his master's house: rejecteth his mistress's solicitations: is falsely accused by her, and cast into prison, where he hath the charge of all the prisoners.

[1] And Joseph was brought into Egypt, and Putiphar an eunuch of Pharao, chief captain of the army, an Egyptian, bought him of the Ismaelites, by whom he was brought. [2] And the Lord was with him, and he was a prosperous man in all things: and he dwelt in his master' s house, [3] Who knew very well that the Lord was with him, and made all that he did to prosper in his hand. [4] And Joseph found favour in the sight of his master, and ministered to him: and being set over all by him, he governed the house committed to him, and all things that were delivered to him: [5] And the Lord blessed the house of the Egyptian for Joseph' s sake, and multiplied all his substance, both at home, and in the fields.

[6] Neither knew he any other thing, but the bread which he ate. And Joseph was of a beautiful countenance, and comely to behold. [7] And after many days his mistress cast her eyes on Joseph, and said: Lie with me. [8] But he, in no wise consenting to that wicked act, said to her: Behold, my master hath delivered all things to me, and knoweth not what he hath in his own house: [9] Neither is there any thing which is not in my power, or that he hath not delivered to me, but thee, who art his wife: how then can I do this wicked thing, and sin against my God? [10] With such words as these day by day, both the woman was importunate with the young man, and he refused the adultery.

[11] Now it happened on a certain day, that Joseph went into the house, and was doing some business without any, man with him: [12] And she catching the skirt of his garment, said: Lie with me. But he leaving the garment in her hand, fled, and went out. [13] And when the woman saw the garment in her hands, and herself disregarded, [14] She called to her the men of her house, and said to them: See, he hath brought in a Hebrew, to abuse us: he came in to me, to lie with me: and when I cried out, [15] And he heard my voice, he left the garment that I held, and got him out.

[16] For a proof therefore of her fidelity, she kept the garment, and shewed it to her husband when he returned home: [17] And said: The Hebrew servant, whom thou hast brought, came to me to abuse me. [18] And when he heard me cry, he left the garment which I held, and fled out. [19] His master hearing these things, and giving too much credit to his wife' s words, was very angry. [20] And cast Joseph into the prison, where the king' s prisoners were kept, and he was there shut up.

[21] But the Lord was with Joseph and having mercy upon him gave him favour in the sight of the chief keeper of the prison: [22] Who delivered into his hand all the prisoners that were kept in custody: and whatsoever was done was under him. [23] Neither did he himself know any thing, having committed all things to him: for the Lord was with him, and made all that he did to prosper.

Douay Genesis 38

Book Of Genesis  Chapter 38
The sons of Juda: the death of Her and Onan: the birth of Phares and Zara.

[1] At that time Juda went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Odollamite, named Hiras. [2] And he saw there the daughter of a man of Chanaan, called Sue: and taking her to wife, he went in unto her. [3] And she conceived, and bore a son, and called his name Her. [4] And conceiving again, she bore a son, and called him Onan. [5] She bore also a third: whom she called Sela. After whose birth, she ceased to bear any more.

[6] And Juda took a wife for Her his firstborn, whose name was Thamar. [7] And Her, the firstborn of Juda, was wicked in the sight of the Lord: and was slain by him. [8] Juda, therefore said to Onan his son: Go in to thy brother' s wife and marry her, that thou mayst raise seed to thy brother. [9] He knowing that the children should not be his, when he went in to his brother' s wife, spilled his seed upon the ground, lest children should be born in his brother' s name. [10] And therefore the Lord slew him, because he did a detestable thing.

[11] Wherefore Juda said to Thamar his daughter in law: Remain a widow in thy father' s house, till Sela my son grow up: for he was afraid lest he also might die, as his brethren did. She went her way and dwelt in her father' s house. [12] And after many days were past, the daughter of Sue the wife of Juda died: and when he had taken comfort after his mourning, he went up to Thamnas, to the shearers of his sheep, he and Hiras the Odollamite the shepherd of his flock. [13] And it was told Thamar that her father in law was come up to Thamnas to shear his sheep. [14] And she put off the garments of her widowhood, and took a veil: and changing her dress, sat in the cross way, that leadeth to Thamnas: because Sela was grown up, and she had not been married to him. [15] When Juda saw her, he thought she was a harlot: for she had covered her face, lest she should be known.

[16] And going to her, he said: Suffer me to lie with thee: for he knew her not to be his daughter in law. And she answered: What wilt thou give me to enjoy my company? [17] He said: I will send thee a kid out of the flock. And when she said again: I will suffer what thou wilt, if thou give a pledge, till thou send what thou promisest, [18] Juda said: What wilt thou have for a pledge? She answered: Thy ring and bracelet, and the staff which thou holdest in thy hand. The woman therefore at one copulation conceived. [19] And she arose and went her way: and putting off the apparel which she had taken, put on the garments of her widowhood. [20] And Juda sent a kid by his shepherd, the Odollamite, that he might receive the pledge again, which he had given to the woman: but he, not finding her,

[21] Asked the men of that place: Where is the woman that sat in the cross way? And when they all made answer: There was no harlot in this place, [22] He returned to Juda, and said to him: I have not found her; moreover the men of that place said to me, that there never sat a harlot there. [23] Juda said: Let her take it to herself; surely she cannot charge us with a, lie: I sent the kid which I promised: and thou didst not find her. [24] And behold after three months they told Juda, saying: Thamar, thy daughter in law hath played the harlot, and she appeareth to have a big belly. And Juda said: Bring her out that she may be burnt. [25] But when she was led to execution, she sent to her father in law, saying: By the man, to whom these things belong, I am with child. See whose ring, and bracelet, and staff this is.

[26] But he acknowledging the gifts, said: She is juster than I: because I did not give her to Sela, my son. However, he knew her no more. [27] And when she was ready to be brought to bed, there appeared twins in her womb: and in the very delivery of the infants, one put forth a hand, whereon the midwife tied a scarlet thread, saying: [28] This shall come forth the first. [29] But he drawing back his hand, the other came forth: and the woman said: Why is the partition divided for thee? and therefore called his name Phares. [30] Afterwards his brother came out, on whose hand was the scarlet thread: and she called him Zara.

Douay Genesis 37

Book Of Genesis Chapter 37
Joseph's dreams: he is sold by his brethren, and carried into Egypt.

[1] And Jacob dwelt in the land of Chanaan wherein his father sojourned. [2] And these are his generations: Joseph, when he was sixteen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren, being but a boy: and he was with the sons of Bala and of Zelpha his father' s wives: and he accused his brethren to his father of a most wicked crime. [3] Now Israel loved Joseph above all his sons, because he had him in his old age: and he made him a coat of divers colours. [4] And his brethren seeing that he was loved by his father, more than all his sons, hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him. [5] Now it fell out also that he told his brethren a dream, that he had dreamed: which occasioned them to hate him the more.

[6] And he said to them: Hear my dream which I dreamed. [7] I thought we were binding sheaves in the field: and my sheaf arose as it were, and stood, and your sheaves standing about, bowed down before my sheaf. [8] His brethren answered: Shalt thou be our king? or shall we be subject to thy dominion? Therefore this matter of his dreams and words ministered nourishment to their envy and hatred. [9] He dreamed also another dream, which he told his brethren, saying: I saw in a dream, as it were the sun, and the moon, and eleven stars worshipping me. [10] And when he had told this to his father and brethren, his father rebuked him, and said: What meaneth this dream that thou hast dreamed? shall I and thy mother, and thy brethren worship thee upon the earth?

[11] His brethren therefore envied him: but his father considered the thing with himself. [12] And when his brethren abode in Sichem feeding their father' s flocks, [13] Israel said to him: Thy brethren feed the sheep in Sichem: come, I will send thee to them. And when he answered: [14] I am ready: he said to him: Go, and see if all things be well with thy brethren, and the cattle: and bring me word again what is doing. So being sent from the vale of Hebron, he came to Sichem: [15] And a man found him there wandering in the field, and asked what he sought.

[16] But he answered: I seek my brethren; tell me where they feed the flocks. [17] And the man said to him: They are departed from this place: for I heard them say: Let us go to Dothain. And Joseph went forward after his brethren, and found them in Dothain. [18] And when they saw him afar off, before he came nigh them, they thought to kill him. [19] And said one to another: Behold the dreamer cometh. [20] Come, let us kill him, and cast him into some old pit: and we will say: Some evil beast hath devoured him: and then it shall appear what his dreams avail him:

[21] And Ruben hearing this, endeavoured to deliver him out of their hands, and said: [22] Do not take away his life, nor shed his blood: but cast him into this pit, that is in the wilderness, and keep your hands harmless: now he said this, being desirous to deliver him out of their hands and to restore him to his father. [23] And as soon as he came to his brethren, they forthwith stript him of his outside coat, that was of divers colours: [24] And cast him into an old pit, where there was no water. [25] And sitting down to eat bread, they saw some Ismaelites on their way coming from Galaad, with their camels, carrying spices, and balm, and myrrh to Egypt.

[26] And Juda said to his brethren: What will it profit us to kill our brother, and conceal his blood? [27] It is better that he be sold to the Ismaelites, and that our hands be not defiled: for he is our brother and our flesh. His brethren agreed to his words. [28] And when the Madianite merchants passed by, they drew him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ismaelites, for twenty pieces of silver: and they led him into Egypt. [29] And Ruben, returning to the pit, found not the boy: [30] And rending his garments he went to his brethren, and said: The boy doth not appear and whither shall I go?

[31] And they took his coat, and dipped it in the blood of a kid, which they had killed: [32] Sending some to carry it to their father, and to say: This we have found: see whether it be thy son' s coat, or not. [33] And the father acknowledging it, said: It is my son' s coat, an evil wild beast hath eaten him, a beast hath devoured Joseph. [34] And tearing his garments, he put on sackcloth, mourning for his son a long time. [35] And all his children being gathered together to comfort their father in his sorrow, he would not receive comfort, but said: I will go down to my son into hell, mourning. And whilst he continued weeping, [36] The Madianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Putiphar, an eunuch of Pharao, captain of the soldiers.

Douay Genesis 36

Book Of Genesis Chapter 36
Esau with his wives and children parteth from Jacob. An account of his descendants, and of the first kings of Edom.

[1] And these are the generations of Esau, the same is Edom. [2] Esau took wives of the daughters of Chanaan: Ada the daughter of Elon the Hethite, and Oolibama the daughter of Ana, the daughter of Sebeon the Hevite: [3] And Basemath the daughter of Ismael, sister of Nabajoth. [4] And Ada bore Eliphaz: Basemath bore Rahuel: [5] Oolibama bore Jehus and Ihelon and Core. These are the sons of Esau, that were born to him in the land of Chanaan.

[6] And Esau took his wives and his sons and daughters, and every soul of his house, and his substance, and cattle, and all that he was able to acquire in the land of Chanaan: and went into another country, and departed from his brother Jacob. [7] For they were exceeding rich, and could not dwell together: neither was the land in which they sojourned able to bear them, for the multitude of their flocks. [8] And Esau dwelt in mount Seir: he is Edom. [9] And these are the generations of Esau the father of Edom in mount Seir, [10] And these the names of his sons: Eliphaz the son of Ada the wife of Esau: and Rahuel the son of Basemath his wife.

[11] And Eliphaz had sons: Theman, Omar, Sepho, and Gatham, and Cenez. [12] And Thamna was the concubine of Eliphaz the son of Esau: and she bore him Amalech. These are the sons of Ada the wife of Esau. [13] And the sons of Rahuel were Nahath and Zara, Samma and Meza. These were the sons of Basemath the wife of Esau. [14] And these were the sons of Oolibama, the daughter of Ana, the daughter of Sebeon, the wife of Esau, whom she bore to him, Jehus, and Ihelon, and Core. [15] These were dukes of the sons of Esau: the sons of Eliphaz the firstborn of Esau: duke Theman, duke Omar, duke Sepho, duke Cenez,

[16] Duke Core, duke Gatham, duke Amalech: these are the sons of Eliphaz, in the land of Edom, and these the sons of Ada. [17] And these were the sons of Rahuel, the son of Esau: duke Nahath, duke Zara, duke Samma, duke Meza. And these are the dukes of Rahuel, in the land of Edom: these the sons of Basemath the wife of Esau. [18] And these the sons of Oolibama the wife of Esau: duke Jehus, duke Ihelon, duke Core. These are the dukes of Oolibama, the daughter of Ana, and wife of Esau. [19] These are the sons of Esau, and these the dukes of them: the same is Edom. [20] These are the sons of Seir the Horrite, the inhabitants of the land: Lotan, and Sobal, and Sebeon, and Ana,

[21] And Dison, and Eser, and Disan. These are dukes of the Horrites, the sons of Seir in the land of Edom. [22] And Lotan had sons: Hori and Heman. And the sister of Lotan was Thamna. [23] And these the sons of Sobal: Alvan and Manahat, and Ebal, and Sepho, and Oman. [24] And these the sons of Sebeon: Aia and Ana. This is Ana that found the hot waters in the wilderness, when he fed the asses of Sebeon his father: [25] And he had a son Dison, and a daughter Oolibama.

[26] And these were the sons of Dison: Hamdan, and Eseban, and Jethram, and Charan. [27] These also were the sons of Eser: Balaan, and Zavan, and Acan. [28] And Disan had sons: Hus, and Aram. [29] These were dukes of the Horrites: duke Lotan, duke Sobal, duke Sebeon, duke Ana, [30] Duke Dison, duke Eser, duke Disan: these were dukes of the Horrites that ruled in the land of Seir.

[31] And the kings that ruled in the land of Edom, before the children of Israel had a king were these: [32] Bela the son of Beor, and the name of his city Denaba. [33] And Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zara of Bosra reigned in his stead. [34] And when Jobab was dead, Husam of the land of the Themanites reigned in his stead. [35] And after his death, Adad the son of Badad reigned in his stead, who defeated the Madianites in the country of Moab: and the name of his city was Avith.

[36] And when Adad was dead, there reigned in his stead, Semla of Masreca. [37] And he being dead, Saul of the river Rohoboth, reigned in his stead. [38] And when he also was dead, Balanan the son of Achobor succeeded to the kingdom. [39] This man also being dead, Adar reigned in his place, and the name of his city was Phau: and his wife was called Meetabel, the daughter of Matred, daughter of Mezaab. [40] And these are the names of the dukes of Esau in their kindreds, and places, and callings: duke Thamna, duke Alva, duke Jetheth,

[41] Duke Oolibama, duke Ela, duke Phinon, [42] Duke Cenez, duke Theman, duke Mabsar, [43] Duke Magdiel, duke Hiram: these are the dukes of Edom dwelling in the land of their government; the same is Esau the father of the Edomites.

Douay Genesis 35

Book Of Genesis
Chapter 35
Jacob purgeth his family from idols: goeth by God's commandment to Bethel, and there buildeth an altar. God appearing again to Jacob blesseth him, and changeth his name into Israel. Rachel dieth in childbirth. Isaac also dieth.

[1] In the meantime God said to Jacob: Arise, and go up to Bethel, and dwell there, and make there an altar to God, who appeared to thee when thou didst flee from Esau thy brother. [2] And Jacob having called together all his household, said: Cast away the strange gods that are among you, and be cleansed and change your garments. [3] Arise, and let us go up to Bethel, that we may make there an altar to God: who heard me in the day of my affliction, and accompanied me in my journey. [4] So they gave him all the strange gods they had, and the earrings which were in their ears: and he buried them under the turpentine tree, that is behind the city of Sichem. [5] And when they were departed, the terror of God fell upon all the cities round about, and they durst not pursue after them as they went away.

[6] And Jacob came to Luza, which is in the land of Chanaan, surnamed Bethel: he and all the people that were with him. [7] And he built there an altar, and called the name of that place, The house of God: for there God appeared to him when he fled from his brother. [8] At the same time Debora the nurse of Rebecca died, and was buried at the foot of Bethel under an oak: and the name of that place was called, The oak of weeping. [9] And God appeared again to Jacob, after he returned from Mesopotamia of Syria, and he blessed him, [10] Saying: Thou shalt not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name. And he called him Israel.

[11] And said to him: I am God Almighty, increase thou and be multiplied. Nations and peoples of nations shall be from thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins. [12] And the land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give to thee, and to thy seed after thee. [13] And he departed from him. [14] But he set up a monument of stone, in the place where God had spoken to him: pouring drink offerings upon it, and pouring oil thereon: [15] And calling the name of that place Bethel.

[16] And going forth from thence, he came in the springtime to the land which leadeth to Ephrata: wherein when Rachel was in travail, [17] By reason of her hard labour she began to be in danger, and the midwife said to her: Fear not, for thou shalt have this son also. [18] And when her soul was departing for pain, and death was now at hand, she called the name of her son Benoni, that is, The son of my pain: but his father called him Benjamin, that is, The son of the right hand. [19] So Rachel died, and was buried in the highway that leadeth to Ephrata, this is Bethlehem. [20] And Jacob erected a pillar over her sepulchre: this is the pillar of Rachel' s monument, to this day.

[21] Departing thence, he pitched his tent beyond the Flock tower. [22] And when he dwelt in that country, Ruben went, and slept with Bala, the concubine of his father: which he was not ignorant of. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve. [23] The sons of Lia: Ruben the first born, and Simeon, and Levi, and Juda, and Issachar, and Zabulon. [24] The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. [25] The sons of Bala, Rachel' s handmaid: Dan and Nephtali.

[26] The sons of Zelpha, Lia' s handmaid: Gad and Aser: these are the sons of Jacob, that were born to him in Mesopotamia of Syria. [27] And he came to Isaac his father in Mambre, the city of Arbee, this is Hebron: wherein Abraham and Isaac sojourned. [28] And the days of Isaac were a hundred and eighty years. [29] And being spent with age he died, and was gathered to his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

Douay Genesis 34

Book Of Genesis Chapter 34
Dina is ravished, for which the Sichemites are destroyed.

[1] And Dina the daughter of Lia went out to see the women of that country. [2] And when Sichem the son of Hemor the Hevite, the prince of that land, saw her, he was in love with her: and took her away, and lay with her, ravishing the virgin. [3] And his soul was fast knit unto her, and whereas she was sad, he comforted her with sweet words. [4] And going to Hemor his father, he said: Get me this damsel to wife. [5] But when Jacob had heard this, his sons being absent, and employed in feeding the cattle, he held his peace till they came back.

[6] And when Hemor the father of Sichem was come out to speak to Jacob, [7] Behold his sons came from the field: and hearing what had passed, they were exceeding angry, because he had done a foul thing in Israel, and committed an unlawful act, in ravishing Jacob' s daughter, [8] And Hemor spoke to them: The soul of my son Sichem has a longing for your daughter: give her him to wife: [9] And let us contract marriages one with another: give us your daughters and take you our daughters, [10] And dwell with us: the land is at your command, till, trade, and possess it.

[11] Sichem also said to her father and to her brethren: Let me find favour in your sight: and whatsoever you shall appoint I will give. [12] Raise the dowry, and ask gifts, and I will gladly give what you shall demand: only give me this damsel to wife. [13] The sons of Jacob answered Sichem and his father deceitfully, being enraged at the deflowering of their sister: [14] We cannot do what you demand, nor give our sister to one that is uncircumcised, which with us is unlawful and abominable. [15] But in this we may be allied with you, if you will be like us, and all the male sex among you be circumcised:

[16] Then will we mutually give and take your daughters, and ours: and we will dwell with you, and will be one people: [17] But if you will not be circumcised, we will take our daughter and depart: [18] Their offer pleased Hemor, and Sichem his son: [19] And the young man made no delay, but forthwith fulfilled what was required, for he loved the damsel exceedingly, and he was the greatest man in all his father' s house. [20] And going into the gate of the city they spoke to the people:

[21] These men are peaceable and willing to dwell with us: let them trade in the land, and till it, which being large and wide wanteth men to till it: we shall take their daughters for wives, and we will give them ours. [22] One thing there is for which so great a good is deferred: We must circumcise every male among us, following the manner of the nation. [23] And their substance, and cattle, and all that they possess, shall be ours: only in this let us condescend, and by dwelling together, we shall make one people. [24] And they all agreed, and circumcised all the males. [25] And behold the third day, when the pain of the wound was greatest, two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, the brothers of Dina, taking their swords, entered boldly into the city, and slew all the men:

[26] And they killed also Hemor and Sichem, and took away their sister Dina, out of Sichem' s house. [27] And when they were gone out, the other sons of Jacob came upon the slain; and plundered the city in revenge of the rape. [28] And they took their sheep and their herds and their asses, wasting all they had in their houses and in the fields. [29] And their children and wives they took captive, [30] And when they had boldly perpetrated these things, Jacob said to Simeon and Levi: You have troubled me, and made me hateful to the Chanaanites and Pherezites, the inhabitants of this land: we are few: they will gather themselves together and kill me; and both I, and my house, shall be destroyed.

[31] They answered: Should they abuse our sister as a strumpet?

Genesis 33

Book Of Genesis Chapter 33
Jacob and Esau meet: Jacob goeth to Salem, where he raiseth an altar.

[1] And Jacob lifting up his eyes, saw Esau coming, and with him four hundred men: and he divided the children of Lia, and of Rachel, and of the two handmaids: [2] And he put both the handmaids and their children foremost: and Lia and her children in the second place: and Rachel and Joseph last. [3] And he went forward and bowed down with his face to the ground seven times until his brother came near. [4] Then Esau ran to meet his brother, and embraced him: and clasping him fast about the neck, and kissing him, wept. [5] And lifting up his eyes, he saw the women and their children, and said: What mean these? And do they belong to thee? He answered: They are the children which God hath given to me thy servant.

[6] Then the handmaids and their children came near, and bowed themselves. [7] Lia also with her children came near, and bowed down in like manner, and last of all Joseph and Rachel bowed down. [8] And Esau said: What are the droves that I met? He answered: That I might find favour before my lord. [9] But he said: I have plenty, my brother, keep what is thine for thyself. [10] And Jacob said: Do not so I beseech thee, but if I have found favour in thy eyes, receive a little present at my hands: for I have seen thy face, as if I should have seen the countenance of God: be gracious to me,

[11] And take the blessing, which I have brought thee, and which God hath given me, who giveth all things. He took it with much ado at his brother' s earnest pressing him, [12] And said: Let us go on together, and I will accompany thee in thy journey. [13] And Jacob said: My lord, thou knowest that I have with me tender children, and sheep, and kine with young: which if I should cause to be overdriven, in one day all the flocks will die. [14] May it please my lord to go before his servant: and I will follow softly after him, as I shall see my children to be able, until I come to my lord in Seir. [15] Esau answered: I beseech thee, that some of the people at least, who are with me, may stay to accompany thee in the way. And he said: There is no necessity: I want nothing else but only to find favour, my lord, in thy sight.

[16] So Esau returned, that day, the way that he came, to Seir. [17] And Jacob came to Socoth: where having built a house, and pitched tents, he called the name of the place Socoth, that is, Tents. [18] And he passed over to Salem, a city of the Sichemites, which is in the land of Chanaan, after he returned from Mesopotamia of Syria: and he dwelt by the town: [19] And he bought that part of the field, in which he pitched his tents, of the children of Hemor, the father of Sichem for a hundred lambs. [20] And raising an altar there, he invoked upon it the most mighty God of Israel.

Genesis 32

Book Of Genesis Chapter 32
Jacob's vision of angels; his message and presents to Esau; his wrestling with an angel.

[1] Jacob also went on the journey he had begun: and the angels of God met him. [2] And when he saw them, he said: These are the camps of God, and he called the name of that place Mahanaim, that is, Camps. [3] And he sent messengers before him to Esau his brother to the land of Seir to the country of Edom: [4] And he commanded them, saying: Thus shall ye speak to my lord Esau: Thus saith thy brother Jacob: I have sojourned with Laban, and have been with him until this day. [5] I have oxen, and asses, and sheep, and menservants, and womenservants: and now I send a message to my lord, that I may find favour in thy sight.

[6] And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying: We came to Esau thy brother, and behold he cometh with speed to meet thee with four hundred men. [7] Then Jacob was greatly afraid; and in his fear divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and the sheep, and the oxen, and the camels, into two companies, [8] Saying: If Esau come to one company and destroy it, the other company that is left shall escape. [9] And Jacob said: O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, O Lord, who saidst to me: Return to thy land and to the place of thy birth, and I will do well for thee, [10] I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies, and of thy truth which thou hast fulfilled to thy servant. With my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I return with two companies.

[11] Deliver me from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am greatly afraid of him: lest perhaps he come, and kill the mother with the children. [12] Thou didst say that thou wouldst do well by me, and multiply my seed like the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude. [13] And when he had slept there that night, he set apart, of the things which he had, presents for his brother Esau. [14] Two hundred she goats, twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams, [15] Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and twenty bulls, twenty she asses, and ten of their foals.

[16] And he sent them by the hands of his servants, every drove by itself, and he said to his servants: Go before me, and let there be a space between drove and drove. [17] And he commanded the first, saying: If thou meet my brother Esau, and he ask thee: Whose art thou? or whither goest thou? or whose are these before thee? [18] Thou shalt answer: Thy servant Jacob' s: he hath sent them as a present to my lord Esau: and he cometh after us. [19] In like manner he commanded the second and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying: Speak ye the same words to Esau, when ye find him. [20] And ye shall add: Thy servant Jacob himself also followeth after us: for he said: I will appease him with the presents that go before, and afterwards I will see him, perhaps he will be gracious to me.

[21] So the presents went before him, but himself lodged that night in the camp. [22] And rising early he took his two wives, and his two handmaids, with his eleven sons, and passed over the ford of Jaboc. [23] And when all things were brought over that belonged to him, [24] He remained alone: and behold a man wrestled with him till morning. [25] And when he saw that he could not overcome him, he touched the sinew of his thigh, and forthwith it shrank.

[26] And he said to him: Let me go, for it is break of day. He answered: I will not let thee go except thou bless me. [27] And he said: What is thy name? He answered: Jacob. [28] But he said: Thy name shall not be called Jacob, but Israel: for if thou hast been strong against God, how much more shalt thou prevail against men? [29] Jacob asked him, Tell me by what name art thou called? He answered: Why dost thou ask my name? And he blessed him in the same place. [30] And Jacob called the name of the place Phanuel, saying: I have seen God face to face, and my soul has been saved.

[31] And immediately the sun rose upon him, after he was past Phanuel; but he halted on his foot. [32] Therefore the children of Israel, unto this day, eat not the sinew, that shrank in Jacob' s thigh: because he touched the sinew of his thigh and it shrank.

Genesis 31

Book Of Genesis  Chapter 31
Jacob's departure: he is pursued and overtaken by Laban. They make a covenant.

[1] But after that he heard the words of the sons of Laban, saying: Jacob hath taken away all that was our father' s, and being enriched by his substance is become great: [2] And perceiving also that Laban' s countenance was not towards him as yesterday and the other day, [3] Especially the Lord saying to him: Return into the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred, and I will be with thee. [4] He sent, and called Rachel and Lia into the field, where he fed the flocks, [5] And said to them: I see your father' s countenance is not towards me as yesterday and the other day: but the God of my father hath been with me.

[6] And you know that I have served your father to the uttermost of my power. [7] Yea, your father also hath overreached me, and hath changed my wages ten times: and yet God hath not suffered him to hurt me. [8] If at any time he said: The speckled shall be thy wages: all the sheep brought forth speckled: but when he said on the contrary: Thou shalt take all the white ones for thy wages: all the flocks brought forth white ones. [9] And God hath taken your father' s substance, and given it to me. [10] For after that time came of the ewes conceiving, I lifted up my eyes, and saw in my sleep that the males which leaped upon the females were of divers colours, and spotted, and speckled.

[11] And the angel of God said to me in my sleep: Jacob? And I answered: Here I am. [12] And he said: Lift up thy eyes, and see that all the males leaping upon the females, are of divers colours, spotted, and speckled. For I have seen all that Laban hath done to thee. [13] I am the God of Bethel, where thou didst anoint the stone, and make a vow to me. Now therefore arise, and go out of this land, and return into thy native country. [14] And Rachel and Lia answered: Have we any thing left among the goods and inheritance of our father' s house? [15] Hath he not counted us as strangers and sold us, and eaten up the price of us?

[16] But God hath taken our father' s riches, and delivered them to us, and to our children: wherefore do all that God hath commanded thee. [17] Then Jacob rose up, and having set his children and wives upon camels, went his way. [18] And he took all his substance, and flocks, and whatsoever he had gotten in Mesopotamia, and went forward to Isaac his father to the land of Chanaan. [19] At that time Laban was gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole away her father' s idols. [20] And Jacob would not confess to his father in law that he was flying away.

[21] And when he was gone, together with all that belonged to him, and having passed the river, was going on towards mount Galaad, [22] It was told Laban on the third day that Jacob fled. [23] And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days; and overtook him in the mount of Galaad. [24] And he saw in a dream God saying to him: Take heed thou speak not any thing harshly against Jacob. [25] Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountain: and when he with his brethren had overtaken him, he pitched his tent in the same mount of Galaad.

[26] And he said to Jacob: Why hast thou done thus, to carry away, without my knowledge, my daughters, as captives taken with the sword. [27] Why wouldst thou run away privately and not acquaint me, that I might have brought thee on the way with joy, and with songs, and with timbrels, and with harps? [28] Thou hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and daughters: thou hast done foolishly: and now, indeed, [29] It is in my power to return thee evil: but the God of your father said to me yesterday: Take heed thou speak not any thing harshly against Jacob. [30] Suppose thou didst desire to go to thy friends, and hadst a longing after thy father' s house: why hast thou stolen away my gods?

[31] Jacob answered: That I departed unknown to thee, it was for fear lest thou wouldst take away thy daughters by force. [32] But whereas thou chargest me with theft: with whomsoever thou shalt find thy gods, let him be slain before our brethren. Search, and if thou find any of thy things with me, take them away. Now when he said this, he knew not that Rachel had stolen the idols. [33] So Laban went into the tent of Jacob, and of Lia, and of both the handmaids, and found them not. And when he was entered into Rachel' s tent, [34] She in haste hid the idols under the camel' s furniture, and sat upon them: and when he had searched all the tent, and found nothing, [35] She said: Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise up before thee, because it has now happened to me, according to the custom of women, So his careful search was in vain.

[36] And Jacob being angry, said in a chiding manner: For what fault of mine, and for what offence on my part hast thou so hotly pursued me, [37] And searched all my household stuff? What hast thou found of all the substance of thy house? lay it here before my brethren, and thy brethren, and let them judge between me and thee. [38] Have I therefore been with thee twenty years? thy ewes and goats were not barren, the rams of thy flocks I did not eat: [39] Neither did I shew thee that which the beast had torn, I made good all the damage: whatsoever was lost by theft, thou didst exact it of me: [40] Day and night was I parched with heat, and with frost, and sleep departed from my eyes.

[41] And in this manner have I served thee in thy house twenty years, fourteen for thy daughters, and six for thy flocks: thou hast changed also my wages ten times. [42] Unless the God of my father Abraham, and the fear of Isaac had stood by me, peradventure now thou hadst sent me away naked: God beheld my affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesterday. [43] Laban answered him: The daughters are mine and the children, and thy flocks, and all things that thou seest are mine: what can I do to my children, and grandchildren? [44] Come therefore, let us enter into a league: that it may be for a testimony between me and thee. [45] And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a title:

[46] And he said to his brethren: Bring hither stones. And they gathering stones together, made a heap, and they ate upon it. [47] And Laban called it The witness heap: and Jacob, The hillock of testimony: each of them according to the propriety of his language. [48] And Laban said: This heap shall be a witness between me and thee this day, and therefore the name thereof was called Galaad, that is, The witness heap. [49] The Lord behold and judge between us when we shall be gone one from the other. [50] If thou afflict my daughters, and if thou bring in other wives over them: none is witness of our speech but God, who is present and beholdeth.

[51] And he said again to Jacob: Behold, this heap, and the stone which I have set up between me and thee, [52] Shall be a witness: this heap, I say, and the stone, be they for a testimony, if either I shall pass beyond it going towards thee, or thou shalt pass beyond it, thinking harm to me. [53] The God of Abraham, and the God of Nachor, the God of their father, judge between us. And Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac. [54] And after he had offered sacrifices in the mountain, he called his brethren to eat bread. And when they had eaten, they lodged there: [55] But Laban arose in the night, and kissed his sons, and daughters, and blessed them: and returned to his place.

Douay Genesis 30

Book Of Genesis Chapter 30

Rachel, being barren, delivereth her handmaid to Jacob; she beareth two sons. Lia ceasing to bear, giveth also her handmaid, and she beareth two more. Then Lia beareth other two sons and one daughter. Rachel beareth Joseph. Jacob, desirous to return home, is hired to stay for a certain part of the flock's increase, whereby he becometh exceeding rich.

[1] And Rachel, seeing herself without children, envied her sister, and said to her husband: Give me children, otherwise I shall die. [2] And Jacob being angry with her, answered: Am I as God, who hath deprived thee of the fruit of thy womb? [3] But she said: I have here my servant Bala: go in unto her, that she may bear upon my knees, and I may have children by her. [4] And she gave him Bala in marriage: who, [5] When her husband had gone in unto her, conceived and bore a son.

[6] And Rachel said: The Lord hath judged for me, and hath heard my voice, giving me a son, and therefore she called his name Dan. [7] And again Bala conceived and bore another, [8] For whom Rachel said: God hath compared me with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called him Nephtali. [9] Lia, perceiving that she had left off bearing, gave Zelpha her handmaid to her husband. [10] And when she had conceived and brought forth a son,

[11] She said: Happily. And therefore called his name Gad. [12] Zelpha also bore another. [13] And Lia said: This is for my happiness: for women will call me blessed. Therefore she called him Aser. [14] And Ruben, going out in the time of the wheat harvest into the field, found mandrakes: which he brought to his mother Lia. And Rachel said: Give me part of thy son' s mandrakes. [15] She answered: Dost thou think it a small matter, that thou hast taken my husband from me, unless thou take also my son' s mandrakes? Rachel said: He shall sleep with thee this night, for thy son' s mandrakes.

[16] And when Jacob returned at even from the field, Lia went out to meet him, and said: Thou shalt come in unto me, because I have hired thee for my son' s mandrakes. And he slept with her that night. [17] And God heard her prayers: and she conceived and bore the fifth son, [18] And said: God hath given me a reward, because I gave my handmaid to my husband. And she called his name Issachar. [19] And Lia conceived again, and bore the sixth son, [20] And said: God hath endowed me with a good dowry: this turn also my husband will be with me, because I have borne him six sons: and therefore she called his name Zabulon.

[21] After whom she bore a daughter, named Dina. [22] The Lord also remembering Rachel, heard her, and opened her womb. [23] And she conceived, and bore a son, saying: God hath taken away my reproach. [24] And she called his name Joseph, saying: The Lord give me also another son. [25] And when Joseph was born, Jacob said to his father in law: Send me away that I may return into my country, and to my land.

[26] Give me my wives, and my children, for whom I have served thee, that I may depart: thou knowest the service that I have rendered thee. [27] Laban said to him: Let me find favour in thy sight: I have learned by experience, that God hath blessed me for thy sake. [28] Appoint thy wages which I shall give thee. [29] But he answered: Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how great thy possession hath been in my hands. [30] Thou hadst but little before I came to thee, and now thou art become rich: and the Lord hath blessed thee at my coming. It is reasonable therefore that I should now provide also for my own house.

[31] And Laban said: What shall I give thee? But he said: I require nothing: but if thou wilt do what I demand, I will feed, and keep thy sheep again. [32] Go round through all thy flocks, and separate all the sheep of divers colours, and speckled: and all that is brown and spotted, and of divers colours, as well among the sheep, as among the goats, shall be my wages. [33] And my justice shall answer for me tomorrow before thee when the time of the bargain shall come: and all that is not of divers colours, and spotted, and brown, as well among the sheep as among the goats, shall accuse me of theft. [34] And Laban said: I like well what thou demandest. [35] And he separated the same day the she goats, and the sheep, and the he goats, and the rams of divers colours, and spotted: and all the flock of one colour, that is, of white and black fleece, he delivered into the hands of his sons.

[36] And he set the space of three days' journey betwixt himself and his son in law, who fed the rest of his flock. [37] And Jacob took green rods of poplar, and of almond, and of plane trees, and pilled them in part: so when the bark was taken off, in the parts that were pilled, there appeared whiteness: but the parts that were whole remained green: and by this means the colour was divers. [38] And he put them in the troughs, where the water was poured out: that when the flocks should come to drink, they might have the rods before their eyes, and in the sight of them might conceive. [39] And it came to pass that in the very heat of coition, the sheep beheld the rods, and brought forth spotted, and of divers colours, and speckled. [40] And Jacob separated the flock, and put the rods in the troughs before the eyes of the rams: and all the white and the black were Laban' s: and the rest were Jacob' s, when the flocks were separated one from the other.

[41] So when the ewes went first to ram, Jacob put the rods in the troughs of water before the eyes of the rams, and of the ewes, that they might conceive while they were looking upon them: [42] But when the latter coming was, and the last conceiving, he did not put them. And those that were lateward, became Laban' s: and they of the first time, Jacob' s. [43] And the man was enriched exceedingly, and he had many flocks, maid servants and men servants, camels and asses.

Douay Genesis 29

Book Of Genesis  Chapter 29

Jacob serveth Laban seven years for Rachel: but is deceived with Lia: he afterwards marrieth Rachel. Lia bears him four sons.

[1] Then Jacob went on in his journey, and came into the east country. [2] And he saw a well in the field, and three flocks of sheep lying by it: for the beasts were watered out of it, and the mouth thereof was closed with a great stone. [3] And the custom was, when all the sheep were gathered together to roll away the stone, and after the sheep were watered, to put it on the mouth of the well again. [4] And he said to the shepherds: Brethren, whence are you? They answered: Of Haran. [5] And he asked them, saying: Know you Laban the son of Nachor? They said: We know him.

[6] He said: Is he in health? He is in health, say they: and behold Rachel his daughter cometh with his flock. [7] And Jacob said: There is yet much day remaining, neither is it time to bring the flocks into the folds again: first give the sheep drink, and so lead them back to feed. [8] They answered: We cannot, till all the cattle be gathered together, and we remove the stone from the well' s mouth, that we may water the flocks. [9] They were yet speaking, and behold Rachel came with her father' s sheep: for she fed the flock. [10] And when Jacob saw her, and knew her to be his cousin-german, and that they were the sheep of Laban, his uncle: he removed the stone wherewith the well was closed.

[11] And having watered the flock, he kissed her: and lifting up his voice, wept. [12] And he told her that he was her father' s brother, and the son of Rebecca: but she went in haste and told her father. [13] Who, when he heard that Jacob his sister' s son was come, ran forth to meet him; and embracing him, and heartily kissing him, brought him into his house. And when he had heard the causes of his journey, [14] He answered: Thou art my bone and my flesh. And after the days of one month were expired, [15] He said to him: Because thou art my brother, shalt thou serve me without wages? Tell me what wages thou wilt have.

[16] Now he had two daughters, the name of the elder was Lia: and the younger was called Rachel. [17] But Lia was blear eyed: Rachel was well favoured, and of a beautiful countenance. [18] And Jacob being in love with her, said: I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter. [19] Laban answered: It is better that I give her to thee than to another man; stay with me. [20] So Jacob served seven years for Rachel: and they seemed but a few days, because of the greatness of his love.

[21] And he said to Laban: Give me my wife; for now the time is fulfilled, that I may go in unto her. [22] And he, having invited a great number of his friends to the feast, made the marriage. [23] And at night he brought in Lia his daughter to him, [24] Giving his daughter a handmaid, named Zelpha. Now when Jacob had gone in to her according to custom when morning was come he saw it was Lia: [25] And he said to his father in law: What is it that thou didst mean to do? did not I serve thee for Rachel? why hast thou deceived me?

[26] Laban answered: It is not the custom in this place, to give the younger in marriage first. [27] Make up the week of days of this match: and I will give thee her also, for the service that thou shalt render me other seven years. [28] He yielded to his pleasure: and after the week was past, he married Rachel: [29] To whom her father gave Bala for her servant. [30] And having at length obtained the marriage he wished for, he preferred the love of the latter before the former, and served with him other seven years.

[31] And the Lord seeing that he despised Lia, opened her womb, but her sister remained barren. [32] And she conceived and bore a son, and called his name Ruben, saying: The Lord saw my affliction: now my husband will love me. [33] And again she conceived and bore a son, and said: Because the Lord heard that I was despised, he hath given this also to me: and she called his name Simeon. [34] And she conceived the third time, and bore another son: and said: Now also my husband will be joined to me, because I have borne him three sons: and therefore she called his name Levi. [35] The fourth time she conceived and bore a son, and said: now will I praise the Lord: and for this she called him Juda. And she left bearing.

Douay Genesis 28

Book Of Genesis

Jacob's journey to Mesopotamia: his vision and vow.

[1] And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, saying: Take not a wife of the stock of Chanaan: [2] But go, and take a journey to Mesopotamia of Syria, to the house of Bathuel thy mother' s father, and take thee a wife thence of the daughters of Laban thy uncle. [3] And God almighty bless thee, and make thee to increase, and multiply thee: that thou mayst be a multitude of people. [4] And give the blessings of Abraham to thee, and to thy seed after thee: that thou mayst possess the land of thy sojournment, which he promised to thy grandfather. [5] And when Isaac had sent him away, he took his journey and went to Mesopotamia of Syria to Laban the son of Bathuel the Syrian, brother to Rebecca his mother.

[6] And Esau seeing that his father had blessed Jacob, and had sent him into Mesopotamia of Syria, to marry a wife thence; and that after the blessing he had charged him, saying: Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Chanaan: [7] And that Jacob obeying his parents was gone into Syria: [8] Experiencing also that his father was not well pleased with the daughters of Chanaan: [9] He went to Ismael, and took to wife, besides them he had before, Maheleth the daughter of Ismael, Abraham' s son, the sister of Nabajoth. [10] But Jacob being departed from Bersabee, went on to Haran.

[11] And when he was come to a certain place, and would rest in it after sunset, he took of the stones that lay there, and putting under his head, slept in the same place. [12] And he saw in his sleep a ladder standing upon the earth, and the top thereof touching heaven: the angels also of God ascending and descending by it; [13] And the Lord leaning upon the ladder, saying to him: I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac; the land, wherein thou sleepest, I will give to thee and to thy seed. [14] And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth: thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and IN THEE and thy seed all the tribes of the earth SHALL BE BLESSED. [15] And I will be thy keeper whithersoever thou goest, and will bring thee back into this land: neither will I leave thee, till I shall have accomplished all that I have said.

[16] And when Jacob awaked out of sleep, he said: Indeed the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not. [17] And trembling he said: How terrible is this place! this is no other but the house of God, and the gate of heaven. [18] And Jacob, arising in the morning, took the stone, which he had laid under his head, and set it up for a title, pouring oil upon the top of it. [19] And he called the name of the city Bethel, which before was called Luza. [20] And he made a vow, saying: If God shall be with me, and shall keep me in the way by which I walk, and shall give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,

[21] And I shall return prosperously to my father' s house: the Lord shall be my God: [22] And this stone, which I have set up for a title, shall be called the house of God: and of all things that thou shalt give to me, I will offer tithes to thee.