The  Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground – trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

And out of the ground the  Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

To the woman he said,

‘I will make your pains in childbearing very severe;
with painful labor you will give birth to children.
Your desire will be for your husband,
and he will rule over you.’

To the woman he said,

“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;
in pain you shall bring forth children.
Your desire shall be for your husband,
and he shall rule over you.”

If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.’

If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”

Now if you will show kindness and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so I may know which way to turn.’

Now then, if you are going to show steadfast love and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.”

Laban and Bethuel answered, ‘This is from the  Lord; we can say nothing to you one way or the other.

Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, “The thing has come from the  Lord; we cannot speak to you bad or good.

But her brother and her mother replied, ‘Let the young woman remain with us ten days or so; then you may go.’

Her brother and her mother said, “Let the young woman remain with us a while, at least ten days; after that she may go.”

Then Rebekah took the best clothes of her elder son Esau, which she had in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob.

Then Rebekah took the best garments of Esau her older son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son.

Laban answered Jacob, ‘The women are my daughters, the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks. All you see is mine. Yet what can I do today about these daughters of mine, or about the children they have borne?

Then Laban answered and said to Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters, the children are my children, the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine. But what can I do this day for these my daughters or for their children whom they have borne?

But Hamor said to them, ‘My son Shechem has his heart set on your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife.

But Hamor spoke with them, saying, “The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him to be his wife.

They are to be stoned or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid on them. No person or animal shall be permitted to live.” Only when the ram’s horn sounds a long blast may they approach the mountain.’

No hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot; whether beast or man, he shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.”

‘You shall not covet your neighbour’s house. You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.’

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”

‘If people quarrel and one person hits another with a stone or with their fist and the victim does not die but is confined to bed,

“When men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist and the man does not die but takes to his bed,

‘If a bull gores a man or woman to death, the bull is to be stoned to death, and its meat must not be eaten. But the owner of the bull will not be held responsible.

“When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten, but the owner of the ox shall not be liable.

If, however, the bull has had the habit of goring and the owner has been warned but has not kept it penned up and it kills a man or woman, the bull is to be stoned and its owner also is to be put to death.

But if the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has been warned but has not kept it in, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death.

This law also applies if the bull gores a son or a daughter.

If it gores a man’s son or daughter, he shall be dealt with according to this same rule.

‘If anyone uncovers a pit or digs one and fails to cover it and an ox or a donkey falls into it,

“When a man opens a pit, or when a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,

However, if it was known that the bull had the habit of goring, yet the owner did not keep it penned up, the owner must pay, animal for animal, and take the dead animal in exchange.

Or if it is known that the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has not kept it in, he shall repay ox for ox, and the dead beast shall be his.

‘If anyone grazes their livestock in a field or vineyard and lets them stray and they graze in someone else’s field, the offender must make restitution from the best of their own field or vineyard.

“If a man causes a field or vineyard to be grazed over, or lets his beast loose and it feeds in another man’s field, he shall make restitution from the best in his own field and in his own vineyard.

‘If anyone borrows an animal from their neighbour and it is injured or dies while the owner is not present, they must make restitution.

“If a man borrows anything of his neighbor, and it is injured or dies, the owner not being with it, he shall make full restitution.

All the posts around the courtyard are to have silver bands and hooks, and bronze bases.

All the pillars around the court shall be filleted with silver. Their hooks shall be of silver, and their bases of bronze.

Aaron and his sons must wear them whenever they enter the tent of meeting or approach the altar to minister in the Holy Place, so that they will not incur guilt and die.

‘This is to be a lasting ordinance for Aaron and his descendants.

and they shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they go into the tent of meeting or when they come near the altar to minister in the Holy Place, lest they bear guilt and die. This shall be a statute forever for him and for his offspring after him.

Whenever they enter the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water so that they will not die. Also, when they approach the altar to minister by presenting a food offering to the  Lord,

When they go into the tent of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn a food offering to the  Lord, they shall wash with water, so that they may not die.

I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your territory, and no one will covet your land when you go up three times each year to appear before the  Lord your God.

For I will cast out nations before you and enlarge your borders; no one shall covet your land, when you go up to appear before the  Lord your God three times in the year.

The bases for the posts were bronze. The hooks and bands on the posts were silver, and their tops were overlaid with silver; so all the posts of the courtyard had silver bands.

And the bases for the pillars were of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver. The overlaying of their capitals was also of silver, and all the pillars of the court were filleted with silver.

They used the 1,775 shekels to make the hooks for the posts, to overlay the tops of the posts, and to make their bands.

And of the 1,775 shekels he made hooks for the pillars and overlaid their capitals and made fillets for them.

‘“If anyone sins because they do not speak up when they hear a public charge to testify regarding something they have seen or learned about, they will be held responsible.

“If anyone sins in that he hears a public adjuration to testify, and though he is a witness, whether he has seen or come to know the matter, yet does not speak, he shall bear his iniquity;

‘If anyone sins and is unfaithful to the  Lord by deceiving a neighbour about something entrusted to them or left in their care or about something stolen, or if they cheat their neighbour,

“If anyone sins and commits a breach of faith against the  Lord by deceiving his neighbor in a matter of deposit or security, or through robbery, or if he has oppressed his neighbor

when they sin in any of these ways and realise their guilt, they must return what they have stolen or taken by extortion, or what was entrusted to them, or the lost property they found,

if he has sinned and has realized his guilt and will restore what he took by robbery or what he got by oppression or the deposit that was committed to him or the lost thing that he found

or whatever it was they swore falsely about. They must make restitution in full, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the owner on the day they present their guilt offering.

or anything about which he has sworn falsely, he shall restore it in full and shall add a fifth to it, and give it to him to whom it belongs on the day he realizes his guilt.

‘“If, however, their offering is the result of a vow or is a freewill offering, the sacrifice shall be eaten on the day they offer it, but anything left over may be eaten on the next day.

But if the sacrifice of his offering is a vow offering or a freewill offering, it shall be eaten on the day that he offers his sacrifice, and on the next day what remains of it shall be eaten.

If the raw flesh changes and turns white, they must go to the priest.

But if the raw flesh recovers and turns white again, then he shall come to the priest,

‘When someone has a burn on their skin and a reddish-white or white spot appears in the raw flesh of the burn,

“Or, when the body has a burn on its skin and the raw flesh of the burn becomes a spot reddish-white or white,

any woven or knitted material of linen or wool, any leather or anything made of leather –

in warp or woof of linen or wool, or in a skin or in anything made of skin,

if the affected area in the fabric, the leather, the woven or knitted material, or any leather article, is greenish or reddish, it is a defiling mould and must be shown to the priest.

if the disease is greenish or reddish in the garment, or in the skin or in the warp or the woof or in any article made of skin, it is a case of leprous disease, and it shall be shown to the priest.

On the seventh day he is to examine it, and if the mould has spread in the fabric, the woven or knitted material, or the leather, whatever its use, it is a persistent defiling mould; the article is unclean.

Then he shall examine the disease on the seventh day. If the disease has spread in the garment, in the warp or the woof, or in the skin, whatever be the use of the skin, the disease is a persistent leprous disease; it is unclean.

He must burn the fabric, the woven or knitted material of wool or linen, or any leather article that has been spoiled, because the defiling mould is persistent; the article must be burned.

And he shall burn the garment, or the warp or the woof, the wool or the linen, or any article made of skin that is diseased, for it is a persistent leprous disease. It shall be burned in the fire.

‘But if, when the priest examines it, the mould has not spread in the fabric, the woven or knitted material, or the leather article,

“And if the priest examines, and if the disease has not spread in the garment, in the warp or the woof or in any article made of skin,

After the article has been washed, the priest is to examine it again, and if the mould has not changed its appearance, even though it has not spread, it is unclean. Burn it, no matter which side of the fabric has been spoiled.

And the priest shall examine the diseased thing after it has been washed. And if the appearance of the diseased area has not changed, though the disease has not spread, it is unclean. You shall burn it in the fire, whether the rot is on the back or on the front.

Any fabric, woven or knitted material, or any leather article that has been washed and is rid of the mould, must be washed again. Then it will be clean.’

But the garment, or the warp or the woof, or any article made of skin from which the disease departs when you have washed it, shall then be washed a second time, and be clean.”

‘“When a woman has a discharge of blood for many days at a time other than her monthly period or has a discharge that continues beyond her period, she will be unclean as long as she has the discharge, just as in the days of her period.

“If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, not at the time of her menstrual impurity, or if she has a discharge beyond the time of her impurity, all the days of the discharge she shall continue in uncleanness. As in the days of her impurity, she shall be unclean.

any Israelite who sacrifices an ox, a lamb or a goat in the camp or outside it

If any one of the house of Israel kills an ox or a lamb or a goat in the camp, or kills it outside the camp,

‘“If a man marries his sister, the daughter of either his father or his mother, and they have sexual relations, it is a disgrace. They are to be publicly removed from their people. He has dishonoured his sister and will be held responsible.

“If a man takes his sister, a daughter of his father or a daughter of his mother, and sees her nakedness, and she sees his nakedness, it is a disgrace, and they shall be cut off in the sight of the children of their people. He has uncovered his sister’s nakedness, and he shall bear his iniquity.

which made me hostile towards them so that I sent them into the land of their enemies – then when their uncircumcised hearts are humbled and they pay for their sin,

so that I walked contrary to them and brought them into the land of their enemies—if then their uncircumcised heart is humbled and they make amends for their iniquity,

‘Say to the Israelites: “Any man or woman who wrongs another in any way and so is unfaithful to the  Lord is guilty

“Speak to the people of Israel When a man or woman commits any of the sins that people commit by breaking faith with the  Lord, and that person realizes his guilt,

or when feelings of jealousy come over a man because he suspects his wife. The priest is to make her stand before the  Lord and is to apply this entire law to her.

or when the spirit of jealousy comes over a man and he is jealous of his wife. Then he shall set the woman before the  Lord, and the priest shall carry out for her all this law.

‘Speak to the Israelites and say to them: “If a man or woman wants to make a special vow, a vow of dedication to the  Lord as a Nazirite,

“Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When either a man or a woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite to separate himself to the  Lord,

Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening till morning, and when it lifted in the morning, they set out. Whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud lifted, they set out.

And sometimes the cloud remained from evening until morning. And when the cloud lifted in the morning, they set out, or if it continued for a day and a night, when the cloud lifted they set out.

Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out.

Whether it was two days, or a month, or a longer time, that the cloud continued over the tabernacle, abiding there, the people of Israel remained in camp and did not set out, but when it lifted they set out.

The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, ‘If only we had meat to eat!

Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, “Oh that we had meat to eat!

Therefore the place was named Kibroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had craved other food.

Therefore the name of that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had the craving.

All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, ‘If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness!

And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness!

Each bull or ram, each lamb or young goat, is to be prepared in this manner.

“Thus it shall be done for each bull or ram, or for each lamb or young goat.

For the generations to come, whenever a foreigner or anyone else living among you presents a food offering as an aroma pleasing to the  Lord, they must do exactly as you do.

And if a stranger is sojourning with you, or anyone is living permanently among you, and he wishes to offer a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the  Lord, he shall do as you do.

when a man makes a vow to the  Lord or takes an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said.

If a man vows a vow to the  Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.

‘If she marries after she makes a vow or after her lips utter a rash promise by which she binds herself

“If she marries a husband, while under her vows or any thoughtless utterance of her lips by which she has bound herself,

Or if anyone is holding a wooden object and strikes someone a fatal blow with it, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death.

Or if he struck him down with a wooden tool that could cause death, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death.

or if out of enmity one person hits another with their fist so that the other dies, that person is to be put to death; that person is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when they meet.

or in enmity struck him down with his hand, so that he died, then he who struck the blow shall be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.

or, without seeing them, drops on them a stone heavy enough to kill them, and they die, then since that other person was not an enemy and no harm was intended,

or used a stone that could cause death, and without seeing him dropped it on him, so that he died, though he was not his enemy and did not seek his harm,

Ask now about the former days, long before your time, from the day God created human beings on the earth; ask from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything so great as this ever happened, or has anything like it ever been heard of?

“For ask now of the days that are past, which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and ask from one end of heaven to the other, whether such a great thing as this has ever happened or was ever heard of.