he said,

‘Cursed be Canaan!
The lowest of slaves
will he be to his brothers.’

he said,

“Cursed be Canaan;
a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.”

He also said,

‘Praise be to the Lord, the God of Shem!
May Canaan be the slave of Shem.

He also said,

“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem;
and let Canaan be his servant.

May God extend Japheth’s territory;
may Japheth live in the tents of Shem,
and may Canaan be the slave of Japheth.’

May God enlarge Japheth
and let him dwell in the tents of Shem,
and let Canaan be his servant.”

He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.

And for her sake he dealt well with Abram; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.

During the night Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus.

And he divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them and pursued them to Hobah, north of Damascus.

I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me – to Aner, Eshkol and Mamre. Let them have their share.’

I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me. Let Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre take their share.”

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar;

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar.

so she said to Abram, ‘The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.’

Abram agreed to what Sarai said.

And Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.

So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife.

So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife.

Then Sarai said to Abram, ‘You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge between you and me.’

And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the Lord judge between you and me!”

‘Your slave is in your hands,’ Abram said. ‘Do with her whatever you think best.’ Then Sarai ill-treated Hagar; so she fled from her.

But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your servant is in your power; do to her as you please.” Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her.

And he said, ‘Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?’

‘I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,’ she answered.

And he said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai.”

He said, ‘If I have found favour in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by.

and said, “O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant.

Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way – now that you have come to your servant.’

‘Very well,’ they answered, ‘do as you say.’

while I bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on— since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.”

Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it.

And Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to a young man, who prepared it quickly.

‘My lords,’ he said, ‘please turn aside to your servant’s house. You can wash your feet and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning.’

‘No,’ they answered, ‘we will spend the night in the square.’

and said, “My lords, please turn aside to your servant’s house and spend the night and wash your feet. Then you may rise up early and go on your way.” They said, “No; we will spend the night in the town square.”

Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom – both young and old – surrounded the house.

But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house.

Your servant has found favour in your eyes, and you have shown great kindness to me in sparing my life. But I can’t flee to the mountains; this disaster will overtake me, and I’ll die.

Behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life. But I cannot escape to the hills, lest the disaster overtake me and I die.

Early the next morning Abimelek summoned all his officials, and when he told them all that had happened, they were very much afraid.

So Abimelech rose early in the morning and called all his servants and told them all these things. And the men were very much afraid.

Then Abimelek brought sheep and cattle and male and female slaves and gave them to Abraham, and he returned Sarah his wife to him.

Then Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and male servants and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and returned Sarah his wife to him.

Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelek, his wife and his female slaves so they could have children again,

Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, and also healed his wife and female slaves so that they bore children.

and she said to Abraham, ‘Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.’

So she said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac.”

But God said to him, ‘Do not be so distressed about the boy and your slave woman. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.

But God said to Abraham, “Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named.

I will make the son of the slave into a nation also, because he is your offspring.’

And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring.”

God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, ‘What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there.

And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is.

Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.’

Up! Lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation.”

Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.

Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.

God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer.

And God was with the boy, and he grew up. He lived in the wilderness and became an expert with the bow.

Then Abraham complained to Abimelek about a well of water that Abimelek’s servants had seized.

When Abraham reproved Abimelech about a well of water that Abimelech’s servants had seized,

Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about.

So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.

He said to his servants, ‘Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.’

Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.”

‘Do not lay a hand on the boy,’ he said. ‘Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.’

He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”

Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba. And Abraham stayed in Beersheba.

So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba. And Abraham lived at Beersheba.

He said to the senior servant in his household, the one in charge of all that he had, ‘Put your hand under my thigh.

And Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he had, “Put your hand under my thigh,

The servant asked him, ‘What if the woman is unwilling to come back with me to this land? Shall I then take your son back to the country you came from?’

The servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman may not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I then take your son back to the land from which you came?”

So the servant put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore an oath to him concerning this matter.

So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter.

Then the servant left, taking with him ten of his master’s camels loaded with all kinds of good things from his master. He set out for Aram Naharaim and made his way to the town of Nahor.

Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed, taking all sorts of choice gifts from his master; and he arose and went to Mesopotamia to the city of Nahor.

May it be that when I say to a young woman, “Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,” and she says, “Drink, and I’ll water your camels too” – let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.’

Let the young woman to whom I shall say, ‘Please let down your jar that I may drink,’ and who shall say, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels’—let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I shall know that you have shown steadfast love to my master.”

The servant hurried to meet her and said, ‘Please give me a little water from your jar.’

Then the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please give me a little water to drink from your jar.”

So he said, ‘I am Abraham’s servant.

So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant.

The Lord has blessed my master abundantly, and he has become wealthy. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys.

The Lord has greatly blessed my master, and he has become great. He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male servants and female servants, camels and donkeys.

When Abraham’s servant heard what they said, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord.

When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the earth before the Lord.

Then the servant brought out gold and silver jewellery and articles of clothing and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave costly gifts to her brother and to her mother.

And the servant brought out jewelry of silver and of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave to her brother and to her mother costly ornaments.

So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, along with her nurse and Abraham’s servant and his men.

So they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant and his men.

Then Rebekah and her attendants got ready and mounted the camels and went back with the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left.

Then Rebekah and her young women arose and rode on the camels and followed the man. Thus the servant took Rebekah and went his way.

and asked the servant, ‘Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?’

‘He is my master,’ the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself.

and said to the servant, “Who is that man, walking in the field to meet us?” The servant said, “It is my master.” So she took her veil and covered herself.

Then the servant told Isaac all he had done.

And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.

This is the account of the family line of Abraham’s son Ishmael, whom Sarah’s slave, Hagar the Egyptian, bore to Abraham.

These are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s servant, bore to Abraham.

The boys grew up, and Esau became a skilful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents.

When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents.

So all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the time of his father Abraham, the Philistines stopped up, filling them with earth.

(Now the Philistines had stopped and filled with earth all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father.)

Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and discovered a well of fresh water there.

But when Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found there a well of spring water,

That night the Lord appeared to him and said, ‘I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham.’

And the Lord appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham’s sake.”

Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord. There he pitched his tent, and there his servants dug a well.

So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the Lord and pitched his tent there. And there Isaac’s servants dug a well.

That day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well they had dug. They said, ‘We’ve found water!’

That same day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well that they had dug and said to him, “We have found water.”

Isaac answered Esau, ‘I have made him lord over you and have made all his relatives his servants, and I have sustained him with grain and new wine. So what can I possibly do for you, my son?’

Isaac answered and said to Esau, “Behold I have made him lord over you, and all his brothers I have given to him for servants, and with grain and wine I have sustained him. What then can I do for you, my son?”

And Laban gave his servant Zilpah to his daughter as her attendant.

(Laban gave his female servant Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her servant.)

Laban gave his servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her attendant.

(Laban gave his female servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her servant.)

Then she said, ‘Here is Bilhah, my servant. Sleep with her so that she can bear children for me and I too can build a family through her.’

Then she said, “Here is my servant Bilhah; go in to her, so that she may give birth on my behalf, that even I may have children through her.”

So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife. Jacob slept with her,

So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob went in to her.

Rachel’s servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son.

Rachel’s servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son.