Reconciliation, Idols, and Shipwrecked Faith

1. Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau was coming, and with him four hundred men. He divided the children between Leah, Rachel, and the two servants. 2. He put the servants and their children in front, Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph at the rear. 3. He himself passed over in front of them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. 4. Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, fell on his neck, kissed him, and they wept. 5. He lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, “Who are these with you?” He said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” 6. Then the servants came near with their children, and they bowed themselves. 7. Leah also and her children came near, and bowed themselves. After them, Joseph came near with Rachel, and they bowed themselves. 8. Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company which I met?” Jacob said, “To find favor in the sight of my lord.” 9. Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; let that which you have be yours.” 10. Jacob said, “Please, no, if I have now found favor in your sight, then receive my present at my hand, because I have seen your face, as one sees the face of God, and you were pleased with me. 11. Please take the gift that I brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” He urged him, and he took it. 12. Esau said, “Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before you.” 13. Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are tender, and that the flocks and herds with me have their young, and if they overdrive them one day, all the flocks will die. 14. Please let my lord pass over before his servant, and I will lead on gently, according to the pace of the livestock that are before me and according to the pace of the children, until I come to my lord to Seir.” 15. Esau said, “Let me now leave with you some of the folk who are with me.” He said, “Why? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.” 16. So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. 17. Jacob traveled to Succoth, built himself a house, and made shelters for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth. 18. Jacob came in peace to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan Aram; and encamped before the city. 19. He bought the parcel of ground where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for one hundred pieces of money. 20. He erected an altar there, and called it El Elohe Israel. 1. Dinah, the daughter of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. 2. Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her. He took her, lay with her, and humbled her. 3. His soul joined to Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young lady, and spoke kindly to the young lady. 4. Shechem spoke to his father, Hamor, saying, “Get me this young lady as a wife.” 5. Now Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah, his daughter; and his sons were with his livestock in the field. Jacob held his peace until they came. 6. Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to talk with him. 7. The sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it. The men were grieved, and they were very angry, because he had done folly in Israel in lying with Jacob’s daughter; a thing ought not to be done. 8. Hamor talked with them, saying, “The soul of my son, Shechem, longs for your daughter. Please give her to him as a wife. 9. Make marriages with us. Give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves. 10. You shall dwell with us, and the land will be before you. Live and trade in it, and get possessions in it.” 11. Shechem said to her father and to her brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever you will tell me I will give. 12. Ask me a great amount for a dowry, and I will give whatever you ask of me, but give me the young lady as a wife.” 13. The sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father with deceit, and spoke, because he had defiled Dinah their sister, 14. and said to them, “We can’t do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised; for that is a reproach to us. 15. Only on this condition will we consent to you. If you will be as we are, that every male of you be circumcised; 16. then will we give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people. 17. But if you will not listen to us, to be circumcised, then we will take our sister, and we will be gone.” 18. Their words pleased Hamor and Shechem, Hamor’s son. 19. The young man didn’t wait to do this thing, because he had delight in Jacob’s daughter, and he was honored above all the house of his father. 20. Hamor and Shechem, his son, came to the gate of their city, and talked with the men of their city, saying, 21. “These men are peaceful with us. Therefore let them live in the land and trade in it. For behold, the land is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters to us for wives, and let us give them our daughters. 22. Only on this condition will the men consent to us to live with us, to become one people, if every male among us is circumcised, as they are circumcised. 23. Won’t their livestock and their possessions and all their animals be ours? Only let us give our consent to them, and they will dwell with us.” 24. All who went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor, and to Shechem his son; and every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city. 25. On the third day, when they were sore, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword, came upon the unsuspecting city, and killed all the males. 26. They killed Hamor and Shechem, his son, with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem’s house, and went away. 27. Jacob’s sons came on the dead, and plundered the city, because they had defiled their sister. 28. They took their flocks, their herds, their donkeys, that which was in the city, that which was in the field, 29. and all their wealth. They took captive all their little ones and their wives, and took as plunder everything that was in the house. 30. Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have troubled me, to make me odious to the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites. I am few in number. They will gather themselves together against me and strike me, and I will be destroyed, I and my house.” 31. They said, “Should he deal with our sister as with a prostitute?” 1. God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel, and live there. Make there an altar to God, who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother.” 2. Then Jacob said to his household, and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, change your garments. 3. Let us arise, and go up to Bethel. I will make there an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me on the way which I went.” 4. They gave to Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hands, and the rings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem. 5. They traveled, and a terror of God was on the cities that were around them, and they didn’t pursue the sons of Jacob. 6. So Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him. 7. He built an altar there, and called the place El Beth El; because there God was revealed to him, when he fled from the face of his brother. 8. Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died, and she was buried below Bethel under the oak; and its name was called Allon Bacuth. 9. God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Paddan Aram, and blessed him. 10. God said to him, “Your name is Jacob. Your name shall not be Jacob any more, but your name will be Israel.” He named him Israel. 11. God said to him, “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations will be from you, and kings will come out of your body. 12. The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give it to you, and to your offspring after you will I give the land.” 13. God went up from him in the place where he spoke with him. 14. Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he spoke with him, a pillar of stone. He poured out a drink offering on it, and poured oil on it. 15. Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him “Bethel”. 16. They traveled from Bethel. There was still some distance to come to Ephrath, and Rachel travailed. She had hard labor. 17. When she was in hard labor, the midwife said to her, “Don’t be afraid, for now you will have another son.” 18. As her soul was departing (for she died), she named him Benoni, but his father named him Benjamin. 19. Rachel died, and was buried on the way to Ephrath (also called Bethlehem). 20. Jacob set up a pillar on her grave. The same is the Pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day. 21. Israel traveled, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Eder. 22. While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah, his father’s concubine, and Israel heard of it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve. 23. The sons of Leah: Reuben (Jacob’s firstborn), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. 24. The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. 25. The sons of Bilhah (Rachel’s servant): Dan and Naphtali. 26. The sons of Zilpah (Leah’s servant): Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan Aram. 27. Jacob came to Isaac his father, to Mamre, to Kiriath Arba (which is Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac lived as foreigners. 28. The days of Isaac were one hundred eighty years. 29. Isaac gave up the spirit, and died, and was gathered to his people, old and full of days. Esau and Jacob, his sons, buried him. 1. Now this is the history of the generations of Esau (that is, Edom). 2. Esau took his wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah the daughter of Elon, the Hittite; and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon, the Hivite; 3. and Basemath, Ishmael’s daughter, sister of Nebaioth. 4. Adah bore to Esau Eliphaz. Basemath bore Reuel. 5. Oholibamah bore Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These are the sons of Esau, who were born to him in the land of Canaan. 6. Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the members of his household, with his livestock, all his animals, and all his possessions, which he had gathered in the land of Canaan, and went into a land away from his brother Jacob. 7. For their substance was too great for them to dwell together, and the land of their travels couldn’t bear them because of their livestock. 8. Esau lived in the hill country of Seir. Esau is Edom. 9. This is the history of the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in the hill country of Seir: 10. these are the names of Esau’s sons: Eliphaz, the son of Adah, the wife of Esau; and Reuel, the son of Basemath, the wife of Esau. 11. The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, and Gatam, and Kenaz. 12. Timna was concubine to Eliphaz, Esau’s son; and she bore to Eliphaz Amalek. These are the sons of Adah, Esau’s wife. 13. These are the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These were the sons of Basemath, Esau’s wife. 14. These were the sons of Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon, Esau’s wife: she bore to Esau Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. 15. These are the chiefs of the sons of Esau: the sons of Eliphaz the firstborn of Esau: chief Teman, chief Omar, chief Zepho, chief Kenaz, 16. chief Korah, chief Gatam, chief Amalek: these are the chiefs who came of Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Adah. 17. These are the sons of Reuel, Esau’s son: chief Nahath, chief Zerah, chief Shammah, chief Mizzah: these are the chiefs who came of Reuel in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Basemath, Esau’s wife. 18. These are the sons of Oholibamah, Esau’s wife: chief Jeush, chief Jalam, chief Korah: these are the chiefs who came of Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, Esau’s wife. 19. These are the sons of Esau (that is, Edom), and these are their chiefs. 20. These are the sons of Seir the Horite, the inhabitants of the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, 21. Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These are the chiefs who came of the Horites, the children of Seir in the land of Edom. 22. The children of Lotan were Hori and Heman. Lotan’s sister was Timna. 23. These are the children of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam. 24. These are the children of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah. This is Anah who found the hot springs in the wilderness, as he fed the donkeys of Zibeon his father. 25. These are the children of Anah: Dishon and Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah. 26. These are the children of Dishon: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran. 27. These are the children of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan. 28. These are the children of Dishan: Uz and Aran. 29. These are the chiefs who came of the Horites: chief Lotan, chief Shobal, chief Zibeon, chief Anah, 30. chief Dishon, chief Ezer, and chief Dishan: these are the chiefs who came of the Horites, according to their chiefs in the land of Seir. 31. These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom, before any king reigned over the children of Israel. 32. Bela, the son of Beor, reigned in Edom. The name of his city was Dinhabah. 33. Bela died, and Jobab, the son of Zerah of Bozrah, reigned in his place. 34. Jobab died, and Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his place. 35. Husham died, and Hadad, the son of Bedad, who struck Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his place. The name of his city was Avith. 36. Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his place. 37. Samlah died, and Shaul of Rehoboth by the river, reigned in his place. 38. Shaul died, and Baal Hanan, the son of Achbor reigned in his place. 39. Baal Hanan the son of Achbor died, and Hadar reigned in his place. The name of his city was Pau. His wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab. 40. These are the names of the chiefs who came from Esau, according to their families, after their places, and by their names: chief Timna, chief Alvah, chief Jetheth, 41. chief Oholibamah, chief Elah, chief Pinon, 42. chief Kenaz, chief Teman, chief Mibzar, 43. chief Magdiel, and chief Iram. These are the chiefs of Edom, according to their habitations in the land of their possession. This is Esau, the father of the Edomites.

1. When it was determined that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners to a centurion named Julius, of the Augustan band. 2. Embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to places on the coast of Asia, we put to sea; Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us. 3. The next day, we touched at Sidon. Julius treated Paul kindly, and gave him permission to go to his friends and refresh himself. 4. Putting to sea from there, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were contrary. 5. When we had sailed across the sea which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia. 6. There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy, and he put us on board. 7. When we had sailed slowly many days, and had come with difficulty opposite Cnidus, the wind not allowing us further, we sailed under the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone. 8. With difficulty sailing along it we came to a certain place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea. 9. When much time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous, because the Fast had now already gone by, Paul admonished them, 10. and said to them, “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” 11. But the centurion gave more heed to the master and to the owner of the ship than to those things which were spoken by Paul. 12. Because the haven was not suitable to winter in, the majority advised going to sea from there, if by any means they could reach Phoenix, and winter there, which is a port of Crete, looking northeast and southeast. 13. When the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to shore. 14. But before long, a stormy wind beat down from shore, which is called Euroclydon. 15. When the ship was caught, and couldn’t face the wind, we gave way to it, and were driven along. 16. Running under the lee of a small island called Clauda, we were able, with difficulty, to secure the boat. 17. After they had hoisted it up, they used cables to help reinforce the ship. Fearing that they would run aground on the Syrtis sand bars, they lowered the sea anchor, and so were driven along. 18. As we labored exceedingly with the storm, the next day they began to throw things overboard. 19. On the third day, they threw out the ship’s tackle with their own hands. 20. When neither sun nor stars shone on us for many days, and no small storm pressed on us, all hope that we would be saved was now taken away. 21. When they had been long without food, Paul stood up in the middle of them, and said, “Sirs, you should have listened to me, and not have set sail from Crete, and have gotten this injury and loss. 22. Now I exhort you to cheer up, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23. For there stood by me this night an angel, belonging to the God whose I am and whom I serve, 24. saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar. Behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ 25. Therefore, sirs, cheer up! For I believe God, that it will be just as it has been spoken to me. 26. But we must run aground on a certain island.” 27. But when the fourteenth night had come, as we were driven back and forth in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors surmised that they were drawing near to some land. 28. They took soundings, and found twenty fathoms. After a little while, they took soundings again, and found fifteen fathoms. 29. Fearing that we would run aground on rocky ground, they let go four anchors from the stern, and wished for daylight. 30. As the sailors were trying to flee out of the ship, and had lowered the boat into the sea, pretending that they would lay out anchors from the bow, 31. Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, “Unless these stay in the ship, you can’t be saved.” 32. Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the boat, and let it fall off. 33. While the day was coming on, Paul begged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you wait and continue fasting, having taken nothing. 34. Therefore I beg you to take some food, for this is for your safety; for not a hair will perish from any of your heads.” 35. When he had said this, and had taken bread, he gave thanks to God in the presence of all, and he broke it, and began to eat. 36. Then they all cheered up, and they also took food. 37. In all, we were two hundred seventy-six souls on the ship. 38. When they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea. 39. When it was day, they didn’t recognize the land, but they noticed a certain bay with a beach, and they decided to try to drive the ship onto it. 40. Casting off the anchors, they left them in the sea, at the same time untying the rudder ropes. Hoisting up the foresail to the wind, they made for the beach. 41. But coming to a place where two seas met, they ran the vessel aground. The bow struck and remained immovable, but the stern began to break up by the violence of the waves. 42. The soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners, so that none of them would swim out and escape. 43. But the centurion, desiring to save Paul, stopped them from their purpose, and commanded that those who could swim should throw themselves overboard first to go toward the land; 44. and the rest should follow, some on planks, and some on other things from the ship. So they all escaped safely to the land. 1. When we had escaped, then they learned that the island was called Malta. 2. The natives showed us uncommon kindness; for they kindled a fire, and received us all, because of the present rain, and because of the cold. 3. But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand. 4. When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped from the sea, yet Justice has not allowed to live.” 5. However he shook off the creature into the fire, and wasn’t harmed. 6. But they expected that he would have swollen or fallen down dead suddenly, but when they watched for a long time and saw nothing bad happen to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god. 7. Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the chief man of the island, named Publius, who received us, and courteously entertained us for three days. 8. The father of Publius lay sick of fever and dysentery. Paul entered in to him, prayed, and laying his hands on him, healed him. 9. Then when this was done, the rest also who had diseases in the island came, and were cured. 10. They also honored us with many honors, and when we sailed, they put on board the things that we needed. 11. After three months, we set sail in a ship of Alexandria which had wintered in the island, whose sign was “The Twin Brothers.” 12. Touching at Syracuse, we stayed there three days. 13. From there we circled around and arrived at Rhegium. After one day, a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli, 14. where we found brothers, and were entreated to stay with them for seven days. So we came to Rome. 15. From there the brothers, when they heard of us, came to meet us as far as The Market of Appius and The Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God, and took courage. 16. When we entered into Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard, but Paul was allowed to stay by himself with the soldier who guarded him. 17. After three days Paul called together those who were the leaders of the Jews. When they had come together, he said to them, “I, brothers, though I had done nothing against the people, or the customs of our fathers, still was delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans, 18. who, when they had examined me, desired to set me free, because there was no cause of death in me. 19. But when the Jews spoke against it, I was constrained to appeal to Caesar, not that I had anything about which to accuse my nation. 20. For this cause therefore I asked to see you and to speak with you. For because of the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.” 21. They said to him, “We neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor did any of the brothers come here and report or speak any evil of you. 22. But we desire to hear from you what you think. For, as concerning this sect, it is known to us that everywhere it is spoken against.” 23. When they had appointed him a day, many people came to him at his lodging. He explained to them, testifying about God’s Kingdom, and persuading them concerning Jesus, both from the law of Moses and from the prophets, from morning until evening. 24. Some believed the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved. 25. When they didn’t agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had spoken one word, “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah, the prophet, to our fathers, 26. saying, ‘Go to this people, and say, in hearing, you will hear, but will in no way understand. In seeing, you will see, but will in no way perceive. 27. For this people’s heart has grown callous. Their ears are dull of hearing. Their eyes they have closed. Lest they should see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and would turn again, and I would heal them.’ 28. “Be it known therefore to you, that the salvation of God is sent to the nations, and they will listen.” 29. When he had said these words, the Jews departed, having a great dispute among themselves. 30. Paul stayed two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who were coming to him, 31. preaching God’s Kingdom, and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, without hindrance.

1. God, you have rejected us. You have broken us down. You have been angry. Restore us, again. 2. You have made the land tremble. You have torn it. Mend its fractures, for it quakes. 3. You have shown your people hard things. You have made us drink the wine that makes us stagger. 4. You have given a banner to those who fear you, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah. 5. So that your beloved may be delivered, save with your right hand, and answer us. 6. God has spoken from his sanctuary: “I will triumph. I will divide Shechem, and measure out the valley of Succoth. 7. Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine. Ephraim also is the defense of my head. Judah is my scepter. 8. Moab is my wash basin. I will throw my shoe on Edom. I shout in triumph over Philistia.” 9. Who will bring me into the strong city? Who has led me to Edom? 10. Haven’t you, God, rejected us? You don’t go out with our armies, God. 11. Give us help against the adversary, for the help of man is vain. 12. Through God we shall do valiantly, for it is he who will tread down our adversaries.