Genesis

The book of beginnings. It tells how God created a good world, how humanity turned away from him, and how God began to put things right by calling one family, Abraham’s, to be a blessing to every nation. It follows Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph, and ends with Jacob’s family living in Egypt.

Author

Traditionally Moses

Written

Traditionally about 1400 BC

Chapters

1. 1Genesis 1God creates the heavens and the earth in six days, speaking light, sky, land, plants, stars and animals into being, and makes humanity in his image. He sees that it is very good.
2. 2Genesis 2God rests on the seventh day. A closer look at the creation of the man from dust, the garden of Eden, the command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and the making of the woman.
3. 3Genesis 3The serpent tempts the woman, and she and the man eat the forbidden fruit. Shame, blame and curse follow, but God promises that the woman’s offspring will crush the serpent, clothes them, and sends them out of Eden.
4. 4Genesis 4Cain kills his brother Abel out of jealousy and is sent away as a wanderer. Cain’s family builds cities, while Seth is born to Adam and Eve, and people begin to call on the Lord.
5. 5Genesis 5The family line from Adam to Noah. Each generation lives and dies, except Enoch, who “walked with God” and was taken.
6. 6Genesis 6Human wickedness fills the earth and grieves God. He decides to send a flood, but Noah finds favour, and God tells him to build an ark for his family and the animals.
7. 7Genesis 7Noah, his family and the animals enter the ark. The rain falls for forty days, and the flood covers the earth.
8. 8Genesis 8The waters go down, the ark rests on the mountains of Ararat, and a dove returns with an olive leaf. Noah leaves the ark and offers a sacrifice, and God promises never again to destroy the earth by flood.
9. 9Genesis 9God blesses Noah and makes a covenant with all living things, with the rainbow as its sign. Noah gets drunk, and Ham dishonours him.
10. 10Genesis 10The Table of Nations: the descendants of Noah’s sons Shem, Ham and Japheth spread out to become the peoples of the earth.
11. 11Genesis 11People unite to build a tower reaching to the heavens at Babel, and God confuses their language and scatters them. The family line from Shem leads to Abram.
12. 12Genesis 12God calls Abram to leave his country and promises to make him a great nation and a blessing to all peoples. Abram goes to Canaan, then to Egypt in a famine, where he lies about Sarai being his wife.
13. 13Genesis 13Abram and his nephew Lot separate because their flocks are too large. Lot chooses the fertile plain near Sodom, and God repeats his promise of the land to Abram.
14. 14Genesis 14Abram rescues Lot after he is captured by invading kings. Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God Most High, blesses Abram, who gives him a tenth of everything.
15. 15Genesis 15God promises Abram descendants as many as the stars, and Abram believes. God makes a covenant with him in a solemn ceremony and foretells Israel’s slavery and rescue.
16. 16Genesis 16Sarai, still childless, gives her servant Hagar to Abram, and Hagar conceives. When Hagar flees Sarai’s harsh treatment, the Lord meets her in the desert, and she names him “the God who sees me”. Ishmael is born.
17. 17Genesis 17God renews his covenant, renaming Abram “Abraham” and Sarai “Sarah”, and gives circumcision as its sign. He promises that Sarah will bear a son, Isaac.
18. 18Genesis 18Three visitors come to Abraham and repeat that Sarah will have a son, and she laughs. Abraham pleads with the Lord to spare Sodom if even ten righteous people live there.
19. 19Genesis 19Two angels rescue Lot and his daughters from Sodom before God destroys the city with fire. Lot’s wife looks back and becomes a pillar of salt, and Lot’s daughters later sleep with their father.
20. 20Genesis 20Abraham again says Sarah is his sister, this time to King Abimelech of Gerar. God warns Abimelech in a dream, and Sarah is returned untouched.
21. 21Genesis 21Isaac is born, as God promised. Hagar and Ishmael are sent away, and God cares for them in the wilderness. Abraham makes a treaty with Abimelech at Beersheba.
22. 22Genesis 22God tests Abraham by asking him to sacrifice Isaac. As Abraham raises the knife, the angel of the Lord stops him, and God provides a ram instead. God renews his promise to bless all nations through Abraham’s offspring.
23. 23Genesis 23Sarah dies at 127. Abraham buys a field with a cave at Machpelah from the Hittites to bury her, his first piece of the promised land.
24. 24Genesis 24Abraham sends his servant to find a wife for Isaac among his relatives. The servant prays for a sign, and Rebekah answers it exactly. She agrees to go and marry Isaac.
25. 25Genesis 25Abraham dies and is buried with Sarah. Rebekah gives birth to twins, Esau and Jacob, and Esau sells his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew.
26. 26Genesis 26In a famine God tells Isaac to stay in the land and repeats the promise to Abraham. Isaac passes Rebekah off as his sister, grows rich, and quarrels over wells.
27. 27Genesis 27With Rebekah’s help, Jacob disguises himself as Esau and tricks his blind father Isaac into giving him the blessing. Esau vows to kill him, so Jacob prepares to flee.
28. 28Genesis 28On his way to Haran, Jacob dreams of a stairway reaching heaven with angels going up and down. God promises to be with him, and Jacob names the place Bethel, “house of God”.
29. 29Genesis 29Jacob meets Rachel at a well and works seven years to marry her. His uncle Laban tricks him into marrying her sister Leah first, so he works seven more years for Rachel. Leah bears four sons.
30. 30Genesis 30Rachel, still childless, gives her servant to Jacob, and the sisters compete for children. Rachel finally bears Joseph. Jacob grows wealthy despite Laban’s schemes.
31. 31Genesis 31Jacob secretly leaves with his family and flocks, and Rachel steals her father’s household gods. Laban chases him, and they make a covenant of peace at Mizpah.
32. 32Genesis 32Jacob prepares to meet Esau, sending gifts ahead and praying for protection. At night he wrestles with a man until dawn, is renamed Israel, and walks away limping.
33. 33Genesis 33Esau runs to meet Jacob and embraces him. The brothers are reconciled, and Jacob settles near Shechem.
34. 34Genesis 34Jacob’s daughter Dinah is violated by Shechem. Her brothers Simeon and Levi deceive the men of the city and kill them in revenge.
35. 35Genesis 35God sends Jacob back to Bethel, where he renews his name Israel and his promises. Rachel dies giving birth to Benjamin, and Isaac dies.
36. 36Genesis 36The descendants of Esau, who became the nation of Edom, with their chiefs and kings.
37. 37Genesis 37Jacob favours Joseph and gives him a special robe. Joseph dreams that his family will bow to him. His jealous brothers sell him to traders going to Egypt and tell Jacob he was killed.
38. 38Genesis 38Judah’s story: his sons die, and he fails to give his widowed daughter-in-law Tamar to his youngest son. Tamar disguises herself and conceives by Judah, who admits she is more righteous than he.
39. 39Genesis 39Joseph serves Potiphar in Egypt, and the Lord blesses everything he does. Potiphar’s wife tries to seduce him, and when he refuses, she falsely accuses him and he is thrown into prison. God is with him there too.
40. 40Genesis 40In prison, Joseph interprets the dreams of Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker. It happens as he said, but the restored cupbearer forgets Joseph.
41. 41Genesis 41Pharaoh has disturbing dreams, and the cupbearer remembers Joseph. Joseph explains that seven years of plenty will be followed by seven years of famine, and Pharaoh makes him ruler over Egypt.
42. 42Genesis 42The famine reaches Canaan, and Joseph’s brothers come to Egypt to buy grain. Joseph recognises them, though they do not recognise him, and tests them, keeping Simeon until they bring Benjamin.
43. 43Genesis 43The famine worsens, and Jacob reluctantly lets Benjamin go to Egypt. Joseph hosts his brothers at a feast, overcome with emotion.
44. 44Genesis 44Joseph hides his silver cup in Benjamin’s sack to test his brothers. Judah offers himself as a slave in Benjamin’s place, showing how much he has changed.
45. 45Genesis 45Joseph reveals himself to his brothers and says God sent him ahead to save lives. He invites the whole family to come to Egypt.
46. 46Genesis 46God tells Jacob not to fear going down to Egypt. Jacob’s family of seventy moves there, and he is reunited with Joseph.
47. 47Genesis 47Jacob meets Pharaoh, and the family settles in Goshen. As the famine continues, Joseph gathers the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, and Jacob makes Joseph promise to bury him in Canaan.
48. 48Genesis 48Jacob blesses Joseph’s sons Ephraim and Manasseh, crossing his hands to give the greater blessing to the younger.
49. 49Genesis 49Jacob blesses each of his twelve sons, the fathers of Israel’s tribes. He promises that the sceptre will not depart from Judah, then dies.
50. 50Genesis 50Jacob is buried in Canaan. Joseph assures his fearful brothers that what they meant for evil, God meant for good. Joseph dies in Egypt, asking that his bones be taken to the promised land.