The Bible, Douay Rheims, Book 1: Genesis

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11:30. And Sarai was barren, and had no children.

11:31. And Thare took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Aran, his son's
son, and Sarai his daughter in law, the wife of Abram his son, and
brought them out of Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Chanaan:
and they came as far as Haran, and dwelt there.

11:32. And the days of Thare were two hundred and five years, and he
died in Haran.

Genesis Chapter 12

The call of Abram, and the promise made to him. He sojourneth in
Chanaan, and then by occasion of a famine, goeth down to Egypt.

12:1. And the Lord said to Abram: Go forth out of thy country, and from
thy kindred, and out of thy father's house, and come into the land which
I shall shew thee.

12:2. And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and
magnify thy name, and thou shalt be blessed.

12:3. I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curse thee,
and IN THEE shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.

12:4. So Abram went out as the Lord had commanded him, and Lot went with
him: Abram was seventy-five years old when he went forth from Haran.

12:5. And he took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all the
substance which they had gathered, and the souls which they had gotten
in Haran: and they went out to go into the land of Chanaan. And when
they were come into it,

12:6. Abram passed through the country unto the place of Sichem, as far
as the noble vale: now the Chanaanite was at that time in the land.

12:7. And the Lord appeared to Abram, and said to him: To thy seed will
I give this land. And he built there an altar to the Lord, who had
appeared to him.

12:8. And passing on from thence to a mountain, that was on the east
side of Bethel, he there pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west,
and Hai on the east: he built there also an altar to the Lord, and
called upon his name.

12:9. And Abram went forward, going and proceeding on to the south.

12:10. And there came a famine in the country: and Abram went down into
Egypt, to sojourn there: for the famine was very grievous in the land.

12:11. And when he was near to enter into Egypt, he said to Sarai his
wife: I know that thou art a beautiful woman:

12:12. And that when the Egyptians shall see thee, they will say: She is
his wife: and they will kill me, and keep thee.

12:13. Say, therefore, I pray thee, that thou art my sister: that I may
be well used for thee, and that my soul may live for thy sake.

My sister... This was no lie; because she was his niece, being daughter
to his brother Aran, and therefore, in the style of the Hebrews, she
might truly be called his sister, as Lot is called Abram's brother, Gen.
14.14. See Gen. 20.12.

12:14. And when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians saw the woman
that she was very beautiful.

12:15. And the princes told Pharao, and praised her before him: and the
woman was taken into the house of Pharao.

12:16. And they used Abram well for her sake. And he had sheep and oxen
and he asses, and men servants, and maid servants, and she asses, and
camels.

12:17. But the Lord scourged Pharao and his house with most grievous
stripes for Sarai, Abram's wife.

12:18. And Pharao called Abram, and said to him: What is this that thou
hast done to me? Why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?

12:19. For what cause didst thou say, she was thy sister, that I might
take her to my wife? Now therefore there is thy wife, take her, and go
thy way.

12:20. And Pharao gave his men orders concerning Abram: and they led him
away and his wife, and all that he had.

Genesis Chapter 13

Abram and Lot part from each other. God's promise to Abram.

13:1. And Abram went up out of Egypt, he and his wife, and all that he
had, and Lot with him into the south.

13:2. And he was very rich in possession of gold and silver.

13:3. And he returned by the way, that he came, from the south to
Bethel, to the place where before he had pitched his tent between Bethel
and Hai,

13:4. In the place of the altar which he had made before, and there he
called upon the name of the Lord.

13:5. But Lot also, who was with Abram, had flocks of sheep, and herds
of beasts, and tents.

13:6. Neither was the land able to bear them, that they might dwell
together: for their substance was great, and they could not dwell
together.

13:7. Whereupon also there arose a strife between the herdsmen of Abram
and of Lot. And at that time the Chanaanite and the Pherezite dwelled in
that country.

13:8. Abram therefore said to Lot: Let there be no quarrel, I beseech
thee, between me and thee, and between my herdsmen and thy herdsmen: for
we are brethren.

13:9. Behold the whole land is before thee: depart from me, I pray thee:
if thou wilt go to the left hand, I will take the right: if thou choose
the right hand, I will pass to the left.

13:10. And Lot lifting up his eyes, saw all the country about the
Jordan, which was watered throughout, before the Lord destroyed Sodom
and Gomorrha, as the paradise of the Lord, and like Egypt as one comes
to Segor.

13:11. And Lot chose to himself the country about the Jordan, and he
departed from the east: and they were separated one brother from the
other.

13:12. Abram dwelt in the land of Chanaan: and Lot abode in the towns,
that were about the Jordan, and dwelt in Sodom.

13:13. And the men of Sodom were very wicked, and sinners before the
face of the Lord beyond measure.

13:14. And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot was separated from him:
Lift up thy eyes, and look from the place wherein thou now art, to the
north and to the south, to the east and to the west.

13:15. All the land which thou seest, I will give to thee, and to thy
seed for ever.

13:16. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: if any man be
able to number the dust of the earth, he shall be able to number thy
seed also.

13:17. Arise and walk through the land in the length, and the breadth
thereof: for I will give it to thee.

13:18. So Abram removing his tent, came, and dwelt by the vale of
Mambre, which is in Hebron: and he built there an altar to the Lord.

Genesis Chapter 14

The expedition of the four kings; the victory of Abram; he is blessed by
Melchisedech.

14:1. And it came to pass at that time, that Amraphel, king of Sennaar,
and Arioch, king of Pontus, and Chodorlahomor, king of the Elamites, and
Thadal, king of nations,

14:2. Made war against Bara, king of Sodom, and against Bersa, king of
Gomorrha, and against Sennaab, king of Adama, and against Semeber, king
of Seboim, and against the king of Bala, which is Segor.

14:3. All these came together into the woodland vale, which now is the
salt sea.

14:4. For they had served Chodorlahomor twelve years, and in the
thirteenth year they revolted from him.

14:5. And in the fourteenth year came Chodorlahomor, and the kings that
were with him: and they smote the Raphaim in Astarothcarnaim, and the
Zuzim with them, and the Emim in Save of Cariathaim.

14:6. And the Chorreans in the mountains of Seir, even to the plains of
Pharan, which is in the wilderness.

14:7. And they returned, and came to the fountain of Misphat, the same
is Cades: and they smote all the country of the Amalecites, and the
Amorrhean that dwelt in Asasonthamar.

14:8. And the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrha, and the king of
Adama, and the king of Seboim, and the king of Bala, which is Segor,
went out: and they set themselves against them in battle array, in the
woodland vale:

14:9. To wit, against Chodorlahomor king of the Elamites, and Thadal
king of nations, and Amraphel king of Sennaar, and Arioch king of
Pontus: four kings against five.

14:10. Now the woodland vale had many pits of slime. And the king of
Sodom, and the king of Gomorrha turned their backs, and were overthrown
there: and they that remained, fled to the mountain.

Of slime. Bituminis... This was a kind of pitch, which served for mortar
in the building of Babel, Gen. 11.3, and was used by Noe in pitching the
ark.

14:11. And they took all the substance of the Sodomites, and
Gomorrhites, and all their victuals, and went their way:

14:12. And Lot also, the son of Abram's brother, who dwelt in Sodom, and
his substance.

14:13. And behold one, that had escaped, told Abram the Hebrew, who
dwelt in the vale of Mambre the Amorrhite, the brother of Escol, and the
brother of Aner: for these had made a league with Abram.

14:14. Which when Abram had heard, to wit, that his brother Lot was
taken, he numbered of the servants born in his house, three hundred and
eighteen, well appointed: and pursued them to Dan.

14:15. And dividing his company, he rushed upon them in the night, and
defeated them: and pursued them as far as Hoba, which is on the left
hand of Damascus.

14:16. And he brought back all the substance, and Lot his brother, with
his substance, the women also, and the people.

14:17. And the king of Sodom went out to meet him, after he returned
from the slaughter of Chodorlahomor, and of the kings that were with him
in the vale of Save, which is the king's vale.

14:18. But Melchisedech, the king of Salem, bringing forth bread and
wine, for he was the priest of the most high God,

14:19. Blessed him, and said: Blessed be Abram by the most high God, who
created heaven and earth.

14:20. And blessed be the most high God, by whose protection, the
enemies are in thy hands. And he gave him the tithes of all.

14:21. And the king of Sodom said to Abram: Give me the persons, and the
rest take to thyself.

14:22. And he answered him: I lift up my hand to the Lord God the most
high, the possessor of heaven and earth,

14:23. That from the very woofthread unto the shoe latchet, I will not
take of any things that are thine, lest thou say: I have enriched Abram.

14:24. Except such things as the young men have eaten, and the shares of
the men that came with me, Aner, Escol, and Mambre: these shall take
their shares.

Genesis Chapter 15

God promiseth seed to Abram. His faith, sacrifice and vision.

15:1. Now when these things were done, the word of the Lord came to
Abram by a vision, saying: Fear not, Abram, I am thy protector, and thy
reward exceeding great.

15:2. And Abram said: Lord God, what wilt thou give me? I shall go
without children: and the son of the steward of my house is this
Damascus Eliezer.

15:3. And Abram added: But to me thou hast not given seed: and lo my
servant born in my house, shall be my heir.

15:4. And immediately the word of the Lord came to him, saying: He
shall not be thy heir: but he that shall come out of thy bowels, him
shalt thou have for thy heir.

15:5. And he brought him forth abroad, and said to him: Look up to
heaven and number the stars if thou canst. And he said to him: So shall
thy seed be.

15:6. Abram believed God, and it was reputed to him unto justice.

15:7. And he said to him: I am the Lord who brought thee out from Ur of
the Chaldees, to give thee this land, and that thou mightest possess it.

15:8. But he said: Lord God, whereby may I know that I shall possess it?

15:9. And the Lord answered, and said: Take me a cow of three years old,
and a she goat of three years and a ram of three years, a turtle also,
and a pigeon.

15:10. And he took all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid
the two pieces of each one against the other: but the birds he divided
not.

15:11. And the fowls came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them
away.

15:12. And when the sun was setting, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a
great and darksome horror seized upon him.

15:13. And it was said unto him: Know thou beforehand that thy seed
shall be a stranger in a land not their own, and they shall bring them
under bondage, and afflict them four hundred years.

15:14. But I will judge the nation which they shall serve, and after
this they shall come out with great substance.

15:15. And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace, and be buried in a
good old age.

15:16. But in the fourth generation they shall return hither: for as yet
the iniquities of the Amorrhites are not at the full until this present
time.

15:17. And when the sun was set, there arose a dark mist, and there
appeared a smoking furnace, and a lamp of fire passing between those
divisions.

15:18. That day God made a covenant with Abram, saying: To thy seed will
I give this land, from the river to Egypt even to the great river
Euphrates.

15:19. The Cineans, and Cenezites, the Cedmonites,

15:20. And the Hethites, and the Pherezites, the Raphaim also,

15:21. And the Amorrhites, and the Chanaanites, and the Gergesites, and
the Jebusites.

Genesis Chapter 16

Abram marrieth Agar, who bringeth forth Ismael.

16:1. Now Sarai, the wife of Abram, had brought forth no children: but
having a handmaid, an Egyptian, named Agar,

16:2. She said to her husband: Behold, the Lord hath restrained me from
bearing: go in unto my handmaid, it may be I may have children of her at
least. And when he agreed to her request,

16:3. She took Agar the Egyptian her handmaid, ten years after they
first dwelt in the land of Chanaan, and gave her to her husband to wife.

To wife... Plurality of wives, though contrary to the primitive
institution of marriage, Gen. 2.24, was by divine dispensation allowed
to the patriarchs: which allowance seems to have continued during the
time of the law of Moses. But Christ our Lord reduced marriage to its
primitive institution. Matt. 19.

16:4. And he went in to her. But she perceiving that she was with child,
despised her mistress.

16:5. And Sarai said to Abram: Thou dost unjustly with me: I gave my
handmaid into thy bosom, and she perceiving herself to be with child,
despiseth me. The Lord judge between me and thee.

16:6. And Abram made answer, and said to her: Behold thy handmaid is in
thy own hand, use her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai afflicted her,
she ran away.

16:7. And the angel of the Lord having found her, by a fountain of water
in the wilderness, which is in the way to Sur in the desert,

16:8. He said to her: Agar, handmaid of Sarai, whence comest thou? and
whither goest thou? And she answered: I flee from the face of Sarai, my
mistress.

16:9. And the angel of the Lord said to her: Return to thy mistress, and
humble thyself under her hand.

16:10. And again he said: I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, and it
shall not be numbered for multitude.

16:11. And again: Behold, said he, thou art with child, and thou shalt
bring forth a son: and thou shalt call his name Ismael, because the Lord
hath heard thy affliction.

16:12. He shall be a wild man: his hand will be against all men, and all
men's hands against him: and he shall pitch his tents over against all
his brethren.

16:13. And she called the name of the Lord that spoke unto her: Thou the
God who hast seen me. For she said: Verily, here have I seen the hinder
parts of him that seeth me.

16:14. Therefore she called that well, the well of him that liveth and
seeth me. The same is between Cades and Barad.

16:15. And Agar brought forth a son to Abram: who called his name
Ismael.

16:16. Abram was four score and six years old when Agar brought him
forth Ismael.

Genesis Chapter 17

The Covenant of circumcision.

17:1. And after he began to be ninety and nine years old, the Lord
appeared to him: and said unto him: I am the Almighty God: walk before
me, and be perfect.

17:2. And I will make my covenant between me and thee: and I will
multiply thee exceedingly.

17:3. Abram fell flat on his face.

17:4. And God said to him: I am, and my covenant is with thee, and thou
shalt be a father of many nations.

17:5. Neither shall thy name be called any more Abram: but thou shalt be
called Abraham: because I have made thee a father of many nations.

Abram... in the Hebrew, signifies a high father: but Abraham, the father
of the multitude; Sarai signifies my Lady, but Sara absolutely Lady.

17:6. And I will make thee increase exceedingly, and I will make nations
of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.

17:7. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and between
thy seed after thee in their generations, by a perpetual covenant: to be
a God to thee, and to thy seed after thee.

17:8. And I will give to thee, and to thy seed, the land of thy
sojournment, all the land of Chanaan, for a perpetual possession, and I
will be their God.

17:9. Again God said to Abraham: And thou therefore shalt keep my
covenant, and thy seed after thee in their generations.

17:10. This is my covenant which you shall observe between me and you,
and thy seed after thee: All the male kind of you shall be circumcised.

17:11. And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, that it may
be for a sign of the covenant between me and you.

17:12. An infant of eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every
manchild in your generations: he that is born in the house, as well as
the bought servant, shall be circumcised, and whosoever is not of your
stock:

17:13. And my covenant shall be in your flesh for a perpetual covenant.

17:14. The male whose flesh of his foreskin shall not be circumcised,
that soul shall be destroyed out of his people: because he hath broken
my covenant.

17:15. God said also to Abraham: Sarai thy wife thou shalt not call
Sarai, but Sara.

17:16. And I will bless her, and of her I will give thee a son, whom I
will bless, and he shall become nations, and kings of people shall
spring from him.

17:17. Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, saying in his heart:
Shall a son, thinkest thou, be born to him that is a hundred years old?
and shall Sara that is ninety years old bring forth?

17:18. And he said to God: O that Ismael may live before thee.

17:19. And God said to Abraham: Sara thy wife shall bear thee a son, and
thou shalt call his name Isaac, and I will establish my covenant with
him for a perpetual covenant, and with his seed after him.

17:20. And as for Ismael I have also heard thee. Behold, I will bless
him, and increase, and multiply him exceedingly: he shall beget twelve
chiefs, and I will make him a great nation.

17:21. But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sara shall
bring forth to thee at this time in the next year.

17:22. And when he had left off speaking with him, God went up from
Abraham.

17:23. And Abraham took Ismael his son, and all that were born in his
house: and all whom he had bought, every male among the men of his
house: and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskin forthwith the very
same day, as God had commanded him.

17:24. Abraham was ninety and nine years old, when he circumcised the
flesh of his foreskin.

17:25. And Ismael his son was full thirteen years old at the time of his
circumcision.

17:26. The selfsame day was Abraham circumcised and Ismael his son.

17:27. And all the men of his house, as well they that were born in his
house, as the bought servants and strangers, were circumcised with him.

Genesis Chapter 18

Angels are entertained by Abraham. They foretell the birth of Isaac.
Abraham's prayer for the men of Sodom.

18:1. And the Lord appeared to him in the vale of Mambre as he was
sitting at the door of his tent, in the very heat of the day.

18:2. And when he had lifted up his eyes, there appeared to him three
men standing near to him: and as soon as he saw them, he ran to meet
them from the door of his tent, and adored down to the ground.

18:3. And he said: Lord, if I have found favour in thy sight, pass not
away from thy servant.

18:4. But I will fetch a little water, and wash ye your feet, and rest
ye under the tree.

18:5. And I will set a morsel of bread, and strengthen ye your heart,
afterwards you shall pass on: for therefore are you come aside to your
servant. And they said: Do as thou hast spoken.

18:6. Abraham made haste into the tent to Sara, and said to her: Make
haste, temper together three measures of flour, and make cakes upon the
hearth.

18:7. And he himself ran to the herd, and took from thence a calf, very
tender and very good, and gave it to a young man, who made haste and
boiled it.

18:8. He took also butter and milk, and the calf which he had boiled,
and set before them: but he stood by them under the tree.

18:9. And when they had eaten, they said to him: Where is Sara thy wife?
He answered: Lo she is in the tent.

18:10. And he said to him: I will return and come to thee at this time,
life accompanying, and Sara, thy wife, shall have a son. Which when Sara
heard, she laughed behind the door of the tent.

18:11. Now they were both old, and far advanced in years, and it had
ceased to be with Sara after the manner of women.

18:12. And she laughed secretly, saying: After I am grown old, and my
lord is an old man, shall I give myself to pleasure?

18:13. And the Lord said to Abraham: Why did Sara laugh, saying: Shall
I, who am an old woman, bear a child indeed?

18:14. Is there any thing hard to God? According to appointment I will
return to thee at this same time, life accompanying, and Sara shall have
a son.

18:15. Sara denied, saying: I did not laugh: for she was afraid. But the
Lord said: Nay; but thou didst laugh.

18:16. And when the men rose up from thence, they turned their eyes
towards Sodom: and Abraham walked with them, bringing them on the way.

18:17. And the Lord said: Can I hide from Abraham what I am about to do:

18:18. Seeing he shall become a great and mighty nation, and in him all
the nations of the earth shall be blessed?

18:19. For I know that he will command his children, and his household
after him, to keep the way of the Lord, and do judgment and justice:
that for Abraham's sake, the Lord may bring to effect all the things he
hath spoken unto him.

18:20. And the Lord said: The cry of Sodom and Gomorrha is multiplied,
and their sin is become exceedingly grievous.

18:21. I will go down and see whether they have done according to the
cry that is come to me; or whether it be not so, that I may know.

I will go down, etc... The Lord here accommodates his discourse to the
way of speaking and acting amongst men; for he knoweth all things, and
needeth not to go anywhere for information. Note here, that two of the
three angels went away immediately for Sodom; whilst the third, who
represented the Lord, remained with Abraham.

18:22. And they turned themselves from thence, and went their way to
Sodom: but Abraham as yet stood before the Lord.

18:23. And drawing nigh, he said: Wilt thou destroy the just with the
wicked?

18:24. If there be fifty just men in the city, shall they perish withal?
and wilt thou not spare that place for the sake of the fifty just, if
they be therein?

18:25. Far be it from thee to do this thing, and to slay the just with
the wicked, and for the just to be in like case as the wicked; this is
not beseeming thee: thou who judgest all the earth, wilt not make this
judgment.

18:26. And the Lord said to him: If I find in Sodom fifty just within
the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.

18:27. And Abraham answered, and said: Seeing I have once begun, I will
speak to my Lord, whereas I am dust and ashes.

18:28. What if there be five less than fifty just persons? wilt thou for
five and forty destroy the whole city: And he said: I will not destroy
it, if I find five and forty.

18:29. And again he said to him: But if forty be found there, what wilt
thou do? He said: I will not destroy it for the sake of forty.

18:30. Lord, saith he, be not angry, I beseech thee, if I speak: What if
thirty shall be found there? He answered: I will not do it, if I find
thirty there.

18:31. Seeing, saith he, I have once begun, I will speak to my Lord:
What if twenty be found there? He said: I will not destroy it for the
sake of twenty.

18:32. I beseech thee, saith he, be not angry, Lord, if I speak yet once
more: What if ten shall be found there? And he said: I will not destroy
it for the sake of ten.

18:33. And the Lord departed, after he had left speaking to Abraham: and
Abraham returned to his place.

Genesis Chapter 19

Lot, entertaining Angels in his house, is delivered from Sodom, which is
destroyed: his wife for looking back is turned into a statue of salt.

19:1. And the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was
sitting in the gate of the city. And seeing them, he rose up and went to
meet them: and worshipped prostrate to the ground.

19:2. And said: I beseech you, my lords, turn in to the house of your
servant, and lodge there: wash your feet, and in the morning you shall
go on your way. And they said: No, but we will abide in the street.

19:3. He pressed them very much to turn in unto him: and when they were
come into his house, he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread,
and they ate:

19:4. But before they went to bed, the men of the city beset the house,
both young and old, all the people together.

19:5. And they called Lot, and said to him: Where are the men that came
in to thee at night? bring them out hither, that we may know them:

19:6. Lot went out to them, and shut the door after him, and said:

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