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Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. PSALM 119 :105

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Women’snew

n e w i n t e r n a t i o n a l v e r s i o n

DEVOT IONAL B IBLE

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The Holy Bible, New International Version ®Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

New Women’s Devotional BibleCopyright © 2006 by The Zondervan CorporationAll rights reserved

This Guideposts edition is published by special arrangement with Zondervan Publishing House.

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THE OLD TESTAMENT

Genesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1Exodus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69Leviticus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156Deuteronomy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210Joshua . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256Judges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287Ruth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3181 Samuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3242 Samuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3641 Kings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4002 Kings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4391 Chronicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4772 Chronicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 518Ezra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 562Nehemiah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 576Esther . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 596Job . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 606Psalms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 649Proverbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 758Ecclesiastes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 797Song of Songs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 810Isaiah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 819Jeremiah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901Lamentations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 980Ezekiel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 990Daniel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1054Hosea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1074Joel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1088Amos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1094Obadiah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1105Jonah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1107Micah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1111Nahum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1120Habakkuk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1125Zephaniah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1130Haggai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1135Zechariah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1138Malachi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1151

THE NEW TESTAMENT

Matthew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1159Mark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1203Luke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1233John . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1282Acts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1322Romans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13661 Corinthians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13872 Corinthians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1407Galatians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1420Ephesians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1428Philippians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1435Colossians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14401 Thessalonians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14452 Thessalonians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14501 Timothy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14542 Timothy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1460Titus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1465Philemon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1469Hebrews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1471James . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14871 Peter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14932 Peter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14991 John . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15042 John . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15103 John . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1512Jude . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1514Revelation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1517

Table of Weights and Measures . . . . . . . . . 1542Reading Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1543Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1560Contributor Biographies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1563Subject Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1569Colophon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1573

Table of ContentsWelcome to the New Women’s Devotional Bible . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .viiA Library in Itself . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xPreface to the New International Version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xii

v

WELCOME TO THE New Women’s Devotional Bible!We’ve designed this special Bible with you in mind . We know you’re a busy woman who needs private time with God to stay spiritually strong . You want to keep God first in your heart, but you don’t always have the time you’d like . So we’ve included some great features to help you as you pursue your relationship with God .

Why a Devotional Bible?So you can be enveloped in God’s transforming love . So you can know him better and trust him more . So you can find out how to share what you’ve learned with others . Let God use this Bible to change your life .

What Is a Devotional Bible?The devotions in this Bible are designed to help you develop a daily time with God—to help you praise him, cultivate an intimate relationship with him and become more like him . Your devo-tional time will affect all areas of your life: heart, mind and spirit .

But these devotionals don’t just benefit you; they allow you to help those around you with the wisdom you’ve gleaned from God’s Word . Through your time spent with God each day, you’ll be better equipped to meet the needs of those you come in contact with . You’ll be challenged to apply what you have been taught so that you can share with others your knowledge and understanding of the loving and powerful God you serve .

How Do I Schedule My Time With God?You have a busy schedule, and sometimes it seems impossible for you to cultivate a regular de-votional habit . But you can have a meaningful daily devotional life . Here are some tips that may help you:•  Set aside a block of time each day to spend with God. Think of this as a scheduled appointment— something that can’t be postponed or rescheduled . Guard your time with God . Set your alarm clock fifteen minutes earlier in the morning or go to bed fifteen minutes later in the evening . You can have your devotional during your lunch break, while waiting to pick up your kids or before you go to bed . Decide that spending time with God is the most important thing you can do for yourself and others . And remember, God is available anytime!•  Joyfully look forward to your time with God, as you would anticipate a luncheon with a friend or a date with your husband . Come prepared with your Bible, a notebook and a pen . Pray before you begin, asking God to give you wisdom and insight into his Word . Ponder and pray about the passages you don’t quite understand . Mull over concepts that are new to you or that don’t fit your preconceived ideas . Throughout the day call to mind what you’ve read so that it takes root in your heart . Ask your pastor or a mature believer any questions you may have . •  Devotions involve a variety of spiritual disciplines. As you spend time with God, try to develop any or all of the following devotional habits:• Memorize relevant Scripture passages.• Praise God for who he is and for what he has done and is doing.• Listen in silence for God’s voice.• Sing songs of praise and thanksgiving.• Journal your thoughts, insights and answered prayers.

How Do I Get Started?Are you ready to get started? Within the New Women’s Devotional Bible you’ll find features de-signed specifically to help you develop a devotional life that’s just right for you .

vii

INTRODUCTION

• The New International Version of the BibleThe Bible text itself is the most important part of any Bible . Readable and accurate, the NIV is the most read, most trusted version of the Bible .

• 260 devotions, one for each weekday  of the yearAll of the daily devotions were written by godly women—women who have experienced the joys and struggles of living a Christian life in today’s world . Some of them are names you’ll recognize . Others will be new to you . But all of them have one thing in common: they love the Lord and want you to draw near to him in a fresh and exciting way . Each devotion also includes thought-provoking ques-tions to help you personally apply what you’ve read . You’ll also find links to related passages of Scripture for further study . Sometimes you’ll find meaning-ful quotes to add depth to the day’s devotion .

• 52 weekend devotionsGrounded in Scripture but incorporating some imaginative retelling, each weekend devotion pro-files a woman in the Bible, offering insights into her character and helping you realize that she was a real woman who lived and breathed so many years ago . You may be surprised by the insights you’ll find and the lessons you’ll learn from her life . Each weekend devotion ends with a prayer of application to help you draw closer to God from your time spent in reading .

• Book introductions Each book introduction gives information on the book of the Bible and its place in the canon of God’s Word . A side-column section offers basic facts on each book .

1034

“DID YOU HEAR ANYTHING I JUST SAID?” Startled by the piercing tone of the market manager’s voice,

Mary blinked rapidly as if awakening from a deep dream. She quickly responded, “Yes . . . so sorry. That challah loaf there—that’s fi ne. And these too,” she added, clutching three heads of garlic in her hand. Mary quickly paid the manager his due and headed home before her young son awoke from his nap.

So much had happened in her life, she’d hardly taken time to think through all of it. At any given moment, her mind would suddenly fl oat away to memories. Yet she could never grasp their full meaning.

As the afternoon sun cast the shadow of her small frame on the dirt path, various scenes surfaced: that fi rst day in the temple; the look of rapture on the face of the prophetess Anna as she blessed Mary’s child. And what did Simeon mean—something about a sword piercing her own soul someday?

Mary turned a corner and saw the familiar roofl ine of her home in the distance. Almost home. She smiled to herself, recalling the warm feeling of security that had washed over her when they had fi rst seen the outline of the sleepy town of Nazareth. They had been so frightened, but Joseph felt God leading them there through his dreams. And now, though not his birthplace, their son would come to know it as “home.” Jesus of Nazareth.

“You are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High” (Luke 1:31–32).

Like a thousand times before, her mind pondered the angel’s words and the Magi’s posture before her child—all as if for the fi rst time. Mary stored each moment and memory surrounding her precious baby boy inside of her heart. Tucked away treasures, they were her comfort and her assurance. Most of all, they were hers and hers alone to ponder. No one else could share her chosen place—the earthly mother of the Son of God.

—Prayer—You have chosen me to live in this place and time, Lord. May I live out my days for your glory.

TreasuredM A R Y

But Mary treasured up all these things and

pondered them in her heart.

Luke 2:19

ASSIGNED

READING:

Luke 2:19, 21– 40

Go to page 1038 for your next devotional reading.

God ’s holiness demands purity, yet human perfection

is impossible to attain. God provided a perfect sacrifi ce for sin

in Jesus Christ, but until he arrived, the Law demanded

continual sacrifi ces as the means by which God’s people recog-

nized their sinfulness and their need for repentance. The Law

demanded that animals with no known blemishes be sacrifi ced,

but animal sacrifi ces could never take away sin.

Leviticus is a book focused on holiness. From the laws of personal hygiene to the scapegoat that was

allowed to live while a second goat was killed, the book high-

lights the need for personal and moral purity of God’s people—

and it describes the provisions to deal with the inevitable lack

of purity. Notice how costly sin was and how seriously it was

treated. But notice, too, that God provides a way for his

people to come to him.

Leviticus

John’s Gospel stands apart from the other three, shedding new

light on what has by now become a familiar story. There are

fewer parables, fewer instances of Jesus’ public speaking and

fewer miracles, but there are more conversations, more personal

encounters and more interactions among the disciples. It is John

who records Jesus’ seven “I am” statements that

give us tangible descriptions of who this Son of God is.

Nearly half of John’s Gospel is devoted to the fi nal week

of Jesus’ life. John is the only disciple who followed Jesus all

the way to the cross, and as we look through his eyes, we feel

his shock and deep grief, but we also experience something

else—something that so overwhelmed John he incorporated it

into how he described himself even years later when he wrote

his Gospel. We experience love.John always referred to himself as “the disciple whom Jesus

loved,” as though the concept still left him slack-jawed with awe.

As we follow John’s footsteps, listening to Jesus, witnessing his

death and rejoicing at his resurrection, we experience that awe

for ourselves. For we realize that we, too, are the disciples whom Jesus loves.

John

The Word Became Flesh

1 In the be gin ning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was

God. 2 He was with God in the be gin ning.3 � rough him all things were made; with out

him noth ing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 � e light shines in the dark ness, but the dark-ness has not un der stood a it.

6 � ere came a man who was sent from God; a 5 Or darkness, and the darkness has not overcome

1282

Author:The apostle John.

Audience:Followers of Jesus. John wrote to con-

vince unbelievers and the doubting.

Date:About A.D. 85–90,

before John’s exile to the island

of Patmos.

Setting:John’s eye witness

account is presum-ably the last Gospel

written.

Verse to Remember:Jesus answered,

“I am the way and the truth and the

life. No one comes to the Father

except through me.” (14:6)

1197

Extravagant LoveR e a d : M a t t h e w 2 6 : 6 – 1 3

“EXTRAVAGANT.” “OVER THE TOP.” “Totally in character for her,” the disciples around the table might have thought. This woman did not follow convention. She didn’t care that the men in the room were watching or what they thought. She just acted, and as a result, she is remembered to this day.

This scene continues to be an example of extravagant love. We know from John’s Gospel that the woman mentioned here is Mary of Bethany, the sister of Lazarus and Martha. This event took place during the fi nal week of Jesus’ life, after he had raised Mary’s brother from the dead and wept with her and her sister. Mary’s life and faith must have undergone signifi cant transformation in those following days and weeks. Although we can’t know for sure what Mary was thinking, her act echoed the preparation of a body for burial. Mary’s act wittingly or unwittingly foreshadowed Jesus’ coming death on the cross.

Put yourself in Mary’s shoes. Perhaps she had followed Christ and heard his predictions about the signs of the end times. Maybe she had heard him tell the parable of the ten virgins. She must have sensed something was different about Jesus that night. Although she may not have understood the full meaning of Jesus’ words, Mary poured out her expensive perfume from an alabaster jar, anointing Jesus with her love. Most likely, she gave her Lord the most valuable thing she possessed. Though others criticized her, Jesus praised her for her extravagant expression of love for him, for preparing him for his burial in a symbolic way.

Abraham loved his son Isaac, yet he willingly offered him to God; and God gave him back as a blessing. Hannah offered Samuel to the Lord’s service and has gone down in history as a woman most blessed. Mary had an alabaster jar of perfume. She broke it open and poured it out as a love offering. Jesus praised her actions and promised she would always be remembered.

What is your most precious possession? Are you willing to pour out your time? Your money? Your gifts? Your talents? When you give your best to Jesus, he will accept your offering of extravagant love with joy.

Matthew 26:10–12Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial.”

reflection

1 What are you willing to offer Jesus today?

2 What are you holding back?

3 Do you ever worry about what others will

think of your actions? Ask God for courage and will-ingness to act for Jesus no matter what others may think.

RELATED READINGS

Genesis 22:1–19; 1 Samuel 1:21—2:11; Mark 14:3–9; Luke 6:38

“We can do no great things—only small things with great love.”Mother Teresa

Go to page 1205 for your next devotional reading.

viii

INTRODUCTION

• Reading plansYou’ll be able to discover the devotional path

that works best for you by exploring the read-ing plans included in the back of this book .

• Subject indexYou can look up a wide variety of subjects in the index in the back of this Bible and can then turn to the listed

page number for a devotion that fits your need .

There’s no better time than now to devote yourself to God and his Word . Start to build a strong and intimate relationship with the One who created you and loved you before the foundation of the earth by beginning a devotional relationship with God . May God reveal himself to you in profound ways as you open the door to his Word and his heart!

DAY PASSAGEJanuary 1 . . . . . . . Genesis 1—4January 2 . . . . . . . Genesis 5—8January 3 . . . . . . . Genesis 9—12January 4 . . . . . . . Genesis 13—17January 5 . . . . . . . Genesis 18—20January 6 . . . . . . . Genesis 21—23January 7 . . . . . . . Genesis 24—25January 8 . . . . . . . Genesis 26—28January 9 . . . . . . . Genesis 29—31January 10 . . . . . . Genesis 32—35January 11 . . . . . . Genesis 36—38January 12 . . . . . . Genesis 39—41January 13 . . . . . . Genesis 42—43January 14 . . . . . . Genesis 44—46January 15 . . . . . . Genesis 47—50January 16 . . . . . . Exodus 1—4January 17 . . . . . . Exodus 5—7January 18 . . . . . . Exodus 8—10January 19 . . . . . . Exodus 11—13January 20 . . . . . . Exodus 14—16January 21 . . . . . . Exodus 17—20January 22 . . . . . . Exodus 21—23January 23 . . . . . . Exodus 24—27January 24 . . . . . . Exodus 28—30January 25 . . . . . . Exodus 31—34January 26 . . . . . . Exodus 35—37January 27 . . . . . . Exodus 38—40January 28 . . . . . . Leviticus 1—4January 29 . . . . . . Leviticus 5—7January 30 . . . . . . Leviticus 8—10January 31 . . . . . . Leviticus 11—13February 1 . . . . . . Leviticus 14—15February 2 . . . . . . Leviticus 16—18February 3 . . . . . . Leviticus 19—21February 4 . . . . . . Leviticus 22—23February 5 . . . . . . Leviticus 24—25February 6 . . . . . . Leviticus 26—27February 7 . . . . . . Numbers 1—2February 8 . . . . . . Numbers 3—4February 9 . . . . . . Numbers 5—6February 10 . . . . . Numbers 7February 11 . . . . . Numbers 8—10February 12 . . . . . Numbers 11—13February 13 . . . . . Numbers 14—15February 14 . . . . . Numbers 16—18February 15 . . . . . Numbers 19—21

DAY PASSAGEFebruary 16 . . . . . Numbers 22—24February 17 . . . . . Numbers 25—26February 18 . . . . . Numbers 27—29February 19 . . . . . Numbers 30—32February 20 . . . . . Numbers 33—36February 21 . . . . . Deuteronomy 1—2February 22 . . . . . Deuteronomy 3—4February 23. . . . . . Deuteronomy 5—8February 24 . . . . . Deuteronomy 9—11February 25 . . . . . Deuteronomy 12—15February 26 . . . . . Deuteronomy 16—19February 27 . . . . . Deuteronomy 20—23February 28 . . . . . Deuteronomy 24—27March 1. . . . . . . . . Deuteronomy 28—29March 2. . . . . . . . . Deuteronomy 30—32March 3. . . . . . . . . Deuteronomy 33—34March 4. . . . . . . . . Joshua 1—4March 5. . . . . . . . . Joshua 5—7March 6. . . . . . . . . Joshua 8—10March 7. . . . . . . . . Joshua 11—13March 8. . . . . . . . . Joshua 14—17March 9. . . . . . . . . Joshua 18—20March 10 . . . . . . . Joshua 21—22March 11 . . . . . . . Joshua 23—24March 12 . . . . . . . Judges 1—3March 13 . . . . . . . Judges 4—5March 14 . . . . . . . Judges 6—8March 15 . . . . . . . Judges 9—10March 16 . . . . . . . Judges 11—13March 17 . . . . . . . Judges 14—16March 18 . . . . . . . Judges 17—19March 19 . . . . . . . Judges 20—21March 20 . . . . . . . Ruth 1—4March 21 . . . . . . . 1 Samuel 1—3March 22 . . . . . . . 1 Samuel 4—7March 23 . . . . . . . 1 Samuel 8—12March 24 . . . . . . . 1 Samuel 13—14March 25 . . . . . . . 1 Samuel 15—16March 26 . . . . . . . 1 Samuel 17—18March 27 . . . . . . . 1 Samuel 19—21March 28 . . . . . . . 1 Samuel 22—24March 29 . . . . . . . 1 Samuel 25—27March 30 . . . . . . . 1 Samuel 28—31March 31 . . . . . . . 2 Samuel 1—3April 1 . . . . . . . . . . 2 Samuel 4—7April 2 . . . . . . . . . . 2 Samuel 8—11

One Year Through the BibleREADING PLANS

1543

SUBJECT INDEX

Subject Index

Abuse, 46, 741, 1012

Accepting Jesus Christ, 375, 1161, 1286, 1291, 1338, 1475, 1485, 1537

Aging, 273, 726, 795, 1238

Anger, 781

Answered prayers, 152, 1268, 1341

Anxiety, 941, 1439

Appearance, 3, 223, 726, 795

Bible and self-improvement, 219, 955, 1176, 1384

Blessings, 90, 371, 799, 1116

Brokenness, 43

Bullies, 1122

Changes, 1519

Character building, 1303, 1242, 1246, 1271, 1410

Childbirth, 269

Children, 71, 436, 1220, 1323

Choices, 28, 326, 343, 446, 535, 933, 1009, 1116

Christ’s name, using, 165, 829, 1352

Christ’s resurrection, 1231, 1259, 1303, 1320, 1323, 1404

Christ’s return, 1195

Church leadership, 182, 1423

Compassion, 577, 868

Complaining, 189

Compromising beliefs, 429

Confession, 124, 248, 329, 665, 689, 847, 863, 1080

Con� dence, 701, 1197, 1404

Courage, 298, 347, 398, 515, 603, 741, 929

Daughters, 178, 982

Death, 320, 389, 849, 1022, 1038, 1404, 1537

Death of Jesus Christ, 1316

Deception, 37, 219, 243, 429, 457, 1347

Decision making, 28, 84, 366, 398, 579

Disabilities, 1261

Discipleship, 1205, 1208

Discouragement, 189, 852, 924, 992

Divorce, 1186

Encouragement, 174, 505, 515, 769, 788, 1115, 1384, 1439

Eternity, 615, 849, 1523, 1537

Evangelism, 143, 261, 273, 754, 915, 1227, 1231, 1284, 1338, 1361, 1368, 1423, 1483, 1462, 1529

Faith, 334, 427, 571, 1034, 1155

Faith, building, 131, 248, 258, 347, 366, 863, 1284, 1452

Faith during life’s storms, 9, 304, 393, 467, 603, 619, 635, 1448

Faith in Christ, 615, 1220

Faithfulness, 515, 607, 693, 919, 941

1569

ix

A Library in ItselfThe Bible is comprised of 66 individual books . . . written by different authors . . . with different writing styles . . . in different eras of history . . . with different purposes . What separates the Bible from other anthologies is the fact that God himself guided the writing of Scripture . The result is one amazingly cohesive book made up of disparate parts . Here’s a quick look at the different genres you’ll find as you explore the books of Scripture .

OLD TESTAMENTBooks of the LawGenesis through DeuteronomyThe first five books of the Bible (the Pentateuch) detail God’s interaction with his human creation . They offer vivid stories of God making himself known to individuals . Specifically, these books catalog God’s dealings with the Israelites, his chosen people . They give us snapshots of his love, mercy, justice and holiness . We see how he rewards faithfulness and punishes disobedience . In these books, God establishes his rules for living and how he expects to govern the lives of his people .

Books of HistoryJoshua through EstherThese books record the history of the Israelites, including stories of women such as Rahab, Delilah, Bathsheba and Queen Esther . This time period establishes a familiar pattern in Israel’s relationship with God: God instructs his people and desires to reward them with blessings and fellowship; they reject his instructions and disobey him; God reprimands the disobedient; they recognize their er-ror and cry out in repentance; God forgives them and restores them to fellowship . This pattern of rejection-reprimand-repentance-restoration is repeated throughout the books of history .

Books of PoetryJob through Song of SongsThese books record the thoughts, personal struggles and hard-earned wisdom of God’s people . They address timeless topics such as why people suffer, what kind of worship is pleasing to God and how God’s wisdom can be applied to our lives today .

Books of the ProphetsIsaiah through MalachiThe books of prophecy are God’s way of speaking to his people, making his intentions and plans known to them, as well as giving them directives for their attitudes and behaviors . Not only do the prophets offer warnings to the people of Israel, they also point to the long-awaited Messiah, the One who would ultimately restore the relationship between God and humans and will come again to establish his eternal kingdom .

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A LIBRARY IN ITSELF

NEW TESTAMENTBooks of HistoryMatthew through ActsThe first four books of the New Testament—the Gospels—present four different yet complemen-tary accounts of the life of Christ .

Before Jesus returned to heaven, he instructed his followers to spread his Good News through-out the world . The book of Acts details the efforts of early believers—including many women—to do just that . Here you’ll see the beginning of the church, the body of Christ on earth .

LettersRomans through RevelationThe Epistles, which were written to the early churches and church leaders, encouraged believers and addressed problems they faced . Through them, the Lord outlined the basic doctrines of faith and the responsibilities of believers . Since women were a vital part of the early church, you can see the impact they had in the churches and how their lives can inspire and encourage you today .

xi

Preface to the New International VersionTHE NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION is a completely new translation of the Holy Bible made by over a hundred scholars working directly from the best available Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek texts . It had its beginning in 1965 when, after several years of exploratory study by committees from the Christian Reformed Church and the National Association of Evangelicals, a group of scholars met at Palos Heights, Illinois, and concurred in the need for a new translation of the Bible in contemporary English . This group, though not made up of official church representatives, was transdenominational . Its conclusion was endorsed by a large number of leaders from many denominations who met in Chicago in 1966 .

Responsibility for the new version was delegated by the Palos Heights group to a self-governing body of fifteen, the Committee on Bible Translation, composed for the most part of biblical scholars from colleges, universities and seminaries . In 1967 the New York Bible Society (now the International Bible Society) generously undertook the financial sponsorship of the project—a sponsorship that made it possible to enlist the help of many distinguished scholars . The fact that participants from the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand worked together gave the project its international scope . That they were from many denominations—including Anglican, Assemblies of God, Baptist, Brethren, Christian Reformed, Church of Christ, Evangelical Free, Lutheran, Mennonite, Methodist, Nazarene, Presbyterian, Wesleyan and other churches—helped to safeguard the translation from sectarian bias .

How it was made helps to give the New International Version its distinctiveness . The translation of each book was assigned to a team of scholars . Next, one of the Intermediate Editorial Committees revised the initial translation, with constant reference to the Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek . Their work then went to one of the General Editorial Committees, which checked it in detail and made another thorough revision . This revision in turn was carefully reviewed by the Committee on Bible Translation, which made further changes and then released the final version for publication . In this way the entire Bible underwent three revisions, during each of which the translation was examined for its faithfulness to the original languages and for its English style .

All this involved many thousands of hours of research and discussion regarding the meaning of the texts and the precise way of putting them into English . It may well be that no other translation has been made by a more thorough process of review and revision from committee to committee than this one .

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From the beginning of the project, the Committee on Bible Translation held to certain goals for the New International Version: that it would be an accurate translation and one that would have clarity and literary quality and so prove suitable for public and private reading, teaching, preaching, memorizing and liturgical use . The Committee also sought to preserve some measure of continuity with the long tradition of translating the Scriptures into English .

In working toward these goals, the translators were united in their commitment to the authority and infallibility of the Bible as God’s Word in written form . They believe that it contains the divine answer to the deepest needs of humanity, that it sheds unique light on our path in a dark world, and that it sets forth the way to our eternal well-being .

The first concern of the translators has been the accuracy of the translation and its fidelity to the thought of the biblical writers . They have weighed the significance of the lexical and grammatical details of the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek texts . At the same time, they have striven for more than a word-for-word translation . Because thought patterns and syntax differ from language to language, faithful communication of the meaning of the writers of the Bible demands frequent modifications in sentence structure and constant regard for the contextual meanings of words .

A sensitive feeling for style does not always accompany scholarship . Accord-ingly the Committee on Bible Translation submitted the developing version to a number of stylistic consultants . Two of them read every book of both Old and New Testaments twice—once before and once after the last major revision—and made invaluable suggestions . Samples of the translation were tested for clarity and ease of reading by various kinds of people—young and old, highly educated and less well educated, ministers and laymen .

Concern for clear and natural English—that the New International Version should be idiomatic but not idiosyncratic, contemporary but not dated—motivated the translators and consultants . At the same time, they tried to reflect the differing styles of the biblical writers . In view of the international use of English, the translators sought to avoid obvious Americanisms on the one hand and obvious Anglicisms on the other . A British edition reflects the comparatively few differences of significant idiom and of spelling .

As for the traditional pronouns “thou,” “thee” and “thine” in reference to the Deity, the translators judged that to use these archaisms (along with the old verb forms such as “doest,” wouldest” and “hadst”) would violate accuracy in translation . Neither Hebrew, Aramaic nor Greek uses special pronouns for the persons of the Godhead . A present-day translation is not enhanced by forms that in the time of the King James Version were used in everyday speech, whether referring to God or man .

For the Old Testament the standard Hebrew text, the Masoretic Text as published in the latest editions of Biblia Hebraica, was used throughout . The Dead Sea Scrolls contain material bearing on an earlier stage of the Hebrew text . They were consulted, as were the Samaritan Pentateuch and the ancient scribal traditions relating to textual changes . Sometimes a variant Hebrew reading in the margin of the Masoretic Text was followed instead of the text itself . Such instances, being

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PREFACE TO THE NIV

variants within the Masoretic tradition, are not specified by footnotes . In rare cases, words in the consonantal text were divided differently from the way they appear in the Masoretic Text . Footnotes indicate this . The translators also consulted the more important early versions—the Septuagint; Aquila, Symmachus and Theodotion; the Vulgate; the Syriac Peshitta; the Targums; and for the Psalms the Juxta Hebraica of Jerome . Readings from these versions were occasionally followed where the Masoretic Text seemed doubtful and where accepted principles of textual criticism showed that one or more of these textual witnesses appeared to provide the correct reading . Such instances are footnoted . Sometimes vowel letters and vowel signs did not, in the judgment of the translators, represent the correct vowels for the original consonantal text . Accordingly some words were read with a different set of vowels . These instances are usually not indicated by footnotes .

The Greek text used in translating the New Testament was an eclectic one . No other piece of ancient literature has such an abundance of manuscript witnesses as does the New Testament . Where existing manuscripts differ, the translators made their choice of readings according to accepted principles of New Testament textual criticism . Footnotes call attention to places where there was uncertainty about what the original text was . The best current printed texts of the Greek New Testament were used .

There is a sense in which the work of translation is never wholly finished . This applies to all great literature and uniquely so to the Bible . In 1973 the New Testament in the New International Version was published . Since then, suggestions for corrections and revisions have been received from various sources . The Committee on Bible Translation carefully considered the suggestions and adopted a number of them . These were incorporated in the first printing of the entire Bible in 1978 . Additional revisions were made by the Committee on Bible Translation in 1983 and appear in printings after that date .

As in other ancient documents, the precise meaning of the biblical texts is sometimes uncertain . This is more often the case with the Hebrew and Aramaic texts than with the Greek text . Although archaeological and linguistic discoveries in this century aid in understanding difficult passages, some uncertainties remain . The more significant of these have been called to the reader’s attention in the footnotes .

In regard to the divine name YHWH, commonly referred to as the Tetragram-maton, the translators adopted the device used in most English versions of rendering that name as “Lord” in capital letters to distinguish it from Adonai, another Hebrew word rendered “Lord,” for which small letters are used . Wherever the two names stand together in the Old Testament as a compound name of God, they are rendered “Sovereign Lord .”

Because for most readers today the phrases “the Lord of hosts” and “God of hosts” have little meaning, this version renders them “the Lord Almighty” and “God Almighty .” These renderings convey the sense of the Hebrew, namely, “he who is sovereign over all the ‘hosts’ (powers) in heaven and on earth, especially over the ‘hosts’ (armies) of Israel .” For readers unacquainted with Hebrew this does not make clear the distinction between Sabaoth (“hosts” or “Almighty”) and Shaddai (which can also be translated “Almighty”), but the latter occurs infrequently and

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is always footnoted . When Adonai and YHWH Sabaoth occur together, they are rendered “the Lord, the Lord Almighty .”

As for other proper nouns, the familiar spellings of the King James Version are generally retained . Names traditionally spelled with “ch,” except where it is final, are usually spelled in this translation with “k” or “c,” since the biblical languages do not have the sound that “ch” frequently indicates in English—for example, in chant . For well-known names such as Zechariah, however, the traditional spelling has been retained . Variation in the spelling of names in the original languages has usually not been indicated . Where a person or place has two or more different names in the Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek texts, the more familiar one has generally been used, with footnotes where needed .

To achieve clarity the translators sometimes supplied words not in the original texts but required by the context . If there was uncertainty about such material, it is enclosed in brackets . Also for the sake of clarity or style, nouns, including some proper nouns, are sometimes substituted for pronouns, and vice versa . And though the Hebrew writers often shifted back and forth between first, second and third personal pronouns without change of antecedent, this translation often makes them uniform, in accordance with English style and without the use of footnotes .Poetical passages are printed as poetry, that is, with indentation of lines and with separate stanzas . These are generally designed to reflect the structure of Hebrew poetry . This poetry is normally characterized by parallelism in balanced lines . Most of the poetry in the Bible is in the Old Testament, and scholars differ regarding the scansion of Hebrew lines . The translators determined the stanza divisions for the most part by analysis of the subject matter . The stanzas therefore serve as poetic paragraphs .

As an aid to the reader, italicized sectional headings are inserted in most of the books . They are not to be regarded as part of the NIV text, are not for oral reading, and are not intended to dictate the interpretation of the sections they head .

The footnotes in this version are of several kinds, most of which need no explanation . Those giving alternative translations begin with “Or” and generally introduce the alternative with the last word preceding it in the text, except when it is a single-word alternative; in poetry quoted in a footnote a slant mark indicates a line division . Footnotes introduced by “Or” do not have uniform significance . In some cases two possible translations were considered to have about equal validity . In other cases, though the translators were convinced that the translation in the text was correct, they judged that another interpretation was possible and of sufficient importance to be represented in a footnote .

In the New Testament, footnotes that refer to uncertainty regarding the original text are introduced by “Some manuscripts” or similar expressions . In the Old Testament, evidence for the reading chosen is given first and evidence for the alternative is added after a semicolon (for example: Septuagint; Hebrew father) . In such notes the term “Hebrew” refers to the Masoretic Text .

It should be noted that minerals, flora and fauna, architectural details, articles of clothing and jewelry, musical instruments and other articles cannot always be identified with precision . Also measures of capacity in the biblical period are particularly uncertain (see the table of weights and measures following the text) .

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Like all translations of the Bible, made as they are by imperfect man, this one undoubtedly falls short of its goals . Yet we are grateful to God for the extent to which he has enabled us to realize these goals and for the strength he has given us and our colleagues to complete our task . We offer this version of the Bible to him in whose name and for whose glory it has been made . We pray that it will lead many into a better understanding of the Holy Scriptures and a fuller knowledge of Jesus Christ the incarnate Word, of whom the Scriptures so faithfully testify .

The Committee on Bible TranslationJune 1978

(Revised August 1983)

Names of the translators and editors may be secured from the International Bible Society,

translation sponsors of the New International Version,1820 Jet Stream Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80921-3696 U .S .A

The Old Testament

Genesis

Every story has a beginning, a genesis. The beginning of

God’s story of his interactions with humanity is found in the very

first words of the Bible. In the beginning God created. From the

start God was present. He was at work.

However, in the freshness of a new world where the first

man and woman walked and talked with God, sin slithered in,

marring creation forever. But the God who hung every star in

place and laid every grain of sand upon the shore had, from

the beginning, a plan. The whole of Scripture, and indeed the

whole of history, is unveiled within the seeds of Genesis. It will

be many years before we see the fruit of those seeds, but they

are not years of dormancy. Throughout the world and within

individual lives, God is actively working to redeem

his creation. In Genesis we see him form covenants, bestow

blessings, test faithfulness and turn evil intentions into a greater

good—all for the purpose of one day redeeming the people

he created in his image. It’s a work that will continue until the

end of time, but the beginnings for all of it are found in Genesis.

The Beginning

1 In the be gin ning God created the heav­ens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was a

form less and empty, dark ness was over the sur face of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hov er ing over the wa ters.

3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was

good, and he separated the light from the dark ness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the dark ness he called “night.” And there was eve ning, and there was morn ing—the first day.

6 And God said, “Let there be an ex panse be­tween the wa ters to sep a rate wa ter from wa ter.” 7 So God made the ex panse and

a 2 Or possibly became

1

Author:Moses.

Audience:The people of Israel.

Date:Between 1446 and 1406 b.c.

Setting:The area called the Middle East today.

Verse to Remember:In the beginning God . . . (1:1)

GENESIS 1:8

separated the wa ter un der the ex panse from the wa ter above it. And it was so. 8 God called the ex panse “sky.” And there was eve ning, and there was morn ing—the sec ond day.

9 And God said, “Let the wa ter un der the sky be gath ered to one place, and let dry ground ap pear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground “land,” and the gath­ered wa ters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.

11 Then God said, “Let the land pro duce veg e ta tion: seed­bear ing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, ac cord ing to their var i ous kinds.” And it was so. 12 The land pro duced veg e ta tion: plants bear ing seed ac cord ing to their kinds and trees bear ing fruit with seed in it ac cord ing to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was eve ning, and there was morn ing—the third day.

14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the ex­panse of the sky to sep a rate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sea sons and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the ex panse of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to gov ern the day and the lesser light to gov ern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the ex panse of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to gov ern the day and the night, and to sep­a rate light from dark ness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was eve ning, and there was morn ing—the fourth day.

20 And God said, “Let the wa ter teem with liv ing crea tures, and let birds fly above the earth across the ex panse of the sky.” 21 So God created the great crea tures of the sea and ev ery liv ing and mov ing thing with which the wa ter teems, ac cord ing to their kinds, and ev ery winged bird ac cord ing to its kind. And God saw

that it was good. 22 God blessed them and said, “Be fruit ful and in crease in num ber and fill the wa ter in the seas, and let the birds in crease on the earth.” 23 And there was eve ning, and there was morn ing—the fifth day.

24 And God said, “Let the land pro duce liv­ing crea tures ac cord ing to their kinds: live stock, crea tures that move along the ground, and wild an i mals, each ac cord ing to its kind.” And it was so. 25 God made the wild an i mals ac cord ing to their kinds, the live stock ac cord ing to their kinds, and all the crea tures that move along the ground ac cord ing to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our im age, in our like ness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the live stock, over all the earth, a and over all the crea tures that move along the ground.”

27 So God created man in his own image,in the image of God he created him;male and female he created them.

28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruit ful and in crease in num ber; fill the earth and sub due it. Rule over the fish

of the sea and the birds of the air and over ev ery liv­ing crea ture that moves on the ground.”

29 Then God said, “I give you ev ery seed­bear­ing plant on the face of the whole earth and ev ery tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the crea tures that move on the ground—ev ery thing

that has the breath of life in it—I give ev ery green plant for food.” And it was so.

31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was eve ning, and there was morn ing—the sixth day.

a 26 Hebrew; Syriac all the wild animals

2

Genesis 1:27

God Is Our CreatorSo God created man

in his own image,in the image of God

he created him;male and female he

created them.

God ’s Image BearersR e a d : G e n e s i s 1 : 2 7 – 3 1

IMAGINE THE SCENE. Holding her hair back with one hand, the woman kneels and leans forward to drink from the clear pool of water. As her cupped hand reaches for the clear liquid, she draws back, startled. Who is the long-haired stranger staring back at her?

Perhaps even since the time Eve first caught sight of her reflec-tion in the Garden of Eden, women have dealt with the question of image. Polls consistently reveal that the majority of us are dissatisfied with our appearance. Confronted with a barrage of airbrushed photos of supermodels and celebrities adorning magazine covers, the average woman thinks she is too short, too fat, too unattractive, too imperfect. How can we ever measure up with the media’s standards of perfection?

The first chapter of the Bible supplies the answer. We were created in the image of one paradigm of perfection: our Creator. Our height, weight and skin color may indicate our human origins, but our soul and spirit reflect our Sovereign God.

When a child is born, it’s not unusual for someone to claim she’s the very “image” of a relative. But what does it mean to be created in the image of our heavenly Father? An image is a likeness or resemblance—a reflection as seen in a mirror. Scripture teaches that Jesus Christ is the “image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15). As we grow in faith, we who believe are gradually “being transformed into [Christ’s] likeness” (2 Corinthians 3:18). When we become like Jesus, we begin to look more and more like our heavenly Father.

God created us to convey the distinctive imprint of his divine nature to a world often blinded to his existence. Even our differ-ences reflect the One who delighted in creating a world of dazzling diversity: peculiar penguins and majestic eagles; towering red-woods and dwarf pines; blondes, brunettes and redheads . . . every person created with the individual imprint of the Creator’s hand to bear his image. So the next time you pass by a mirror, pause a mo-ment to gaze in wonder at the designer original whom God loves so dearly—you!

Genesis 1:27So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

reflection

1 How do you see God’s image reflected in the

lives of others you admire?

2 What factors from the past have damaged

your sense of self-worth?

3 Think of three ways in which you can beauti-

fully reflect the character-istics of your Creator by imitating Christ.

3

RELATED READINGS

Psalm 139:14; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Colossians 1:15; Revelation 7:9

“A handful of the earth to make God ’s image!”Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Go to page 9 for your next devotional reading.

GENESIS 2:1

2 Thus the heav ens and the earth were completed in all their vast ar ray.

2 By the sev enth day God had fin ished the work he had been do ing; so on the sev enth day he rested a from all his work. 3 And God blessed the sev enth day and made it holy, be cause on it he rested from all the work of cre at ing that he had done.

Adam and Eve4 This is the ac count of the

heav ens and the earth when they were created.

When the Lord God made the earth and the heav ens— 5 and no shrub of the field had yet ap peared on the earth b and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth b and there was no man to work the ground, 6 but streams c came up from the earth and wa­tered the whole sur face of the ground— 7 the Lord God formed the man d from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nos trils the breath of life, and the man be­came a liv ing be ing.

8 Now the Lord God had planted a gar den in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 And the Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground— trees that were pleas ing to the eye and good for food. In the mid dle of the gar den were the tree of life and the tree of the knowl edge of good and evil.

10 A river wa ter ing the gar den flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four head wa ters. 11 The name of the first is the Pi­shon; it winds through the en tire land of Hav­i lah, where there is gold. 12 (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin e and onyx are also there.) 13 The name of the sec ond river is the Gi hon; it winds through the en tire land of Cush. f 14 The name of the third river is the Ti­gris; it runs along the east side of As shur. And the fourth river is the Eu phra tes.

15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Gar den of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the gar den; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowl edge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”

18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suit able for him.”

19 Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each liv ing crea ture, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the live stock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field.

But for Adam g no suit able helper was found. 21 So the Lord God caused the man to

fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleep­ing, he took one of the man’s ribs h and closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib i he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

23 The man said,

“This is now bone of my bonesand flesh of my flesh;

she shall be called ‘woman, j ’for she was taken out of man.”

24 For this rea son a man will leave his fa ther and mother and be united to his wife, and they will be come one flesh.

25 The man and his wife were both na ked, and they felt no shame.

The Fall of Man

3 Now the ser pent was more crafty than any of the wild an i mals the Lord God

had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the gar den’?”

a 2 Or ceased ; also in verse 3 b 5 Or land ; also in verse 6 c 6 Or mist d 7 The Hebrew for man (adam) sounds like and may be related to the Hebrew for ground (adamah) ; it is also the name Adam (see Gen. 2:20). e 12 Or good; pearls f 13 Possibly southeast Mesopotamia g 20 Or the man h 21 Or took part of the man’s side i 22 Or part j 23 The Hebrew for woman sounds like the Hebrew for man.

4

Genesis 2:24

God Ordains Marriage

For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,

and they will become one flesh.

GENESIS 3:24

2 The woman said to the ser pent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the gar den, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the mid dle of the gar den, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ”

4 “You will not surely die,” the ser pent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, know ing good and evil.”

6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleas ing to the eye, and also de sir able for gain ing wis dom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her hus band, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they re al ized they were na ked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made cov er ings for them selves.

8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walk ing in the gar­den in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the gar den. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

10 He an swered, “I heard you in the gar­den, and I was afraid be cause I was na ked; so I hid.”

11 And he said, “Who told you that you were na ked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”

12 The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”

13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”

The woman said, “The ser­pent de ceived me, and I ate.”

14 So the Lord God said to the ser pent, “Be cause you have done this,

“Cursed are you above all the livestock

and all the wild animals!You will crawl on your belly

and you will eat dust

all the days of your life. 15 And I will put enmity

between you and the woman,and between your offspring a and hers;

he will crush b your head,and you will strike his heel.”

16 To the woman he said,

“I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing;

with pain you will give birth to children.Your desire will be for your husband,

and he will rule over you.”17 To Adam he said, “Be cause you lis tened to

your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat of it,’

“Cursed is the ground because of you;through painful toil you will eat of itall the days of your life.

18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you,and you will eat the plants of the field.

19 By the sweat of your browyou will eat your food

until you return to the ground,since from it you were taken;

for dust you areand to dust you will return.”

20 Adam c named his wife Eve, d be cause she would be­come the mother of all the liv­ing.

21 The Lord God made gar­ments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. 22 And the Lord God said, “The man has now be come like one of us, know ing good and evil. He must not be al lowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” 23 So the Lord God ban ished him from the Gar den of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 24 Aft er he drove

the man out, he placed on the east side e of the Gar den of Eden cher u bim and a flam ing sword

a 15 Or seed b 15 Or strike c 20 Or The man d 20 Eve probably means living. e 24 Or placed in front

5

Genesis 3:15

God Overcomes Satan

“And I will put enmitybetween you and

the woman,and between your off-

spring and hers;he will crush your head,

and you will strike his heel.”

GENESIS 4:1

flash ing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

Cain and Abel

4 Adam a lay with his wife Eve, and she be­came preg nant and gave birth to Cain. b

She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth c a man.” 2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.

Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an off er ing to the Lord. 4 But Abel brought fat por tions from some of the first born of his flock. The Lord looked with fa vor on Abel and his off er ing, 5 but on Cain and his off er ing he did not look with fa vor. So Cain was very an gry, and his face was down cast.

6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you an gry? Why is your face down cast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouch ing at your door; it de sires to have you, but you must mas ter it.”

8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” d And while they were in the field, Cain at tacked his brother Abel and killed him.

9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”

“I don’t know,” he re plied. “Am I my broth­er’s keeper?”

10 The Lord said, “What have you done? Lis ten! Your broth er’s blood cries out to me from the ground. 11 Now you are un der a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to re ceive your broth er’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it will no lon ger yield its crops for you. You will be a rest less wanderer on the earth.”

13 Cain said to the Lord, “My pun ish ment is more than I can bear. 14 To day you are driv ing me from the land, and I will be hid den from your pres ence; I will be a rest less wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”

15 But the Lord said to him, “Not so e; if any­one kills Cain, he will suff er ven geance seven

times over.” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. 16 So Cain went out from the Lord’s pres ence and lived in the land of Nod, f east of Eden.

17 Cain lay with his wife, and she be came preg nant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then build ing a city, and he named it aft er his son Enoch. 18 To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the fa ther of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the fa ther of Methushael, and Methushael was the fa ther of La mech.

19 La mech mar ried two women, one named Adah and the other Zil lah. 20 Adah gave birth to Ja bal; he was the fa ther of those who live in tents and raise live stock. 21 His broth er’s name was Ju bal; he was the fa ther of all who play the harp and flute. 22 Zil lah also had a son, Tu­bal­Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of g bronze and iron. Tu bal­ Cain’s sis ter was Na a­mah.

23 La mech said to his wives,

“Adah and Zillah, listen to me;wives of Lamech, hear my words.

I have killed h a man for wounding me,a young man for injuring me.

24 If Cain is avenged seven times,then Lamech seventy­seven times.”

25 Adam lay with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, i say ing, “God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.” 26 Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh.

At that time men be gan to call on j the name of the Lord.

From Adam to Noah

5 This is the writ ten ac count of Adam’s line.

When God created man, he made him in the like ness of God. 2 He created them male and fe­male and blessed them. And when they were created, he called them “man. k ”

3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own like ness, in his own im age; and he named him Seth. 4 Aft er Seth was born,

a 1 Or The man b 1 Cain sounds like the Hebrew for brought forth or acquired. c 1 Or have acquired d 8 Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; Masoretic Text does not have “Let’s go out to the field.” e 15 Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew Very well f 16 Nod means wandering (see verses 12 and 14). g 22 Or who instructed all who work in h 23 Or I will kill i 25 Seth probably means granted. j 26 Or to proclaim k 2 Hebrew adam

6

GENESIS 6:11

Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daugh ters. 5 Altogether, Adam lived 930 years, and then he died.

6 When Seth had lived 105 years, he be came the fa ther a of Enosh. 7 And aft er he be came the fa ther of Enosh, Seth lived 807 years and had other sons and daugh ters. 8 Altogether, Seth lived 912 years, and then he died.

9 When Enosh had lived 90 years, he be came the fa ther of Ke nan. 10 And aft er he be came the fa ther of Ke nan, Enosh lived 815 years and had other sons and daugh ters. 11 Altogether, Enosh lived 905 years, and then he died.

12 When Ke nan had lived 70 years, he be came the fa ther of Ma ha la lel. 13 And aft er he be came the fa ther of Ma ha la­lel, Ke nan lived 840 years and had other sons and daugh ters. 14 Altogether, Ke nan lived 910 years, and then he died.

15 When Ma ha la lel had lived 65 years, he be came the fa ther of Ja red. 16 And aft er he be came the fa ther of Ja red, Ma ha la lel lived 830 years and had other sons and daugh ters. 17 Altogether, Ma ha la lel lived 895 years, and then he died.

18 When Ja red had lived 162 years, he be came the fa ther of Enoch. 19 And aft er he be came the fa ther of Enoch, Ja red lived 800 years and had other sons and daugh ters. 20 Altogether, Ja red lived 962 years, and then he died.

21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he be­came the fa ther of Me thu se lah. 22 And aft er he be came the fa ther of Me thu se lah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daugh ters. 23 Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, be cause God took him away.

25 When Me thu se lah had lived 187 years, he be came the fa ther of La mech. 26 And aft er he be came the fa ther of La mech, Me thu se lah lived 782 years and had other sons and daugh ters. 27 Altogether, Me thu se lah lived 969 years, and then he died.

28 When La mech had lived 182 years, he had a son. 29 He named him Noah b and said, “He will com fort us in the la bor and pain ful toil of our hands caused by the ground the Lord has cursed.” 30 Aft er Noah was born, La mech lived 595 years and had other sons and daugh ters. 31 Altogether, La mech lived 777 years, and then he died.

32 Aft er Noah was 500 years old, he be came the fa ther of Shem, Ham and Ja pheth.

The Flood

6 When men be gan to in­crease in num ber on the

earth and daugh ters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daugh ters of men were beau ti ful, and they mar ried any of them they chose. 3 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not con tend with c man forever, for he is mor tal d; his days will be a hun dred and twenty years.”

4 The Neph i lim were on the earth in those days—and also aft er ward—when the sons of

God went to the daugh ters of men and had chil dren by them. They were the he roes of old, men of re nown.

5 The Lord saw how great man’s wick ed ness on the earth had be come, and that ev ery in­cli na tion of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. 6 The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. 7 So the Lord said, “I will wipe man kind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—men and an i mals, and crea­tures that move along the ground, and birds of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found fa vor in the eyes of the Lord.

9 This is the ac count of Noah.

Noah was a righ teous man, blame less among the peo ple of his time, and he walked with God. 10 Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Ja pheth.

11 Now the earth was cor rupt in God’s sight

a 6 Father may mean ancestor ; also in verses 7–26. b 29 Noah sounds like the Hebrew for comfort. c 3 Or My spirit will not remain ind 3 Or corrupt

7

Genesis 5:24

God Walks With His

PeopleEnoch walked with God;

then he was no more, because God took

him away.

GENESIS 6:12

and was full of vi o lence. 12 God saw how cor­rupt the earth had be come, for all the peo ple on earth had corrupted their ways. 13 So God said to Noah, “I am go ing to put an end to all peo ple, for the earth is filled with vi o lence be­cause of them. I am surely go ing to de stroy both them and the earth. 14 So make your self an ark of cy press a wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch in side and out. 15 This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. b 16 Make a roof for it and fin ish c the ark to within 18 inches d of the top. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, mid dle and up per decks. 17 I am go ing to bring flood wa ters on the earth to de­stroy all life un der the heav ens, ev ery crea ture that has the breath of life in it. Ev ery thing on earth will per ish. 18 But I will es tab lish my cov­enant with you, and you will en ter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. 19 You are to bring into the ark two of all liv ing crea tures, male and fe male, to keep them alive with you. 20 Two of ev ery kind of bird, of ev ery kind of an i mal and of ev ery kind of crea ture that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. 21 You are to take ev­ery kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.”

22 Noah did ev ery thing just as God commanded him.

7 The Lord then said to Noah, “Go into the ark,

you and your whole family, be­cause I have found you righ teous in this gen­er a tion. 2 Take with you seven e of ev ery kind of clean an i mal, a male and its mate, and two of ev ery kind of un clean an i mal, a male and its mate, 3 and also seven of ev ery kind of bird, male and fe male, to keep their var i ous kinds alive through out the earth. 4 Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face

of the earth ev ery liv ing crea ture I have made.”5 And Noah did all that the Lord com­

manded him.6 Noah was six hun dred years old when the

flood wa ters came on the earth. 7 And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives en tered the ark to es cape the wa ters of the flood. 8 Pairs of clean and un clean an i mals, of birds and of all crea tures that move along the ground, 9 male and fe male, came to Noah and en tered the ark, as God had commanded Noah. 10 And aft er the seven days the flood wa ters came on the earth.

11 In the six hun dredth year of No ah’s life, on the sev en teenth day of the sec ond month—on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the flood gates of the heav ens were opened. 12 And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights.

13 On that very day Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham and Ja pheth, together with his wife and the wives of his three sons, en tered the ark. 14 They had with them ev ery wild an i mal ac cord ing to its kind, all live stock ac cord ing to their kinds, ev ery crea ture that moves along the ground ac­cord ing to its kind and ev ery bird ac cord ing to its kind, ev­ery thing with wings. 15 Pairs of all crea tures that have the breath of life in them came to Noah and en tered the ark. 16 The an­i mals go ing in were male and fe male of ev ery liv ing thing, as God had commanded Noah. Then the Lord shut him in.

17 For forty days the flood kept com ing on the earth, and as the wa ters in­creased they lifted the ark high above the earth. 18 The wa ters rose and in creased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the sur face of the wa ter. 19 They rose greatly on the earth, and all the high moun tains un der the en tire heav­ens were cov ered. 20 The wa ters rose and cov­ered the moun tains to a depth of more than twenty feet. f, g 21 Ev ery liv ing thing that moved

a 14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain. b 15 Hebrew 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide and 30 cubits high (about 140 meters long, 23 meters wide and 13.5 meters high) c 16 Or Make an opening for light by finishing d 16 Hebrew a cubit (about 0.5 meter) e 2 Or seven pairs ; also in verse 3 f 20 Hebrew fifteen cubits (about 6.9 meters) g 20 Or rose more than twenty feet, and the mountains were covered

Genesis 6:17–18

God Protects Us“I am going to bring floodwaters on the

earth . . . Everything on earth will perish.

But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and

your wife and your sons’ wives with you. “

8