KJV Bible MWP Genesis 21:1 - 23:20

GENESIS Chapters 21 - 23 KJV Bible (1769 Edition) Modern Words Paraphrase (MWP) Copyright (c) 2007 David A. Wagner.

Genesis Chapter 21

(21:1) And the Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did to Sarah as he had spoken. (21:2) For Sarah conceived, and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of that God had spoken to him. (21:3) And Abraham called the name of his son that was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac. (21:4) And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him. (21:5) And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born to him. (21:6) And Sarah said, “God has made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.” (21:7) And she said, “Who would have said to Abraham, that Sarah should have nursed children? for I have born him a son in his old age.”

(21:8) And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned. (21:9) And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born to Abraham, mocking. (21:10) Therefore she said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman and her son: for the son of this slave woman will not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.” (21:11) And the thing was very serious in Abraham's sight because of his son. (21:12) And God said to Abraham, “Let it not be serious in your sight because of the lad, and because of your slave woman; in all that Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac will your son be called. (21:13) And also of the son of the slave woman will I make a nation, because he is your heir.” (21:14) And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.

(21:15) And the water was spent in the bottle, and she placed the child under one of the shrubs. (21:16) And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, “Let me not see the death of the child.” And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept. (21:17) And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, “What ailes you, Hagar? fear not; for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. (21:18) Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in your hand; for I will make him a great nation.” (21:19) And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink. (21:20) And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer. (21:21) And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.

(21:22) And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phicol the chief captain of his army spoke to Abraham, saying, “God is with you in all that you do: (21:23) Now therefore swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son: but according to the kindness that I have done to you, you will do to me, and to the land wherein you have visited.“(21:24) And Abraham said, “I will swear.”

(21:25) And Abraham confronted Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away. (21:26) And Abimelech said, “I know not who has done this thing: neither did you tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but today.” (21:27) And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them to Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant. (21:28) And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. (21:29) And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs that you have set by themselves?” (21:30) And he said, “For these seven ewe lambs will you take of my hand, that they may be a witness to me, that I have dug this well.” (21:31) Therefore he called that place Beersheba; because there they swore both of them. (21:32) Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phicol the chief captain of his army, and they returned into the land of the Philistines. (21:33) And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God. (21:34) And Abraham visited in the Philistines' land many days.


Genesis Chapter 22

(22:1) And it came to pass after these things, that God did test Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham”: and he said, “See, here I am.” (22:2) And he said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and get you into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains that I will tell you of.” (22:3) And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and chopped the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went to the place of that God had told him. (22:4) Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. (22:5) And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay you here with the donkey; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.” (22:6) And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. (22:7) And Isaac spoke to Abraham his father, and said, “My father”: and he said, “Here am I, my son.” And he said, “See the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” (22:8) And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.”

(22:9) And they came to the place that God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. (22:10) And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to kill his son. (22:11) And the angel of the Lord called to him out of heaven, and said, “Abraham, Abraham”: and he said, “Here am I.” (22:12) And he said, “Lay not your hand upon the lad, neither do you anything to him: for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son from me.” (22:13) And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and see behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.
(22:14) And Abraham called the name of that place “the Lord will provide”: as it is said to this day, “In the mount of the Lord it will be provided.”

(22:15) And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham out of heaven the second time, (22:16) And said, By myself have I sworn, says the Lord, for because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only fathered son: (22:17) That in blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply your heirs as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand that is upon the sea shore; and your heir will possess the gate of his enemies;
(22:18) And in your heir will all the nations of the earth be blessed; because you have obeyed my voice. (22:19) So Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.

(22:20) And it came to pass after these things, that it was told Abraham, saying, “See, Milcah, she has also born children to your brother Nahor;” (22:21) Huz his firstborn, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram, (22:22) And Chesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and Bethuel. (22:23) And Bethuel fathered Rebekah: these eight Milcah did bear to Nahor, Abraham's brother. (22:24) And his mistress, whose name was Reumah, she bore also Tebah, and Gaham, and Thahash, and Maachah.

Genesis Chapter 23

(23:1) And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah. (23:2) And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her. (23:3) And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying, (23:4) “I am a visitor and a traveler with you: give me a possession of a burying place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.” (23:5) And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, (23:6) “Hear us, my lord: you are a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchres bury your dead; none of us will withhold from you his sepulchre, but that you may bury your dead.” (23:7) And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth. (23:8) And he communed with them, saying, “If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and intreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar, (23:9) That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he has, which is in the end of his field; for as much money as it is worth he will give it me for a possession of a burying place amongst you.” (23:10) And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth: and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth, even of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying, (23:11) “No, my lord, hear me: the field give I you, and the cave that is therein, I give it you; in the presence of the sons of my people give I it you: bury your dead.” (23:12) And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land. (23:13) And he spoke to Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, “But if you will give it, I ask you, hear me: I will give you money for the field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there.” (23:14) And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, (23:15) “My lord, listen to me: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that between me and you? bury therefore your dead.” (23:16) And Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant.

(23:17) And the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave that was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure (23:18) To Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city. (23:19) And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan. (23:20) And the field, and the cave that is therein, were deeded to Abraham for a possession of a burying place by the sons of Heth.

KJV Bible MWP Genesis 19:1 - 20:18

GENESIS Chapters 19 - 20 KJV Bible (1769 Edition) Modern Words Paraphrase (MWP) Copyright (c) 2007 David A. Wagner.

Genesis Chapter 19

(19:1) And there came two angels to Sodom at evening; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground; (19:2) And he said, “See now, my lords, turn in, I ask you, into your servant's house, and stay all night, and wash your feet, and you will rise up early, and go on your ways.” And they said, “No; but we will stay in the street all night. “(19:3) And he insisted upon them greatly; and they turned in to him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat. (19:4) But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, encompassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter: (19:5) And they called to Lot, and said to him, “Where are the men that came in to you this night? bring them out to us, that we may have sex with them.” (19:6) And Lot went out at the door to them, and shut the door after him, (19:7) And said, “I ask you, brothers, do not so wickedly.(19:8) See now, I have two daughters that have not had sex with a man; let me, I ask you, bring them out to you, and do you to them as is good in your eyes: only to these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof.” (19:9) And they said, “Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to visit, and he will be a judge: now will we deal worse with you, than with them.” And they pressed extremely upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door. (19:10) But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door. (19:11) And they struck the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they tired themselves to find the door. (19:12) And the men said to Lot, “Have you here any besides? son in law, and your sons, and your daughters, and whatever you have in the city, bring them out of this place: (19:13) For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them is growing great before the face of the Lord; and the Lord has sent us to destroy it.” (19:14) And Lot went out, and spoke to his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, “Up, get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city.” But he seemed as one that kidded to his sons in law.

(19:15) And when the morning arose, then the angels hurried Lot, saying, Arise, take your wife, and your two daughters, which are here; should you be consumed in the iniquity of the city. (19:16) And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the Lord being merciful to him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city. (19:17) And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for your life; look not behind you, neither stay you in all the plain; escape to the mountain, should you be consumed. (19:18) And Lot said to them, “Oh, not so, my Lord: (19:19) See now, your servant has found grace in your sight, and you have magnified your mercy, which you have showed to me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, should some evil take me, and I die: (19:20) See now, this city is near to flee to, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape there, (is it not a little one?) and my soul will live. “ (19:21) And he said to him, “See, I have accepted you concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the request you have spoken. (19:22) Hurry you, escape there; for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. (19:23) The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar.

(19:24) Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven; (19:25) And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. (19:26) But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. (19:27) And Abraham got up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the Lord: (19:28) And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and saw, and, look, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.

(19:29) And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the place Lot dwelt.

(19:30) And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters. (19:31) And the firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in to us after the manner of all the earth: (19:32) Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will have sex with him, that we may preserve genes of our father.” (19:33) And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. (19:34) And it came to pass on the next day, that the firstborn said to the younger, “See, I lay last night with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go you in, and lie with him, that we may preserve the genes of our father.” (19:35) And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. (19:36) Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father. (19:37) And the firstborn bore a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites to this day. (19:38) And the younger, she also bore a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon to this day.

Genesis Chapter 20

(20:1) And Abraham journeyed from there toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and visited in Gerar. (20:2) And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister”: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah. (20:3) But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, “See, you are but a dead man, for the woman that you have taken; for she is a man's wife.” (20:4) But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, “Lord, will you kill also a righteous nation?” (20:5) Said he not to me, ‘She is my sister?’ and she, even she herself said, ‘He is my brother’: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.” (20:6) And God said to him in a dream, Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart; for I also withheld you from sinning against me: therefore suffered I you not to touch her. (20:7) Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you will live: and if you restore her not, know you that you will surely die, you, and all that are yours.

(20:8) Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were extremely afraid. (20:9) Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said to him, “What have you done to us? and what have I offended you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? you have done deeds to me that ought not to be done.” (20:10) And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What saw you, that you have done this thing?” (20:11) And Abraham said, “Because I thought, ‘Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will kill me for my wife's sake.’ (20:12) And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife. (20:13) And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said to her, This is your kindness that you will show to me; at every place where we will come, say of me, He is my brother.” (20:14) And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and male servants, and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife. (20:15) And Abimelech said, “See, my land is before you: dwell where it pleases you.” (20:16) And to Sarah he said, “See, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver: see, he is to you a covering of the eyes, to all that are with you, and with all other: thus she was vindicated.” (20:17) So Abraham prayed to God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his female servants; and they bore children. (20:18) For the Lord had completely closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham's wife.

KJV Bible MWP Genesis 16:1 - 18:33

GENESIS Chapters 16 - 18 KJV Bible (1769 Edition) Modern Words Paraphrase (MWP) Copyright (c) 2007 David A. Wagner.

Genesis Chapter 16

(16:1) Now Sarai Abram's wife bore him no children: And she had a female servant, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. (16:2) And Sarai said to Abram, “See now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing: I ask you, go in to my servant; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. (16:3) And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her servant the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. (16:4) And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived: And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. (16:5) And Sarai said to Abram, “My shame be upon you: I have given my servant into your embrace; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the Lord judge between me and you.” (16:6) But Abram said to Sarai, “See, your servant is in your hand; do to her as it pleases you.” And when Sarai dealt harshly with her, she fled from her face.

(16:7) And the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. (16:8) And he said, “Hagar, Sarai's servant, where came you? and where will you go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.” (16:9) And the angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her authority.” (16:10) And the angel of the Lord said to her, “I will multiply your heirs exceedingly, that it will not be numbered for immensity.” (16:11) And the angel of the Lord said to her, “See, you are with child, and will bear a son, and will call his name Ishmael; because the Lord has heard your affliction. (16:12) And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he will dwell in the presence of all his brothers.” (16:13) And she called the name of the Lord that spoke to her, “You God see me: for she said, “Have I also here looked after him that sees me?” (16:14) Therefore the well was called Beerlahairoi; see, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

(16:15) And Hagar bore Abram a son: And Abram called his son's name, which Hagar bore, Ishmael. (16:16) And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.


Genesis Chapter 17

(17:1) And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said to him, “I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be you innocent. (17:2) And I will make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.” (17:3) And Abram fell on his face: And God talked with him, saying, (17:4) “As for me, see, my covenant is with you, and you will be a father of many nations. (17:5) Neither will your name anymore be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made you. (17:6) And I will make you very fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings will come out of you. (17:7) And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your heirs after you in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God to you, and to your heirs after you. (17:8) And I will give to you, and to your heirs after you, the land wherein you are a visitor, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”

(17:9) And God said to Abraham, “You will keep my covenant therefore, you, and your heirs after you in their generations. (17:10) This is my covenant, which you will keep, between me and you and your heirs after you; Every man child among you will be circumcised. (17:11) And you will circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it will be a token of the covenant between me and you. (17:12) And he that is eight days old will be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any visitor, who is not of your genes. (17:13) He that is born in your house, and he that is bought with your money, must be circumcised: And my covenant will be in your genes for an everlasting covenant. (17:14) And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that person will be expelled from his people; he has broken my covenant.”

(17:15) And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you will not call her name Sarai, but Sarah will her name be. (17:16) And I will bless her, and give you a son also of her: yes, I will bless her, and she will be a mother of nations; kings of people will be of her.” (17:17) Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, “Will a child be born to him that is an hundred years old? and will Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?” (17:18) And Abraham said to God, “O that Ishmael might live before you!” (17:19) And God said, “Sarah your wife will bear you a son indeed; and you will call his name Isaac: And I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his heirs after him. (17:20) And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: See, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him greatly; twelve princes will he father, and I will make him a great nation. (17:21) But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah will bear to you at this set time in the next year.”

(17:22) And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham. (17:23) And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the same day, as God had said to him. (17:24) And Abraham was ninety years old and nine, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. (17:25) And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. (17:26) In the same day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son. (17:27) And all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money from the visitor, were circumcised with him.

Genesis Chapter 18

(18:1) And the Lord appeared to him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; (18:2) And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, look, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, (18:3) And said, “My Lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, pass not away, I ask you, from your servant: (18:4) Let a little water, I ask you, be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: (18:5) And I will fetch a bite of bread, and refresh you your bodies; after that you will pass on: for therefore are you come to your servant.” And they said, “So do, as you have said.” (18:6) And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make bread upon the hearth.” (18:7) And Abraham ran to the herd, and selected a calf tender and good, and gave it to a young man; and he hurried to dress it. (18:8) And he took butter, and milk, and the calf that he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.

(18:9) And they said to him, Where is Sarah your wife? And he said, See, in the tent. (18:10) And he said, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life; and, look, Sarah your wife will have a son.” And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him. (18:11) Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well advanced in age; and menstration ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. (18:12) Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old will I have pleasure, my lord being old also?” (18:13) And the Lord said to Abraham, “Therefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Will I of a certainty bear a child, which am old? (18:14) Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah will have a son.” (18:15) Then Sarah denied, saying, “I laughed not;” for she was afraid. And he said, “No; but you did laugh.”

(18:16) And the men rose up from there, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way. (18:17) And the Lord said, “Will I hide from Abraham that thing that I do; (18:18) Seeing that Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him? (18:19) For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they will keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he has spoken of him.” (18:20) And the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very serious; (18:21) I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it, which is come to me; and if not, I will know.”

(18:22) And the men turned their faces from there, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the Lord. (18:23) And Abraham drew near, and said, “Will you also destroy the righteous with the wicked? (18:24) Maybe there be fifty righteous within the city: will you also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? (18:25) That be far from you to do after this manner, to kill the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from you: Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (18:26) And the Lord said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.” (18:27) And Abraham answered and said, “See now, I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord, which am but dust and ashes: (18:28) Maybe there will lack five of the fifty righteous: will you destroy all the city for lack of five?” And he said, “If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it.” (18:29) And he spoke to him yet again, and said, “Maybe there will be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake.” (18:30) And he said to him, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Maybe there will thirty be found there.” And he said, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.” (18:31) And he said, “See now, I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord: Maybe there will be twenty found there.” And he said, “I will not destroy it for twenty's sake.” (18:32) And he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Maybe ten will be found there.” And he said, “I will not destroy it for ten's sake.” (18:33) And the Lord went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned to his place.

KJV Bible MWP Genesis 12:1 - 15:21

GENESIS Chapters 12 - 15 KJV Bible (1769 Edition) Modern Words Paraphrase (MWP) Copyright (c) 2007 David A. Wagner.

Genesis Chapter 12

(12:1) Now the Lord had said to Abram, "Get you out of your country, and from your kindred, and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you: (12:2) And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and you will be a blessing: (12:3) And I will bless them that bless you, and curse him that curses you: And in you will all families of the earth be blessed."

(12:4) So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken to him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. (12:5) And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the persons that they had acquired in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came. (12:6) And Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, to the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land. (12:7) And the Lord appeared to Abram, and said, “To your heirs will I give this land”: and there built he an altar to the Lord, who appeared to him. (12:8) And he removed from there to a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Ai on the east: and there he built an altar to the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord. (12:9) And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south.

(12:10) And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to visit there; for the famine was serious in the land. (12:11) And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, “See now, I know that you are an attractive woman to look upon: (12:12) Therefore it will come to pass, when the Egyptians will see you, that they will say, ‘This is his wife’: and they will kill me, but they will keep you alive. (12:13) Say, I pray you, you are my sister: that it may be well with me for your sake; and my soul will live because of you.” (12:14) And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians saw the woman that she was very attractive. (12:15) The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and praised her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house. (12:16) And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and male donkeys, and male servants, and female servants, and female donkeys, and camels.

(12:18) And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, “What is this that you have done to me? why did you not tell me that she was your wife? (12:19) Why said you, ‘She is my sister?’ so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore see your wife, take her, and go your way.” (12:20) And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.


Genesis Chapter 13

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

(13:2) And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold. (13:3) And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai; (13:4) To the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: And there Abram called on the name of the Lord. (13:5) And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents. (13:6) And the land was not able to support everyone, that both might dwell together: for their size was great, so that they could not dwell together. (13:7) And there was a struggle between the herdsmen of Abram's cattle and the herdsmen of Lot's cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land.

(13:8) And Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no quarreling, I ask you, between me and you, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are relatives. (13:9) Is not the whole land before you? separate yourself, I pray you, from me: if you will take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if you depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.” (13:10) And Lot lifted up his eyes, and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as you come to Zoar. (13:11) Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. (13:12) Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. (13:13) But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly.

(13:14) And the Lord said to Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, “Lift up now your eyes, and look from the place where you are northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: (13:15) For all the land that you see, to you will I give it, and to your heirs forever. (13:16) And I will make your heirs as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then will your heirs also be numbered. (13:17) Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it to you.” (13:18) Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar to the Lord.

Genesis Chapter 14

(14:1) And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations; (14:2) That these made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar. (14:3) All these were joined together in the valley of Siddim, which is the Dead Sea. (14:4) Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled. (14:5) And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, and struck the Rephaims in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzims in Ham, and the Emims in Shaveh Kiriathaim, (14:6) And the Horites in their mount Seir, to Elparan, which is by the wilderness. (14:7) And they returned, and came to Enmishpat, which is Kadesh, and struck all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, that dwelt in Hazezontamar. (14:8) And there went out the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (called Zoar;) and they joined battle with them in the valley of Siddim; (14:9) With Chedorlaomer the king of Elam, and with Tidal king of nations, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar; four kings against five. (14:10) And the valley of Siddim was full of tarpits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain. (14:11) And they took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their foods, and went their way. (14:12) And they took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.

(14:13) And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: And these were aligned with Abram. (14:14) And when Abram heard that his relative was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them to Dan. (14:15) And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and struck them, and pursued them to Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus. (14:16) And he brought back all the possessions, and also brought again his relative Lot, and his possessions, and the women also, and the people.

(14:17) And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's valley. (14:18) And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: And he was the priest of the most high God. (14:19) And he blessed him, and said, “Blessed be Abram of the most high God, owner of heaven and earth: (14:20) And blessed be the most high God, which has delivered your enemies into your hand.” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

(14:21) And the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, and take the captured possessions for yourself.” (14:22) And Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have taken an oath with my hand to the Lord, the most high God, the owner of heaven and earth, (14:23) That I will not take a thread even a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, should you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich’: (14:24) Except that which the young men have eaten, and the share of the captured possessions of the men that went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.”


Genesis Chapter 15

(15:1) After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Fear not, Abram: I am your shield, and your exceedingly great reward.” (15:2) And Abram said, “Lord God, what will you give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?” (15:3) And Abram said, “See, to me you have given no son: And, look, one born in my house is my heir.” (15:4) And, see, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This will not be your heir; but he that will come forth out of your own genes will be your heir.” (15:5) And he brought him forth abroad, and said, “Look now toward heaven, and observe the stars, if you be able to number them”: And he said to him, “So will your heirs be.” (15:6) And Abram believed in the Lord; and the Lord counted it to him for righteousness.

(15:7) And he said to him, “I am the Lord that brought you out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give you this land to inherit it.” (15:8) And he said, “Lord God, whereby will I know that I will inherit it?” (15:9) And he said to him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a female goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon. (15:10) And he took to him all these, and divided them down the middle, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not. (15:11) And when the birds of prey came down upon the corpses, Abram drove them away.

(15:12) And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, look, an horror of great darkness fell upon him. (15:13) And he said to Abram, “Know for sure that your heirs will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them; and they will enslave them four hundred years; (15:14) And also that nation, whom they will serve, will I judge: and afterward will they come out with great size. (15:15) And you will go to your fathers in peace; you will be buried in a good old age. (15:16) But in the fourth generation they will come here again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.”

(15:17) And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, see a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. (15:18) In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your heirs have I given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates: (15:19) The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, (15:20) And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, (15:21) And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.”

KJV Bible MWP Genesis 8:1 - 11:32

GENESIS Chapters 8 - 11 KJV Bible (1769 Edition) Modern Words Paraphrase (MWP) Copyright (c) 2007 David A. Wagner.

Genesis Chapter 8

(8:1) And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: And God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters subsided; (8:2) The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained; (8:3) And the waters returned from off the earth continually: And after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated. (8:4) And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat. (8:5) And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: In the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen.

(8:6) And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made: (8:7) And he sent forth a raven, which went back and forth, until the waters were dried up from off the earth. (8:8) Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the surface of the ground; (8:9) But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned to him into the ark, for the waters were on the surface of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in to him into the ark. (8:10) And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark; (8:11) And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, look, in her mouth was an olive leaf plucked off: So Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth. (8:12) And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; that returned not again to him anymore.

(8:13) And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: And Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, see, the surface of the ground was dry. (8:14) And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried. (8:15) And God spoke to Noah, saying, (8:16) “Go forth of the ark, you, and your wife, and your sons, and your sons' wives with you. (8:17) Bring forth with you every living thing that is with you, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.” (8:18) And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him: (8:19) Every animal, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatever creeps upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark.

(8:20) And Noah built an altar to the Lord; and took of every clean animal, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. (8:21) And the Lord smelled a sweet smell; and the Lord said in his heart, "I will not again curse the ground anymore for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again strike anymore everything living, as I have done. (8:22) While the earth remains, planting and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night will not cease."

Genesis Chapter 9

(9:1) And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. (9:2) And the fear of you and the dread of you will be upon every animal of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moves upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered. (9:3) Every moving thing that lives will be food for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. (9:4) But flesh with the life inside, which is the blood of the flesh, will you not eat. (9:5) And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every animal will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man. (9:6) Whoever sheds man's blood, by man will his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man. (9:7) And you, be you fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.”

(9:8) And God spoke to Noah, and to his sons with him, saying, (9:9) “And I, see, I establish my covenant with you, and with your descendants after you; (9:10) And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every animal of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every animal of the earth. (9:11) And I will establish my covenant with you; neither will all life be destroyed anymore by the waters of a flood; neither will there anymore be a submersion to destroy the earth. (9:12) And God said, This is the token of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: (9:13) I do set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. (9:14) And it will come to pass, when I bring a clouds over the earth, that the rainbow will be seen in the clouds: (9:15) And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all species; and the waters will no more become a submersion to destroy all life. (9:16) And the rainbow will be in the clouds; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all species that are upon the earth.” (9:17) And God said to Noah, “This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all life that is upon the earth.”

(9:18) And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: And Ham is the father of Canaan. (9:19) These are the three sons of Noah: And of them was the whole earth overspread.

(9:20) And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: (9:21) And he drank of the wine, and was drunk; and he was exposed within his tent. (9:22) And Ham, the father of Canaan, watched the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. (9:23) And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness. (9:24) And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done to him. (9:25) And he said, “Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants will he be to his brothers.” (9:26) And he said, “Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; and Canaan will be his servant. (9:27) God will enlarge Japheth, and he will dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan will be his servant. (9:28) And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years. (9:29) And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years: And he died.

Genesis Chapter 10

(10:1) Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and to them were sons born after the flood.

(10:2) The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. (10:3) And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah. (10:4) And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. (10:5) By these were the isles of the maritime peoples divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.

(10:6) And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Put, and Canaan. (10:7) And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtecha: And the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan. (10:8) And Cush fathered Nimrod: He began to be a mighty one in the earth. (10:9) He was a mighty hunter before the Lord: Therefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord. (10:10) And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. (10:11) Out of that land went forth Asshur, and built Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah, (10:12) And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: The same is a great city. (10:13) And Mizraim fathered Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim, (10:14) And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (out of whom came the Philistines,) and Caphtorim.

(10:15) And Canaan fathered Sidon his firstborn, and Heth, (10:16) And the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgasite, (10:17) And the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite, (10:18) And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite: and afterward were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad. (10:19) And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as you come to Gerar, to Gaza; as you go, to Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, even to Lasha. (10:20) These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their languages, in their countries, and in their nations.

(10:21) To Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder, even to him were children born. (10:22) The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram. (10:23) And the children of Aram; Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash. (10:24) And Arphaxad fathered Salah; and Salah fathered Eber. (10:25) And to Eber were born two sons: The name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother's name was Joktan. (10:26) And Joktan fathered Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah, (10:27) And Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah, (10:28) And Obal, and Abimael, and Sheba, (10:29) And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab: all these were the sons of Joktan. (10:30) And their dwelling was from Mesha, as you go to Sephar a mount of the east. (10:31) These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after their nations.

(10:32) These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations: And by these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood.

Genesis Chapter 11

(11:1) And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. (11:2) And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. (11:3) And they said one to another, “Come, let us make brick, and bake them with fire.” And they had brick for stone, and tar had they for mortar.” (11:4) And they said, “Come, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach to heaven; and let us make ourselves famous, otherwise we will be scattered abroad upon the surface of the whole earth.” (11:5) And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built. (11:6) And the Lord said, “See, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: And now nothing will be impossible for them, which they have imagined to do.” (11:7) “Come, let us go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. (11:8) So the Lord scattered them abroad from there upon the surface of all the earth: and they ceased to build the city. (11:9) Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confuse the language of all the earth: And from there did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the surface of all the earth.

(11:10) These are the generations of Shem: Shem was an hundred years old, and fathered Arphaxad two years after the flood: (11:11) And Shem lived after he fathered Arphaxad five hundred years, and fathered sons and daughters. (11:12) And Arphaxad lived five and thirty years, and fathered Salah: (11:13) And Arphaxad lived after he fathered Salah four hundred and three years, and fathered sons and daughters. (11:14) And Salah lived thirty years, and fathered Eber: (11:15) And Salah lived after he fathered Eber four hundred and three years, and fathered sons and daughters. (11:16) And Eber lived four and thirty years, and fathered Peleg: (11:17) And Eber lived after he fathered Peleg four hundred and thirty years, and fathered sons and daughters. (11:18) And Peleg lived thirty years, and fathered Reu: (11:19) And Peleg lived after he fathered Reu two hundred and nine years, and fathered sons and daughters. (11:20) And Reu lived two and thirty years, and fathered Serug: (11:21) And Reu lived after he fathered Serug two hundred and seven years, and fathered sons and daughters. (11:22) And Serug lived thirty years, and fathered Nahor: (11:23) And Serug lived after he fathered Nahor two hundred years, and fathered sons and daughters. (11:24) And Nahor lived nine and twenty years, and fathered Terah: (11:25) And Nahor lived after he fathered Terah an hundred and nineteen years, and fathered sons and daughters. (11:26) And Terah lived seventy years, and fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

(11:27) Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran fathered Lot. (11:28) And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldees. (11:29) And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram's wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah. (11:30) But Sarai was sterile; she had no child.

(11:31) And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came to Haran, and dwelt there. (11:32) And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran.

KJV Bible MWP Genesis 4:1 - 7:24

GENESIS Chapters 4 - 7 KJV Bible (1769 Edition) Modern Words Paraphrase (MWP) Copyright (c) 2007 David A. Wagner.

Genesis Chapter 4

(4:1) And Adam had sex with Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bore Cain, and said, “I have received a man from the Lord.” (4:2) And she again bore his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a farmer of the ground. (4:3) And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering to the Lord. (4:4) And Abel, he also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of the fat of the firstborn. And the Lord had respect to Abel and to his offering: (4:5) But to Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was furious, and his disposition fell. (4:6) And the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you furious? And why has your disposition fallen? (4:7) If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not well, sin lies at the door. And to you will be his desire, and you could rule over him.”

(4:8) And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and killed him. (4:9) And the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?” (4:10) And he said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries to me from the ground. (4:11) And now are you cursed from the earth, which has opened her mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand; (4:12) When you cultivate the ground, it will not now on yield to you her strength; a fugitive and a wanderer will you be in the earth.” (4:13) And Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. (4:14) See, you have driven me out this day from the surface of the earth; and from your face will I be hid; and I will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth; and it will come to pass, that every one that finds me will kill me.” (4:15) And the Lord said to him, “Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, should any finding him should kill him.” (4:16) And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.

(4:17) And Cain had sex with his wife; and she conceived, and bore Enoch: and he built a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch. (4:18) And to Enoch was born Irad: and Irad fathered Mehujael: and Mehujael fathered Methusael: and Methusael fathered Lamech. (4:19) And Lamech took to him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. (4:20) And Adah bore Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle. (4:21) And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ. (4:22) And Zillah, she also bore Tubalcain, an instructor of every craftsman in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubalcain was Naamah.

(4:23) And Lamech said to his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; you wives of Lamech, listen to my speech: For I have killed a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt. (4:24) If Cain will be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.

(4:25) And Adam had sex with his wife again; and she bore a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, has appointed me another heir instead of Abel, whom Cain murdered. (4:26) And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enosh: then began men to call upon the name of the Lord.

Genesis Chapter 5

(5:1) This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him; (5:2) Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created. (5:3) And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth: (5:4) And the days of Adam after he had fathered Seth were eight hundred years: and he fathered sons and daughters: (5:5) And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: And he died.

(5:6) And Seth lived an hundred and five years, and fathered Enosh: (5:7) And Seth lived after he fathered Enosh eight hundred and seven years, and fathered sons and daughters: (5:8) And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years: And he died.

(5:9) And Enosh lived ninety years, and fathered Kenan: (5:10) And Enosh lived after he fathered Kenan eight hundred and fifteen years, and fathered sons and daughters: (5:11) And all the days of Enosh were nine hundred and five years: And he died.

(5:12) And Kenan lived seventy years, and fathered Mahalalel: (5:13) And Kenan lived after he fathered Mahalalel eight hundred and forty years, and fathered sons and daughters: (5:14) And all the days of Kenan were nine hundred and ten years: And he died.

(5:15) And Mahalalel lived sixty and five years, and fathered Jared: (5:16) And Mahalalel lived after he fathered Jared eight hundred and thirty years, and fathered sons and daughters: (5:17) And all the days of Mahalalel were eight hundred ninety and five years: And he died.

(5:18) And Jared lived an hundred sixty and two years, and he fathered Enoch: (5:19) And Jared lived after he fathered Enoch eight hundred years, and fathered sons and daughters: (5:20) And all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and two years: And he died.

(5:21) And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and fathered Methuselah: (5:22) And Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah three hundred years, and fathered sons and daughters: (5:23) And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: (5:24) And Enoch walked with God: And he was not; for God took him.

(5:25) And Methuselah lived an hundred eighty and seven years, and fathered Lamech: (5:26) And Methuselah lived after he fathered Lamech seven hundred eighty and two years, and fathered sons and daughters: (5:27) And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years: And he died.

(5:28) And Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and fathered a son: (5:29) And he called his name Noah, saying, This same will comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground that the Lord has cursed. (5:30) And Lamech lived after he fathered Noah five hundred ninety and five years, and fathered sons and daughters: (5:31) And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years: And he died.

(5:32) And Noah was five hundred years old: And Noah fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Genesis Chapter 6

(6:1) And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the surface of the earth, and daughters were born to them, (6:2) That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were attractive; and they took them wives of all that they chose. (6:3) And the Lord said, My spirit will not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days will be an hundred and twenty years. (6:4) There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them, the same became mighty men that were of old, men of renown.

(6:5) And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (6:6) And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. (6:7) And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the surface of the earth; both man, and animal, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repents me that I have made them. (6:8) But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

(6:9) These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a righteous man and blameless in his society, and Noah walked with God. (6:10) And Noah fathered three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

(6:11) The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. (6:12) And God looked upon the earth, and, see, it was corrupt; for all mankind had corrupted his way upon the earth. (6:13) And God said to Noah, “The end of all life is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, see, I will destroy mankind with the earth. (6:14) Make you an ark of gopher wood; rooms will you make in the ark, and will pitch it within and without with pitch. (6:15) And this is the fashion that you will make it of: The length of the ark will be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.(6:16) A window will you make to the ark, and in a cubit will you finish it above; and the door of the ark will you set in the side of the ark; with lower, second, and third decks will you make it. (6:17) And, see, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all life, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and everything that is in the earth will die. (6:18) But with you will I establish my covenant; and you will come into the ark, you, and your sons, and your wife, and your sons' wives with you. (6:19) And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort will you bring into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they will be male and female. (6:20) Of fowls of their species, and of cattle of their species, of every creeping thing of the earth of their species, two of every sort will come to you, to keep them alive.
(6:21) And take you to you of all food that is eaten, and you will gather it to you; and it will be for food for you, and for them.” (6:22) Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.

Genesis Chapter 7

(7:1) And the Lord said to Noah, “Come you and all your house into the ark; for you have I seen righteous before me in this society. (7:2) Of every clean animal you will take to you by sevens, the male and his female: and of animals that are not clean by two, the male and his female. (7:3) Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep species alive upon the surface of all the earth. (7:4) For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the surface of the earth.” (7:5) And Noah did according to all that the Lord commanded him.

(7:6) And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth. (7:7) And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood. (7:8) Of clean animals, and of animals that are not clean, and of fowls, and of everything that creeps upon the earth, (7:9) There went in two and two to Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah. (7:10) And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.

(7:11) In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. (7:12) And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights. (7:13) In the same day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark; (7:14) They, and every animal after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort. (7:15) And they went in to Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life. (7:16) And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the Lord shut him in.

(7:17) And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and floated up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth. (7:18) And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the surface of the waters. (7:19) And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered. (7:20) Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered. (7:21) And all life died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of animal, and of every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth, and every man: (7:22) All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died. (7:23) And every living substance was destroyed that was upon the surface of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: And Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark. (7:24) And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days.

KJV Bible MWP Genesis 1:1 - 3:24

GENESIS Chapters 1- 3 KJV Bible (1769 Edition) Modern Words Paraphrase (MWP) Copyright (c) 2007 David A. Wagner.

Genesis Chapter 1

(1:1) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (1:2) And the earth was without form, and vacant; and darkness was upon the surface of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the surface of the waters.

(1:3) And God said, “Let there be light:” and there was light. (1:4) And God saw the light, that it was good: And God divided the light from the darkness. (1:5) And God called the light day, and the darkness he called night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

(1:6) And God said, "Let there be an atmosphere in the middle of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters." (1:7) And God made the atmosphere, and divided the waters that were under the atmosphere from the waters that were above the atmosphere: And it was so. (1:8) And God called the atmosphere heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

(1:9) And God said, “Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together to one place, and let the dry land appear:” And it was so. (1:10) And God called the dry land earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he seas: And God saw that it was good. (1:11) And God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb producing seed, and the fruit tree producing fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth:” And it was so. (1:12) And the earth brought forth grass, and herb producing seed after his kind, and the tree producing fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: And God saw that it was good. (1:13) And the evening and the morning were the third day.

(1:14) And God said, “Let there be lights in the atmosphere of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: (1:15) And let them be for lights in the atmosphere of the heaven to give light upon the earth:” And it was so. (1:16) And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: He made the stars also. (1:17) And God set them in the atmosphere of the heaven to give light upon the earth, (1:18) And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. (1:19) And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

(1:20) And God said, “Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that has life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open atmosphere of heaven.” (1:21) And God created great whales, and every living creature that moves, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: And God saw that it was good. (1:22) And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.” (1:23) And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

(1:24) And God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and animal of the earth after his kind:” And it was so. (1:25) And God made the animals of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps upon the earth after his kind: And God saw that it was good. (1:26) And God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”

(1:27) So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. (1:28) And God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.”

(1:29) And God said, “See, I have given you every herb producing seed, which is upon the surface of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree producing seed; to you it will be for food. (1:30) And to every animal of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to everything that creeps upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for food:” And it was so.

(1:31) And God saw everything that he had made, and, see, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Genesis Chapter 2

(2:1) Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. (2:2) And on the seventh day God ended his work that he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had made. (2:3) And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work that God created and made.

(2:4) These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, (2:5) And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to cultivate the ground. (2:6) But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole surface of the ground. (2:7) And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

(2:8) And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. (2:9) And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the middle of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

(2:10) And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it was parted, and became into four rivers. (2:11) The name of the first is Pishon: that is it that encompasses the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; (2:12) And the gold of that land is good: there is aromatic resin and the onyx stone. (2:13) And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that encompasses the whole land of Cush. (2:14) And the name of the third river is Tigris: that is it that goes toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.

(2:15) And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and to keep it. (2:16) And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat: (2:17) But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you will not eat of it: for in the day that you eat of the tree you will surely die.”

(2:18) And the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a companion designed for him.” (2:19) And out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them: and whatever Adam called every living creature, that was the name of the animal. (2:20) And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for Adam there was not found a companion suitable for him. (2:21) And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: And he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead of the rib; (2:22) And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her to the man. (2:23) And Adam said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: She will be called woman, because she was taken out of man.” (2:24) Therefore will a man leave his father and his mother, and will cleave to his wife: and they will be one flesh. (2:25) And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Genesis Chapter 3

(3:1) Now the serpent was more subtle than any animal of the field that the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Yes, has God said, ‘You will not eat of every tree of the garden?’” (3:2) And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: (3:3) But of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You will not eat of it, neither will you touch it, should you die.’” (3:4) And the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die: (3:5) For God does know that in the day you eat of the tree, then your eyes will be opened, and you will be as gods, knowing good and evil.” (3:6) And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit of the tree, and did eat, and gave also to her husband with her; and he did eat. (3:7) And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

(3:8) And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: And Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. (3:9) And the Lord God called to Adam, and said to him, “Where are you?” (3:10) And he said, “I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” (3:11) And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree, of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” (3:12) And the man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.” (3:13) And the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I did eat.”

(3:14) And the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed above all cattle, and above every animal of the field; upon your belly will you go, and dust will you eat all the days of your life: (3:15) And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your descendants and her descendants; it will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel.”

(3:16) To the woman he said, “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in sorrow you will bring forth children; and your desire will be to your husband, and he will rule over you.”

(3:17) And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree, of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You will not eat of it:’ Cursed is the ground for your sake; in sorrow will you eat of it all the days of your life; (3:18) Thorns also and thistles will it bring forth to you; and you will eat the herb of the field; (3:19) In the sweat of your face will you eat bread, until you return to the ground; for out of it were you taken: For dust you are, and to dust will you return.”

(3:20) And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living. (3:21) To Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

(3:22) And the Lord God said, “See, the man has become as one of us, to know good and evil: And now, should he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever:” (3:23) Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from where he was taken. (3:24) So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword that turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.