what if there are five less than the fifty godly people? Will you destroy the whole city because five are lacking?” He replied, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.”

Then Abraham said, “May the Lord not be angry so that I may speak! What if thirty are found there?” He replied, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”

Then he said to them, “If you agree that I may bury my dead, then hear me out. Ask Ephron the son of Zohar

When I came to the spring today, I prayed, ‘O Lord, God of my master Abraham, if you have decided to make my journey successful, may events unfold as follows:

But the children struggled inside her, and she said, “If it is going to be like this, I’m not so sure I want to be pregnant!” So she asked the Lord,

so that you will not do us any harm, just as we have not harmed you, but have always treated you well before sending you away in peace. Now you are blessed by the Lord.”

Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come closer so I can touch you, my son, and know for certain if you really are my son Esau.”

So Isaac sent Jacob on his way, and he went to Paddan Aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean and brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.

He was afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is! This is nothing else than the house of God! This is the gate of heaven!”

If you mistreat my daughters or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one else is with us, realize that God is witness to your actions.”

“If Esau attacks one camp,” he thought, “then the other camp will be able to escape.”

Rescue me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, as well as the mothers with their children.

“No longer will your name be Jacob,” the man told him, “but Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have prevailed.”

Then his brothers asked him, “Do you really think you will rule over us or have dominion over us?” They hated him even more because of his dream and because of what he said.

Then they brought the special tunic to their father and said, “We found this. Determine now whether it is your son’s tunic or not.”

He replied, “I’ll send you a young goat from the flock.” She asked, “Will you give me a pledge until you send it?”

But remember me when it goes well for you, and show me kindness. Make mention of me to Pharaoh and bring me out of this prison,

If you are honest men, leave one of your brothers confined here in prison while the rest of you go and take grain back for your hungry families.

I myself pledge security for him; you may hold me liable. If I do not bring him back to you and place him here before you, I will bear the blame before you all my life.

But you said to your servants, ‘If your youngest brother does not come down with you, you will not see my face again.’