Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?

He said, &#8220;What pledge should I give you?&#8221; She replied, &#8220;Your seal, your cord, and the staff that&#8217;s in your hand.&#8221; So he gave them to her and had sex with her.<n id="1" /> She became pregnant by him.

But then he drew back his hand, and his brother came out before him.<n id="1" /> She said, &#8220;How you have broken out of the womb!&#8221;<n id="2" /> So he was named Perez.<n id="3" />

But he refused, saying<n id="1" /> to his master&#8217;s wife, &#8220;Look, my master does not give any thought<n id="2" /> to his household with me here,<n id="3" /> and everything that he owns he has put into my care.<n id="4" />

Joseph said to them, &#8220;What did you think you were doing?<n id="1" /> Don&#8217;t you know that a man like me can find out things like this by divination?&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

<p class="bodytext">Pharaoh said to Joseph&#8217;s<n id="1" /> brothers, &#8220;What is your occupation?&#8221; They said to Pharaoh, &#8220;Your servants take care of flocks, just as our ancestors did.&#8221;<n id="2" />

The <sc>Lordsc> God formed<n id="1" /> out of the ground every living animal of the field and every bird of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would<n id="2" /> name them, and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name.

Abimelech summoned Abraham and said to him, &#8220;What have you done to us? What sin did I commit against you that would cause you to bring such great guilt on me and my kingdom?<n id="1" /> You have done things to me that should not be done!&#8221;<n id="2" />

<p class="bodytext">But God heard the boy&#8217;s voice.<n id="1" /> The angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and asked her, &#8220;What is the matter,<n id="2" /> Hagar? Don&#8217;t be afraid, for God has heard<n id="3" /> the boy&#8217;s voice right where he is crying.

<p class="bodytext">Isaac replied to Esau, &#8220;Look! I have made him lord over you. I have made all his relatives his servants and provided him with grain and new wine. What is left that I can do for you, my son?&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">So Laban asked,<n id="1" /> &#8220;What should I give you?&#8221; &#8220;You don&#8217;t need to give me a thing,&#8221;<n id="2" /> Jacob replied,<n id="3" /> &#8220;but if you agree to this one condition,<n id="4" /> I will continue to care for<n id="5" /> your flocks and protect them:

Whoever has taken your gods will be put to death!<n id="1" /> In the presence of our relatives<n id="2" /> identify whatever is yours and take it.&#8221;<n id="3" /> (Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.)<n id="4" />p>

<p class="bodytext">Laban replied<n id="1" /> to Jacob, &#8220;These women<n id="2" /> are my daughters, these children are my grandchildren,<n id="3" /> and these flocks are my flocks. All that you see belongs to me. But how can I harm these daughters of mine today<n id="4" /> or the children to whom they have given birth?

When he told his father and his brothers, his father rebuked him, saying, &#8220;What is this dream that you had?<n id="1" /> Will I, your mother, and your brothers really come and bow down to you?&#8221;<n id="2" />

He turned aside to her along the road and said, &#8220;Come on! I want to have sex with you.&#8221;<n id="1" /> (He did not realize<n id="2" /> it was his daughter-in-law.) She asked, &#8220;What will you give me in exchange for having sex with you?&#8221;<n id="3" />

He said to his brothers, &#8220;My money was returned! Here it is in my sack!&#8221; They were dismayed;<n id="1" /> they turned trembling one to another<n id="2" /> and said, &#8220;What in the world has God done to us?&#8221;<n id="3" />p>