As he approached ¹  Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “Look, ²  I know that you are a beautiful woman. ³ 

Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her ¹  to be my wife? ²  Here is your wife! ³  Take her and go!” ⁴ 

Abram said to Sarai, “Since your ¹  servant is under your authority, ²  do to her whatever you think best.” ³  Then Sarai treated Hagar ⁴  harshly, ⁵  so she ran away from Sarai. ⁶ 

As for Ishmael, I have heard you. ¹  I will indeed bless him, make him fruitful, and give him a multitude of descendants. ²  He will become the father of twelve princes; ³  I will make him into a great nation.

Abraham ¹  said, “Since I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty are found there?” He replied, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.”

Look, this town ¹  over here is close enough to escape to, and it’s just a little one. ²  Let me go there. ³  It’s just a little place, isn’t it? ⁴  Then I’ll survive.” ⁵ 

“Very well,” he replied, ¹  “I will grant this request too ²  and will not overthrow ³  the town you mentioned.

Isaac said to his father Abraham, ¹  “My father?” “What is it, ²  my son?” he replied. “Here is the fire and the wood,” Isaac said, ³  “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

After these things Abraham was told, “Milcah ¹  also has borne children to your brother Nahor –

Here I am, standing by the spring. ¹  When ²  the young woman goes out to draw water, I’ll say, “Give me a little water to drink from your jug.”

Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Look, I overheard your father tell your brother Esau,

So his father Isaac said to him, “Indeed, ¹  your home will be away from the richness ²  of the earth, and away from the dew of the sky above.

She replied, “Here is my servant Bilhah! Have sexual relations with ¹  her so that she can bear ²  children ³  for me ⁴  and I can have a family through her.” ⁵ 

Judah said, “Let her keep the things ¹  for herself. Otherwise we will appear to be dishonest. ²  I did indeed send this young goat, but you couldn’t find her.”

After three months Judah was told, ¹  “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has turned to prostitution, ²  and as a result she has become pregnant.” ³  Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned!”

The seven lean, bad-looking cows that came up after them represent seven years, as do the seven empty heads of grain burned with the east wind. They represent ¹  seven years of famine.

He then said, “Look, I hear that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy grain for us ¹  so that we may live ²  and not die.” ³ 

You will be tested in this way: As surely as Pharaoh lives, ¹  you will not depart from this place unless your youngest brother comes here.

Reuben said to them, “Didn’t I say to you, ‘Don’t sin against the boy,’ but you wouldn’t listen? So now we must pay for shedding his blood!” ¹ 

Now, do not be upset and do not be angry with yourselves because you sold me here, ¹  for God sent me ²  ahead of you to preserve life!