As he approached<n id="1" /> Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, &#8220;Look,<n id="2" /> I know that you are a beautiful woman.<n id="3" />

Why did you say, &#8216;She is my sister,&#8217; so that I took her<n id="1" /> to be my wife?<n id="2" /> Here is your wife!<n id="3" /> Take her and go!&#8221;<n id="4" />

<p class="bodytext">Abram said to Sarai, &#8220;Since your<n id="1" /> servant is under your authority,<n id="2" /> do to her whatever you think best.&#8221;<n id="3" /> Then Sarai treated Hagar<n id="4" /> harshly,<n id="5" /> so she ran away from Sarai.<n id="6" />p>

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

<p class="bodytext">Abraham<n id="1" /> said, &#8220;Since I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty are found there?&#8221; He replied, &#8220;I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.&#8221;p>

Look, this town<n id="1" /> over here is close enough to escape to, and it&#8217;s just a little one.<n id="2" /> Let me go there.<n id="3" /> It&#8217;s just a little place, isn&#8217;t it?<n id="4" /> Then I&#8217;ll survive.&#8221;<n id="5" />p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;Very well,&#8221; he replied,<n id="1" /> &#8220;I will grant this request too<n id="2" /> and will not overthrow<n id="3" /> the town you mentioned.

Isaac said to his father Abraham,<n id="1" /> &#8220;My father?&#8221; &#8220;What is it,<n id="2" /> my son?&#8221; he replied. &#8220;Here is the fire and the wood,&#8221; Isaac said,<n id="3" /> &#8220;but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">After these things Abraham was told, &#8220;Milcah<n id="1" /> also has borne children to your brother Nahor &#8211;

Here I am, standing by the spring.<n id="1" /> When<n id="2" /> the young woman goes out to draw water, I&#8217;ll say, &#8220;Give me a little water to drink from your jug.&#8221;

Rebekah said to her son Jacob, &#8220;Look, I overheard your father tell your brother Esau,

<p class="bodytext">So his father Isaac said to him,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Indeed,<n id="1" /> your home will bep> <p class="poetry">away from the richness<n id="2" /> of the earth,p> <p class="poetry">and away from the dew of the sky above.p>

She replied, &#8220;Here is my servant Bilhah! Have sexual relations with<n id="1" /> her so that she can bear<n id="2" /> children<n id="3" /> for me<n id="4" /> and I can have a family through her.&#8221;<n id="5" />p>

Judah said, &#8220;Let her keep the things<n id="1" /> for herself. Otherwise we will appear to be dishonest.<n id="2" /> I did indeed send this young goat, but you couldn&#8217;t find her.&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">After three months Judah was told,<n id="1" /> &#8220;Your daughter-in-law Tamar has turned to prostitution,<n id="2" /> and as a result she has become pregnant.&#8221;<n id="3" /> Judah said, &#8220;Bring her out and let her be burned!&#8221;

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<n id="1" /> seven years of famine.

He then said, &#8220;Look, I hear that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy grain for us<n id="1" /> so that we may live<n id="2" /> and not die.&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

You will be tested in this way: As surely as Pharaoh lives,<n id="1" /> you will not depart from this place unless your youngest brother comes here.

Reuben said to them, &#8220;Didn&#8217;t I say to you, &#8216;Don&#8217;t sin against the boy,&#8217; but you wouldn&#8217;t listen? So now we must pay for shedding his blood!&#8221;<n id="1" />

Now, do not be upset and do not be angry with yourselves because you sold me here,<n id="1" /> for God sent me<n id="2" /> ahead of you to preserve life!