American Standard Version of 1901
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{Or, Seest thou…perfect?}Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect;
and the scripture was fulfilled which saith, {Genesis 15:6}And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness; {Isaiah 41:8; 2 Chronicles 20:7}and he was called the friend of God.
Ye see that by works a man is justified, and not only by faith.
Now Jehovah said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto the land that I will show thee:
and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and be thou a blessing:
and I will bless them that bless thee, and him that curseth thee will I curse: and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
So Abram went, as Jehovah had spoken unto him. And Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.
And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran: and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan: and into the land of Canaan they came.
And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Shechem, unto the {Or, terebinth}oak of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.
And Jehovah appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto Jehovah, who appeared unto him.
And he removed from thence unto the mountain on the east of Beth-el, and pitched his tent, having Beth-el on the west, and Ai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto Jehovah, and called upon the name of Jehovah.
And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the {Hebrew: Negeb, the southern tract of Judah.}South.
And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was sore in the land.
And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon:
and it will come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they will say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.
Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister; that it may be well with me for thy sake, and that my soul may live because of thee.
And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair.
And the princes of Pharaoh saw her, and praised her to Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.
And he dealt well with Abram for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he-asses, and men-servants, and maid-servants, and she-asses, and camels.
And Jehovah plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife.
And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?
why saidst thou, She is my sister, so that I took her to be my wife? Now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way.
And Pharoah gave men charge concerning him: and they brought him on the way, and his wife, and all that he had.
And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the South.
And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.
And he went on his journeys from the South even to Beth-el, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Beth-el and Ai,
unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of Jehovah.
And Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents.
And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together.
And there was a strife between the herdsmen of Abram's cattle and the herdsmen of Lot's cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelt then in the land.
And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdsmen and thy herdsmen; for we are brethren.
Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou take the right hand, then I will go to the left.
And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the {Or, Circle}Plain of the Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before Jehovah destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of Jehovah, like the land of Egypt, as thou goest unto Zoar.
So Lot chose him all the Plain of the Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.
Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the Plain, and moved his tent as far as Sodom.
Now the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners against Jehovah exceedingly.
And Jehovah said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art, northward and southward and eastward and westward:
for all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.
And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then may thy seed also be numbered.
Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for unto thee will I give it.
And Abram moved his tent, and came and dwelt by the {Or, terebinths}oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built there an altar unto Jehovah.
And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son, whom thou lovest, even Isaac, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.
After these things the word of Jehovah came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, {Or, thy reward shall be exceeding great}and thy exceeding great reward.
And Abram said, O Lord Jehovah, what wilt thou give me, seeing I {Or, go hence}go childless, and he that shall be possessor of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?
And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house in mine heir.
And, behold, the word of Jehovah came unto him, saying, This man shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.
And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and number the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
And he believed in Jehovah; and he reckoned it to him for righteousness.
And he said unto him, I am Jehovah that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.
And he said, O Lord Jehovah, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?
And he said unto him, Take me a heifer three years old, and a she-goat three years old, and a ram three years old, and a turtle-dove, and a young pigeon.
And he took him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each half over against the other: but the birds divided he not.
And the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.
And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, a horror of great darkness fell upon him.
And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be sojourners in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;
and also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge; and afterward shall they come out with great substance.
But thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.
And in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full.
And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold, a smoking furnace, and a flaming torch that passed between these pieces.
In that day Jehovah made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:
the Kenite, and the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite,
and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Rephaim,
and the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Girgashite, and the Jebusite.
And it came to pass after these things, that God did prove Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham; and he said, Here am I.
And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son, whom thou lovest, even Isaac, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.
And Abraham rose early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he clave the wood for the burnt-offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.
On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.
And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass, and I and the lad will go yonder; and we will worship, and come again to you.
And Abraham took the wood of the burnt-offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took in his hand the fire and the knife; and they went both of them together.
And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold, the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt-offering?
And Abraham said, God will {Hebrew: see for himself.}provide himself the lamb for a burnt-offering, my son: so they went both of them together.
And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built the altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, upon the wood.
And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
And the angel of Jehovah called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
And he said, Lay not thy hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him; for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me.
And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the 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.
And Abraham called the name of that place {That is, Jehovah will see, or provide.}Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of Jehovah {Or, he shall be seen}it shall be provided.
And the angel of Jehovah called unto Abraham a second time out of heaven,
and said, By myself have I sworn, saith Jehovah, because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son,
that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is upon the seashore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth {Or, bless themselves}be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beer-sheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beer-sheba.
And it came to pass after these things, that it was told Abraham, saying, Behold, Milcah, she also hath borne children unto thy brother Nahor:
Uz his first-born, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram,
and Chesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and Bethuel.
And Bethuel begat Rebekah. These eight did Milcah bear to Nahor, Abraham's brother.
And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, she also bare Tebah, and Gaham, and Tahash, and Maacah.
And Jehovah appeared unto him by the {Or, terebinths}oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood over against him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth,
and said, {Or, O Lord}My lord, if now I have found favor in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:
let now a little water be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:
and I will fetch a morsel of bread, and strengthen ye your heart; after that ye shall pass on: {Or, for therefore}forasmuch as ye are come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.
And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes.
And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto the servant; and he hasted to dress it.
And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.
And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.
And he said, I will certainly return unto thee when the season {Hebrew: liveth, or, reviveth.}cometh round; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him.
Now Abraham and Sarah were old, and well stricken in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
And Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?
And Jehovah said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, who am old?
Is anything too {Or, wonderful}hard for Jehovah? At the set time I will return unto thee, when the season {Hebrew: liveth, or, reviveth.}cometh round, and Sarah shall have a son.
Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.
And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.
And Jehovah said, Shall I hide from Abraham that which I do;
seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Jehovah, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that Jehovah may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
And Jehovah said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and {Or, Verily}because their sin is very grievous;
I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.
And the men turned from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before Jehovah.
And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou consume the righteous with the wicked?
Peradventure there are fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?
That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked, that so the righteous should be as the wicked; that be far from thee: shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
And Jehovah said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake.
And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, who am but dust and ashes:
peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, I will not destroy it, if I find there forty and five.
And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for the forty's sake.
And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.
And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake.
And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the ten's sake.
And Jehovah went his way, as soon as he had left off communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.
Didst not thou, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and give it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?
But thou, Israel, my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend,
The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold, a gluttonous man and a winebibber, a friend of {See marginal note on chapter 5:46.}publicans and sinners! And wisdom {Or, was}is justified by her {Many ancient authorities read children: as in Luke 7:35.}works.