Add parallel Print Page Options

The man had sexual relations with Havah his wife; she conceived, gave birth to Kayin [acquisition] and said, “I have acquired a man from Adonai. In addition she gave birth to his brother Hevel. Hevel kept sheep, while Kayin worked the soil. In the course of time Kayin brought an offering to Adonai from the produce of the soil; and Hevel too brought from the firstborn of his sheep, including their fat. Adonai accepted Hevel and his offering but did not accept Kayin and his offering. Kayin was very angry, and his face fell. Adonai said to Kayin, “Why are you angry? Why so downcast? If you are doing what is good, shouldn’t you hold your head high? And if you don’t do what is good, sin is crouching at the door — it wants you, but you can rule over it.” Kayin had words with Hevel his brother; then one time, when they were in the field, Kayin turned on Hevel his brother and killed him.

Adonai said to Kayin, “Where is Hevel your brother?” And he replied, “I don’t know; am I my brother’s guardian?” 10 He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground! 11 Now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood at your hands. 12 When you farm the ground it will no longer yield its strength to you. You will be a fugitive, wandering the earth.” 13 Kayin said to Adonai, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. 14 You are banning me today from the land and from your presence. I will be a fugitive wandering the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” 15 Adonai answered him, “Therefore, whoever kills Kayin will receive vengeance sevenfold,” and Adonai put a sign on Kayin, so that no one who found him would kill him. 16 So Kayin left the presence of Adonai and lived in the land of Nod [wandering], east of ‘Eden.

17 Kayin had sexual relations with his wife; she conceived and gave birth to Hanokh. Kayin built a city and named the city after his son Hanokh. 18 To Hanokh was born ‘Irad. ‘Irad fathered Mechuya’el, Mechuya’el fathered Metusha’el, and Metusha’el fathered Lemekh.

(S: v) 19 Lemekh took himself two wives; the name of the one was ‘Adah, while the name of the other was Tzilah. 20 ‘Adah gave birth to Yaval; he was the ancestor of those who live in tents and have cattle. 21 His brother’s name was Yuval; and he was the ancestor of all who play lyre and flute. 22 Tzilah gave birth to Tuval-Kayin, who forged all kinds of tools from brass and iron; the sister of Tuval-Kayin was Na‘amah. 23 Lemekh said to his wives,

“‘Adah and Tzilah, listen to me;
wives of Lemekh, hear what I say:
I killed a man for wounding me,
a young man who injured me.
24 If Kayin will be avenged sevenfold,
then Lemekh seventy-sevenfold!”

25 Adam again had sexual relations with his wife, and she gave birth to a son whom she named Shet [granted], “For God has granted me another seed in place of Hevel, since Kayin killed him.” 26 To Shet too was born a son, whom he called Enosh. That is when people began to call on the name of Adonai.

(vi) Here is the genealogy of Adam. On the day that God created man he made him in the likeness of God; he created them male and female; he blessed them and called them Adam [humankind, man] on the day they were created. After Adam lived 130 years he fathered a son like himself and named him Shet. After Shet was born, Adam lived another 800 years and had both sons and daughters. In all, Adam lived 930 years, and then he died.

Shet lived 105 years and fathered Enosh. After Enosh was born, Shet lived another 807 years and had sons and daughters. In all, Shet lived 912 years; then he died.

Enosh lived ninety years and fathered Kenan. 10 After Kenan was born, Enosh lived another 815 years and had sons and daughters. 11 In all, Enosh lived 905 years; then he died.

12 Kenan lived seventy years and fathered Mahalal’el. 13 After Mahalal’el was born, Kenan lived another 840 years and had sons and daughters. 14 In all, Kenan lived 910 years; then he died.

15 Mahalal’el lived sixty-five years and fathered Yered. 16 After Yered was born, Mahalal’el lived another 830 years and had sons and daughters. 17 In all, Mahalal’el lived 895 years; then he died.

18 Yered lived 162 years and fathered Hanokh. 19 After Hanokh was born, Yered lived 800 years and had sons and daughters. 20 In all, Yered lived 962 years; then he died.

21 Hanokh lived sixty-five years and fathered Metushelach. 22 After Metushelach was born, Hanokh walked with God 300 years and had sons and daughters. 23 In all, Hanokh lived 365 years. 24 Hanokh walked with God, and then he wasn’t there, because God took him.

(vii) 25 Metushelach lived 187 years and fathered Lemekh. 26 After Lemekh was born, Metushelach lived 782 years and had sons and daughters. 27 In all, Metushelach lived 969 years; then he died.

28 Lemekh lived 182 years and fathered a son, 29 whom he called Noach [restful]; for he said, “This one will comfort us in our labor, in the hard work we do with our hands [to get what comes] from the ground that Adonai cursed.” 30 After Noach was born, Lemekh lived 595 years and had sons and daughters. 31 In all, Lemekh lived 777 years; then he died.

32 Noach was 500 years old; and Noach fathered Shem, Ham and Yefet.

In time, when men began to multiply on earth, and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were attractive; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose. Adonai said, “My Spirit will not live in human beings forever, for they too are flesh; therefore their life span is to be 120 years.” The N’filim were on the earth in those days, and also afterwards, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them; these were the ancient heroes, men of renown.

(Maftir) Adonai saw that the people on earth were very wicked, that all the imaginings of their hearts were always of evil only. Adonai regretted that he had made humankind on the earth; it grieved his heart. Adonai said, “I will wipe out humankind, whom I have created, from the whole earth; and not only human beings, but animals, creeping things and birds in the air; for I regret that I ever made them.” But Noach found grace in the sight of Adonai.

Haftarah B’resheet: Yesha‘yahu (Isaiah) 42:5–43:10 (A); 42:5–21 (S)

B’rit Hadashah suggested readings for Parashah B’resheet: Mattityahu (Matthew) 1:1–17; 19:3–9; Mark 10:1–12; Luke 3:23–38; Yochanan (John) 1:1–18; 1 Corinthians 6:15–20; 15:35–58; Romans 5:12–21; Ephesians 5:21–32; Colossians 1:14–17; 1 Timothy 2:11–15; Messianic Jews (Hebrews) 1:1–3; 3:7–4:11; 11:1–7; 2 Kefa (2 Peter) 3:3–14; Revelation 21:1–5; 22:1–5

Parashah 2: Noach (Noah) 6:9–11:32

Here is the history of Noach. In his generation, Noach was a man righteous and wholehearted; Noach walked with God. 10 Noach fathered three sons, Shem, Ham and Yefet. 11 The earth was corrupt before God, the earth was filled with violence. 12 God saw the earth, and, yes, it was corrupt; for all living beings had corrupted their ways on the earth.

13 God said to Noach, “The end of all living beings has come before me, for because of them the earth is filled with violence. I will destroy them along with the earth. 14 Make yourself an ark of gofer-wood; you are to make the ark with rooms and cover it with pitch both outside and inside. 15 Here is how you are to build it: the length of the ark is to be 450 feet, its width seventy-five feet and its height forty-five feet. 16 You are to make an opening for daylight in the ark eighteen inches below its roof. Put a door in its side; and build it with lower, second and third decks.

17 “Then I myself will bring the flood of water over the earth to destroy from under heaven every living thing that breathes; everything on earth will be destroyed. 18 But I will establish my covenant with you; you will come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife and your sons’ wives with you.

19 “From everything living, from each kind of living being, you are to bring two into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they are to be male and female. 20 Of each kind of bird, each kind of livestock, and each kind of animal creeping on the ground, two are to come to you, so that they can be kept alive. 21 Also take from all the kinds of food that are eaten, and collect it for yourself; it is to be food for you and for them.” 22 This is what Noach did; he did all that God ordered him to do.

(ii) Adonai said to Noach, “Come into the ark, you and all your household; for I have seen that you alone in this generation are righteous before me. Of every clean animal you are to take seven couples, and of the animals that are not clean, one couple; also of the birds in the air take seven couples — in order to preserve their species throughout the earth. For in seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights; I will wipe out every living thing that I have made from the face of the earth.” Noach did all that Adonai ordered him to do.

Noach was 600 years old when the water flooded the earth. Noach went into the ark with his sons, his wife and his sons’ wives, because of the floodwaters. Of clean animals, of animals that are not clean, of birds, and of everything that creeps on the ground, couples, male and female, went in to Noach in the ark, as God had ordered Noach.

10 After seven days the water flooded the earth. 11 On the seventeenth day of the second month of the 600th year of Noach’s life all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of the sky were opened. 12 It rained on the earth forty days and forty nights.

13 On that same day Noach entered the ark with Shem, Ham and Yefet the sons of Noach, Noach’s wife and the three wives of his sons accompanying them; 14 they, and every animal of every species, all the livestock of every species, every animal that creeps on the ground of every species, and every bird of every species — all sorts of winged creatures. 15 They went in to Noach in the ark, couples from every kind of living thing that breathes. 16 Those that entered went in, male and female, from every kind of living being, as God had ordered him; and Adonai shut him inside.

(iii) 17 The flood was forty days on the earth; the water grew higher and floated the ark, so that it was lifted up off the earth. 18 The water overflowed the earth and grew deeper, until the ark floated on the surface of the water. 19 The water overpowered the earth mightily; all the high mountains under the entire sky were covered; 20 the water covered the mountains by more than twenty-two-and-a-half feet. 21 All living beings that moved on the earth perished — birds, livestock, other animals, insects, and every human being, 22 everything in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life; whatever was on dry land died. 23 He wiped out every living thing on the surface of the ground — not only human beings, but livestock, creeping animals and birds in the air. They were wiped out from the earth; only Noach was left, along with those who were with him in the ark. 24 The water held power over the earth for 150 days.

Cain and Abel

Adam[a] made love to his wife(A) Eve,(B) and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain.[b](C) She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth[c] a man.” Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.(D)

Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil.(E) In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering(F) to the Lord.(G) And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions(H) from some of the firstborn of his flock.(I) The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering,(J) but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry?(K) Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door;(L) it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.(M)

Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.”[d] While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.(N)

Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”(O)

“I don’t know,(P)” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

10 The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.(Q) 11 Now you are under a curse(R) and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you.(S) You will be a restless wanderer(T) on the earth.(U)

13 Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can bear. 14 Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence;(V) I will be a restless wanderer on the earth,(W) and whoever finds me will kill me.”(X)

15 But the Lord said to him, “Not so[e]; anyone who kills Cain(Y) will suffer vengeance(Z) seven times over.(AA)” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. 16 So Cain went out from the Lord’s presence(AB) and lived in the land of Nod,[f] east of Eden.(AC)

17 Cain made love to his wife,(AD) and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city,(AE) and he named it after his son(AF) Enoch. 18 To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech.

19 Lamech married(AG) two women,(AH) one named Adah and the other Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock. 21 His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play stringed instruments(AI) and pipes.(AJ) 22 Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged(AK) all kinds of tools out of[g] bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain’s sister was Naamah.

23 Lamech said to his wives,

“Adah and Zillah, listen to me;
    wives of Lamech, hear my words.
I have killed(AL) a man for wounding me,
    a young man for injuring me.
24 If Cain is avenged(AM) seven times,(AN)
    then Lamech seventy-seven times.(AO)

25 Adam made love to his wife(AP) again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth,[h](AQ) saying, “God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.”(AR) 26 Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh.(AS)

At that time people began to call on[i] the name of the Lord.(AT)

From Adam to Noah

This is the written account(AU) of Adam’s family line.(AV)

When God created mankind, he made them in the likeness of God.(AW) He created them(AX) male and female(AY) and blessed them. And he named them “Mankind”[j] when they were created.

When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image;(AZ) and he named him Seth.(BA) After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Adam lived a total of 930 years, and then he died.(BB)

When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father[k] of Enosh.(BC) After he became the father of Enosh, Seth lived 807 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Seth lived a total of 912 years, and then he died.

When Enosh had lived 90 years, he became the father of Kenan.(BD) 10 After he became the father of Kenan, Enosh lived 815 years and had other sons and daughters. 11 Altogether, Enosh lived a total of 905 years, and then he died.

12 When Kenan had lived 70 years, he became the father of Mahalalel.(BE) 13 After he became the father of Mahalalel, Kenan lived 840 years and had other sons and daughters. 14 Altogether, Kenan lived a total of 910 years, and then he died.

15 When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he became the father of Jared.(BF) 16 After he became the father of Jared, Mahalalel lived 830 years and had other sons and daughters. 17 Altogether, Mahalalel lived a total of 895 years, and then he died.

18 When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of Enoch.(BG) 19 After he became the father of Enoch, Jared lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 20 Altogether, Jared lived a total of 962 years, and then he died.

21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah.(BH) 22 After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God(BI) 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. 24 Enoch walked faithfully with God;(BJ) then he was no more, because God took him away.(BK)

25 When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he became the father of Lamech.(BL) 26 After he became the father of Lamech, Methuselah lived 782 years and had other sons and daughters. 27 Altogether, Methuselah lived a total of 969 years, and then he died.

28 When Lamech had lived 182 years, he had a son. 29 He named him Noah[l](BM) and said, “He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the Lord has cursed.(BN) 30 After Noah was born, Lamech lived 595 years and had other sons and daughters. 31 Altogether, Lamech lived a total of 777 years, and then he died.

32 After Noah was 500 years old,(BO) he became the father of Shem,(BP) Ham and Japheth.(BQ)

Wickedness in the World

When human beings began to increase in number on the earth(BR) and daughters were born to them, the sons of God(BS) saw that the daughters(BT) of humans were beautiful,(BU) and they married(BV) any of them they chose. Then the Lord said, “My Spirit(BW) will not contend with[m] humans forever,(BX) for they are mortal[n];(BY) their days will be a hundred and twenty years.”

The Nephilim(BZ) were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans(CA) and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.(CB)

The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth,(CC) and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.(CD) The Lord regretted(CE) that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth(CF) the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.(CG) But Noah(CH) found favor in the eyes of the Lord.(CI)

Noah and the Flood

This is the account(CJ) of Noah and his family.

Noah was a righteous man, blameless(CK) among the people of his time,(CL) and he walked faithfully with God.(CM) 10 Noah had three sons: Shem,(CN) Ham and Japheth.(CO)

11 Now the earth was corrupt(CP) in God’s sight and was full of violence.(CQ) 12 God saw how corrupt(CR) the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways.(CS) 13 So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy(CT) both them and the earth.(CU) 14 So make yourself an ark of cypress[o] wood;(CV) make rooms in it and coat it with pitch(CW) inside and out. 15 This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high.[p] 16 Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit[q] high all around.[r] Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. 17 I am going to bring floodwaters(CX) on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish.(CY) 18 But I will establish my covenant with you,(CZ) and you will enter the ark(DA)—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. 19 You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you.(DB) 20 Two(DC) of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind(DD) of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive.(DE) 21 You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.”

22 Noah did everything just as God commanded him.(DF)

The Lord then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family,(DG) because I have found you righteous(DH) in this generation. Take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean(DI) animal, a male and its mate, and one pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, and also seven pairs of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive(DJ) throughout the earth. Seven days from now I will send rain(DK) on the earth(DL) for forty days(DM) and forty nights,(DN) and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made.(DO)

And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him.(DP)

Noah was six hundred years old(DQ) when the floodwaters came on the earth. And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives entered the ark(DR) to escape the waters of the flood. Pairs of clean and unclean(DS) animals, of birds and of all creatures that move along the ground, male and female, came to Noah and entered the ark, as God had commanded Noah.(DT) 10 And after the seven days(DU) the floodwaters came on the earth.

11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life,(DV) on the seventeenth day of the second month(DW)—on that day all the springs of the great deep(DX) burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens(DY) were opened. 12 And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights.(DZ)

13 On that very day Noah and his sons,(EA) Shem, Ham and Japheth, together with his wife and the wives of his three sons, entered the ark.(EB) 14 They had with them every wild animal according to its kind, all livestock according to their kinds, every creature that moves along the ground according to its kind and every bird according to its kind,(EC) everything with wings. 15 Pairs of all creatures that have the breath of life in them came to Noah and entered the ark.(ED) 16 The animals going in were male and female of every living thing, as God had commanded Noah.(EE) Then the Lord shut him in.

17 For forty days(EF) the flood kept coming on the earth, and as the waters increased they lifted the ark high above the earth. 18 The waters rose and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. 19 They rose greatly on the earth, and all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered.(EG) 20 The waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of more than fifteen cubits.[s][t] (EH) 21 Every living thing that moved on land perished—birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all mankind.(EI) 22 Everything on dry land that had the breath of life(EJ) in its nostrils died. 23 Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; people and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds were wiped from the earth.(EK) Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark.(EL)

24 The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days.(EM)

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 4:1 Or The man
  2. Genesis 4:1 Cain sounds like the Hebrew for brought forth or acquired.
  3. Genesis 4:1 Or have acquired
  4. Genesis 4:8 Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; Masoretic Text does not have “Let’s go out to the field.”
  5. Genesis 4:15 Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew Very well
  6. Genesis 4:16 Nod means wandering (see verses 12 and 14).
  7. Genesis 4:22 Or who instructed all who work in
  8. Genesis 4:25 Seth probably means granted.
  9. Genesis 4:26 Or to proclaim
  10. Genesis 5:2 Hebrew adam
  11. Genesis 5:6 Father may mean ancestor; also in verses 7-26.
  12. Genesis 5:29 Noah sounds like the Hebrew for comfort.
  13. Genesis 6:3 Or My spirit will not remain in
  14. Genesis 6:3 Or corrupt
  15. Genesis 6:14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  16. Genesis 6:15 That is, about 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high or about 135 meters long, 23 meters wide and 14 meters high
  17. Genesis 6:16 That is, about 18 inches or about 45 centimeters
  18. Genesis 6:16 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.
  19. Genesis 7:20 That is, about 23 feet or about 6.8 meters
  20. Genesis 7:20 Or rose more than fifteen cubits, and the mountains were covered