The Lord spoke to Jeremiah ¹  after Nebuzaradan the captain of the royal guard had set him free at Ramah. ²  He had taken him there in chains ³  along with all the people from Jerusalem ⁴  and Judah who were being carried off to exile to Babylon.

Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him stood up, pulled out their swords, and killed Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan. Thus Ishmael killed the man that the king of Babylon had appointed to govern the country.

“‘As surely as I live, declares the sovereign Lord, surely in the city ¹  of the king who crowned him, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke – in the middle of Babylon he will die!

I will judge him with plague and bloodshed. I will rain down on him, his troops and the many peoples who are with him a torrential downpour, hailstones, fire, and brimstone.

God created humankind ¹  in his own image, in the image of God he created them, ²  male and female he created them. ³ 

God blessed the seventh day and made it holy ¹  because on it he ceased all the work that he ²  had been doing in creation. ³ 

But the Lord said to him, “All right then, ¹  if anyone kills Cain, Cain will be avenged seven times as much.” ²  Then the Lord put a special mark ³  on Cain so that no one who found him would strike him down. ⁴ 

Those that entered were male and female, ¹  just as God commanded him. Then the Lord shut him in.

So Abram left, ¹  just as the Lord had told him to do, ²  and Lot went with him. (Now ³  Abram was 75 years old ⁴  when he departed from Haran.)

The Lord ¹  took him outside and said, “Gaze into the sky and count the stars – if you are able to count them!” Then he said to him, “So will your descendants be.”

Then Abraham ran to the herd and chose a fine, tender calf, and gave it to a servant, ¹  who quickly prepared it. ² 

So Abraham’s servant ¹  went to the house and unloaded ²  the camels. Straw and feed were given ³  to the camels, and water was provided so that he and the men who were with him could wash their feet. ⁴ 

His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah ¹  near Mamre, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar, the Hethite.

So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. Then he commanded him, “You must not marry a Canaanite woman! ¹ 

So he took his relatives ¹  with him and pursued Jacob ²  for seven days. ³  He caught up with ⁴  him in the hill country of Gilead.

Jacob was very afraid and upset. So he divided the people who were with him into two camps, as well as the flocks, herds, and camels.

Rescue me, ¹  I pray, from the hand ²  of my brother Esau, ³  for I am afraid he will come ⁴  and attack me, as well as the mothers with their children. ⁵ 

Then Jacob asked, “Please tell me your name.” ¹  “Why ²  do you ask my name?” the man replied. ³  Then he blessed ⁴  Jacob ⁵  there.

So Jacob set up a sacred stone pillar in the place where God spoke with him. ¹  He poured out a drink offering on it, and then he poured oil on it. ² 

Then Isaac breathed his last and joined his ancestors. ¹  He died an old man who had lived a full life. ²  His sons Esau and Jacob buried him.