Genesis

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Genesis 1
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Over six days, God made the light, sky, land, seas, sun, moon, stars, plants, trees, animals, and people. He made the first man Adam and first woman Eve. God saw that everything he made was very good. On the seventh day, God rested.

Genesis 2
God made a garden called Eden for Adam to live in and take care of. God told Adam he could eat from any tree except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God made Eve from Adam’s rib to be his helper and companion. Adam and Eve were naked but not ashamed.

Genesis 3
A serpent tricked Eve into eating fruit from the forbidden tree, and she gave some to Adam. They realized they were naked, so they sewed fig leaves to cover themselves. God confronted them for disobeying, and as punishment made life harder for them and sent them out of Eden. But God also promised a future savior would come.

Genesis 4
Adam and Eve had two sons, Cain and Abel. Cain grew crops, Abel raised sheep. When they brought offerings to God, God accepted Abel’s but not Cain’s. Out of jealousy, Cain killed Abel. God punished Cain by making him a restless wanderer. Adam and Eve had another son named Seth.

Genesis 5
This chapter lists the descendants of Adam down to Noah. People lived very long lives back then, like Methuselah who lived to 969 years old! But they still faced the consequence of sin, which is death.

Genesis 6
People became very wicked on the earth, so God decided to flood the world and start over with Noah and his family. God told Noah to build a huge boat called an ark and to bring two of every kind of animal into it.

Genesis 7
After Noah followed God’s instructions, God sent rain for 40 days and 40 nights. The floodwaters rose and covered even the mountains, and all creatures outside the ark died.

Genesis 8
When the flooding stopped, Noah sent out birds to see if the waters had gone down. Finally, the dove didn’t return, so Noah knew it was safe to come out of the ark. Noah built an altar and thanked God.

Genesis 9
God blessed Noah and his sons and gave humans dominion over the animals. God promised to never again destroy the earth with a flood and put a rainbow in the sky as a sign of this covenant. Noah planted a vineyard, got drunk, and was dishonored by his son Ham.

Genesis 10
This chapter records the descendants of Noah’s three sons – Shem, Ham, and Japheth – and how they spread out and became different nations after the flood.

Genesis 11
People settled in Babylon and arrogantly built a tall tower to make themselves famous. To stop them, God confused their languages so they couldn’t understand each other, and scattered them over the earth. The descendants of Shem down to Abram are listed.

Genesis 12
God called Abram to leave his home for a new land that God would show him. God promised to bless Abram, make him into a great nation, and bless all peoples through him. Abram obeyed and set out with his wife Sarai and nephew Lot to Canaan.

Genesis 13
Abram and Lot had flocks and herds so large that the land couldn’t support both of them. Abram gave Lot first choice of where to settle. Lot chose the fertile Jordan Valley, and Abram settled in Canaan. God then promised to give all the land to Abram’s descendants.

Genesis 14
When four kings captured Lot in a battle, Abram set out with 318 of his men and rescued Lot. Melchizedek, king of Salem, blessed Abram and Abram gave him a tenth of all the goods he recovered.

Genesis 15
God reassured Abram that he would have a son, and reaffirmed his promise to give the land to Abram’s descendants. Abram believed God’s promise, and God counted it to him as righteousness. God made a covenant with Abram, telling him his descendants would be enslaved 400 years but then come back to inherit Canaan.

Genesis 16
Since Sarai was unable to have children, she gave her servant Hagar to Abram as a second wife. When Hagar became pregnant, Sarai mistreated her and Hagar ran away. But an angel told Hagar to return and submit to Sarai, and that her son Ishmael would have many descendants.

Genesis 17
When Abram was 99, God changed his name to Abraham (“father of many”) and Sarai’s to Sarah (“princess”). God commanded all males to be circumcised as a sign of the covenant. God promised that Sarah would have a son named Isaac, through whom the covenant would continue.

Genesis 18
The LORD visited Abraham, accompanied by two angels. The LORD reiterated that Sarah would bear a son in a year’s time. Hearing this, Sarah laughed to herself in disbelief, but the LORD questioned why she laughed, saying nothing is too hard for him. The LORD then told Abraham he was going to destroy the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham pleaded with the LORD to spare them if righteous people could be found there.

Genesis 19
Two angels went to Sodom and stayed with Abraham’s nephew Lot. The wicked men of the city demanded to have sex with them. The angels struck the men blind, then warned Lot to flee with his family before God destroyed the city. Lot escaped with his daughters, but his wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt. God rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah, demolishing them completely. Lot’s daughters got their father drunk and slept with him, and both became pregnant by him.

Genesis 20
Abraham moved to Gerar, where he again lied that Sarah was his sister. King Abimelech took Sarah, but God warned him in a dream not to touch her since she was married. Abimelech pleaded innocence, and God kept him from sinning. Abimelech returned Sarah to Abraham and paid him compensation. Abraham prayed for Abimelech, and God healed his household.

Genesis 21
As promised, Sarah became pregnant and bore Abraham a son named Isaac. But Sarah saw Ishmael mocking Isaac and urged Abraham to send him and his mother Hagar away. God told Abraham to do as Sarah said, and that he would also make Ishmael into a nation. Hagar and Ishmael wandered in the desert until God provided a well of water for them. Abimelech made a treaty with Abraham at Beersheba.

Genesis 22
God tested Abraham by telling him to sacrifice his son Isaac as a burnt offering. Abraham took Isaac, wood, fire and a knife and set out. As he was about to slay Isaac, an angel stopped him, seeing that Abraham feared God and was willing to obey. God provided a ram to sacrifice instead. The angel affirmed God’s promise to bless Abraham and give him countless descendants.

Genesis 23
Sarah died at age 127. Abraham bought a field with a cave in Machpelah from Ephron the Hittite in order to bury her.

Genesis 24
Abraham, now old, made his servant swear to find a wife for Isaac from his homeland rather than from the Canaanites. The servant went to Abraham’s relatives and prayed for God to show him the right woman. Rebekah offered water to him and his camels, confirming she was the one. The servant gave gifts to Rebekah’s family and they agreed to let her return to marry Isaac. Isaac loved Rebekah and was comforted after his mother’s death.

Genesis 25
Abraham married Keturah and had more children, but gave everything he owned to Isaac before he died at age 175. Ishmael’s descendants are listed. Rebekah became pregnant with twins who jostled in her womb. God told her two nations were in her womb and the older would serve the younger. Esau came out red and hairy, then Jacob was born grasping Esau’s heel. Esau grew up to be a hunter, Jacob a quiet man. One day Esau rashly sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew.

Genesis 26
Like his father, Isaac also lied that Rebekah was his sister to the men of Gerar. But God blessed Isaac and he became rich. The Philistines envied him and stopped up his wells. After conflicts over wells, Isaac made a covenant with Abimelech at Beersheba.

Genesis 27
When Isaac was old and blind, he told Esau to hunt game and prepare him food, so that he could give Esau his blessing. Rebekah overheard and hatched a plan for Jacob to get the blessing instead. She dressed Jacob in Esau’s clothes and put goatskins on his hands and neck. Jacob brought food to Isaac and tricked him into giving him the blessing. Esau came back and begged for a blessing, but the main blessing had already been given to Jacob. Esau held a grudge and planned to kill Jacob after Isaac’s death.

Genesis 28
Jacob fled to his uncle Laban to escape Esau’s wrath. At Bethel, Jacob dreamed of a stairway from earth to heaven with angels going up and down. God appeared to him, reaffirmed his covenant promise, and promised to be with Jacob. Jacob took the stone he slept on, poured oil on it, and set it up as a marker. He renamed the place Bethel, meaning “house of God”.

Genesis 29
Jacob met his cousin Rachel at a well and fell in love at first sight. Laban agreed to give Rachel to Jacob in marriage in exchange for 7 years of work. But after 7 years, Laban tricked Jacob and gave him his older daughter Leah instead. Jacob agreed to work 7 more years for Rachel. Leah bore 4 sons, but Rachel was barren.

Genesis 30
Rachel gave Jacob her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Bilhah bore two sons. Leah gave her servant Zilpah to Jacob, and she bore two sons. Leah had two more sons and a daughter. Then God enabled Rachel to conceive, and she had a son named Joseph. Jacob made an agreement with Laban to be paid with all the abnormally colored sheep and goats that were born. God blessed Jacob and he became exceedingly prosperous.

Genesis 31
Laban’s sons grew resentful of Jacob’s wealth, so God told Jacob to return to his homeland. Jacob set out with his family and herds without telling Laban. When Laban caught up with them, God warned Laban in a dream not to harm Jacob. Jacob and Laban set up a boundary marker and made a covenant not to harm each other.

Genesis 32
Jacob sent messengers ahead to Esau with gifts to pacify him. The messengers returned, saying Esau was coming to meet Jacob with 400 men. Fearing Esau’s wrath, Jacob divided his household into two groups and prayed to God for deliverance. That night, Jacob wrestled with a man until daybreak. The man touched Jacob’s hip socket and put it out of joint. He then blessed Jacob and changed his name to Israel, meaning “he struggles with God”. Jacob called the place Peniel, meaning “face of God”.

Genesis 33
When Jacob met Esau, Esau ran to embrace and kiss him, and they both wept. Esau tried to refuse Jacob’s gifts, but Jacob insisted. Esau offered to accompany Jacob, but Jacob chose to travel separately.

Genesis 34
Shechem the Hivite defiled Jacob’s daughter Dinah. He asked for her hand in marriage, but Jacob’s sons deceptively said all the men in the city must be circumcised. While they were recovering, Simeon and Levi attacked and killed them all.

Genesis 35
God told Jacob to go back to Bethel and build an altar. Jacob buried the idols that his household had collected. Rachel died giving birth to Benjamin and was buried near Ephrath. God changed Jacob’s name to Israel and reaffirmed the covenant promises. Reuben slept with his father’s concubine. Isaac died and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

Genesis 36
This chapter lists the descendants of Esau, also called Edom. It includes the kings who reigned in Edom.

Genesis 37
Jacob favored his son Joseph and made him a special robe. Joseph’s brothers hated him and sold him into slavery in Egypt. They dipped Joseph’s robe in goat’s blood and told their father a wild animal had killed Joseph.

Genesis 38
Judah’s oldest son Er married Tamar, but was wicked so the LORD put him to death. According to custom, Er’s brother Onan had to provide offspring for Tamar. But Onan refused and was also put to death. Judah sent Tamar back to her father’s house until his youngest son Shelah grew up. When Shelah was grown but Judah still did not give him to Tamar, Tamar disguised herself as a prostitute. Judah slept with her and she conceived twin sons.

Genesis 39
Potiphar, an Egyptian official, bought Joseph as a slave. The LORD blessed Joseph and he became overseer of Potiphar’s household. But when Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce Joseph and he refused, she falsely accused him of attempting to rape her. Joseph was thrown in jail.

Genesis 40
In prison, Joseph interpreted dreams for Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker. He predicted that in three days, the baker would be executed but the cupbearer would be restored to his position.

Genesis 41
Pharaoh had two dreams that no one could interpret. The cupbearer told him about Joseph, so Pharaoh sent for him. Joseph explained that Pharaoh’s dreams meant there would be seven years of abundance in Egypt followed by seven years of famine. He advised Pharaoh to store up grain during the years of plenty. Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of this plan and made him second in command over Egypt.

Genesis 42
When Jacob learned there was grain in Egypt, he sent his sons to buy some. The brothers came before Joseph but did not recognize him. Joseph questioned them sternly and accused them of being spies. He imprisoned them briefly, then sent them home with grain on the condition that they return with their youngest brother Benjamin.

Genesis 43
When the grain was gone, Jacob reluctantly agreed to send Benjamin to Egypt with his brothers. Joseph invited them to a feast at his house. Deeply moved at seeing Benjamin, he had to leave the room to weep privately.

Genesis 44
Joseph hid a silver cup in Benjamin’s sack before sending the brothers home. When it was “discovered”, Joseph said Benjamin must become his slave as punishment. Judah pleaded with Joseph to take him as a slave in Benjamin’s place.

Genesis 45
Joseph could no longer control his emotions and wept aloud, revealing his identity to his brothers. He explained that God sent him to Egypt to save their family. He urged them to bring their father to Egypt, promising to provide for them there.

Genesis 46
Jacob and his household moved to Egypt, including his 11 sons, one daughter Dinah, and many grandchildren – 66 people in all, plus Joseph and his two sons already in Egypt, making 70 total.

Genesis 47
Jacob’s family settled in the land of Goshen. When the famine was severe, Joseph collected all the money in Egypt to sell grain. When people ran out of money, he took their livestock in payment, then eventually their land, moving them into cities.

Genesis 48
When Jacob was close to death, Joseph brought his two sons to him for a blessing. Jacob blessed Ephraim the younger over Manasseh the older, saying Ephraim would become greater.

Genesis 49
Jacob gave each of his 12 sons a prophetic blessing. He gave the chief blessing and the line of kings to Judah, saying a ruler would come from Judah and the nations would obey him. He gave a double portion to Joseph. Jacob then died.

Genesis 50
Jacob’s body was embalmed and taken back to Canaan for burial. Joseph reassured his brothers that although they intended evil in selling him into slavery, God intended it for good. Before Joseph died at age 110, he said God would bring his brothers back to Canaan. He had them swear to carry his bones there.