Assembly of the Living God Rainbow Bible

The Book of the Living God

by Daniel

Copyright 6176 SC

Principle One

What is Life? What is Death? What is Truth? What is Error?

What is the meaning of meanings? What is the correct knowledge which will guide you through your eternal existence,

your eternal walk of life, in true happiness? What is the Answer above all Answers?

Principle Two

Life is the existence, in animated glory, of conscious joy and knowledge for beings made by God. Yet, there is also

life in non-concious things as well, which serve the conscious, as food, enjoyment pleasure, and other things necessary

for our life. With our need for food and oxygen, we can never separate ourselves from the reality of nature. We must live

in harmony with living things, preserve and protect them, for the purpose of our lives is to live forever and find happiness

and consolation therein.

Principle Three

Death is the end of the living cycle. Yet, who would choose eternity for life? Will we live forever on earth? Will we live

forever in heaven? Yet, in the end, we must choose the decision of life to enjoy it as such. Choose life, for despite its

struggles, that is the wise choice.

Principle Four

Truth is knowing facts. And the spiritual facts are that the Living God - El Shaddai - Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh - Yahweh Supreme -

is God Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. And in the salvation you seek, in truth, by his name will all your hearts

desires find perfect and true consolation.

Principle Five

Error is to depart from the Living God, and to try and find eternal life by your own strength. This can not happen, for you

created not life, and have not the living power of God within you. At the end of all such contemplations of error, sin

rules your heart, and peace and happiness elude you. For then, repentance must find you, to return to the truth - to

return to God.

Principle Six

The meaning of meanings is what you find in your heart which gives life the answers to drive you forward to find the goals

which make you happy. Yet God is this meaning, and in his kingdom you will find your heart's meanings satisfied

to the full.

Principle Seven

The Correct knowledge is enshrined within the wisdom of the Rainbow Torah Scriptures. It is as simple as that.

Principle Eight

And the Answer above all Answers - is the Living God - Enduring Forever - Lord of the Rainbow Covenant - Lord of Creation. In Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh, ultimately, all answers can be found.

Psalms of AOTLG

Psalm 1

May the Living God, Bless my Heart

May the Living God, Bless my Soul

May the Living God, Bless me with Eternal Salvation

May the Living God, Bless us all

Now and Forever

 AMEN

Psalm 2

May God watch over you and protect you and cause his love to enshroud your heart each and every day

May the Living God bless you and cause his peace to live in your heart and give consolation, forever, to your soul

May Almighty God caress your anxieties with the gentle touch of his eternal strength, and remind you nothing is beyond his power

And May God keep faith and purity in your life forever, blessing you and your seeds prosperity from this time forth and evermore.

AMEN

Psalm 3

The Path to Sheol is easy and comfortable, for the soul thinks as it will and gives no thought to God or cares for decency

They walk on in life, speaking words of decadence, and living as such, full of trouble and strife

They know not the truth, they care not for it either, the pleasures of the day are enough for their souls

And living each day, no thoughts of repentance, just pleasure and sin, which each day takes its tole

I thank God that he saves me, and teaches me wisdom

I thank God that he saves me, and teaches me right

Praise to the Living God, Jehovah forever

Praise unto Yahweh, my saviour, my might

Psalm 4

The Burning Ambition of the Soul seeking Glory can find no greater Mentor than the throne of the Living God

The lessons he teaches, of humility and righteousness, grace and Mercy, purity and truth

Are the touchstones of Eternity, the guideposts of wisdom, the signs of prosperity, which guide you on the path

The fool, in his heart, thinks himself the font of wisdom divine

Yet the wise chooses knowledge of the Holy One upon High

Esteemed greater than all the Academic Scrolls of Man

Trust in the Living God

Let him always guide you

He will prosper your way

And in his name you will find your true glorious salvation.

Psalm 5

The Betterment of the Soul is a patient work and does not happen instantly, although sometimes we crave as such

Through battles of faith, and walking with God, we learn the ways of virtue and holiness and peace

Walking with God is a lifelong occupation, and the shores of the heavenlies achieved through diligent effort

So be patient with your soul, your heart and your spirit, and trust for the lifelong journey of service

God is faithful, he will lead you aright, God is faithful, he will guide you safely home

God is faithful, in him you can trust, and the pureness you seek will be yours, yours alone

Praise to the Living God for his kindness and mercy

Praise to the Living God for his justice and love

Praise to Jehovah, the God of the Heavens

Praise to Jehovah, the God up above.

Psalm 6

Blessed is the man who walks not in the ways of the ungodly,

or takes the sinful path, or sits with mockers in their mockery.

But the Torah of the Kingdom of Noah is their delight

And they study it in regular times.

They will be like willows aside a Cooma stream,

Delighting in their abundance of water, well refreshed by

the Lord's provision.

Yet the wicked are a dry creek-bed, parched and begging for water.

Psalm 7

God's chosen King.

He sits on the throne of Noahide Glory.

He sits on that throne, the exalted son of God.

But his nature is man,

And he is but a son of Noah,

But a son of Adam,

In no way Divine,

In no way a god.

Praise be to Yahovah

Praise be to God

Praise be to the Lord Almighty

Praise be to the Holy Name of the Creator.

The throne of Noahide Glory

Sits were the son of Man who prays the most,

Were the son of Man who serves the most,

Were the son of Man who reads the Rainbow Torah the most,

Bestows his glory

Through His prayers beseeching God

Of intercession

For his holy Noahide cities,

Such as Kingston upon Hull

Or London

Or Canberra

Or New York

Or Vancouver

Or Baroda

Or Mullingar

Or Glasgow

Or Munich

Or Cairo

Or Cardiff

Or Paris

Or Christchurch

Or Omaha

Or Douglas

Or Lilongwe

Or Rothera

Or Taipei

Or Georgetown.

Wherever the Sons of God pray

And the ruling Son of Noahide Glory

Who has the greatest works

And the greatest service

Serves and Dwells

May he be anointed with God's grace and will

And may he be a blessing, as Zion is, to the children of Mankind.

AMEN

Psalm 8

Praise to the God of Noah

Lord, when I consider your Word

I know in my heart that I am not the greatest of Torah Students

But who is?

Lord, when I consider your Kindness

I know in my heart that I am not the greatest of grateful souls

But who is?

Lord, when I consider my blessings

I know in my heart that I really just am happy with what I've got

But don't give much consideration to the one who provided my life, liberty and happiness

And who does?

Lord, I'm a self centred so and so

And I'm not the best example of Torah devotion

And I'm not the kindest of souls

And perhaps I'm a bit greedy as well

But you made me

So I know, in the end, that I'm fearfully and wonderfully made

And despite the shallow soul that I'm not really that proud of within

I trust that God, the great saviour, will get his work right in me in the end

Despite my flaws

And lack of devotions

And nasty words

And indulgent behaviours

Thank you for hearing me when I call on you

And saving me as you promised you would

Even though I'm far from the best example

Praise God for his kindness to me

Praise God forever

AMEN

Psalm 9

The Truth does not change

And as I progress throughout life

I remember that

The Truth does not change

And in all my yearnings

For a more advanced way of life

I must remember that

The Truth does not change

And your word remains the Truth

From generation to generation

The Fidelity of God Almighty

Saviour of men

And Lord of my Salvation

AMEN

Psalm 10

Thank you God for the world of liberties and freedoms

Thank you God for the word of liberty and freedom in your Torah

Thank you God for way of life I am able to live in service to you

Which is not beyond my ability to observe

For your commands are life and not death

And becoming holy, as made in the image of God

Is a good way of life and a good moral standard

And you are trustworthy God of great blessings

Deserving of your praise

And deserving of your thanks

Praise to God

Alleluia

Psalm 11

Lord help me to forgive others when they wrong me and repent of it

Lord help me to show others kindness if they are not the most pleasant of souls

And Lord help me to stand firm in my family as a godfearing child of the Most High

I ask you for these things

Because my spirit is willing but my flesh is weak

And I am but a man

Despite being made in the image of a holy God

All to prone to human weaknesses

And thus I call on your name

For the saviour in my own strength

Vacated the lot years ago

And I need you now

And I need you forever

For were would I be without you

My God and Saviour

AMEN

Psalm 12

Praise to God because he is worthy of our praise

Thanks to God because of his kindness to me

Glory to God for his majestic nature

And honour to God, Lord of all Dignity

Help me against my enemies, saviour of men

And visit upon them only true justice

Do not curse the soul which in the end will repent

And do not harm the harvests of those who are at least trying to do the right thing

We don't all know you Lord God

So remember we are frail humans

Calling on a saviour with what little faith we have

And a power eternal beyond our comprehension, for we are children in faith

Praise be to God because he is worthy of our praise

Thanks to God because of his kindness to us all

Psalm 13

The excitement, the thrill, the danger and the spills

Life in the playground, when we are young

Chasing the girls and boys, yeh its fun

The excitement, the thrill, the danger and the spills

Life in the club, when we are teens

Chasing the girls and boys, its serene

The excitement, the thrill, the danger and the spills

Life in the office, when we are grown up

Chasing the girls and boys, its a rush

In all life's excitement, you notice them at times

The ones who sit quietly and chant quiet rhymes

Of service to God, of peace, love and life

Of keeping the rules, and avoiding the strife

And if you have sense, and finally get the point

When you're over the booze, and let go of the joints

You'll run to the father, the great God above

And serve him with sobriety, with a heart of true love

Psalm 14

Dear Yahweh the Living God

Please fill my life with activity of useful and entertaining things to do

Please encourage me to live a holy and lawful lifestyle which is built on a solid rock of spiritual value

Please teach me the values which are solid rock and encourage me to remember them often

Please fill my life with useful activity which is in decent harmony with principles and values which last

Please help me to keep the faith

Guide me God in the way of Eternal Life

Guide me God in the way of happy, joyful, peaceful, lawful and content Eternal Life

Guide me God to be a source of inspiring life to others, and eternally witness to you the Living God

Guide me God to be Eternally Alive

Guide me to keep the faith

Thank you God for all the activities of life and happiness you embellish my life with

Thank you God for the friends and family I can do happy things with

Thank You God for the clubs and associations I can pursue a decent leisure time with

Thank You God for the work in life which helps me to earn my way in life so that I can value the good things

Thank You God for being faithful to me so I can Keep the Faith in You

AMEN

The Noahide Code of Mat R

With Modifications by Daniel D

0. Uphold the Rainbow Covenant made to Noah and his descendants after the Flood - Genesis 6:18; 9:11-17

1. 2. True love is the foundation of the covenant. Have a love beyond loving "self," and in tune with the Natural Order - Genesis 1:28; 9:1

2. 3. Prohibition against idolatry. Identifying with any earthly thing (in Eve's case, a fruit tree) that replaces the wisdom of God, is to be avoided - Genesis 2:16,17; 3:2-6

3. 4. Commandment to "strive" doing the will of G'd despite tests, trials, and setbacks - Genesis 4:7; 6:22 

4. 5. Commandment to build altars (like prayer), and offer or give your best to the Lord - Genesis 4:4; 8:20-21

5. 6. Prohibition against murder, the unlawful taking of human life - Genesis 4:10; 9:6

6. 7. The command of keeping a clean mind from identifying with "evil imaginations" or unwholesome thoughts; especially, harm to others and lustful thinking. Guarding well what you see, hear, and desire - Genesis 6:1-5,13

7. 8. Commandment to avoid changing or altering what is in accordance with the Order of Nature. Reject science that disregards creation. Reject amalgamations, and mutilations to the human body like tattoos, sex-changes, et cetera ..- Genesis 6:12 

8. 9. Against animal cruelty, not to eat tortured meats (unclean foods), nor consume blood or animal raw foods - Genesis 6:21; 9:4

9. 10. Conservation of nature, the animals, the eco-system. Respecting the environment - Genesis 8:17 

10. 11. Establish and support the Courts of Justice - the death penalty against those (that with clear evidence), commit murder. As well, to put to death any animal (or, pest) that takes human life - Genesis 9:5-6

11. 12. Reject globalization and technologies that encourage it when such systems attempt to unify mankind outside of divine writ. Judge such systems by the Scripture. Abstain from controlling egoic systems - Genesis 11:1-9

12. 13. Observance of the 7^th day of the week as God's Holy Day. It is a day in which the Lord rests and was sanctified by God and should be considered a day for holy behaviour. Genesis 1 – 2:4.

13. 14. Uphold the institution of marriage and the family, as mentioned in Genesis 2:24 

14. 15. Honor your father and mother - Genesis 2:24; 9:22-24; and,

15. 16. Avoid intoxicating liquor or controlling drugs - Genesis 9:20-29 to the point were the situation leads to a sinful result.

THE SERMON SERIES OF ASSEMBLY OF THE LIVING GOD

Sermon One – A God of Life

When God breathes life into each and every soul created within the womb of woman upon their creation, he creates just that – life. Life is a many splendid thing, something we all take for granted, yet perhaps only appreciate in various degrees. The real art of life, perhaps, is to savour each moment and find those good things, even in the bad times, which make life worth living. All around us is living, and we do not live alone or in isolation, but together with countless souls alive to existence, and other forms of life also. Living – its what it is all about – and in the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, the whole point of all that serves creation, the sun, the moon, the stars and all, is that they serve life. That all the universe works together to bless life and the living and prosper life and the living. Eternal living – it doesn't happen in an earthly experience, does it? But that seems to be the promise which religion offers to the heart of man. Their greatest desire or want imaginable, to live forever. Strange that, while many take the idea seriously in this life, so many others couldn't care less as well.

God is a God of life, and the nature of Jehovah is his central choice to life and to have life abounding in his spirit. However God existed or in whatever format he existed before creation, we do know he must have created this living world for a reason, and we must really assume it was to enjoy the camaraderie of the living, the presence of those souls who also taste life and enjoy its simple pleasures.

Life is good. Life is what you make it, it has often been said, and if life really is good, we need to follow those paradigms which lead to it being as such. Because in this life so much of it can be enshrouded with darkness and deceit, evil and immorality, that we can question why there is so much evil in the world, and doubt the existence of a kind and loving God. But the evil is the choice of man to act contrary to the will of the living God and he ordains none of us to sin against him, only that we would repent and turn to the pathways of eternity.

Life has love and peace and joy, and following the Rainbow Torah of the Assembly of the Living God is were we find those eternal principles which guide us away from death and sin, the choices the people of the deluge made in their madness. But we are a called people, it would seem, for we have chosen the Assembly of the Living God and, in choosing that, we can trust that God knows our heart and the decision to live according to the rulings of our fathers Adam and Noah that we have made and that, in our choice to follow the Lord eternal, he will favour us and embellish that living experience, and grant us that eternal life, with all its goodness and love and peace, and every good thing, our service to the Living God will grant us.

Alleluia.

Sermon Two – Living an ordinary life

Yet, when it all comes down to it, we might harp on about how life is full of promise and blessings, good things and joy, and that life is what you make it and so much extraordinary good things can be shown in the living experience. But, what gets you through the day, in the end, is a more ordinary world. One in which shopping at K Mart for that bag of extra size dog biscuits with a coupon for a 15% discount, or standing in line at the movie theater waiting for the ticket to the new action movie starring Sylvestor Stallone, or walking down by the stream when a pretty lady walks by and smiles at you but nothing more, or buying that new X Box Game, or passing your open university exam, all become the really big highlights of the day and talking points for the next few weeks. You see, living the life, the extraordinary dream, which many a christian pop singing iconoclast will recommend to you as the only way to go, is more a case of cleaning up the dogshit from your pet dog, or asking for a refund to your movie ticket because of constant wheezing of the old lady behind you, or handling a jealous boyfriend who is asking 'is this the fella', or finding that no matter what you do you can't get past level 3 on that X-Box game or failing the other 3 exams at open university, which are the other talking points which bring you right back down to earth and remind you that this living experience can be really mundane also, when it all comes right down to it. Very mundane indeed.

Life was not meant to be boring, as they say, but it was neither meant to be lived at a breakneck rollercoaster speed. Life was meant to be traveled at a sedate and sensible speed, which takes in the full picture ensuring you neglect nothing in your lifelong walk. And a lot of it is just plain old ordinary living. Nothing special about a lot of the days in it, indeed.

But it doesn't have to be. It doesn't have to be special all the time, nor should it be. In fact, it is strength, strength to endure, strength to persevere, which comes from a long lived life which has been through a large catalogue of those 'Ordinary' days. In the days, it is about the enduring of those ordinary days which make up an extraordinary life anyway. It is enduring through not just the tough times, but the mundane and boring, the regular and not so special, which only highlights and embellishes the beautiful days within it, the days of our summers of glory, and when all is truly said and done, it is all that strength of endurance which, I am sure, having walked a life close to Almighty God all the way through, will make you look back and in your heart say 'God, that actually was a life worth living.' Because, if you commit to the living God, he won't fill your life full of fanciful bits. He will fill it full of things which get the bills paid, the kids educated, the work done, and the people fed. They are God's priorities, because he takes care of the real realities in the living experience, but, in doing that, he crafts out those special moments amongst all the humdrum, those special days, when you sit back and smile and thank him for small mercies.

Don't be afraid of the ordinary life, for so much of eternity before you is of the same ilk. Yet, when you can learn to find the pleasure and happiness in the more mundane experiences, you have started to find the joys of eternal life and the living, then, of an ordinary life, well.............its not that ordinary anyway. AMEN

Sermon Three – the Judgment of the Kingdom of Noah on Slavery of Jews

Justice is a strange and multicolored beast. Yet, as the saying goes, what's good for the goose is good for the gander. In the Judgment of the Kingdom of Noah, 'Israel' shall be known by Noahides as the 'Gentile' nation and Israelites as 'Gentiles'. Further, as the Hebrew Torah teaches that Noahide in the Kingdom of Israel may be possessed by Israelites (the Gentiles) as permanent slaves, the Kingdom of Noah judges that the Noahide World may likewise have permanent Jewish Israelites (the Gentiles in our judgment) as slaves. What is good for the goose is good for the gander, so if Noahides are permanent slaves in Israel, then Israelites may be permanent slaves in the Kingdom of Noah.

Sermon Four - Ending Arguments

The strength of humility can be shown in many ways, but one of the most beautiful and inspiring things we often encounter in every day life is that of the humble soul who, when in an argument, has the confidence of heart to back down, stop insisting on themselves, even admit that they might be wrong or don't know for sure, or simply calm down and refuse to argue out a heated debate. So often it is our women who are our greatest peacemakers, which really should inspire us men to think more carefully about our reputation. Ending arguments, really, should be one of the things we strive to do in life. So many times arguments get out of hand, and apart from emotional hostility, physical hostility can become part of the heat. Nobody likes being punched upon so, as the proverb says, a soft answer turns away wrath. It is a spirit of pride, and often it is a spirit of pride which doesn't even care if it is in the right or not, which insists on the last word. It is pride, and nothing more than an arrogant heart, which has to shout the loudest and longest, and carries on when every other voice is telling you to shut up and get over it. Children often suffer under a loud mouthed father, and often the mother as well is just as guilty. Of course, sometimes we can't help ourselves, and arguments just happen, but, in a moment of the excitement, if we can capture that glimpse of rational sanity which reminds us how childish this behaviour is, grasp onto that voice, listen to it, and be brave enough to back down and say 'Look, I'm just not going to argue about this.' So much strife in the world would cease if we are brave enough to 'Not have the last word'. AMEN.

Sermon Five - The Doctrine of Viewpoints

Within the Rainbow Bible there are a multiplicity of viewpoints expressed, often on the same issue, and, at times, from different perspectives. The Rainbow Bible is an exploration or inquiry into spiritual truth and an inquiry also into spiritual truths of the Jewish Bible (the Tanakh) from time to time. As an exploration, one viewpoint may be considered and, at times, almost an opposing or contradictory viewpoint considered. There is likely only one ultimate truth of the matter at hand, but understanding that truth is the point of the research and inquiry into biblical truths. So, there you have it. The doctrine of viewpoints. The Rainbow Bible considers things from multiple perspectives.

One of the perspectives we consider is prophetical truths. A current view under consideration is the status of neviim prophets such as Isaiah and Ezekiel compared with the Kethuvim prophet Daniel. Perhaps Isaiah and co are speaking a semblance of the Word of God, yet perhaps Daniel is speaking the imaginations of Angelic revelations, and perhaps those Angelic teachings are not always the factual and God decreed plans of creation. In this case, when Isaiah says in Chapter 65 the life of the world to come is the life of trees, that as the Word of God this is the truth, and the elect shall simply gain long lives before departing to the hereafter. And thus, Daniel 12, the book of Daniel as a whole being a lovely work of inspiration, yet Daniel 12 being an angelic teaching for the inspiration of Israel, but not the literal truth of what will be. Not eternal life on earth in other words. Currently I am assuming that the Word of God probably does not contradict itself in the end, thus in current thought Daniel 12's teaching of eternity on earth is just Angelic inspiration, nothing more, and an eternity on earth is not the literal truth of what will be. A viewpoint. Of the Torah – the Tanakh – the sacred scriptures. The Doctrine of Viewpoints.

Sermon Six - The Living Experience

We suffer in life. Buddha said that was the chief substance of life for the most part. Buddha was a Noahide, you know. Descended from Noah. The world likes to imagine many origin tales of how we all got here, but the truth remains he is descended from Noah, as his nation was, and his teachings were developed from a long string of spiritual teaching developed in his culture from earlier epochs. He was an iconoclast who devised the core teachings of Buddhism, and while there are corrupt elements such as reincarnation teaching and other untruths, there likely remains a core of moral lessons and rules which remain decent and credible spirituality. Buddha may well possess an address in the heavenly afterworld. Who can say either way for sure. Buddha lived, and suffered. And, perhaps, for the glory he has gained, that was his lot in life. Jesus was crucified for his. Ouch. Life, the living experience, can be a great time, but sometimes in the Living Experience, the true glories you desire for an exceptional eternity can be costly. Very costly. Some of us seem to go through unperturbed, but we don't know the trials of heart they have experienced. Yet, more so, some of us don't sin quite as much as others, and so don't have to do some of the suffering of old sin anyway. The living experience, eternally, is not based on suffering. It's based on happiness. God created us, ultimately, to be happy with it all. But finding that happiness does not come from a dedicated patch of affirmation cards or positive thinking, ultimately. It's in doing the right thing, living a lawful kind of life, and connecting to the source of that ultimate living one – the Yahweh God fellow who made us all. Its your life, its up to you, and while people may guide you through it, the ultimate decisions of it all are in your hand, friend. Choose wisely, choose the good. Party on, dear hedonist, and you might find that hangover, one day, just a bit too bloody much to make life that much fun anymore anyway. Choose life. Choose the living God.

Sermon Seven – Progress

Progress is advancing. It is improving. It is adapting to new information, at times, and new cultural realities, and expressing yourself by accommodating yourself to those realities. But Progressive Hebrew Faith is not about accommodating yourself to the realities of a more critical society, which examines statements of faith and hangs them out to dry so readily that you could go out that morning with your new pastoral degree and find yourself redundant on the drive home. It is not about 'Accommodating' itself to these realities at all in any sense of 'conformity'. Yes, it tries to get along, but the progress it is making is not about moving with the times and getting into the new things, it is about moving with the times and expressing those values and articles of eternal faith, (which is one of the central searches and mission of the Progressive Hebrew Faith community), which remain just that – eternal. It is about radical faith, which goes back to the roots of the religion and sorts out from those roots just which parts of those roots are based on the eternity of the wisdom of God in the first place. It's not progressing as in making fundamental changes of self and status. It is change, like a tree, in terms of growth, adding in NEW information. But that information is ADDITION, not SUBTRACTION from other parts of our faith community. A tree adds on a new layer each year, but remember, the central circles of those rings of the trunk remain the same. The core or the heart of the tree doesn't change. And, for the Noahide Community, so much of our duty is to find that core aspect of our religion which has always been true from Jehovah, and remains eternally true from Jehovah, and expressing those truths, sometimes indeed in progressive ways, adapting to each new age, but always expressing the same truths in the end, even if in mercy and political correctness, and never venturing into the hallways or darkness and hedonism, were so much apparent 'progress' in the modern thinkers world seems to be inevitably leading to anyway. AMEN.

Sermon Eight – The future of the Noahide world
In time, should Karaite Noahide faith grow, we feel it would not be wise if Karaite Noahide faith took over Noahidism completely. Too much power in one particular strand of a religion tends to too much domineering and authoritarianism. It would be in the best interests of the Noahide world if ultimately Noahidism was divided equally between Talmudic Noahidism and Karaite Noahidism. Talmudic Noahidism would include Conservative and Liberal/Progressive Noahides, who still follow Talmud ideas, whereas Karaite Noahidism would have its own stylings of conservative and liberal branches, as well as what we favour in Torah Only or Samaritan based Noahidism. A Samaritan Noahide movement would be completely welcome by us, and would ideally be on our side of the Noahide world. Dear Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh, if these ideas are acceptable to you, we humbly ask of your divine grace to allow these realities to be as such in the fullness of time. And the Noahide world should hopefully end up the worlds biggest religion, twice the size of the entirety of Christianity, which would logically remain because of the commitment men of God have made in establishing congregations in the name of Jehovah.

Sermon Nine – Advancing Noahide Faith

Noahide Faith of this modern world is largely represented by the Talmud based 7 Laws of Noah movement. Yet, in truth, Genesis 1:1 - 11:9 (which I call the 'Rainbow Torah') is all that applies in terms of the religion Noah followed anyway. This is the essence of Karaite Noahide belief. Yet, its pretty basic in the end. Just holding to 11 chapters of scripture for a religion which in some ways is supposed to be relevant to all mankind. My idea, then, is the 'Advancing Noah Movement' which takes the idea of the religion of Noah and the Noahide Community and looks at how mankind has developed in the thousands of years since then, and the advances in society, culture and legal rule we have made. A Noahide doesn't have to build an ark, sit in it with his family, and think that is the end of his spirituality or way of life. To my way of thinking there is no reason we can not develop a more lawful world with our own rules and procedures to further embellish the social structures of cvilizations, which in the end is what mankind has done anyway. That is the core motivation of the Advancing Noah Movement. Taking the religion of our forefather patriarch Noah and 'Advancing' with it. As Karaite is our foundation, we reject the core idea that the Pharisees inherited an oral law from Moses -rather they INVENTED the teachings of the oral law. So we maintain that Karaism is our foundation but, to be real and true to our citizenships of these human societies we are all a part of, we feel we should acknowledge the laws of the land, adhere to them in general good faith when and were they do not contradict the laws of the Rainbow Torah and, taking from them, enshrined in the 4 sectioned part of the Kingdom of Noah Torah of 1000 rules, a semblance of the laws of Nations as they have developed over the thousands of years of history since the time of Noah, also including a strong element of acceptable for Noahide aspects from the Tanakh itself. A Karaite Noahide need not sit in the world of Genesis 1:1 – 11:9 and think this is the Word of God, and it is ALL he has ever said on the issue, and I don't really care for anything more anyway. Sure, in the end, humanity may provide such individuals and even movements who won't budge from absolutist karaite noahidism, which ONLY accepts Tanakh as any kind of authority. I see in Deuteronomy were Judgements of Danim can be made, but perhaps there will be those who believe the Tanakh is the be all and end all of interpretation of application of judgement anyway. Perhaps the Advancing Noah Movement is not absolutely purist Karaite faith in this sense, in the end, anyway. But I would probably argue that, compared to such groups, we would be the ones who would be following a fuller spirituality and way of life and with the kind of morals and teachings and principles of faith in our religion, drawn from the wisdom of mankind, we are not living simplistic legalism of a fundamentalist soul who just 'Will not be told what to do unless its scriptural' anyway. I think the Advancing Noah movement has grown up in adapting to a more mature way of life, with better principles, and taking in knowledge from mankind's history and ways of life and the lessons we have learned as a human people.

Sermon Ten – Indigenous issues and Noahide Origins

It's interesting.  Many of the people who identify as Indigenous of Australia of the various tribes also have a large degree of ancestry from other lands, especially the European lands of the United Kingdom and Ireland.  Our UK Families (of which I am an Irish/English person, a member of the Australian diaspora) have many family connections with the Indigenous people of Australia now in the 21st Century of the common era.  We are, in fact, quite well inbred with each other.  We are really a connected and extended family in many ways.  Of course, these indigenous of Australia have deep faiths and beliefs in the ways of Australian Indigenous culture yet, through bloodlines, also have connections to the European peoples as well, especially those of the United Kingdom, and really are part of OUR culture in terms of family as well.  There are probably indigenous of Australia who have the surname 'Daly' who have an Irish Celtic ethnicity associated with them as well.  We are an intermixed bunch, and I am very happy for such peoples to be part of my clan and Daly family.  On the NITV network of Australian TV not only do they show indigenous TV shows of Australia culture, but also those of other nations.  Ireland has a deep Celtic root and the indigenous of Ireland are still substantially just that in our modern era.  In England the Saxon and Norman settlers have intermixed over many generations with the original Celtic peoples of the lands that probably just about every citizen of England has indigenous Celtic roots in some aspect of their family bloodlines.  An 80s TV show like the Robin Hood series from England is, in many ways, an indigenous cultural show of the English people.  But, from their Celtic roots, even in this modern era a show like the 'Bill' on English TV is strongly an Indigenous English cultural show as well.  Could such shows or others from the United Kingdom ever have a chance of showing up on NITV?  Perhaps they should.  Noahide faith teaches that all modern cultures and peoples of mankind ultimately derive back in origin to Noah and his 3 sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, who, when the Ark rested, repopulated the world from Mt Ararat in Armenia in modern day Turkey.    The Celtic peoples, as far as my investigations are concerned, likely populated from the Galatians of Turkey, likely through Noah's son Japheth.  The various other cultures of the world, we teach, also originated ultimately in this area.  Later mankind was gathered for the most part to Babylon, and the tower of Babel was attempted to be built, under the authority of Nimrod, son of Cush, son of Ham, son of Noah.  From there mankind was divided and the languages were also divided.  The Hebrew language, amongst others, developed at this point, likely from the Shemite 'Eber'.  The cultures of the world, in our religious teachings, originated ultimately from a Noahide family and, prior to them, ultimately back to the first man and woman Adam and Eve.

Sermon Eleven - The Price of Faith in following the Living God

Sin is a luxurious decadent delight of self will and self gratification. But it leaves you, at the end of your seasons of pleasure, empty, devoid of spiritual nourishment, and a carnal fascination to humanity, bereft of moral fiber and decent attitude and behaviour. Because if you make one concession on your religion, and stick to it, doesn't another usually come along? It likes to. It likes to tempt you and have its wicked delight with you and eat you up and spit you out, thrice the son of hell by the time it is finished with you. The Price of Faith following the Living God is living a life based on God's Rainbow Torah for us Noahide members of Assembly of the Living God. And that life, for the kind of person who wants to avoid the judgment of those destroyed in the deluge, is to not give into Cain's temptation, but to live a life based on lawfulness and morality. Sin feels good, people often say, but the spirit suggests to me it is meant to. It is meant to be a perverse form of pleasure, ironically so, to test you and to see if you have the courage of faith to live up to those convictions you had when you worked out your faith and morals. The serpent goes on tempting even to this day and unless you are prepared to commit to the principles of life of the Rainbow Torah, you will one day succumb and follow that serpent into his own hidden garden of wicked delights, and delight in that forbidden knowledge of evil, and not give a damn, until you find yourself in that ditch, having told the world to go to hell one too many times, a victim of the power of the temptations of the flesh, to which you have given yourself over to and let rule. Perverse pleasure – there is something in it which we know in our hearts isn't right – but we do it anyway. And we say 'Don't judge me', because we want to justify ourselves. So God lets you. He lets you sin. He tells you not to do it, but still gives you the choice. And if you want that sin, then a deluge of the soul awaits, for if you fail to pay the price of faith in following the living God, the price of sin, which is a cheap harlot for a buck, will eat you up, spit you out and delight in mocking you till you are no more the person you had once believed you might have been.

Sermon Twelve - Handling Dangerous Things

You know, life eternal is life eternal. And, if you want to chart your way through life eternal, there are some basic things you need to know. Handling dangerous things. They are called dangerous because they are just that - dangerous. But dangerous things abound in the life of the world to come - from razor blades, to scissors, to cutting instruments, to tools and even weapons, which you should avoid at all cost. Drilling machines, vehicles, boats, fishing rods, anything with a pointy or sharp edge, or anything which has a tendency to get too hot or too cold for the skin to handle - all these things are dangerous things and need to be handled with care and the utmost of caution. Essentially you need to train yourself, to train your life, to put into practice both a mindset and way of life which handles these things CONSISTENTLY in a SAFE MANNER. It needs to be prayed over. Every time you handle a dangerous thing you need in your life a back catalogue of built up prayer to guide you and instruct you in what you are doing at every moment with the dangerous thing, how to handle the dangerous thing properly and according to protocols and instructions, and how to safely put the dangerous thing back into its keeping place when you are finished with it. Your body is a temple and in the world to come that temple can only take so much damage. It is hard to do it on your own strength, but God expects that, because in salvation he expects you to put a fair enough effort into learning the principles of salvation your own self before you rely on his eternal strength. So to take care of your temple, your body, please ensure to the very best of your own efforts and abilities that you handle dangerous things with prudence, caution, care and respect, and please make sure they are put away properly when you are finished with them. Further - your loved ones. Want them to remain your loved ones? Then teach them, and make sure they too also know how to handle dangerous things safely and with the correct respect and understanding for them. It is your own responsibility - it is your own eternal life - so do the right thing by God Almighty and learn properly how to handle things of danger in your life before you rely upon his eternal strength to pull you through. AMEN.

Sermon Thirteen – Fidelity in Marriage

You married her. You married him. You made vows. I think I have always appreciated the fact that I had an upbringing in which both parents never even considered divorce, and stuck together as a faithful couple, loyal to each other, and loyal to the faith they grew up in, even if I now disagree with that faith. To me marriage is a natural thing. It's certainly biblical, but people just mate naturally anyway. It is the stuff of human society and the family is the bedrock which underpins our society. In this funky modern era of the 21st century every Tom, Dick and Harry has an opinion on how the modern family could and should work. And it doesn't always involve fidelity to the partnership which brought the children into the world. And, to me, that is perhaps just a bit weird. It's a weird and progressive sort of thing, which is more like regression to me, just to accommodate peoples desires to do what they want to do in their relationships, and not take them too seriously when the flame of romance has run dry. Casual. That is what so many people are these days. Casual. I don't think much of it. For me, personally, unless she goes off and becomes an axe murderer or the equivalent, for better of worse means for better or worse. I know how much value and stability I got in life from my own parents commitments – I won't do any such disservice to my own future offspring to do things differently. It's for better or worse, and to me its forever. As simple as that. You have to work on marriages to get them to work, and keep communication channels open, and still bring her flowers and still tell him you love him. The fire of romance eventually dies down, but if you make sensible decisions to work on your marriage – and I have heard many a time from successful parteners that it is just that – work, then your marriage can mean something. It can be real. It can be permanent. It can last. Why bother in the end marrying if you don't want to commit? In this day and age just arrange a sex buddy for some kids, and shack up. Spoiling the tradition of marriage with such a fake one, which won't go the distance unless your heart really is in it does such a disservice to what is supposed to be an honourable tradition in socity. Too many people make it a joke. Members of the AOTLG shouldn't want to emulate that. They should want, in godfearing faith, to stay bound to the love of their youth, and mean those vows and commitments, and stay faithful. Love might grow faint, so learn to do those little things which build love. Look at your partner's good points and learn to value them. Be brave and give them a cuddle when they get a little chubby and give them a kiss if they've grown a bit less attractive. Loyalty is a virtue, but don't think it won't be challenged. It will. Fidelity in marriage takes work, but the rewards are obvious in committed marriages we see in society, which are often the envy of many. Stay faithful in marriage. Be that bedrock in society which we all rely on. Mean it with your partner, and keep on loving them, even when its a challenge. AOTLG is all about this – fidelity in marriage, which is what the ANM represents. So follow the idea that when you marry, its for keeps, and let the divorce court be the absolute last call in dire emergency. Otherwise its for keeps.

Sermon Fourteen - Walking along the Pathway

Life. It is a pathway to eternity. God is in the pathway. He is alive in the pathway. We don't often recognize the presence of the living God in the pathway till a certain point. Usually it's when we acknowledge we have been doing things on the pathway we shouldn't be doing. Then we change our ways and notice Yahweh. We often rejoice for a while but then go back to standard practices. Then, after a long while we notice the pathway is getting predictable – and boring. Why? The living God wants more commitment before the path improves, Change again. You might be jaded at this point, God is real but so what, right? Time to reassess. Decision time. But whatever you decide the path will continue anyway. Improve the path. Read a new book on life. Embellish it with a new movie on growing up. Learn again. If you like that dry wine don't sweat it. But if you want the choice product of the vine, the pruning off the unpleasant and unsavory bits will have to be taken a bit more seriously. Pruning life hurts. You don't win Gold with a casual jog around the block every other day. You are going to have to work at it. And then the living God prods that mind of yours when you realize a pattern is forming. You learn your lessons, and presto, you have arrived at your spiritual destination in your own grand assessment of the truth of life. But the path goes on doesn't it. And eventually it isn't up to the standards you really want and expect, so surprise surprise, time to learn again and change again and repent again. Yep, repentance. You are going to have to actually make that a habit of life. And not just of sin, but of softer things like being a bit foolish. Wisdom takes time, and if you think you are the master of eternity you have become the fool of infinity. Keep at it. Keep on walking the path, but remember that strange virtue of humility which is prepared to learn again, and serve again, and keep on going in this walk of life with the eternal living God until the destination is in fact ultimately arrived at. And then get used to the cycle of things in the eternal world, because it probably won't change much even then. Not even then.

Sermon Fifteen - It Repenteth Me that I Have Made Them

God is quite a serious God. The sin of men of the times of Noah God took to heart. He wasn't a casual God who took no interest in the affairs of mankind. He was a devoted God, and when man had sinned so much that they were acting in wickedness and full of violence, it repented God that he had even made mankind, so disappointing was their behaviour. But Noah found Grace in the eyes of the LORD. It must have been pretty drastic – the sins of men – if God had repented that he had even made them. We probably see it in our movies on war and aggression, when people molest, attack and kill each other so casually, without heart, without concern. Each night on the news we see that, this tragedy of violence, that raping, that murder, that kidnapping, all sorts of acts of aggression. Fortunately we live in a reasonable world in the modern era of the 21^st century CE, but think about it: in the days of Noah God only found Noah righteous before him in his generations. His three sons and their wives were saved also, but the wickedness of men must have been great indeed for God to have destroyed them all. As Noahides we should remember that this is pretty much the most fundamental of lessons that we can learn. God cares of mankind a great deal, but he will punish us as our sins deserve, and God is so serious in his response to our sins, he takes them such to heart, that he will judge us and destroy those who sin, to save that righteous element amongst the children of men who are doing their best to keep the faith amongst a wicked and perverse generation.

DOCTRINES

The Doctrine of Contemplation

Is it just the truth we represent? Or is it more than that? The truth, if we hold to it, must have something useful about it. The point I had in my religious zeal was to teach the truth, because I believed the world was in corruption otherwise. The truth was (and is) the basis for all unity. Our Universalist faith is based on the Covenant of Noah at its heart. The Rainbow is the sign of this covenant. We are supposed to live natural lives, doing natural things that humans do. The rules are supposed to prevent us from going astray from the wisdom of God into behaviours which ultimately end in eternal death. People can be stubborn. They will choose their own will over the will and wisdom of God. But it is only death in the end, and NEVER the right way of thinking. We obey the rules of our Assembly, based on the Covenant of Noah, to be regular human beings who live in a society with each other, and try to get along with each other. I live in the 21st Century of the Common era calendar. I am a new believer in an ancient covenant, which has really been lost for the most part for millennia. But it is reborn, now. I have some new ideas. God asked me to build on his rock Israel, so I have the idea to have rules, like the Torah, from the maturing of the legal systems of the world, for our Assembly. May God guide this process. Here are 12 additional rules, which are only suggestions, for the members of the Assembly of the Living God.

1. Keep calm in arguments

2. Don't waste your money on stupid things, but budget to ensure you have enough food and drink and can support your family if needs be

3. Avoid excessive alcohol, cigarette and drug use

4. Wash regularly with water, clean your teeth regularly with water, and try to mainly eat fresh foods, as foods can go off and are not healthy to eat after a bit. Germs get on them, you see.

5. Celebrate the solstice each year with a day of celebration, good eating, and good family, friend and community spirit. The 25th of December will do.

6. Practice kindness and thoughtfulness towards people in the assembly and in the world.

7. Talk to God about your life and occasionally ask him for any suggestions he may have

8. If you would like, think about connecting somewhat with the Assembly of the Living God of the 7 Divine Fellowships that I have established. Gaining of their rights from myself is appropriate.

9. Exercise and listen to advice from sensible people.

10. Be the first to start a conversation – someone has to

11. Don't expect people to treat you like someone special all the time, as they are often concerned with their own problems

12. When it all comes down to it, try to be a good and decent person.

The Doctrine of Recording History

History. What has come before us. It shaped our world. Lives were lived, struggles were fought, nations, kingdom and Empires were forged of political, religious and business persuasion. It has been a long, often bloody, often reckless, certainly brave and bold, unfolding of the adventure of man and woman to make a place for themselves on this planet earth, to build the world, and, from generation to generation, leave a legacy of some kind for the one following. Every day of this modern era we live in the light of history. Our values, morals, customs and traditions, things we often take very much for granted, were fought for, often through trial and error, to fashion and make this world we have this very day. And an irony is that the idealist youth often thinks it is inventing everything anew. We take part, each and every one of us, in the unfolding history of planet earth. Each day we live we paint our own picture in the grand tapestry of life, and whether we like it or not our voice joins the vast cavalcade of humanity in deciding what should be for the future history before us. It is important to study history because it gives us a firmer understanding of how our own world formed and what part we and our own family play in the grand scheme of things. Genealogies are useful things, and Noahides should keep family genealogies. But more than that, we should ideally record the adventure of our life in an ultimate journal or autobiography of things, to leave that legacy to our children and our own particular dynasty. And, if we are true to being moral and concerned with our fellow humans, we should take part in some way in the institutions of society which record the triumphs of mankind, and do that also – record and keep information on what is happening in the world, and leave that information also for future generations to learn from and, hopefully, appreciate. I think, in the end, perhaps the most important thing about recording history, apart from all the legends of glory and accomplishment, is that we see how those in the past were just as human as us, with both their strengths and weaknesses, their pride and their frailty, and we can take solace and consolation from that in knowing there is nothing really much new under the sun, and the trials, struggles and growing pains we are going through in our own lives have been faced time and time again by countless generations which have gone before us. Record history. Keep it valuable, cherish it and make it sacred. It's our beacon of light to understand the world and society, and the more accurate knowledge we have of history and how past generations faced trials and overcame them, the better we can face such trials in our own lives, and go forth, making our own legacy to leave, yet again, for those children to come.

The Doctrine of the Origin of Nations

Enoch planted a city and named it after himself. We see this in the Rainbow Torah. To start with these cities were village which gradually grew. They were comunities of people who lived together and knew each other. In small villages in this modern era it is still like that, were people know many of the members of the community. Communities to start with usually had a chieftain who ran the show. Communities with chieftains gradually grew bigger. These early villages were agreed upon by members of the village congregating together and being reasonably united. They would live together, eat together, fight battles together, and marry each other. Often in Celtic societies they were based on clans. They served a common agenda - the prosperity of the village they were part of. Villages gradually grew and formed connections with other villages and nations formed, and monarchical kings ruled the nations. Often the king became king through conquest of lands which he united to serve himself. The kings weren't always good kings, and the people didn't always agree to what the king represented, but they usually assented the authority of the king and agreed they were part of the nation. Democracy gradually took hold in many nations through societal revolutions, somewhat replacing the monarchical system, and the people liked this, and voting was established, and the old family agreements in the villages were still maintained in their heart as society further developed, and in this modern world of the 21^st century of the common era, through studies of history, we know what we are part of and what we are born into. The laws of the land are and have been developed as best as the governing authorities can, and we make new laws and repeal old ones to improve the system. Ultimately, if a citizen who doesn't like the status quo insists on their own way of doing things, they can purchase land, secede and form their own micro-nation and run their own affairs. The United Nations describes the rights of an individual to self determination which is the basis of this somewhat for many. Otherwise we do, as people, generally know what we are part of and what we assent to. Libertarian anarchism is the adversary to properly run societies based on the rule of common and agreed upon law. These are people who are misfits in society, because they desire practices of life which many societies have grown up from through experience, and let go of. Often people study knowledge and gain a sense of their own self importance and seek power, which can lead to libertarian tendencies, where they want to run their own affairs, and this is also seen in religious fundamentalism which tries to justify itself by scripture alone.

In regards to Israel, Israel became a nation through invasion and conquest. A standard way of nation building. They slaughtered thousands of Canaanites and claimed their land to build the nation of Israel. Noah had placed a curse on Canaan, and he lost his land to the people of Israel quite probably because of this curse. Abraham had traveled to Moriah, which is claimed to be in Jerusalem at the temple mount. This seems to be the city of Salem, which had been ruled by Melchizedek initially, and then later by Melchizedek's descendant Adoni-Zedek. Adoni-Zedek was an Amorite. Melchizedek had been a high priest who had served God. There is no basis in the written Torah for saying Shem was Melchizedek. Melchizedek was a descendant of Noah, and came under the Noahide covenant (Genesis 9) in terms of what God judged him by. Because Canaan had been cursed, the land and nations he founded were lost from his authority. Israel claimed this land through conquest. God Almighty instructed Israel to claim this land, and it was also part of the land covenanted to Abraham, a part of that covenant land, which is from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates. Israel's inheritance was a portion of the inheritance given to Abraham. Abraham had legal land holding in the land of the Hebrews, and Isaac, Jacob and the 12 sons of Jacob (Israel) had legal land holding in this area. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were certainly residents in the land. But not all of Canaan was the land of the Hebrews. The Hebrews themselves were the people of Eber, Noah's great-great-grand son. Eber had two children, Peleg and Joktan. Joktan had 13 Noahide Hebrew nations descended from him, and Abram comes from Peleg. Israel is part of the Pelegite Noahide nation as shown in Genesis 10. Abraham certainly had legal land holdings, some land which he had purchased, as did Isaac and Jacob. But the majority of Canaan was held by the Canaanites. However, I would point out that Joseph went to Egypt to live, and while he was taken there against his will, it certainly was within the will of Jacob and the sons of Jacob to travel to Egypt and reside there. They chose to leave their land behind them. That land in Canaan had been vacated by the people of the family of Abraham when they went to Egypt voluntarily. When they came back and took the land later, their land rights in a normal legal sense had ceased. Premises had been vacated, putting it bluntly. It was retaken through conquest.

The Doctrine of Intense Reality

It's like, your young, and your speeding, because you don't give a stuff, and you hit that car from behind, and ruin the front of your car, and it's a write off. And your a little phased. Wise? It's like, you have been married for 3 years to your wife, who was a virgin when you married her, and you've never had a VD. But then that chick at work who you like flirts with you, and out in the filing room you dilly dally with her a little, and find that VD growing down below a few weeks later, and your wife has questions. Wise? It's like your at the shops with the kids, and they are screaming, and you need a few chocolate bars to shut them up, but you suddenly remember you left your purse at home, and you decide pinching a few chokkie bars is not that bad, is it? And then you are busted, and they call the cops, and your in deep trouble. Wise? It's like your jumping off that bridge into the river, and they warned you about rocks in some places, but you didn't listen to advice, and you hit one, and break your leg and arm. Wise? It's like you have strong political views, sometimes racist, and you are talking in a restaurant with your buddy, sledging the blacks, and a huge black man confronts you and asks you 'Do you have a problem?' Wise? It's like your at your place of worship, and you are talking shit in the foyer, and the pastor walks past and overhears you, and your rep is mud for a while. Wise? Reality. It can get pretty intense. Stuff up - make bad decisions - and it can get pretty intense. Wise up, friend, learn your lessons from your parents and teachers and the natural mistakes you make in life, and you should be ok in the end. Otherwise Reality can get pretty intense

The Doctrine of Slothfulness

I'll do it tomorrow. It can wait till morning. I'll get to it eventually. You noticed those dishes? They're piling up. Soon you won't have any new ones left. Noticed that carpet? The dirt on it is from the Jurassic period. Cavemen have tidier caves. Noticed those clothes your wearing. They are disgustingly filthy. And guess what? They were out of fashion when Adam was a lad. Putting things off. Waiting another day. Saying I'll get round to it. Gonna do this, gonna do that. But nothing, really, ever, changes. You see, slothfulness, the trap of laziness, one of the 7 deadly sins, is something even the most noble of hearts and intentions can fall into. Putting it off. Being unconcerned. Being lazy. It seems like some people enter, not called the 'Slow Zone' but the 'Stop Zone' were they consider the help they get (from mum usually) who cleans their room, washes their clothes and makes their dinner - when they are 42 - so they enjoy that, sit around the house playing video games, surfing the internet, and, in general, practising the wisdom of the sloth. Such noble creatures they are. Slothfulness, ironically, doesn't get much done. If you want a life of achievement, don't rely on slothfulness to get you there. There's not much achieved on speed zero. But, alack alas, with a well developed sense of humour, even the slothful can be endured. If you can cope with the mind numbingly boring pace of life they set. Ha.

The Doctrine of Activity

Activity. Sometimes a hurly burly maelstrom of passion, life and adventure, and you reach epic glories of self accomplishment, the pride of your neighbourhood, city and even nation. You do everything right, are loved by everyone, and the envy of all. And life is full steam ahead, full of interesting and fun things to do, always exciting, never boring, and you wonder to yourself 'Can it really get any better than this?' But for most of us - the more mundane members of humanity - it is 9 to 5, same old job, same old routine, good morning Alice, good morning Bob, how was your day, yes boss I will get to that, are you sure there is a jam in the photocopier, sure I don't mind staying late tonight, good night Alice, good night Bob, stuck in traffic, home late, sit on the couch till midnight, and never get enough sleep. Wonderful. Isn't it. The world we all live in. Activity is life and life is activity, and there is a secret about it all. The secret is to learn to master the control of that activity and to master this life and to make it work, not so much according to expectations, because that is so predictable, but according to the innermost desires of your heart, were the seeds of true and eternal glory are born. It is about controlling that activity in the regular every day, finding secrets of doing things well and doing things with a good attitude and controlling all that activity and making it work for you - taking control of it all - that you can find the best meanings and reasons for living. We are not all destined to be superstars and neither are we all destined to be entrepreneurs, but we can all control what we say, which is important, and what we do, which is equally important, so it is about finding your natural and God given talents, and working with your strengths, and controlling that pace of activity at a level which maximises your happiness and joy in your everyday routines. If there is too much on your plate learn to restructure your activities to fit it in, or learn to let go and let others handle things. How you pace your life, how you control your time, how you manage the natural energy levels within you which produce a certain amount of activity, are the secrets to finding moderation and balance in life. And to control that natural life activity with happy things and good things and positive things and decent things. Life is flux - life is activity - even sitting still we are still breathing. So control that activity which is inevitable and moves you on in life inexorably, and make it work, with your own strengths, for a glory which is achievable and a life which is happy and has purpose. Control your energy, control your activity, measure it, master it. And you can be in far better control of your life and live a far better one because of it.

The Doctrine of 'Noahide Mankind'

One family. There it is, you know. We are one family. The sons and daughters of men. One family. One father, Adam. But since a boat was built and a flood happened, we are one family with another father over all of us in this post flood era - Noah. We Noahides use that term to mean of the tribe or family of Noah. It does, in truth, distinguish us from Catholics and Jews and Protestants and Muslims and others, who use various of their own titles to delineate their religious beliefs, but there actually is something more 'Universal' about our own particular moniker of religious identity - we are all - ALL OF US - sons and daughters of Noah. We are all 'Noahide Mankind'. The sign of the covenant, for everyone over 2 just about, has been witnessed universally - the rainbow. We've all seen it, not all of us know what it represents theologically, but it is a natural symbol which teaches us that God's judgement often falls once, and is severe, but his mercy thereafter is eternal. If, though, we are really one family, one Noahide mankind, really we should act like it. Do you spit in your mother's eye? Do you kick your brother when he is down? Do you insult your daughter without holding back? But the thing is, for so many of us towards those outside of our immediate family it is this big 'Who the heck are they?' attitude, rather than one which recognizes they are human beings, thinking and feeling, just like me. And, although it is distant for so many, we ARE related. We ARE family. We are ALL kin. In the USA in recent times there has been tension between the black communities and the police. Racism. It seems crystal clear from impressions we are getting, and while it does appear the police are not always guilty, sometimes they just might be. It's great isn't it. Racism. I'm being sarcastic. Wouldn't it be amazing, though, if the Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan rocks up to heaven, meets Noah, and is shown his entire family tree. And then he looks at 'Mtoko Jones', that African American kid he beat up a few years back, and finds he's a fourteenth cousin, twice removed, and also has a penchant for French pornography, just like the Grand Dragon himself. Ironic, wouldn't it be. If we are family, all one Noahide Mankind, we really should treat our universal family members a lot better, shouldn't we? Yes, we should. We need respect, kindness, mercy and unity in our thoughts towards our fellow humans. All of them. We need understanding, togetherness, and old fashioned brotherly love. And we need to MEAN it, and dig deep roots into that connectivity. After all, nobody likes to be told 'Frag off Nigga' or 'Go to hell Honky', do they? We are one family, one Noahide family, and it is time we started to act like it, and for those of us who have already figured that much out, to continue in the faith, and to continue in the love, and to embrace our neighbour, knowing we are one people, under God, with brotherly and sisterly affection for all. AMEN.

The Doctrine of Consistent Kindness

Being kind. It's a great thing to do. But how many of us show a little respect, show a little care, show a little love, but a few days later we are cranky, insulting people, neglecting our friendships and not really giving much of a damn. Consistent kindness. Not an easy thing to do. Becoming disciplined in life to be able to work at a job each day without shirking is the hallmark of success, and it is never easy, some mornings, when you sigh before another day of work. But soon you are at work, and the activity begins, and you are getting on with it, and before you know it the day is over, and you have earned your keep again. Consistency at work. A lot of us can master that. But you would, wouldn't you. You want to be paid after all, and their are bills and mortgages to consider. But while we can be paragons of virtue at our economic pursuits of wealth earning, why can't we be the same when it comes to old fashioned courtesy and respect? Consistently showing empathy and sympathy and love. The hallmark of a proper Noahide is one that shows consistent kindness time and time again. Not giving into the temptations to not give a damn, but reproving your heart to remember that, hey, I care about these people in the end anyway. It is about finding that discipline in the inner man, the one you respect deep down, which knows the right thing to do and finally has found the courage to consistently do that right thing. Sure, you may call it a far fetched reality, for everyday truths interfere to remind you how much it all sucks right? But no. It CAN be done. It is about a change of heart, a change of mind, a change of focus, away from the casual beliefs and attitudes of your immature younger years, towards a more responsible and decent ethic, where you agree with the general idea that you should be a kinder person far more often than you have been in the past, or that you have been prepared to be in the past. Feeling good in your heart is a great thing, isn't it, but you don't like it when you get down because of what other people say to you and say about you. So why do that to others? Why must you be the one who causes those sinking feelings in the hope and confidences of ones you might have claimed to care for. Be better than that. Be kind. Be CONSISTENTLY kind. And stick with it. Learn it. Let it rule your heart. And, if karma has any truth in it, for the Lord rewards us according to our deeds, those good deeds and words of kindness you sow, which is doing the right thing anyway, will come back to you with manifold blessings. And, after all, we all want to be loved, don't we? Yeh, we do. AMEN.

The Doctrine of Eternity

Living forever. It comes down to a choice. You want to. You want to live forever. Not for a few years or centuries or even millennia. But for all eternity. Forever and ever and ever and ever and ever. Life without end. But as I said, it is your choice. God does not thrust it upon you. And, in fact, while God is prepared to commit his heart to amazing love towards people who make the choice of eternal life, he is actually reluctant to commit to those, in the end, who are not willing to compromise on their lifestyle choices and bite the bullet and conform to a holy way of life necessary for that eternal endurance. Sure, you have heard your pastor or preacher go on about heaven and eternal life, and perhaps you have taken that for granted. But your a fool if you have, cause no bloody grace will give it to you, it is based on hard works of commitment to a decent, godly and holy way of life. It is based on prayer and study of scripture, and digging deep wells of salvation on successful day to day living practices. It is about learning to live, not making foolish decisions, not hanging around ungodly people, avoiding practices of uncleanness which lead to disease, and about mastering a lifestyle which keeps death away and eternal health and happiness in your soul. Want to do drugs forever? You won't go the distance. Want to get drunk every night? You'll barely survive a millennia. Want to chain smoke without ceasing? Enjoy Sheol. All sorts of unwise things, things which might tickle the heart of your fantasies, might be well and good to luxuriate in, but they aren't the stuff of a serious and sober eternal sojourn. Sin. It can be seductive, temptatious and delicious. But sin will kill your eternal life quicker than a dog to its tucker. Eternity, in the end, can't be done on your own strength, though, anyway. But it has to be earned by your own efforts and commitments and endurances to make yourself godly. You pretty much have to do all the work in mastering life to be able to live the eternity before you. But once you put in your effort, the spirit will guide you over your eternal existence, and the pressure will depart, and eternity will be yours. It ain't just coming to you. It has to be earned. But the joy of life, love and other mysteries will all be yours if you can commit to forever, and it is something, in the end, you will never regret or look back upon.

The Doctrine of Humility

What do I know of truth? What do I know of God? What do I know of morality? Not much, probably. Not much at all. I complain, I winge, I mock, I deride, I insult. I'm a person who can really have a go at other people and society, because I am so up myself. I'm really not a pleasant soul, I'm wretched, beyond hope, totally pathetic. And in all this I am made in the image of God. So perhaps I should do better, shouldn't I? That's what so many of us where like before we knew God. We didn't give the slightest damn about what people thought of us, and we didn't give much of the slightest damn about others. And a lot of the time we didn't give the slightest damn about ourselves very much as well. We just did what we did, for the kicks, for the hell of it, partied on, and God, if he really exists anyway, can go to hell. We're just going to die and that will be it. Our usefulness to the universe at an end, back to the oblivion of chaos. Something, though, along the way, for those of us who came to faith – something, along the way, finally got over it. Something finally acknowledged a point or two from a religious person, or the witness of the spirit, some little expressed point of humility, where we finally acknowledged there might be a greater truth than what we were ever really prepared to admit, and from that humility came faith, and for many of us a better life with a hope and a promise and a reward. Being humble is not just a sermon of life – its a core doctrine which should define the central attitude of our heart. One which is prepared to learn from God and acknowledge his authority and wisdom and truth, and allows itself to be corrected, yielding to the true source of absolute truth. And we need to stay in that state, for pride can enter in again, practically at any time. So many, even after humbling themselves, go back to choosing that pride in time, and get over being humble and pious and righteous. Because the pride feels so much better, and we'd just rather do it our own way. But I'm not really sure if there is much salvation in choosing to let go of our humility. I'm not sure if there is much of a great reward for going back to our 'Know-it-all' attitude. Humility is being prepared to admit it when you are wrong, and not puffing yourself up in your own accomplishments and knowledge. It's admitting that other people have good ideas and are doing good things in life, and thinking outside of our own little world where all that matters is me. It's getting over it. Getting over the selfishness. Thinking of others, thinking of God, and being prepared to stay that way and get along with the world. To have a good attitude. Humility is a virtue, and its one which is a fundamental part of a proper spiritual life. You won't really succeed spiritually in life with pride motivating you, so stay humble, stay real in your opinions of yourself, and you will be all the better a person for it in the long run.

The Doctrine of Slavery

For lower, more base citizens, who are regular criminals, or carnal or overtly aggressive, Karaite Noahide faith does approve of such individuals being slaves. Slavery is a natural part of the system, which comes in when standards in society amongst many of its members decay. God allows slavery, but those who become slaves have usually sold themselves into slavery as they have reached the bottom of the economic system and are no longer trying to achieve success in life. In 2017 we have just come out of a very strict 19th century, and a reasonably strict 20th century. But work attitudes and lawfulness attitudes are diminishing amongst many of our citizens. The trend seems to suggest that this will continue, and in time there will be citizens who people probably won't even object to being slaves. When society is mostly normal, many don't really give much of a damn about trying in life, and that is when slavery is prevalent. It is certainly fine to be idealistic and hate on slavery, but the human condition is prone to a lot of evil in many people in the end. Liberals like to think people are good when it comes down to it. They aren't. They have been trained to be good. In time a lot of people go back to their evil ways, and then Torah values look much more normal to society.

Games of the Assembly of the Living God

CARD GAMES

Plunder - 2 to 4 players. 52 card deck. All cards are dealt out one at a time to each player. The card are organised into suits and numbers from lowest to highest. The first player (chosen at random) plays a card. The next player to their left must play a card of the same number or one higher or one lower. If they can't they must pass. The next player then must play a card of the same number, or one higher or one lower, and they must pass if they can't. And so on. When nobody can play a card, the last person to play a card gets the plunder and gets all the cards. Every time plunder is done each player counts the cards in their hand and the total number of cards count as points which go on to the score sheet. After five plunders the player with the most points is the winner.

Double Seven - 2 or more players. 52 card deck. Each player is dealt 7 cards each. The pile is put down which is the draw pile. Ace counts as 1, 2 as 2 up to 10 as 10. Royal cards count as 10. The object is to add your cards points together to score 14 points. Every time you have a set of cards from your hand, however many you want, which add up to seven, you place them down as a set. On top of these are the next set placed, in a criss-cross manner on top of each other so as not to get cardsets mixed up. The best sets are made up of two halves were you have seven points in each half, which is a double seven. These count for double at the end when scores are made. When you have gone through your cards initially and made as many 14s as you can each player takes turns in drawing a card. You may have a maximum of 10 cards in your hand at any time. If you have 10 cards and can't make a seven and it is your turn all cards must be shuffled into the deck, and you draw 10 new cards from the top of the deck, and play reverts to the other player. When no more sets of 14 can possibly be made, sets are added up, counting 1 point for each set and 2 points for a Double Seven, and the player with the highest amount of points is the winner.

45 – 2 to 4 players. 52 card deck. 7 cards are dealt to each player. There is a draw pile. The 4s and 5s can be paired together to form 45 points, only if they are from the same suit. Otherwise Ace is 1 through to 10 as 10 and the royal cards all as 10. You need to build runs of 3 cards in a row of ascending/descending order, any suit. You lay down your runs on a pile in criss-cross fashion. When players have laid down any runs they have, they take time drawing cards. If you have 12 cards and have no runs you must have all your cards returned to the drawpile and shuffled into them and must draw seven new cards afresh, and play reverts to the next player. When no more sets are formed, points are scored on the total points of the runs, remembering 45s score the highest. Royals count in ascending order with the Jack following the 10 and then Queen and then King. Highest pointscorer when all hands are played is the winner.

BALL GAMES

These games are usually played on playing fields of some sort, or an appropriate playground.

Tossball - You have 2 or more players and a ball (you can use any sort of ball, even large ones if you want to, but a tennis ball is probably the best one to use) – many players can make the game more interesting. They start standing a few meters apart and toss the ball to each other. Upon every successful catch the player who catches the ball gets to take a step backwards. You are only allowed to toss the ball at another player gently and underarm, and you have to nominate the player you are tossing the ball to. The ball needs to land, if it is not caught, within one meter of the front and side of the player the ball is being tossed to. If not it is called a fowl through and play just continues, with the player who the ball was tossed to continuing with the next toss. So, if the player who has the ball tossed to them drops the ball or it lands within a meter, and they didn't catch it, they are out of the game. The ball can not be deliberately tossed to land short of a player – you have to genuinely toss it gently enough to the player for them to catch. If the ball hits the nominated players body, and they are not allowed to move, and they don't catch it, it is counted as a drop. The last player in the game wins. If they get to far apart for the ball to be tossed they start again in the middle.

Crapball – Many players. Leather ball usually the best. The best of games, but mainly for younger players. In Crapball you have a group of players and select one to be the 'Joker'. The Joker takes the ball and goes away from the group a few hundred metres and hides the ball and comes back and tells the group where the ball is. The group then take a vote to see who will have the first 10 metre head start. If the person with the 10 metre head start doesn't get the ball first they are called 'Crap' for the rest of the day. The first person to get the ball is called 'Top Shot', and if it isn't the headstart dude, he gets to mock the headstart dude for the rest of the week virtually. It's a pretty crap game, really, and when you have finished insulting the crapman, you throw the ball around to each other for a while, and put the crapman in the middle and say 'Catch this if you can Crapman' but you never throw it to him till its time to go home, when you throw it to him and say, here, deal with this crap.

Throwball – 2 players of more. Leather ball required. Throw the ball as far as you can. Should be a leather ball, doesn't matter the size. People try and throw it farther than you. The winner is the one who has thrown it the furthest. There are 20 rounds of throwball for 2 player, 10 for 3 players, and 3 for 3 or more players. You score a point more than the player underneath you for each victory, and the second placed thrower scores a point more than the player underneath them, and so on down the pecking order, one point less each time, depending on the number of players. At the end of the rounds the player with the most points wins in throwball. Game can be modified to become technical if desired for more serious competition, for example the size and weight of the ball being an important factor, and the throwing grid or arc, as well as the throwing point or throwing line which you can't cross, which if you do is a fowl through.

More Scripture

Not Required for Observance

Study Material Only

Genesis 21-30 King James Version (KJV)

21 And the Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as he had spoken.

2 For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.

3 And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.

4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him.

5 And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.

6 And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.

7 And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.

8 And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.

9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.

10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.

11 And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son.

12 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

13 And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.

14 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.

15 And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.

16 And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bow shot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.

17 And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.

18 Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.

19 And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.

20 And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.

21 And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.

22 And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest:

23 Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son: but according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned.

24 And Abraham said, I will swear.

25 And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away.

26 And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath done this thing; neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to day.

27 And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant.

28 And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.

29 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves?

30 And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well.

31 Wherefore he called that place Beersheba; because there they sware both of them.

32 Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.

33 And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God.

34 And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines' land many days.

22 And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.

2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, 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.

3 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.

4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.

5 And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.

6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.

7 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?

8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.

10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

11 And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.

12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a 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.

14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.

15 And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,

16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:

17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;

18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

19 So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.

20 And it came to pass after these things, that it was told Abraham, saying, Behold, Milcah, she hath also born children unto thy brother Nahor;

21 Huz his firstborn, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram,

22 And Chesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and Bethuel.

23 And Bethuel begat Rebekah: these eight Milcah did bear to Nahor, Abraham's brother.

24 And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, she bare also Tebah, and Gaham, and Thahash, and Maachah.

23 And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah.

2 And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.

3 And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying,

4 I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.

5 And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him,

6 Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead.

7 And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth.

8 And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and intreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,

9 That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his field; for as much money as it is worth he shall give it me for a possession of a buryingplace amongst you.

10 And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth: and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth, even of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying,

11 Nay, my lord, hear me: the field give I thee, and the cave that is therein, I give it thee; in the presence of the sons of my people give I it thee: bury thy dead.

12 And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land.

13 And he spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, But if thou wilt give it, I pray thee, hear me: I will give thee money for the field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there.

14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him,

15 My lord, hearken unto me: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead.

16 And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant.

17 And the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure

18 Unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city.

19 And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan.

20 And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a buryingplace by the sons of Heth.

24 And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.

2 And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh:

3 And I will make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:

4 But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.

5 And the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest?

6 And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again.

7 The Lord God of heaven, which took me from my father's house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence.

8 And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son thither again.

9 And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that matter.

10 And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor.

11 And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water.

12 And he said O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham.

13 Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water:

14 And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master.

15 And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder.

16 And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up.

17 And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher.

18 And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.

19 And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.

20 And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.

21 And the man wondering at her held his peace, to wit whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not.

22 And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold;

23 And said, Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee: is there room in thy father's house for us to lodge in?

24 And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor.

25 She said moreover unto him, We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in.

26 And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the Lord.

27 And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master's brethren.

28 And the damsel ran, and told them of her mother's house these things.

29 And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban: and Laban ran out unto the man, unto the well.

30 And it came to pass, when he saw the earring and bracelets upon his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, Thus spake the man unto me; that he came unto the man; and, behold, he stood by the camels at the well.

31 And he said, Come in, thou blessed of the Lord; wherefore standest thou without? for I have prepared the house, and room for the camels.

32 And the man came into the house: and he ungirded his camels, and gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet, and the men's feet that were with him.

33 And there was set meat before him to eat: but he said, I will not eat, until I have told mine errand. And he said, Speak on.

34 And he said, I am Abraham's servant.

35 And the Lord hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses.

36 And Sarah my master's wife bare a son to my master when she was old: and unto him hath he given all that he hath.

37 And my master made me swear, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife to my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell:

38 But thou shalt go unto my father's house, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son.

39 And I said unto my master, Peradventure the woman will not follow me.

40 And he said unto me, The Lord, before whom I walk, will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father's house:

41 Then shalt thou be clear from this my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they give not thee one, thou shalt be clear from my oath.

42 And I came this day unto the well, and said, O Lord God of my master Abraham, if now thou do prosper my way which I go:

43 Behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass, that when the virgin cometh forth to draw water, and I say to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink;

44 And she say to me, Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels: let the same be the woman whom the Lord hath appointed out for my master's son.

45 And before I had done speaking in mine heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the well, and drew water: and I said unto her, Let me drink, I pray thee.

46 And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: so I drank, and she made the camels drink also.

47 And I asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? And she said, the daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bare unto him: and I put the earring upon her face, and the bracelets upon her hands.

48 And I bowed down my head, and worshipped the Lord, and blessed the Lord God of my master Abraham, which had led me in the right way to take my master's brother's daughter unto his son.

49 And now if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me: and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left.

50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing proceedeth from the Lord: we cannot speak unto thee bad or good.

51 Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go, and let her be thy master's son's wife, as the Lord hath spoken.

52 And it came to pass, that, when Abraham's servant heard their words, he worshipped the Lord, bowing himself to the earth.

53 And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah: he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things.

54 And they did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him, and tarried all night; and they rose up in the morning, and he said, Send me away unto my master.

55 And her brother and her mother said, Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go.

56 And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the Lord hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master.

57 And they said, We will call the damsel, and enquire at her mouth.

58 And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go.

59 And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant, and his men.

60 And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them.

61 And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man: and the servant took Rebekah, and went his way.

62 And Isaac came from the way of the well Lahairoi; for he dwelt in the south country.

63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming.

64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel.

65 For she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a vail, and covered herself.

66 And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done.

67 And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.

25 Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah.

2 And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah.

3 And Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim.

4 And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abidah, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.

5 And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac.

6 But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country.

7 And these are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years.

8 Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people.

9 And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre;

10 The field which Abraham purchased of the sons of Heth: there was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife.

11 And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac dwelt by the well Lahairoi.

12 Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid, bare unto Abraham:

13 And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam,

14 And Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa,

15 Hadar, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah:

16 These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their towns, and by their castles; twelve princes according to their nations.

17 And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, an hundred and thirty and seven years: and he gave up the ghost and died; and was gathered unto his people.

18 And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur, that is before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria: and he died in the presence of all his brethren.

19 And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham begat Isaac:

20 And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.

21 And Isaac intreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren: and the Lord was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.

22 And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the Lord.

23 And the Lord said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.

24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.

25 And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.

26 And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.

27 And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents.

28 And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob.

29 And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint:

30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.

31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.

32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?

33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.

34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.

26 And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar.

2 And the Lord appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of:

3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;

4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;

5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.

6 And Isaac dwelt in Gerar:

7 And the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said, She is my sister: for he feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah; because she was fair to look upon.

8 And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife.

9 And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety she is thy wife; and how saidst thou, She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for her.

10 And Abimelech said, What is this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife, and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us.

11 And Abimelech charged all his people, saying, He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.

12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the Lord blessed him.

13 And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great:

14 For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him.

15 For all the wells which his father's servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth.

16 And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we.

17 And Isaac departed thence, and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there.

18 And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them.

19 And Isaac's servants digged in the valley, and found there a well of springing water.

20 And the herdmen of Gerar did strive with Isaac's herdmen, saying, The water is ours: and he called the name of the well Esek; because they strove with him.

21 And they digged another well, and strove for that also: and he called the name of it Sitnah.

22 And he removed from thence, and digged another well; and for that they strove not: and he called the name of it Rehoboth; and he said, For now the Lord hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.

23 And he went up from thence to Beersheba.

24 And the Lord appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham's sake.

25 And he builded an altar there, and called upon the name of the Lord, and pitched his tent there: and there Isaac's servants digged a well.

26 Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath one of his friends, and Phichol the chief captain of his army.

27 And Isaac said unto them, Wherefore come ye to me, seeing ye hate me, and have sent me away from you?

28 And they said, We saw certainly that the Lord was with thee: and we said, Let there be now an oath betwixt us, even betwixt us and thee, and let us make a covenant with thee;

29 That thou wilt do us no hurt, as we have not touched thee, and as we have done unto thee nothing but good, and have sent thee away in peace: thou art now the blessed of the Lord.

30 And he made them a feast, and they did eat and drink.

31 And they rose up betimes in the morning, and sware one to another: and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.

32 And it came to pass the same day, that Isaac's servants came, and told him concerning the well which they had digged, and said unto him, We have found water.

33 And he called it Shebah: therefore the name of the city is Beersheba unto this day.

34 And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite:

35 Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah.

27 And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his eldest son, and said unto him, My son: and he said unto him, Behold, here am I.

2 And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death:

3 Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison;

4 And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die.

5 And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it.

6 And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying,

7 Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the Lord before my death.

8 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee.

9 Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he loveth:

10 And thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, and that he may bless thee before his death.

11 And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man:

12 My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing.

13 And his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them.

14 And he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother: and his mother made savoury meat, such as his father loved.

15 And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son:

16 And she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck:

17 And she gave the savoury meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.

18 And he came unto his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son?

19 And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy first born; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me.

20 And Isaac said unto his son, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the Lord thy God brought it to me.

21 And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not.

22 And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.

23 And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau's hands: so he blessed him.

24 And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am.

25 And he said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son's venison, that my soul may bless thee. And he brought it near to him, and he did eat: and he brought him wine and he drank.

26 And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son.

27 And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed:

28 Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:

29 Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.

30 And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting.

31 And he also had made savoury meat, and brought it unto his father, and said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son's venison, that thy soul may bless me.

32 And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau.

33 And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed.

34 And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father.

35 And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing.

36 And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?

37 And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son?

38 And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.

39 And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above;

40 And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.

41 And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.

42 And these words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah: and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself, purposing to kill thee.

43 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran;

44 And tarry with him a few days, until thy brother's fury turn away;

45 Until thy brother's anger turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him: then I will send, and fetch thee from thence: why should I be deprived also of you both in one day?

46 And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?

28 And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.

2 Arise, go to Padanaram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother's father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughers of Laban thy mother's brother.

3 And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people;

4 And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham.

5 And Isaac sent away Jacob: and he went to Padanaram unto Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob's and Esau's mother.

6 When Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob, and sent him away to Padanaram, to take him a wife from thence; and that as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughers of Canaan;

7 And that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to Padanaram;

8 And Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father;

9 Then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham's son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife.

10 And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.

11 And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.

12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.

13 And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;

14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

15 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

16 And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.

17 And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.

18 And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.

19 And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.

20 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,

21 So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God:

22 And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

29 Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east.

2 And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks: and a great stone was upon the well's mouth.

3 And thither were all the flocks gathered: and they rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well's mouth in his place.

4 And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence be ye? And they said, Of Haran are we.

5 And he said unto them, Know ye Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We know him.

6 And he said unto them, Is he well? And they said, He is well: and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep.

7 And he said, Lo, it is yet high day, neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together: water ye the sheep, and go and feed them.

8 And they said, We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered together, and till they roll the stone from the well's mouth; then we water the sheep.

9 And while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep; for she kept them.

10 And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother.

11 And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept.

12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's brother, and that he was Rebekah's son: and she ran and told her father.

13 And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister's son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things.

14 And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month.

15 And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me, what shall thy wages be?

16 And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.

17 Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured.

18 And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter.

19 And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me.

20 And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.

21 And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her.

22 And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast.

23 And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her.

24 And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an handmaid.

25 And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?

26 And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.

27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.

28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.

29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.

30 And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.

31 And when the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.

32 And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the Lord hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me.

33 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the Lord hath heard I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon.

34 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi.

35 And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the Lord: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.

30 And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.

2 And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?

3 And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her.

4 And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her.

5 And Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son.

6 And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan.

7 And Bilhah Rachel's maid conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son.

8 And Rachel said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali.

9 When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife.

10 And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a son.

11 And Leah said, A troop cometh: and she called his name Gad.

12 And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a second son.

13 And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed: and she called his name Asher.

14 And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes.

15 And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son's mandrakes.

16 And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes. And he lay with her that night.

17 And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son.

18 And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband: and she called his name Issachar.

19 And Leah conceived again, and bare Jacob the sixth son.

20 And Leah said, God hath endued me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun.

21 And afterwards she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah.

22 And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb.

23 And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach:

24 And she called his name Joseph; and said, The Lord shall add to me another son.

25 And it came to pass, when Rachel had born Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away, that I may go unto mine own place, and to my country.

26 Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served thee, and let me go: for thou knowest my service which I have done thee.

27 And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, tarry: for I have learned by experience that the Lord hath blessed me for thy sake.

28 And he said, Appoint me thy wages, and I will give it.

29 And he said unto him, Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how thy cattle was with me.

30 For it was little which thou hadst before I came, and it is now increased unto a multitude; and the Lord hath blessed thee since my coming: and now when shall I provide for mine own house also?

31 And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me any thing: if thou wilt do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep thy flock.

32 I will pass through all thy flock to day, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and of such shall be my hire.

33 So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come, when it shall come for my hire before thy face: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the sheep, that shall be counted stolen with me.

34 And Laban said, Behold, I would it might be according to thy word.

35 And he removed that day the he goats that were ringstraked and spotted, and all the she goats that were speckled and spotted, and every one that had some white in it, and all the brown among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons.

36 And he set three days' journey betwixt himself and Jacob: and Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks.

37 And Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chesnut tree; and pilled white strakes in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods.

38 And he set the rods which he had pilled before the flocks in the gutters in the watering troughs when the flocks came to drink, that they should conceive when they came to drink.

39 And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle ringstraked, speckled, and spotted.

40 And Jacob did separate the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the ringstraked, and all the brown in the flock of Laban; and he put his own flocks by themselves, and put them not unto Laban's cattle.

41 And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger cattle did conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the cattle in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods.

42 But when the cattle were feeble, he put them not in: so the feebler were Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's.

43 And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.