Bereishis
Book 1: Genesis

BEREISHIS

Chapter 01

Verse 1: In the beginning El-him created the heavens and the earth.

Verse 2: The earth was unformed and desolate, and darkness covered the surface of the abyss. The breath of El-him hovered above the surface of the water.

Verse 3: El-him said, "Let there be light." and there was light.

Verse 4: El-him saw that the light was good, and El-him divided the light from the darkness.

Verse 5: El-him called the light day, and the darkness He called night. It became evening and it became morning, one day.

Verse 6: El-him said, "Let there be a canopy in the midst of the waters, and let it divide between waters and waters."

Verse 7: El-him made the canopy, and divided the waters which were beneath the canopy, from the waters which were above the canopy, and it was so.

Verse 8: El-him called the canopy heaven. It became evening and it became morning the second day.

Verse 9: El-him said, "Let the waters beneath the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dryness be seen." It was so.

Verse 10: El-him called the dryness, "earth", and the gathering of the waters, He called "seas", and El-him saw that it was good.

Verse 11: El-him said, "Let the earth sprout grass, seed-yielding herbs, fruit trees bearing fruit of its own kind, with its seed within it, upon the earth." And it was so.

Verse 12: The earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed of its kind, and trees bearing fruit which has in it seeds of its kind; and El-him saw that it was good.

Verse 13: It became evening and it became morning, the third day.

Verse 14: El-him said, "Let there be lights in the canopy of heaven to divide between the day and the night, and they will serve for signs for seasons, for days and for years.

Verse 15: They will be for lights in the canopy of heaven to illuminate the earth." And it was so.

Verse 16: El-him made the two great lights, the large light to rule the day, and the small light to rule the night, and the stars

Verse 17: El-him set them in the canopy of the heaven to illuminate the earth,

Verse 18: to rule in the day and the night, and to divide between the light and the darkness; and El-him saw that it was good.

Verse 19: It became evening and it became morning, the fourth day.

Verse 20: El-him said, "Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth, in the open canopy of the heaven."

Verse 21: And thus El-him created the great whales, and every living creature that creeps, with which the waters teem, of its kind, and every winged bird of its kind; and El-him saw that it was good.

Verse 22: El-him blessed them saying, "Be fruitful and multiply, fill the waters of the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth."

Verse 23: It became evening and it became morning, the fifth day.

Verse 24: El-him said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures, each of its kind, animals [of pasture], creeping things, and beasts of the earth, each to its kind." And it was so.

Verse 25: And thus El-him made the beasts of the earth, each of its kind, the animals [of pasture] each of its kind, and everything that creeps on the ground, each of its kind, and El-him saw that it was good.

Verse 26: El-him said, "Let us make man in our image, as our likeness, and let him dominate the fish of the sea, the birds of the heaven, the animals, all the earth, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."

Verse 27: And thus El-him created man in His form. In the form of El-him, He created him, male and female, He created them.

Verse 28: El-him blessed them, and El-him said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it, and dominate the fish of the sea, the birds of the heaven, and every living thing that moves upon the earth."

Verse 29: El-him said, "Behold, I have given you all seed-yielding herbs that are on the surface of the earth, and every tree that has seed-yielding fruit; to you it shall be for food.

Verse 30: And for every animal of the earth, for every bird of the heaven, and for everything that creeps on the ground, in which there is a living spirit, all vegetational herbs shall be [their] food." And it was so.

Verse 31: El-him saw all that He had made, and behold it was very good. It became evening and it became morning, the sixth day.

Chapter 02

Verse 1: The heavens and the earth were completed, and [so were] all their conglomerations.

Verse 2: El-him completed by the seventh day His work which He had made, and He abstained on the seventh day from all His work which He had made.

Verse 3: El-him blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, for on it He abstained from all His work, which El-him had created to do.

Sheini (Second Aliyah)

Verse 4: This is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, on the day when Ad-noy El-him made earth and heaven.

Verse 5: All the plants of the field were not yet on the earth, and all the herbal vegetation of the field had not yet sprouted, for Ad-noy El-him had not brought rain upon the earth, and there was [yet] no man to work the soil.

Verse 6: A mist rose up from the earth, and it watered the entire surface of the soil.

Verse 7: Ad-noy El-him then formed the man, dust from the ground, and He blew into his nostrils the breath of life. And so man became a living soul.

Verse 8: Ad-noy El-him planted a garden in Eden, to the east, and there He placed the man He had formed.

Verse 9: Ad-noy El-him made grow out of the soil every tree that is pleasant to look at, and good for [producing] food; the Tree of Life in the middle of the Garden, and the Tree of Knowledge [of what is] good and evil.

Verse 10: A river went out of Eden to water the Garden, and from there it separated and became four headwaters.

Verse 11: The name of the first is Pishon which surrounds all the land of Chavilah, where there is gold.

Verse 12: The gold of that land is good. Also found there is bdellium and onyx stones.

Verse 13: The name of the second river is Gichon. It surrounds all the land of Kush.

Verse 14: The name of the third river is Chidekel, which flows to the east of Asshur. The fourth river is P'ras.

Verse 15: Ad-noy El-him took the man, and placed him in the Garden of Eden, to work it and to preserve it.

Verse 16: Ad-noy El-him commanded the man, saying, "You may certainly eat from every tree in the Garden.

Verse 17: But from the Tree of Knowledge of what is good and evil, you shall not eat from it, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die."

Verse 18: Ad-noy El-him said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper for him."

Verse 19: Ad-noy El-him formed from the ground, every beast of the field, and every bird of the heaven, and brought them to the man, to see what he would call them. Whatever the man called [each] living creature, that is its name.

Sh'lishi (Third Aliyah)

Verse 20: The man gave names to every animal, to the birds of the heaven, and to every beast of the field, but the man did not find a helper for himself.

Verse 21: Ad-noy El-him caused unconsciousness to fall, upon the man and he slept. He took one of his ribs and closed-over flesh in its place.

Verse 22: Ad-noy El-him built the rib that He took from the man into a woman, and He brought her to the man.

Verse 23: The man said "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. This shall be called Woman, for from Man was she taken."

Verse 24: Therefore, a man shall leave his father and his mother, and cling to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

Verse 25: The two of them were naked, the man and his wife, and they were not ashamed.

Chapter 03

Verse 1: The serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which Ad-noy El-him made; and it said to the woman, "Did El-him even say that you should not eat from all the trees of the Garden?"

Verse 2: The woman said to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the Garden we may eat.

Verse 3: But of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the Garden, El-him said, 'You shall not eat from it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.' "

Verse 4: The serpent said to the woman, "You certainly will not die.

Verse 5: For El-him knows that on the day you will eat from it, your eyes will be opened, and you will become as gods, knowing what is good and what is evil."

Verse 6: The woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was tempting to the eyes, and that the tree was appealing as a means of [obtaining] wisdom. She took of its fruit and she ate, and she also gave it to her husband, and he ate.

Verse 7: The eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked. They sewed together fig leaves, and made for themselves loincloths.

Verse 8: They heard the voice of Ad-noy El-him moving in the Garden at the breeze of the day. The man and his wife hid themselves from [the Presence of] Ad-noy El-him among the trees of the Garden.

Verse 9: Ad-noy El-him called to the man, and He said, "Where are you?"

Verse 10: He said, "I heard Your voice in the Garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid myself."

Verse 11: And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? From the tree whereof I commanded you not to eat of it, have you eaten?"

Verse 12: The man said, "The woman that You gave to be with me--- she gave me of the tree and I ate."

Verse 13: Ad-noy El-him said to the woman, "What is this that you have done?" She said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

Verse 14: Ad-noy El-him said to the serpent, "Because you did this, cursed are you from among all animals and beasts of the field. On your belly you shall crawl. And dust you shall eat all the days of your life.

Verse 15: I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He shall strike you on the head, and you shall strike him on the heel.

Verse 16: To the woman He said, "I will greatly increase your sorrow and your pregnancy. You will give birth to children with pain. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will dominate you."

Verse 17: To the man He said, "Because you listened to your wife, and ate from the tree which I commanded you, saying, 'Do not eat from it;' the soil will be cursed because of you. In sorrow you shall eat from it all the days of your life.

Verse 18: It will grow thorns and thistles for you; and you will eat the herbs of the field.

Verse 19: By the sweat of your face you will eat bread, until you return to the ground for from it [the ground] were you taken. For you are dust and to dust you shall return."

Verse 20: The man called his wife's name Chavah, [Eve] because she had become the mother of all living.

Verse 21: And Ad-noy El-him made for Adam and his wife leather coats and He clothed them.

Revi'i (Fourth Aliyah)

Verse 22: Ad-noy El-him said, "Behold, the man has become like one of us to know [what is] good and [what is] evil. Now he must be prevented from reaching out his hand and also taking from the Tree of Life and eat [from it] and live forever.

Verse 23: [Therefore] Ad-noy El-him sent him out of the Garden of Eden, to till the soil from which he was taken.

Verse 24: He banished the man [from the Garden] and at the east of the Garden of Eden He stationed the Cherubim and the flame of the rotating sword, to guard the way to the Tree of Life.

Chapter 04

Verse 1: The man knew his wife, Chavah. She conceived and she gave birth to Kayin, and she said, "I have obtained a man with Ad-noy."

Verse 2: She gave birth again, to his brother Hevel. Hevel became a shepherd, but Kayin was a worker of the soil.

Verse 3: In the course of time, Kayin brought some fruit of the soil as an offering to Ad-noy.

Verse 4: Hevel also brought from the firstborn of his flock, from the best thereof. Ad-noy paid regard to Hevel and to his offering.

Verse 5: But to Kayin and his offering He paid no regard. Kayin became very angry and depressed.

Verse 6: Ad-noy said to Kayin, "Why are you angry? Why are you depressed?

Verse 7: Is this not so--- if you improve, there is forgiveness, but if you do not improve, sin rests at the entrance. Its desire is unto you, but you can dominate it."

Verse 8: Kayin said [something] to his brother Hevel, and it happened when they were in the field, that Kayin rose up against his brother, Hevel, and killed him.

Verse 9: Ad-noy then said to Kayin, "Where is your brother, Hevel?" [Kayin] said, "I know not, am I my brother's keeper?"

Verse 10: He said [to Kayin], "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground.

Verse 11: Now you are cursed from the ground that had to open its mouth to accept your brother's blood from your hand.

Verse 12: When you work the ground, it will no longer give you of its strength. You will be unsettled, and a wanderer on the earth."

Verse 13: Kayin said to Ad-noy, "My sin is greater than I can bear."

Verse 14: Behold, today You have banished me from the face of the earth, and from Your face I am to be hidden. I am to be unsettled and a wanderer on the earth; whoever finds me, will kill me."

Verse 15: Ad-noy said to him, "Therefore, whoever kills Kayin, revenge will be taken on him [Kayin] sevenfold." Ad-noy placed a mark on Kayin, so that whoever would find him would not kill him.

Verse 16: Kayin went from the Presence of Ad-noy and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

Verse 17: Kayin knew his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Chanoch. [Kayin] was building a city, and he named the city after his son Chanoch.

Verse 18: To Chanoch was born Irad. Irad had a son Mechuyael, Mechuyael had a son Mesushael, and Mesushael, had a son Lemech.

Chamishi (Fifth Aliyah)

Verse 19: Lemech married two women, the first was named Adah, and the name of the second was Tzillah.

Verse 20: Adah gave birth to Yaval. He was the father of those who live in tents, and breed cattle.

Verse 21: His brother's name was Yuval. He was the father of all who handle [play] the harp and flute.

Verse 22: Tzillah also gave birth to Tuval Kayin, who sharpened everything which cuts copper and iron. The sister of Tuval Kayin was Naamah.

Shishi (Sixth Aliyah)

Verse 23: Lemech said to his wives, "Adah and Tzillah, hear my voice, wives of Lemech listen to my speech; for I have killed a man by my wounding and a child to my own hurting.

Verse 24: If Kayin shall be avenged sevenfold, then for Lemech it shall be seventy-seven fold."

Verse 25: Adam knew his wife again, and she gave birth to a son, and named him Sheis, "Because El-him has granted me another offspring in place of Hevel, for Kayin had killed him.

Verse 26: To Sheis also was born a son, and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call [idols] by the name Ad-noy.

Chapter 05

Verse 1: This is the book of the history of man. On the day El-him created man. He made him in the likeness of El-him.

Verse 2: Male and female He created them. He blessed them and named them man [Adam] on the day that they were created.

Verse 3: Adam lived a hundred and thirty years, and he had a son in his likeness, as his image, and he named him Sheis.

Verse 4: The days of Adam after he had Sheis were eight hundred years, and he had sons and daughters.

Verse 5: All the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died.

Verse 6: Sheis lived a hundred and five years and he had a son, Enosh.

Verse 7: After he had Enosh, Sheis lived eight hundred and seven years, and he had sons and daughters.

Verse 8: All the days of Sheis were nine hundred and twelve years, and he died.

Verse 9: Enosh lived ninety years and he had a son, Keinan.

Verse 10: After he had Keinan, Enosh lived eight hundred and fifteen years, and he had sons and daughters.

Verse 11: All the days of Enosh were nine hundred and five years, and he died.

Verse 12: Keinan lived seventy years and he had a son, Mahalaleil.

Verse 13: After he had Mahalaleil, Keinan lived eight hundred and forty years, and he had sons and daughters.

Verse 14: All the days of Keinan were nine hundred and ten years, and he died.

Verse 15: Mahalaleil lived sixty-five years and he had a son, Yered.

Verse 16: After he had Yered, Mahalaleil lived eight hundred and thirty years, and he had sons and daughters.

Verse 17: All the days of Mahalaleil were eight hundred and ninety-five years, and he died.

Verse 18: Yered lived one hundred and sixty-two years and he had a son, Chanoch.

Verse 19: After he had Chanoch, Yered lived eight hundred years and he had sons and daughters.

Verse 20: All the days of Yered were nine hundred sixty-two years, and he died.

Verse 21: Chanoch lived sixty-five years and he had a son, Mesushelach.

Verse 22: Chanoch walked with El-him, after he had Mesushelach, [for] three hundred years, and he had sons and daughters.

Verse 23: All the days of Chanoch were three hundred and sixty-five years.

Verse 24: Chanoch walked with El-him, and he was no longer [there] for El-him took him.

Shevi'i (Seventh Aliyah)

Verse 25: Mesushelach lived one hundred and eighty-seven years and he had a son Lemech.

Verse 26: After he had Lemech, Mesushelach lived seven hundred and eighty-two years, and he had sons and daughters.

Verse 27: All the days of Mesushelach were nine hundred and sixty-nine, and he died.

Verse 28: Lemech lived one hundred and eighty-two years and had a son.

Verse 29: He named his son Noach, saying, "This one will bring us rest from our work and the anguish of our hands, from the soil which Ad-noy has cursed."

Verse 30: After he had Noach, Lemech lived five hundred and ninety-five years, and he had sons and daughters.

Verse 31: All the days of Lemech were seven hundred and seventy-seven years, and he died.

Verse 32: Noach was five hundred years old, and Noach produced Sheim, Cham, and Yafes.

Chapter 06

Verse 1: It came to be when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, that daughters were born to them.

Verse 2: The sons of the rulers saw that the daughters of man were fair and they took for themselves wives from whomever they chose.

Verse 3: Ad-noy said, "My spirit will not continue to judge man forever, since he is nothing but flesh. His days shall be a hundred and twenty years."

Verse 4: There were giants on the earth in those days, and also later, when the sons of the rulers came to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mightiest ones who ever existed. [They were] men of renown.

Maftir

Verse 5: Ad-noy saw that man's wickedness had increased on the earth, and that every inclination of his heart was only for evil, all day long.

Verse 6: Ad-noy was comforted that He had made man on the earth, and He grieved in His heart.

Verse 7: Ad-noy said, "I will obliterate mankind which I have created from the face of the earth, from man to beast, to the creeping things and to the birds of heaven, for I regret that I made them."

Verse 8: But Noach found favor in the eyes of Ad-noy.

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