The stories in this volume are taken from the first five books of the Old Testament of the Holy Bible. Although text from the Bible is included, most of the language used is contemporary English, presented in simple rhyming poetic form that is easy to read.
The story lines in the Bible have been followed closely; however, some portions have been omitted or condensed where it was thought that the material was not appropriate for some readers.
It is hoped that this book will be fun to read, in addition to being informative .Maya Etkin
Toronto, Ontario
-i
CONTENTS
Prologue: Chapter I: Chapter II: Chapter III: Chapter IV: Chapter V: Chapter VI: 1
CREATION 2
THE FIRST TEST 3
THE FIRST MURDER 9
THE FLOOD 13
THE PATRIARCH 16
LOT, AND THE CITIES OF SHAME 21 Chapter VII: ABRAHAM'S CHOICE 26 Chapter VIII: ISAAC'S TWIN SONS 29 The Birthright 29
The Deception 32 Chapter XI: JACOB'S DREAM 39 Chapter X: JACOB'S LABOUR OF LOVE 41 Chapter XI: JOSEPH AND HIS BROTHERS 46 Part 1 46 Part 2 49 Part 3 53 Part 4 57 Part 5 58
Chapter XII: MOSES, GIVER OF LAWS 66
Part 1 66
Part 2 68
Part 3 70
Part 4 71
Part 5 90
Part 6 95
Part 7 104
Epilogue 108
PROLOGUE
Moses prayed1:
“Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst joined the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.”
God is the Creator from whom all springs, all that exists, all life, all things. Infinite, divine, benevolent Source, invisible Energy, all-powerful Force, omniscient Lord, Prime Mover and Cause unknowable Spirit that always was, and that will be,
eternally.
In six celestial days
God did all create.
He gave birth to Heaven and earth; from His great might came “Let there be light”; by His command came seas and land; the sun, the moon, the stars in the sky, all these did Holy God supply; all grasses, herbs and all the trees, all creatures of the lands and seas
On the seventh day He rested.
A blueprint of what was to be, was in His plan of destiny. And, as part of that great plan, God created man.
In God's own image was he made, and his spiritual aspect laid.
God made a male, gave him a mate and ordered that they procreate.
He gave to man a living soul,
bequeathed to him a special role. Man was free to choose how his mind to use; and free to use his will to reject or to fulfill God's will.
1 Genesis 1,2 CHAPTER TWO
In the Garden of Eden, lush, green and serene, bright green herbs and grasses grew; a winding sparkling stream ran thru;
there were exquisite flowers pure and new, of many a delicate lovely hue, their petals sweet with morning dew. The great Tree of Life and other fruit trees, swayed in the gentle fragrant breeze. 'Twas a garden of pleasure, of great delight, cloaked in a sphere of shimmering light, 2 and in its midst, radiant, aglow, that all who view its power know, a special large tree, of Divine Decree, with sweetest fruit of crimson red hung from branches broadly spread – The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
From dust in the Garden, God made a man, gave him life, as part of His plan. He named him Adam, made him just and fair, and put the Garden in his care.
Adam was radiant, strong and young 2 when full grown into life he'd sprung; soft curls fell over his broad forehead as he lay newborn, an arm outspread.
1 Genesis: 2,3Then God made creatures - all various kinds all created by the Mastermind: black-striped zebras, tawny lions, 1 huge brown elephants, graceful felines, stately giraffes and handsome canines, the deers and the monkeys, and porcupines, horses and insects and coiled serpentines, turtles and birds and stolid bovine – and so many more
of that interesting corps.
They came to Adam, that he give each a name and so forever their species proclaim. Adam had a responsible role – over all that lived he was given control.
This was a birth
of a Paradise on earth. There'd be peace and harmony for all eternity.
Then God spoke to Adam:
You may eat of all fruit that you see except for the fruit of that one special tree, The Knowledge of Good and Evil is its name, to eat of its fruit you must refrain. If you do, then you will die. Do not this command defy.
That Adam was not to live all alone, God made someone to be his own. He put him to sleep, a sleep very deep, and from a rib made him a mate. Thus did God a female create. She was slender and young with long thick hair,1 of beauty rare.
They breathed the fragrant Garden air 1 as breezes wafted through their hair. They ran and played as children do and petals round the Garden threw. Playfully did he pursue, with happy smiles, his mate withdrew. Naked in their innocence, joyful in their residence they lived in peace, the Lord to please. Though both were child-like and naive and played their games of make-believe they knew they must the Lord obey, and from his dictum did not stray – until temptation came their way!
The sly subtle serpent, aware, set his snare for the woman, the newer of the pair. He asked: May you eat of all the fruit that you see?
Said she ,Yes, except for one big tree; The Knowledge of Good and Evil is its name from eating its fruit I must refrain, for the Lord has said, eat that fruit and you will die. I will not the Lord defy.
Tempted the serpent: Its a lie that you would die. The Lord God knows but didn't disclose that the fruit will make you very wise; that's a fact I emphasize.
She listened to him and she gave in, and so committed her first sin, and then tempted Adam and he also ate, by doing which he sealed his fate.
Suddenly they became aware, that disobedient sinful pair, of their naked state,
and fearing what might them await –
covered their privates with large fig leaves to comfort achieve –
and hid from God..
The Lord God discovered that they were covered. He questioned them:
What was the causation
of their fig-leaf decoration?
In their consternation
they gave their explanation
of the serpent's sly temptation and of their violation
of Lord God's strong command which they did understand.
God cursed the serpent:
You are cursed above all beasts, you'll be the worst and be the least. You'll crawl on your belly and eat the dust, man will always you distrust; you'll live with him in enmity; this is your miserable destiny.
I ordain –
that you shall bear your children in pain; and your husband over you will reign.
God said to Adam:
You will feel sorrows,
today and all your tomorrows;
You'll work and sweat to earn your bread until you're dead.
Of dust you were made; to dust you'll degrade.
The woman 'till then had not been named, so Adam proclaimed
her name would be Eve,
for she would conceive,
and be mother of all who came after the fall. Then the Lord God clothed them with cloaks of skins for a new life for them was now to begin.
God mused:
because Adam knew of evil and good there was an excellent likelihood that he might of the Tree of Life eat, a fruit forbidden, and very sweet, and so might Adam live on forever. Said God : No! Never!
So out from Eden the couple were sent to a permanent banishment. Like sad children – they crept away 1 no longer happily to play. Life would now be difficult, and there'd be no one to consult. They would feel fatigue and pain, they would feel harsh winds and rain, they'd feel anger, they'd feel fear they'd shout and cry and weep a tear, they'd work hard for their daily bread and someday – they'd both be dead.
1 Author's image.Paradise lost! Oh, what a cost!
At Eden's east gate,
a barrier to create,
God placed Seraphim at the rim, and a mighty moving sword aflame – that the Tree of Life might in safety remain, by God's decree
through eternity.
Adam and Eve lived in a new domain, and produced a son whom they named Cain; a second boy came, they called him Abel– that was his label.
Cain was tall and muscled and strong,2 with arms powerful and long; his hair was matted right down from the crown; his face often scowled with a threatening frown. He walked along with a clumsy gait and his eyes sometimes glinted with furious hate. His mood was often belligerent and never was he subservient. Cain worked the soil, with heavy toil, his body wet with dripping sweat.
2 Abel was tall and lithe and thin, with waving hair as long as his chin; his eyes were warm and a little bit shy, his steps were graceful, long and spry. A caring man, thoughtful and kind, sharing whatever he could find; his mother's gentle favourite son whose smile shone on her like the sun.
1 Genesis: 4Cain was aware
that his work was the harder of the pair a fact that he found hard to bear, for he thought 'twas most unfair.
One day each brought a gift, an offering, to give to the Lord, their spiritual King. The best fruit he could obtain was the gift that came from Cain. The finest lamb that he could bring was Abel's loving offering. The offering that Abel selected the Lord respected,1
which made Cain feel dejected and rejected.
The Lord saw Cain's reaction – his dissatisfaction,
which he thought unwise and criticized.
Then jealous Cain, with feelings unstable sought out Abel –
and murdered
the young sheepherder!
Said the Lord to Cain: Where is your brother? Explain!
I don't know, said Cain, am I my brother's keeper?
Said the Lord:
What have you done? Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground, from that bloody mound.
You have him slain!
There lies the stain where he died in pain.
You are now cursed! This is my decree: depart from the fields, begone from me! You may no longer farm the land, you are forbidden by my command. You shall live as a fugitive a vagabond, in places beyond.
Cain said to the Lord, from his despair: my punishment is more than I can bear! gone from the land and hid from Thee,
people out there will try to slay me.Then said the Lord:
None may kill Cain,
from that must all the others refrain. I'll set on his forehead a mark, clear and stark and dark, so they will not slay;
if they disobey I will repay – by sevenfold I'll vengeance take for that mistake,
so Cain may live –
So Cain went away from the presence of God to east of Eden, to the Land of Nod. There he married and had Enoch, a son – thus was his long line begun; and descendants in Enoch's line lived on and on for a very long time.1
Cain had prospered materially, for he had the means to build Enoch, the city, but he must always have been downcast, for he remained a banished outcast from God,
in the Land of Nod.
God looked at mankind He'd created and saw that evil permeated – immoral creeds and wicked deeds: violence, murder, theft and greed. For every vice there were some willing from cheating and raping to merciless killing.
God was very grieved and sad that man was sinful, man was bad. He regretted that He made them and decided to condemn them. The world that was, He would destroy and to that end a flood employ. When evil was eradicated, a new world would be created..
When God changed His Sacred Mind about the future of mankind – He excluded Noah and his family and gave them an excellent destiny, for they were people who were good and righteousness they understood.
God said to Noah:I ordain –
that there will come torrential rain. For forty days and forty nights there will be despair and fright. By my command –
water will cover all the land; all that lives will drown and die in order earth to purify. Only you and your family are spared that fate and that agony.
Build an ark where you shall dwell until the waters I dispel; build it well, as I instruct
with careful detail, it construct.Bring in the creatures, two by two, from all that walked and crept and flew , so all species may stay alive and the catastrophe survive. Give them protection and their feed until the waters shall recede.
Noah did as God instructed until the ark was well constructed.Then all came under Noah's care, his family and creatures paired. His three sons and all their wives, would in Noah's ark survive.
Then three times a bird was sent – to test the waters that was meant – the last time it did not return showing no need for more concern. All was now safe and secure, the land and water fresh and pure.
Then all emerged into the light joyfully, with deep delight.
With Noah's brood and two by two, life on earth began anew,
for the Lord declared to them: This is the time for a rebirth, be fruitful and multiply – replenish the earth.
Abram was his given name before God raised him up to fame. A soul whose love of God was rare, he spoke to Him in fervent prayer. Abram was an impressive sight, 2 broad-shouldered, tall, with hair of white; a lean strong face, full of God's Grace, large brown eyes, gentle and wise. He walked with firm and manly stride – a man in whom one could confide. God chose him to be his instrument, His plans for man to implement.
His loving wife was called Sarai – his faithful friend and wise ally. Sarai was beyond compare 2 with dusky beauty very rare. She walked proudly like a queen; her dark-fringed eyes were lustrous green – serious, steady, and serene; her high cheek bones and clefted chin were exquisite, as was her skin. A righteous soul with clever mind, a precious jewel of womankind.
1 Genesis:12 - 17 2 Author's imagesAlthough they had of riches plenty, they lacked because her womb was empty.
No children had to them been born,
a circumstance that both did mourn.
God ordered them to leave their home, and so abroad they went to roam, until with nephew, name of Lot,
they were broughtto a destined land, by God's command.
Abram and Lot, owned cattle and land but crowded herds could not expand. Because lack of growth did them restrict their need for pasture did conflict. So– they went their separate ways to pastures where their herds could graze.
Lot went east to Jordan's plains, to where there were two cities of shame; Sodom and Gomorrah were their names – those places of such wicked fame.
Abram went into Canaan
as instructed in God's plan, where he and righteous wife Sarai would with God's commands comply. God showed Abram a wonderland; – all this is for you, God to him said, and when you and your dear wife are dead your heirs whom you will have bred will inherit that huge spread; from river Euphrates to Egypt land will be your people's Holy Land. Abram said to God:
My servant is my only heir
since children Sarai cannot bear. Later, as Sarai and Abram walked and talked,1 Sarai said: Because you have no child, you grieve, so take my maid, make her conceive; when Hagar's child you will receive I believe you'll be relieved.
So it came to pass:
Hagar, the maid, conceived Ishmael, which made her proud, made her head swell. She no more Sarai respected which made Sarai feel dejected.
Sarai caused Hagar to leave; but God spoke out to intercede:
then Hagar returned abased, and stayed in her maid-servant place.
Ishmael God would embrace for he would father a new race – from him would come the Arab clans according to God's master plans.
Abram was five score years of age when God appeared before that sage:
I'm the Almighty God, He spake – A covenant with you I make: Be perfect for me
and I'll guarantee your destiny.
Abraham is your new name, God exclaimed.
You shall father many nations, they'll live for countless generations. There'll be kings – a great family,
That's your glorious destiny. Circumcise all who are male, without fail; family and servants too
shall be circumcised like you. As Sarah shall your wife be known – that name will ever her enthrone, for a blessing I on her confer – a son will come to you and her, and she shall mother many nations who'll live for countless generations.
Abraham laughed inside and thought one hundred am I, and ninety is she how can I a child foresee? When God again spoke of that birth 1– it led to Sarah's inward mirth; she thought: I'm too old a child to bear– to give to Abraham an heir. Her silent inward laugh God heard, and to her He said these words: Is anything too hard for the Lord ?
Now Hagar had borne a son, so far Abraham's only one;Abraham prayed to God , to persuade, that Ishmael not aside be laid that recognition him be paid. 1
God declared:
Sarah will bear a son, Isaac, for naught of goodness will he lack; A covenant with him I'll make which I will never, ever break; and pay heed – I've decreed, it will hold also with his seed.
As for Ishmael, I did not him dispossess, I've made him fruitful, did him bless. I prophecy he'll multiply – he'll father be to a great nation with princes and large population.
Then God withdrew, ending that fateful interview. CHAPTER SIX1In the dusty heat of day
'neath the golden blazing rays
sat Abraham before his tent –
Abraham the reverent.
In the plains of Mamre, as he sat beneath a tree, three men appeared – a Holy Three.
It was clear he should revere
for he knew,
'twas the Lord and angels two.
He ran to greet and to entreat
the Lord, that they should rest
and be his guest.
He brought water for their feet
and bread and meat for them to eat.
The angels left for Jordan's plain
and God said to Abraham:
I'll share with you what I shall do, for you're devout and blessed too. You'll be father to great nations –
in perpetuation.
I hear cries, souls agonize in Sodom and Gomorrah on Jordan's plain. Because their evil is vile and great, I shall soon decide their fate. Abraham, in dread,
with the Lord God pled;
he pled again and again and again, that God would from His plan abstain. Please don't be angry with me, said he, that I offer you my plea:
If some souls there be innocent, would fifty, forty, thirty, twenty, or even ten prevent
the coming torment and lament Please consent, if such are there, in answer to my fervent prayer to forbear
and to spare.
God replied:
If ten such righteous souls be found, of goodness most profound, for their sakes, I will spare, and abandon the nightmare. I will refrain from the fiery rain which would have slain. The two wise angels in disguise arrived at Sodom to apprise the truth of that bad situation – Was it deserving of damnation?
Lot – attractive and masculine had a very engaging grin.
He was an honourable man of Abraham's clan, by others much respected and by God protected. He was sitting outdoors at Sodom's gate. When he saw the angels he fell prostrate. He offered them bread and with them pled that they stay inside overnight, and not depart until daylight.
After a feast, before bedtime, there arrived some incredible slime – old and young, small and tall, evil all – men arrived from everywhere to use and abuse the heavenly pair. They crowded all around
Lot's home and large compound.
Lot pleaded with the evil ones – Let not the wicked deeds be done; I beg of you, to them he said, take my daughters two instead, they are virginal and gently bred.
But they threatened Lot he'd be molested if his two guests he protected.The angels then drew Lot inside to hide from the menacing evil tide. Those men then tried to break the door but found that they could see no more, for the angels had made them blind, so that Lot's door they could not find.
Then the angels said to Lot: At God's behest –
we will destroy this wicked place, where people are a vile disgrace; it and they shall be erased so no more people be debased.
We say to you and your family – flee! There will be agony
and death.
Leave with us, don't change your mind, and- we will you remind, don't look behind! With our words you must comply or you will die!
The sons-in-law did not believe and would not leave.
But Lot, his daughters and his wife all fled, that they might save their life.
What a plight to make that flight! To leave their home–and where to roam?
Lot in front, his wife at rear, while feeling sad and feeling fears, with the women flooding tears, all in confusion and disillusion, yet as they walked away they were careful to obey.
Until, Lot's wife could not resist her foolish head around to twist. She took one last look –
and saw the city all aflame with sulphur and brimstone's fiery rain, where people choked on thick black smoke, and tried in vain to flee
from their fatal destiny.
Because she committed so grievous a fault, God turned her into a pillar of salt. Lot and daughters did obey but with dismay went on their way.
So ended the cities of evil and shame, Sodom and Gomorrah on Jordan's plain, destroyed by God with cleansing flame. CHAPTER SEVEN 1
God said to Abraham: Behold, here I am! Take Isaac, your precious son to where sacrifice shall be done. To a mountain you'll him bring for a sacrificial offering.
Oh! what a blow that he was dealt,2 he felt as if his heart would melt. Oh! his soul felt that it was cleft
for of his son he'd be bereft. His Isaac –
for whom he did so long await and whose arrival did elate. His Isaac –
beloved child, gentle and mild, so caring and so kind,
and with such a clever mind.
To have to sacrifice his seed! He felt as if his heart would bleed; but – he did not plead, for he obeyed what God decreed. He would proceed
to carry out the painful deed.
He knew he must God's will fulfill so he climbed up that fateful hill 1 upon which Isaac would be slain,
his own devoutness to maintain.The altar set and Isaac bound, Abraham his courage found. His sharpened sacrificial knife, ready to take his Isaac's life, was poised high in the air to slit that small throat bare, when an angel came to spare!!! The angel said:
Abraham, Abraham,
a command has come from God up high. Stop! Isaac shall not die! His bindings you must now untie, God's testing you did satisfy. Do not harm your precious son, God's request is now undone. God was testing your devotion aware of fatherly emotion. As the angel spoke,
God's testing to revoke,
God sent Abraham a ram – its blood to shed,
to be the sacrifice instead. With utmost speed
Abraham did that sacrificial deed.
He had not to God protested when he was so sorely tested; he was the best,
forever blest,
by God embraced,
and in a seat of honour placed!
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