Study Desk

Afterwards the Lord asked Cain, "Where is Abel?" "How should I know?" he answered. "Am I supposed to look after my brother?"

"No!" the Lord answered. "Anyone who kills you will be punished seven times worse than I am punishing you." So the Lord put a mark on Cain to warn everyone not to kill him.

God said to Noah and his sons: I am giving you my blessing. Have a lot of children and grandchildren, so people will live everywhere on this earth.

I am going to make a solemn promise to you and to everyone who will live after you.

When the Egyptians see how lovely you are, they will murder me because I am your husband. But they won't kill you.

Now walk back and forth across the land, because I am giving it to you.

Abram was ninety-nine years old when the Lord appeared to him again and said, "I am God All-Powerful. If you obey me and always do right,

I will always keep the promise I have made to you and your descendants, because I am your God and their God.

Abraham bowed with his face to the ground and thought, "I am almost a hundred years old. How can I become a father? And Sarah is ninety. How can she have a child?" So he started laughing.

But your son Isaac will be born about this time next year, and the promise I am making to you and your family will be for him and his descendants forever.

So she laughed and said to herself, "Now that I am worn out and my husband is old, will I really know such happiness?"

I am the Lord ! There is nothing too difficult for me. I'll come back next year at the time I promised, and Sarah will already have a son."

The Lord said to himself, "I should tell Abraham what I am going to do,

Now I am going down to see for myself if those people really are that bad. If they aren't, I want to know about it."

Abraham answered, "I am nothing more than the dust of the earth. Please forgive me, Lord , for daring to speak to you like this.

and said, "Gentlemen, I am your servant. Please come to my home. You can wash your feet, spend the night, and be on your way in the morning." They told him, "No, we'll spend the night in the city square."

Abimelech said to the Lord, "Don't kill me! I haven't slept with Sarah. Didn't they say they were brother and sister? I am completely innocent."

When God made us leave my father's home and start wandering, I told her, "If you really love me, you will tell everyone that I am your brother."

Some years later God decided to test Abraham, so he spoke to him. Abraham answered, "Here I am, Lord ."

But the Lord 's angel shouted from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Here I am!" he answered.