Through hard work you will eat food that comes from it every day of your life.

18 The ground will grow thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat wild plants.

19 By the sweat of your brow, you will produce food to eat until you return to the ground, because you were taken from it.

You are dust, and you will return to dust."

20 Adam named his wife Eve [Life] because she became the mother of every living person.

21 Yahweh Elohim made clothes from animal skins for the man and his wife and dressed them.

22 Then Yahweh Elohim said, "The man has become like one of us, since he knows good and evil. He must not reach out and take the fruit from the tree of life and eat. Then he would live forever." 23 So Yahweh Elohim sent the man out of the Garden of Eden to farm the ground from which the man had been formed. 24 After he sent the man out, Elohim placed angelsa and a flaming sword that turned in all directions east of the Garden of Eden. He placed them there to guard the way to the tree of life.

EL, ELOHIM.

GOD.

Elohim is the Hebrew word for God that appears in the very first sentence of the Bible. When we pray to Elohim, we remember that he is the one who began it all, creating the heavens and the earth and separating light from darkness, water from dry land, night from day. Jesus used a form of the name in his agonized prayer from the cross. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?"-which means, "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" (Matthew 27:46).

Elohim (e-lo-HEEM) is the plural form of El or Eloah, one of the oldest designations for divinity in the world. The Hebrews borrowed the term El from the Canaanites. It can refer either to the true God or to pagan gods. Though El is used more than two hundred times in the Hebrew Bible, Elohim is used more than twentyfive-hundred times. Its plural form is used not to indicate a belief in many gods but to emphasize the majesty of the one true God. He is the God of gods, the highest of all. Elohim occurs thirty-two times in the first chapter of Genesis. After that the name Yahweh appears as well and is often paired with Elohim, and the two together are often translated "the LORD God."

Praying to El, Elohim What do galaxies, human beings, mountain lions, sandpipers, catfish, dragonflies, and daisies have in common? Not one of these exists by accident. They did not come into being by chance. Gerard Manley Hopkins once famously wrote that "the world is charged with the grandeur of God," a belief shared by most people throughout history. Little wonder that the Bible invokes the name Elohim in its very first sentence, which says this: "In the beginning Elohim created heaven and earth."

Everything that is exists for one reason: God wanted it to exist. It was his idea. Without telling us precisely how the world was made, Genesis 1 tells us precisely who made it-a Being of unfathomable wisdom, of infinite capability, who called forth nothing and made it into something.

As you begin to learn about Elohim, remember that he is the Creator of all that is-of every flower and every fern, every bird and every beast, of the winds and the waters, of the universe in all its wonder. Every living thing was made by him. You were made by him. And you are fearfully and wonderfully made. Take a few minutes now to recall the beauty and intricacy of the world he has made, and then ask Elohim for the wisdom to act as his servant, thinking like him and loving like him so that you can faithfully care for the creation he has made.

Elohim, when I look at your heavens, the creation of yourfingers, the moon and the stars that you have made-who am I that you should think of me? Thank you for making me, for placing me in this world, and for calling me along with others to care for it as your servant. Give me reverence and give me wisdom so that I can do this work in a way that is pleasing to you.

Promises Associated with the Name EL, ELOHIM.

These are all the blessings that will come to you and stay close to you because you obey Yahweh your Elohim: You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. You will be blessed. You will have children. Your land will have crops. Your animals will have offspring. Your cattle will have calves, and your flocks will have lambs and kids. The grain you harvest and the bread you bake will be blessed. You will be blessed when you come and blessed when you go.

Yahweh will bless your barns and everything you do. Yahweh your Elohim will bless you in the land that he is giving you. (Deuteronomy 28:2-6, 8) Don't be afraid, because I am with you.

Don't be intimidated; I am your Elohim.

I will strengthen you.

I will help you.

I will support you with my victorious right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)

Cain Murders Abel 4 1 Adam made love to his wife Eve. She became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, "I have gotten the man that Yahweh promised." 2 Then she gave birth to another child, Abel, Cain's brother. Abel was a shepherd, and Cain was a farmer.

3 Later Cain brought some crops from the land as an offering to Yahweh. 4 Abel also brought some choice parts of the firstborn animals from his flock. Yahweh approved of Abel and his offering, 5 but he didn't approve of Cain and his offering. So Cain became very angry and was disappointed. 6 Then Yahweh asked Cain, "Why are you angry, and why do you look disappointed? 7 If you do well, won't you be accepted? But if you don't do well, sin is lying outside your door ready to attack. It wants to control you, but you must master it."

8 Cain talked to his brother Abel. Later, when they were in the fields, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

9 Yahweh asked Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?"

"I don't know," he answered. "Am I supposed to take care of my brother?"

10 Yahweh asked, "What have you done? Your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground. 11 So now you are cursed from the ground, which has received the blood of your brother whom you killed. 12 When you farm the ground, it will no longer yield its best for you. You will be a fugitive, a wanderer on the earth."

13 But Cain said to Yahweh, "My punishment is more than I can stand! 14 You have forced me off this land today. I have to hide from you and become a fugitive, a wanderer on the earth. Now anyone who finds me will kill me!"

15 So Yahweh said to him, "Not so! Anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over." Yahweh gave Cain a sign so that anyone meeting him would not kill him.

16 Then Cain left Yahweh's presence and lived in Nod [The Land of Wandering], east of Eden.

Cain's Ten Descendants-Cain to Lamech 17 Cain made love to his wife. She became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was building a city, and he named it Enoch after his son. 18 To Enoch was born Irad. Irad was the father of Mehujael. Mehujael was the father of Methushael. And Methushael was the father of Lamech.

19 Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal. He was the first person to live in tents and have livestock. 21 His brother's name was Jubal. He was the first person to play the harp and the flute. 22 Zillah also had a son, Tubalcain, who made bronze and iron tools. Tubalcain's sister was Naamah.

23 Lamech said to his wives, "Adah and Zillah, listen to me!

Wives of Lamech, hear what I say!

I killed a man for bruising me, a young man for wounding me.

24 If Cain is avenged 7 times, then Lamech, 77 times."

Adam's Godly Descendants-Adam to Enosh 25 Adam made love to his wife again. She gave birth to a son and named him Seth, because she said, "Elohim has givena me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him."

26 A son was also born to Seth, and he named him Enosh. At that time people began to worship Yahweh.

Eve

The mother of all the living, Eve is the first woman named in Scripture. Her pivotal story is recounted in Genesis, where she called God by two names.

Yahweh (Gen. 4:1) Elohim (Gen. 3:3)

Adam's Ten Descendants-Adam to Noah-1 Chronicles 1:1-3 5 1 This is the written account of Adam and his descendants.

When Elohim created humans, he made them in the likeness of Elohim.

2 He created them male and female.

He blessed them and called them humans when he created them.

3 When Adam was 130 years old, he became the father of a son in his own likeness, in his own image. He named him Seth. 4 After Adam became the father of Seth, he lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 5 Adam lived a total of 930 years; then he died.

6 When Seth was 105 years old, he became the father of Enosh. 7 After he became the father of Enosh, Seth lived 807 years and had other sons and daughters. 8 Seth lived a total of 912 years; then he died.

9 When Enosh was 90 years old, he became the father of Kenan. 10 After he became the father of Kenan, Enosh lived 815 years and had other sons and daughters. 11 Enosh lived a total of 905 years; then he died.

12 When Kenan was 70 years old, he became the father of Mahalalel. 13 After he became the father of Mahalalel, Kenan lived 840 years and had other sons and daughters. 14 Kenan lived a total of 910 years; then he died.

15 When Mahalalel was 65 years old, he became the father of Jared. 16 After he became the father of Jared, Mahalalel lived 830 years and had other sons and daughters. 17 Mahalalel lived a total of 895 years; then he died.

18 When Jared was 162 years old, he became the father of Enoch. 19 After he became the father of Enoch, Jared lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 20 Jared lived a total of 962 years; then he died.

21 When Enoch was 65 years old, he became the father of Methuselah. 22 After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with Elohim for 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Enoch lived a total of 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with Elohim ; then he was gone because Elohim took him.

25 When Methuselah was 187 years old, he became the father of Lamech. 26 After he became the father of Lamech, Methuselah lived 782 years and had other sons and daughters. 27 Methuselah lived a total of 969 years; then he died.

28 When Lamech was 182 years old, he became the father of a son. 29 He named him Noah [Relief], and said, "This child will bring us relief from the work and painful labor of our hands since Yahweh has cursed the ground." 30 After Lamech became the father of Noah, he lived 595 years and had other sons and daughters. 31 Lamech lived a total of 777 years; then he died.

32 When Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Evil Increases on the Earth 6 1 The number of people increased all over the earth, and daughters were born to them. 2 The sons of Elohim saw that the daughters of other humans were beautiful. So they married any woman they chose.

3 Then Yahweh said, "My Spirit will not struggle with humans forever, because they are flesh and blood. They will live 120 years."

4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, as well as later, when the sons of Elohim slept with the daughters of other humans and had children by them. These children were famous long ago.

5 Yahweh saw how evil humans had become on the earth. All day long their deepest thoughts were nothing but evil. 6 Yahweh was sorry that he had made humans on the earth, and he was heartbroken. 7 So Yahweh said, "I will wipe off the face of the earth these humans that I created. I will wipe out not only humans, but also domestic animals, crawling animals, and birds. I'm sorry that I made them." 8 But Yahweh was pleased with Noah.

Noah's Family and the Ship 9 This is the account of Noah and his descendants.

Noah had God's approval and was a man of integrity among the people of his time. He walked with Elohim. 10 He had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

11 The world was corrupt in Elohim's sight and full of violence. 12 Elohim saw the world and how corrupt it was because all people on earth lived evil lives.

13 Elohim said to Noah, "I have decided to put an end to all people because the earth is full of their violence. Now I'm going to destroy them along with the earth. 14 Make yourself a ship of cypress wood.a Make rooms in the ship and coat it inside and out with tar. 15 This is how you should build it: the ship is to be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. 16 Make a roof for the ship, and leave an 18-inch-high opening at the top.b Put a door in the side of the ship. Build the ship with lower, middle, and upper decks. 17 I'm about to send a flood on the earth to destroy all people under the sky-every living, breathing human. Everything on earth will die.

18 "But I will make my promisec to you. You, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives will go into the ship. 19 Bring two of every living creature into the ship in order to keep them alive with you. They must be male and female. 20 Two of every type of bird, every type of domestic animal, and every type of creature that crawls on the ground will come to you to be kept alive. 21 Take every kind of food that can be eaten and store it. It will be food for you and the animals."

22 Noah did this. He did everything that Elohim had commanded him.

The Flood 7 1 Yahweh said to Noah, "Go into the ship with your whole family because I have seen that you alone are righteous among the people of today. 2 Take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal (a male and a female of each) and one pair of every kind of uncleand animal (a male and a female). 3 Also, take seven pairs of every kind of bird (a male and a female of each) to preserve animal life all over the earth after the flood. 4 In seven days I will send rain to the earth for 40 days and 40 nights. I will wipe off the face of the earth every living creature that I have made."

5 So Noah did everything that Yahweh commanded him.

6 Noah was 600 years old when the flood came to the earth. 7 Noah, his sons, his wife, and his sons' wives went into the ship to escape the floodwaters. 8 Clean and unclean animals, birds, and creatures that crawl on the ground 9 came to Noah to go into the ship in pairs (a male and female of each) as Elohim had commanded Noah.

10 Seven days later the flood came on the earth. 11 On the seventeenth day of the second month of the six hundredth year of Noah's life, all the deep springs burst open. The sky opened, 12 and rain came pouring down on the earth for 40 days and 40 nights.

13 On that same day Noah and his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, as well as Noah's wife and his three daughters-in-law went into the ship. 14 They had with them every type of wild animal, every type of domestic animal, every type of creature that crawls on the earth, and every type of bird (every creature with wings). 15 A pair of every living, breathing animal came to Noah to go into the ship. 16 A male and a female of every animal went in as Elohim had commanded Noah. Then Yahweh closed the door behind them.

17 The flood continued for 40 days on the earth. The water increased and lifted the ship so that it rose high above the ground. 18 As the water rose and became very deep, the ship floated on top of the water. 19 The water rose very high above the earth. It covered all the high mountains everywhere under the sky. 20 It rose 23 feet above the mountaintops.

21 Every creature that crawls on the earth died, including birds, domestic and wild animals, and everything that swarms over the earth, along with every human. 22 Everything on dry land (every living, breathing creature) died. 23 Every living creature on the face of the earth was wiped out. Humans, domestic animals, crawling creatures, and birds were wiped off the earth. Only Noah and those with him in the ship were left.

24 The floodwaters were on the earth for 150 days.

God Remembers Noah 8 1 Elohim remembered Noah and all the wild and domestic animals with him in the ship. So Elohim made a wind blow over the earth, and the water started to go down. 2 The deep springs and the sky had been shut, and the rain had stopped pouring. 3 The water began to recede from the land. At the end of 150 days the water had decreased. 4 On the seventeenth day of the seventh month, the ship came to rest in the mountains of Ararat. 5 The water kept decreasing until the tenth month. On the first day of the tenth month, the tops of the mountains appeared.