Parashat Chayei Sara
1: 23:1-16 (16 verses)
2: 23:17-24:9 (13 verses)
3: 24:10-26 (17 verses)
4: 24:27-52 (26 verses)
5: 24:53-67 (15 verses)
6: 25:1-11 (11 verses)
7: 25:12-18 (7 verses)
First
Reading
Chapter 23
1: 23:1-16
1
Noblewoman lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old.
2
She died at Four Structures (that is, Association) in the
Lowlands
, and Father of Nations fell into mourning and grieving Noblewoman’
death.
3
Then Father of Nations stood up from beside his dead woman and
spoke to the Sons of Terror. He pleaded,
4
"I am an alien and a stranger sojourning within your land,
and (Yet, I ask) Bestow upon me a sovereign parcel as a burial site so I
can bury my dead."
5
The Sons of Terror replied to Father of Nations, saying
6
"Hear us my lord. You are a mighty prince among us. Bury
your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his
tomb for burying your dead."
7
Then Father of Nations arose and bowed down before the people of
the land of the Sons of Terror.
8
He spoke to them saying, "If you are of a mind to let me
bury my dead, then listen to me and intercede with Fawn Like son of
Tawny on my behalf
9
so he will sell me the
cave
of
The Fold
, which belongs to him and is at the end of his field. Ask him to
surrender all its rights to me for its full value in silver as a
separate possession for a burial."
10
Fawn Like the Terrorist was sitting among his people and he
answered Father of Nations in the hearing of all the Sons of Terror who
had come to the gate of his city.
11
"No, my lord," he said. "Listen to me; I give you
the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. I give it to you in
the presence of my people. Bury your dead."
12
Again Father of Nations bowed down before the people of the land
13
and he said to Fawn Like in their hearing, "Listen to me, if
you will. I will pay the price of the field. Accept it from me so I can
bury my dead there."
14
Fawn Like answered Father of Nations,
15
"Listen carefully to me, my lord; the land is worth four
hundred shekels of silver, [$2,000 US +/-] but what is that
between me and you? Bury your dead."
16
Father of Nations agreed to Fawn Like's terms and weighed out for
him the silver he had named in the hearing of the Sons of Terror:
[$2,000 US +/-] four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weight
current among the merchants.
Second
Reading
2: 23:17-24:9
17
So ratified were the deed to Fawn Like's field in The Fold near
Strength-- inclusive of both the field and the cave in it, and all the
trees within the borders.
18
These were deeded clearly to Father of Nations as his possession.
(All this was conducted) in the presence of all the Sons of Terror who
had assembled at the gate of the city.
19
Afterward Father of Nations buried his woman, Noblewoman, in the
cave in the field of The Fold near Strength (which is at Association) in
the
Lowlands
.
20
So the field and the cave in it were deeded to Father of Nations
by the Sons of Terror as a burial site.
CHAPTER
24
1
Father of Nations was now old and well advanced in years, and
ETERNAL had blessed him in every way.
2
He said to the chief servant in his household, the one in charge
of all that he had, "Put your hand under my thigh.
3
I want you to swear by ETERNAL, the Mighty of the heavens and the
Mighty of the earth, that you will not get a woman for my son from the
daughters of the Zealots, among whom I now abide,
4
but will instead travel to my country and my own relatives and
get a woman for my son, Laughter."
5
The servant asked him, "What if the woman is unwilling to
come back with me to this land? Shall I then take your son back to the
country you came from?"
6
"Make sure that you do not take my son back there,"
Father of Nations said.
7
"ETERNAL, the Mighty of the heavens, who brought me out of
my father's household and my native land and who spoke to me and
promised me on oath, saying, 'To your offspring I will give this land'--
he will send His Messenger before you so that you can get a woman for my
son from there.
8
If the woman is unwilling to come back with you, then you will be
released from this oath of mine. Only do not return my son to that
place."
9
So the servant put his hand under the thigh of his master, Father
of Nations, and swore an oath to him concerning this matter.
Third
Reading
3: 24:10-26
10
Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and left, taking
with him all kinds of good things from his master. He set out for the
Highland of Two Rivers and made his way to the town of
Snort
.
11
He had the camels kneel down near the well outside the town; it
was toward evening, the time the women go out to draw water.
12
Then he prayed, "ETERNAL, Mighty of my lord, Father of
Nations, give me success today, and show kindness to my lord, Father of
Nations.
13
See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the
townspeople are coming out to draw water.
14
May it be that when I say to a girl, 'Please let down your jar
that I may have a drink,' and she says, 'Drink, and I'll water your
camels as well'-- let her be the one you have chosen for your servant
Laughter. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my
lord."
15
Before he had finished praying, Dazes came forward with a jar on
her shoulder. She was the daughter of Mighty Destruction son of Queen,
who was the woman of Snort, the brother of (his lord), Father of
Nations.
16
The girl was very easy to cast eyes upon, a virgin; no man had
lain with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up
again.
17
The servant hurried to meet her and said, "Please give me a
little water from your jar."
18
"Drink, my lord," she said, and quickly lowered the jar
to her hands and gave him a drink.
19
After she had given him drink, she said, "I'll draw for your
camels as well, until they have finished drinking."
20
So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, ran back to the
well to draw more water, and drew enough for all his camels.
21
Without saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn
whether or not ETERNAL had made his journey successful.
22
When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold
nose ring weighing a beqa [1/4 oz. US] and two gold bracelets weighing
ten shekels [5 oz. US].
23
Then he asked, "Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is
there room in your father's house for us to spend the night?"
24
She answered him, "I am the daughter of Mighty Destruction,
the son that Queen bore to Snort."
25
And she added, "We have plenty of straw and fodder, as well
as plenty of room for you to spend the night."
26
Then the man bowed down (in worship of) ETERNAL,
Fourth
Reading
4: 24:27-52
27
And he prayed saying, "Praise be to ETERNAL, the Mighty of
my lord Father of Nations, who has not abandoned His kindness and
faithfulness to my lord. As for me, ETERNAL has led me on the journey to
the house of my lord's brothers."
28
The girl ran to her mother's house and anxiously declared every
word of this incident.
29
Now Dazes had a brother named Whitey, and he hurried out to the
man at the spring.
30
As soon as he had seen the nose ring, and the bracelets on his
sister's arms, and had heard Dazes tell what the man said to her, he
went out to the man and found him standing by the camels near the
spring.
31
"Come, you who are blessed by ETERNAL," he said.
"Why are you standing out here? I have prepared the house and a
place for the camels."
32
So the man went to the house, and the camels were unloaded. Straw
and fodder were brought for the camels, and water for him and his men to
wash up from the journey.
33
Then food was set before him, but he said, "I will not eat
until I have told you what I have to say." "Then tell
us," [Whitey] said.
34
So he said, "I am Father of Nations's servant.
35
ETERNAL has blessed my lord abundantly, and he has become
wealthy. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, menservants
and maidservants, as well as camels and donkeys.
36
My lord's woman, Noblewoman, has borne him a son in her old age,
and he has given him everything he owns.
37
And my lord made me swear an oath, and said, 'You must NOT get a
woman for my son from the daughters of the Zealots, in whose land I am
living,
38
but go to my father's family and to my own clan, and get a woman
for my son.'
39
"Then I asked my lord, 'What if the woman will not come back
with me?'
40
"He replied, 'ETERNAL, before whom I have walked, will send
his Messenger with you and make your journey a success, so that you can
get a woman for my son from my own clan and from my father's family.
41
Then, when you go to my clan, you will be released from my oath
even if they refuse to give her to you-- you will be released from my
oath.'
42
"When I came to the spring today, I prayed, 'ETERNAL, the
Mighty of my lord, Father of Nations, if you will, please grant success
to the journey on which I have come.
43
See, I am standing beside this spring; if a maiden comes out to
draw water and I say to her, "Please let me drink a little water
from your jar,"
44
and if she says to me, "Drink, and I'll draw water for your
camels as well," let her be the one ETERNAL has chosen for my
lord's son.'
45
"Even before I finished my silent prayer, Dazes came forth
with her jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water
then I said to her, 'Please give me a drink.'
46
"She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder and said,
'Drink, and I'll water your camels as well.' So I drank, and she watered
the camels also.
47
"I asked her, 'Whose daughter are you?' "She said, 'The
daughter of Mighty Destruction son of Snort, whom Queen bore to him.'
"Then I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her arms,
48
and I bowed down and worshiped ETERNAL. I praised ETERNAL, the
Mighty of my lord, Father of Nations, who had led me on the right road
to get the granddaughter of my lord's brother for his son.
49
Now if you will deal kindly and faithfully with my lord, tell me;
and if not, tell me, so I may know which way I shall turn, to the right
or to the left."
50
Whitey and Mighty Destruction answered, "This IS from
ETERNAL; we can say nothing to you one way or the other.
51
Here is Dazes; take her and go, and let her become the woman of
your lord's son, as ETERNAL has directed."
52
When Father of Nations' servant heard what
they said, he bowed down to the ground (in worship) before ETERNAL.
Fifth
Reading
5: 24:53-67
53
Then the servant brought out gold and silver jewelry and articles
of clothing and gave them to Dazes; he also gave costly gifts to her
brother and to her mother.
54
Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the
night there. When they got up the next morning, he said, "Send me
on my way to my lord."
55
But her brother and her mother replied, "Let the girl remain
with us ten days or so; then you may go."
56
But he said to them, "Do not detain me, now that ETERNAL has
granted success to my journey. Send me on my way so I may go to my
lord."
57
Then they said, "Let's call the girl and ask her about
it."
58
So they called Dazes and asked her, "Will you go with this
man?" "I will go," she said.
59
So they sent their sister Dazes on her way, along with her nurse
and Father of Nations' servant and his men.
60
And they blessed Dazes and said to her, "Our sister, may you
increase to thousands upon thousands; may your offspring possess the
gates of their enemies."
61
Then Dazes and her maids got ready and mounted their camels and
went back with the man. So the servant took Dazes and left.
62
Now Laughter had come from the Well of the Living Vision, for he
was living in the South.
63
He went out to the field one evening to meditate, and as he
looked up, he saw camels approaching.
64
Dazes also looked up and saw Laughter. She got down from her
camel
65
and asked the servant, "Who is that man in the field coming
to meet us?" "He is my lord," the servant answered. So
she took her veil and covered herself.
66
Then the servant told Laughter all he had done.
67
Laughter brought her into the tent of his mother, Noblewoman, and
he married Dazes. So she became his woman, and he loved her; and
Laughter was comforted after his mother's death.
Sixth
Reading
6: 25:1-11
CHAPTER
25
1
Father of Nations took another woman, whose name was Incense.
2
She bore him Musician, Snarer, Contention, Strife, Forsaker and
Kowtow.
3
Snarer was the father of Seven Oath and Low Country; the
descendants of Low Country were the Steppers, the Hammered and the
Unifiers.
4
The sons of Strife were Gloomy, Calf, Dedicated, Known of Father
and ‘Mighty Knows’. All
these were descendants of Incense.
5
Father of Nations left everything he owned to Laughter.
6
But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his
concubines and sent them away from his son Laughter to the land of the
east.
7
Altogether, Father of Nations lived a hundred and seventy-five
years.
8
Then Father of Nations breathed his last and died at a good old
age, an old man and full of years; and he was removed to his kindred.
9
His sons Laughter and Mighty Hears buried him in the
cave
of
The Fold
near Strength, in the field of Fawn Like son of Tawny the Terrorist,
10
the field Father of Nations had bought from the Sons of Terror.
There Father of Nations was buried with his woman, Noblewoman.
11
After Father of Nations's death, Mighty blessed his son Laughter,
who then dwelled near The Well of the Living Vision.
Seventh
Reading
7: 25:12-18
Gen 25:12-18
12
This is the account of Father of Nations's son Mighty Hears, whom
Noblewoman's maidservant, Flight the woman of Double Straights, bore to
Father of Nations.
13
These are the names of the sons of Mighty Hears, listed in the
order of their birth: Heights the firstborn, Darkened, Grieved of
Mighty, Sweet Aroma,
14
Now Hear, Silence, Burden,
15
Fierce, Desert, Enclose, Refreshment and Original.
16
These were the sons of Mighty Hears, and these are the names of
the twelve tribal rulers according to their settlements and camps.
17
Altogether, Mighty Hears lived a hundred and thirty-seven years.
He breathed his last and died, and he was removed to his kindred.
18
His descendants settled in the area from Circle to Wall, near the
border of Double Straights, as you go toward Steps. And each lived in
hostility toward all his brothers.
Haftarah:
I Kings 1:1 - 1:31
CHAPTER
1
1
When king Beloved (called Daviyd in the Hebrew tongue) was old
and well advanced in years, he could not keep warm even under many
covers.
2
So his servants said to him, "Let us look for a
pre-pubescent virgin to attend to our lord, the king, and take care of
him. She can lie beside him so that our lord the king may be
warmed."
3
Then they searched throughout the land of those who persevere as
Mighty for a beautiful girl and found a lass named My Father Has
Strayed, a girl from Quiet Rest, and they brought her to the king.
4
The girl was very beautiful; she took care of the king and waited
on him, but the king had no intimate relations with her.
5
Now My Lord is Eternal, whose mother was called Festive, lifted
him self up saying, "I will be king." So he got chariots and
horses ready, with fifty men to run ahead of him.
6
(His father had never interfered with him by asking, "Why do
you behave as you do?" He was also very handsome and was born next
after his brother, Father of Peace.)
7
My Lord is Eternal conferred with Eternal is Father the son of
Balsam and with Father of Abundance the priest, and they gave him their
support.
8
But Righteousness the priest, Eternal Has Built son of Known of
Eternal , Gift the prophet, Renowned and Friendly and Beloved's special
guard did not join My Lord is Eternal.
9
My Lord is Eternal then sacrificed sheep, cattle and fattened
calves at the Stone of Serpent near the Fountain of Rumors. He invited
all his brothers, the king's sons, and all the men of Praised who were
royal officials,
10
but he did not invite Gift the prophet or Eternal Has Built, nor
the Mighty, nor his brother Peace.
11
Then Gift asked the daughter of Seven/Oath, the mother of Peace,
"Have you not heard that My Lord is Eternal, the son of Festive,
has become king without our lord Beloved's knowing of it?
12
Now then, let me advise you how you can save your own life and
the life of your son Peace.
13
Go in to King Beloved and say to him, 'My lord the king, did you
not swear to me your servant: "Surely Peace your son shall be king
after me, and he will sit on my throne"? Why then has My Lord is
Eternal become king?'
14
While you are still there talking to the king, I will come in and
confirm what you have said."
15
So Seven/Oath went to see the aged king in his room, where My
Father Has Strayed the one of Quiet Rest was attending him.
16
Seven/Oath bowed low and knelt before the king. "What is it
you want?" the king asked.
17
She said to him, "My lord, you yourself swore to me your
servant by ETERNAL your Mighty: 'Peace your son shall be king after me,
and he will sit on my throne.'
18
But now My Lord is Eternal has become king, and you, my lord the
king, are not aware of it.
19
He has sacrificed great numbers of cattle, fattened calves, and
sheep, and has invited all the king's sons, Father of Abundance the
priest and Eternal is Father the commander of the army, but he has not
invited Peace your servant.
20
My lord the king, the eyes of all Persevere as Mighty are on you,
to learn from you who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after
him.
21
Otherwise, as soon as my lord the king is laid to rest with his
fathers, both me and my son Peace will be treated as criminals."
22
While she was still speaking with the king, Gift the prophet
arrived.
23
And they told the king, "Gift the prophet is here." So
he went before the king and bowed with his face to the ground.
24
Gift said, "Have you, my lord the king, declared that My
Lord is Eternal shall be king after you, and that he will sit on your
throne?
25
Today he has gone down and sacrificed great numbers of cattle,
fattened calves, and sheep. He has invited all the king's sons, the
commanders of the army and Father of Abundance the priest. Right now
they are eating and drinking with him and saying, 'Long live King My
Lord is Eternal!'
26
But me your servant, and Righteousness the priest, and Eternal
Has Built who is the son of Known of Eternal, and your servant Peace
were not invited.
27
Is this something my lord the king has done without letting his
servants know who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after
him?"
28
Then King Beloved said, "Call in Seven/Oath." So she
came into the king's presence and stood before him.
29
The king then took an oath: "As surely as ETERNAL lives, who
has delivered me out of every trouble,
30
I will surely carry out today what I swore to you by ETERNAL, the
Mighty one of those who Persevere as Mighty: Peace your son shall be
king after me, and he will sit on my throne in my place."
31
Then Seven/Oath bowed low with her face to the ground, kneeling
before the king, said, "Let live with out ceasing my lord, my King
my Beloved!"
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