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    The T.D. Jakes Relationship Bible: Life Lessons on Relationships from the Inspired Word of God
    The T.D. Jakes Relationship Bible: Life Lessons on Relationships from the Inspired Word of God
    The T.D. Jakes Relationship Bible: Life Lessons on Relationships from the Inspired Word of God
    Ebook5,114 pages71 hours

    The T.D. Jakes Relationship Bible: Life Lessons on Relationships from the Inspired Word of God

    By T. D. Jakes

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    About this ebook

    From Genesis to Revelation, it is clear that the Holy Bible is, in the words of Bishop T.D. Jakes, “The Greatest Love Story Ever Told.” It is not a book about religion, but relationships—from the creation of a man and a woman and their intimate relationship with God in the Garden through the tragic break in that relationship at the Fall and the eventual restoration of that relationship through Jesus Christ and His death on the cross of Calvary.

    Let’s face it, we all have questions about relationships in life.

    When you lay your head down on the pillow at night, do you find these questions about your relationship with God running through your mind? How can I know God personally? Can I find peace and true contentment? What is the purpose of my life? How do I know how God wants me to live? What is prayer?

    Throughout our lives, we all face a long list of questions on relationships that trouble our souls and require real answers based on real truth. How do I forgive someone who has hurt me badly? Can I mend this broken relationship? When my world seems to be falling apart around me, who can I trust and in whom dare I confide? How do I know whether a person is the right one to date? Will my marriage survive? How do I nourish my child’s heart? What do I do with my fears about expressing my love and care to a friend?

    The good news is that in God’s Word we find the answers to life’s bewildering relationship questions.

    We are not left to figure it out on our own and in our own strength and power. You are invited to begin a lifelong journey to discovering God’s words of truth for your life and relationships, and to discovering God Himself in the words of His Book!
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAtria Books
    Release dateJan 24, 2012
    ISBN9781439172797
    The T.D. Jakes Relationship Bible: Life Lessons on Relationships from the Inspired Word of God
    Author

    T. D. Jakes

    T.D. Jakes is the CEO of TDJ Enterprises, LLP, as well as the founder and senior pastor of The Potter’s House of Dallas, Inc. He’s also the New York Times bestselling author of numerous books, including, Crushing, Soar!, Making Great Decisions (previously titled Before You Do), Reposition Yourself: Living Life Without Limits, and Let It Go: Forgive So You Can Be Forgiven, a New York Times, USA TODAY, and Publishers Weekly bestseller. He has won and been nominated for numerous awards, including Essence magazine’s President’s Award in 2007 for Reposition Yourself, a Grammy in 2004, and NAACP Image awards. He has been the host of national radio and television broadcasts, was the star of BET’s Mind, Body and Soul, and is regularly featured on the highly rated Dr. Phil Show and Oprah’s Lifeclass. He lives in Dallas with his wife and five children. Visit T.D. Jakes online at TDJakes.com or follow his Twitter @BishopJakes.

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    The T.D. Jakes Relationship Bible - T. D. Jakes

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    A Publisher Note on Searching

    This abbreviation guide outlining the books from the Old Testament and New Testament of the King James Bible is intended to assist the reader in locating specific Bible references. For instance, when searching for Revelation 1:1, simply input Rev 1:1 into your ereader’s search function and it will locate the specific verse in the Index at the back of the text.

    If you’re using the search option on your ereader device, there may be a slight delay as your device indexes the text in search of your reference.

    Old Testament

    New Testament

    VOLUMES OF BOOKS have been written about the amazing book that you are holding in your hands right now. Many rightly acknowledge the Bible as the most important and single most bestselling book in human history. Others acclaim the fact that it has not only survived but continued to influence and shape the world through centuries of being scorned, misused, and at times burned and destroyed. Kings have tried to ban it, and countless believers have been put to death because they dared to have their own Bibles and had the audacity to stand by its truths. Without question, untold millions would tell us that they have found eternal hope and truth and peace through its pages.

    But the Bible is not just a phenomenally popular inspirational book that people turn to for answers when the pressures of life overwhelm them. It is a supernatural book, God’s Word, written for us. Its words are more than the mere words of men; these are God’s very own thoughts, through which He chooses to reveal Himself to us. Here in the Bible we encounter God through His Word, and we come to know His amazingly strategized plan of salvation through His revelation of Himself in the person and work of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

    The greatest love story ever told is unfolded in epic drama between the books of Genesis and Revelation. From its pages we hear the voice of a loving Creator God, who out of the incomprehensible depths of His love created mankind to reflect His Is-Ness; to love and live in His image. In essence, He said, "I want something to be like Me, and He took that something out of eternity and brought it down into time and scooped up a bit of clay and began to form and fashion man into His likeness and into His image so that He might have someone to love who was like" Him.

    In the Beginning

    The Bible starts in the book of Genesis, or Beginnings, the place where the romantic liaison between divinity and humanity begins, by telling how God created everything, including human beings. God looked upon all He had created and judged it to be very good (Genesis 1:31)—His work was perfect and pure. Every detail of creation and every system of nature was orchestrated and put in place so that the creation was a safe world into which He could put the object of His affection and the crowning culmination of His creation—Adam and Eve. Created in the very image of God, they were made to be capable of having intimate fellowship with God and bringing glory to His name (Genesis 1:27).

    God had also created a honeymoon suite called the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:8), and in it He placed the man and his bride, in a controlled environment that was so perfectly sustained that man was not required to do any hard labor at all. Adam was responsible to dress [the Garden] and to keep it (Genesis 2:15). All he had to do was love God, love his woman, and love his land. All he had to do was love and honor his relationships. He didn’t have to sweat. He didn’t have to labor over deadlines. He didn’t have to work around the clock. His job was to love and nurture in a manner of perfect husbandry, where everything he touched would give back to him a bountiful and perfect reward.

    How many years Adam and Eve lived in the Garden, enjoying each other and caring for the Garden, enjoying the intimacy of their relationship with God and learning about the creation, we do not know. The brief creation account only tells us what we need to know. But there is no reason to think it was a short time. We do know that the innocence of Adam and Eve extended into the years of fellowship in the Garden.

    The Meteoric Fall

    But while Adam enjoyed the creation and his relationship with God and his wife, evil slithered its way into the Garden—a subtle and glittering, yet slinking and serpentine thing crawled up into the paradise of man; forever embodying the very icon of biblically expressed evil. Understand that the serpent as the icon is not, in of itself, the issue—it is what the serpent is symbolic of—evil—that is significant. And when you touch it or open yourself up to its devices, it opens up hell’s kitchen.

    And so we read in the third chapter of Genesis how through deception and disobedience, sin and death first came into the world to spoil God’s perfect creation. Sin is real, and sin is deadly. Adam and Eve sinned against God, causing a tragic break in their relationship with Him and with each other. Like a magnificent airplane falling out the clear blue sky and crashing into the deepest ocean, mankind plummeted down into the depths of depravity that just as a bottomless pit is so low that the Fall of man has not yet stopped. With mankind lost and every baby being born in sin and shaped in iniquity, all of God’s creation also fell into peril, and it’s still in peril today, waiting on the manifestation of the sons of God (Romans 8:21).

    As we continue to live independent of the will and the purpose of God, everything that God created for us, including our relationships, we are now destroying, because we are forever spiraling downward in the meteoric Fall of all mankind. We ruin our water supplies, our lakes, our streams, our air, our natural fuels, and other resources. War broke out between the man and the woman and continues today. Crisis broke out between the first family’s children until one murdered the other. It was all falling down. The Garden of Eden was lost, mankind was lost, but God’s predestined purpose for His reflected glory in mankind was not yet fulfilled. And it is as if He said, Wait a minute! I won’t let go of My beloved ones!

    The Love Story of Redemption

    We hear the voice of the Lord walking and looking for fallen mankind in the Garden (Genesis 3:8). The guilt of sin that resulted from their disobedience caused them to hide from God and to attempt to cover their personal shame. Because they had disobeyed God’s command, they were now flawed and shameful in God’s presence. Satan, the saboteur, attacked what God loved and infected it with what He hated, creating the perfect dilemma. If God responded to what He loved, He would save what He hated. If He saved what He loved, He would love what He hated.

    To cover the shame and nakedness of Adam and Eve, the Lord covered them with coats made from the skin of an innocent animal (Genesis 3:21). God thus made the first substitute sacrifice, and it followed the clear promise of a Redeemer when God pronounced these words of judgment upon the serpent, or Satan: I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel (Genesis 3:15). This prophetic word speaks of Jesus Christ and His death on the cross of Calvary.

    So the love story of redemption and sacrifice begins, and it is repeated throughout the Word of God, culminating in the coming of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on our behalf, redeeming us from sin and death and restoring us to a right relationship (righteousness) with God. Herein we learn of a relentless Lover who began walking through the Garden to repair the damage of our disobedience and is still hard at work in our lives today. He assumes responsibility for our redemption—to bring us back to love and intimacy with God and with one another. We discover through the Bible that a personal relationship with God is not dependent on the good works that we do, or on our church membership, or even on living a highly religious life. Rather, it is God’s amazing grace and forgiveness through Jesus Christ that is the only source through which we can once again be atoned (at-one-d) with God, being restored to an intimate relationship with One who made us to be in His own image.

    Why a Bible Focused on Relationships?

    FROM THE VERY FIRST CHAPTER of Genesis, it is clear that a relationship with God is the foundation for our lives that everything else must be built upon. If we try to build on any other relationships or things, we are building on quicksand, because at some point our relationship with our children, with our siblings, with our spouse, with our parents, and with our friends will break down. But our relationship with God is founded on a sure foundation, and it is from our foundational relationship with God that He gives us the privilege of having healthy relationships with our spouse, our families, our friends, and countless others.

    If we don’t understand that we are created with an intense hunger and a thirst for a relationship with God, we won’t understand where the inner void and loneliness come from, and we’ll try unsuccessfully to fill it with other people and things. And if we don’t understand we are created for a relationship with God, we’ll find ourselves far more interested in religion than God is.

    God is not interested in religion; He is interested in relationship. Religion only becomes significant when it enhances relationship, which it doesn’t always do. Oftentimes religion becomes a deterrent to relationship. The Bible is filled with many religious people who missed connecting with God altogether. Sometimes we are so preoccupied with our religious ideologies and teachings and doctrines and principles, we fail to understand that what really matters the most in life is a personal, intimate relationship with God.

    Biblical Characters Faced What We Face

    Inside the pages of God’s Word you will discover the divine instruction on life relationships that has been given to generations of people who faced the same life issues and questions that you face today. It dares address those questions honestly and openly and offers wise counsel for your relationships, inspiration for your needs, comfort for your sorrows, guidance for your confusion, and hope for your discouragement.

    The men and women of the Bible were people of like passions as we are (James 5:17), having the same challenges in relationships, the same temptations, and the same opportunities for hope and joy, success and fulfillment, courage and sacrifice. Life offered them the same desires and aspirations, joys and sorrows, loves and hatreds that we all experience. Abraham, David, and Paul faced the same tensions, the same relationship situations we do—and met them with the same resources of the spirit available to us today. Their God was the same God, though the perception of Him in its New Testament unveiling became more refined and clear.

    We find the characters of the Bible to be our brothers and sisters in relationships. That is why there is revelation for us here, sometimes in the form of warnings, sometimes as vital insights for living, and sometimes as clear guidance as they went through triumph and disaster, in peace and harmony and strife and confrontation, facing what life offered and all that their relationships could do to them.

    Relationship Questions

    Let’s face it, we all have questions about relationships in life. When you lay your head down on the pillow at night, what are the questions that you ask about your relationship with God? When you’re alone, do you find these life questions running through your mind? How can I know God personally? Can I find peace and true contentment with God? What is the purpose of my life? How do I know how God wants me to live? What is prayer? Is death really the end?

    Throughout our lives, we all face a long list of questions on relationships that trouble our souls and require real answers based on real truth. How do I forgive someone who has hurt me badly? Can I mend this broken relationship? When my world seems to be falling apart around me, who can I trust and in whom dare I confide? How do I know whether a person is the right one to date? How can I cope with disappointment in a relationship? Will my marriage survive the lies I’ve told? How do I nourish my child’s heart? What do I do with my fears about expressing my love and care to a friend? What do I do with my cheating spouse?

    The good news is that in God’s Word we find the answers to life’s bewildering relationship questions. We are not left to figure it out on our own and in our own strength and power. So I invite you to begin a lifelong journey to discovering God’s words of truth for your life and relationships, and to discovering God Himself in the words of His Book!

    HOW TO HAVE

    a Relationship With Your Bible

    I MEET A LOT OF PEOPLE who are intimated by the Bible for any number of reasons. For some, it is such a big book that it scares them, and they don’t know where to start. Others think that because it is such an ancient book and spans such a long historical time period and includes so many themes that they can never figure it out. Let me simplify it for you a bit.

    Think of the Bible as a library of books that includes 66 different books of widely varying length that were written over a period of 1,500 years by more than 40 people from all sorts of backgrounds. But the Bible is extraordinarily unique and cohesive in that the words of each book were given by inspiration or breathed out by God (2 Timothy 3:16). Taken together, the books of the Bible tell the story of God’s amazing love for us and are the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 3:15).

    Though the Bible is all one book, it is divided into two main parts. The first part is the Old Testament, which was written originally to God’s chosen nation, the Jewish people (also called Israelites), through whom His Son Jesus would be brought into the world. The New Testament was written to those who first put their faith in Jesus in the first-century Church, and sometimes the names of the books tell you to whom they were originally directed. For instance, the apostle Paul wrote the books of First and Second Corinthians to the Christians who lived in the Greek city of Corinth. Other New Testament books were written to all of Christ’s followers. These books were passed around from church to church and believer to believer for everyone to read and hear.

    But understand that just as the men and women of the Bible are totally relevant today, so the Old and the New Testaments are as relevant now as when they were first written—the Bible’s timeless message is for every generation and every age group and every culture and every race of people down through history. Understand that the Bible was written for you, too, and you can discover its life-giving power for yourself. God’s Word, the Bible, is your personal guide to knowing and following God.

    The Bible is God’s love story for you, and every time you read it, allow it to unfold in your heart as a love letter written by God to you. In just such a light of open expectation, the revelation of His love and His plan for you will jump off of the pages and into your life every time you turn the pages of the Greatest Love Story Ever Told!

    The Bible was written for you…

    and is your personal guide

    to knowing and following God.

    THE OLD TESTAMENT

    THIS FIRST SECTION OF THE BIBLE consists of 39 books written primarily by various prophets, priests, and kings from the nation of Israel, dating from as early as the fifteenth to as late as the third century B.C. The entire Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew, except for a few selections in the Aramaic language, a sister language of Hebrew that became the common language of the ancient Near East. Whenever Jesus refers to the Scriptures, He is referring to the Old Testament. The books can be divided easily into four smaller sections of God’s library.

    The Books of Law

    The first five books—Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy—are often called the Torah, which means law or teaching, or the Pentateuch, which simply means five books or five scrolls. The Books of Law include the story of the creation of the world, the miraculous establishment and purpose of Abraham’s family in God’s plan of salvation for mankind, the deliverance of the Jewish nation from slavery in Egypt, and ends with the people of Israel ready to enter the land God had promised to them. They are called Books of Law because they contain a detailed explanation of the many laws God gave to govern and to keep the Jewish people as His special people.

    The Books of History

    The next twelve books—Joshua, Judges, Ruth, I & II Samuel, I & II Kings, I & II Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther—provide a history of God’s chosen people, beginning with Israel’s conquest and settlement of the Promised Land under Joshua through nine centuries of judges and kings. These books tell the history of the united kingdom under Kings Saul and David and Solomon and then the split into the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah, and what happened when they obeyed God and when they didn’t. They also describe how after hundreds of years of disobedience, God brings judgment on Israel (721 B.C.) and later on Judah (586 B.C.) and allows them to be defeated and taken by the thousands into exile by other nations. Finally, the books tell the remarkable story of how the Jewish people in Babylonian captivity were allowed to return to their Promised Land and restore the temple.

    The Psalms and Wisdom Literature

    These five books deal with a variety of life’s issues. Psalms is a book of prayer and praise written as poetry. Many of the poems and songs were used during the Jewish feasts and festivals to celebrate God’s goodness. Today many of our worship songs contain the words found in the psalms. Proverbs deals with how to live life wisely. Job deals with the problem of pain and suffering, and Ecclesiastes deals with the problem of pleasure. Song of Solomon is a portrayal of married love. Whether in beautiful words of prayer and praise to God or as wise sayings or as personal reflections on suffering, these writings touch our deepest emotions and imagination as well as our intellect.

    The Books of Prophecy

    The last seventeen books—Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi—were written by God’s prophets, who delivered God’s special messages to His chosen people, Israel. The prophets reminded the people about God’s laws, how they were to live, and provide ultimate hope through prophecies of Christ’s coming and redemptive work. Five books of prophecy are referred to as the major prophets—Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel—which only means that their books are longer, not more important. The remaining twelve books of prophecy are shorter and thus referred to as minor prophets. The books are not organized chronologically, and a study of any prophetic book is greatly enhanced by cross-referencing it with the historical material in the books of Kings and Chronicles.

    THE NEW TESTAMENT

    AS YOU TURN from the final words of the Old Testament in Malachi to the Gospel of Matthew, keep in mind that centuries have passed, traditionally called the 400 years of silence. Although the prophets were silent, one world empire after another—the Persians, the Greeks, and Rome—exercised control over God’s people and prepared the way for the coming of Jesus Christ. If you study the prophecies of Daniel (2:24, 45; 7:1–28; 8:1–17; 11:1–35), you’ll see that these historical events occurred precisely as God said they would.

    This second major section of the Bible begins with the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It tells us about His life and teachings, how He was killed and buried, and how He rose from the dead and ascended to heaven. It also describes the coming of the Holy Spirit and the establishment of God’s Church throughout the Roman Empire. There are 27 books in the New Testament written from about A.D. 50 to around A.D. 95. The New Testament was written in Greek, which was spoken throughout the Roman Empire, including Palestine, where Aramaic and Hebrew were also used. The books of the New Testament can be divided into four smaller sections of God’s great library.

    The Gospels

    The first four books—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—are called the Gospels, which means good news, and offer parallel accounts of the life of Jesus Christ. The Gospels cover a period from approximately 5 B.C. to A.D. 30 and contain God’s good news of the greatest story ever told—of His Son, Jesus Christ, and reveal in all His truth and beauty what Jesus did and said. The Gospels tell about Jesus’ birth, teachings, death, burial, and resurrection. Even though the Gospels have the same basic story to tell us, each is written from a unique perspective and for a different audience, and thus each Gospel has distinctive features.

    The History of the Church

    The Acts of the Apostles begin with Christ’s ascension into heaven and resumes the story that was begun in the Gospel of Luke, providing a historical account of the coming of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost and the tremendous spread and growth of the early Church despite fierce persecution. The focus of this book is upon the ministry of the Holy Spirit in carrying out the saving work of Jesus Christ in the world, with most of the attention on the ministry of Peter and the missionary journeys of Paul. The church that began in those pages of the Book of Acts is still alive and growing today!

    The Epistles or Letters

    The next 21 books of the New Testament—Romans, I & II Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, I & II Thessalonians, I & II Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, I & II Peter, I & II & III John, and Jude—are actually letters or epistles. Thirteen of these letters were written by the apostle Paul. The full meaning of Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection are explained in these letters from the apostles. The epistles are where the great doctrines of the faith are explained in their greatest detail. These letters detail how believers are to live their Christian lives in practical terms as well as counter false teachings that were afflicting the Church.

    The Book of Prophecy

    The last book of the Bible—Revelation—contains a vision of Christ’s reign in heaven, His glorious second coming in the end times, and the final act in God’s unfolding drama of His great love story and redemption. It was written to Christians who were facing great danger and persecution. Although there are different interpretations of Revelation, Christians can know with absolute certainty that Christ will triumph over all the evil in the world and that they will share in the final victory with Jesus at the end of time.

    WHY THE KING JAMES VERSION?

    I INVITE YOU TO HEAR GOD’S VOICE

    and come to understand His mind through His Word.

    The Bible is our primary means to knowing God and doing His will.

    Reading and studying it is the most important

    and life-changing step you will ever take!

    THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION of the Bible that appeared in 1611, the Authorized Version, known popularly as the King James Version, won wide acceptance among the people of the English-speaking world and easily eclipsed all previous versions of the Bible. Writers and literary critics have acclaimed it as the most influential book in the history of English civilization and the noblest monument of English prose. It proved so acceptable that it remained the Bible of English-speaking Protestants without a serious rival version for three centuries and continues to impact millions today.

    When King James announced the decision to undertake a new translation of the Bible, he appointed the finest biblical scholars and linguists of their day—contemporaries of some of the greatest English authors of all time, such as Shakespeare, Spenser, and Marlowe. The King James Version thus came to partake of the rhythms and the beauty of Elizabethan poetry and drama, perhaps the finest English has ever known. The reason this translation is so rich in the dignity of its language is that the translators rendered finely chosen English words of their time as well as a graceful, often musical arrangement of language. The text was to be read aloud at church services, so the translators would read their versions aloud to one another and rewrite again and again to achieve the best emphasis of punctuation and the best rhythm in prose.

    The precision of translation for which it is historically renowned, the simple yet grand language, and its majesty of style have made it my personal version of choice. Nonsectarian in tone and approach, it does not favor one position of theological opinion over another. I consider it to be a faithful translation of the authoritative Word of God.

    HOW TO READ THE BIBLE

    BECAUSE THE BIBLE IS God’s Word, how you approach reading it is different from reading any other book. The most important thing is to understand that these are God’s words for your life to open your heart by faith to believe His truth. When you do, you’ll discover that it has the power to transform your mind and life.

    Ask God to show you His truth for your life as you read. Your prayer can be as simple as Dear Father, help me understand what Your words mean and give me the wisdom to apply them to my life and make me more like Jesus. As you seek to know God through reading His Word, Jesus promised that He will send His Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth (John 16:13). You may also find it helpful to write down the insights you discover and receive. You will be thrilled by the results!

    If you are new to the Bible and don’t know where to find the different books of the Bible, check out the Table of Contents that lists all the books and the pages they start on. Let’s say you want to find the Book of Romans. The Table of Contents tells you the starting page, and you’ll find the page numbers at the top of the pages for this Bible. If you are looking for a specific passage, such as Romans 3:23, the number 3 tells you the chapter and 23 the verse. So open to the page number for Romans, then follow the headings at the top of the pages to find Romans 3, and you’re there. It’s that simple.

    If you’re looking for suggestions on where to start, I offer a fifty-day reading program that will help you gain an overall understanding of what the Bible is all about. This, of course, is merely an introduction to the Bible, but it will direct you to several key sections of the Bible and help you catch the big picture of what God has done.

    I recommend that you read the Bible daily—anytime, anywhere, for any reason—and as you respond to what God is saying to you, you’ll be amazed at the changes that happen in your life. I trust that you will be blessed with insights into life relationships that satisfy the deepest longings of your heart and soul!

    GETTING STARTED: A FIFTY-DAY BIBLE READING PLAN

    WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT . . .

    ACCEPTANCE

    I Samuel 16:7; Psalm 100:3; 139:16;

    Isaiah 43:1; 45:15–16; Jeremiah 31:3; John 6:37;

    Romans 12:3, 6; Ephesians 1:5; 2:10

    ADDICTION

    Psalm 19:14; 119:11; 139:23–24;

    Lamentations 3:40; John 8:34–35; Romans 7:18,

    24–25; 8:1–4; II Corinthians 12:9; Galatians 2:20;

    6:1–2; Philippians 2:13; II Thessalonians 3:3;

    James 4:10; 5:16

    CHILDREN

    Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 6:6–9; Joshua

    24:15; Psalm 127:3–5; 128:1–4; Isaiah 54:2–3;

    60:4; Malachi 4:6; Acts 16:31; Ephesians 6:4

    CHURCH

    Acts 2:41; Romans 12:5; I Corinthians 12:12–27;

    Colossians 1:18; Hebrews 2:11–12; 10:24–25

    COURAGE

    Exodus 14:14; Deuteronomy 7:21; Joshua 1:5–9;

    Psalm 18:29–33; 27:14; 31:24; Isaiah 40:29–31;

    41:10; 43:2–3; 50:7; Acts 4:13–31;

    Ephesians 6:10–18

    DEATH

    Psalm 23:4; John 11:25; 14:1–3;

    I Corinthians 15:54; II Corinthians 5:1;

    Philippians 1:21; 3:20–21; II Timothy 1:10

    DEMONS

    Matthew 10:1; Luke 7:21; Acts 8:6–7;

    Ephesians 6:10–18

    DIVORCE

    Psalm 34:18; 147:3; Proverbs 3:26; Isaiah 41:10;

    51:11; 61:1–3; Habakkuk 3:19; Malachi 2:16;

    Romans 8:37–39; II Corinthians 1:3–4;

    Hebrews 10:35; 13:5–6

    DRINKING AND DRUGS

    Proverbs 20:1; Galatians 5:16–24; Ephesians 5:18

    ELDERLY LOVED ONES

    Genesis 15:15; Ruth 4:14–15; Job 42:12;

    Psalm 23:4, 6; 37:25; 71:17–18; 91:16; 92:13–15; Proverbs 3:1–2; Isaiah 46:4; Joel 2:28;

    Acts 13:36; James 1:27

    FAITH

    Matthew 17:20; Mark 11:22–26;

    Romans 1:17; 3:21–28; 4:3–5; 5:1–2; 10:8–11, 17;

    Ephesians 2:8–9; Hebrews 11:1–6; 12:2;

    I Peter 1:6–9; I John 5:4

    FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES

    Deuteronomy 8:7–10, 18; 28:2, 11–13;

    Psalm 23:1; 37:25; 50:10–15; Matthew 6:28–33;

    Philippians 4:11–13, 19; I Timothy 6:10;

    James 2:15–16; I John 5:14–15

    FORGIVENESS

    Psalm 32:1–7; 51:1–19; 103:12; Isaiah 43:18;

    Matthew 5:44; 6:14–15; 18:21–22;

    Mark 11:25; Luke 11:4; 17:3; 23:34; Romans

    15:5–7; Ephesians 4:31–32; Colossians 3:13;

    I Peter 2:23; 3:9; I John 1:9

    FRIENDSHIP

    I Samuel 18:1–3; Proverbs 13:20; 17:9, 17; 18:24;

    22:24–25; Ecclesiastes 4:9–10; Matthew 18:20;

    John 13:14–15; 15:12–15; Acts 2:42;

    Philippians 2:3–4; I Peter 4:8

    GIVING

    Leviticus 27:30–32; Deuteronomy 15:7–11;

    Proverbs 3:9–10; 21:13; Malachi 3:10;

    Matthew 6:1–4; 25:40; Luke 6:38; Acts 2:44–45;

    4:32–37; 20:35; Romans 12:10, 13;

    II Corinthians 9:6–12; Ephesians 4:20;

    James 2:15–16; I John 3:17–18

    GOD’S LOVE

    Jeremiah 31:3; John 3:16; 13:34–35; 15:13–16;

    Romans 5:8; 8:38–39; I Corinthians 13:1–13;

    Ephesians 2:4–7; I John 3:1; 4:7–18

    GRACE

    Exodus 33:17; John 1:14–18; Acts 4:33;

    Romans 5:1–2; I Corinthians 15:10;

    II Corinthians 8:9; 12:7–10;

    Ephesians 1:3–10; 2:1–10; Titus 2:11–14; 3:3–7; Hebrews 4:15–16

    GUIDANCE

    Deuteronomy 29:29; Psalm 18:30; 25:4–5;

    Proverbs 3:5–6; Isaiah 2:3; 41:10; 55:8–9;

    Jeremiah 32:40; Micah 6:8; Romans 8:28;

    11:33–36; I Corinthians 2:9–10, 16; James 1:5–6

    HEALING

    Exodus 15:26; 23:25; Psalm 30:2; 41:3; 91:3–10;

    103:2–5; 107:20; Proverbs 4:20–22; Isaiah 53:5;

    Jeremiah 17:14; 30:17; 33:6; Matthew 4:23;

    9:35; Mark 16:17–18; Luke 6:19; Romans 8:11;

    Hebrews 13:8; James 1:6; 5:13–16; III John 2

    HEAVEN

    II Corinthians 5:1–10; Philippians 1:21–24;

    I John 3:2; Revelation 21

    HELL

    Daniel 12:2; Matthew 5:22; 10:28; Mark 9:44;

    Luke 16:19–31; II Thessalonians 1:9;

    Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 20:9–15

    HOPE

    Psalm 42:5, 11; 71:5; 130:5, 7;

    Proverbs 13:12; Jeremiah 17:7–8; 29:11; 31:17;

    Lamentations 3:21–24; Romans 5:5; 15:13–14;

    Colossians 1:3–5, 27; II Thessalonians 2:16–17;

    Hebrews 6:19; 10:23; 11:1

    JOY

    Nehemiah 8:10; Psalm 16:11; 21:1; 30:5; 126:5;

    Isaiah 61:3, 10; Jeremiah 15:16; Luke 15:7;

    John 15:11; 16:22–24; Romans 5:11; Galatians

    5:22; Philippians 2:1–2; 4:4; Colossians 1:11–14

    JUDGMENT

    Matthew 12:36–37; John 5:24; Romans 8:1;

    I Corinthians 3:11–15; II Corinthians 5:10;

    Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 20:12–15

    LOVE

    Deuteronomy 10:12; Matthew 22:37–40;

    John 13:34–35; 14:21–24; Romans 12:9–10;

    I John 3:14; 4:7–21

    MARRIAGE

    Genesis 2:4, 18, 22–24; Proverbs 5:15–19; 18:22;

    Ecclesiastes 9:9; Song of Solomon 8:7;

    Malachi 2:15; Matthew 19:6; I Corinthians 7:2–4,

    10–11; 13:4–8; II Corinthians 6:14; Ephesians

    4:31–32; 5:21–33; Colossians 3:19; Titus 2:4–5;

    Hebrews 13:4; I Peter 3:1–2, 7–9

    MONEY

    Psalm 62:10; Proverbs 11:28; 23:5; 28:19;

    Ecclesiastes 5:10, 19; Matthew 6:24; 25:14–30;

    Luke 6:38; 12:15; I Thessalonians 4:11–12;

    I Timothy 6:7–10; Hebrews 13:5

    PATIENCE

    Psalm 37:7; 40:1; Isaiah 40:31; Romans 8:25;

    12:12; Galatians 5:19–21; Philippians 4:11;

    Hebrews 10:35–36; James 1:2–4; 5:7–8

    PEACE

    Psalm 34:14; 119:165; Isaiah 26:3; 48:18;

    John 14:27; 16:33; Romans 5:1; 8:6; 14:17–19;

    Philippians 4:6–7; Colossians 3:15

    PERSECUTION / SUFFERING

    Jeremiah 20:11; Matthew 5:10–12;

    John 15:18–20; Romans 8:35–39;

    II Corinthians 12:10; II Timothy 3:12;

    I Peter 4:12–14, 16

    PLEASURE

    Nehemiah 8:10; Psalm 16:11; Proverbs 21:17;

    Ecclesiastes 2:1–11; Jeremiah 15:16;

    I Peter 1:8

    PRAISE

    Psalm 50:23; 92:1; 97:1, 12; 100:1–2; 101:1;

    105:1–2; 149:1–5; 150:1–6; Acts 16:25;

    Hebrews 13:15

    PRAYER

    Matthew 6:6–7; Mark 11:24; John 14:13–14;

    15:7; Ephesians 3:12; 6:18; Philippians 4:6;

    1 Timothy 2:8; Hebrews 4:16; James 5:16

    PRIDE

    Psalm 101:5; Proverbs 16:5, 18, 25; 18:12;

    Isaiah 14:12–15; James 4:6; I Peter 5:5–7

    SALVATION

    John 1:12; 3:3, 16–18; 14:6; Romans 1:16; 3:23;

    6:23; 10:13; Ephesians 1:13–14; Philippians 2:12;

    I Thessalonians 5:9–10; Titus 2:11–14;

    I Peter 1:8–9

    SATAN / DEVIL

    John 8:44; II Corinthians 4:4; 11:3;

    Ephesians 6:11–18; James 4:7–8; I Peter 5:8–9;

    Revelation 12:9–10; 20:10

    SEXUAL SIN

    Leviticus 18:22; Proverbs 5:17–23; 6:32–33;

    28:13; Matthew 5:27–30; Romans 1:24–32;

    I Corinthians 6:9–11, 14–20; 10:13;

    Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 4:19–24; 5:3–5;

    I Thessalonians 4:3–7; II Timothy 2:22;

    Hebrews 13:4; I Peter 1:15–16

    SIN

    Psalm 1:1–6; Romans 6:12–23;

    Galatians 5:19–21; Colossians 3:5–6;

    Hebrews 12:3–4; James 1:14–15; I John 1:7–9

    SINGLENESS

    Psalm 37:4; Isaiah 54:4–6; Hosea 2:19;

    I Corinthians 7:8, 17, 27–28, 32–35;

    I Thessalonians 4:3–7; Hebrews 13:4;

    I John 3:1–3

    SPIRITUAL POWER

    Acts 1:8; Romans 6:14; 8:31–39;

    I Corinthians 1:17–18; 15:20–28, 54–57;

    Ephesians 2:4–7; 6:10–18; Philippians 3:10; 4:13

    STRENGTH

    Nehemiah 8:10; Psalm 27:1; 31:24; 105:4;

    Isaiah 40:28–31; 41:10; II Corinthians 12:9–10;

    Ephesians 3:14–19; 6:10; Philippians 4:13

    UNSAVED LOVED ONES

    Psalm 52:12–13; 126:5–6; Matthew 11:28–30;

    Luke 15:7, 20–32; 19:10; John 3:3, 17; Acts

    16:31–34; I Timothy 2:4; II Peter 3:9

    WIDOWHOOD

    Deuteronomy 10:18; 27:19; Job 29:13;

    Psalm 30:11; 68:5; 146:9; Proverbs 15:25;

    Isaiah 1:17; 54:4–10; Hosea 2:19–20; John 16:22;

    I Corinthians 7:39; James 1:27

    WORSHIP

    Exodus 15:1–2; 34:14; II Samuel 22:47;

    I Chronicles 16:29; Psalm 9:1–2; 29:2; 43:4; 95:6;

    100:2; 103:2–4; John 4:23–24; Romans 12:1;

    Hebrews 12:28

    WHERE TO FIND HELP WHEN YOU ARE . . .

    AFRAID

    Psalm 23:4–5; 27:1, 5; 34:4; 56:1–13; 91:1–16;

    Isaiah 35:4; 41:10; John 14:27; Romans 8:15, 31,

    35–39; II Timothy 1:7; Hebrews 13:6; I John 4:18

    ANGRY

    Psalm 37:8; Proverbs 14:16–17, 29; 15:1; 16:32;

    Matthew 5:22–24; Romans 12:10–21;

    Ephesians 4:26, 31–32; James 1:19–20; 3:16–18

    ANXIOUS / WORRIED

    Deuteronomy 33:12; Psalm 4:8; 26:3; 37:5–8;

    46:1–11; 55:22; 91:1–2; 119:165; 138:7–8;

    Proverbs 3:5–6; Matthew 6:25–34;

    Philippians 4:6–7; Colossians 3:15; I Peter 5:7

    BITTER / RESENTFUL

    Matthew 6:14–15; Romans 12:14, 17–19;

    Ephesians 4:31–32; Hebrews 12:14–15;

    I Peter 2:23

    CONFUSED

    Psalm 32:8; 55:22; 119:165; Proverbs 3:5–6;

    Isaiah 30:21; 1 Corinthians 2:16; 14:33;

    Philippians 4:6–7; Colossians 3:15;

    II Timothy 1:7; James 1:5–8; 3:16–17;

    I Peter 4:12–13

    DEPRESSED

    Psalm 27:13–14; 34:1–22; 42:1–11;

    Isaiah 41:10; Matthew 11:28–30; Romans 8:28;

    Philippians 4:13

    DESERTED

    Deuteronomy 4:31; 31:6; I Samuel 12:22;

    Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 9:10; 27:10; 37:25–26;

    41:9–10; 94:14; 118:8; Isaiah 49:15–16; 60:15;

    62:4, 11–12

    DISCOURAGED / DISAPPOINTED

    Psalm 27:5–6, 13–14; 30:5; 31:24;

    Matthew 11:28–30; John 14:1, 27;

    Romans 8:28; II Corinthians 4:8–9, 16–18;

    Galatians 6:9; Philippians 1:6; 4:6–7, 19;

    I Thessalonians 3:3; Hebrews 10:35–36;

    I Peter 1:6–9

    DISTRAUGHT / UPSET

    Psalm 31:24; 61:1–2; 103:13–14; Luke 18:1–8;

    Hebrews 12:3; 13:5; I Peter 5:7

    DOUBTING

    John 6:37; 10:27–29; Philippians 1:6;

    II Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 11:6; 12:2; I John 5:13

    FAR FROM GOD

    Psalm 139:1–18; Proverbs 28:13; Isaiah 55:7;

    Lamentations 3:22–23; Luke 15:11–24;

    Revelation 2:4–5

    GRIEVING

    Psalm 23; 34:18; Isaiah 25:8; 43:2; 49:13; 61:1–3;

    John 11:25; 14:1–3; I

    Corinthians 15:55–57; II Corinthians 1:3–4; 5:1, 8; Philippians 1:21;

    I Thessalonians 4:13–18; I Peter 1:3–4;

    Revelation 21:4

    JEALOUS / ENVIOUS

    Exodus 20:17; Proverbs 14:30; 27:4;

    I Corinthians 3:3; Galatians 5:19–21, 26;

    Hebrews 13:5; James 3:16; 5:9

    LONELY

    Deuteronomy 33:27; I Samuel 12:22;

    Psalm 25:16–18; 27; 68:6; 90:1–2; 139:7–12;

    Isaiah 41:10; 46:4; 54:10; 55:12;

    Matthew 28:20; John 14:15–21; Acts 2:25–26;

    Romans 8:38–39; Hebrews 13:5–6

    SAD

    Psalm 91:14–15; 119:50; Isaiah 43:2; 61:1–3;

    II Corinthians 1:3–4; II Thessalonians 2:16–17;

    Hebrews 4:15–16

    SICK

    Exodus 15:26; 23:25; Psalm 30:2; 41:3; 91:3–10;

    103:2–5; 107:20; Proverbs 4:20–22; Isaiah 53:5;

    Jeremiah 17:14; 30:17; 33:6; Matthew 4:23;

    9:35; Mark 16:17–18; Luke 6:19; Romans 8:11;

    Hebrews 13:8; James 5:14–15; III John 2

    STRESSED

    Deuteronomy 33:12; Psalm 46:10; 55:22;

    Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 11:28–30; Luke 24:36;

    John 14:27; II Corinthians 10:4–5;

    Philippians 4:4–9, 11; I Peter 5:7

    TEMPTED

    Psalm 101:2–7; 119:9–11; Proverbs 28:13;

    Matthew 4:1–4, 11; Romans 6:14;

    I Corinthians 10:12–13; Ephesians 6:10–16;

    Hebrews 2:18; 4:15–16; James 1:2–3, 12–15; 4:7;

    I John 4:4; Jude 24–25

    TROUBLED BY WRONG THOUGHTS

    Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:1–6; 4:4; 19:7–14;

    Isaiah 26:3; Philippians 4:8; Colossians 3:2

    INDEX TO ARTICLES BY T.D. JAKES

    Reflections of God’s Heart—The Greatest Love Story continued

    The Searing Pain of Separation—Genesis 3

    The First Families—Genesis 4 & 9

    Restoring the Nations and Cultures—Genesis 11

    Starting Over—Genesis 12

    The Friend of God—Genesis 22

    The Feasts of Passover and Pentecost—Exodus 23:15–16

    The Tabernacle and Jesus—Exodus 40

    The Great Sin Bearer—Isaiah 53

    The Feeling of God’s Passion—Hosea 2

    Jesus, the Lover of Your Soul—Matthew 27

    The Full Restoration of Our Relationship With God—Acts 2

    Jesus Was Made Sin for Us—II Corinthians 5:21

    Eternally With God—Revelation 21

    Lessons of the Heart—Major Life Relationship Lessons

    Personal

    The Art of Listening

    CEO of Your Life and Relationships

    Evaluate Who You Are

    Healthy Relationships Require Emotional and Spiritual Freedom

    It Takes Courage to Really Love Someone

    No More People Pleasing

    Our Basic Need for Relationships

    Real Intimacy

    Stop the Blame Game

    The Truth About Anger, Bitterness, and Envy

    Your Relationships and Time

    Your Relationship to the Death of a Loved One

    Your Relationship to the Needs of Your Soul

    Your Relationship to Your Health

    Relationship Issues

    Dealing With Confrontation in a Relationship

    Dealing With Correction in a Relationship

    Dealing With Criticism

    Dealing With Disagreements

    Dealing With Relationships That Weigh You Down

    Exercise Self-Control in All of Your Relationships

    Healthy Compromise in Relationships

    Overcoming Our Differences in Relationships

    Safeguarding Your Relationships

    When to Take Flight From a Relationship

    You Can’t Change a Person

    Relationship to Business

    Don’t Expect to Be Appreciated

    Embrace Change in Your Relationships and Workplace

    When You Work With Difficult Personalities

    Your Relationship to Cliques and Groups

    Your Relationship to Joy in the Workplace

    Your Relationship to Where God Wants to Lead You

    Your Relationship to Your Giftedness

    Your Relationship to Your Job Performance and Future

    Your Relationship to Your Work Environment

    Your Relationship to Your Workplace

    Relationship to Church/Groups

    Your Relationship to a Church

    Your Relationship to Groups

    Relationship to Dating

    Expectations of Relationships

    How to Choose Someone to Date

    20 Questions You Should Ask Before You Get Engaged

    Relationship to Family

    Before You Have Children

    Big Momma’s House

    Blaming Parents

    Blended Families

    Faith and a Family’s Love

    Single Parent Family

    Your Relationship With Your Child

    Relationship to Finances

    Your Relationship to Financial Success

    Your Relationship to Fiscal Responsibility

    Your Relationship to Money

    Your Relationship to Poverty and Wealth

    Your Relationship to Wealth

    Relationship to Friends and Associates

    Comrades

    Confidants

    Constituents

    Dealing With Deceivers

    Dealing With False Friends

    Friends in the Light of Your Life Purpose

    Relationship to Home Ownership

    Take Ownership of the Process to Purchasing a Home

    Your Relationship to Home Ownership

    Relationship to Marriage

    The D-Word

    Five Keys to Restoring Your Marriage

    God’s Ideal for Marriage

    Inappropriate Relationships

    The Reality of Marriage

    A Word to Men and Husbands

    A Word to Wives

    Relationship to Mentors

    Have Truth Tellers in Your Life

    Relationships to Ushers of Life

    Relationships With Life Counselors

    What Not to Do in a Mentor Relationship

    What to Do in a Mentor Relationship

    Relationship to Social Justice

    The Role of a Peacemaker in Relationships

    Your Relationship to Prejudice

    Heartbeats—Relationship Builders

    Acceptance

    Celebrate Each Other

    Deliberate Destinations

    Direction

    Diversity

    Faith

    Flexibility

    Focus on Solutions

    Forgiveness

    Generational Blessings

    Good Character

    Grace

    Improving Communications

    Listen Well

    Love

    Manage Your Emotions

    Perseverance

    Prayer

    Respect

    Self-Confidence

    Soul Stretches

    Stimulation

    Taking Responsibility

    Walk in the Spirit

    Work to Grow Closer

    Heartbreakers—Relationship Breakers Abuse

    Anger

    Arguing

    Betrayal

    Careless Words

    Conflict

    Deception

    A Deficient Self-Image

    Despair

    Discouragement

    Failure to Act

    Failure to Let Go

    Fear

    Impatience

    Lack of Contentment

    Lack of Trust

    Mental and Emotional Junk

    Passivity

    Rejection

    Sorrow

    Stuck on Memory Lane

    An Unrenewed Mind

    Unresolved Wounds

    Wearing Masks

    Worry

    Heart Murmurs—Prayers for Relationships

    A Prayer for Financial Contentment

    A Prayer for the Workplace

    A Prayer for Your Children

    A Prayer for Your Life Purpose

    A Prayer for Your Marriage

    A Prayer for Your Relationships

    A Prayer for Your Words

    A Prayer of Forgiveness

    A Prayer of Worship

    A Prayer to Our Father God

    T  H  E     F  I  R  S  T     B  O  O  K     O  F     M  O  S  E  S,     C  A  L  L  E  D

    G  E  N  E  S  I  S

    The Creation

    1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

    2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

    The First Day

    3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

    4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

    5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

    The Second Day

    6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

    7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.

    8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

    The Third Day

    9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

    10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

    11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.

    12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

    13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.

    The Fourth Day

    14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:

    15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.

    16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.

    17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,

    18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

    19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

    The Fifth Day

    20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.

    21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

    22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.

    23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

    The Sixth Day

    24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.

    25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

    The Creation of Man

    26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

    27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

    28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

    The Giving of Food

    29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

    30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

    31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

    The Seventh Day

    2 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

    2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

    3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

    4 These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,

    5 And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.

    6 But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.

    7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

    The Garden of Eden

    8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.

    9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

    10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.

    11 The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold;

    12 And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone.

    13 And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia.

    14 And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.

    Man to Care for the Garden

    15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

    16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

    17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

    18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

    Adam Names Living Creatures

    19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.

    20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.

    The Creation of Woman

    21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;

    22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

    23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

    The First Marriage

    24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

    25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

    The Temptation

    3 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

    2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

    3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

    4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

    5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

    The Fall of Man

    6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

    7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

    8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

    9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

    10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

    11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

    12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

    13 And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

    The Curse

    14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

    15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

    16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

    17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

    18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

    19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

    20 And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.

    21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

    Man Sent from the Garden

    22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

    23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

    24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

    Cain and Abel

    4 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.

    2

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