Bible Verses About Patriarchal Government

Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and tooke of euery cleane beast, and of euery cleane foule, and offered burnt offerings vpon the altar.

And said, Cursed be Canaan: a seruant of seruants shall he be vnto his brethren.

He said moreouer, blessed be the Lord God of Shem, and let Canaan be his seruant.

And the Lord appeared vnto Abram, and said, Vnto thy seede will I giue this land. And there builded he an altar vnto the Lord, which appeared vnto him.

Afterward remouing thence vnto a moutaine Eastward from Beth-el, he pitched his tent hauing Beth-el on the Westside, and Haai on the East: and there he built an altar vnto the Lord, and called on the Name of the Lord.

They tooke Lot also Abrams brothers sonne and his substance (for he dwelt at Sodom) and departed.

Then came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Ebrew, which dwelt in the plaine of Mamre ye Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner, which were confederat with Abram.

When Abram heard that his brother was taken, he brought forth of them that were borne and brought vp in his house, three hundreth and eighteene, and pursued them vnto Dan.

Then he, and his seruants deuided them selues against them by night, and smote them and pursued them vnto Hobah, which is on the left side of Damascus,

And he recouered all the substance, and also brought againe his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also and the people.

For I knowe him that he will commande his sonnes and his houshold after him, that they keepe the way of the Lord, to doe righteousnesse and iudgement, that the Lord may bring vpon Abraham that he hath spoken vnto him.

So Abraham arose vp early in ye morning, and tooke bread, and a bottell of water, and gaue it vnto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the childe also, and sent her away: who departing wandred in the wildernesse of Beer-sheba.

And at that same time Abimelech and Phichol his chief captaine spake vnto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest.

Nowe therefore sweare vnto me here by God, that thou wilt not hurt me, nor my children, nor my childrens children: thou shalt deale with me, and with the countrey, where thou hast bene a stranger, according vnto the kindnesse that I haue shewed thee.

Then Abraham said, I will sweare.

And Abraham rebuked Abimelech for a well of water, which Abimelechs seruants had violently taken away.

And Abimelech saide, I knowe not who hath done this thing: also thou toldest me not, neither heard I of it but this day.

Then Abraham tooke sheepe and beeues, and gaue them vnto Abimelech: and they two made a couenant.

And Abraham set seuen lambes of the flocke by themselues.

Then Abimelech said vnto Abraham, What meane these seuen lambes, which thou hast set by themselues?

And he answered, Because thou shalt receiue of mine hand these seuen lambes, that it may be a witnes vnto me, that I haue digged this well.

Wherefore the place is called Beer-sheba, because there they both sware.

Thus made they a couenant at Beer-sheba: afterward Abimelech and Phichol his chiefe captaine rose vp, and turned againe vnto the land of the Philistims.

Heare vs, my lorde: thou art a prince of God among vs: in the chiefest of our sepulchres bury thy dead: none of vs shall forbid thee his sepulchre, but thou mayest bury thy dead therein.

Who answered, Wee sawe certainely that the Lord was with thee, and wee thought thus, Let there be nowe an othe betweene vs, euen betweene vs and thee, and let vs make a couenant with thee.