The Children's Bible

"Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God" NEW YORK CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS MCMXXXVI Copyright, 1922, by CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS All rights reserved, including that of translation into foreign languages, including Scandinavian Printed in the United States of America PREFACE "The Children's Bible" provides, in simple English, a translation of selections from both the Old and the New Testament. These selections have been made as a result of more than twenty-five years of observation and study. The text is that of the Bible itself, but in the language of the child, so that it may easily be read to the younger children and by those who are older. It is not in words of one syllable, for while the child is reading the Bible he should gradually learn the meaning of new words and idioms. The Bible contains the foundations on which the religious life of the child must be built. The immortal stories and songs of the Old and New Testaments are his richest inheritance from the past. To give him this heritage in language and form that he can understand and enjoy is the duty and privilege of his parents and teachers. It is hoped that "The Children's Bible" will meet the need and the demand, which parents and educators alike have long felt and often expressed, for a simple translation of selections from the Bible most suited to the needs and the interests of the child. It is also believed that after the child has learned to appreciate and love these stories and songs, he will be eager and able to read the Bible as a whole with genuine interest and understanding. CONTENTS THE OLD TESTAMENT PAGE The Story of Creation 3 God's Good Gifts to Man 4 The First Disobedience 5 Cain and His Brother Abel 6 Noah and the Great Flood 7 The Story of the Tower of Babel 9 Abraham the Friend of God and Man 10 Lot's Escape from a Wicked City 11 God's Care for the Boy Ishmael 14 Abraham's Loyalty to God 14 How Rebekah Became the Wife of Isaac 15 How Jacob Deceived His Father 19 Jacob's Dream 21 The Deceiver Deceived 22 Meeting a Brother Who Had Been Wronged 24 Joseph Sold as a Slave by His Brothers 26 Joseph's Eagerness to Help Others 27 A Prisoner…