And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.
Parallel translations
- WEB Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my border! May your hand be with me, and may you keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” God granted him that which he requested.
- BSB And Jabez called out to the God of Israel, “If only You would bless me and enlarge my territory! May Your hand be with me and keep me from harm, so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted the request of Jabez.
- NKJV And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested.
- NASB Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that You would greatly bless me and extend my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from harm so that it would not hurt me!” And God brought about what he requested.
- NLT He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!” And God granted him his request.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jabez prays for God's blessing, expanded influence, protection, and freedom from harm, and God grants his request. It models humble, faith-filled dependence on God.
Overview
Jabez calls on 'the God of Israel,' grounding his bold petition in the covenant Lord rather than in self-confidence. His prayer seeks blessing and protection so that he might not cause or suffer pain, and God answers him. Faithful readers have long valued this verse as an example of earnest prayer, while cautioning against treating it as a formula for guaranteed prosperity; it points forward to the One who teaches us to ask the Father in faith.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 40
- Matt 7:7–11Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
- Ps 116:1–4I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.
- Prov 10:22The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.
- Jer 33:3Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
- Isa 41:10Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
- Eph 3:20Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
- 2 Tim 4:18And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
- Ps 119:173Let thine hand help me; for I have chosen thy precepts.
- Ps 66:19–20But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.
- John 10:28And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
- Eph 1:3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
- Ps 21:4He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever.
- Isa 41:17When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
- Ps 55:16As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me.
- Rom 10:12–14For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
- 1 Cor 1:2Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
- Gen 33:20And he erected there an altar, and called it EleloheIsrael.
- Gen 12:2And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
- Josh 17:14–18And the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given me but one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as the LORD hath blessed me hitherto?
- 1 Kgs 3:7–13And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.
- Ps 72:17His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed.
- Gen 48:16The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.
- Ps 99:6Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among them that call upon his name; they called upon the LORD, and he answered them.
- Gen 32:28And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
- Gen 32:26And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
- Ps 65:2O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.
- Ps 51:12Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
- Prov 30:8Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:
- Ps 51:8Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
- 1 Sam 1:17Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.
- Job 12:4I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, and he answereth him: the just upright man is laughed to scorn.
- Gen 12:8And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.
- Job 22:27–28Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows.
- 1 Chr 16:8Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.
- Matt 6:13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
- Ps 32:3–4When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.
- Acts 3:26Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.
- 2 Cor 2:1–7But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness.
- Rom 12:9Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
- Rev 3:19As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
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Christ at the center
The genealogies and the everlasting covenant with David trace the single thread of promise running through the generations straight to the Christ in whom the line reaches its goal.
How 1 Chronicles 4:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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