The Death of Abraham^(A)

25 Abraham had taken another wife, whose name was Keturah. ² She bore him Zimran,^(B) Jokshan, Medan, Midian,^(C) Ishbak and Shuah.^{(D) 3} Jokshan was the father of Sheba^(E) and Dedan;^(F) the descendants of Dedan were the Ashurites, the Letushites and the Leummites. ⁴ The sons of Midian were Ephah,^(G) Epher, Hanok, Abida and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah.

⁵ Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac.^{(H) 6} But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines^(I) and sent them away from his son Isaac^(J) to the land of the east.^(K)

⁷ Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years.^{(L) 8} Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age,^(M) an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people.^{(N) 9} His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him^(O) in the cave of Machpelah^(P) near Mamre,^(Q) in the field of Ephron^(R) son of Zohar the Hittite,^{(S) 10} the field Abraham had bought from the Hittites.^[a](T) There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. ¹¹ After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac,^(U) who then lived near Beer Lahai Roi.^(V)

Ishmael’s Sons^(W)

¹² This is the account^(X) of the family line of Abraham’s son Ishmael, whom Sarah’s slave, Hagar^(Y) the Egyptian, bore to Abraham.^(Z)

¹³ These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, listed in the order of their birth: Nebaioth^(AA) the firstborn of Ishmael, Kedar,^(AB) Adbeel, Mibsam, ¹⁴ Mishma, Dumah,^(AC) Massa, ¹⁵ Hadad, Tema,^(AD) Jetur,^(AE) Naphish and Kedemah. ¹⁶ These were the sons of Ishmael, and these are the names of the twelve tribal rulers^(AF) according to their settlements and camps.^{(AG) 17} Ishmael lived a hundred and thirty-seven years. He breathed his last and died, and he was gathered to his people.^{(AH) 18} His descendants^(AI) settled in the area from Havilah to Shur,^(AJ) near the eastern border of Egypt, as you go toward Ashur. And they lived in hostility toward^[b] all the tribes related to them.^(AK)

Jacob and Esau

¹⁹ This is the account^(AL) of the family line of Abraham’s son Isaac.

Abraham became the father of Isaac, ²⁰ and Isaac was forty years old^(AM) when he married Rebekah^(AN) daughter of Bethuel^(AO) the Aramean from Paddan Aram^[c](AP) and sister of Laban^(AQ) the Aramean.^(AR)

²¹ Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless.^(AS) The Lord answered his prayer,^(AT) and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. ²² The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord.^(AU)

²³ The Lord said to her,

²⁴ When the time came for her to give birth,^(AX) there were twin boys in her womb.^{(AY) 25} The first to come out was red,^(AZ) and his whole body was like a hairy garment;^(BA) so they named him Esau.^{[d](BB) 26} After this, his brother came out,^(BC) with his hand grasping Esau’s heel;^(BD) so he was named Jacob.^[e](BE) Isaac was sixty years old^(BF) when Rebekah gave birth to them.

²⁷ The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter,^(BG) a man of the open country,^(BH) while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents. ²⁸ Isaac, who had a taste for wild game,^(BI) loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.^(BJ)

²⁹ Once when Jacob was cooking some stew,^(BK) Esau came in from the open country,^(BL) famished. ³⁰ He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew!^(BM) I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.^[f])^(BN)

³¹ Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.^(BO)”

³² “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?”

³³ But Jacob said, “Swear^(BP) to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright^(BQ) to Jacob.

³⁴ Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew.^(BR) He ate and drank, and then got up and left.

So Esau despised his birthright.

Isaac and Abimelek^(BS)

26 Now there was a famine in the land^(BT)—besides the previous famine in Abraham’s time—and Isaac went to Abimelek king of the Philistines^(BU) in Gerar.^{(BV) 2} The Lord appeared^(BW) to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt;^(BX) live in the land where I tell you to live.^{(BY) 3} Stay in this land for a while,^(BZ) and I will be with you^(CA) and will bless you.^(CB) For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands^(CC) and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham.^{(CD) 4} I will make your descendants^(CE) as numerous as the stars in the sky^(CF) and will give them all these lands,^(CG) and through your offspring^[g] all nations on earth will be blessed,^{[h](CH) 5} because Abraham obeyed me^(CI) and did everything I required of him, keeping my commands, my decrees^(CJ) and my instructions.^(CK)” ⁶ So Isaac stayed in Gerar.^(CL)

⁷ When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,^(CM)” because he was afraid to say, “She is my wife.” He thought, “The men of this place might kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is beautiful.”

⁸ When Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelek king of the Philistines^(CN) looked down from a window and saw Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah. ⁹ So Abimelek summoned Isaac and said, “She is really your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?^(CO)”

Isaac answered him, “Because I thought I might lose my life on account of her.”

¹⁰ Then Abimelek said, “What is this you have done to us?^(CP) One of the men might well have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.”

¹¹ So Abimelek gave orders to all the people: “Anyone who harms^(CQ) this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”^(CR)

¹² Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold,^(CS) because the Lord blessed him.^{(CT) 13} The man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy.^{(CU) 14} He had so many flocks and herds and servants^(CV) that the Philistines envied him.^{(CW) 15} So all the wells^(CX) that his father’s servants had dug in the time of his father Abraham, the Philistines stopped up,^(CY) filling them with earth.

¹⁶ Then Abimelek said to Isaac, “Move away from us;^(CZ) you have become too powerful for us.^(DA)”

¹⁷ So Isaac moved away from there and encamped in the Valley of Gerar,^(DB) where he settled. ¹⁸ Isaac reopened the wells^(DC) that had been dug in the time of his father Abraham, which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham died, and he gave them the same names his father had given them.

¹⁹ Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and discovered a well of fresh water there. ²⁰ But the herders of Gerar quarreled^(DD) with those of Isaac and said, “The water is ours!”^(DE) So he named the well Esek,^[i] because they disputed with him. ²¹ Then they dug another well, but they quarreled^(DF) over that one also; so he named it Sitnah.^{[j] 22} He moved on from there and dug another well, and no one quarreled over it. He named it Rehoboth,^[k](DG) saying, “Now the Lord has given us room^(DH) and we will flourish^(DI) in the land.”

²³ From there he went up to Beersheba.^{(DJ) 24} That night the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham.^(DK) Do not be afraid,^(DL) for I am with you;^(DM) I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants^(DN) for the sake of my servant Abraham.”^(DO)

²⁵ Isaac built an altar^(DP) there and called on the name of the Lord.^(DQ) There he pitched his tent, and there his servants dug a well.^(DR)

²⁶ Meanwhile, Abimelek had come to him from Gerar, with Ahuzzath his personal adviser and Phicol the commander of his forces.^{(DS) 27} Isaac asked them, “Why have you come to me, since you were hostile to me and sent me away?^(DT)”

²⁸ They answered, “We saw clearly that the Lord was with you;^(DU) so we said, ‘There ought to be a sworn agreement between us’—between us and you. Let us make a treaty^(DV) with you ²⁹ that you will do us no harm,^(DW) just as we did not harm you but always treated you well and sent you away peacefully. And now you are blessed by the Lord.”^(DX)

³⁰ Isaac then made a feast^(DY) for them, and they ate and drank. ³¹ Early the next morning the men swore an oath^(DZ) to each other. Then Isaac sent them on their way, and they went away peacefully.

³² That day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well^(EA) they had dug. They said, “We’ve found water!” ³³ He called it Shibah,^[l] and to this day the name of the town has been Beersheba.^[m](EB)

Jacob Takes Esau’s Blessing

³⁴ When Esau was forty years old,^(EC) he married Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and also Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite.^{(ED) 35} They were a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah.^(EE)

The Faith of the Centurion^(A)

7 When Jesus had finished saying all this^(B) to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum. ² There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. ³ The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. ⁴ When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, ⁵ because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” ⁶ So Jesus went with them.

He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. ⁷ That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed.^{(C) 8} For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

⁹ When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” ¹⁰ Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.

Jesus Raises a Widow’s Son^(D)

¹¹ Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. ¹² As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. ¹³ When the Lord^(E) saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.”

¹⁴ Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!”^{(F) 15} The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.

¹⁶ They were all filled with awe^(G) and praised God.^(H) “A great prophet^(I) has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.”^{(J) 17} This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.^(K)

Jesus and John the Baptist^(L)

¹⁸ John’s^(M) disciples^(N) told him about all these things. Calling two of them, ¹⁹ he sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

²⁰ When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’”

²¹ At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses^(O) and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. ²² So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy^[a] are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.^{(P) 23} Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”

²⁴ After John’s messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? ²⁵ If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces. ²⁶ But what did you go out to see? A prophet?^(Q) Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. ²⁷ This is the one about whom it is written:

²⁸ I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God^(S) is greater than he.”

²⁹ (All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus’ words, acknowledged that God’s way was right, because they had been baptized by John.^{(T) 30} But the Pharisees and the experts in the law^(U) rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.)

³¹ Jesus went on to say, “To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? ³² They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other:

³³ For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine,^(V) and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ ³⁴ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’^{(W) 35} But wisdom is proved right by all her children.”

Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman^(X)(Y)

³⁶ When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. ³⁷ A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. ³⁸ As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

³⁹ When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet,^(Z) he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”

⁴⁰ Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Tell me, teacher,” he said.

⁴¹ “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,^[c] and the other fifty. ⁴² Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

⁴³ Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”

“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

⁴⁴ Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet,^(AA) but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. ⁴⁵ You did not give me a kiss,^(AB) but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. ⁴⁶ You did not put oil on my head,^(AC) but she has poured perfume on my feet. ⁴⁷ Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

⁴⁸ Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”^(AD)

⁴⁹ The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

⁵⁰ Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you;^(AE) go in peace.”^(AF)