The Daily Audio Bible
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17 Isaac left there, set up camp in the valley of Gerar, and decided to live there for a while.
18 Isaac had to re-dig all of the water wells that his father had installed because the Philistines had filled them in after Abraham’s death. He renamed them with the names his father had given them. 19 But when Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found a new well of fresh water, 20 the herders of Gerar began quarreling with Isaac’s herders.
Herders of Gerar: This water is ours!
So Isaac named this well Esek, which means “contention,” because of the arguments he had with the herders. 21 Isaac’s men dug another well, and the water wars started again. So Isaac called it Sitnah, which means “enmity.” 22 Isaac didn’t want any more trouble, so he moved on from there and dug yet another well. At last, they didn’t quarrel over this one, so Isaac named this well Rehoboth, which means “wide spaces.”
Isaac (explaining): Now the Eternal One has provided this wide space for us. We will become numerous and prosperous in this land.
23 From there, Isaac traveled to Beersheba. 24 The night they arrived, the Eternal One appeared to him.
Eternal One: I am the God of your father, Abraham. Don’t be afraid because I am there with you. I will bless you with many descendants according to the promise I made to My servant, Abraham.
25 Inspired by this vision, Isaac built an altar at that place. He invoked the name of the Eternal and sacrificed to Him there, pitched his tent, and directed his servants to dig a well.
26 One day Abimelech came from Gerar to see him along with Ahuzzath, his advisor, and Phicol, the commander of his army.
Isaac: 27 Why are you coming to see me? You made it clear that you hate me and want me banished from your kingdom.
Abimelech and His Advisors: 28 It is not hard to see that the Eternal One is with you. So we agreed among ourselves that it is in our best interests for us to enter into a binding treaty with you. Let us make a covenant 29 that you would pledge to do us no harm, just as we have not harmed you. We have behaved honorably toward you and sent you away in peace. You clearly have the hand of the Eternal resting on you.
Isaac agreed to take the oath. 30 He prepared them a feast, and they all ate and drank. 31 In the morning, they got up early and exchanged oaths. Then Isaac sent them on their way, and they left in peace. 32 That very same day, Isaac’s servants came and excitedly told him about a new well they had dug.
Servants: We found water!
33 Isaac named this well Shibah, which means “oath,” and that’s why the name of the city there is called Beersheba to this day.
34 Meanwhile Esau (Isaac’s son) was turning 40. He married Judith (the daughter of Beeri the Hittite) and also Basemath (the daughter of Elon the Hittite). 35 They would make life miserable for Isaac and Rebekah.
27 When Isaac grew old, his eyes were so bad he could see only shadows. He called his eldest son, Esau, to his side.
Isaac: My son.
Esau: I’m here.
Isaac: 2 You see that I am growing old now. I may die any day. 3 Take your hunting weaponry—your quiver and your bow—and go out to the field and hunt game for me. 4 Then prepare for me some savory food, just the way I like it. Bring it to me to eat so that I may speak a blessing over you before I die.
5 Rebekah was listening at the doorway as Isaac spoke to his son Esau. When Esau went into the field to hunt for game to bring to his father, 6 Rebekah called her son Jacob.
Rebekah: I heard your father say to your brother Esau, 7 “Bring me game and prepare for me some savory food to eat, so I can bless you before the Eternal before I die.” 8 My son, listen and do what I tell you: 9 Go to the flock, and bring me two of the best young goats. I can prepare the savory food for your father from them. I know just how he likes it. 10 Then you take it to your father to eat so that he speaks a blessing over you before he dies.
Jacob (to Rebekah, his mother): 11 Look, my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I have smooth skin. 12 If father reaches out and touches me, he’ll figure it out and think I’m mocking him. Then I’ll bring a curse upon myself instead of a blessing!
Rebekah: 13 If that happens, then let the curse be on me and not you. Just listen to me. Go, and get them for me.
14 Jacob went and brought the young goats to his mother, who prepared a mouth-watering meal just as his father liked it. 15 Then Rebekah took the best clothes of her older son Esau, which were with her in the house, and she put them on her younger son Jacob. 16 She affixed the skins of the young goats onto the back of his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. 17 Then she handed him the delicious food and the fresh bread she had prepared. 18 Jacob went in to his father.
Jacob: My father.
Isaac: I’m here. Who are you, my son?
Jacob: 19 I’m Esau, your firstborn son. I have done as you asked. Now sit up and eat the game I have brought for you so that you can speak a blessing over me.
Isaac: 20 How did you manage to hunt the game and cook the food so quickly, my son?
Jacob: The Eternal One, your God, gave me success today.
Isaac: 21 Please come over here so I can feel you, my son, so that I know it is really you, Esau.
22 So Jacob went over to his father, and Isaac reached out and felt his hands. He was a bit confused.
Isaac: Your voice sounds like Jacob’s, but your hands feel like Esau’s.
23 Because of the young goat’s fur on the back of his hands, his father did not recognize him, and so Isaac proceeded to bless Jacob instead of Esau.
Isaac: 24 Are you really my son, Esau?
Jacob: I am.
Isaac: 25 Then bring the food to me, and I’ll eat my son’s game and give you my blessing.
Jacob brought Isaac the food, and Isaac ate it. Then Jacob brought him some wine to drink. 26 When he finished it, his father, Isaac, told him to approach.
Isaac: Please come near and kiss me, my son.
27 Jacob went over and kissed his father, and Isaac breathed in the scent of the outdoors on Esau’s clothes. Then he gave Jacob the blessing, passing on the promise of God’s covenant.
Isaac: Ah, the smell of my son, Esau,
is like the smell of a field the Eternal One has blessed.
28 Therefore, may God grant you gentle showers from heaven
and the fertile soils of the earth,
and rich harvests of grain and wine.
29 May many peoples come and serve you,
and may nations bow down to you.
May you be the master of your brothers,
and may your mother’s sons all bow down before you.
May anyone who curses you be cursed,
and may everyone who blesses you be blessed!
30 Now as soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob and when Jacob had barely left his father, his brother Esau returned from hunting. 31 He had also prepared a sumptuous meal and brought it to his father.
Esau: Father, sit up now and eat the game I have brought for you, so that you can speak a blessing over me.
Isaac: 32 Who are you?
Esau: I am your son, Esau, your firstborn!
33 It began to dawn on Isaac what had happened. Then Isaac began trembling violently.
Isaac: Who was it then that hunted game and brought it to me to eat before you came? I have already given him my blessing! It’s now too late. He has already received the blessing.
34 When Esau realized what happened, he cried out in an angry, loud, and bitter voice.
Esau: Bless me—me also—Father!
Isaac: 35 I cannot my son. Your brother came deceitfully, and he has taken away your blessing.
Esau: 36 “Jacob” is certainly the right name for him! He has once again grabbed me by the heels! He has deceived me now two times. He took away my birthright, and now he has taken away my blessing! Have you no blessing reserved for me as well?
Isaac: 37 Understand that I have already made him your master. I have declared all of his brothers are subject to him. I have granted him prosperity, sustained him with grain and wine. What then could I possibly do for you, my son?
Esau: 38 Have you only one blessing, Father? Bless me—me also—Father!
Esau realized the futility of his pleas. He raised his voice, and he cried pitiably. 39 Isaac spoke over him the only blessing he thought he could:
Isaac: You will make your home far from the richness of the earth,
far away from the gentle showers of heaven above.
40 You will live by your sword,
and you will serve your brother.
But when you grow restless to be free,
you will break his yoke from your neck.
41 Esau hated Jacob with a fury, because his brother now carried the blessing his father meant for him.
Esau (to himself): The days of mourning for my father are approaching. When he has died, I will kill my brother, Jacob.
42 But someone overheard him speaking of this and informed Rebekah. She called for Jacob, her younger son, and told him to flee.
Rebekah (to Jacob): Listen to me. Your brother Esau is consoling himself by planning to kill you. 43 Do as I say. Get up and go to my brother Laban’s house in Haran. 44 Stay with him for a while until your brother has calmed down. 45 Wait until his anger against you subsides and he forgets what you’ve done to him. Then I will send for you and bring you back. I don’t want to lose both of you—one to death and one to punishing exile—in one day!
Rebekah comes up with a plan to send Jacob away. But it must look like Isaac’s idea.
46 Rebekah then went to Isaac complaining about Esau’s Hittite wives.
Rebekah (to Isaac): These Hittite women Esau is married to are making my life miserable. If Jacob marries a Hittite woman like one of these, a woman from here in this land, what good can come of that? Why should I even go on living?
9 He got back in the boat, crossed the sea, and returned to His own town. 2 When He got there, some men approached Him carrying a mat. On the mat was another man, a paralytic. The men evidently believed that Jesus could heal the paralytic, and Jesus saw their faith, how much faith they had in His authority and power.
Jesus: Rest assured, My son; your sins are forgiven.
3 Now some scribes and teachers of the law had been watching this whole scene.
Scribes and Teachers (to themselves): This man is blaspheming!
4 Though they had only spoken in low whispers among themselves, Jesus knew their thoughts.
Jesus: Why do you hold such hardness and wickedness in your hearts? 5 Look, is it easier to say, “Your sins are forgiven,” or “Get up and walk”? 6 To make clear that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins (turning to the paralytic man on the mat), Get up, pick up your mat, and go home.
7 And the man did. 8 When the crowd saw this, they were amazed, even a little scared, and they praised God who had given humans the authority to do such miraculous things.
9 Later Jesus was walking along and He saw a man named Matthew sitting in the tax collector’s office.
Jesus (to Matthew): Follow Me.
Matthew got up and followed Him.
10 Once when He ate a meal at home with His disciples, a whole host of tax collectors and other sinners joined them. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked Jesus’ disciples,
Pharisees: Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?
Jesus (overhearing this): 12 Look, who needs a doctor—healthy people or sick people? 13 I am not here to attend to people who are already right with God; I am here to attend to sinners. In the book of the prophet Hosea, we read, “It is not sacrifice I want, but mercy.”[a] Go and meditate on that for a while—maybe you’ll come to understand it.
14 And then some of the disciples of John came.
John’s Disciples: What’s the story with fasting? We fast and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast!
Jesus: 15 When you celebrate—as at a wedding when one’s dearest friend is getting married—you do not fast. The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them. Then My friends and followers will fast. 16 You would begin by washing and shrinking a patch you would use to mend a garment—otherwise, the patch would shrink later, pull away from the garment, and make the original tear even worse. 17 You wouldn’t pour new wine into old wineskins. If you did, the skins would burst, the wine would run out, and the wineskins would be ruined. No, you would pour new wine into new wineskins—and both the wine and the wineskins would be preserved.
16 The Eternal will reign as King forever.
The other nations will be swept off His land.
17 O Eternal One, You have heard the longings of the poor and lowly.
You will strengthen them; You who are of heaven will hear them,
18 Vindicating the orphan and the oppressed
so that men who are of the earth will terrify them no more.
9 Pay tribute to the Eternal in all of your affairs.
Honor Him with the best of what you make.
10 That way you will prosper to the fullest
and have plenty of food to eat and wine to drink.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.