Genesis 12:1-29:3

New Life Version

God Calls Abram

12 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Leave your country, your family and your father’s house, and go to the land that I will show you. ² And I will make you a great nation. I will bring good to you. I will make your name great, so you will be honored. ³ I will bring good to those who are good to you. And I will curse those who curse you. Good will come to all the families of the earth because of you.”

⁴ So Abram left as the Lord told him to do, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. ⁵ Abram took his wife Sarai, and his brother’s son Lot, and all the things they had gathered, and the people who joined them in Haran. And they left to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan. ⁶ Abram passed through the land as far as the oak of Moreh at Shechem. The Canaanite people were living in the land at that time. ⁷ Then the Lord showed Himself to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your children and to your children’s children.” So Abram built an altar there to the Lord Who had shown Himself to him. ⁸ Then he went from there to the mountain east of Bethel. He put up his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord. ⁹ Then Abram traveled on, still going toward the Negev.

¹⁰ Now there was no food in the land. So Abram went south to Egypt to stay there, because it was very hard to live in the land with no food. ¹¹ When he was about to go into Egypt, Abram said to his wife Sarai, “I know that you are a beautiful woman. ¹² When the men of Egypt see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ And they will kill me, but they will let you live. ¹³ Say that you are my sister. Then it may go well with me because of you. And because of you they will not kill me.”

¹⁴ When Abram came into Egypt, the men of Egypt saw that the woman was very beautiful. ¹⁵ Pharaoh’s rulers saw her and told Pharaoh of her beauty. So the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. ¹⁶ And Pharaoh acted well toward Abram because of Sarai. He gave Abram sheep, cattle, male and female donkeys, and camels, and men and women servants. ¹⁷ But the Lord sent much sickness upon Pharaoh and his house because of Abram’s wife Sarai. ¹⁸ Then Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? ¹⁹ Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her for my wife? Now then, here is your wife.’ Take her and go.” ²⁰ And Pharaoh told his men what to do with Abram. They led him away with his wife and all that belonged to him.

Abram and Lot Go Different Ways

13 So Abram left Egypt and went to the Negev, with his wife and all that belonged to him. And Lot went with him. ² Now Abram was very rich in cattle, silver and gold. ³ He traveled from the Negev as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, ⁴ where he had made an altar. And there Abram called on the name of the Lord. ⁵ Now Lot, who went with Abram, had flocks and cattle and tents of his own. ⁶ There was not enough land to feed all the animals while they lived together. They owned so many things that they were not able to stay together. ⁷ There was fighting between those who cared for Abram’s animals and those who cared for Lot’s animals. The Canaanite and the Perizzite were living in the land at that time. ⁸ So Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no fighting between you and me or between the men who take care of our animals, for we are brothers. ⁹ Is not the whole land in front of you? Let each of us go a different way. If you go to the left, then I will go to the right. Or if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.”

¹⁰ Lot looked and saw that the Jordan valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as you go to Zoar. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) ¹¹ So Lot chose all the Jordan valley for himself. And as Lot traveled east, they went apart from each other. ¹² Abram made his home in the land of Canaan. Lot made his home in the cities of the valley and moved his tents as far as Sodom, ¹³ whose men were sinful, sinning against the Lord.

¹⁴ The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had left him, “Raise your eyes and look from where you are to the north and south and east and west. ¹⁵ For I will give all the land that you see to you and to your children and to your children’s children forever. ¹⁶ I will make your family after you like the dust of the earth. So if anyone could number the dust of the earth, then he could number your children’s children. ¹⁷ Rise up and walk far and wide upon the land. For I will give it to you.” ¹⁸ Then Abram moved his tent and came to live among the oaks of Mamre in Hebron. There he built an altar to the Lord.

14 It was in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, ² that they made war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). ³ All these joined together in the valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea). ⁴ They had been ruled by Chedorlaomer for twelve years. But in the thirteenth year they went against him. ⁵ Then in the fourteenth year, Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came and won a war against the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shavehkiriathaim, ⁶ and the Horites in their Mount Seir as far as El-paran near the desert. ⁷ Then they turned around and came to Enmishpat (that is, Kadesh). There they won a war against all the country of the Amalekites and the Amorites who lived in Hazazon-tamar. ⁸ Then the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim and Bela (that is, Zoar) went out and joined in war against them in the valley of Siddim. ⁹ They fought against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar, four kings against five. ¹⁰ Now the Siddim valley was full of deep holes with tar. The kings of Sodom and Gomorrah turned and ran, and some fell there. But the others ran away into the hill country. ¹¹ Then those who won the war took all that belonged to Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their food, and left. ¹² They also took Lot, the son of Abram’s brother, who lived in Sodom, and all that belonged to him, and left.

¹³ Then one who had run for his life came and told Abram the Hebrew. Abram was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and Aner, who were friends of Abram. ¹⁴ When Abram heard that one of his family had been taken away, he led 318 men who had been born in his house and whom he had taught to fight. They went after them as far as Dan. ¹⁵ Abram divided his army against them by night, he and his servants. They won the war against them, and followed them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. ¹⁶ Then Abram returned with all the things they had taken. He also returned with his brother’s son Lot and all that belonged to him, and the women and the people.

¹⁷ After Abram returned from destroying Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s valley). ¹⁸ Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was a religious leader of God Most High. ¹⁹ And Melchizedek honored Abram and said, “May good come to Abram from God Most High, Maker of heaven and earth. ²⁰ Honor and thanks be to God Most High, Who has given into your hand those who fought against you.” Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all he had taken. ²¹ And the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people, but take the riches and food for yourself.” ²² But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have promised the Lord God Most High, Maker of heaven and earth, ²³ that I will not take a piece of string or piece of leather or anything that is yours. Or else you might say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’ ²⁴ I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me. Let Aner, Eshcol and Mamre take their share.”

God’s Agreement with Abram

15 After these things, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a special dream, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your safe place. Your reward will be very great.” ² Then Abram said, “O Lord God, what will You give me? For I have no child. And the one who is to receive what belongs to me is Eliezer of Damascus.” ³ Abram said, “Because You have not given me a child, one born in my house will be given all I have.” ⁴ Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This man will not be given what is yours. But he who will come from your own body will be given what is yours.” ⁵ He took him outside and said, “Now look up into the heavens and add up the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then He said to him, “Your children and your children’s children will be as many as the stars.” ⁶ Then Abram believed in the Lord, and that made him right with God.

⁷ God said to him, “I am the Lord Who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land for your own.” ⁸ And Abram said, “O Lord God, how may I know that it will be mine?” ⁹ So the Lord said to him, “Bring Me a three-year-old cow, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove and a young pigeon.” ¹⁰ Then Abram brought all these to Him, and cut them in two. And he laid each half beside the other. But he did not cut the birds. ¹¹ When the meat-eating birds came down upon the dead animals, Abram made them go away.

¹² When the sun was going down, Abram went into a sleep as if he were dead. And much fear and darkness came upon him. ¹³ God said to Abram, “Know for sure that your children and those born after them will be strangers in a land that is not theirs. There they will be servants and suffer for 400 years. ¹⁴ But I will punish the nation they will serve. And later they will come out with many riches. ¹⁵ You will live many years, die in peace and be buried. ¹⁶ Then your great great-grandchildren will return here. For the sins of the Amorite are not yet finished.”

¹⁷ When the sun had gone down and it was very dark, a fire pot of smoke and a burning fire passed between these parts of animals. ¹⁸ The Lord made an agreement with Abram on that day. He said, “I have given this land to your children and to their children’s children, from the river of Egypt as far as the big Euphrates River, ¹⁹ the land of the Kenite, the Kenizzite, the Kadmonite, ²⁰ the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Rephaim, ²¹ the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Girgashite and the Jebusite.”

Hagar and Ishmael

16 Now Abram’s wife Sarai had not given birth to any children. She had a woman servant from Egypt whose name was Hagar. ² So Sarai said to Abram, “Now see, the Lord has kept me from having children. Go in to the woman who serves me. It may be that I will get children through her.” Abram listened to what Sarai said. ³ So Abram’s wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian, who served her, and gave her to her husband Abram as his wife. That was after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan. ⁴ He went in to Hagar, and she was going to have a child. And when she saw that she was going to have a child, she began to hate Sarai. ⁵ Then Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be upon you. I gave the woman who served me into your arms. But when she saw that she was going to have a child, she began to hate me. May the Lord judge who is guilty or not between you and me.” ⁶ But Abram said to Sarai, “See, the woman who serves you is in your power. Do what you want with her.” So Sarai made it hard for Hagar. And Hagar ran away from her.

⁷ The angel of the Lord found Hagar by a well of water in the desert on the way to Shur. ⁸ He said, “Hagar, you who serve Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” And she said, “I am running away from Sarai, the one I serve.” ⁹ Then the angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your boss. Put yourself under her power.” ¹⁰ The angel of the Lord said to her, “I will give you so many people in your family through the years that they will be too many to number.” ¹¹ The angel of the Lord also said to her, “See, you are going to have a child. And you will give birth to a son. You will give him the name Ishmael, because the Lord has heard how you have suffered. ¹² He will be a wild donkey of a man. His hand will be against all people. And the hand of all people will be against him. He will live to the east of all his brothers.” ¹³ So Hagar gave this name to the Lord Who spoke to her, “You are a God Who sees.” For she said, “Have I even stayed alive here after seeing Him?” ¹⁴ So the well was called Beer-lahai-roi. It is between Kadesh and Bered.

¹⁵ Hagar gave birth to Abram’s son. And Abram gave his son who was born of Hagar the name Ishmael. ¹⁶ Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar gave birth to his son Ishmael.

The Special Act of the Agreement

17 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord came to him and said, “I am God All-powerful. Obey Me, and be without blame. ² And I will keep My agreement between Me and you. I will give you many children.” ³ Then Abram fell on his face. God said to him, ⁴ “See, My agreement is with you. You will be the father of many nations. ⁵ No more will your name be Abram. But your name will be Abraham. For I will make you the father of many nations. ⁶ Many will come from you. I will make nations of you. Kings will come from you. ⁷ I will make My agreement between Me and you and your children after you through their whole lives for all time. I will be God to you and to your children’s children after you. ⁸ I will give to you and your children after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan for yourselves forever. And I will be their God.”

⁹ Then God said to Abraham, “You must keep My agreement, you and your children after you for all time. ¹⁰ This is My agreement between Me and you and your children after you, which you must obey: Every man among you must have this religious act done. ¹¹ In this religious act the skin is cut off from the end of your sex part. This will be the special act of the agreement between Me and you. ¹² Every male child among you who is eight days old must have this religious act done, through all time. The same must be done to all the men born in your house or bought with your money from any stranger, who is not one of your family. ¹³ He that is born in your house and he that is bought with your money must have this religious act done. So will My agreement be marked in your flesh, an agreement that lasts forever. ¹⁴ But the man who has not had this religious act done, of cutting off his piece of skin, will be cut off from his people. He has broken My agreement.”

¹⁵ Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, do not call her name Sarai. But Sarah will be her name. ¹⁶ And I will bring good to her. I will give you a son by her. I will bring good to her. And she will be the mother of nations. Kings of many people will come from her.”

¹⁷ Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed. He said to himself, “Will a child be born to a man who is 100 years old? ¹⁸ Then Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live before You!” ¹⁹ But God said, “No, but your wife Sarah will give birth to your son. And you will give him the name Isaac. I will make My agreement with him and for his children after him, an agreement that will last forever. ²⁰ As for Ishmael, I have heard you. I will bring good to him. I will make him grow in number. He will be the father of twelve rulers. I will make him a great nation. ²¹ But I will make My agreement with Isaac, who will be born to Sarah at this time next year.”

²² When He had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham. ²³ Then Abraham took his son Ishmael, and all who were born in his house, and all who were bought with his money, and every man and boy who lived in his house. And he cut off their piece of skin that very day, as God had told him to do. ²⁴ Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he had the religious act done of cutting off his piece of skin. ²⁵ His son Ishmael was thirteen years old when he had the religious act done of cutting off his piece of skin. ²⁶ Abraham and his son Ishmael had this religious act done that very day. ²⁷ And all the men of his house, who were born in the house or bought with money from a stranger, had this religious act done with him.

Abraham Is Promised a Son

18 The Lord showed Himself to Abraham by the oak trees of Mamre, as he sat at the tent door in the heat of the day. ² Abraham looked up and saw three men standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them. He put his face to the ground ³ and said, “My lord, if I have found favor in your eyes, please do not pass by your servant. ⁴ Let us have a little water brought to wash your feet. Rest yourselves under the tree. ⁵ And I will get a piece of bread so you may eat and get strength. After that you may go on your way, since you have come to your servant.”

The men said, “Do as you have said.” ⁶ So Abraham ran into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Hurry and get three pails of fine flour, mix it well, and make bread.” ⁷ Then Abraham ran to the cattle and took out a young and good calf. He gave it to the servant to make it ready in a hurry. ⁸ He took milk and cheese and the meat which he had made ready, and set it in front of them. He stood by them under the tree while they ate.

⁹ Then they said to him, “Where is your wife Sarah?” And he said, “There in the tent.” ¹⁰ The Lord said, “I will be sure to return to you at this time next year. And your wife Sarah will have a son.” Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. ¹¹ Now Abraham and Sarah were old. They had lived many years. The way of women had stopped for Sarah. ¹² So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “Will I have this joy after my husband and I have grown old?” ¹³ Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘How can I give birth to a child when I am so old?’ ¹⁴ Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” ¹⁵ But Sarah said, “I did not laugh,” because she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh.”

Abraham Cries Out for Sodom

¹⁶ Then the men got up from there and looked down toward Sodom. Abraham went with them to send them on their way. ¹⁷ And the Lord said, “Should I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, ¹⁸ since Abraham will become a great and powerful nation, because good will come to all the nations of the earth through him? ¹⁹ For I have chosen him, so that he may teach his children and the sons of his house after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and fair. So the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has promised him.” ²⁰ Then the Lord said, “The cry against Sodom and Gomorrah is loud. Their sin is very bad. ²¹ I will now go down and see if they have done as much wrong as the cry against them has told Me they have. And if not, I will know.”

²² Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom. But Abraham still stood before the Lord. ²³ Abraham came near and said, “Will You destroy the good also, with the bad? ²⁴ What if there are fifty good people within the city? Will You destroy the place and not save it because of the fifty good people in it? ²⁵ May You never do such a thing as to destroy the good with the bad! May the good never be punished like the bad! You would never do such a thing! Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?” ²⁶ So the Lord said, “If I find fifty good people in the city of Sodom, I will save the whole place because of them.” ²⁷ Abraham said, “Now see, I have taken upon myself to speak to the Lord, I who am only dust and ashes. ²⁸ What if five of the fifty good people are not so good. Will You destroy the whole city because of five?” The Lord said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five good people there.” ²⁹ Abraham spoke to Him again and said, “What if only forty are found there?” The Lord said, “I will not destroy it if there are forty.” ³⁰ Then Abraham said, “O may the Lord not be angry, and I will speak. What if only thirty are found there?” The Lord said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” ³¹ Abraham said, “Now see, I have taken upon myself to speak to the Lord. What if twenty are found there?” The Lord said, “I will not destroy it because of the twenty.” ³² Then Abraham said, “O may the Lord not be angry. And I may speak once more. What if ten are found there?” The Lord said, “I will not destroy it because of the ten.” ³³ Then the Lord went on His way when He finished speaking with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

Sodom and Gomorrah Destroyed

19 The two angels came to Sodom in the evening. Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them. He put his face to the ground ² and said, “My lords, come into the house of your servant. Stay the night, and wash your feet. Then you may rise early and go on your way.” But they said, “No, we will stay the night in the street.” ³ But he begged them, so they turned aside with him and went into his house. And he made a supper for them. He made bread without yeast, and they ate.

⁴ Before they went to bed, all the men of the city of Sodom both young and old gathered around the house. ⁵ They called to Lot, saying, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so we may lie with them.” ⁶ Lot went out the door to the men, and shut the door behind him. ⁷ He said, “My brothers, please do not be so sinful. ⁸ See, I have two daughters who have never had a man. Let me bring them out to you. And do to them whatever you want. But do nothing to these men, for they have come to be safe under my roof.” ⁹ But they said, “Get out of our way. This man came to live here from another land. And already he acts like a judge. Now we will do worse things to you than to them.” So they pushed hard against Lot and almost broke down the door. ¹⁰ But the two men put out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. ¹¹ Then they blinded the men who were at the door of the house, both small and big. So the men became tired trying to find the door.

Lot Leaves Sodom

¹² Then the two men asked Lot, “Do you have any others here? Sons-in-law, your sons, your daughters, anyone you have in the city, bring them out of this place. ¹³ For we are about to destroy this place. Because the cry against its people has become so loud to the Lord that the Lord has sent us to destroy it.” ¹⁴ So Lot went out to speak to his sons-in-law who were to marry his daughters. He said, “Get up! Get out of this place! For the Lord will destroy the city!” But his sons-in-law thought he was only joking.

¹⁵ When morning came, the angels told Lot to hurry. They said, “Get up. Take your wife and your two daughters who are here. Or else you will be destroyed when the city is punished.” ¹⁶ But Lot was slow to move. So the men took him, his wife and two daughters by the hand and brought them out of the city. For the Lord had loving-pity for him. ¹⁷ When they had brought them out of the city, one of them said, “Run for your life! Do not look behind you. Do not stop until you are out of the valley. Run to the mountains or else you will be destroyed.” ¹⁸ But Lot said to them, “O, no, my lords! ¹⁹ See, your servant has found favor in your eyes. You have shown me great kindness in what you have done for me by saving my life. But I cannot run to the mountains. For I will run into danger and die. ²⁰ See, this town is near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me run there (is it not small?) and my life will be saved.” ²¹ The angel said to him, “See, I am doing what you ask. I will not destroy this town that you have spoken about. ²² Hurry and run there. For I cannot do anything until you get there.” So the name given to the town was Zoar.

²³ The sun had moved over the earth when Lot came to Zoar. ²⁴ Then the Lord poured fire from the heavens upon Sodom and Gomorrah. ²⁵ He destroyed those cities, and all the valley, and all the people of the cities, and what grew on the ground. ²⁶ But Lot’s wife behind him turned and looked toward the cities. And she was changed into salt.

²⁷ Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord. ²⁸ He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the valley. And he saw the smoke of the land going up like the smoke from a place where there is much fire. ²⁹ But when God destroyed the cities of the valley, He remembered Abraham. He sent Lot out of the center of the danger, when He destroyed the cities where Lot lived.

³⁰ Then Lot went up from Zoar with his two daughters, and lived in the mountains for he was afraid to stay in Zoar. He lived in a cave in the side of a mountain with his two daughters. ³¹ Then the first-born daughter said to the younger one, “Our father is old. And there is not a man on earth to marry us. ³² Come, let us make our father drink wine. Let us lie with him, so we may keep our family through our father.” ³³ So they made their father drink wine that night. And the first-born went in and lay with her father. He did not know when she lay down or when she got up. ³⁴ On the next day, the first-born said to the younger, “See, I lay with my father last night. Let us make him drink wine tonight also, then you go in and lie with him. And we may keep our family through our father.” ³⁵ So they made their father drink wine that night also, then the younger daughter went and lay with him. He did not know when she lay down or when she got up. ³⁶ So both the daughters of Lot were going to have a child by their father. ³⁷ The first-born daughter gave birth to a son, and gave him the name Moab. He is the father of the Moabites to this day. ³⁸ The younger daughter gave birth to a son also. She gave him the name Benammi. He is the father of the Ammonites to this day.

Abraham and Abimelech

20 Abraham traveled from there to the land of the Negev, and made his home between Kadesh and Shur. Then he lived for a time in Gerar. ² Abraham said about his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her for his wife. ³ But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said, “See, you are a dead man because of the woman you have taken. For she is already married.” ⁴ But Abimelech had not come near her. He said, “Lord, will You destroy a nation who is without blame? ⁵ Did the man not tell me, ‘She is my sister’? And she, even she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this with a heart of honor and with hands that are not guilty.”

⁶ Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you have done this with a heart of honor. And I kept you from sinning against Me. I did not let you touch her. ⁷ So now return the man’s wife. For he is one who speaks for Me. Then he will pray for you, and you will live. But if you do not return her, know that you and all who are yours will die for sure.”

⁸ So Abimelech got up early in the morning. He called all his servants and told them all these things. And the men were very much afraid. ⁹ Then Abimelech called Abraham and said, “What have you done to us? What wrong have I done to you, that made you bring a great sin upon me and my nation? You have done to me what should not have been done.” ¹⁰ Abimelech said to Abraham, “What made you do such a thing?” ¹¹ Abraham said, “I did it because I thought there was no fear of God in this place. I thought they would kill me because of my wife. ¹² And it is true she is my sister. She is the daughter of my father, but not of my mother. And she became my wife. ¹³ When God made me go from my father’s house, I said to Sarah, ‘This is the kindness you must show me. Everywhere we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”’” ¹⁴ Then Abimelech gave to Abraham sheep and cattle, and men and women servants. And he returned his wife Sarah to him. ¹⁵ Abimelech said, “See, my land is in front of you. Make your home any place you want.” ¹⁶ He said to Sarah, “See, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. It is to pay you for all that has happened. Your honor is made right in the eyes of all men.”

¹⁷ So Abraham prayed to God. And God healed Abimelech, his wife and the women who served him, so that they gave birth to children. ¹⁸ For the Lord had stopped all births in the house of Abimelech because of Abraham’s wife Sarah.

The Birth of Isaac

21 Then the Lord visited Sarah as He had said and did for her as He had promised. ² Sarah was able to have a child and she gave birth to a son when Abraham was very old. He was born at the time the Lord said it would happen. ³ Abraham gave the name Isaac to his son who was born to him by Sarah. ⁴ Then Abraham did the religious act of the Jews on Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had told him to do. ⁵ Abraham was one hundred years old when Isaac was born. ⁶ And Sarah said, “God has made me laugh. All who hear will laugh with me.” ⁷ She said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet when he is so old I have given him a son.” ⁸ When the child grew old enough to stop nursing, Abraham made a special supper on that day.

Hagar and Ishmael Are Sent Away

⁹ But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian make fun of Isaac. Abraham was the father of Hagar’s son. ¹⁰ So Sarah said to Abraham, “Put this woman servant and her son out of your home. The son of this woman servant will never get any of the riches of the family as will my son Isaac.” ¹¹ And the thing brought much sorrow to Abraham because of his son. ¹² But God said to Abraham, “Do not be full of sorrow because of the boy and the woman who serves you. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you. For your children and all their children’s children after you will be given a name through Isaac. ¹³ But I will also make a nation of the son of the woman who serves you, because he is your son.”

¹⁴ So Abraham got up early in the morning. He took bread and a leather bag of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder. He gave her the boy, and sent her away. She left, and went from place to place in the desert in Beersheba. ¹⁵ When the water was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. ¹⁶ Then she sat down as far away from him as an arrow flies. For she said, “Do not let me see the boy die.” As she sat there, she cried a loud cry. ¹⁷ But God heard the voice of the boy. Then the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said, “Why are you so troubled, Hagar? Do not be afraid. For God has heard the cry of the boy. ¹⁸ Get up. Lift up the boy and hold him by the hand. For I will make a great nation of him.”

¹⁹ Then God opened Hagar’s eyes. And she saw a well of water. She went and filled the leather bag with water and gave the boy a drink. ²⁰ God was with the boy and he grew. He lived in the desert, and became very good in using the bow. ²¹ While living in the desert of Paran, his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

The Agreement at Beersheba

²² At that time, Abimelech with Phicol, the head of his army, said to Abraham, “God is with you in all that you do. ²³ So promise me here by God that you will not work against me, or my son, or any children after me. I have shown you kindness. So return kindness to me and to the land where you have come.” ²⁴ Abraham said, “I promise.” ²⁵ But Abraham spoke to Abimelech about a well of water that the servants of Abimelech had taken. ²⁶ Abimelech said, “I do not know who did this. You never told me. And I did not hear about it until today.” ²⁷ So Abraham took sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech. Then the two men made an agreement. ²⁸ Abraham set seven lambs of the flock away from the others. ²⁹ Abimelech said to Abraham, “What do these seven lambs that you have set apart mean?” ³⁰ Abraham said, “Take these seven lambs from me as an agreement to me that I dug this well.” ³¹ So he gave that place the name Beersheba because both of them made a promise there. ³² So they made an agreement at Beersheba. Then Abimelech and Phicol, the head of his army, returned to the land of the Philistines. ³³ Abraham planted a tree at Beersheba. He called there on the name of the Lord, the God Who lives forever. ³⁴ And Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for many days.

Abraham Is Tested

22 Later God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” Abraham said, “Here I am.” ² God said, “Take now your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love. And go to the land of Moriah. Give him as a burnt gift on the altar in worship, on one of the mountains I will show you.” ³ So Abraham got up early in the morning and got his donkey ready. He took two of his young men with him and his son Isaac. He cut wood for the burnt gift. And he went to the place where God told him to go. ⁴ Abraham looked up on the third day and saw the place far away. ⁵ He said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. I and the boy will go to that place and worship, and return to you.” ⁶ Abraham took the wood for the burnt gift and had Isaac carry it. He took in his hand the fire and the knife. And the two of them walked on together. ⁷ Then Isaac said to Abraham, “My father!” Abraham answered, “Here I am, my son.” Isaac said, “See, here is the fire and the wood. But where is the lamb for the burnt gift?” ⁸ Abraham said, “God will have for Himself a lamb ready for the burnt gift, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.

⁹ Then they came to the place that God told them about. Abraham built the altar there, and set the wood in place. Then he tied rope around his son Isaac, and laid him upon the wood on the altar. ¹⁰ And Abraham put out his hand and took the knife to kill his son. ¹¹ But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, “Abraham! Abraham!” And Abraham said, “Here I am.” ¹² The angel of the Lord said, “Do not put out your hand against the boy. Do nothing to him. For now I know that you fear God. You have not kept from Me your son, your only son.” ¹³ Then Abraham looked and saw a ram behind him, with his horns caught in the bushes. Abraham went and took the ram, and gave him as a burnt gift instead of his son. ¹⁴ Abraham gave that place the name “The Lord will give us what we need.” And it is said to this day, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be given.”

¹⁵ The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time. ¹⁶ He said, “I have promised by Myself, says the Lord, because you have done this and have not kept from Me your son, your only son, ¹⁷ I will bring good to you. I will add many to the number of your children and all who come after them, like the stars of the heavens and the sand beside the sea. They will take over the cities of those who hate them. ¹⁸ Good will come to all the nations of the earth by your children and their children’s children. Because you have obeyed My voice.” ¹⁹ So Abraham returned to his young men. And they got up and went with him to Beersheba. Abraham made his home there.

²⁰ Later it was told to Abraham, “Milcah also has given birth to the children of your brother Nahor: ²¹ Uz the first-born, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram, ²² Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” ²³ Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. Milcah gave birth to these eight by Nahor, Abraham’s brother. ²⁴ And Reumah, the woman he kept who acted as his wife, gave birth to Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.

The Death of Sarah

23 Sarah lived 127 years. These were the years of Sarah’s life. ² Then Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. And Abraham had sorrow for Sarah and cried for her. ³ Then Abraham got up from beside his dead wife, and said to the sons of Heth, ⁴ “I am a stranger living among you for a time. Give me some of your land so I may bury my wife.” ⁵ The sons of Heth answered Abraham, ⁶ “Listen to us, my lord. You are a powerful ruler among us. Bury your wife in the best of our graves. None of us will keep his grave from you for burying your wife.” ⁷ So Abraham stood up and bowed to the people of the land, the sons of Heth. ⁸ He said to them, “If you are willing to have me bury my wife, hear me, and ask Zohar’s son Ephron for me. ⁹ Ask him to give me the grave of Machpelah which he has at the other side of his field. Let him give it to me for the full price in front of you, for a place to bury my wife.”

¹⁰ Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth. So Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham so what he said could be heard by the sons of Heth and all who came in through the gate of his city. ¹¹ He said, “No, my lord. Listen to me. I give you the field. And I give you the grave that is in it. I give it to you in front of the sons of my people. Bury your wife.”

¹² Abraham bowed to the people of the land. ¹³ He said to Ephron so that all the people of the land heard it, “Listen to me if you will. I will give you the price of the field. Receive it from me, that I may bury my wife there.”

¹⁴ Ephron answered Abraham, ¹⁵ “My lord, listen to me. The land is worth four hundred pieces of silver. What is that between me and you? So bury your wife.”

¹⁶ Abraham listened to Ephron. And Abraham weighed for Ephron the silver which he had said and was heard by the sons of Heth to be the price, four hundred pieces of silver. He weighed it in the same way those who buy and sell weighed it at that time. ¹⁷ So Ephron’s field in Machpelah east of Mamre, the field and grave that was in it, and all the trees within the sides of the field, were handed over ¹⁸ to Abraham for his own. It was handed over in front of the sons of Heth and all who came in through the gate of his city. ¹⁹ After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the grave of the field of Machpelah east of Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. ²⁰ The field and the grave in it were handed over to Abraham by the sons of Heth for a place to bury his wife.

Isaac and Rebekah

24 Now Abraham was old. He had lived many years. And the Lord had brought good to Abraham in every way. ² Abraham said to the oldest servant in his house and the one who took care of all that he owned, “Place your hand under my hip, ³ and I will have you promise by the Lord, the God of heaven and earth. Promise that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, who live around me. ⁴ But go to my country and to those of my family. Take a wife for my son Isaac from there.” ⁵ The servant said to Abraham, “What if the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land? Should I take your son to the land you came from?” ⁶ Abraham said to him, “Make sure that you do not take my son there. ⁷ The Lord, the God of heaven, Who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my birth, spoke to me and promised me. He said, ‘I will give this land to your children and to their children’s children.’ He will send His angel in front of you. And you will take a wife for my son from there. ⁸ But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this promise to me. Only do not take my son there.” ⁹ So the servant placed his hand under the hip of Abraham, and he promised to do this.

¹⁰ Then the servant took ten of Abraham’s camels and left. He took with him all kinds of gifts from Abraham. Then he went to the city of Nahor in Mesopotamia. ¹¹ He made the camels get down on their knees outside the city by the well of water in the evening. It was the time when women go out to get water. ¹² He said, “O Lord, the God of my boss Abraham, let all go well for me today. Show loving-kindness to my boss Abraham. ¹³ See, I am standing here by the well of water. And the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to get water. ¹⁴ If I say to a girl, ‘Let down your jar so that I may drink,’ and she answers, ‘Drink, and I will give water to your camels also,’ let her be the one whom You have chosen for your servant Isaac. I will know by this that You have shown loving-kindness to my boss.”

¹⁵ Before he had finished speaking, Rebekah came out, the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah and Nahor, the brother of Abraham. She had a jar on her shoulder. ¹⁶ The girl was very beautiful and had never lain with a man. She went down to the well, filled her jar and came up. ¹⁷ Then the servant ran to meet her. He said, “Let me drink a little water from your jar.” ¹⁸ She said, “Drink, my lord.” And she was quick to lift her jar to her hand and give him a drink. ¹⁹ When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will get water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking.” ²⁰ She was quick to empty her jar into the animals’ drinking place. Then she ran to the well for more water, and got enough for all his camels.

²¹ The man was quiet and watched her, waiting to know if the Lord had made all go well or not during his visit. ²² When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a heavy gold ring and two heavy gold objects to wear on her arms. ²³ He said, “Whose daughter are you? Tell me, is there a place for us to stay in your father’s house?” ²⁴ She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah and Nahor.” ²⁵ She also said, “We have both enough straw and food, and a place to stay.” ²⁶ Then the man bowed low and worshiped the Lord. ²⁷ He said, “Honor and thanks be to the Lord, the God of my boss Abraham. He has not kept His loving-kindness and His truth from my boss. He has led me in the way to the house of my boss’s brothers.”

²⁸ Then the girl ran and told about all this to those in her mother’s house. ²⁹ Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban. And Laban ran outside to the man at the well. ³⁰ When he saw the gold objects his sister was wearing, and heard his sister Rebekah saying, “This is what the man said to me,” he went to the man. He saw him standing by the camels at the well. ³¹ Laban said, “Come in, you who receive good from the Lord! Why do you stand outside? I have made the house ready, and a place for the camels.” ³² So the man came into the house. Laban took the load off the camels, and gave them straw and food. He got water to wash the feet of Abraham’s servant and the feet of the men who were with him. ³³ Then food was set in front of the man to eat. But he said, “I will not eat until I have told you why I came here.” Laban said, “Tell it.” ³⁴ So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. ³⁵ And the Lord has brought much good to my boss. He has become rich. The Lord has given him flocks and cattle, silver and gold, men and women servants, and camels and donkeys. ³⁶ My boss’s wife Sarah gave birth to my boss’s son when she was very old. And he has given him all he has.

³⁷ “My boss made me promise, saying, ‘Do not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live. ³⁸ But go to my father’s house, to those of my family, and take a wife for my son there.’ ³⁹ I said to my owner, ‘What if the woman will not follow me?’ ⁴⁰ He said to me, ‘The Lord, Whom I have always obeyed, will send His angel with you to make all go well during your visit there. You will take a wife for my son from those of my family and from my father’s house. ⁴¹ Then you will be free from your promise to me. When you come to those of my family, and if they do not give her to you, then you will be free from your promise to me.’

⁴² “So I came to the well today. I said, ‘O Lord, the God of my boss Abraham, may all go well during my visit here. ⁴³ See, I am standing by the well of water. If I say to the girl who comes out for water, “Let me drink a little water from your jar,” ⁴⁴ and she says, “You drink, and I will get water for your camels also,” then let her be the woman whom the Lord has chosen for my boss’s son.’ ⁴⁵ Before I had finished speaking in my heart, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She went down to the well and got water. I asked her, ‘Let me drink.’ ⁴⁶ And she was quick to take down her jar from her shoulder. She said, ‘Drink, and I will give water to your camels also.’ So I drank and she gave water to the camels also. ⁴⁷ Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah and Nahor.’ And I put the gold objects on her nose and arms. ⁴⁸ Then I bowed low and worshiped the Lord. I gave honor and thanks to the Lord, the God of my boss Abraham. For He had led me in the right way to take the daughter of my boss’s brother for his son. ⁴⁹ So now if you will show kindness and be true to my boss, tell me. And if not, tell me so I may know which way to turn.”

⁵⁰ Then Laban and Bethuel answered, “This thing comes from the Lord. We cannot speak for or against it. ⁵¹ See, Rebekah is in front of you. Take her and go. Let her be the wife of your boss’s son, as the Lord has spoken.” ⁵² When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he put his face to the ground before the Lord. ⁵³ He brought out things made of silver and gold, and clothes, and gave them to Rebekah. He gave things of much worth to her brother and mother also. ⁵⁴ Then he and the men with him ate and drank and stayed the night there. When they got up in the morning, he said, “Send me away to my boss.”

⁵⁵ But her brother and her mother said, “Let the girl stay with us a few days, at least ten. Then she may go.” ⁵⁶ But he said to them, “Do not make me stay any more days, since the Lord has made my way go well. Send me away so I may go to my boss.” ⁵⁷ They said, “We will call the girl and ask her what she wants to do.” ⁵⁸ They called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go.” ⁵⁹ So they sent away their sister Rebekah and her nurse. They went with Abraham’s servant and the men who were with him. ⁶⁰ They prayed that good would come to Rebekah, and said to her, “You are our sister. May you become the mother of millions. May your children and all their children’s children after them take over the cities of those who hate them.” ⁶¹ Then Rebekah and her servants got up on the camels and followed the man. So the servant of Abraham took Rebekah and left.

⁶² Now Isaac had come from Beerlahairoi, and was living in the Negev. ⁶³ Isaac had gone out to pray in the field in the evening. He looked up and saw that camels were coming. ⁶⁴ And Rebekah looked up and saw Isaac. She got off the camel ⁶⁵ and said to Abraham’s servant, “Who is that man walking in the field to meet us?” Abraham’s servant said, “He is my boss.” So she took a cloth and covered her face. ⁶⁶ The servant told Isaac all the things he had done. ⁶⁷ Then Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother Sarah’s tent, and she became his wife. And he loved her. So Isaac found comfort after his mother’s death.

The Death of Abraham

25 Abraham took another wife whose name was Keturah. ² She gave birth to his sons, Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. ³ Jokshan became the father of Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. ⁴ The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the sons of Keturah.

⁵ Abraham gave all he had to Isaac. ⁶ But while he was still living, Abraham gave gifts to the sons of the women he kept who acted as his wives. And he sent them to the land of the East, away from his son Isaac. ⁷ Abraham lived 175 years. ⁸ Then Abraham breathed his last and died, after living a long and full life of many good years, and was buried with his people. ⁹ His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the grave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, east of Mamre. ¹⁰ This was the field that Abraham bought from the sons of Heth. Abraham was buried there with his wife Sarah. ¹¹ After the death of Abraham, God brought good to his son Isaac. And Isaac lived at Beerlahairoi.

¹² These are the children and their children’s children of Abraham’s son Ishmael, who was born to Abraham and Hagar, who was Sarah’s woman servant. ¹³ These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, the names of the first-born to the last: Nebaioth, Ishmael’s first-born, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, ¹⁴ Mishma, Dumah, Massa, ¹⁵ Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. ¹⁶ These are the sons of Ishmael and these are their names, by their towns and by their groups of tents, twelve rulers and their families.

¹⁷ Ishmael lived 137 years. Then he breathed his last and died, and was buried with his people. ¹⁸ His people lived from Havilah as far as Shur, east of Egypt on the way toward Assyria. He lived away from all his brothers.

The Birth of Esau and Jacob

¹⁹ These are the children and their children’s children of Abraham’s son Isaac. Abraham was the father of Isaac. ²⁰ Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Paddan-aram, and the sister of Laban the Syrian. ²¹ Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she could not give birth and the Lord answered him. Rebekah was able to give birth. ²² But the babies within her fought together. And she said, “If this is so, why am I like this?” She went to ask the Lord why. ²³ The Lord said to her, “Two nations are within you. Two peoples will be divided from your body. One will be stronger than the other. And the older will serve the younger.”

²⁴ When the day came for her to give birth, there were two babies to be born. ²⁵ The first to come out was red and he had hair all over his body. They gave him the name of Esau. ²⁶ Then the brother was born. His hand was holding Esau’s heel. So he was given the name of Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them.

Esau Sells His Birth-Right

²⁷ When the boys grew older, Esau became a good hunter, a man of the field. But Jacob was a man of peace, living in tents. ²⁸ Isaac showed favor to Esau, because he liked to eat the meat of the animals Esau killed. But Rebekah showed favor to Jacob.

²⁹ As Jacob was getting food ready one day, Esau came in from the field and was very hungry. ³⁰ Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red meat, for I am very hungry.” That is why his name was called Edom. ³¹ But Jacob said, “First, sell me your birth-right.” ³² Esau said, “See, I am about to die. So what good is my birth-right to me?” ³³ Jacob said, “First give me your promise.” So Esau promised, and sold his birth-right to Jacob. ³⁴ Then Jacob gave Esau bread and vegetables, and Esau ate and drank. Then Esau stood up and went on his way. So Esau hated his birth-right.

Isaac and Abimelech

26 Now there was another time when there was no food in the land, after the time of no food in the days of Abraham. So Isaac went to Gerar, to Abimelech king of the Philistines. ² The Lord showed Himself to Isaac, and said, “Do not go to Egypt. Stay in the land I will tell you about. ³ Live in this land and I will be with you and bring good to you. For I will give all these lands to you and your children. I will keep the promise I made to your father Abraham. ⁴ I will make your children and all your children’s children as many as the stars of heaven. I will give these lands to them. ⁵ For Abraham obeyed Me. He did what I told him to do. He kept My Word and My Law.”

⁶ So Isaac stayed in Gerar. ⁷ When the men of the place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister.” He was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” because he thought to himself, “The men of this place might kill me because of Rebekah, for she is beautiful.”

⁸ When Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out of the window. And he saw Isaac loving his wife Rebekah. ⁹ So Abimelech called Isaac and said, “See, she is your wife! How could you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac said to him, “Because I thought I would die because of her.” ¹⁰ Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the men might have lain with your wife. And you would have brought guilt upon us.” ¹¹ So Abimelech told all the people, “Whoever touches this man or his wife will be put to death.”

¹² Isaac planted seeds in that land. And he gathered in the same year a hundred times as much as he had planted. The Lord brought good to him. ¹³ Isaac became rich and kept getting richer until he became a great man. ¹⁴ For he had flocks and many cattle and many people working in his house. The Philistines became jealous of him. ¹⁵ They filled all the wells with dirt that his father’s servants had dug in the days of his father Abraham. ¹⁶ Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us. For you are too powerful for us.”

¹⁷ So Isaac left that place. He put up his tents in the valley of Gerar, and lived there. ¹⁸ And Isaac dug again the wells of water that had been dug in the days of his father Abraham. For the Philistines had closed them up after the death of Abraham. And he gave them the same names that his father had given them. ¹⁹ Now Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found a well of flowing water there. ²⁰ The men who took care of the cattle of Gerar argued with the men who took care of Isaac’s cattle. They said, “The water belongs to us!” So Isaac gave the well the name Esek, because they argued with him. ²¹ Then his servants dug another well. And they argued about it also. So he gave it the name Sitnah. ²² He moved away from there and dug another well. And they did not argue about it. So he gave it the name Rehoboth. For he said, “Now the Lord has made a large place for us. We will grow much in this land.”

²³ Then he went from there to Beersheba. ²⁴ The Lord showed Himself to Isaac that same night, and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will bring good to you, and add many to the number of your children and their children’s children, because of My servant Abraham.” ²⁵ So Isaac built an altar there. And he called upon the name of the Lord. He put up his tent there. And there Isaac’s servants dug a well.

²⁶ Then Abimelech came to him from Gerar, with his friend Ahuzzath, and Phicol, the leader of his army. ²⁷ Isaac said to them, “Why have you come to me when you hate me and have sent me away from you?” ²⁸ They said, “It is easy for us to see that the Lord is with you. So we said, ‘Let there now be a promise between us, between you and us. Let us make an agreement with you, ²⁹ that you will not hurt us in any way. For we have not touched you, and have done nothing to you but good. We sent you away in peace. And you now have the Lord’s favor.’” ³⁰ So Isaac made a special supper for them, and they ate and drank. ³¹ They got up early in the morning and made promises to each other. Then Isaac sent them away, and they left him in peace.

³² That same day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well they had dug. They said to him, “We have found water.” ³³ So he gave the well the name Shibah. So the name of the city is Beersheba to this day.

³⁴ When Esau was forty years old, he married Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. ³⁵ And they made life full of sorrow for Isaac and Rebekah.

Isaac Prays for Good to Come to Jacob

27 Isaac was now old, and had become blind. He called to his older son Esau, saying, “My son.” And Esau answered, “Here I am.” ² Isaac said, “See, I am old. I do not know when I will die. ³ Take your bow and arrows, and go out to the field to get meat for me. ⁴ Get some food ready for me that I love. Bring it to me to eat, so that before I die I will pray that good will come to you.”

⁵ And Rebekah was listening while Isaac spoke to his son Esau. So when Esau went to the field to hunt for meat to bring home, ⁶ Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “I heard your father talking to your brother Esau. He said, ⁷ ’Bring me some meat. Make good-tasting food for me to eat. And before I die I will pray to the Lord for good to come to you.’ ⁸ So now, my son, listen to what I tell you to do. ⁹ Go to the flock and bring me two fat young goats. I will cook them into good-tasting food, just what your father loves to eat. ¹⁰ Then you will take it to your father for him to eat. So before he dies he will pray for good to come to you.”

¹¹ Jacob said to his mother Rebekah, “But my brother Esau has much hair. And my skin is smooth. ¹² If my father touches me, he will think of me as one trying to fool him. Then he will bring a curse upon me instead of good.” ¹³ His mother said to him, “The curse will come upon me instead of you, my son. You do what I say, and go get them for me.” ¹⁴ So Jacob went and got them, and brought them to his mother. And his mother made good-tasting food, just what his father loved to eat. ¹⁵ Then Rebekah took the best clothes that belonged to her older son Esau, that were with her in the house. And she put them on her younger son Jacob. ¹⁶ She put the skins of the young goats on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. ¹⁷ And she gave her son Jacob the bread and the good-tasting food she had made.

¹⁸ Then he went to his father and said, “My father.” Isaac said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?” ¹⁹ Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau, your first-born. I have done as you told me. Sit up and eat the meat I brought, so you will pray that good will come to me.” ²⁰ But Isaac said to his son, “How have you found it so fast, my son?” And Jacob said, “Because the Lord your God made it happen.”

²¹ Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come near so I can touch you, my son, to know for sure if you are my son Esau or not.” ²² So Jacob came near his father Isaac. Isaac touched him, and said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice. But the hands are Esau’s hands.” ²³ He did not know who he was, because his hands were covered with hair like his brother Esau’s hands. So Isaac prayed that good would come to him. ²⁴ Isaac said, “Is it true that you are my son Esau?” Jacob answered, “I am.” ²⁵ So Isaac said, “Bring it to me so I may eat the meat my son has made ready. And I will pray that good will come to you.” He brought it to him, and he ate. He brought him wine also, and he drank.

²⁶ Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come near and kiss me, my son.” ²⁷ So Jacob came near and kissed him. When Isaac smelled his clothes, he prayed that good would come to him. He said, “The smell of my son is like the smell of a field that has received good from the Lord. ²⁸ May God give you from heaven water on the grass in the early morning, and the riches of the earth, and more than enough grain and new wine. ²⁹ May nations serve you, and the people bow down in front of you. Be the ruler of your brothers. May your mother’s sons bow down in front of you. Cursed be those who curse you, and may good come to those who honor you.”

³⁰ When Isaac had finished praying that good would come to Jacob, Jacob left his father Isaac. Just then his brother Esau came in from hunting. ³¹ Then Esau made good-tasting food and brought it to his father, and said, “Sit up, my father, and eat the meat your son has made ready, so you will pray that good will come to me.” ³² His father Isaac said to him, “Who are you?” He answered, “I am your son, your first-born, Esau.” ³³ Then Isaac shook all over, and he said, “Who was it then who killed an animal and brought meat to me? I ate all of it before you came! And I prayed that good would come to him! Yes, and good will come to him!”

³⁴ When he heard what his father said, Esau cried out with a loud and sad cry. He said to his father, “Pray that good will come to me also, O my father!” ³⁵ But Isaac said, “Your brother came in and fooled me. He has taken away the good that was to come to you.”

³⁶ Then Esau said, “Was it not right that he was given the name Jacob? Two times now he has taken what should have been mine. He took away my right as a first-born. And now he has taken away the good that was to come to me.” Then he said, “Can you not pray that good will come to me also?”

³⁷ Isaac answered Esau, “See, I have made him to rule over you. I have given him all his brothers as servants. I have given him grain and new wine to keep him alive and well. What then can I do for you, my son?”

³⁸ Esau said to his father, “Do you have only one prayer for good to come, my father? Pray that good will come to me also, O my father.” And Esau gave out a loud cry. ³⁹ Then his father Isaac answered him: “See, the place where you live will be away from the riches of the earth, and away from the water on the grass in the early morning. ⁴⁰ You will live by your sword and you will serve your brother. But when you break loose, you will throw his load off your back.”

Jacob Goes to Laban

⁴¹ Esau hated Jacob because his father had prayed that good would come to Jacob. Esau said to himself, “The days when I will have sorrow for the loss of my father are soon. Then I will kill my brother Jacob.” ⁴² But the words of her older son Esau were told to Rebekah. She called her younger son Jacob, and said to him, “See, your brother Esau comforts himself by planning to kill you. ⁴³ So now, my son, do what I tell you. Get ready, and go at once to my brother Laban at Haran. ⁴⁴ Stay with him for a few days, until your brother’s anger goes away. ⁴⁵ When your brother’s anger against you is gone and he forgets what you did to him, then I will send for you and have you return from there. Why should I have sorrow for both of you in one day?”

⁴⁶ Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am tired of living because of the daughters of Heth. If Jacob marries one of the daughters of Heth, like these, from the women of the land, what good will my life be to me?”

28 So Isaac called Jacob and prayed that good would come to him. He said to him, “Do not marry one of the daughters of Canaan. ² Get ready, and go to the house of your mother’s father Bethuel in Paddan-aram. Take a wife for yourself from the daughters of your mother’s brother Laban. ³ May the All-powerful God bring good to you and give you many children until you become many nations. ⁴ May He give you and your children after you the same gift that He gave Abraham. May He give you the land that He gave Abraham, the land where you are now a stranger.” ⁵ Then Isaac sent Jacob away. And he went to Paddan-aram, to Laban, the son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob and Esau’s mother.

⁶ Now Esau saw that Isaac had prayed for good to come to Jacob and that he had sent him away to Paddan-aram to find a wife. Esau knew that his father had prayed for good to come to Jacob and said, “Do not marry one of the daughters of Canaan,” ⁷ and that Jacob had obeyed his father and mother and had gone to Paddan-aram. ⁸ Esau knew that the daughters of Canaan did not please his father Isaac. ⁹ So Esau went to Ishmael, and married Mahalath the daughter of Abraham’s son Ishmael, the sister of Nebaioth. He added her to the wives he already had.

Jacob’s Dream

¹⁰ Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. ¹¹ He came to a certain place and stayed the night there, because the sun had gone down. He took one of the stones there and put it under his head for a pillow. ¹² And he had a dream. He saw steps going up from the earth to heaven. He saw the angels of God going up and down these steps. ¹³ And he saw the Lord standing above them. He said, “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham, and the God of Isaac. I will give to you and your children after you the land where you are lying. ¹⁴ They will be like the dust of the earth. You will spread out to the west and the east and the north and the south. Good will come to all the families of the earth because of you and your children. ¹⁵ See, I am with you. I will care for you everywhere you go. And I will bring you again to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done all the things I promised you.” ¹⁶ Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “For sure the Lord is in this place and I did not know it.” ¹⁷ He was afraid and said, “This place is so different! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”

¹⁸ So Jacob got up early in the morning. He took the stone he had used as a pillow, and set it up as a pillar. He poured oil on the top of it. ¹⁹ He gave that place the name Bethel. Its name had been Luz before. ²⁰ Then Jacob made a promise. He said, “If God will be with me and take care of me as I go, and if He will give me food to eat and clothes to wear, ²¹ so that I return in peace to my father’s house, then the Lord will be my God. ²² I have set up this stone as a pillar to be God’s house. And I will give You a tenth part of all You give to me.”

Jacob Finds Laban

29 Then Jacob went on his way and came to the land of the people of the east. ² He looked up and saw a well in the field where three flocks of sheep were lying beside it. The people gave water to the flocks from that well. The stone covering the top of the well was large. ³ When all the flocks were gathered there, the men would roll the stone from the top of the well. Then after giving water to the sheep, they would put the stone again in its place on top of the well.