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Genesis 21-26
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

The Birth of Isaac

21 The Lord dealt with Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as he had promised.(A) 2 Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the time of which God had spoken to him.(B) 3 Abraham gave the name Isaac to his son whom Sarah bore him.(C) 4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.(D) 5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.(E) 6 Now Sarah said, “God has brought laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me.”(F) 7 And she said, “Who would ever have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”

Hagar and Ishmael Sent Away

8 The child grew and was weaned, and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. 9 But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, playing with her son Isaac.[a](G) 10 So she said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not inherit along with my son Isaac.”(H) 11 The matter was very distressing to Abraham on account of his son.(I) 12 But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed because of the boy and because of your slave woman; whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for it is through Isaac that offspring shall be named for you.(J) 13 As for the son of the slave woman, I will make a nation of him also, because he is your offspring.”(K) 14 So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered about in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.

15 When the water in the skin was gone, she cast the child under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot, for she said, “Do not let me look on the death of the child.” And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. 17 And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Do not be afraid, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is.(L) 18 Come, lift up the boy and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make a great nation of him.”(M) 19 Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. She went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.(N)

20 God was with the boy, and he grew up; he lived in the wilderness and became an expert with the bow.(O) 21 He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt.(P)

Abraham and Abimelech Make a Covenant

22 At that time Abimelech, with Phicol the commander of his army, said to Abraham, “God is with you in all that you do;(Q) 23 now therefore swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me or with my offspring or with my posterity, but as I have dealt loyally with you, you will deal with me and with the land where you have resided as an alien.” 24 And Abraham said, “I swear it.”

25 When Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well of water that Abimelech’s servants had seized,(R) 26 Abimelech said, “I do not know who has done this; you did not tell me, and I have not heard of it until today.” 27 So Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two men made a covenant.(S) 28 Abraham set apart seven ewe lambs of the flock. 29 And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs that you have set apart?” 30 He said, “These seven ewe lambs you shall accept from my hand in order that you may be a witness for me that I dug this well.”(T) 31 Therefore that place was called Beer-sheba,[b] because there both of them swore an oath.(U) 32 When they had made a covenant at Beer-sheba, Abimelech, with Phicol the commander of his army, left and returned to the land of the Philistines. 33 Abraham[c] planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba and there called on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God.[d](V) 34 And Abraham resided as an alien many days in the land of the Philistines.

The Command to Sacrifice Isaac

22 After these things God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you.”(W) 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt offering and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place far away. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the boy and I will go over there; we will worship, and then we will come back to you.” 6 Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. And the two of them walked on together.(X) 7 Isaac said to his father Abraham, “Father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”(Y) 8 Abraham said, “God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them walked on together.

9 When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar on top of the wood.(Z) 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill[e] his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”(AA) 13 And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place “The Lord will provide,”[f] as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”[g]

15 The angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16 and said, “By myself I have sworn, says the Lord: Because you have done this, and have not withheld your son, your only son,(AB) 17 I will indeed bless you, and I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of their enemies,(AC) 18 and by your offspring shall all the nations of the earth gain blessing for themselves, because you have obeyed my voice.”(AD) 19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beer-sheba, and Abraham lived at Beer-sheba.

The Children of Nahor

20 Now after these things it was told Abraham, “Milcah also has borne children to your brother Nahor: 21 Uz the firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram, 22 Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” 23 Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham’s brother.(AE) 24 Moreover, his concubine, whose name was Reumah, bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.

Sarah’s Death and Burial

23 Sarah lived one hundred twenty-seven years; this was the length of Sarah’s life. 2 And Sarah died at Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron, in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.(AF) 3 Abraham rose up from beside his dead and said to the Hittites, 4 “I am a stranger and an alien residing among you; give me property among you for a burying place, so that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”(AG) 5 The Hittites answered Abraham, 6 “Hear us, my lord; you are a mighty prince among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our burial places; none of us will withhold from you any burial ground for burying your dead.”(AH) 7 Abraham rose and bowed to the Hittites, the people of the land. 8 He said to them, “If you are willing that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me and entreat for me Ephron son of Zohar,(AI) 9 so that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he owns; it is at the end of his field. For the full price let him give it to me in your presence as a possession for a burying place.” 10 Now Ephron was sitting among the Hittites, and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the Hittites, of all who went in at the gate of his city,(AJ) 11 “No, my lord, hear me; I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it; in the presence of my people I give it to you; bury your dead.”(AK) 12 Then Abraham bowed down before the people of the land. 13 He said to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, “If you only will listen to me! I will give the price of the field; accept it from me, so that I may bury my dead there.” 14 Ephron answered Abraham, 15 “My lord, listen to me; a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver—what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.”(AL) 16 Abraham agreed with Ephron, and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver that he had named in the hearing of the Hittites, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weights current among the merchants.(AM)

17 So the field of Ephron in Machpelah, which was to the east of Mamre, the field with the cave that was in it and all the trees that were in the field, throughout its whole area, passed(AN) 18 to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the Hittites, in the presence of all who went in at the gate of his city. 19 After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah facing Mamre, that is, Hebron, in the land of Canaan. 20 The field and the cave that is in it passed from the Hittites into Abraham’s possession as a burying place.

The Marriage of Isaac and Rebekah

24 Now Abraham was old, advanced in years, and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.(AO) 2 Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his house, who had charge of all that he had, “Put your hand under my thigh,(AP) 3 and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live,(AQ) 4 but will go to my country and to my kindred and get a wife for my son Isaac.”(AR) 5 The servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman may not be willing to follow me to this land; must I then take your son back to the land from which you came?” 6 Abraham said to him, “See to it that you do not take my son back there. 7 The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my birth and who spoke to me and swore to me, ‘To your offspring I will give this land,’ he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.(AS) 8 But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this oath of mine; only you must not take my son back there.” 9 So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter.(AT)

10 Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed, taking all kinds of choice gifts from his master, and he set out and went to Aram-naharaim, to the city of Nahor.(AU) 11 He made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water; it was toward evening, the time when women go out to draw water.(AV) 12 And he said, “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham.(AW) 13 I am standing here by the spring of water, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water.(AX) 14 Let the young woman to whom I shall say, ‘Please offer your jar that I may drink,’ and who shall say, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels’—let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I shall know that you have shown steadfast love to my master.”(AY)

15 Before he had finished speaking, there was Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, coming out with her water jar on her shoulder.(AZ) 16 The young woman was very fair to look upon, a virgin, whom no man had known. She went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came up.(BA) 17 Then the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please let me sip a little water from your jar.” 18 “Drink, my lord,” she said and quickly lowered her jar upon her hand and gave him a drink.(BB) 19 When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw for your camels also, until they have finished drinking.”(BC) 20 So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran again to the well to draw, and she drew for all his camels. 21 The man gazed at her in silence to learn whether or not the Lord had made his journey successful.(BD)

22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold nose ring weighing a half shekel and two bracelets for her arms weighing ten gold shekels(BE) 23 and said, “Tell me whose daughter you are. Is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?” 24 She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.”(BF) 25 She added, “We have plenty of straw and fodder and a place to spend the night.” 26 The man bowed his head and worshiped the Lord(BG) 27 and said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his steadfast love and his faithfulness toward my master. As for me, the Lord has led me on the way to the house of my master’s kin.”(BH)

28 Then the young woman ran and told her mother’s household about these things. 29 Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban, and Laban ran out to the man, to the spring.(BI) 30 As soon as he had seen the nose ring and the bracelets on his sister’s arms and when he heard the words of his sister Rebekah, “Thus the man spoke to me,” he went to the man, and there he was, standing by the camels at the spring. 31 He said, “Come in, O blessed of the Lord. Why do you stand outside when I have prepared the house and a place for the camels?”(BJ) 32 So the man came into the house, and Laban unloaded the camels and gave him straw and fodder for the camels and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.(BK) 33 Then food was set before him to eat, but he said, “I will not eat until I have told my errand.” He said, “Speak on.”

34 So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. 35 The Lord has greatly blessed my master, and he has become wealthy; he has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female slaves, camels and donkeys.(BL) 36 And Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master when she was old, and he has given him all that he has.(BM) 37 My master made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites in whose land I live, 38 but you shall go to my father’s house, to my kindred, and get a wife for my son.’(BN) 39 I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’(BO) 40 But he said to me, ‘The Lord, before whom I walk, will send his angel with you and make your way successful. You shall get a wife for my son from my kindred, from my father’s house.(BP) 41 Then you will be free from my oath, when you come to my kindred; even if they will not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.’(BQ)

42 “I came today to the spring and said, ‘O Lord, God of my master Abraham, if now you will only make successful the way I am going!(BR) 43 I am standing here by the spring of water; let the young woman who comes out to draw, to whom I shall say, “Please give me a little water from your jar to drink,”(BS) 44 and who will say to me, “Drink, and I will draw for your camels also”—let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master’s son.’

45 “Before I had finished speaking in my heart, there was Rebekah coming out with her water jar on her shoulder, and she went down to the spring and drew. I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’(BT) 46 She quickly let down her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I will also water your camels.’ So I drank, and she also watered the camels.(BU) 47 Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him.’ So I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her arms.(BV) 48 Then I bowed my head and worshiped the Lord and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me by the right way to obtain the daughter of my master’s kinsman for his son.(BW) 49 Now then, if you will deal loyally and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so that I may turn either to the right hand or to the left.”(BX)

50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered, “The thing comes from the Lord; we cannot speak to you anything bad or good.(BY) 51 Look, Rebekah is before you, take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has spoken.”

52 When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the ground before the Lord.(BZ) 53 And the servant brought out jewelry of silver and of gold and garments and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave to her brother and to her mother costly ornaments.(CA) 54 Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank, and they spent the night there. When they rose in the morning, he said, “Send me back to my master.”(CB) 55 Her brother and her mother said, “Let the young woman remain with us a while, at least ten days; after that she may go.” 56 But he said to them, “Do not delay me, since the Lord has made my journey successful; let me go that I may go to my master.” 57 They said, “We will call the young woman and ask her.” 58 And they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” She said, “I will.” 59 So they sent away their sister Rebekah and her nurse along with Abraham’s servant and his men.(CC) 60 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her,

“May you, our sister, become
    thousands of myriads;
may your offspring gain possession
    of the gates of their foes.”(CD)

61 Then Rebekah and her maids rose up, mounted the camels, and followed the man, and the servant took Rebekah and went his way.

62 Now Isaac had come from[h] Beer-lahai-roi and was settled in the Negeb.(CE) 63 Isaac went out in the evening to walk[i] in the field, and, looking up, he saw camels coming.(CF) 64 And Rebekah looked up, and when she saw Isaac, she slipped quickly from the camel 65 and said to the servant, “Who is the man over there, walking in the field to meet us?” The servant said, “It is my master.” So she took her veil and covered herself. 66 And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. 67 Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent. He took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.(CG)

Abraham Marries Keturah

25 Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. 2 She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.(CH) 3 Jokshan was 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 children of Keturah. 5 Abraham gave all he had to Isaac.(CI) 6 But to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, while he was still living, and he sent them away from his son Isaac, eastward to the east country.

The Death of Abraham

7 This is the length of Abraham’s life, one hundred seventy-five years. 8 Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, old and full of years, and was gathered to his people.(CJ) 9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite, east of Mamre, 10 the field that Abraham purchased from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah.(CK) 11 After the death of Abraham, God blessed his son Isaac. And Isaac settled at Beer-lahai-roi.(CL)

Ishmael’s Descendants

12 These are the descendants of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s slave, bore to Abraham.(CM) 13 These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, named in the order of their birth: Nebaioth, the firstborn of Ishmael; and Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,(CN) 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 villages and by their encampments, twelve princes according to their tribes.(CO) 17 (This is the length of the life of Ishmael, one hundred thirty-seven years; he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people.) 18 They settled from Havilah to Shur, which is opposite Egypt in the direction of Assyria; he settled down[j] alongside[k] all his people.(CP)

The Birth and Youth of Esau and Jacob

19 These are the descendants of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham was the father of Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, sister of Laban the Aramean.(CQ) 21 Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife because she was barren, and the Lord granted his prayer, and his wife Rebekah conceived.(CR) 22 The children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it is to be this way, why do I live?”[l] So she went to inquire of the Lord. 23 And the Lord said to her,

“Two nations are in your womb,
    and two peoples born of you shall be divided;
the one shall be stronger than the other;
    the elder shall serve the younger.”(CS)

24 When her time to give birth was at hand, there were twins in her womb. 25 The first came out red, all his body like a hairy mantle, so they named him Esau.(CT) 26 Afterward his brother came out, with his hand gripping Esau’s heel, so he was named Jacob.[m] Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.(CU)

27 When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents.(CV) 28 Isaac loved Esau because he was fond of game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Esau Sells His Birthright

29 Once when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was famished. 30 Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stuff, for I am famished!” (Therefore he was called Edom.[n]) 31 Jacob said, “First sell me your birthright.” 32 Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” 33 Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob.(CW) 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

Isaac and Abimelech

26 Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that had occurred in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerar, to King Abimelech of the Philistines.(CX) 2 The Lord appeared to Isaac[o] and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; settle in the land that I shall show you.(CY) 3 Reside in this land as an alien, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will fulfill the oath that I swore to your father Abraham.(CZ) 4 I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands, and all the nations of the earth shall gain blessing for themselves through your offspring,(DA) 5 because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.”

6 So Isaac settled in Gerar. 7 When the men of the place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” for he was afraid to say “my wife,” thinking, “or else the men of the place might kill me for the sake of Rebekah, because she is attractive in appearance.”(DB) 8 When Isaac had been there a long time, King Abimelech of the Philistines looked out of a window and saw him fondling his wife Rebekah. 9 So Abimelech called for Isaac and said, “So she is your wife! Why, then, did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac said to him, “Because I thought I might die because of her.” 10 Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.”(DC) 11 So Abimelech warned all the people, saying, “Whoever touches this man or his wife shall be put to death.”

12 Isaac sowed seed in that land and in the same year reaped a hundredfold. The Lord blessed him,(DD) 13 and the man became rich; he prospered more and more until he became very wealthy. 14 He had possessions of flocks and herds and a great household, so that the Philistines envied him.(DE) 15 (Now the Philistines had stopped up and filled with earth all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the days of his father Abraham.)(DF) 16 And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us; you have become too powerful for us.”

17 So Isaac departed from there and camped in the Wadi Gerar and settled there. 18 Isaac dug again the wells of water that had been dug in the days of his father Abraham, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham, and he gave them the names that his father had given them.(DG) 19 But when Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found there a well of spring water, 20 the herders of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herders, saying, “The water is ours.” So he called the well Esek,[p] because they contended with him. 21 Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that one also, so he called it Sitnah.[q] 22 He moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it, so he called it Rehoboth,[r] saying, “Now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.”(DH)

23 From there he went up to Beer-sheba. 24 And that very night the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham; do not be afraid, for I am with you and will bless you and make your offspring numerous for my servant Abraham’s sake.”(DI) 25 So he built an altar there, called on the name of the Lord, and pitched his tent there. And there Isaac’s servants dug a well.(DJ)

26 Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar, with Ahuzzath his adviser and Phicol the commander of his army.(DK) 27 Isaac said to them, “Why have you come to me, seeing that you hate me and have sent me away from you?”(DL) 28 They said, “We see plainly that the Lord has been with you, so we say, let there be an oath between you and us, and let us make a covenant with you(DM) 29 so that you will do us no harm, just as we have not touched you and have done to you nothing but good and have sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed of the Lord.” 30 So he made them a feast, and they ate and drank. 31 In the morning they rose early and exchanged oaths, and Isaac set them on their way, and they departed from him in peace.(DN) 32 That same day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well that they had dug and said to him, “We have found water!” 33 He called it Shibah;[s] therefore the name of the city is Beer-sheba[t] to this day.(DO)

Esau’s Hittite Wives

34 When Esau was forty years old, he married Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite and Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite,(DP) 35 and they made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah.(DQ)

Footnotes

  1. 21.9 Gk Vg: Heb lacks with her son Isaac
  2. 21.31 That is, well of seven or well of the oath
  3. 21.33 Heb He
  4. 21.33 Or the Lord, El Olam
  5. 22.10 Or to slaughter
  6. 22.14 Or will see; Heb traditionally transliterated Jehovah Jireh
  7. 22.14 Or he shall be seen
  8. 24.62 Syr Tg: Heb from coming to
  9. 24.63 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  10. 25.18 Heb he fell
  11. 25.18 Or down in opposition to
  12. 25.22 Syr: Meaning of Heb uncertain
  13. 25.26 That is, he takes by the heel or he supplants
  14. 25.30 That is, red
  15. 26.2 Heb him
  16. 26.20 That is, contention
  17. 26.21 That is, enmity
  18. 26.22 That is, broad places or room
  19. 26.33 In Heb Shibah resembles the word for oath
  20. 26.33 That is, well of the oath or well of seven
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Genesis 21-26
New International Version

The Birth of Isaac

21 Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah(A) as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised.(B) 2 Sarah became pregnant and bore a son(C) to Abraham in his old age,(D) at the very time God had promised him.(E) 3 Abraham gave the name Isaac[a](F) to the son Sarah bore him. 4 When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him,(G) as God commanded him. 5 Abraham was a hundred years old(H) when his son Isaac was born to him.

6 Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter,(I) and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” 7 And she added, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”(J)

Hagar and Ishmael Sent Away

8 The child grew and was weaned,(K) and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast. 9 But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham(L) was mocking,(M) 10 and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman(N) and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.”(O)

11 The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son.(P) 12 But God said to him, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your slave woman. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring[b] will be reckoned.(Q) 13 I will make the son of the slave into a nation(R) also, because he is your offspring.”

14 Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar.(S) He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the Desert of Beersheba.(T)

15 When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went off and sat down about a bowshot away, for she thought, “I cannot watch the boy die.” And as she sat there, she[c] began to sob.(U)

17 God heard the boy crying,(V) and the angel of God(W) called to Hagar from heaven(X) and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid;(Y) God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. 18 Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.(Z)”

19 Then God opened her eyes(AA) and she saw a well of water.(AB) So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.

20 God was with the boy(AC) as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer. 21 While he was living in the Desert of Paran,(AD) his mother got a wife for him(AE) from Egypt.

The Treaty at Beersheba

22 At that time Abimelek(AF) and Phicol the commander of his forces(AG) said to Abraham, “God is with you in everything you do.(AH) 23 Now swear(AI) to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants.(AJ) Show to me and the country where you now reside as a foreigner the same kindness I have shown to you.”(AK)

24 Abraham said, “I swear it.”

25 Then Abraham complained to Abimelek about a well of water that Abimelek’s servants had seized.(AL) 26 But Abimelek said, “I don’t know who has done this. You did not tell me, and I heard about it only today.”

27 So Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelek, and the two men made a treaty.(AM) 28 Abraham set apart seven ewe lambs from the flock, 29 and Abimelek asked Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs you have set apart by themselves?”

30 He replied, “Accept these seven lambs from my hand as a witness(AN) that I dug this well.(AO)”

31 So that place was called Beersheba,[d](AP) because the two men swore an oath(AQ) there.

32 After the treaty(AR) had been made at Beersheba,(AS) Abimelek and Phicol the commander of his forces(AT) returned to the land of the Philistines.(AU) 33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree(AV) in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord,(AW) the Eternal God.(AX) 34 And Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines(AY) for a long time.

Abraham Tested

22 Some time later God tested(AZ) Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am,”(BA) he replied.

2 Then God said, “Take your son(BB), your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah.(BC) Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering(BD) on a mountain I will show you.(BE)”

3 Early the next morning(BF) Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.(BG)”

6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac,(BH) and he himself carried the fire and the knife.(BI) As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb(BJ) for the burnt offering?”

8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide(BK) the lamb(BL) for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.

9 When they reached the place God had told him about,(BM) Abraham built an altar(BN) there and arranged the wood(BO) on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar,(BP) on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife(BQ) to slay his son.(BR) 11 But the angel of the Lord(BS) called out to him from heaven,(BT) “Abraham! Abraham!”(BU)

“Here I am,”(BV) he replied.

12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God,(BW) because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.(BX)”

13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram[e] caught by its horns.(BY) He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son.(BZ) 14 So Abraham called(CA) that place The Lord(CB) Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.(CC)”

15 The angel of the Lord(CD) called to Abraham from heaven(CE) a second time 16 and said, “I swear by myself,(CF) declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son,(CG) 17 I will surely bless you(CH) and make your descendants(CI) as numerous as the stars in the sky(CJ) and as the sand on the seashore.(CK) Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies,(CL) 18 and through your offspring[f] all nations on earth will be blessed,[g](CM) because you have obeyed me.”(CN)

19 Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba.(CO) And Abraham stayed in Beersheba.

Nahor’s Sons

20 Some time later Abraham was told, “Milkah is also a mother; she has borne sons to your brother Nahor:(CP) 21 Uz(CQ) the firstborn, Buz(CR) his brother, Kemuel (the father of Aram), 22 Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph and Bethuel.(CS)” 23 Bethuel became the father of Rebekah.(CT) Milkah bore these eight sons to Abraham’s brother Nahor.(CU) 24 His concubine,(CV) whose name was Reumah, also had sons: Tebah, Gaham, Tahash and Maakah.

The Death of Sarah

23 Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old. 2 She died at Kiriath Arba(CW) (that is, Hebron)(CX) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her.(CY)

3 Then Abraham rose from beside his dead wife and spoke to the Hittites.[h](CZ) He said, 4 “I am a foreigner and stranger(DA) among you. Sell me some property for a burial site here so I can bury my dead.(DB)”

5 The Hittites replied to Abraham, 6 “Sir, listen to us. You are a mighty prince(DC) among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb for burying your dead.”

7 Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites. 8 He said to them, “If you are willing to let me bury my dead, then listen to me and intercede with Ephron son of Zohar(DD) on my behalf 9 so he will sell me the cave of Machpelah,(DE) which belongs to him and is at the end of his field. Ask him to sell it to me for the full price as a burial site among you.”

10 Ephron the Hittite was sitting among his people and he replied to Abraham in the hearing of all the Hittites(DF) who had come to the gate(DG) of his city. 11 “No, my lord,” he said. “Listen to me; I give[i](DH) you the field, and I give[j] you the cave that is in it. I give[k] it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead.”

12 Again Abraham bowed down before the people of the land 13 and he said to Ephron in their hearing, “Listen to me, if you will. I will pay the price of the field. Accept it from me so I can bury my dead there.”

14 Ephron answered Abraham, 15 “Listen to me, my lord; the land is worth four hundred shekels[l] of silver,(DI) but what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.”

16 Abraham agreed to Ephron’s terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver,(DJ) according to the weight current among the merchants.(DK)

17 So Ephron’s field in Machpelah(DL) near Mamre(DM)—both the field and the cave in it, and all the trees within the borders of the field—was deeded 18 to Abraham as his property(DN) in the presence of all the Hittites(DO) who had come to the gate(DP) of the city. 19 Afterward Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah(DQ) near Mamre (which is at Hebron(DR)) in the land of Canaan.(DS) 20 So the field and the cave in it were deeded(DT) to Abraham by the Hittites as a burial site.(DU)

Isaac and Rebekah

24 Abraham was now very old,(DV) and the Lord had blessed(DW) him in every way.(DX) 2 He said to the senior servant(DY) in his household, the one in charge of all that he had,(DZ) “Put your hand under my thigh.(EA) 3 I want you to swear(EB) by the Lord, the God of heaven(EC) and the God of earth,(ED) that you will not get a wife for my son(EE) from the daughters of the Canaanites,(EF) among whom I am living,(EG) 4 but will go to my country and my own relatives(EH) and get a wife for my son Isaac.(EI)”

5 The servant asked him, “What if the woman is unwilling to come back with me to this land?(EJ) Shall I then take your son back to the country you came from?(EK)”

6 “Make sure that you do not take my son back there,”(EL) Abraham said. 7 “The Lord, the God of heaven,(EM) who brought me out of my father’s household and my native land(EN) and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, ‘To your offspring[m](EO) I will give this land’(EP)—he will send his angel before you(EQ) so that you can get a wife for my son from there. 8 If the woman is unwilling to come back with you, then you will be released from this oath(ER) of mine. Only do not take my son back there.”(ES) 9 So the servant put his hand under the thigh(ET) of his master(EU) Abraham and swore an oath to him concerning this matter.

10 Then the servant left, taking with him ten of his master’s camels(EV) loaded with all kinds of good things(EW) from his master. He set out for Aram Naharaim[n](EX) and made his way to the town of Nahor.(EY) 11 He had the camels kneel down near the well(EZ) outside the town; it was toward evening, the time the women go out to draw water.(FA)

12 Then he prayed, “Lord, God of my master Abraham,(FB) make me successful(FC) today, and show kindness(FD) to my master Abraham. 13 See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water.(FE) 14 May it be that when I say to a young woman, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink,(FF) and I’ll water your camels too’(FG)—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac.(FH) By this I will know(FI) that you have shown kindness to my master.”

15 Before he had finished praying,(FJ) Rebekah(FK) came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel(FL) son of Milkah,(FM) who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor.(FN) 16 The woman was very beautiful,(FO) a virgin;(FP) no man had ever slept with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up again.

17 The servant hurried to meet her and said, “Please give me a little water from your jar.”(FQ)

18 “Drink,(FR) my lord,” she said, and quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink.

19 After she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels(FS) too,(FT) until they have had enough to drink.” 20 So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, ran back to the well to draw more water, and drew enough for all his camels.(FU) 21 Without saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn whether or not the Lord had made his journey successful.(FV)

22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring(FW) weighing a beka[o] and two gold bracelets(FX) weighing ten shekels.[p] 23 Then he asked, “Whose daughter are you?(FY) Please tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?(FZ)”

24 She answered him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son that Milkah bore to Nahor.(GA)” 25 And she added, “We have plenty of straw and fodder,(GB) as well as room for you to spend the night.”

26 Then the man bowed down and worshiped the Lord,(GC) 27 saying, “Praise be to the Lord,(GD) the God of my master Abraham,(GE) who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness(GF) to my master. As for me, the Lord has led me on the journey(GG) to the house of my master’s relatives.”(GH)

28 The young woman ran and told her mother’s household about these things.(GI) 29 Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban,(GJ) and he hurried out to the man at the spring. 30 As soon as he had seen the nose ring, and the bracelets on his sister’s arms,(GK) and had heard Rebekah tell what the man said to her, he went out to the man and found him standing by the camels near the spring. 31 “Come, you who are blessed by the Lord,”(GL) he said. “Why are you standing out here? I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.”

32 So the man went to the house, and the camels were unloaded. Straw and fodder(GM) were brought for the camels, and water for him and his men to wash their feet.(GN) 33 Then food was set before him, but he said, “I will not eat until I have told you what I have to say.”

“Then tell us,” Laban said.

34 So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant.(GO) 35 The Lord has blessed(GP) my master abundantly,(GQ) and he has become wealthy.(GR) He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys.(GS) 36 My master’s wife Sarah has borne him a son in her old age,(GT) and he has given him everything he owns.(GU) 37 And my master made me swear an oath,(GV) and said, ‘You must not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live,(GW) 38 but go to my father’s family and to my own clan, and get a wife for my son.’(GX)

39 “Then I asked my master, ‘What if the woman will not come back with me?’(GY)

40 “He replied, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked faithfully,(GZ) will send his angel with you(HA) and make your journey a success,(HB) so that you can get a wife for my son from my own clan and from my father’s family.(HC) 41 You will be released from my oath if, when you go to my clan, they refuse to give her to you—then you will be released from my oath.’(HD)

42 “When I came to the spring today, I said, ‘Lord, God of my master Abraham, if you will, please grant success(HE) to the journey on which I have come. 43 See, I am standing beside this spring.(HF) If a young woman(HG) comes out to draw water and I say to her, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar,”(HH) 44 and if she says to me, “Drink, and I’ll draw water for your camels too,” let her be the one the Lord has chosen for my master’s son.’(HI)

45 “Before I finished praying in my heart,(HJ) Rebekah came out, with her jar on her shoulder.(HK) She went down to the spring and drew water, and I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’(HL)

46 “She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too.’(HM) So I drank, and she watered the camels also.(HN)

47 “I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’(HO)

“She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel(HP) son of Nahor, whom Milkah bore to him.’(HQ)

“Then I put the ring in her nose(HR) and the bracelets on her arms,(HS) 48 and I bowed down and worshiped the Lord.(HT) I praised the Lord, the God of my master Abraham,(HU) who had led me on the right road to get the granddaughter of my master’s brother for his son.(HV) 49 Now if you will show kindness and faithfulness(HW) to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so I may know which way to turn.”

50 Laban and Bethuel(HX) answered, “This is from the Lord;(HY) we can say nothing to you one way or the other.(HZ) 51 Here is Rebekah; take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has directed.(IA)”

52 When Abraham’s servant heard what they said, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord.(IB) 53 Then the servant brought out gold and silver jewelry and articles of clothing(IC) and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave costly gifts(ID) to her brother and to her mother. 54 Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night there.

When they got up the next morning, he said, “Send me on my way(IE) to my master.”

55 But her brother and her mother replied, “Let the young woman remain with us ten days or so;(IF) then you[q] may go.”

56 But he said to them, “Do not detain me, now that the Lord has granted success(IG) to my journey. Send me on my way(IH) so I may go to my master.”

57 Then they said, “Let’s call the young woman and ask her about it.”(II) 58 So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?”

“I will go,”(IJ) she said.

59 So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way,(IK) along with her nurse(IL) and Abraham’s servant and his men. 60 And they blessed(IM) Rebekah and said to her,

“Our sister, may you increase
    to thousands upon thousands;(IN)
may your offspring possess
    the cities of their enemies.”(IO)

61 Then Rebekah and her attendants(IP) got ready and mounted the camels and went back with the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left.

62 Now Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi,(IQ) for he was living in the Negev.(IR) 63 He went out to the field one evening to meditate,[r](IS) and as he looked up,(IT) he saw camels approaching. 64 Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel(IU) 65 and asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?”

“He is my master,” the servant answered. So she took her veil(IV) and covered herself.

66 Then the servant told Isaac all he had done. 67 Isaac brought her into the tent(IW) of his mother Sarah,(IX) and he married Rebekah.(IY) So she became his wife, and he loved her;(IZ) and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.(JA)

The Death of Abraham(JB)

25 Abraham had taken another wife, whose name was Keturah. 2 She bore him Zimran,(JC) Jokshan, Medan, Midian,(JD) Ishbak and Shuah.(JE) 3 Jokshan was the father of Sheba(JF) and Dedan;(JG) the descendants of Dedan were the Ashurites, the Letushites and the Leummites. 4 The sons of Midian were Ephah,(JH) Epher, Hanok, Abida and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah.

5 Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac.(JI) 6 But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines(JJ) and sent them away from his son Isaac(JK) to the land of the east.(JL)

7 Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years.(JM) 8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age,(JN) an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people.(JO) 9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him(JP) in the cave of Machpelah(JQ) near Mamre,(JR) in the field of Ephron(JS) son of Zohar the Hittite,(JT) 10 the field Abraham had bought from the Hittites.[s](JU) There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. 11 After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac,(JV) who then lived near Beer Lahai Roi.(JW)

Ishmael’s Sons(JX)

12 This is the account(JY) of the family line of Abraham’s son Ishmael, whom Sarah’s slave, Hagar(JZ) the Egyptian, bore to Abraham.(KA)

13 These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, listed in the order of their birth: Nebaioth(KB) the firstborn of Ishmael, Kedar,(KC) Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah,(KD) Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema,(KE) Jetur,(KF) Naphish and Kedemah. 16 These were the sons of Ishmael, and these are the names of the twelve tribal rulers(KG) according to their settlements and camps.(KH) 17 Ishmael lived a hundred and thirty-seven years. He breathed his last and died, and he was gathered to his people.(KI) 18 His descendants(KJ) settled in the area from Havilah to Shur,(KK) near the eastern border of Egypt, as you go toward Ashur. And they lived in hostility toward[t] all the tribes related to them.(KL)

Jacob and Esau

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

Abraham became the father of Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years old(KN) when he married Rebekah(KO) daughter of Bethuel(KP) the Aramean from Paddan Aram[u](KQ) and sister of Laban(KR) the Aramean.(KS)

21 Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless.(KT) The Lord answered his prayer,(KU) 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.(KV)

23 The Lord said to her,

“Two nations(KW) are in your womb,
    and two peoples from within you will be separated;
one people will be stronger than the other,
    and the older will serve the younger.(KX)”

24 When the time came for her to give birth,(KY) there were twin boys in her womb.(KZ) 25 The first to come out was red,(LA) and his whole body was like a hairy garment;(LB) so they named him Esau.[v](LC) 26 After this, his brother came out,(LD) with his hand grasping Esau’s heel;(LE) so he was named Jacob.[w](LF) Isaac was sixty years old(LG) when Rebekah gave birth to them.

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

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

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

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

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

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

So Esau despised his birthright.

Isaac and Abimelek(LT)

26 Now there was a famine in the land(LU)—besides the previous famine in Abraham’s time—and Isaac went to Abimelek king of the Philistines(LV) in Gerar.(LW) 2 The Lord appeared(LX) to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt;(LY) live in the land where I tell you to live.(LZ) 3 Stay in this land for a while,(MA) and I will be with you(MB) and will bless you.(MC) For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands(MD) and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham.(ME) 4 I will make your descendants(MF) as numerous as the stars in the sky(MG) and will give them all these lands,(MH) and through your offspring[y] all nations on earth will be blessed,[z](MI) 5 because Abraham obeyed me(MJ) and did everything I required of him, keeping my commands, my decrees(MK) and my instructions.(ML)” 6 So Isaac stayed in Gerar.(MM)

7 When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,(MN)” 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(MO) 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’?(MP)”

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?(MQ) 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(MR) this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”(MS)

12 Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold,(MT) because the Lord blessed him.(MU) 13 The man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy.(MV) 14 He had so many flocks and herds and servants(MW) that the Philistines envied him.(MX) 15 So all the wells(MY) that his father’s servants had dug in the time of his father Abraham, the Philistines stopped up,(MZ) filling them with earth.

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

17 So Isaac moved away from there and encamped in the Valley of Gerar,(NC) where he settled. 18 Isaac reopened the wells(ND) 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(NE) with those of Isaac and said, “The water is ours!”(NF) So he named the well Esek,[aa] because they disputed with him. 21 Then they dug another well, but they quarreled(NG) over that one also; so he named it Sitnah.[ab] 22 He moved on from there and dug another well, and no one quarreled over it. He named it Rehoboth,[ac](NH) saying, “Now the Lord has given us room(NI) and we will flourish(NJ) in the land.”

23 From there he went up to Beersheba.(NK) 24 That night the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham.(NL) Do not be afraid,(NM) for I am with you;(NN) I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants(NO) for the sake of my servant Abraham.”(NP)

25 Isaac built an altar(NQ) there and called on the name of the Lord.(NR) There he pitched his tent, and there his servants dug a well.(NS)

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

28 They answered, “We saw clearly that the Lord was with you;(NV) so we said, ‘There ought to be a sworn agreement between us’—between us and you. Let us make a treaty(NW) with you 29 that you will do us no harm,(NX) 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.”(NY)

30 Isaac then made a feast(NZ) for them, and they ate and drank. 31 Early the next morning the men swore an oath(OA) 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(OB) they had dug. They said, “We’ve found water!” 33 He called it Shibah,[ad] and to this day the name of the town has been Beersheba.[ae](OC)

Jacob Takes Esau’s Blessing

34 When Esau was forty years old,(OD) he married Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and also Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite.(OE) 35 They were a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah.(OF)

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 21:3 Isaac means he laughs.
  2. Genesis 21:12 Or seed
  3. Genesis 21:16 Hebrew; Septuagint the child
  4. Genesis 21:31 Beersheba can mean well of seven and well of the oath.
  5. Genesis 22:13 Many manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint and Syriac; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text a ram behind him
  6. Genesis 22:18 Or seed
  7. Genesis 22:18 Or and all nations on earth will use the name of your offspring in blessings (see 48:20)
  8. Genesis 23:3 Or the descendants of Heth; also in verses 5, 7, 10, 16, 18 and 20
  9. Genesis 23:11 Or sell
  10. Genesis 23:11 Or sell
  11. Genesis 23:11 Or sell
  12. Genesis 23:15 That is, about 10 pounds or about 4.6 kilograms
  13. Genesis 24:7 Or seed
  14. Genesis 24:10 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
  15. Genesis 24:22 That is, about 1/5 ounce or about 5.7 grams
  16. Genesis 24:22 That is, about 4 ounces or about 115 grams
  17. Genesis 24:55 Or she
  18. Genesis 24:63 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  19. Genesis 25:10 Or the descendants of Heth
  20. Genesis 25:18 Or lived to the east of
  21. Genesis 25:20 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
  22. Genesis 25:25 Esau may mean hairy.
  23. Genesis 25:26 Jacob means he grasps the heel, a Hebrew idiom for he deceives.
  24. Genesis 25:30 Edom means red.
  25. Genesis 26:4 Or seed
  26. Genesis 26:4 Or and all nations on earth will use the name of your offspring in blessings (see 48:20)
  27. Genesis 26:20 Esek means dispute.
  28. Genesis 26:21 Sitnah means opposition.
  29. Genesis 26:22 Rehoboth means room.
  30. Genesis 26:33 Shibah can mean oath or seven.
  31. Genesis 26:33 Beersheba can mean well of the oath and well of seven.
Listen to Genesis 21-26
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Genesis 21-26
King James Version

21 And the Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as he had spoken.

2 For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.

3 And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.

4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him.

5 And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.

6 And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.

7 And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.

8 And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.

9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.

10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.

11 And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son.

12 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

13 And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.

14 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.

15 And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.

16 And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bow shot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.

17 And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.

18 Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.

19 And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.

20 And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.

21 And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.

22 And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest:

23 Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son: but according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned.

24 And Abraham said, I will swear.

25 And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away.

26 And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath done this thing; neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to day.

27 And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant.

28 And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.

29 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves?

30 And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well.

31 Wherefore he called that place Beersheba; because there they sware both of them.

32 Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.

33 And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God.

34 And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines' land many days.

22 And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.

2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

3 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.

4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.

5 And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.

6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.

7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?

8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.

10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

11 And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.

12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.

14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.

15 And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,

16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:

17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;

18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

19 So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.

20 And it came to pass after these things, that it was told Abraham, saying, Behold, Milcah, she hath also born children unto thy brother Nahor;

21 Huz his firstborn, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram,

22 And Chesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and Bethuel.

23 And Bethuel begat Rebekah: these eight Milcah did bear to Nahor, Abraham's brother.

24 And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, she bare also Tebah, and Gaham, and Thahash, and Maachah.

23 And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah.

2 And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.

3 And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying,

4 I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.

5 And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him,

6 Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead.

7 And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth.

8 And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and intreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,

9 That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his field; for as much money as it is worth he shall give it me for a possession of a buryingplace amongst you.

10 And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth: and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth, even of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying,

11 Nay, my lord, hear me: the field give I thee, and the cave that is therein, I give it thee; in the presence of the sons of my people give I it thee: bury thy dead.

12 And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land.

13 And he spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, But if thou wilt give it, I pray thee, hear me: I will give thee money for the field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there.

14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him,

15 My lord, hearken unto me: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead.

16 And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant.

17 And the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure

18 Unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city.

19 And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan.

20 And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a buryingplace by the sons of Heth.

24 And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.

2 And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh:

3 And I will make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:

4 But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.

5 And the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest?

6 And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again.

7 The Lord God of heaven, which took me from my father's house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence.

8 And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son thither again.

9 And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that matter.

10 And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor.

11 And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water.

12 And he said O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham.

13 Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water:

14 And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master.

15 And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder.

16 And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up.

17 And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher.

18 And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.

19 And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.

20 And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.

21 And the man wondering at her held his peace, to wit whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not.

22 And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold;

23 And said, Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee: is there room in thy father's house for us to lodge in?

24 And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor.

25 She said moreover unto him, We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in.

26 And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the Lord.

27 And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master's brethren.

28 And the damsel ran, and told them of her mother's house these things.

29 And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban: and Laban ran out unto the man, unto the well.

30 And it came to pass, when he saw the earring and bracelets upon his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, Thus spake the man unto me; that he came unto the man; and, behold, he stood by the camels at the well.

31 And he said, Come in, thou blessed of the Lord; wherefore standest thou without? for I have prepared the house, and room for the camels.

32 And the man came into the house: and he ungirded his camels, and gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet, and the men's feet that were with him.

33 And there was set meat before him to eat: but he said, I will not eat, until I have told mine errand. And he said, Speak on.

34 And he said, I am Abraham's servant.

35 And the Lord hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses.

36 And Sarah my master's wife bare a son to my master when she was old: and unto him hath he given all that he hath.

37 And my master made me swear, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife to my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell:

38 But thou shalt go unto my father's house, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son.

39 And I said unto my master, Peradventure the woman will not follow me.

40 And he said unto me, The Lord, before whom I walk, will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father's house:

41 Then shalt thou be clear from this my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they give not thee one, thou shalt be clear from my oath.

42 And I came this day unto the well, and said, O Lord God of my master Abraham, if now thou do prosper my way which I go:

43 Behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass, that when the virgin cometh forth to draw water, and I say to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink;

44 And she say to me, Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels: let the same be the woman whom the Lord hath appointed out for my master's son.

45 And before I had done speaking in mine heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the well, and drew water: and I said unto her, Let me drink, I pray thee.

46 And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: so I drank, and she made the camels drink also.

47 And I asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? And she said, the daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bare unto him: and I put the earring upon her face, and the bracelets upon her hands.

48 And I bowed down my head, and worshipped the Lord, and blessed the Lord God of my master Abraham, which had led me in the right way to take my master's brother's daughter unto his son.

49 And now if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me: and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left.

50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing proceedeth from the Lord: we cannot speak unto thee bad or good.

51 Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go, and let her be thy master's son's wife, as the Lord hath spoken.

52 And it came to pass, that, when Abraham's servant heard their words, he worshipped the Lord, bowing himself to the earth.

53 And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah: he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things.

54 And they did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him, and tarried all night; and they rose up in the morning, and he said, Send me away unto my master.

55 And her brother and her mother said, Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go.

56 And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the Lord hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master.

57 And they said, We will call the damsel, and enquire at her mouth.

58 And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go.

59 And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant, and his men.

60 And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them.

61 And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man: and the servant took Rebekah, and went his way.

62 And Isaac came from the way of the well Lahairoi; for he dwelt in the south country.

63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming.

64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel.

65 For she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a vail, and covered herself.

66 And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done.

67 And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.

25 Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah.

2 And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah.

3 And Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim.

4 And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abidah, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.

5 And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac.

6 But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country.

7 And these are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years.

8 Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people.

9 And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre;

10 The field which Abraham purchased of the sons of Heth: there was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife.

11 And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac dwelt by the well Lahairoi.

12 Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid, bare unto Abraham:

13 And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam,

14 And Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa,

15 Hadar, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah:

16 These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their towns, and by their castles; twelve princes according to their nations.

17 And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, an hundred and thirty and seven years: and he gave up the ghost and died; and was gathered unto his people.

18 And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur, that is before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria: and he died in the presence of all his brethren.

19 And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham begat Isaac:

20 And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.

21 And Isaac intreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren: and the Lord was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.

22 And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the Lord.

23 And the Lord said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.

24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.

25 And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.

26 And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.

27 And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents.

28 And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob.

29 And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint:

30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.

31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.

32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?

33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.

34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.

26 And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar.

2 And the Lord appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of:

3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;

4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;

5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.

6 And Isaac dwelt in Gerar:

7 And the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said, She is my sister: for he feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah; because she was fair to look upon.

8 And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife.

9 And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety she is thy wife; and how saidst thou, She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for her.

10 And Abimelech said, What is this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife, and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us.

11 And Abimelech charged all his people, saying, He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.

12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the Lord blessed him.

13 And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great:

14 For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him.

15 For all the wells which his father's servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth.

16 And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we.

17 And Isaac departed thence, and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there.

18 And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them.

19 And Isaac's servants digged in the valley, and found there a well of springing water.

20 And the herdmen of Gerar did strive with Isaac's herdmen, saying, The water is ours: and he called the name of the well Esek; because they strove with him.

21 And they digged another well, and strove for that also: and he called the name of it Sitnah.

22 And he removed from thence, and digged another well; and for that they strove not: and he called the name of it Rehoboth; and he said, For now the Lord hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.

23 And he went up from thence to Beersheba.

24 And the Lord appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham's sake.

25 And he builded an altar there, and called upon the name of the Lord, and pitched his tent there: and there Isaac's servants digged a well.

26 Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath one of his friends, and Phichol the chief captain of his army.

27 And Isaac said unto them, Wherefore come ye to me, seeing ye hate me, and have sent me away from you?

28 And they said, We saw certainly that the Lord was with thee: and we said, Let there be now an oath betwixt us, even betwixt us and thee, and let us make a covenant with thee;

29 That thou wilt do us no hurt, as we have not touched thee, and as we have done unto thee nothing but good, and have sent thee away in peace: thou art now the blessed of the Lord.

30 And he made them a feast, and they did eat and drink.

31 And they rose up betimes in the morning, and sware one to another: and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.

32 And it came to pass the same day, that Isaac's servants came, and told him concerning the well which they had digged, and said unto him, We have found water.

33 And he called it Shebah: therefore the name of the city is Beersheba unto this day.

34 And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite:

35 Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah.

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