Genesis 11-25
Contemporary English Version
The Tower of Babel
11 At first everyone spoke the same language, 2 but after some of them moved from the east[a] and settled in Babylonia,[b] 3-4 they said:
Let's build a city with a tower that reaches to the sky! We'll use hard bricks and tar instead of stone and mortar. We'll become famous, and we won't be scattered all over the world.
5 But when the Lord came down to look at the city and the tower, 6 he said:
These people are working together because they all speak the same language. This is just the beginning. Soon they will be able to do anything they want. 7 Let's go down and confuse them! We'll make them speak different languages, and they won't be able to understand each other.
8-9 So the people had to stop building the city, because the Lord confused their language and scattered them all over the earth. That's how the city of Babel[c] got its name.
The Descendants of Shem
10-11 Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100, he had a son named Arpachshad. He had more children and died at the age of 600. This is a list of his descendants:
12 When Arpachshad was 35, he had a son named Shelah. 13 Arpachshad had more children and died at the age of 438.
14 When Shelah was 30, he had a son named Eber. 15 Shelah had more children and died at the age of 433.
16 When Eber was 34, he had a son named Peleg. 17 Eber had more children and died at the age of 464.
18 When Peleg was 30, he had a son named Reu. 19 Peleg had more children and died at the age of 239.
20 When Reu was 32 he had a son named Serug. 21 Reu had more children and died at the age of 239.
22 When Serug was 30, he had a son named Nahor. 23 Serug had more children and died at the age of 230.
24 When Nahor was 29, he had a son named Terah. 25 Nahor had more children and died at the age of 148.
The Descendants of Terah
26-28 After Terah was 70 years old, he had three sons: Abram, Nahor, and Haran, who became the father of Lot. Terah's sons were born in the city of Ur in Chaldea,[d] and Haran died there before the death of his father. The following is the story of Terah's descendants.
29-30 Abram married Sarai, but she was not able to have children. And Nahor married Milcah, who was the daughter of Haran and the sister of Iscah.
31 Terah decided to move from Ur to the land of Canaan. He took along Abram and Sarai and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran. But when they came to the city of Haran,[e] they settled there instead. 32 Terah lived to be 205 years old and died in Haran.
The Lord Chooses Abram
12 (A) The Lord said to Abram:
Leave your country, your family, and your relatives and go to the land that I will show you. 2 I will bless you and make your descendants into a great nation. You will become famous and be a blessing to others. 3 (B) I will bless those who bless you, but I will put a curse on anyone who puts a curse on you. Everyone on earth will be blessed because of you.[f]
4-5 Abram was 75 years old when the Lord told him to leave the city of Haran. He obeyed and left with his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all the possessions and slaves they had acquired while in Haran.
When they came to the land of Canaan, 6 Abram went as far as the sacred tree of Moreh in a place called Shechem. The Canaanites were still living in the land at that time, 7 (C) but the Lord appeared to Abram and promised, “I will give this land to your family forever.” Abram then built an altar there for the Lord.
8 Abram traveled to the hill country east of Bethel and camped between Bethel and Ai, where he built another altar and worshiped the Lord. 9 Later, Abram started out toward the Southern Desert.
Abram in Egypt
10-11 The crops failed, and there was no food anywhere in Canaan. So Abram and his wife Sarai went to live in Egypt for a while. But just before they got there, Abram said, “Sarai, you are really beautiful! 12 When the Egyptians see you, they will murder me because I am your husband. But they won't kill you. 13 (D) Please save my life by saying you are my sister.”
14 As soon as Abram and Sarai arrived in Egypt, the Egyptians noticed how beautiful she was. 15 The king's[g] officials told him about her, and she was taken to his house. 16 The king was good to Abram because of Sarai, and Abram was given sheep, cattle, donkeys, slaves, and camels.
17 Because of Sarai, the Lord struck the king and everyone in his palace with terrible diseases. 18 Finally, the king sent for Abram and said to him, “What have you done to me? Why didn't you tell me Sarai was your wife? 19 Why did you make me believe she was your sister? Now I've married her. Take her and go! She's your wife.”
20 So the king told his men to let Abram and Sarai take their possessions and leave.
Abram and Lot Separate
13 Abram and Sarai took everything they owned and went to the Southern Desert. Lot went with them.
2 Abram was very rich. He owned many cattle, sheep, and goats, and had a lot of silver and gold. 3 Abram moved from place to place in the Southern Desert. And finally, he went north and set up his tents between Bethel and Ai, 4 where he had earlier camped and built an altar. There he worshiped the Lord.
5 Lot, who was traveling with him, also had sheep, goats, and cattle, as well as his own family and slaves. 6-7 At this time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were still living in the same area, and so there wasn't enough pastureland left for Abram and Lot with all of their animals. Besides this, the men who took care of Abram's animals and the ones who took care of Lot's animals started quarreling.
8 Abram said to Lot, “We are close relatives. We shouldn't argue, and our men shouldn't be fighting one another. 9 There is plenty of land for you to choose from. Let's separate. If you go north, I'll go south; if you go south, I'll go north.”
10 (E) This happened before the Lord had destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. And when Lot looked around, he saw there was plenty of water in the Jordan Valley. All the way to Zoar the valley was as green as the garden of the Lord or the land of Egypt. 11 So Lot chose the whole Jordan Valley for himself, and as he started out toward the east, he and Abram separated. 12 Abram stayed in the land of Canaan. But Lot settled near the cities of the valley and put up his tents not far from Sodom, 13 where the people were evil and sinned terribly against the Lord.
Abram Moves to Hebron
14 After Abram and Lot had gone their separate ways, the Lord said to Abram:
Look around to the north, south, east, and west. 15 (F) I will give you and your family all the land you can see. It will be theirs forever! 16 I will give you more descendants than there are specks of dust on the earth, and someday it will be easier to count those specks of dust than to count your descendants. 17 Now walk back and forth across the land, because I am going to give it to you.
18 Abram took down his tents and went to live near the sacred trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar in honor of the Lord.
Abram Rescues Lot
14 About this time, King Amraphel of Babylonia,[h] King Arioch of Ellasar, King Chedorlaomer of Elam, and King Tidal of Goiim 2 attacked King Bera of Sodom, King Birsha of Gomorrah, King Shinab of Admah, King Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, a city also known as Zoar. 3-4 King Chedorlaomer and his allies had ruled these last five kings for twelve years, but in the thirteenth year the kings rebelled and joined forces in Siddim Valley, which is now covered by the southern part of the Dead Sea.
5 A year later King Chedorlaomer and his allies attacked and defeated the Rephaites in Ashteroth-Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, and the Emites in Shaveh-Kiriathaim. 6 They also defeated the Horites in the hill country of Edom,[i] as far as El-Paran, near the desert.
7 They went back to the city of Enmishpat, better known as Kadesh. Then they captured all the land that belonged to the Amalekites, and they defeated the Amorites who were living in Hazazon-Tamar.
8-9 At Siddim Valley, the armies of the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela fought the armies of King Chedorlaomer of Elam, King Tidal of Goiim, King Amraphel of Babylonia, and King Arioch of Ellasar. The valley 10 was full of tar pits, and when the troops from Sodom and Gomorrah started running away, some of them fell into the pits. Others escaped to the hill country. 11 Their enemies took everything of value from Sodom and Gomorrah, including their food supplies. 12 They also captured Abram's nephew Lot, who lived in Sodom. They took him and his possessions and then left.
13 At this time Abram the Hebrew was living near the oaks that belonged to Mamre the Amorite. Mamre and his brothers Eshcol and Aner were Abram's friends. Someone who had escaped from the battle told Abram 14 that his nephew Lot had been taken away. Three hundred and eighteen of Abram's servants were fighting men, so he took them and followed the enemy as far north as the city of Dan.
15 That night, Abram divided up his troops, attacked from all sides, and won a great victory. But some of the enemy escaped to the town of Hobah north of Damascus, 16 and Abram went after them. He brought back his nephew Lot, together with Lot's possessions and the women and everyone else who had been captured.
Abram Is Blessed by Melchizedek
17 Abram returned after he had defeated King Chedorlaomer and the other kings. Then the king of Sodom went to meet Abram in Shaveh Valley, which is also known as King's Valley.
18 (G) King Melchizedek of Salem was a priest of God Most High. He brought out some bread and wine 19 and said to Abram:
“I bless you in the name
of God Most High,
Creator of heaven and earth.
20 All praise belongs
to God Most High
for helping you defeat
your enemies.”
Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything.
21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, “All I want are my people. You can keep everything else.”
22 Abram answered:
The Lord God Most High made the heavens and the earth. And I have promised him 23 that I won't keep anything of yours, not even a sandal strap or a piece of thread. Then you can never say that you are the one who made me rich. 24 Let my share be the food that my men have eaten. But Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre went with me, so give them their share of what we brought back.
The Lord's Promise to Abram
15 Later the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision, “Abram, don't be afraid! I will protect you and reward you greatly.”
2 But Abram answered, “Lord All-Powerful, you have given me everything I could ask for, except children. And when I die, Eliezer of Damascus will get all I own.[j] 3 You have not given me any children, and this servant of mine will inherit everything.”
4 The Lord replied, “No, he won't! You will have a son of your own, and everything you have will be his.” 5 (H) Then the Lord took Abram outside and said, “Look at the sky and see if you can count the stars. That's how many descendants you will have.” 6 (I) Abram believed the Lord, so the Lord was pleased with him and accepted him.
The Lord Makes Another Promise to Abram
7 The Lord said to Abram, “I brought you here from Ur in Chaldea, and I gave you this land.”
8 Abram asked, “Lord God, how can I know the land will be mine?”
9 Then the Lord told him, “Bring me a three-year-old cow, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a dove, and a young pigeon.”
10 Abram obeyed the Lord. Then he cut[k] the animals in half and laid the two halves of each animal opposite each other on the ground. But he did not cut the doves and pigeons in half. 11 And when birds came down to eat the animals, Abram chased them away.
12 (J) As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and everything became dark and frightening. 13-15 (K) Then the Lord said:
Abram, you will live to an old age and die in peace.
But I solemnly promise that your descendants will live as foreigners in a land that doesn't belong to them. They will be forced into slavery and abused for 400 years. But I will terribly punish the nation that enslaves them, and they will leave with many possessions.
16 Four generations later,[l] your descendants will return here and take this land, because only then will the people who live here[m] be so sinful that they deserve to be punished.
17 Sometime after sunset, when it was very dark, a smoking cooking pot[n] and a flaming fire passed between the two halves of each animal. 18 (L) At that time the Lord made an agreement with Abram and told him:
I will give your descendants the land east of the Shihor River[o] on the border of Egypt as far as the Euphrates River. 19 They will possess the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaites, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.
Hagar and Ishmael
16 Abram's wife Sarai had not been able to have any children. But she owned a young Egyptian slave woman named Hagar, 2 and Sarai said to Abram, “The Lord has not given me any children. Sleep with my slave, and if she has a child, it will be mine.”[p] Abram agreed, 3 and Sarai gave him Hagar to be his wife. This happened after Abram had lived in the land of Canaan for ten years. 4 Later, when Hagar knew she was going to have a baby, she became proud and treated Sarai hatefully.
5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “It's all your fault![q] I gave you my slave woman, but she has been hateful to me ever since she found out she was pregnant. You have done me wrong, and you will have to answer to the Lord for this.”
6 Abram said, “All right! She's your slave—do whatever you want with her.” Then Sarai began treating Hagar so harshly that she finally ran away.
7 Hagar stopped to rest at a spring in the desert on the road to Shur. While she was there, the angel of the Lord came to her 8 and asked, “Hagar, where have you come from, and where are you going?”
She answered, “I'm running away from Sarai, my owner.”
9 The angel said, “Go back to Sarai and be her slave. 10-11 I will give you a son, who will be called Ishmael,[r] because I have heard your cry for help. And someday I will give you so many descendants that no one will be able to count them all. 12 But your son will live far from his relatives; he will be like a wild donkey, fighting everyone, and everyone fighting him.”
13 Hagar thought, “Have I really seen God and lived to tell about it?”[s] So from then on she called him, “The God Who Sees Me.”[t] 14 That's why people call the well between Kadesh and Bered, “The Well of the Living One Who Sees Me.”[u]
15-16 (M) Abram was 86 years old when Hagar gave birth to their son, and he named him Ishmael.
God's Promise to Abraham
17 When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him again and said, “I am God All-Powerful. If you obey me and always do right, 2 I will keep my solemn promise to you and give you more descendants than can be counted.” 3 Abram bowed with his face to the ground, and God said:
4-5 (N) I promise that you will be the father of many nations. So now I'm changing your name from Abram to Abraham.[v] 6 I will give you a lot of descendants, and they will become great nations. Some of them will even be kings.
7 (O) I will always keep the promise I have made to you and your descendants, because I am your God and their God. 8 (P) I will give you and them the land in which you are now a foreigner. I will give the whole land of Canaan to your family forever, and I will be their God.
9 Abraham, you and all future members of your family must promise to obey me. 10-11 (Q) As the sign that you are keeping this promise, you must circumcise every man and boy in your family. 12-13 From now on, your family must circumcise every baby boy when he is eight days old. You must even circumcise any man or boy you have as a slave, both those born in your homes and those you buy from foreigners. This will be a sign that my promise to you will last forever. 14 Any man who isn't circumcised hasn't kept his part of the promise and cannot be one of my people.
15 Abraham, from now on your wife's name will be Sarah instead of Sarai. 16 I will bless her, and you will have a son by her. She will become the mother of nations, and some of her descendants will even be kings.
17 Abraham bowed with his face to the ground and thought, “I am almost 100 years old. How can I become a father? And Sarah is 90. How can she have a child?” So he started laughing. 18 Then he asked God, “Why not let Ishmael[w] inherit what you have promised me?”
19 But God answered:
No! You and Sarah will have a son. His name will be Isaac,[x] and I will make an everlasting promise to him and his descendants.
20 However, I have heard what you asked me to do for Ishmael, and so I will also bless him with many descendants. He will be the father of twelve princes, and I will make his family a great nation. 21 But your son Isaac will be born about this time next year, and the promise I am making to you and your family will be for him and his descendants forever.
22 God finished speaking to Abraham and then left.
23-27 On that same day Abraham obeyed God by circumcising Ishmael. Abraham was also circumcised, and so were all the other men and boys in his household, including his servants and slaves. He was 99 years old at the time, and his son Ishmael was 13.
The Lord Promises Abraham a Son
18 One hot summer afternoon while Abraham was sitting by the entrance to his tent near the sacred trees of Mamre, the Lord appeared to him. 2 (R) Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. He quickly ran to meet them, bowed with his face to the ground, 3 and said, “Please come to my home where I can serve you. 4 I'll have some water brought, so you can wash your feet, then you can rest under a tree. 5 Let me get you some food to give you strength before you leave. I would be honored to serve you.”
“Thank you very much,” they answered. “We accept your offer.”
6 Abraham went quickly to his tent and said to Sarah, “Hurry! Get a large sack of flour and make some bread.” 7 After saying this, he rushed off to his herd of cattle and picked out one of the best calves, which his servant quickly prepared. 8 He then served his guests some yogurt and milk together with the meat.
While they were eating, he stood near them under the tree, 9 and they asked, “Where's your wife Sarah?”
“She is right there in the tent,” Abraham answered.
10 (S) One of the guests was the Lord, and he said, “I'll come back about this time next year, and when I do, Sarah will already have a son.”
Sarah was behind Abraham, listening at the entrance to the tent. 11 Abraham and Sarah were very old, and Sarah was well past the age for having children. 12 (T) So she laughed and said to herself, “Now that I am worn out and my husband is old, will I really know such happiness?”[y]
13 The Lord asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Does she doubt that she can have a child in her old age? 14 (U) I am the Lord! There is nothing too difficult for me. I'll come back next year at the time I promised, and Sarah will already have a son.”
15 Sarah was so frightened that she lied and said, “I didn't laugh.”
“Yes, you did!” he answered.
Abraham Prays for Sodom
16 When the three men got ready to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked part of the way with them.
17 The Lord said to himself, “I should tell Abraham what I am going to do, 18 since his family will become a great and powerful nation that will be a blessing to all the other nations on earth.[z] 19 I have chosen him to teach his family to obey me forever and to do what is right and fair. If they do, I will give Abraham many descendants, just as I promised.”
20 The Lord said, “Abraham, I have heard that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah are doing all kinds of evil things. 21 Now I am going down to see for myself if those people really are that bad. If they aren't, I would like to know.”
22 The men turned and started toward Sodom. But the Lord stayed with Abraham. 23 And Abraham asked him, “Lord, when you destroy the evil people, are you also going to destroy those who are good? 24 Wouldn't you spare the city if there are only 50 good people in it? 25 You surely wouldn't let them be killed when you destroy the evil ones. You are the judge of all the earth, and you do what is right.”
26 The Lord replied, “If I find 50 good people in Sodom, I will save the city to keep them from being killed.”
27 Abraham answered, “I am nothing more than the dust of the earth. Please forgive me, Lord, for daring to speak to you like this. 28 But suppose there are only 45 good people in Sodom. Would you still wipe out the whole city?”
“If I find 45 good people,” the Lord replied, “I won't destroy the city.”
29 “Suppose there are just 40 good people?” Abraham asked.
“Even for them,” the Lord replied, “I won't destroy the city.”
30 Abraham said, “Please don't be angry, Lord, if I ask you what you will do if there are only 30 good people in the city.”
“If I find 30,” the Lord replied, “I still won't destroy it.”
31 Then Abraham said, “I don't have any right to ask you, Lord, but what would you do if you find only 20?”
“Because of them, I won't destroy the city,” was the Lord's answer.
32 Finally, Abraham said, “Please don't get angry, Lord, if I speak just once more. Suppose you find only 10 good people there.”
“For the sake of 10 good people,” the Lord told him, “I still won't destroy the city.”
33 After speaking with Abraham, the Lord left, and Abraham went back home.
The Evil City of Sodom
19 That evening, while Lot was sitting near the city gate,[aa] the two angels[ab] arrived in Sodom. When Lot saw them, he got up, bowed down low, 2 and said, “Gentlemen, I am your servant. Please come to my home. You can wash your feet, spend the night, and be on your way in the morning.”
They told him, “No, we'll spend the night in the city square.” 3 But Lot kept insisting, until they finally agreed and went home with him. He quickly baked some bread,[ac] cooked a meal, and they ate.
4 Before Lot and his guests could go to bed, every man in Sodom, young and old, came and stood outside his house 5 (V) and started shouting, “Where are your visitors? Send them out, so we can have sex with them!”
6 Lot went outside and shut the door behind him. 7 Then he said, “Friends, please don't do such a terrible thing! 8 I have two daughters who have never had sex. I'll bring them out, and you can do what you want with them. But don't harm these men. They are guests in my home.”
9 “Don't get in our way,” the crowd answered. “You're a foreigner. What right do you have to order us around? We'll do worse things to you than we're going to do to them.”
The crowd kept arguing with Lot. Finally, they rushed toward the door to break it down. 10 But the two angels in the house reached out and pulled Lot safely inside. 11 (W) Then they struck blind everyone in the crowd, and none of them could even find the door.
12-13 The two angels said to Lot, “The Lord has heard many terrible things about the people of Sodom, and he has sent us here to destroy the city. Take your family and leave. Take every relative you have in the city, as well as the men your daughters are going to marry.”
14 Lot went to the men who were engaged to his daughters and said, “Hurry up and get out of here! The Lord is going to destroy this city.” But they thought he was joking, and they laughed at him.
15 Early the next morning the two angels tried to make Lot hurry and leave. They said, “Take your wife and your two daughters and get away from here as fast as you can! If you don't, every one of you will be killed when the Lord destroys the city.” 16 (X) At first, Lot just stood there. But the Lord wanted to save him. So the angels took Lot, his wife, and his two daughters by the hand and led them out of the city. 17 When they were outside, one of the angels said, “Run for your lives! Don't even look back. And don't stop in the valley. Run to the hills, where you'll be safe.”
18-19 Lot answered, “You have done us a great favor, sir. You have saved our lives, but please don't make us go to the hills. That's too far away. The city will be destroyed before we can get there, and we will be killed when it happens. 20 There's a town near here. It's only a small place, but my family and I will be safe, if you let us go there.”
21 “All right, go there,” he answered. “I won't destroy that town. 22 Hurry! Run! I can't do anything until you are safely there.”
The town was later called Zoar[ad] because Lot had said it was small.
Sodom and Gomorrah Are Destroyed
23 The sun was coming up as Lot reached the town of Zoar, 24 (Y) and the Lord sent burning sulfur down like rain on Sodom and Gomorrah. 25 He destroyed those cities and everyone who lived in them, as well as their land and the trees and grass that grew there.
26 (Z) On the way, Lot's wife looked back and was turned into a block of salt.
27 That same morning Abraham got up and went to the place where he had stood and spoken with the Lord. 28 He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and saw smoke rising from all over the land—it was like a flaming furnace.
29 When God destroyed the cities of the valley where Lot lived, he remembered his promise to Abraham and saved Lot from the terrible destruction.
Moab and Ammon
30 Lot was afraid to stay on in Zoar. So he took his two daughters and moved to a cave in the hill country. 31 One day his older daughter said to her sister, “Our father is old, and there are no men anywhere for us to marry. 32 Let's get our father drunk! Then we can sleep with him and have children.” 33 That night they got their father drunk, and the older daughter got in bed with him, but he was too drunk even to know she was there.
34 The next day the older daughter said to her sister, “I slept with my father last night. We'll get him drunk again tonight, so you can sleep with him, and we can each have a child.” 35 That night they got their father drunk, and this time the younger sister slept with him. But once again he was too drunk even to know she was there.
36 That's how Lot's two daughters had children. 37 The older daughter named her son Moab,[ae] and he is the ancestor of the Moabites. 38 The younger daughter named her son Benammi,[af] and he is the ancestor of the Ammonites.
Abraham and Sarah at Gerar
20 Abraham moved to the Southern Desert, where he settled between Kadesh and Shur. Later he went to Gerar, and while there 2 (AA) he told everyone that his wife Sarah was his sister. So King Abimelech of Gerar had Sarah brought to him. 3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream and said, “You have taken a married woman into your home, and for this you will die!”
4-5 Abimelech said to the Lord, “Don't kill me! I haven't slept with Sarah. Didn't they say they were brother and sister? I am completely innocent.”
6 Then God continued:
I know you are innocent. That's why I kept you from sleeping with Sarah and doing anything wrong. 7 Her husband is a prophet. Let her go back to him, and his prayers will save you from death. But if you don't return her, you and all your people will die.
8 Early the next morning Abimelech sent for his officials, and when he told them what had happened, they were frightened. 9 Abimelech then called in Abraham and said:
Look what you've done to us! What have I ever done to you? Why did you make me and my nation guilty of such a terrible sin? 10 What were you thinking when you did this?
11 Abraham answered:
I did it because I didn't think any of you respected God, and I was sure that someone would kill me to get my wife. 12 Besides, she is my half sister. We have the same father, but different mothers. 13 When God made us leave my father's home and start wandering, I told her, “If you really love me, then tell everyone that I am your brother.”
14 After Abimelech had given Abraham some sheep, cattle, and slaves, he sent Sarah back 15 and told Abraham he could settle anywhere in his country. 16 Then he said to Sarah, “I have given your brother 1,000 pieces of silver as proof to everyone that you have done nothing wrong.”[ag]
17-18 Meanwhile, God had kept Abimelech's wife and slaves from having children. But Abraham prayed, and God let them start having children again.
Sarah Has a Son
21 The Lord was good to Sarah and kept his promise. 2 (AB) Although Abraham was very old, Sarah had a son exactly at the time God had said. 3 Abraham named his son Isaac, 4 (AC) and when the boy was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, just as God had commanded.
5 Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born, 6 and Sarah said, “God has made me laugh.[ah] And now everyone will laugh with me. 7 Who would have dared to tell Abraham that someday I would have a child? But in his old age, I have given him a son.”
8 The time came when Sarah no longer had to nurse Isaac,[ai] and on that day Abraham gave a big feast.
Hagar and Ishmael Are Sent Away
9-10 (AD) One day, Sarah noticed Hagar's son Ishmael[aj] playing,[ak] and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that Egyptian slave woman and her son! I don't want him to inherit anything. It should all go to my son.”[al]
11 Abraham was worried about Ishmael. 12 (AE) But God said, “Abraham, don't worry about your slave woman and the boy. Just do what Sarah tells you. Isaac will inherit your family name, 13 but the son of the slave woman is also your son, and I will make his descendants into a great nation.”
14 Early the next morning Abraham gave Hagar an animal skin full of water and some bread. Then he put the boy on her shoulder and sent them away.
They wandered around in the desert near Beersheba, 15 and after they had run out of water, Hagar put her son under a bush. 16 Then she sat down a long way off, because she could not bear to watch him die. And she cried bitterly.
17 When God heard the boy crying, the angel of God called out to Hagar from heaven and said, “Hagar, why are you worried? Don't be afraid. I have heard your son crying. 18 Help him up and hold his hand, because I will make him the father of a great nation.” 19 Then God let her see a well. So she went to the well and filled the skin with water, then gave some to her son.
20-21 God blessed Ishmael, and as the boy grew older, he became an expert at hunting with his bow and arrows. He lived in the Paran Desert, and his mother chose an Egyptian woman for him to marry.
A Peace Treaty
22 (AF) About this time Abimelech and his army commander Phicol said to Abraham, “God blesses everything you do! 23 Now I want you to promise in the name of God that you will always be loyal to me and my descendants, just as I have always been loyal to you in this land where you have lived as a foreigner.” 24 And so, Abraham promised he would.
25 One day, Abraham told Abimelech, “Some of your servants have taken over one of my wells.”
26 “This is the first I've heard about it,” Abimelech replied. “Why haven't you said something before? I don't have any idea who did it.” 27 Abraham gave Abimelech some sheep and cattle, then the two men made a peace treaty.
28 Abraham separated seven female lambs from his flock of sheep, 29 and Abimelech asked, “Why have you done this?”
30 Abraham replied, “I want you to accept these seven lambs as proof that I dug this well.” 31 So they called the place Beersheba,[am] because they made a treaty there.
32 When the treaty was completed, Abimelech and his army commander Phicol went back to the land of the Philistines. 33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree[an] in Beersheba and worshiped the eternal Lord God. 34 Then Abraham lived a long time as a foreigner in the land of the Philistines.
The Lord Tells Abraham To Offer Isaac as a Sacrifice
22 (AG) Some years later God decided to test Abraham, so he spoke to him.
Abraham answered, “Here I am, Lord.”
2 (AH) The Lord said, “Go get Isaac, your only son, the one you dearly love! Take him to the land of Moriah, and I will show you a mountain where you must sacrifice him to me on the fires of an altar.” 3 So Abraham got up early the next morning and chopped wood for the fire. He put a saddle on his donkey and set out with Isaac and two servants for the place where God had told him to go.
4 Three days later Abraham looked off in the distance and saw the place. 5 He told his servants, “Stay here with the donkey, while my son and I go over there to worship. We will come back.”
6 Abraham put the wood on Isaac's shoulder, but he carried the hot coals and the knife. As the two of them walked along, 7-8 Isaac said, “Father, we have the coals and the wood, but where is the lamb for the sacrifice?”
“My son,” Abraham answered, “God will provide the lamb.”
The two of them walked on, and 9 (AI) when they reached the place that God had told him about, Abraham built an altar and placed the wood on it. Next, he tied up his son and put him on the wood. 10 (AJ) He then took the knife and got ready to kill his son. 11 But the Lord's angel shouted from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”
“Here I am!” he answered.
12 “Don't hurt the boy or harm him in any way!” the angel said. “Now I know that you truly obey God, because you were willing to offer him your only son.”
13 Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in the bushes. So he took the ram and sacrificed it instead of his son.
14 Abraham named that place “The Lord Will Provide.” And even now people say, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”[ao]
15 The Lord's angel called out from heaven a second time:
16 (AK) You were willing to offer your only son to the Lord, and so he makes you this solemn promise, 17 (AL) “I will bless you and give you such a large family, that someday your descendants will be more numerous than the stars in the sky or the grains of sand along the seashore. They will defeat their enemies and take over the cities where their enemies live. 18 (AM) You have obeyed me, and so you and your descendants will be a blessing to all nations on earth.”
19 Abraham and Isaac went back to the servants who had come with him, and they returned to Abraham's home in Beersheba.
The Children of Nahor
20-23 Abraham's brother Nahor had married Milcah, and Abraham was later told that they had eight sons. Uz was their first-born; Buz was next, and then there was Kemuel the father of Aram; their other five sons were: Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel the father of Rebekah. 24 Nahor also had another wife.[ap] Her name was Reumah, and she had four sons: Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.
Sarah's Death and Burial
23 1-2 When Sarah was 127 years old, she died in Kiriath-Arba, better known as Hebron, in the land of Canaan. After Abraham had mourned for her, 3 he went to the Hittites and said, 4 (AN) “I live as a foreigner in your land, and I don't own any property where I can bury my wife. Please let me buy a piece of land.”
5-6 “Sir,” they answered, “you are an important man. Choose the best place to bury your wife. None of us would refuse you a resting place for your dead.”
7 Abraham bowed down 8 and replied, “If you are willing to let me bury my wife here, please ask Zohar's son Ephron 9 to sell me Machpelah Cave at the end of his field. I'll pay what it's worth, and all of you can be witnesses.”
10 Ephron was sitting there near the city gate, when Abraham made this request, and he answered, 11 “Sir, the whole field, including the cave, is yours. With my own people as witnesses, I freely give it to you as a burial place for your dead.”
12 Once again, Abraham bowed down 13 and said to Ephron, “In front of these witnesses, I offer you the full price, so I can bury my wife. Please accept my offer.”
14-15 “But sir,” the man replied, “the property is worth only 400 pieces of silver. Why should we haggle over such a small amount? Take the land. It's yours.”
16-18 Abraham accepted Ephron's offer and paid him the 400 pieces of silver in front of everyone at the city gate. That's how Abraham came to own Ephron's property east of Mamre,[aq] which included the field with all of its trees, as well as Machpelah Cave at the end of the field. 19 So Abraham buried his wife Sarah in Machpelah Cave that was in the field 20 he had bought from the Hittites.
A Wife for Isaac
24 Abraham was now a very old man. The Lord had made him rich, and he was successful in everything he did. 2 One day, Abraham called in his most trusted servant and said to him, “Solemnly promise me 3 in the name of the Lord, who rules heaven and earth, that you won't choose a wife for my son Isaac from the people here in the land of Canaan. 4 Instead, go back to the land where I was born and find a wife for him from among my relatives.”
5 But the servant asked, “What if the young woman I choose refuses to leave home and come here with me? Should I send Isaac there to look for a wife?”
6 “No!” Abraham answered. “Don't ever do that, no matter what. 7 The Lord who rules heaven brought me here from the land where I was born and promised that he would give this land to my descendants forever. When you go back there, the Lord will send his angel ahead of you to help you find a wife for my son. 8 If the woman refuses to come along, you don't have to keep this promise. But don't ever take my son back there.” 9 So the servant gave Abraham his word that he would do everything he had been told to do.
10 Soon after that, the servant loaded ten of Abraham's camels with valuable gifts. Then he set out for the city in northern Syria,[ar] where Abraham's brother Nahor lived.
11 When he got there, he let the camels rest near the well outside the city. It was late afternoon, the time when the women came out for water. 12 The servant prayed:
You, Lord, are the God my master Abraham worships. Please keep your promise to him and let me find a wife for Isaac today. 13 The young women of the city will soon come to this well for water, 14 and I'll ask one of them for a drink. If she gives me a drink and then offers to get some water for my camels, I'll know she is the one you have chosen and that you have kept your promise to my master.
15-16 While he was still praying, a beautiful unmarried young woman came by with a water jar on her shoulder. She was Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Abraham's brother Nahor and his wife Milcah. Rebekah walked past Abraham's servant, then went over to the well, and filled her water jar. When she started back, 17 Abraham's servant ran to her and said, “Please let me have a drink of water.”
18 “I'll be glad to,” she answered. Then she quickly took the jar from her shoulder and held it while he drank. 19-20 After he had finished, she said, “Now I'll give your camels all the water they want.” She quickly poured out water for them, and she kept going back for more, until his camels had drunk all they wanted. 21 Abraham's servant did not say a word, but he watched everything Rebekah did, because he wanted to know for certain if this was the woman the Lord had chosen.
22 The servant had brought along an expensive gold ring and two large gold bracelets. When Rebekah had finished bringing the water, he gave her the ring for her nose[as] and the bracelets for her arms. 23 Then he said, “Please tell me who your father is. Does he have room in his house for me and my men to spend the night?”
24 She answered, “My father is Bethuel, the son of Nahor and Milcah. 25 We have a place where you and your men can stay, and we also have enough straw and feed for your camels.”
26 Then the servant bowed his head and prayed, 27 “I thank you, Lord God of my master Abraham! You have led me to his relatives and kept your promise to him.”
28 Rebekah ran straight home and told her family everything. 29-30 Her brother Laban heard her tell what the servant had said, and he saw the ring and the bracelets she was wearing. So Laban ran out to Abraham's servant, who was standing by his camels at the well. 31 Then Laban said, “The Lord has brought you safely here. Come home with me. There's no need for you to keep on standing outside. I have a room ready for you in our house, and there's also a place for your camels.”
32 Abraham's servant went home with Laban, where Laban's servants unloaded his camels and gave them straw and feed. Then they brought water into the house, so Abraham's servant and his men could wash their feet. 33 After that, they brought in food. But the servant said, “Before I eat, I must tell you why I have come.”
“Go ahead and tell us,” Laban answered.
34 The servant explained:
I am Abraham's servant. 35 The Lord has been good to my master and has made him very rich. He has given him many sheep, goats, cattle, camels, and donkeys, as well as a lot of silver and gold, and many slaves. 36 Sarah, my master's wife, didn't have any children until she was very old. Then she had a son, and my master has given him everything. 37 I solemnly promised my master that I would do what he said. And he told me, “Don't choose a wife for my son from the women in this land of Canaan. 38 Instead, go back to the land where I was born and find a wife for my son from among my relatives.”
39 I asked my master, “What if the young woman refuses to come with me?”
40 My master answered, “I have always obeyed the Lord, and he will send his angel to help you find my son a wife from among my own relatives. 41 But if they refuse to let her come back with you, then you are freed from your promise.”
42 When I came to the well today, I silently prayed, “You, Lord, are the God my master Abraham worships, so please lead me to a wife for his son 43 while I am here at the well. When a young woman comes out to get water, I'll ask her to give me a drink. 44 If she gives me a drink and offers to get some water for my camels, I'll know she is the one you have chosen.”
45 Even before I had finished praying, Rebekah came by with a water jar on her shoulder. When she had filled the jar, I asked her for a drink. 46 She quickly lowered the jar from her shoulder and said, “Have a drink. Then I'll get water for your camels.” So I drank, and after that she got some water for my camels. 47 I asked her who her father was, and she answered, “My father is Bethuel the son of Nahor and Milcah.” At once I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her arms. 48 Then I bowed my head and gave thanks to the God my master Abraham worships. The Lord had led me straight to my master's relatives, and I had found a wife for his son.
49 Now please tell me if you are willing to do the right thing for my master. Will you treat him fairly, or do I have to look for another young woman?
50 Laban and Bethuel answered, “The Lord has done this. We have no choice in the matter. 51 Take Rebekah with you; she can marry your master's son, just as the Lord has said.” 52 Abraham's servant bowed down and thanked the Lord. 53 Then he gave clothing, as well as silver and gold jewelry, to Rebekah. He also gave expensive gifts to her brother and her mother.
54 Abraham's servant and the men with him ate and drank, then spent the night there. The next morning they got up, and the servant told Rebekah's mother and brother, “I would like to go back to my master now.”
55 “Let Rebekah stay with us for a week or ten days,” they answered. “Then she may go.”
56 But he said, “Don't make me stay any longer. The Lord has already helped me find a wife for my master's son. Now let us return.”
57 They answered, “Let's ask Rebekah what she wants to do.” 58 They called her and asked, “Are you willing to leave with this man at once?”
“Yes,” she answered.
59 So they agreed to let Rebekah and an old family servant woman[at] leave immediately with Abraham's servant and his men. 60 They gave Rebekah their blessing and said, “We pray that God will give you many children and grandchildren and that he will help them defeat their enemies.” 61 Afterwards, Rebekah and the young women who were to travel with her prepared to leave. Then they got on camels and left with Abraham's servant and his men.
62 At that time Isaac was living in the southern part of Canaan near a place called “The Well of the Living One Who Sees Me.”[au] 63-65 One evening he was walking[av] out in the fields, when suddenly he saw a group of people approaching on camels. So he started toward them. Rebekah saw him coming; she got down from her camel, and asked, “Who is that man?”
“He is my master Isaac,” the servant answered. Then Rebekah covered her face with her veil.[aw]
66 The servant told Isaac everything that had happened.
67 Isaac took Rebekah into the tent[ax] where his mother had lived before she died, and Rebekah became his wife. He loved her and was comforted over the loss of his mother.
Abraham Marries Keturah
25 Abraham married Keturah, 2 and they had six sons: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3 Later, Jokshan became the father of Sheba and Dedan, and when Dedan grew up, he had three sons: Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. 4 Midian also had five sons: Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah.
5-6 While Abraham was still alive, he gave gifts to the sons of Hagar and Keturah. He also sent their sons to live in the east far from his son Isaac, and when Abraham died, he left everything to Isaac.
The Death of Abraham
7-8 Abraham died at the ripe old age of 175. 9-10 (AO) His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him east of Hebron[ay] in Machpelah Cave that was part of the field Abraham had bought from Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite. Abraham was buried there beside his wife Sarah. 11 God blessed Isaac after this, and Isaac moved to a place called “The Well of the Living One Who Sees Me.”[az]
Ishmael's Descendants
12 Ishmael was the son of Abraham and Hagar, the slave woman of Sarah. 13 Ishmael had twelve sons, in this order: Nebaioth, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16 Each of Ishmael's sons was a tribal chief, and a village was named after each of them.
17-18 Ishmael had settled in the land east of his brothers, and his sons[ba] settled everywhere from Havilah to Shur, east of Egypt on the way to Asshur.[bb] Ishmael was 137 when he died.
The Birth of Esau and Jacob
19 Isaac was the son of Abraham, 20 and he was 40 years old when he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel. She was also the sister of Laban, the Aramean from northern Syria.[bc]
Almost 20 years later, 21 Rebekah still had no children. So Isaac asked the Lord to let her have a child, and the Lord answered his prayer.
22 Before Rebekah gave birth, she knew she was going to have twins, because she could feel them inside her, fighting each other. She thought, “Why is this happening to me?” Finally, she asked the Lord why her twins were fighting, 23 (AP) and he told her:
“Your two sons will become
two separate nations.[bd]
The younger of the two
will be stronger,
and the older son
will be his servant.”
24 When Rebekah gave birth, 25 the first baby was covered with red hair, so he was named Esau.[be] 26 The second baby grabbed on to his brother's heel, so they named him Jacob.[bf] Isaac was 60 years old when they were born.
Esau Sells His Rights as the First-Born Son
27 As Jacob and Esau grew older, Esau liked the outdoors and became a good hunter, while Jacob lived the quiet life of a shepherd.[bg] 28 Esau would take the meat of wild animals to his father Isaac, so Isaac loved him more, but Jacob was his mother's favorite son.
29 One day, when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came home hungry 30 and said, “I'm starving to death! Here and now give me some of that red stew!” That's how Esau got the name “Edom.”[bh]
31 Jacob replied, “Sell me your rights as the first-born son.”[bi]
32 “I'm about to die,” Esau answered. “What good will those rights do me?”
33 (AQ) But Jacob said, “Promise me your birthrights, here and now!” And that's what Esau did. 34 Jacob then gave Esau some bread and some of the bean stew, and when Esau had finished eating and drinking, he just got up and left, showing how little he thought of his rights as the first-born.
Footnotes
- 11.2 from the east: Or “to the east.”
- 11.2 Babylonia: See the note at 10.6-20.
- 11.8,9 Babel: In Hebrew “Babel” sounds like “confused.”
- 11.26-28 Ur in Chaldea: Chaldea was a region at the head of the Persian Gulf. Ur was on the main trade routes from Mesopotamia to the Mediterranean Sea.
- 11.31 Haran: About 885 kilometers northwest of Ur.
- 12.3 Everyone … you: Or “Everyone on earth will ask me to bless them as I have blessed you.”
- 12.15 The king's: The Hebrew text has “Pharaoh's,” a Hebrew word sometimes used for the king of Egypt.
- 14.1 Babylonia: See the note at 10.6-20.
- 14.6 Edom: The Hebrew text has “Seir,” another name for Edom.
- 15.2 And … own: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 15.10 cut: In Hebrew “cut” sounds something like “agreement.” What follows shows that the Lord is making an agreement with Abram.
- 15.16 Four generations later: This may refer to the “400 years” of verses 13-15.
- 15.16 people who live here: The Hebrew text has “Amorites,” a name sometimes used of the people who lived in Palestine before the Israelites.
- 15.17 smoking cooking pot: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text. The smoke and fire represent the presence of the Lord.
- 15.18 Shihor River: See Joshua 13.2-7.
- 16.2 Sleep … mine: It was the custom for a wife who could not have children to let her husband sleep with one of her slave women. The children of the slave would belong to the wife.
- 16.5 It's … fault: Or “I hope you'll be punished for what you did to me!”
- 16.10,11 Ishmael: In Hebrew “Ishmael” sounds like “God hears.”
- 16.13 Have … it: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 16.13 The God Who Sees Me: Or “The God I Have Seen.”
- 16.14 The Well … Me: Or “Beer-Lahai-Roi” (see 25.11).
- 17.4,5 Abraham: In Hebrew “Abraham” sounds like “father of many nations.”
- 17.18 Ishmael: Ishmael was the son of Sarah's slave Hagar (see 16.1-16).
- 17.19 Isaac: In Hebrew “Isaac” sounds like “laugh.”
- 18.12 know such happiness: Either the joy of making love or the joy of having children.
- 18.18 that will be … on earth: Or “and all other nations on earth will ask me to bless them as I have blessed his family.”
- 19.1 near the city gate: In a large area where the people would gather for community business and for meeting with friends.
- 19.1 two angels: The two men of 18.22.
- 19.3 bread: The Hebrew text has “bread without yeast,” which could be made quickly when guests came without warning.
- 19.22 Zoar: In Hebrew “Zoar” sounds like “small.”
- 19.37 Moab: In Hebrew “Moab” sounds like “from (my) father.”
- 19.38 Benammi: In Hebrew “Benammi” means “son of my relative.”
- 20.16 as proof … wrong: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 21.6 God has made me laugh: In Hebrew “Isaac” sounds like “laugh.”
- 21.8 no longer had to nurse Isaac: In ancient Israel mothers nursed their children until they were about three years old. Then there was a family celebration.
- 21.9,10 Ishmael: The son of Abraham and Hagar, who was Sarah's slave woman (see 16.1-16).
- 21.9,10 playing: Hebrew; one ancient translation “playing with her son Isaac.”
- 21.9,10 Get rid … son: When Abraham accepted Ishmael as his son, it gave Ishmael the right to inherit part of what Abraham owned. But slaves who were given their freedom lost the right to inherit such property.
- 21.31 Beersheba: Meaning “Well of Good Fortune” or “Peace Treaty Well.”
- 21.33 tamarisk tree: A tall shade tree that has deep roots and needs little water.
- 22.14 The Lord Will Provide … it will be provided: Or “The Lord Will Be Seen … the Lord will be seen” or “It (a ram) Will Be Seen … it (a ram) will be seen.”
- 22.24 another wife: This translates a Hebrew word for a woman who was legally bound to a man, but without the full privileges of a wife.
- 23.16-18 Mamre: A place just north of Hebron.
- 24.10 northern Syria: The Hebrew text has “Aram-Naharaim,” probably referring to the land around the city of Haran (see also 25.20; 28.2,6; 31.18,20; 33.18; 35.23-26; 46.8-15 where CEV translates “Paddan-Aram” as “northern Syria”; and 48.7 where CEV translates “Paddan” as “northern Syria”).
- 24.22 ring for her nose: Nose-rings were popular jewelry items, as were earrings.
- 24.59 old family servant woman: Probably Deborah, who had taken care of Rebekah from the time she was born (see 35.8).
- 24.62 Who Sees Me: Or “I Have Seen.”
- 24.63-65 walking: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 24.63-65 covered … veil: Since the veiling of a bride was part of the wedding ceremony, this probably means that she was willing to become the wife of Isaac.
- 24.67 took … tent: This shows that Rebekah is now the wife of Isaac and the successor of Sarah as the leading woman in the tribe.
- 25.9,10 Hebron: See the note at 23.16-18.
- 25.11 The Well … Sees Me: Or “Beer-Lahai-Roi,” (see 16.14).
- 25.17,18 sons: Or “descendants.”
- 25.17,18 Havilah to Shur … Asshur: The exact location of these places is not known.
- 25.20 northern Syria: See the note at 24.10.
- 25.23 two separate nations: Or “two nations always in conflict.”
- 25.25 Esau: In Hebrew “Esau” sounds like “hairy.”
- 25.26 Jacob: In Hebrew “Jacob” sounds like “heel.”
- 25.27 of a shepherd: Hebrew “in tents.”
- 25.30 Edom: In Hebrew “Edom” sounds like “red.”
- 25.31 rights … son: The first-born son inherited the largest amount of property, as well as the leadership of the family.
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.
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