Genesis 26

1 And there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine which had been in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech the king of the Philistines, to Gerar.

There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham [Father of a multitude]. Isaac [Laughter] went to Abimelech [My father king] king of the Philistines [To roll in dust (As an insult)], to Gerar.

2 And Jehovah appeared to him and said, Go not down to Egypt: dwell in the land that I shall tell thee of.

Adonai appeared to him, and said, “Don’t go down into Egypt [Abode of slavery]. Live in the land I will tell you about.

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

Live in this land, and I will be with you, and will bless you. For I will give to you, and to your offspring, all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to Abraham [Father of a multitude] your father.

4 And I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and unto thy seed will I give all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth bless themselves —

I will multiply your offspring as the stars of the sky, and will give all these lands to your offspring. By your seed, all the nations of the earth be blessed,

5 because that Abraham hearkened to my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.

because Abraham [Father of a multitude] sh'ma ·heard obeyed· my voice, and heeded what I told him to do— he followed my mitzvot ·instructions·, my regulations, and my torot ·teachings·.”

6 And Isaac dwelt at Gerar.

Isaac [Laughter] lived in Gerar.

7 And the men of the place asked about his wife. And he said, She is my sister; for he feared to say, my wife, [saying to himself, ] Lest the men of the place slay me on account of Rebecca — because she was fair in countenance.

The men of the place asked him about his wife. He said, “She is my sister,” for he was afraid to say, “My wife,” lest, he thought, “the men of the place might kill me for Rebekah [Securely bound], because she is beautiful to look at.”

8 And it came to pass when he had been there some time, that Abimelech the king of the Philistines looked out of the window, and saw, and behold, Isaac was dallying with Rebecca his wife.

When he had been there a long time, Abimelech [My father king] king of the Philistines [To roll in dust (As an insult)] looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac [Laughter] was caressing Rebekah [Securely bound], his wife.

9 Then Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, she is certainly thy wife; and how saidst thou, She is my sister? and Isaac said to him, Because I said, Lest I die on account of her.

Abimelech [My father king] called Isaac [Laughter], and said, “Behold, surely she is your wife. Why did you say, ‘She is my sister?’” Isaac [Laughter] said to him, “Because I said, ‘Lest I die because of her.’”

10 And Abimelech said, What is this thou hast done to us? But a little and one of the people might have lain with thy wife, and thou wouldest have brought a trespass on us.

Abimelech [My father king] 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 on us!”

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

Abimelech [My father king] enjoined all the people, saying, “He who touches this man or his wife will surely be put to death.”

12 And Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year a hundredfold; and Jehovah blessed him.

Isaac [Laughter] sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year one hundred times what he planted. Adonai blessed him.

13 And the man became great, and he became continually greater, until he was very great.

The man grew great, and grew more and more until he became very great.

14 And he had possessions of flocks, and possessions of herds, and a great number of servants; and the Philistines envied him.

He had possessions of flocks, possessions of herds, and a great household. The Philistines [To roll in dust (As an insult)] envied him.

15 And all the wells that his father's servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines stopped them and filled them with earth.

Now all the wells which his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham [Father of a multitude] his father, the Philistines [To roll in dust (As an insult)] had stopped, and filled with earth.

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

Abimelech [My father king] said to Isaac [Laughter], “Go from us, for you are much mightier than we.”

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

Isaac [Laughter] departed from there, encamped in the valley of Gerar, and lived there.

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

Isaac [Laughter] dug again the wells of water, which they had dug in the days of Abraham [Father of a multitude] his father. For the Philistines [To roll in dust (As an insult)] had stopped them after the death of Abraham [Father of a multitude]. He called their names after the names by which his father had called them.

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

Isaac [Laughter]’s servants dug in the valley, and found there a well of springing water.

20 But the shepherds of Gerar strove with Isaac's shepherds, saying, The water is ours. And he called the name of the well Esek, because they had quarrelled with him.

The herdsmen of Gerar argued with Isaac [Laughter]’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours.” He called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him.

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

They dug another well, and they argued over that, also. He called its name Sitnah.

22 And he removed thence and dug another well; and they did not strive for that. And he called the name of it Rehoboth, and said, For now Jehovah has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.

He left that place, and dug another well. They didn’t argue over that one. He called it Rehoboth. He said, “For now Adonai has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land.”

23 And he went up thence to Beer-sheba.

He went up from there to Be'er-Sheva [Well of Seven, Well of an Oath].

24 And Jehovah appeared to 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.

Adonai appeared to him the same night, and said, “I am the God of Abraham [Father of a multitude] your father. Don’t be afraid, for I am with you, and will bless you, and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham [Father of a multitude]’s sake.”

25 And he built an altar there, and called upon the name of Jehovah. And he pitched his tent there; and there Isaac's servants dug a well.

He built an altar there, and called on Adonai’s name, and pitched his tent there. There Isaac [Laughter]’s servants dug a well.

26 And Abimelech, and Ahuzzath his friend, and Phichol the captain of his host, went to him from Gerar.

Then Abimelech [My father king] went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath his friend, and Phicol the captain of his army.

27 And Isaac said to them, Why are ye come to me, seeing ye hate me, and have driven me away from you?

Isaac [Laughter] said to them, “Why have you come to me, since you hate me, and have sent me away from you?”

28 And they said, We saw certainly that Jehovah is with thee; and we said, Let there be then an oath between us — between us and thee, and let us make a covenant with thee,

They said, “We saw plainly that Adonai was with you. We said, ‘Let there now be an oath between us, even between us and you, and let us make a covenant ·binding contract between two or more parties· with you,

29 that thou wilt do us no wrong, as we have not touched thee, and as we have done to thee nothing but good, and have let thee go in peace; thou art now blessed of Jehovah.

that you will do us no harm, as we have not touched you, and as we have done to you nothing but good, and have sent you away in peace.’ You are now the blessed of Adonai.”

30 And he made them a feast, and they ate and drank.

He made them a feast, and they ate and drank.

31 And they rose early in the morning, and swore one to another; and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.

They rose up some time in the morning, and swore to one another. Isaac [Laughter] 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 that they had dug, and said to him, We have found water.

The same day, Isaac [Laughter]’s servants came, and told him concerning the well which they had dug, and said to him, “We have found water.”

33 And he called it Shebah; therefore the name of the city is Beer-sheba to this day.

He called it Shibah. Therefore the name of the city is Be'er-Sheva [Well of Seven, Well of an Oath] to this day.

34 And Esau was forty years old, when he took as wives Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basmath the daughter of Elon the Hittite.

When Esau [Hairy] was forty years old, he took as wife Judith, the daughter of Beeri the Hittite [Descendant of Trembling fear], and Basemath, the daughter of Elon the Hittite [Descendant of Trembling fear].

35 And they were a grief of mind to Isaac and to Rebecca.

They grieved Isaac [Laughter]’s and Rebekah [Securely bound]’s spirits.