Genesis 26

1 And there was a famine in the lande besides the first famine that was in the dayes of Abraham. Wherefore Izhak went to Abimelech King of the Philistims vnto Gerar.

And when a famine came in the land, after that barrenness which had happened in the days of Abraham, Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Palestines to Gerara.

2 For the Lord appeared vnto him, and sayde, Goe not downe into Egypt, but abide in the land which I shall shewe vnto thee.

And the Lord appeared to him and said: Go not down into Egypt, but stay in the land that I shall tell thee.

3 Dwell in this lande, and I will be with thee, and will blesse thee: for to thee, and to thy seede I will giue all these countreys: and I will performe the othe which I sware vnto Abraham thy father.

And sojourn in it, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee: for to thee and to thy seed I will give all these countries, to fulfill the oath which I swore to Abraham thy father.

4 Also I wil cause thy seede to multiply as the starres of heauen, and will giue vnto thy seede all these countreys: and in thy seede shall all the nations of the earth be blessed,

And I will multiply thy seed like the stars of heaven: and I will give to thy posterity all these countries: and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.

5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voyce and kept mine ordinance, my commandements, my statutes, and my Lawes.

Because Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my precepts and commandments, and observed my ceremonies and laws.

6 So Izhak dwelt in Gerar.

So Isaac abode in Gerara.

7 And the men of the place asked him of his wife, and he sayd, She is my sister: for he feared to say, She is my wife, least, sayde he, the men of the place shoulde kill me, because of Rebekah: for she was beautifull to the eye.

And when he was asked by the men of that place, concerning his wife, he answered: She is my sister; for he was afraid to confess that she was his wife, thinking lest perhaps they would kill him because of her beauty.

8 So after hee had bene there long time, Abimelech King of the Philistims looked out at a windowe, and loe, he sawe Izhak sporting with Rebekah his wife.

And when very many days were passed, and he abode there, Abimelech king of the Palestines looking out through a window, saw him playing with Rebecca his wife.

9 Then Abimelech called Izhak, and sayde, Loe, shee is of a suertie thy wife, and why saydest thou, She is my sister? To whom Izhak answered, Because I thought this, It may be that I shall dye for her.

And calling for him, he said: It is evident she is thy wife: why didst thou feign her to be thy sister? He answered: I feared lest I should die for her sake.

10 Then Abimelech said, Why hast thou done this vnto vs? one of the people had almost lien by thy wife, so shouldest thou haue brought sinne vpon vs.

And Abimelech said: Why hast thou deceived us? Some man of the people might have lain with thy wife, and thou hadst brought upon us a great sin. And he commanded all the people, saying:

11 Then Abimelech charged all his people, saying, He that toucheth this man, or his wife, shall die the death.

He that shall touch this man’s wife, shall surely be put to death.

12 Afterwarde Izhak sowed in that lande, and founde in the same yeere an hundreth folde by estimation: and so the Lord blessed him.

And Isaac sowed in that land, and he found that same year a hundredfold: and the Lord blessed him.

13 And the man waxed mightie, and stil increased, till he was exceeding great,

And the man was enriched, and he went on prospering and increasing, till he became exceeding great:

14 For he had flockes of sheepe, and heards of cattell, and a mightie housholde: therefore the Philistims had enuy at him.

And he had possessions of sheep and of herds, and a very great family. Wherefore the Palestines envying him,

15 In so much that the Philistims stopped and filled vp with earth all the welles, which his fathers seruantes digged in his father Abrahams time.

Stopped up at that time all the wells, that the servants of his father Abraham had digged, filling them up with earth:

16 Then Abimelech sayde vnto Izhak, Get thee from vs, for thou art mightier then wee a great deale.

Insomuch that Abimelech himself said to Isaac: Depart from us, for thou art become much mightier than we.

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

So he departed and came to the torrent of Gerara, to dwell there:

18 And Izhak returning, digged the welles of water, which they had digged in the dayes of Abraham his father: for the Philistims had stopped them after the death of Abraham, and hee gaue them the same names, which his father gaue them.

And he digged again other wells, which the servants of his father Abraham had digged, and which, after his death, the Palestines had of old stopped up: and he called them by the same names by which his father before had called them.

19 Izhaks seruantes then digged in the valley, and found there a well of liuing water.

And they digged in the torrent, and found living water.

20 But the herdmen of Gerar did striue with Izhaks herdmen, saying, The water is ours: therefore called he the name of the well Esek, because they were at strife with him.

But there also the herdsmen of Gerara strove against the herdsmen of Isaac, saying: It is our water. Wherefore he called the name of the well, on occasion of that which had happened, Calumny.

21 Afterwarde they digged another well, and stroue for that also, and he called the name of it Sitnah.

And they digged also another; and for that they quarrelled likewise, and he called the name of it, Enmity.

22 Then he remoued thence, and digged an other well, for the which they stroue not: therefore called hee the name of it Rehoboth, and sayde, Because the Lord hath nowe made vs roome, we shall increase vpon the earth.

Going forward from thence, he digged another well, for which they contended not: therefore he called the name thereof, Latitude, saying: Now hath the Lord given us room, and made us to increase upon the earth.

23 So he went vp thence to Beer-sheba.

And he went up from that place to Bersabee,

24 And the Lord appeared vnto him the same night, and sayde, I am the God of Abraham thy father: feare not, for I am with thee, and wil blesse thee, and will multiplie thy seede for my seruant Abrahams sake.

Where the Lord appeared to him that same night, saying: I am the God of Abraham thy father; do not fear, for I am with thee: I will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham’s sake.

25 Then he builte an altar there, and called vpon the Name of the Lord, and there spred his tent: where also Izhaks seruauntes digged a well.

And he built there an altar: and called upon the name of the Lord, and pitched his tent: and commanded his servants to dig a well.

26 Then came Abimelech to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath one of his friendes, and Phichol the captaine of his armie.

To which place when Abimelech, and Ochozath his friend, and Phicol chief captain of his soldiers came from Gerara,

27 To whom Izhak sayd, Wherefore come ye to me, seeing ye hate mee and haue put mee away from you?

Isaac said to them: Why are ye come to me, a man whom you hate, and have thrust out from you?

28 Who answered, Wee sawe certainely that the Lord was with thee, and wee thought thus, Let there be nowe an othe betweene vs, euen betweene vs and thee, and let vs make a couenant with thee.

And they answered: We saw that the Lord is with thee, and therefore we said: Let there be an oath between us, and let us make a covenant,

29 If thou shalt do vs no hurt, as we haue not touched thee, and as we haue done vnto thee nothing but good, and sent thee away in peace: thou nowe, the blessed of the Lord, doe this.

That thou do us no harm, as we on our part have touched nothing of thine, nor have done any thing to hurt thee: but with peace have sent thee away increased with the blessing of the Lord.

30 Then hee made them a feast, and they dyd eate and drinke.

And he made them a feast, and after they had eaten and drunk:

31 And they rose vp betimes in the morning, and sware one to another: then Izhak let them go, and they departed from him in peace.

Arising in the morning, they swore one to another: and Isaac sent them away peaceably to their own home.

32 And that same day Izhaks seruantes came and tolde him of a well, which they had digged, and said vnto him, We haue found water.

And behold the same day the servants of Isaac came, telling him of a well which they had digged, and saying: We have found water.

33 So hee called it Shibah: therefore the name of the citie is called Beer-sheba vnto this day.

Whereupon he called it Abundance: and the name of the city was called Bersabee, even to this day.

34 Nowe when Esau was fourtie yeere olde, he tooke to wife Iudith, the daughter of Beeri an Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon an Hittite also.

And Esau being forty years old, married wives, Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hethite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon of the same place.

35 And they were a griefe of minde to Izhak and to Rebekah.

And they both offended the mind of Isaac and Rebecca.