Genesis 26

1 Now a famine happened in the land, besides the first famine that had been in the days of Abraham. Isaac went to Abimelech, king of the Philistines at Gerar.

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 Now Yahweh appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land that I tell you to live in.

And the LORD appeared unto him, and said: 'Go not down unto Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of.

3 Stay in this very land, 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 Abraham your father.

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 lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore unto Abraham thy father;

4 I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and will give to your descendants all these lands. Through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed.

and I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these lands; and by thy seed shall all the nations of the earth bless themselves;

5 I will do this because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my instructions, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.”

because that Abraham hearkened to My voice, and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.'

6 So Isaac settled in Gerar.

And Isaac dwelt in Gerar.

7 When the men of the place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister.” He feared to say, “She is my wife,” because he thought, “The men of this place will kill me to get Rebekah, because she is so beautiful.”

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

8 After Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines happened to look out of a window. He saw, behold, Isaac was caressing Rebekah, his wife.

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 Abimelech called Isaac to him and said, “Look, certainly she is your wife. Why did you say, 'She is my sister'?” Isaac said to him, “Because I thought someone might kill me to get her.”

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 because of her.'

10 Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.”

And Abimelech said: 'What is this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might easily have lain with thy wife, and thou wouldest have brought guiltiness upon us.'

11 So Abimelech warned all the people and said, “Whoever touches this man or his wife will surely be put to death.”

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

12 Isaac planted crops in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold, because Yahweh blessed him.

And Isaac sowed in that land, and found in the same year a hundredfold; and the LORD blessed him.

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

And the man waxed great, and grew more and more until he became very great.

14 He had many sheep and cattle, and a large household. The Philistines envied him.

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

15 Now all the wells that his father's servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines stopped them up by filling them with earth.

Now 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 Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.”

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

17 So Isaac departed from there and settled in the Valley of Gerar, and lived there.

And Isaac departed thence, and encamped in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there.

18 Once again Isaac dug out the wells of water, which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father. The Philistines had stopped them up after Abraham's death. Isaac called the wells by the same names that his father had called them.

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 When Isaac's servants dug in the valley, they found there a well of flowing water.

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

20 The herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac's herdsmen, and said, “This water is ours.” So Isaac called that well “Esek,” because they had quarreled with him.

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

21 Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that, too, so he gave it the name of “Sitnah.”

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

22 He left there and dug yet another well, but they did not quarrel over that one. So he called it Rehoboth, and he said, “Now Yahweh has made room for us, and we will prosper in the land.”

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 Then Isaac went up from there to Beersheba.

And he went up from thence to Beer-sheba.

24 Yahweh appeared to him that same night and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father. Do not fear, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your descendants, for my servant Abraham's sake.”

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 Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of Yahweh. There he pitched his tent, and his servants dug a well.

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, with Ahuzzath, his friend, and Phicol, the captain of his army.

Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath his friend, and Phicol the captain of his host.

27 Isaac said to them, “Why are you coming to me, since you hate me and have sent me away from you?”

And Isaac said unto them: 'Wherefore are ye come unto me, seeing ye hate me, and have sent me away from you?'

28 Then they said, “We have clearly seen that Yahweh has been with you. So we decided that there should be an oath between us, yes, between us and you. So let us make a covenant with you,

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

29 that you will do us no harm, just as we have not harmed you, and as we have treated you well and have sent you away in peace. Indeed, you are blessed by Yahweh.”

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 So Isaac made a feast for them, and they ate and drank.

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

31 They rose early in the morning and swore an oath with each other. Then Isaac sent them away, and they left him in peace.

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

32 That same day Isaac's servants came and told him about the well that they had dug. They said, “We have found water.”

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 He called the well Shibah, so the name of that city is Beersheba to this day.

And he called it Shibah. Therefore the name of the city is Beer-sheba unto this day.

34 When Esau was forty years old, he took a wife, Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and also Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite.

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

35 They brought sorrow to Isaac and Rebekah.

And they were a bitterness of spirit unto Isaac and to Rebekah.