12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year (A)a hundredfold; and the Lord (B)blessed him. 13 The man (C)began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous; 14 for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines (D)envied him. 15 Now the Philistines had stopped up all the wells (E)which his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, and they had filled them with earth. 16 And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for (F)you are much mightier than we.”

17 Then Isaac departed from there and [a]pitched his tent in the Valley of Gerar, and dwelt there. 18 And Isaac dug again the wells of water which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham. (G)He called them by the names which his father had called them.

19 Also Isaac’s servants dug in the valley, and found a well of running water there. 20 But the herdsmen of Gerar (H)quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours.” So he called the name of the well [b]Esek, because they quarreled with him. 21 Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that one also. So he called its name [c]Sitnah. 22 And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name [d]Rehoboth, because he said, “For now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall (I)be fruitful in the land.”

23 Then he went up from there to Beersheba. 24 And the Lord (J)appeared to him the same night and said, (K)“I am the God of your father Abraham; (L)do not fear, for (M)I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for My servant Abraham’s sake.” 25 So he (N)built an altar there and (O)called on the name of the Lord, and he pitched his tent there; and there Isaac’s servants dug a well.

26 Then Abimelech came to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath, one of his friends, (P)and Phichol the commander of his army. 27 And Isaac said to them, “Why have you come to me, (Q)since you hate me and have (R)sent me away from you?”

28 But they said, “We have certainly seen that the Lord (S)is with you. So we said, ‘Let there now be an oath between us, between you and us; and let us make a [e]covenant with you, 29 that you will do us no harm, since we have not touched you, and since we have done nothing to you but good and have sent you away in peace. (T)You are now the blessed of the Lord.’ ”

30 (U)So he made them a feast, and they ate and drank. 31 Then they arose early in the morning and (V)swore an oath with one another; and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.

32 It came to pass the same day that Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well which they had dug, and said to him, “We have found water.” 33 So he called it [f]Shebah. (W)Therefore the name of the city is [g]Beersheba to this day.

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 26:17 camped
  2. Genesis 26:20 Lit. Quarrel
  3. Genesis 26:21 Lit. Enmity
  4. Genesis 26:22 Lit. Spaciousness
  5. Genesis 26:28 treaty
  6. Genesis 26:33 Lit. Oath or Seven
  7. Genesis 26:33 Lit. Well of the Oath or Well of the Seven

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

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

17 So Isaac moved away from there and encamped in the Valley of Gerar,(J) where he settled. 18 Isaac reopened the wells(K) 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(L) with those of Isaac and said, “The water is ours!”(M) So he named the well Esek,[a] because they disputed with him. 21 Then they dug another well, but they quarreled(N) over that one also; so he named it Sitnah.[b] 22 He moved on from there and dug another well, and no one quarreled over it. He named it Rehoboth,[c](O) saying, “Now the Lord has given us room(P) and we will flourish(Q) in the land.”

23 From there he went up to Beersheba.(R) 24 That night the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham.(S) Do not be afraid,(T) for I am with you;(U) I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants(V) for the sake of my servant Abraham.”(W)

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

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

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

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

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 26:20 Esek means dispute.
  2. Genesis 26:21 Sitnah means opposition.
  3. Genesis 26:22 Rehoboth means room.
  4. Genesis 26:33 Shibah can mean oath or seven.
  5. Genesis 26:33 Beersheba can mean well of the oath and well of seven.