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Matthew 7
New Living Translation
Matthew 7
New Living Translation
Do Not Judge Others
7 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. 2 For you will be treated as you treat others.[a] The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.[b]
3 “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye[c] when you have a log in your own? 4 How can you think of saying to your friend,[d] ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.
6 “Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy.[e] Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you.
Effective Prayer
7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? 10 Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! 11 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.
The Golden Rule
12 “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.
The Narrow Gate
13 “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell[f] is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. 14 But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.
The Tree and Its Fruit
15 “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. 16 You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. 19 So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. 20 Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.
True Disciples
21 “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. 22 On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ 23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’
Building on a Solid Foundation
24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”
28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 for he taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law.
Matthew 7
New International Version
Matthew 7
New International Version
Judging Others(A)
7 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.(B) 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.(C)
3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
6 “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
Ask, Seek, Knock(D)
7 “Ask and it will be given to you;(E) seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds;(F) and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts(G) to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you,(H) for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.(I)
The Narrow and Wide Gates
13 “Enter through the narrow gate.(J) For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
True and False Prophets
15 “Watch out for false prophets.(K) They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.(L) 16 By their fruit you will recognize them.(M) Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?(N) 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.(O) 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.(P) 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
True and False Disciples
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’(Q) will enter the kingdom of heaven,(R) but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.(S) 22 Many will say to me on that day,(T) ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’(U) 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’(V)
The Wise and Foolish Builders(W)
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice(X) is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
28 When Jesus had finished saying these things,(Y) the crowds were amazed at his teaching,(Z) 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
Genesis 23-25
New Living Translation
Genesis 23-25
New Living Translation
The Burial of Sarah
23 When Sarah was 127 years old, 2 she died at Kiriath-arba (now called Hebron) in the land of Canaan. There Abraham mourned and wept for her.
3 Then, leaving her body, he said to the Hittite elders, 4 “Here I am, a stranger and a foreigner among you. Please sell me a piece of land so I can give my wife a proper burial.”
5 The Hittites replied to Abraham, 6 “Listen, my lord, you are an honored prince among us. Choose the finest of our tombs and bury her there. No one here will refuse to help you in this way.”
7 Then Abraham bowed low before the Hittites 8 and said, “Since you are willing to help me in this way, be so kind as to ask Ephron son of Zohar 9 to let me buy his cave at Machpelah, down at the end of his field. I will pay the full price in the presence of witnesses, so I will have a permanent burial place for my family.”
10 Ephron was sitting there among the others, and he answered Abraham as the others listened, speaking publicly before all the Hittite elders of the town. 11 “No, my lord,” he said to Abraham, “please listen to me. I will give you the field and the cave. Here in the presence of my people, I give it to you. Go and bury your dead.”
12 Abraham again bowed low before the citizens of the land, 13 and he replied to Ephron as everyone listened. “No, listen to me. I will buy it from you. Let me pay the full price for the field so I can bury my dead there.”
14 Ephron answered Abraham, 15 “My lord, please listen to me. The land is worth 400 pieces[a] of silver, but what is that between friends? Go ahead and bury your dead.”
16 So Abraham agreed to Ephron’s price and paid the amount he had suggested—400 pieces of silver, weighed according to the market standard. The Hittite elders witnessed the transaction.
17 So Abraham bought the plot of land belonging to Ephron at Machpelah, near Mamre. This included the field itself, the cave that was in it, and all the surrounding trees. 18 It was transferred to Abraham as his permanent possession in the presence of the Hittite elders at the city gate. 19 Then Abraham buried his wife, Sarah, there in Canaan, in the cave of Machpelah, near Mamre (also called Hebron). 20 So the field and the cave were transferred from the Hittites to Abraham for use as a permanent burial place.
A Wife for Isaac
24 Abraham was now a very old man, and the Lord had blessed him in every way. 2 One day Abraham said to his oldest servant, the man in charge of his household, “Take an oath by putting your hand under my thigh. 3 Swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not allow my son to marry one of these local Canaanite women. 4 Go instead to my homeland, to my relatives, and find a wife there for my son Isaac.”
5 The servant asked, “But what if I can’t find a young woman who is willing to travel so far from home? Should I then take Isaac there to live among your relatives in the land you came from?”
6 “No!” Abraham responded. “Be careful never to take my son there. 7 For the Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and my native land, solemnly promised to give this land to my descendants.[b] He will send his angel ahead of you, and he will see to it that you find a wife there for my son. 8 If she is unwilling to come back with you, then you are free from this oath of mine. But under no circumstances are you to take my son there.”
9 So the servant took an oath by putting his hand under the thigh of his master, Abraham. He swore to follow Abraham’s instructions. 10 Then he loaded ten of Abraham’s camels with all kinds of expensive gifts from his master, and he traveled to distant Aram-naharaim. There he went to the town where Abraham’s brother Nahor had settled. 11 He made the camels kneel beside a well just outside the town. It was evening, and the women were coming out to draw water.
12 “O Lord, God of my master, Abraham,” he prayed. “Please give me success today, and show unfailing love to my master, Abraham. 13 See, I am standing here beside this spring, and the young women of the town are coming out to draw water. 14 This is my request. I will ask one of them, ‘Please give me a drink from your jug.’ If she says, ‘Yes, have a drink, and I will water your camels, too!’—let her be the one you have selected as Isaac’s wife. This is how I will know that you have shown unfailing love to my master.”
15 Before he had finished praying, he saw a young woman named Rebekah coming out with her water jug on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel, who was the son of Abraham’s brother Nahor and his wife, Milcah. 16 Rebekah was very beautiful and old enough to be married, but she was still a virgin. She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came up again. 17 Running over to her, the servant said, “Please give me a little drink of water from your jug.”
18 “Yes, my lord,” she answered, “have a drink.” And she quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and gave him a drink. 19 When she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels, too, until they have had enough to drink.” 20 So she quickly emptied her jug into the watering trough and ran back to the well to draw water for all his camels.
21 The servant watched her in silence, wondering whether or not the Lord had given him success in his mission. 22 Then at last, when the camels had finished drinking, he took out a gold ring for her nose and two large gold bracelets[c] for her wrists.
23 “Whose daughter are you?” he asked. “And please tell me, would your father have any room to put us up for the night?”
24 “I am the daughter of Bethuel,” she replied. “My grandparents are Nahor and Milcah. 25 Yes, we have plenty of straw and feed for the camels, and we have room for guests.”
26 The man bowed low and worshiped the Lord. 27 “Praise the Lord, the God of my master, Abraham,” he said. “The Lord has shown unfailing love and faithfulness to my master, for he has led me straight to my master’s relatives.”
28 The young woman ran home to tell her family everything that had happened. 29 Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, who ran out to meet the man at the spring. 30 He had seen the nose-ring and the bracelets on his sister’s wrists, and had heard Rebekah tell what the man had said. So he rushed out to the spring, where the man was still standing beside his camels. 31 Laban said to him, “Come and stay with us, you who are blessed by the Lord! Why are you standing here outside the town when I have a room all ready for you and a place prepared for the camels?”
32 So the man went home with Laban, and Laban unloaded the camels, gave him straw for their bedding, fed them, and provided water for the man and the camel drivers to wash their feet. 33 Then food was served. But Abraham’s servant said, “I don’t want to eat until I have told you why I have come.”
“All right,” Laban said, “tell us.”
34 “I am Abraham’s servant,” he explained. 35 “And the Lord has greatly blessed my master; he has become a wealthy man. The Lord has given him flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, a fortune in silver and gold, and many male and female servants and camels and donkeys.
36 “When Sarah, my master’s wife, was very old, she gave birth to my master’s son, and my master has given him everything he owns. 37 And my master made me take an oath. He said, ‘Do not allow my son to marry one of these local Canaanite women. 38 Go instead to my father’s house, to my relatives, and find a wife there for my son.’
39 “But I said to my master, ‘What if I can’t find a young woman who is willing to go back with me?’ 40 He responded, ‘The Lord, in whose presence I have lived, will send his angel with you and will make your mission successful. Yes, you must find a wife for my son from among my relatives, from my father’s family. 41 Then you will have fulfilled your obligation. But if you go to my relatives and they refuse to let her go with you, you will be free from my oath.’
42 “So today when I came to the spring, I prayed this prayer: ‘O Lord, God of my master, Abraham, please give me success on this mission. 43 See, I am standing here beside this spring. This is my request. When a young woman comes to draw water, I will say to her, “Please give me a little drink of water from your jug.” 44 If she says, “Yes, have a drink, and I will draw water for your camels, too,” let her be the one you have selected to be the wife of my master’s son.’
45 “Before I had finished praying in my heart, I saw Rebekah coming out with her water jug on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water. So I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’ 46 She quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and said, ‘Yes, have a drink, and I will water your camels, too!’ So I drank, and then she watered the camels.
47 “Then I asked, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She replied, ‘I am the daughter of Bethuel, and my grandparents are Nahor and Milcah.’ So I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her wrists.
48 “Then I bowed low and worshiped the Lord. I praised the Lord, the God of my master, Abraham, because he had led me straight to my master’s niece to be his son’s wife. 49 So tell me—will you or won’t you show unfailing love and faithfulness to my master? Please tell me yes or no, and then I’ll know what to do next.”
50 Then Laban and Bethuel replied, “The Lord has obviously brought you here, so there is nothing we can say. 51 Here is Rebekah; take her and go. Yes, let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has directed.”
52 When Abraham’s servant heard their answer, he bowed down to the ground and worshiped the Lord. 53 Then he brought out silver and gold jewelry and clothing and presented them to Rebekah. He also gave expensive presents to her brother and mother. 54 Then they ate their meal, and the servant and the men with him stayed there overnight.
But early the next morning, Abraham’s servant said, “Send me back to my master.”
55 “But we want Rebekah to stay with us at least ten days,” her brother and mother said. “Then she can go.”
56 But he said, “Don’t delay me. The Lord has made my mission successful; now send me back so I can return to my master.”
57 “Well,” they said, “we’ll call Rebekah and ask her what she thinks.” 58 So they called Rebekah. “Are you willing to go with this man?” they asked her.
And she replied, “Yes, I will go.”
59 So they said good-bye to Rebekah and sent her away with Abraham’s servant and his men. The woman who had been Rebekah’s childhood nurse went along with her. 60 They gave her this blessing as she parted:
“Our sister, may you become
the mother of many millions!
May your descendants be strong
and conquer the cities of their enemies.”
61 Then Rebekah and her servant girls mounted the camels and followed the man. So Abraham’s servant took Rebekah and went on his way.
62 Meanwhile, Isaac, whose home was in the Negev, had returned from Beer-lahai-roi. 63 One evening as he was walking and meditating in the fields, he looked up and saw the camels coming. 64 When Rebekah looked up and saw Isaac, she quickly dismounted from her camel. 65 “Who is that man walking through the fields to meet us?” she asked the servant.
And he replied, “It is my master.” So Rebekah covered her face with her veil. 66 Then the servant told Isaac everything he had done.
67 And Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother Sarah’s tent, and she became his wife. He loved her deeply, and she was a special comfort to him after the death of his mother.
The Death of Abraham
25 Abraham married another wife, whose name was Keturah. 2 She gave birth to Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3 Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. Dedan’s descendants were the Asshurites, Letushites, and Leummites. 4 Midian’s sons were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. These were all descendants of Abraham through Keturah.
5 Abraham gave everything he owned to his son Isaac. 6 But before he died, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them off to a land in the east, away from Isaac.
7 Abraham lived for 175 years, 8 and he died at a ripe old age, having lived a long and satisfying life. He breathed his last and joined his ancestors in death. 9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite. 10 This was the field Abraham had purchased from the Hittites and where he had buried his wife Sarah. 11 After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac, who settled near Beer-lahai-roi in the Negev.
Ishmael’s Descendants
12 This is the account of the family of Ishmael, the son of Abraham through Hagar, Sarah’s Egyptian servant. 13 Here is a list, by their names and clans, of Ishmael’s descendants: The oldest was Nebaioth, followed by Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16 These twelve sons of Ishmael became the founders of twelve tribes named after them, listed according to the places they settled and camped. 17 Ishmael lived for 137 years. Then he breathed his last and joined his ancestors in death. 18 Ishmael’s descendants occupied the region from Havilah to Shur, which is east of Egypt in the direction of Asshur. There they lived in open hostility toward all their relatives.[d]
The Births of Esau and Jacob
19 This is the account of the family of Isaac, the son of Abraham. 20 When Isaac was forty years old, he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan-aram and the sister of Laban the Aramean.
21 Isaac pleaded with the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was unable to have children. The Lord answered Isaac’s prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant with twins. 22 But the two children struggled with each other in her womb. So she went to ask the Lord about it. “Why is this happening to me?” she asked.
23 And the Lord told her, “The sons in your womb will become two nations. From the very beginning, the two nations will be rivals. One nation will be stronger than the other; and your older son will serve your younger son.”
24 And when the time came to give birth, Rebekah discovered that she did indeed have twins! 25 The first one was very red at birth and covered with thick hair like a fur coat. So they named him Esau.[e] 26 Then the other twin was born with his hand grasping Esau’s heel. So they named him Jacob.[f] Isaac was sixty years old when the twins were born.
Esau Sells His Birthright
27 As the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter. He was an outdoorsman, but Jacob had a quiet temperament, preferring to stay at home. 28 Isaac loved Esau because he enjoyed eating the wild game Esau brought home, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
29 One day when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau arrived home from the wilderness exhausted and hungry. 30 Esau said to Jacob, “I’m starved! Give me some of that red stew!” (This is how Esau got his other name, Edom, which means “red.”)
31 “All right,” Jacob replied, “but trade me your rights as the firstborn son.”
32 “Look, I’m dying of starvation!” said Esau. “What good is my birthright to me now?”
33 But Jacob said, “First you must swear that your birthright is mine.” So Esau swore an oath, thereby selling all his rights as the firstborn to his brother, Jacob.
34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew. Esau ate the meal, then got up and left. He showed contempt for his rights as the firstborn.
Footnotes
- 23:15 Hebrew 400 shekels, about 10 pounds or 4.6 kilograms in weight; also in 23:16.
- 24:7 Hebrew seed; also in 24:60.
- 24:22 Hebrew a gold nose-ring weighing a beka [0.2 ounces or 6 grams] and two gold bracelets weighing 10 [shekels] [4 ounces or 114 grams].
- 25:18 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
- 25:25 Esau sounds like a Hebrew term that means “hair.”
- 25:26 Jacob sounds like the Hebrew words for “heel” and “deceiver.”
Genesis 23-25
New International Version
Genesis 23-25
New International Version
The Death of Sarah
23 Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old. 2 She died at Kiriath Arba(A) (that is, Hebron)(B) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her.(C)
3 Then Abraham rose from beside his dead wife and spoke to the Hittites.[a](D) He said, 4 “I am a foreigner and stranger(E) among you. Sell me some property for a burial site here so I can bury my dead.(F)”
5 The Hittites replied to Abraham, 6 “Sir, listen to us. You are a mighty prince(G) among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb for burying your dead.”
7 Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites. 8 He said to them, “If you are willing to let me bury my dead, then listen to me and intercede with Ephron son of Zohar(H) on my behalf 9 so he will sell me the cave of Machpelah,(I) which belongs to him and is at the end of his field. Ask him to sell it to me for the full price as a burial site among you.”
10 Ephron the Hittite was sitting among his people and he replied to Abraham in the hearing of all the Hittites(J) who had come to the gate(K) of his city. 11 “No, my lord,” he said. “Listen to me; I give[b](L) you the field, and I give[c] you the cave that is in it. I give[d] it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead.”
12 Again Abraham bowed down before the people of the land 13 and he said to Ephron in their hearing, “Listen to me, if you will. I will pay the price of the field. Accept it from me so I can bury my dead there.”
14 Ephron answered Abraham, 15 “Listen to me, my lord; the land is worth four hundred shekels[e] of silver,(M) but what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.”
16 Abraham agreed to Ephron’s terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver,(N) according to the weight current among the merchants.(O)
17 So Ephron’s field in Machpelah(P) near Mamre(Q)—both the field and the cave in it, and all the trees within the borders of the field—was deeded 18 to Abraham as his property(R) in the presence of all the Hittites(S) who had come to the gate(T) of the city. 19 Afterward Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah(U) near Mamre (which is at Hebron(V)) in the land of Canaan.(W) 20 So the field and the cave in it were deeded(X) to Abraham by the Hittites as a burial site.(Y)
Isaac and Rebekah
24 Abraham was now very old,(Z) and the Lord had blessed(AA) him in every way.(AB) 2 He said to the senior servant(AC) in his household, the one in charge of all that he had,(AD) “Put your hand under my thigh.(AE) 3 I want you to swear(AF) by the Lord, the God of heaven(AG) and the God of earth,(AH) that you will not get a wife for my son(AI) from the daughters of the Canaanites,(AJ) among whom I am living,(AK) 4 but will go to my country and my own relatives(AL) and get a wife for my son Isaac.(AM)”
5 The servant asked him, “What if the woman is unwilling to come back with me to this land?(AN) Shall I then take your son back to the country you came from?(AO)”
6 “Make sure that you do not take my son back there,”(AP) Abraham said. 7 “The Lord, the God of heaven,(AQ) who brought me out of my father’s household and my native land(AR) and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, ‘To your offspring[f](AS) I will give this land’(AT)—he will send his angel before you(AU) so that you can get a wife for my son from there. 8 If the woman is unwilling to come back with you, then you will be released from this oath(AV) of mine. Only do not take my son back there.”(AW) 9 So the servant put his hand under the thigh(AX) of his master(AY) Abraham and swore an oath to him concerning this matter.
10 Then the servant left, taking with him ten of his master’s camels(AZ) loaded with all kinds of good things(BA) from his master. He set out for Aram Naharaim[g](BB) and made his way to the town of Nahor.(BC) 11 He had the camels kneel down near the well(BD) outside the town; it was toward evening, the time the women go out to draw water.(BE)
12 Then he prayed, “Lord, God of my master Abraham,(BF) make me successful(BG) today, and show kindness(BH) to my master Abraham. 13 See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water.(BI) 14 May it be that when I say to a young woman, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink,(BJ) and I’ll water your camels too’(BK)—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac.(BL) By this I will know(BM) that you have shown kindness to my master.”
15 Before he had finished praying,(BN) Rebekah(BO) came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel(BP) son of Milkah,(BQ) who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor.(BR) 16 The woman was very beautiful,(BS) a virgin;(BT) no man had ever slept with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up again.
17 The servant hurried to meet her and said, “Please give me a little water from your jar.”(BU)
18 “Drink,(BV) my lord,” she said, and quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink.
19 After she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels(BW) too,(BX) until they have had enough to drink.” 20 So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, ran back to the well to draw more water, and drew enough for all his camels.(BY) 21 Without saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn whether or not the Lord had made his journey successful.(BZ)
22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring(CA) weighing a beka[h] and two gold bracelets(CB) weighing ten shekels.[i] 23 Then he asked, “Whose daughter are you?(CC) Please tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?(CD)”
24 She answered him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son that Milkah bore to Nahor.(CE)” 25 And she added, “We have plenty of straw and fodder,(CF) as well as room for you to spend the night.”
26 Then the man bowed down and worshiped the Lord,(CG) 27 saying, “Praise be to the Lord,(CH) the God of my master Abraham,(CI) who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness(CJ) to my master. As for me, the Lord has led me on the journey(CK) to the house of my master’s relatives.”(CL)
28 The young woman ran and told her mother’s household about these things.(CM) 29 Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban,(CN) and he hurried out to the man at the spring. 30 As soon as he had seen the nose ring, and the bracelets on his sister’s arms,(CO) and had heard Rebekah tell what the man said to her, he went out to the man and found him standing by the camels near the spring. 31 “Come, you who are blessed by the Lord,”(CP) he said. “Why are you standing out here? I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.”
32 So the man went to the house, and the camels were unloaded. Straw and fodder(CQ) were brought for the camels, and water for him and his men to wash their feet.(CR) 33 Then food was set before him, but he said, “I will not eat until I have told you what I have to say.”
“Then tell us,” Laban said.
34 So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant.(CS) 35 The Lord has blessed(CT) my master abundantly,(CU) and he has become wealthy.(CV) He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys.(CW) 36 My master’s wife Sarah has borne him a son in her old age,(CX) and he has given him everything he owns.(CY) 37 And my master made me swear an oath,(CZ) and said, ‘You must not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live,(DA) 38 but go to my father’s family and to my own clan, and get a wife for my son.’(DB)
39 “Then I asked my master, ‘What if the woman will not come back with me?’(DC)
40 “He replied, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked faithfully,(DD) will send his angel with you(DE) and make your journey a success,(DF) so that you can get a wife for my son from my own clan and from my father’s family.(DG) 41 You will be released from my oath if, when you go to my clan, they refuse to give her to you—then you will be released from my oath.’(DH)
42 “When I came to the spring today, I said, ‘Lord, God of my master Abraham, if you will, please grant success(DI) to the journey on which I have come. 43 See, I am standing beside this spring.(DJ) If a young woman(DK) comes out to draw water and I say to her, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar,”(DL) 44 and if she says to me, “Drink, and I’ll draw water for your camels too,” let her be the one the Lord has chosen for my master’s son.’(DM)
45 “Before I finished praying in my heart,(DN) Rebekah came out, with her jar on her shoulder.(DO) She went down to the spring and drew water, and I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’(DP)
46 “She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too.’(DQ) So I drank, and she watered the camels also.(DR)
47 “I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’(DS)
“She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel(DT) son of Nahor, whom Milkah bore to him.’(DU)
“Then I put the ring in her nose(DV) and the bracelets on her arms,(DW) 48 and I bowed down and worshiped the Lord.(DX) I praised the Lord, the God of my master Abraham,(DY) who had led me on the right road to get the granddaughter of my master’s brother for his son.(DZ) 49 Now if you will show kindness and faithfulness(EA) to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so I may know which way to turn.”
50 Laban and Bethuel(EB) answered, “This is from the Lord;(EC) we can say nothing to you one way or the other.(ED) 51 Here is Rebekah; take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has directed.(EE)”
52 When Abraham’s servant heard what they said, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord.(EF) 53 Then the servant brought out gold and silver jewelry and articles of clothing(EG) and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave costly gifts(EH) to her brother and to her mother. 54 Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night there.
When they got up the next morning, he said, “Send me on my way(EI) to my master.”
55 But her brother and her mother replied, “Let the young woman remain with us ten days or so;(EJ) then you[j] may go.”
56 But he said to them, “Do not detain me, now that the Lord has granted success(EK) to my journey. Send me on my way(EL) so I may go to my master.”
57 Then they said, “Let’s call the young woman and ask her about it.”(EM) 58 So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?”
“I will go,”(EN) she said.
59 So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way,(EO) along with her nurse(EP) and Abraham’s servant and his men. 60 And they blessed(EQ) Rebekah and said to her,
“Our sister, may you increase
to thousands upon thousands;(ER)
may your offspring possess
the cities of their enemies.”(ES)
61 Then Rebekah and her attendants(ET) got ready and mounted the camels and went back with the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left.
62 Now Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi,(EU) for he was living in the Negev.(EV) 63 He went out to the field one evening to meditate,[k](EW) and as he looked up,(EX) he saw camels approaching. 64 Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel(EY) 65 and asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?”
“He is my master,” the servant answered. So she took her veil(EZ) and covered herself.
66 Then the servant told Isaac all he had done. 67 Isaac brought her into the tent(FA) of his mother Sarah,(FB) and he married Rebekah.(FC) So she became his wife, and he loved her;(FD) and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.(FE)
The Death of Abraham(FF)
25 Abraham had taken another wife, whose name was Keturah. 2 She bore him Zimran,(FG) Jokshan, Medan, Midian,(FH) Ishbak and Shuah.(FI) 3 Jokshan was the father of Sheba(FJ) and Dedan;(FK) the descendants of Dedan were the Ashurites, the Letushites and the Leummites. 4 The sons of Midian were Ephah,(FL) Epher, Hanok, Abida and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah.
5 Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac.(FM) 6 But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines(FN) and sent them away from his son Isaac(FO) to the land of the east.(FP)
7 Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years.(FQ) 8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age,(FR) an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people.(FS) 9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him(FT) in the cave of Machpelah(FU) near Mamre,(FV) in the field of Ephron(FW) son of Zohar the Hittite,(FX) 10 the field Abraham had bought from the Hittites.[l](FY) There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. 11 After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac,(FZ) who then lived near Beer Lahai Roi.(GA)
Ishmael’s Sons(GB)
12 This is the account(GC) of the family line of Abraham’s son Ishmael, whom Sarah’s slave, Hagar(GD) the Egyptian, bore to Abraham.(GE)
13 These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, listed in the order of their birth: Nebaioth(GF) the firstborn of Ishmael, Kedar,(GG) Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah,(GH) Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema,(GI) Jetur,(GJ) Naphish and Kedemah. 16 These were the sons of Ishmael, and these are the names of the twelve tribal rulers(GK) according to their settlements and camps.(GL) 17 Ishmael lived a hundred and thirty-seven years. He breathed his last and died, and he was gathered to his people.(GM) 18 His descendants(GN) settled in the area from Havilah to Shur,(GO) near the eastern border of Egypt, as you go toward Ashur. And they lived in hostility toward[m] all the tribes related to them.(GP)
Jacob and Esau
19 This is the account(GQ) of the family line of Abraham’s son Isaac.
Abraham became the father of Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years old(GR) when he married Rebekah(GS) daughter of Bethuel(GT) the Aramean from Paddan Aram[n](GU) and sister of Laban(GV) the Aramean.(GW)
21 Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless.(GX) The Lord answered his prayer,(GY) and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 22 The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord.(GZ)
23 The Lord said to her,
“Two nations(HA) are in your womb,
and two peoples from within you will be separated;
one people will be stronger than the other,
and the older will serve the younger.(HB)”
24 When the time came for her to give birth,(HC) there were twin boys in her womb.(HD) 25 The first to come out was red,(HE) and his whole body was like a hairy garment;(HF) so they named him Esau.[o](HG) 26 After this, his brother came out,(HH) with his hand grasping Esau’s heel;(HI) so he was named Jacob.[p](HJ) Isaac was sixty years old(HK) when Rebekah gave birth to them.
27 The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter,(HL) a man of the open country,(HM) while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents. 28 Isaac, who had a taste for wild game,(HN) loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.(HO)
29 Once when Jacob was cooking some stew,(HP) Esau came in from the open country,(HQ) famished. 30 He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew!(HR) I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.[q])(HS)
31 Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.(HT)”
32 “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?”
33 But Jacob said, “Swear(HU) to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright(HV) to Jacob.
34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew.(HW) He ate and drank, and then got up and left.
So Esau despised his birthright.
Footnotes
- Genesis 23:3 Or the descendants of Heth; also in verses 5, 7, 10, 16, 18 and 20
- Genesis 23:11 Or sell
- Genesis 23:11 Or sell
- Genesis 23:11 Or sell
- Genesis 23:15 That is, about 10 pounds or about 4.6 kilograms
- Genesis 24:7 Or seed
- Genesis 24:10 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
- Genesis 24:22 That is, about 1/5 ounce or about 5.7 grams
- Genesis 24:22 That is, about 4 ounces or about 115 grams
- Genesis 24:55 Or she
- Genesis 24:63 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Genesis 25:10 Or the descendants of Heth
- Genesis 25:18 Or lived to the east of
- Genesis 25:20 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
- Genesis 25:25 Esau may mean hairy.
- Genesis 25:26 Jacob means he grasps the heel, a Hebrew idiom for he deceives.
- Genesis 25:30 Edom means red.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.