Genesis 12:1-29:3
21st Century King James Version
12 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, “Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee.
2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing.
3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee; and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”
4 So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken unto him, and Lot went with him; and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.
5 And Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother’s son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls whom they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan, and into the land of Canaan they came.
6 And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Shechem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land.
7 And the Lord appeared unto Abram and said, “Unto thy seed will I give this land.” And there built he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him.
8 And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord.
9 And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south.
10 And there was a famine in the land; and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was grievous in the land.
11 And it came to pass, when he had come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, “Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon.
12 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.
13 Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister, that it may be well with me for thy sake, and my soul shall live because of thee.”
14 And it came to pass, when Abram had come into Egypt, that the Egyptians beheld the woman, that she was very fair.
15 The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house.
16 And he treated Abram well for her sake; and he had sheep and oxen and heasses, and menservants and maidservants, and sheasses and camels.
17 And the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.
18 And Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this that thou hast done unto me? Why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?
19 Why saidst thou, ‘She is my sister,’ so I might have taken her to me for a wife? Now therefore behold thy wife; take her and go thy way.”
20 And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they sent him away with his wife and all that he had.
13 And Abram went up out of Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south.
2 And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.
3 And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai,
4 unto the place of the altar which he had made there at the first; and there Abram called on the name of the Lord.
5 And Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks and herds and tents.
6 And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together; for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together.
7 And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdsmen of Lot’s cattle; and the Canaanites and the Perizzites dwelled then in the land.
8 And Abram said unto Lot, “Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee and between my herdsmen and thy herdsmen; for we are brethren.
9 Is not the whole land before thee? Separate thyself, I pray thee, from me. If thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.”
10 And Lot lifted up his eyes and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah), even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as thou comest unto Zoar.
11 Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east, and they separated themselves the one from the other.
12 Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.
13 But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly.
14 And the Lord said unto Abram after Lot was separated from him, “Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art, northward and southward and eastward and westward;
15 for all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it and to thy seed for ever.
16 And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth, so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.
17 Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it, for I will give it unto thee.”
18 Then Abram removed his tent and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord.
14 And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations,
2 that these made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar.
3 All these were joined together in the Vale of Siddim, which is the Salt Sea.
4 Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
5 And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him, and smote the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim,
6 and the Horites in their Mount Seir, unto Elparan, which is by the wilderness.
7 And they returned and came to Enmishpat, which is Kadesh, and smote all the country of the Amalekites and also the Amorites, who dwelt in Hazezontamar.
8 And there went out the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar), and they joined battle with them in the Vale of Siddim,
9 against Chedorlaomer the king of Elam, and against Tidal king of nations, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar — four kings against five.
10 And the Vale of Siddim was full of slime pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled and fell there, and those who remained fled to the mountain.
11 And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their victuals, and went their way.
12 And they took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods and departed.
13 And there came one who had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew, for he dwelt on the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner; and these were confederate with Abram.
14 And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house (three hundred and eighteen), and pursued them unto Dan.
15 And he divided himself against them, he and his servants by night, and smote them and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.
16 And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot and his goods, and the women also and the people.
17 And the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (which is the King’s Dale) after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer and of the kings who were with him.
18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine; and he was the priest of the Most High God.
19 And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram of the Most High God, possessor of heaven and earth;
20 and blessed be the Most High God, who hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand.” And he gave him tithes of all.
21 And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, “Give me the persons, and take the goods for thyself.”
22 And Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted up mine hand unto the Lord, the Most High God, the possessor of heaven and earth,
23 that I will not take from a thread even to a shoe strap, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say,‘I have made Abram rich’”
24 except only that which the young men have eaten and the portion of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.”
15 After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, “Fear not, Abram. I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward.”
2 And Abram said, “Lord God, what wilt Thou give me, seeing I go childless and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?”
3 And Abram said, “Behold, to me Thou hast given no seed; and lo, one born in my house is mine heir.”
4 And behold, the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, “This shall not be thine heir, but he that shall come forth out of thine own loins shall be thine heir.”
5 And He brought him forth outdoors and said, “Look now toward heaven and count the stars, if thou be able to number them.” And He said unto him, “So shall thy seed be.”
6 And he believed in the Lord; and He accounted it to him for righteousness.
7 And He said unto him, “I am the Lord who brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give thee this land to inherit it.”
8 And he said, “Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?”
9 And He said unto him, “Take Me a heifer of three years old, and a shegoat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”
10 And he took unto Him all these, and divided them in the midst and laid each piece one against another; but the birds divided he not.
11 And when the fowls came down upon the carcasses, Abram drove them away.
12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and lo, a horror of great darkness fell upon him.
13 And He said unto Abram, “Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years.
14 And also that nation whom they shall serve will I judge, and afterward shall they come out with great substance.
15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried at a good old age.
16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.”
17 And it came to pass that when the sun went down and it was dark, behold, a smoking furnace and a burning lamp passed between those pieces.
18 On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the River Euphrates:
19 the Kenites and the Kenizzites and the Kadmonites,
20 and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Rephaim,
21 and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Girgashites and the Jebusites.”
16 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, bore him no children; and she had a handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.
2 And Sarai said unto Abram, “Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing. I pray thee, go in unto my maid. It may be that I may obtain children by her.” And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
3 And Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.
4 And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.
5 And Sarai said unto Abram, “My wrong be upon thee. I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes. The Lord judge between me and thee.”
6 But Abram said unto Sarai, “Behold, thy maid is in thy hand. Do to her as it pleaseth thee.” And when Sarai dealt harshly with her, she fled from her face.
7 And the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain on the way to Shur.
8 And he said, “Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou? And whither wilt thou go?” And she said, “I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.”
9 And the angel of the Lord said unto her, “Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.”
10 And the angel of the Lord said unto her, “I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.”
11 And the angel of the Lord said unto her, “Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son and shalt call his name Ishmael [that is, God shall hear], because the Lord hath heard thy affliction.
12 And he will be a wild man. His hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.”
13 And she called the name of the Lord who spoke unto her: “Thou God seest me.” For she said, “Have I also here looked upon Him that seeth me?”
14 Therefore the well was called Beerlahairoi [that is, The well of Him that liveth and seeth me]. Behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.
15 And Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram called his son’s name, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.
16 And Abram was fourscore and six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.
17 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram and said unto him, “I am the Almighty God. Walk before Me, and be thou perfect.
2 And I will make My covenant between Me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.”
3 And Abram fell on his face; and God talked with him, saying,
4 “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.
5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.
6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.
7 And I will establish My covenant between Me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee.
8 And I will give unto thee and to thy seed after thee the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”
9 And God said unto Abraham, “Thou shalt keep My covenant, therefore, thou and thy seed after thee in their generations.
10 This is My covenant which ye shall keep between Me and you and thy seed after thee: every manchild among you shall be circumcised.
11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant between Me and you.
12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every manchild in your generations, he that is born in the house or bought with money from any stranger who is not of thy seed.
13 He that is born in thy house and he that is bought with thy money must be circumcised; and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
14 And the uncircumcised manchild whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken My covenant.”
15 And God said unto Abraham, “As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.
16 And I will bless her and give thee a son also by her. Yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.”
17 Then Abraham fell upon his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born unto him that is a hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear?”
18 And Abraham said unto God, “O that Ishmael might live before Thee!”
19 And God said, “Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed, and thou shalt call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.
20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly. Twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.
21 But My covenant will I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.”
22 And He left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.
23 And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him.
24 And Abraham was ninety years old and nine when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
26 In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son.
27 And all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money from the stranger, were circumcised with him.
18 And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day.
2 And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and lo, three men stood by him. And when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground
3 and said, “My lord, if now I have found favor in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant.
4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet and rest yourselves under the tree;
5 and I will fetch a morsel of bread and comfort ye your hearts. After that ye shall pass on, for therefor are ye come to your servant.” And they said, “So do, as thou hast said.”
6 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, “Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.”
7 And Abraham ran unto the herd and fetched a calf, tender and good, and gave it unto a young man, and he hastened to dress it.
8 And he took butter and milk and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they ate.
9 And they said unto him, “Where is Sarah thy wife?” And he said, “Behold, in the tent.”
10 And he said, “I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son.” And Sarah heard it from the tent door, which was behind him.
11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age, and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”
13 And the Lord said unto Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I of a surety bear a child, who am old?’
14 Is any thing too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.”
15 Then Sarah denied, saying, “I laughed not,” for she was afraid. And He said, “Nay, but thou didst laugh.”
16 And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom; and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.
17 And the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do,
18 seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment, that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which He hath spoken of him.”
20 And the Lord said, “Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous,
21 I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which has come unto Me; and if not, I will know.”
22 And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom; but Abraham stood yet before the Lord.
23 And Abraham drew near and said, “Wilt Thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
24 Perhaps there be fifty righteous within the city; wilt Thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?
25 That be far from Thee to do in this manner — to slay the righteous with the wicked; and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from Thee! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”
26 And the Lord said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.”
27 And Abraham answered and said, “Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, I, who am but dust and ashes.
28 Perhaps there shall lack five of the fifty righteous; wilt Thou destroy all the city for lack of five?” And He said, “If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it.”
29 And he spoke unto Him yet again and said, “Perhaps there shall be forty found there?” And He said, “I will not do it for forty’s sake.”
30 And he said unto Him, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Perhaps there shall thirty be found there.” And He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”
31 And he said, “Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Perhaps there shall be twenty found there.” And He said, “I will not destroy it for twenty’s sake.”
32 And he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Perhaps ten shall be found there.” And He said, “I will not destroy it for ten’s sake.”
33 And the Lord went His way, as soon as He had finished communing with Abraham; and Abraham returned unto his place.
19 And there came two angels to Sodom at evening, and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom. And Lot, seeing them, rose up to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;
2 and he said, “Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant’s house and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early and go on your ways.” And they said, “Nay, but we will remain in the street all night.”
3 And he pressed upon them greatly, and they turned in unto him and entered into his house; and he made them a feast and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.
4 But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom — both young and old, all the people from every quarter —compassed the house around.
5 And they called unto Lot and said unto him, “Where are the men who came in to thee this night? Bring them out unto us, that we may know them.”
6 And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him
7 and said, “I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.
8 Behold now, I have two daughters who have not known a man. Let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes. Only unto these men do nothing, for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof.”
9 And they said, “Stand back.” And they said again, “This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will become a judge! Now will we deal worse with thee than with them.” And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door.
10 But the men put forth their hands, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut the door.
11 And they smote the men who were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves to find the door.
12 And the men said unto Lot, “Hast thou here any besides? Soninlaw, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whomsoever thou hast in the city — bring them out of this place.
13 For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them has waxed great before the face of the Lord, and the Lord hath sent us to destroy it.”
14 And Lot went out and spoke unto his sons-in-law, who married his daughters, and said, “Up, get ye out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city!” But he seemed as one who mocked unto his sons-in-law.
15 And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, “Arise, take thy wife and thy two daughters who are here, lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.”
16 And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife and upon the hand of his two daughters, the Lord being merciful unto him; and they brought him forth and set him outside the city.
17 And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth outside, that he said, “Escape for thy life! Look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain. Escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed!”
18 And Lot said unto them, “Oh, not so, my lord.
19 Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shown unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die.
20 Behold now, this city is near enough to flee unto, and it is a little one. Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.”
21 And he said unto him, “See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city for which thou hast spoken.
22 Hasten thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou hast come thither.” Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.
23 The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar.
24 Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire, from the Lord out of heaven;
25 and He overthrew those cities, and all the plain and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.
26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
27 And Abraham got up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the Lord;
28 and he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld. And lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.
29 And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when He overthrew the cities in which Lot dwelt.
30 And Lot went up out of Zoar and dwelt on the mountain, and his two daughters with him, for he feared to dwell in Zoar; and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters.
31 And the firstborn said unto the younger, “Our father is old, and there is not a man on the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth.
32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.”
33 And they made their father drink wine that night, and the firstborn went in and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.
34 And it came to pass on the morrow that the firstborn said unto the younger, “Behold, I lay yesternight with my father. Let us make him drink wine this night also, and go thou in and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.”
35 And they made their father drink wine that night also. And the younger arose and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.
36 Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father.
37 And the firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab; the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day.
38 And the younger, she also bore a son and called his name Benammi; the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.
20 And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur and sojourned in Gerar.
2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.
3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, “Behold, thou art but a dead man, because of the woman whom thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife.”
4 But Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, wilt Thou slay also a righteous nation?
5 Said he not unto me, ‘She is my sister’? And she, even she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.”
6 And God said unto him in a dream, “Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart, for I also withheld thee from sinning against Me. Therefore I suffered thee not to touch her.
7 Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live. And if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou and all that are thine.”
8 Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their hearing; and the men were sore afraid.
9 Then Abimelech called Abraham and said unto him, “What hast thou done unto us? And how have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? Thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.”
10 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, “What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?”
11 And Abraham said, “Because I thought surely the fear of God is not in this place, and they will slay me for my wife’s sake.
12 And yet indeed she is my sister: she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife.
13 And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said unto her, ‘This is thy kindness which thou shalt show unto me: at every place whither we shall come, say of me, “He is my brother.”’”
14 And Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and menservants and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored to him Sarah his wife.
15 And Abimelech said, “Behold, my land is before thee. Dwell where it pleaseth thee.”
16 And unto Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver; behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes unto all who are with thee and with all other.” Thus she was reproved.
17 So Abraham prayed unto God. And God healed Abimelech, and his wife and his maidservants; and they bore children,
18 for the Lord had closed up fast all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
21 And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as He had spoken.
2 For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.
3 And Abraham called the name of his son who was born unto him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac.
4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac, being eight days old, as God had commanded him.
5 And Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born unto him.
6 And Sarah said, “God hath made me laugh, so that all who hear will laugh with me.”
7 And she said, “Who would have said unto Abraham that Sarah should have given children suck? For I have borne him a son in his old age.”
8 And the child grew, and was weaned; and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.
9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne unto Abraham, mocking.
10 Therefore she said unto Abraham, “Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.”
11 And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight because of his son.
12 And God said unto Abraham, “Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman. In all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.
13 And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.”
14 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread and a bottle of water; and he gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.
15 And the water in the bottle was spent, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.
16 And she went and sat down apart from him a good way off, as it were, a bowshot; for she said, “Let me not see the death of the child.” And she sat opposite him, and lifted up her voice and wept.
17 And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven and said unto her, “What aileth thee, Hagar? Fear not, for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.
18 Arise; lift up the lad and hold him in thine hand, for I will make him a great nation.”
19 And God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water; and she went and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.
20 And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.
21 And he dwelt in the Wilderness of Paran, and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.
22 And it came to pass at that time that Abimelech and Phichol, the chief captain of his host, spoke unto Abraham, saying, “God is with thee in all that thou doest.
23 Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son’s son; but according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned.”
24 And Abraham said, “I will swear.”
25 And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water which Abimelech’s servants had violently taken away.
26 And Abimelech said, “I know not who hath done this thing; neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it until today.”
27 And Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them unto Abimelech, and both of them made a covenant.
28 And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.
29 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, “What mean these seven ewe lambs, which thou hast set by themselves?”
30 And he said, “These seven ewe lambs shalt thou take from my hand, that they may be a witness unto me that I have dug this well.”
31 Therefore he called that place Beersheba [that is, The well of the oath], because there they swore, both of them.
32 Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba. Then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.
33 And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God.
34 And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines’ land many days.
22 And it came to pass after these things, that God tested Abraham and said unto him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Behold, here I am.”
2 And He said, “Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah, and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.”
3 And Abraham rose up early in the morning and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he cleaved the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up and went unto the place of which God had told him.
4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.
5 And Abraham said unto his young men, “Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.”
6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand and a knife, and they went both of them together.
7 And Isaac spoke unto Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here am I, my son.” And he said, “Behold the fire and the wood; but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”
8 And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering.” So they went both of them together.
9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar upon the wood.
10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
11 And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here am I.”
12 And He said, “Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him; for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from Me.”
13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked; and behold, behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.
14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh [that is, The Lord will provide]; as it is said to this day, “In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.”
15 And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time
16 and said, “By Myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son,
17 in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is upon the seashore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies.
18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed My voice.”
19 So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.
20 And it came to pass after these things, that it was told Abraham, saying, “Behold Milcah, she hath also borne children unto thy brother Nahor:
21 Huz his firstborn, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram,
22 and Chesed and Hazo, and Pildash and Jidlaph and Bethuel.”
23 And Bethuel begot Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham’s brother.
24 And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, she bore also Tebah and Gaham, and Thahash and Maachah.
23 And Sarah was a hundred and seven and twenty years old; these were the years of the life of Sarah.
2 And Sarah died in Kirjatharba (the same is Hebron) in the land of Canaan; and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.
3 And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spoke unto the sons of Heth, saying,
4 “I am a stranger and a sojourner with you. Give me a possession for a burying place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”
5 And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him,
6 “Hear us, my lord: Thou art a mighty prince among us; in the choicest of our sepulchers bury thy dead. None of us shall withhold from thee his sepulcher, that thou mayest bury thy dead.”
7 And Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth.
8 And he communed with them, saying, “If it be in your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and entreat for me Ephron the son of Zohar,
9 that he may give me the cave of Machpelah which he hath, which is in the end of his field. For as much money as it is worth he shall give it to me as a possession for a burying place amongst you.”
10 And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth, even of all who went in at the gate of his city, saying,
11 “Nay, my lord, hear me: The field give I thee; and the cave that is therein, I give it to thee. In the presence of the sons of my people give I it to thee; bury thy dead.”
12 And Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land.
13 And he spoke unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, “But if thou wilt give it, I pray thee, hear me. I will give thee money for the field. Take it from me, and I will bury my dead there.”
14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him,
15 “My lord, hearken unto me: The land is worth four hundred shekels of silver. What is that between me and thee? Bury therefore thy dead.”
16 And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed the silver for Ephron which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth: four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant.
17 And the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field that were in all the borders round about, were secured
18 unto Abraham as a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city.
19 And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre (the same is Hebron) in the land of Canaan.
20 And the field and the cave that is therein were secured unto Abraham as a possession for a burying place by the sons of Heth.
24 And Abraham was old and well stricken in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.
2 And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had, “Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh;
3 and I will make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell.
4 But thou shalt go unto my country and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac.”
5 And the servant said unto him, “Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land. Must I bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest?”
6 And Abraham said unto him, “Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again.
7 The Lord God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my kindred, and who spoke unto me and who swore unto me, saying, ‘Unto thy seed will I give this land,’ He shall send His angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife for my son from thence.
8 And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath; only bring not my son thither again.”
9 And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning that matter.
10 And the servant took ten camels from the camels of his master and departed, for all the goods of his master were in his hand. And he arose and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor.
11 And he made his camels to kneel down outside the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water.
12 And he said, “O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray Thee, send me good speed this day, and show kindness unto my master Abraham.
13 Behold, I stand here by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water.
14 And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, ‘Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink,’ and she shall say, ‘Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also’ — let the same be she whom Thou hast appointed for Thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that Thou hast shown kindness unto my master.”
15 And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder.
16 And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her; and she went down to the well and filled her pitcher and came up.
17 And the servant ran to meet her and said, “Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water from thy pitcher.”
18 And she said, “Drink, my lord”; and she hastened and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.
19 And when she had done giving him drink, she said, “I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.”
20 And she hastened and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.
21 And the man, wondering at her, held his peace to learn whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not.
22 And it came to pass, as the camels were done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold,
23 and said, “Whose daughter art thou? Tell me, I pray thee, is there room in thy father’s house for us to lodge in?”
24 And she said unto him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore unto Nahor.”
25 She said moreover unto him, “We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in.”
26 And the man bowed down his head, and worshiped the Lord.
27 And he said, “Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master from His mercy and His truth. I, being on the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master’s brethren.”
28 And the damsel ran and told those of her mother’s house these things.
29 And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban; and Laban ran out unto the man by the well.
30 And it came to pass, when he saw the earring, and bracelets upon his sister’s hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, “Thus spoke the man unto me,” that he came unto the man; and behold, he stood by the camels at the well.
31 And he said, “Come in, thou blessed of the Lord. Why standest thou outside? For I have prepared the house, and room for the camels.”
32 And the man came into the house; and he ungirded his camels, and gave straw and provender to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.
33 And there was meat set before him to eat; but he said, “I will not eat until I have told mine errand.” And he said, “Speak on.”
34 And he said, “I am Abraham’s servant.
35 And the Lord hath blessed my master greatly, and he is become great; and He hath given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and menservants and maidservants, and camels and asses.
36 And Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master when she was old, and unto him hath he given all that he hath.
37 And my master made me swear, saying, ‘Thou shalt not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell;
38 but thou shalt go unto my father’s house and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son.’
39 And I said unto my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’
40 And he said unto me, ‘The Lord, before whom I walk, will send His angel with thee and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son from my kindred and from my father’s house.
41 Then shalt thou be clear from this my oath when thou comest to my kindred; and if they give not thee one, thou shalt be clear from my oath.’
42 And I came this day unto the well and said, ‘O Lord God of my master Abraham, if now Thou do prosper my way which I go,
43 behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass that when the virgin cometh forth to draw water, and I say to her, “Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink,”
44 and she say to me, “Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels,” let the same be the woman whom the Lord hath appointed out for my master’s son.’
45 And before I was done speaking in mine heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the well and drew water. And I said unto her, ‘Let me drink, I pray thee.’
46 And she made haste and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, ‘Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also’; so I drank, and she made the camels drink also.
47 And I asked her and said, ‘Whose daughter art thou?’ And she said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore unto him’; and I put the earring upon her face and the bracelets upon her hands.
48 And I bowed down my head and worshiped the Lord, and blessed the Lord God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the right way to take my master’s brother’s daughter for his son.
49 And now if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.”
50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, “The thing proceedeth from the Lord; we cannot speak unto thee bad or good.
51 Behold, Rebekah is before thee; take her and go, and let her be thy master’s son’s wife, as the Lord hath spoken.”
52 And it came to pass, when Abraham’s servant heard their words, that he worshiped the Lord, bowing himself to the earth.
53 And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah; he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things.
54 And they ate and drank, he and the men who were with him, and tarried all night; and they arose up in the morning, and he said, “Send me away unto my master.”
55 And her brother and her mother said, “Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least ten. After that she shall go.”
56 And he said unto them, “Hinder me not, seeing the Lord hath prospered my way. Send me away, that I may go to my master.”
57 And they said, “We will call the damsel, and inquire from her mouth.”
58 And they called Rebekah and said unto her, “Wilt thou go with this man?” And she said, “I will go.”
59 And they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant and his men.
60 And they blessed Rebekah and said unto her, “Thou art our sister; be thou the mother of thousands of millions; and let thy seed possess the gate of those who hate them.”
61 And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels and followed the man; and the servant took Rebekah and went his way.
62 And Isaac came from the way of the well Lahairoi; for he dwelt in the south country.
63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide; and he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, the camels were coming.
64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac she alighted from the camel.
65 For she had said unto the servant, “What man is this who walketh in the field to meet us?” And the servant had said, “It is my master”; therefore she took a veil and covered herself.
66 And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done.
67 And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent; and he took Rebekah and she became his wife, and he loved her. And Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.
25 Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah.
2 And she bore him Zimran and Jokshan and Medan, and Midian and Ishbak and Shuah.
3 And Jokshan begot Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim and Letushim and Leummim.
4 And the sons of Midian: Ephah and Epher, and Hanoch and Abidah and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.
5 And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac.
6 But unto the sons of the concubines whom Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts; and while he yet lived he sent them away from Isaac his son, eastward unto the east country.
7 And these are the days of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived, a hundred threescore and fifteen years.
8 Then Abraham gave up the ghost and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people.
9 And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre,
10 the field which Abraham purchased from the sons of Heth. There was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife.
11 And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac dwelt by the well Lahairoi.
12 Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s handmaid, bore unto Abraham.
13 And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; and Kedar and Adbeel and Mibsam,
14 and Mishma and Dumah and Massa,
15 Hadar and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.
16 These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their towns and by their castles, twelve princes according to their nations.
17 And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, a hundred and thirty and seven years; and he gave up the ghost and died, and was gathered unto his people.
18 And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur, that is before Egypt as thou goest toward Assyria; and he died in the presence of all his brethren.
19 And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son. Abraham begot Isaac.
20 And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah for a wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister of Laban the Syrian.
21 And Isaac entreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord was entreated by him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
22 And the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If it be so, why am I thus?” And she went to inquire of the Lord.
23 And the Lord said unto her, “Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy body; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people, and the elder shall serve the younger.”
24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
25 And the first came out red, all over like a hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.
26 And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold of Esau’s heel; and his name was called Jacob. And Isaac was threescore years old when she bore them.
27 And the boys grew. And Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents.
28 And Isaac loved Esau, because he ate of his venison; but Rebekah loved Jacob.
29 And Jacob boiled pottage; and Esau came from the field, and he was faint.
30 And Esau said to Jacob, “Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage, for I am faint”; therefore was his name called Edom.
31 And Jacob said, “Sell me this day thy birthright.”
32 And Esau said, “Behold, I am at the point of dying. And what profit shall this birthright be to me?”
33 And Jacob said, “Swear to me this day.” And he swore unto him, and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.
34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and he ate and drank, and rose up and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.
26 And there was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines, unto Gerar.
2 And the Lord appeared unto him, and said, “Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of.
3 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 countries, and I will perform the oath which I swore unto Abraham thy father.
4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed,
5 because Abraham obeyed My voice, and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.”
6 And Isaac dwelt in Gerar.
7 And the men of the place asked him concerning his wife. And he said, “She is my sister”; for he feared to say, “She is my wife,” lest, said he, “the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah, because she was fair to look upon.”
8 And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out a window and saw, and behold, Isaac was frolicking with Rebekah his wife.
9 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 for her.’”
10 And Abimelech said, “What is this thou hast done unto us? One of the people might lightly have lain with thy wife, and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us.”
11 And Abimelech charged all his people, saying, “He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”
12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him.
13 And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great.
14 For he had possession of flocks and possession of herds, and great store of servants; and the Philistines envied him.
15 For all the wells which his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them and filled them with earth.
16 And Abimelech said unto Isaac, “Go from us, for thou art much mightier than we.”
17 And Isaac departed from thence, and 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 after the death of Abraham; and 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.
20 And the herdsmen of Gerar strove with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours.” And he called the name of the well Esek [that is, Contention], because they strove with him.
21 And they dug another well, and strove for that also; and he called the name of it Sitnah [that is, Hatred].
22 And he removed from thence, and dug another well, and for that they strove not; and he called the name of it Rehoboth [that is, Room]. And he said, “For now the Lord hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.”
23 And he went up from thence to Beersheba.
24 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 And he built an altar there, and called upon the name of the Lord, and pitched his tent there; and there Isaac’s servants dug a well.
26 Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath one of his friends and Phichol the chief captain of his army.
27 And Isaac said unto them, “Why come ye to me, seeing ye hate me and have sent me away from you?”
28 And they said, “We saw certainly that the Lord was with thee; and we said, ‘Let there be now an oath between us, even between us and thee, and let us make a covenant with thee,
29 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 And he made them a feast, and they ate and drank.
31 And they rose up early in the morning and swore one to another; and Isaac 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 which they had dug, and said unto him, “We have found water.”
33 And he called it Shebah [that is, An oath]; therefore the name of the city is Beersheba [that is, The well of the oath] unto this day.
34 And Esau was forty years old when he took for a wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite,
35 who were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah.
27 And it came to pass that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim so that he could not see, he called Esau his eldest son and said unto him, “My son.” And he said unto him, “Behold, here am I.”
2 And he said, “Behold now, I am old; I know not the day of my death.
3 Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field and take me some venison.
4 And make me savory meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat, that my soul may bless thee before I die.”
5 And Rebekah heard when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it.
6 And Rebekah spoke unto Jacob her son, saying, “Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying,
7 ‘Bring me venison, and make me savory meat, that I may eat and bless thee before the Lord before my death.’
8 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee.
9 Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats, and I will make them savory meat for thy father, such as he loveth;
10 and thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat and that he may bless thee before his death.”
11 And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man.
12 My father perhaps will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon myself and not a blessing.”
13 And his mother said unto him, “Upon me be thy curse, my son; only obey my voice, and go, fetch me them.”
14 And he went, and fetched and brought them to his mother; and his mother made savory meat, such as his father loved.
15 And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son;
16 and she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands and upon the smooth of his neck.
17 And she gave the savory meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.
18 And he came unto his father, and said, “My father.” And he said, “Here am I. Who art thou, my son?”
19 And Jacob said unto his father, “I am Esau thy firstborn; I have done according as thou badest me. Arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me.”
20 And Isaac said unto his son, “How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son?” And he said, “Because the Lord thy God brought it to me.”
21 And Isaac said unto Jacob, “Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not.”
22 And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.”
23 And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau’s hands; so he blessed him.
24 And he said, “Art thou my very son Esau?” And he said, “I am.”
25 And he said, “Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s venison, that my soul may bless thee.” And he brought it near to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank.
26 And his father Isaac said unto him, “Come near now, and kiss me, my son.”
27 And he came near, and kissed him; and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him and said, “See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed.
28 Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine.
29 Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee; be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother’s sons bow down to thee. Cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee!”
30 And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarcely gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting.
31 And he also had made savory meat, and brought it unto his father and said unto his father, “Let my father arise and eat of his son’s venison, that thy soul may bless me.”
32 And Isaac his father said unto him, “Who art thou?” And he said, “I am thy son, thy firstborn, Esau.”
33 And Isaac trembled exceedingly and said, “Who? Where is he that hath taken venison and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? Yea, and he shall be blessed.”
34 And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, “Bless me, even me also, O my father!”
35 And he said, “Thy brother came with subtlety, and hath taken away thy blessing.”
36 And he said, “Is not he rightly named Jacob [that is, A supplanter]? For he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright, and behold, now he hath taken away my blessing.” And he said, “Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?”
37 And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, “Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him. And what shall I do now unto thee, my son?”
38 And Esau said unto his father, “Hast thou but one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father!” And Esau lifted up his voice and wept.
39 And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, “Behold, thy dwelling shall be of the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above.
40 And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.”
41 And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him. And Esau said in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father are at hand. Then will I slay my brother Jacob.”
42 And these words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah; and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, “Behold, thy brother Esau doth comfort himself concerning thee, purposing to kill thee.
43 Now therefore my son, obey my voice; and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother in Haran,
44 and tarry with him a few days until thy brother’s fury turn away—
45 until thy brother’s anger turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him. Then I will send and fetch thee from thence. Why should I be deprived also of you both in one day?”
46 And Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth. If Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these who are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?”
28 And Isaac called Jacob and blessed him, and charged him and said unto him, “Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.
2 Arise, go to Padanaram to the house of Bethuel thy mother’s father, and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother’s brother.
3 And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people;
4 and give thee the blessing of Abraham to thee and to thy seed with thee, that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham.”
5 And Isaac sent away Jacob; and he went to Padanaram unto Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob’s and Esau’s mother.
6 When Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob, and sent him away to Padanaram to take him a wife from thence, and that as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying, “Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan,”
7 and that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother and had gone to Padanaram,
8 and Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father—
9 then went Esau unto Ishmael, and added unto the wives which he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife.
10 And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.
11 And he alighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.
12 And he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
13 And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father and the God of Isaac: The land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed.
14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west and to the east, and to the north and to the south; and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
15 And behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.”
16 And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not.”
17 And he was afraid and said, “How fearsome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”
18 And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar and poured oil upon the top of it.
19 And he called the name of that place Bethel [that is, The house of God]; but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.
20 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and raiment to put on,
21 so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then shall the Lord be my God.
22 And this stone which I have set for a pillar shall be God’s house; and of all that Thou shalt give me I will surely give a tenth unto Thee.”
29 Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east.
2 And he looked, and behold, a well in the field, and lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks; and a great stone was upon the well’s mouth.
3 And thither were all the flocks gathered; and they rolled the stone from the well’s mouth and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well’s mouth in his place.
Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.