Genesis 26
1 Now there was another famine in the land, subsequent to the one that had occurred in Abraham’s time. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines at Gerar.
There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham [Father of a multitude]. Isaac [Laughter] went to Abimelech [My father king] king of the Philistines [To roll in dust (As an insult)], to Gerar.
2 The LORD appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt. Settle in the land where I tell you.
Adonai appeared to him, and said, “Don’t go down into Egypt [Abode of slavery]. Live in the land I will tell you about.
3 Stay in this land as a foreigner, and I will be with you and bless you. For I will give all these lands to you and your offspring, and I will confirm the oath that I swore to your father Abraham.
Live in this land, and I will be with you, and will bless you. For I will give to you, and to your offspring, all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to Abraham [Father of a multitude] your father.
4 I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed,
I will multiply your offspring as the stars of the sky, and will give all these lands to your offspring. By your seed, all the nations of the earth be blessed,
5 because Abraham listened to My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.”
because Abraham [Father of a multitude] sh'ma ·heard obeyed· my voice, and heeded what I told him to do— he followed my mitzvot ·instructions·, my regulations, and my torot ·teachings·.”
6 So Isaac settled in Gerar.
Isaac [Laughter] lived in Gerar.
7 But when the men of that place asked about his wife, he said, “She is my sister.” For he was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” since he thought to himself, “The men of this place will kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is so beautiful.”
The men of the place asked him about his wife. He said, “She is my sister,” for he was afraid to say, “My wife,” lest, he thought, “the men of the place might kill me for Rebekah [Securely bound], because she is beautiful to look at.”
8 When Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked down from the window and was surprised to see Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah.
When he had been there a long time, Abimelech [My father king] king of the Philistines [To roll in dust (As an insult)] looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac [Laughter] was caressing Rebekah [Securely bound], his wife.
9 Abimelech sent for Isaac and said, “So she is really your wife! How could you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac replied, “Because I thought I might die on account of her.”
Abimelech [My father king] called Isaac [Laughter], and said, “Behold, surely she is your wife. Why did you say, ‘She is my sister?’” Isaac [Laughter] said to him, “Because I said, ‘Lest I die because of her.’”
10 “What is this you have done to us?” asked Abimelech. “One of the people could easily have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.”
Abimelech [My father king] said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought fault incurring guilt on us!”
11 So Abimelech warned all the people, saying, “Whoever harms this man or his wife will surely be put to death.”
Abimelech [My father king] enjoined all the people, saying, “He who touches this man or his wife will surely be put to death.”
12 Now Isaac sowed seed in the land, and that very year he reaped a hundredfold. And the LORD blessed him,
Isaac [Laughter] sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year one hundred times what he planted. Adonai blessed him.
13 and he became richer and richer, until he was exceedingly wealthy.
The man grew great, and grew more and more until he became very great.
14 He owned so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him.
He had possessions of flocks, possessions of herds, and a great household. The Philistines [To roll in dust (As an insult)] envied him.
15 So the Philistines took dirt and stopped up all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the days of his father Abraham.
Now all the wells which his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham [Father of a multitude] his father, the Philistines [To roll in dust (As an insult)] had stopped, and filled with earth.
16 Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Depart from us, for you are much too powerful for us.”
Abimelech [My father king] said to Isaac [Laughter], “Go from us, for you are much mightier than we.”
17 So Isaac left that place and encamped in the Valley of Gerar and settled there.
Isaac [Laughter] departed from there, encamped in the valley of Gerar, and lived there.
18 Isaac reopened the wells that had been dug in the days of his father Abraham, which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham died. And he gave these wells the same names his father had given them.
Isaac [Laughter] dug again the wells of water, which they had dug in the days of Abraham [Father of a multitude] his father. For the Philistines [To roll in dust (As an insult)] had stopped them after the death of Abraham [Father of a multitude]. He called their names after the names by which his father had called them.
19 Then Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found a well of fresh water there.
Isaac [Laughter]’s servants dug in the valley, and found there a well of springing water.
20 But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen and said, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek, because they contended with him.
The herdsmen of Gerar argued with Isaac [Laughter]’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours.” He called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him.
21 Then they dug another well and quarreled over that one also; so he named it Sitnah.
They dug another well, and they argued over that, also. He called its name Sitnah.
22 He moved on from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. He named it Rehoboth and said, “At last the LORD has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land.”
He left that place, and dug another well. They didn’t argue over that one. He called it Rehoboth. He said, “For now Adonai has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land.”
23 From there Isaac went up to Beersheba,
He went up from there to Be'er-Sheva [Well of Seven, Well of an Oath].
24 and that night the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for the sake of My servant Abraham.”
Adonai appeared to him the same night, and said, “I am the God of Abraham [Father of a multitude] your father. Don’t be afraid, for I am with you, and will bless you, and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham [Father of a multitude]’s sake.”
25 So Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the LORD, and he pitched his tent there. His servants also dug a well there.
He built an altar there, and called on Adonai’s name, and pitched his tent there. There Isaac [Laughter]’s servants dug a well.
26 Later, Abimelech came to Isaac from Gerar, with Ahuzzath his adviser and Phicol the commander of his army.
Then Abimelech [My father king] went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath his friend, and Phicol the captain of his army.
27 “Why have you come to me?” Isaac asked them. “You hated me and sent me away.”
Isaac [Laughter] said to them, “Why have you come to me, since you hate me, and have sent me away from you?”
28 “We can plainly see that the LORD has been with you,” they replied. “We recommend that there should now be an oath between us and you. Let us make a covenant with you
They said, “We saw plainly that Adonai was with you. We said, ‘Let there now be an oath between us, even between us and you, and let us make a covenant ·binding contract between two or more parties· with you,
29 that you will not harm us, just as we have not harmed you but have done only good to you, sending you on your way in peace. And now you are blessed by the LORD.”
that you will do us no harm, as we have not touched you, and as we have done to you nothing but good, and have sent you away in peace.’ You are now the blessed of Adonai.”
30 So Isaac prepared a feast for them, and they ate and drank.
He made them a feast, and they ate and drank.
31 And they got up early the next morning and swore an oath to each other. Then Isaac sent them on their way, and they left him in peace.
They rose up some time in the morning, and swore to one another. Isaac [Laughter] sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.
32 On that same day, Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well they had dug. “We have found water!” they told him.
The same day, Isaac [Laughter]’s servants came, and told him concerning the well which they had dug, and said to him, “We have found water.”
33 So he called it Shibah, and to this day the name of the city is Beersheba.
He called it Shibah. Therefore the name of the city is Be'er-Sheva [Well of Seven, Well of an Oath] to this day.
34 When Esau was forty years old, he took as his wives Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite and Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite.
When Esau [Hairy] was forty years old, he took as wife Judith, the daughter of Beeri the Hittite [Descendant of Trembling fear], and Basemath, the daughter of Elon the Hittite [Descendant of Trembling fear].
35 And they brought grief to Isaac and Rebekah.
They grieved Isaac [Laughter]’s and Rebekah [Securely bound]’s spirits.
