Genesis 26

1 And there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine, which was in the time of Abraam; and Isaac went to Abimelech the king of the Phylistines to Gerara.

There was a famine in the land, in addition to the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, to Gerar.

2 And the Lord appeared to him and said, Go not down to Egypt, but dwell in the land, which I shall tell you of.

The LORD appeared to him, and said, “Don’t go down into Egypt. Live in the land I will tell you about.

3 And sojourn in this land; and I will be with you, and bless you, for I will give to you and to your seed all this land; and I will establish my oath which I swore to your father Abraam.

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 your father.

4 And I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven; and I will give to your seed all this land, and all the nations of the earth shall be blest in your seed.

I will multiply your offspring as the stars of the sky, and will give all these lands to your offspring. In your offspring all the nations of the earth will be blessed,

5 Because Abraam your father listened to my voice, and kept my injunctions, and my commandments, and my ordinances, and my statutes.

because Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my requirements, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.”

6 And Isaac lived in Gerara.

Isaac lived in Gerar.

7 And the men of the place questioned him concerning Rebecca his wife, and he said, She is my sister, for he feared to say, She is my wife, lest at any time the men of the place should kill him because of Rebecca, because she was fair.

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, because she is beautiful to look at.”

8 And he remained there a long time, and Abimelech the king of Gerara leaned to look through the window, and saw Isaac sporting with Rebecca his wife.

When he had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was caressing Rebekah, his wife.

9 And Abimelech called Isaac, and said to him, Is she then your wife? why have you said, She is my sister? And Isaac said to him, [I did so], for I said, Lest at any time I die on her account.

Abimelech called Isaac, and said, “Behold, surely she is your wife. Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac said to him, “Because I said, ‘Lest I die because of her.’”

10 And Abimelech said to him, Why have you done this to us? one of my kindred within a little had lain with your wife, and you would have brought [a sin of] ignorance upon us.

Abimelech 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 guilt on us!”

11 And Abimelech charged all his people, saying Every man that touches this man and his wife shall be liable to death.

Abimelech commanded all the people, saying, “He who touches this man or his wife will surely be put to death.”

12 And Isaac sowed in that land, and he found in that year barley and hundred-fold, and the Lord blessed him.

Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year one hundred times what he planted. The LORD blessed him.

13 And the man was exalted, and advancing he increased, till he became very great.

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

14 And he had cattle of sheep, and cattle of oxen, and many tilled lands, and the Phylistines envied him.

He had possessions of flocks, possessions of herds, and a great household. The Philistines envied him.

15 And all the wells which the servants of his father had dug in the time of his father, the Phylistines stopped them, and filled them with earth.

Now all the wells which his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped, and filled with earth.

16 And Abimelech said to Isaac, Depart from us, for you are become much mightier than we.

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

17 And Isaac departed thence, and rested in the valley of Gerara, and lived there.

Isaac departed from there, encamped in the valley of Gerar, and lived there.

18 And Isaac dug again the wells of water, which the servants of his father Abraam had dug, and the Phylistines had stopped them, after the death of his father Abraam; and he gave them names, according to the names by which his father named them.

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. He called their names after the names by which his father had called them.

19 And the servants of Isaac dug in the valley of Gerara, and they found there a well of living water.

Isaac’s servants dug in the valley, and found there a well of flowing water.

20 And the shepherds of Gerara strove with the shepherds of Isaac, saying that the water was theirs; and they called the name of the well, Injury, for they injured him.

The herdsmen of Gerar argued with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours.” So he called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him.

21 And having departed thence he dug another well, and they strove also for that; and he named the name of it, Enmity.

They dug another well, and they argued over that, also. So he called its name Sitnah.

22 And he departed thence and dug another well; and they did not strive about that; and he named the name of it, Room, saying, Because now the Lord has made room for us, and has increased us upon the earth.

He left that place, and dug another well. They didn’t argue over that one. So he called it Rehoboth. He said, “For now the LORD has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land.”

23 And he went up thence to the well of the oath.

He went up from there to Beersheba.

24 And the Lord appeared to him in that night, and said, I am the God of Abraam your father; fear not, for I am with you, and I will bless you, and multiply your seed for the sake of Abraam your father.

The LORD appeared to him the same night, and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father. Don’t be afraid, for I am with you, and will bless you, and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham’s sake.”

25 And he built there an altar, and called on the name of the Lord, and there he pitched his tent, and there the servants of Isaac dug a well in the valley of Gerara.

He built an altar there, and called on the LORD’s name, and pitched his tent there. There Isaac’s servants dug a well.

26 And Abimelech came to him from Gerara, and so did Ochozath his friend, and Phichol the commander-in-chief of his army.

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

27 And Isaac said to them, Therefore have you come to me? whereas you hated me, and sent me away from you.

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

28 And they said, We have surely seen that the Lord was with you, and we said, Let there be an oath between us and you, and we will make a covenant with you,

They said, “We saw plainly that the LORD was with you. We said, ‘Let there now be an oath between us, even between us and you, and let’s make a covenant with you,

29 that you shall do no wrong by us, as we have not abhorred you, and according as we have treated you well, and have sent you forth peaceably; and now you are blessed of 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 the LORD.”

30 And he made a feast for them, and they ate and drank.

He made them a feast, and they ate and drank.

31 And they arose in the morning, and swore each to his neighbour; and Isaac sent them forth, and they departed from him in safety.

They rose up some time in the morning, and swore an oath to one another. Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.

32 And it came to pass in that day, that the servants of Isaac came and told him of the well which they had dug; and they said, We have not found water.

The same day, Isaac’s servants came, and told him concerning the well which they had dug, and said to him, “We have found water.”

33 And he called it, Oath: therefore he called the name of that city, the Well of Oath, until this day.

He called it “Shibah”. Therefore the name of the city is “Beersheba” to this day.

34 And Esau was forty years old; and he took as wife Judith the daughter of Beoch the Chettite, and Basemath, daughter of Helon the Chettite.

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

35 And they were provoking to Isaac and Rebecca.

They grieved Isaac’s and Rebekah’s spirits.