Genesis 26

1 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.

And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham; and Isaac went unto Abimelech, the king of the Philistines, unto Gerar.

2 Adonai appeared to him, and said, “Don’t go down into Egypt [Abode of slavery]. Live in the land I will tell you about.

And the Lord appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of.

3 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.

Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, will I give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I swore unto Abraham thy father;

4 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,

And I will cause thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and I will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth bless themselves.

5 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·.”

Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.

6 Isaac [Laughter] lived in Gerar.

And Isaac dwelt in Gerar.

7 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.”

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 is of a handsome appearance.

8 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.

And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech, the king of the Philistines, looked out at a window, and saw, and behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife.

9 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.’”

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 thought, Perhaps I may die for her.

10 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!”

And Abimelech said, What is this thou hast done unto us? How easily might one of the people have lain with thy wife, and thou wouldst have brought guiltiness upon us.

11 Abimelech [My father king] enjoined all the people, saying, “He who touches this man or his wife will surely be put to death.”

And Abimelech charged all his people, saying, He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.

12 Isaac [Laughter] sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year one hundred times what he planted. Adonai blessed him.

Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year a hundred-fold: so the Lord blessed him.

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

And the man became great, and went forward and grew, until he became very great;

14 He had possessions of flocks, possessions of herds, and a great household. The Philistines [To roll in dust (As an insult)] envied him.

And he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants; and the Philistines envied him.

15 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.

And all the wells which his father's servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, these the Philistines stopped, and filled them with earth.

16 Abimelech [My father king] said to Isaac [Laughter], “Go from us, for you are much mightier than we.”

And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go away from us; for thou hast become much mightier than we.

17 Isaac [Laughter] departed from there, encamped in the valley of Gerar, and lived there.

And Isaac departed thence, and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there.

18 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.

And Isaac dug again the wells of water, which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father, and which the Philistines had stopped after the death of Abraham; and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them.

19 Isaac [Laughter]’s servants dug in the valley, and found there a well of springing water.

And the servants of Isaac dug in the valley, and found there a well of springing water.

20 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.

And the herdmen of Gerar did strive with Isaac's herdmen, saying, The water is ours: and he called the name of the well Essek; because they strove with him.

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

And they dug another well, and they strove for that also: and he called the name of it Sitnah.

22 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.”

And he removed from there, and dug another well; and for that they strove not: and he called the name of it Rechoboth, and he said, For now the Lord hath made room for us, and we shall increase in the land.

23 He went up from there to Be'er-Sheva [Well of Seven, Well of an Oath].

And he went up from there to Beer-sheba.

24 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.”

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 I will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for the sake of Abraham my servant.

25 He built an altar there, and called on Adonai’s name, and pitched his tent there. There Isaac [Laughter]’s servants dug a well.

And he built there an altar, and called upon the name of the Lord, and pitched there his tent: and the servants of Isaac dug there a well.

26 Then Abimelech [My father king] went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath his friend, and Phicol the captain of his army.

Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and Achuzzath his friend, and Phichol the chief captain of his army.

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

And Isaac said unto them, Wherefore come ye to me, seeing that ye do hate me, and have sent me away from you?

28 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,

And they said, We saw clearly that the Lord was with thee; and we said, Let there be now an oath between us and thee; and we will make a covenant with thee;

29 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.”

That thou shalt 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 one blessed of the Lord.

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

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

31 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.

And they rose up betimes in the morning, and they swore one to the other; and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.

32 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.”

And it came to pass the same day, that Isaac's servants came, and told him concerning the well which they had dug, and they said unto him, We have found water.

33 He called it Shibah. Therefore the name of the city is Be'er-Sheva [Well of Seven, Well of an Oath] to this day.

And he called it Shibah: therefore is the name of the city Beer-sheba unto this day.

34 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].

And when Esau was forty years old he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri, the Hittite, and Bahsemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite.

35 They grieved Isaac [Laughter]’s and Rebekah [Securely bound]’s spirits.

And they were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah.