Genesis 24

A Wife for Isaac

1 Abraham was now very old, and the Lord had blessed him in every way.2 Abraham said to his oldest servant, who was in charge of everything he owned, “Put your hand under my leg.3 Make a promise to me before the Lord, the God of heaven and earth. Don’t get a wife for my son from the Canaanite girls who live around here.4 Instead, go back to my country, to the land of my relatives, and get a wife for my son Isaac.”

5 
The servant said to him, “What if this woman does not want to return with me to this land? Then, should I take your son with me back to your homeland?”

6 
Abraham said to him, “No! Don’t take my son back there.7 The Lord, the God of heaven, brought me from the home of my father and the land of my relatives. And he promised me, “I will give this land to your descendants.’ The Lord will send his angel before you to help you get a wife for my son there.8 If the girl won’t come back with you, you will be free from this promise. But you must not take my son back there.”9 So the servant put his hand under his master’s leg and made a promise to Abraham about this.10 The servant took ten of Abraham’s camels and left, carrying with him many different kinds of beautiful gifts. He went to Northwest Mesopotamia to Nahor’s city.11 In the evening, when the women come out to get water, he made the camels kneel down at the well outside the city.12 The servant said, “Lord, God of my master Abraham, allow me to find a wife for his son today. Please show this kindness to my master Abraham.13 Here I am, standing by the spring, and the girls from the city are coming out to get water.14 I will say to one of them, ‘Please put your jar down so I can drink.’ Then let her say, ‘Drink, and I will also give water to your camels.’ If that happens, I will know she is the right one for your servant Isaac and that you have shown kindness to my master.”15 Before the servant had finished praying, Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel, came out of the city. (Bethuel was the son of Milcah and Nahor, Abraham’s brother.) Rebekah was carrying her water jar on her shoulder.16 She was very pretty, a virgin; she had never had sexual relations with a man. She went down to the spring and filled her jar, then came back up.17 The servant ran to her and said, “Please give me a little water from your jar.”18 Rebekah said, “Drink, sir.” She quickly lowered the jar from her shoulder and gave him a drink.19 After he finished drinking, Rebekah said, “I will also pour some water for your camels.”20 So she quickly poured all the water from her jar into the drinking trough for the camels. Then she kept running to the well until she had given all the camels enough to drink.

21 
The servant quietly watched her. He wanted to be sure the Lord had made his trip successful.22 After the camels had finished drinking, he gave Rebekah a gold ring weighing one-fifth of an ounce and two gold arm bracelets weighing about four ounces each.23 He asked, “Who is your father? Is there a place in his house for me and my men to spend the night?”

24 
Rebekah answered, “My father is Bethuel, the son of Milcah and Nahor.”25 Then she said, “And, yes, we have straw for your camels and a place for you to spend the night.”

26 
The servant bowed and worshiped the Lord27 and said, “Blessed is the Lord, the God of my master Abraham. The Lord has been kind and truthful to him and has led me to my master’s relatives.”

28 
Then Rebekah ran and told her mother’s family about all these things.29 She had a brother named Laban, who ran out to Abraham’s servant, who was still at the spring.30 Laban had heard what she had said and had seen the ring and the bracelets on his sister’s arms. So he ran out to the well, and there was the man standing by the camels at the spring.31 Laban said, “Sir, you are welcome to come in; you don’t have to stand outside. I have prepared the house for you and also a place for your camels.”

32 
So Abraham’s servant went into the house. After Laban unloaded the camels and gave them straw and food, he gave water to Abraham’s servant so he and the men with him could wash their feet.

33 Then Laban gave the servant food, but the servant said, “I will not eat until I have told you why I came.”
So Laban said, “Then tell us.”

34 
He said, “I am Abraham’s servant.35 The Lord has greatly blessed my master in everything, and he has become a rich man. The Lord has given him many flocks of sheep, herds of cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, camels, and horses.36 Sarah, my master’s wife, gave birth to a son when she was old, and my master has given everything he owns to that son.37 My master had me make a promise to him and said, ‘Don’t get a wife for my son from the Canaanite girls who live around here.38 Instead, you must go to my father’s people and to my family. There you must get a wife for my son.’39 I said to my master, ‘What if the woman will not come back with me?’40 But he said, ‘I serve the Lord, who will send his angel with you and will help you. You will get a wife for my son from my family and my father’s people.41 Then you will be free from the promise. But if they will not give you a wife for my son, you will be free from this promise.’

42 
“Today I came to this spring. I said, ‘Lord, God of my master Abraham, please make my trip successful.43 I am standing by this spring. I will wait for a young woman to come out to get water, and I will say, “Please give me water from your jar to drink.”44 Then let her say, “Drink this water, and I will also get water for your camels.” By this I will know the Lord has chosen her for my master’s son.’

45 
“Before I finished my silent prayer, Rebekah came out of the city with her water jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and got water. I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’46 She quickly lowered the jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink this. I will also get water for your camels.’ So I drank, and she gave water to my camels too.47 When I asked her, ‘Who is your father?’ she answered, ‘My father is Bethuel son of Milcah and Nahor.’ Then I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her arms,48 and I bowed my head and thanked the Lord. I praised the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, because he led me on the right road to get the granddaughter of my master’s brother for his son.49 Now, tell me, will you be kind and truthful to my master? And if not, tell me so. Then I will know what I should do.”

50 
Laban and Bethuel answered, “This is clearly from the Lord, and we cannot change what must happen.51 Rebekah is yours. Take her and go. Let her marry your master’s son as the Lord has commanded.”

52 
When Abraham’s servant heard these words, he bowed facedown on the ground before the Lord.53 Then he gave Rebekah gold and silver jewelry and clothes. He also gave expensive gifts to her brother and mother.54 The servant and the men with him ate and drank and spent the night there. When they got up the next morning, the servant said, “Now let me go back to my master.”

55 
Rebekah’s mother and her brother said, “Let Rebekah stay with us at least ten days. After that she may go.”

56 
But the servant said to them, “Do not make me wait, because the Lord has made my trip successful. Now let me go back to my master.”

57 
Rebekah’s brother and mother said, “We will call Rebekah and ask her what she wants to do.”

58 They called her and asked her, “Do you want to go with this man now?”
She said, “Yes, I do.”

59 
So they allowed Rebekah and her nurse to go with Abraham’s servant and his men.

60 They blessed Rebekah and said,
“Our sister, may you be the mother of thousands of people,
and may your descendants capture the cities of their enemies.”

61 
Then Rebekah and her servant girls got on the camels and followed the servant and his men. So the servant took Rebekah and left.

62 
At this time Isaac had left Beer Lahai Roi and was living in southern Canaan.63 One evening when he went out to the field to think, he looked up and saw camels coming.64 Rebekah also looked and saw Isaac. Then she jumped down from the camel

65 and asked the servant, “Who is that man walking in the field to meet us?”
The servant answered, “That is my master.” So Rebekah covered her face with her veil.

66 
The servant told Isaac everything that had happened.67 Then Isaac brought Rebekah into the tent of Sarah, his mother, and she became his wife. Isaac loved her very much, and so he was comforted after his mother’s death.

Genesis 25

Abraham’s Family

1 Abraham married again, and his new wife was Keturah.2 She gave birth to Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.3 Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. Dedan’s descendants were the people of Assyria, Letush, and Leum.4 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah.5 Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac.6 But before Abraham died, he did give gifts to the sons of his other wives, then sent them to the East to be away from Isaac.

7 
Abraham lived to be one hundred seventy-five years old.8 He breathed his last breath and died at an old age, after a long and satisfying life.9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah in the field of Ephron east of Mamre. (Ephron was the son of Zohar the Hittite.)10 So Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah in the same field that he had bought from the Hittites.11 After Abraham died, God blessed his son Isaac. Isaac was now living at Beer Lahai Roi.12 This is the family history of Ishmael, Abraham’s son. (Hagar, Sarah’s Egyptian servant, was Ishmael’s mother.)13 These are the names of Ishmael’s sons in the order they were born: Nebaioth, the first son, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa,15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.16 These were Ishmael’s sons, and these are the names of the tribal leaders listed according to their settlements and camps.17 Ishmael lived one hundred thirty-seven years and then breathed his last breath and died.18 His descendants lived from Havilah to Shur, which is east of Egypt stretching toward Assyria. They often attacked the descendants of his brothers.

Isaac’s Family

19 This is the family history of Isaac. Abraham had a son named Isaac.20 When Isaac was forty years old, he married Rebekah, who came from Northwest Mesopotamia. She was Bethuel’s daughter and the sister of Laban the Aramean.21 Isaac’s wife could not have children, so Isaac prayed to the Lord for her. The Lord heard Isaac’s prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant.

22 
While she was pregnant, the babies struggled inside her. She asked, “Why is this happening to me?” Then she went to get an answer from the Lord.

23 
The Lord said to her,
“Two nations are in your body,
and two groups of people will be taken from you.
One group will be stronger than the other,
and the older will serve the younger.”

24 
When the time came, Rebekah gave birth to twins.25 The first baby was born red. Since his skin was like a hairy robe, he was named Esau.26 When the second baby was born, he was holding on to Esau’s heel, so that baby was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when they were born.

27 
When the boys grew up, Esau became a skilled hunter. He loved to be out in the fields. But Jacob was a quiet man and stayed among the tents.28 Isaac loved Esau because he hunted the wild animals that Isaac enjoyed eating. But Rebekah loved Jacob.

29 
One day Jacob was boiling a pot of vegetable soup. Esau came in from hunting in the fields, weak from hunger.30 So Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red soup, because I am weak with hunger.” (That is why people call him Edom.)

31 
But Jacob said, “You must sell me your rights as the firstborn son.”

32 
Esau said, “I am almost dead from hunger. If I die, all of my father’s wealth will not help me.”

33 
But Jacob said, “First, promise me that you will give it to me.” So Esau made a promise to Jacob and sold his part of their father’s wealth to Jacob.34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and vegetable soup, and he ate and drank, and then left. So Esau showed how little he cared about his rights as the firstborn son.

Genesis 26

Isaac Lies to Abimelech

1 Now there was a time of hunger in the land, besides the time of hunger that happened during Abraham’s life. So Isaac went to the town of Gerar to see Abimelech king of the Philistines.2 The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Don’t go down to Egypt, but live in the land where I tell you to live.3 Stay in this land, and I will be with you and bless you. I will give you and your descendants all these lands, and I will keep the oath I made to Abraham your father.4 I will give you many descendants, as hard to count as the stars in the sky, and I will give them all these lands. Through your descendants all the nations on the earth will be blessed.5 I will do this because your father Abraham obeyed me. He did what I said and obeyed my commands, my teachings, and my rules.”

6 
So Isaac stayed in Gerar.7 His wife Rebekah was very beautiful, and the men of that place asked Isaac about her. Isaac said, “She is my sister,” because he was afraid to tell them she was his wife. He thought they might kill him so they could have her.

8 
Isaac lived there a long time. One day as Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out his window, he saw Isaac holding his wife Rebekah tenderly.

9 Abimelech called for Isaac and said, “This woman is your wife. Why did you say she was your sister?”
Isaac said to him, “I was afraid you would kill me so you could have her.”10 Abimelech said, “What have you done to us? One of our men might have had sexual relations with your wife. Then we would have been guilty of a great sin.”11 So Abimelech warned everyone, “Anyone who touches this man or his wife will be put to death.”

Isaac Becomes Rich

12 Isaac planted seed in that land, and that year he gathered a great harvest. The Lord blessed him very much,13 and he became rich. He gathered more wealth until he became a very rich man.14 He had so many slaves and flocks and herds that the Philistines envied him.15 So they stopped up all the wells the servants of Isaac’s father Abraham had dug. (They had dug them when Abraham was alive.) The Philistines filled those wells with dirt.16 And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Leave our country because you have become much more powerful than we are.”17 So Isaac left that place and camped in the Valley of Gerar and lived there.18 Long before this time Abraham had dug many wells, but after he died, the Philistines filled them with dirt. So Isaac dug those wells again and gave them the same names his father had given them.19 Isaac’s servants dug a well in the valley, from which a spring of water flowed.20 But the herdsmen of Gerar argued with them and said, “This water is ours.” So Isaac named that well Argue because they argued with him.21 Then his servants dug another well. When the people also argued about it, Isaac named that well Fight.22 He moved from there and dug another well. No one argued about this one, so he named it Room Enough. Isaac said, “Now the Lord has made room for us, and we will be successful in this land.”

23 
From there Isaac went to Beersheba.24 The Lord appeared to him that night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Don’t be afraid, because I am with you. I will bless you and give you many descendants because of my servant Abraham.”25 So Isaac built an altar and worshiped the Lord there. He also made a camp there, and his servants dug a well.

26 
Abimelech came from Gerar to see Isaac. He brought with him Ahuzzath, who advised him, and Phicol, the commander of his army.27 Isaac asked them, “Why have you come to see me? You were my enemy and forced me to leave your country.”

28 
They answered, “Now we know that the Lord is with you. Let us swear an oath to each other. Let us make an agreement with you29 that since we did not hurt you, you will not hurt us. We were good to you and sent you away in peace. Now the Lord has blessed you.”

30 
So Isaac prepared food for them, and they all ate and drank.31 Early the next morning the men swore an oath to each other. Then Isaac sent them away, and they left in peace.

32 
That day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well they had dug, saying, “We found water in that well.”33 So Isaac named it Shibah and that city is called Beersheba even now.

34 
When Esau was forty years old, he married two Hittite women—Judith daughter of Beeri and Basemath daughter of Elon.35 These women brought much sorrow to Isaac and Rebekah.