Genesis 24

The Wife for Isaac

1 Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years,t and the Lord had blessed himt in everything.2 Abraham said to his servant, the senior onet in his household who was in charge of everything he had, “Put your hand under my thighs3 so that I may make you solemnly promiset by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth: You must not acquiret a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living.

4 You must go instead to my country and to my relativest to findt a wife for my son Isaac.”

5 The servant asked him, “What if the woman is not willing to come back with met to this land? Must I thent take your son back to the land from which you came?”
6 “Be carefult never to take my son back there!” Abraham told him.t7 “The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and the land of my relatives,t promised me with a solemn oath,t ‘To your descendants I will give this land.’ He will send his angelt before you so that you may findt a wife for my son from there.8 But if the woman is not willing to come back with you,t you will be frees from this oath of mine. But you must not take my son back there!”

9 So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and gave his solemn promise he would carry out his wishes.t
10 Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed with all kinds of gifts from his master at his disposal.t He journeyedt to the region of Aram Naharaimts and the city of Nahor.11 He made the camels kneel down by the wellt outside the city. It was evening,t the time when the women would go out to draw water.12 He prayed, “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, guide me today.t Be faithfult to my master Abraham.13 Here I am, standing by the spring,t and the daughters of the peoplet who live in the town are coming out to draw water.

14 I will say to a young woman, ‘Please lower your jar so I may drink.’ May the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac reply, ‘Drink, and I’ll give your camels water too.’s In this way I will know that you have been faithful to my master.”t
15 Before he had finished praying, there came Rebekaht with her water jug on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah (Milcah was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor).t16 Now the young woman was very beautiful. She was a virgin; no man had ever had sexual relations with her.t She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came back up.17 Abraham’s servantt ran to meet her and said, “Please give me a sip of water from your jug.”18 “Drink, my lord,” she replied, and quickly loweringt her jug to her hands, she gave him a drink.19 When she had done so,t she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have drunk as much as they want.”20 She quickly emptiedt her jug into the watering trough and ran back to the well to draw more water until she had drawn enough for all his camels.

21 Silently the man watched her with interest to determinet if the Lord had made his journey successfult or not.
22 After the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a bekas and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekelss and gave them to her.t

23 “Whose daughter are you?” he asked.t “Tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?”
24 She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom Milcah bore to Nahor.t

25 We have plenty of straw and feed,” she added,t “and room for yout to spend the night.”
26 The man bowed his head and worshiped the Lord,

27 saying “Praised be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his faithful lovet for my master! The Lord has led met to the houset of my master’s relatives!”t
28 The young woman ran and told her mother’s household all aboutt these things.29 (Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban.)t Laban rushed out to meet the man at the spring.30 When he saw the bracelets on his sister’s wrists and the nose ringt and heard his sister Rebekah say,t “This is what the man said to me,” he went out to meet the man. There he was, standingt by the camels near the spring.

31 Laban said to him,t “Come, you who are blessed by the Lord!s Why are you standing out here when I have preparedt the house and a place for the camels?”
32 So Abraham’s servantt went to the house and unloadedt the camels. Straw and feed were givent to the camels, and water was provided so that he and the men who were with him could wash their feet.t

33 When food was served,t he said, “I will not eat until I have said what I want to say.”t “Tell us,” Laban said.st
34 “I am the servant of Abraham,” he began.35 “The Lord has richly blessed my master and he has become very wealthy.t The Lordt has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys.36 My master’s wife Sarah bore a son to himt when she was old,t and my mastert has given him everything he owns.37 My master made me swear an oath. He said, ‘You must not acquire a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living,38 but you must go to the family of my father and to my relatives to findt a wife for my son.’39 But I said to my master, ‘What if the woman does not want to got with me?’t40 He answered, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked,t will send his angel with you. He will make your journey a success and you will find a wife for my son from among my relatives, from my father’s family.41 You will be free from your oatht if you go to my relatives and they will not give her to you. Then you will be free from your oath.’42 When I came to the spring today, I prayed, ‘O Lord, God of my master Abraham, if you have decided to make my journey successful,t may events unfold as follows:t43 Here I am, standing by the spring.t Whent the young woman goes out to draw water, I’ll say, “Give me a little water to drink from your jug.”

44 Then she will reply to me, “Drink, and I’ll draw water for your camels too.” May that woman be the one whom the Lord has chosen for my master’s son.’
45 “Before I finished praying in my heart,t along came Rebekaht with her water jug on her shoulder! She went down to the spring and drew water. So I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’46 She quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I’ll give your camels water too.’ So I drank, and she also gave the camels water.47 Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She replied, ‘The daughter of Bethuel the son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to Nahor.’t I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her wrists.48 Then I bowed down and worshiped the Lord. I praised the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me on the right path to find the granddaughtert of my master’s brother for his son.

49 Now, if you will show faithful love to my master, tell me. But if not, tell me as well, so that I may go on my way.”t
50 Then Laban and Bethuel replied, “This is the Lord’s doing.t Our wishes are of no concern.t

51 Rebekah stands here before you. Take her and go so that she may becomet the wife of your master’s son, just as the Lord has decided.”t
52 When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord.53 Then het brought out gold, silver jewelry, and clothing and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave valuable gifts to her brother and to her mother.

54 After this, he and the men who were with him ate a meal and stayed there overnight.t
When they got up in the morning, he said, “Let me leave now so I can return to my master.”t55 But Rebekah’st brother and her mother replied, “Let the girl stay with us a few more days, perhaps ten. Then she can go.”56 But he said to them, “Don’t detain me – the Lordt has granted me success on my journey. Let me leave now so I may returnt to my master.”57 Then they said, “We’ll call the girl and find out what she wants to do.”t

58 So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Do you wantt to go with this man?” She replied, “I want to go.”
59 So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, accompanied by her female attendant, with Abraham’s servant and his men.

60 They blessed Rebekah with these words:t
“Our sister, may you become the motherts of thousands of ten thousands!
May your descendants possess the strongholdst of their enemies.”

61 Then Rebekah and her female servants mounted the camels and rode away witht the man. So Abraham’s servantt took Rebekah and left.
62 Nowt Isaac came fromt Beer Lahai Roi,s fort he was living in the Negev.ts63 Het went out to relaxt in the field in the early evening.t Then he looked upt and saw thatt there were camels approaching.64 Rebekah looked upt and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel

65 and askedt Abraham’s servant,t “Who is that man walking in the field toward us?” “That is my master,” the servant replied.t So she took her veil and covered herself.
66 The servant told Isaac everything that had happened.

67 Then Isaac brought Rebekaht into his mother Sarah’s tent. He took hert as his wife and loved her.t So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.t

Genesis 25

The Death of Abraham

1 Abraham had takents anothert wife, named Keturah.2 She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.3 Jokshan became the father of Sheba and Dedan.s The descendants of Dedan were the Asshurites, Letushites, and Leummites.

4 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were descendantst of Keturah.
5 Everything he owned Abraham left to his son Isaac.

6 But while he was still alive, Abraham gave gifts to the sons of his concubinest and sent them off to the east, away from his son Isaac.t
7 Abraham lived a total oft 175 years.8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man who had lived a full life.t He joined his ancestors.t9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelahs near Mamre, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar, the Hethite.10 This was the field Abraham had purchased from the sons of Heth.t There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah.

11 After Abraham’s death, God blesseds his son Isaac. Isaac lived near Beer Lahai Roi.s

The Sons of Ishmael

12 This is the account of Abraham’s son Ishmael,s whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s servant, bore to Abraham.
13 These are the names of Ishmael’s sons, by their names according to their records:t Nebaioth (Ishmael’s firstborn), Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa,15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.

16 These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names by their settlements and their camps – twelve princest according to their clans.
17 Ishmael lived a total oft 137 years. He breathed his last and died; then he joined his ancestors.t

18 His descendantst settled from Havilah to Shur, which runs nextt to Egypt all the wayt to Asshur.s They settledt away from all their relatives.t

Jacob and Esau

19 This is the account of Isaac,s the son of Abraham.
Abraham became the father of Isaac.

20 When Isaac was forty years old, he married Rebekah,t the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram and sister of Laban the Aramean.s
21 Isaac prayed tot the Lord on behalf of his wife because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant.22 But the children struggledt inside her, and she said, “If it is going to be like this, I’m not so sure I want to be pregnant!”t So she asked the Lord,s

23 and the Lord said to her,
“Two nationss are in your womb,
and two peoples will be separated from within you.
One people will be stronger than the other,
and the older will serve the younger.”
24 When the time came for Rebekah to give birth,t there weret twins in her womb.25 The first came out reddishs all over,t like a hairys garment, so they named him Esau.t

26 When his brother came out witht his hand clutching Esau’s heel, they named him Jacob.ts Isaac was sixty years oldt when they were born.
27 When the boys grew up, Esau became a skilledt hunter, a man of the open fields, but Jacob was an even-tempered man, living in tents.t

28 Isaac loved Esau because he had a taste for fresh game,t but Rebekah lovedt Jacob.
29 Now Jacob cooked some stew,s and when Esau came in from the open fields, he was famished.

30 So Esau said to Jacob, “Feedt me some of the red stuff – yes, this red stuff – because I’m starving!” (That is why he was also calledt Edom.)s
31 But Jacob replied, “Firstt sell me your birthright.”32 “Look,” said Esau, “I’m about to die! What use is the birthright to me?”t

33 But Jacob said, “Swear an oath to me now.”t So Esaut swore an oath to him and sold his birthrights to Jacob.

34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew; Esau ate and drank, then got up and went out.s So Esau despised his birthright.s

Genesis 26

Isaac and Abimelech

1 There was a famine in the land, subsequent to the earlier famine that occurredt in the days of Abraham.s Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines at Gerar.2 The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt;s settle down in the land that I will point out to you.t3 Stayt in this land. Then I will be with you and will bless you,ts for I will give all these lands to you and to your descendants,ts and I will fulfillt the solemn promise I madets to your father Abraham.4 I will multiply your descendants so they will be as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give themt all these lands. All the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another using the name of your descendants.t5 All this will come to passt because Abraham obeyed met and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.”s

6 So Isaac settled in Gerar.

7 When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he replied, “She is my sister.”s He was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” for he thought to himself,t “The men of this place will kill me to gett Rebekah because she is very beautiful.”
8 After Isaact had been there a long time,t Abimelech king of the Philistines happened to look out a window and observedt Isaac caressingts his wife Rebekah.

9 So Abimelech summoned Isaac and said, “She is reallyt your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac replied, “Because I thought someone might kill me to get her.”t
10 Then Abimelech exclaimed, “What in the world have you done to us?t One of the ment might easily have had sexual relations witht your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us!”

11 So Abimelech commanded all the people, “Whoever touchest this man or his wife will surely be put to death.”t
12 When Isaac planted in that land, he reaped in the same year a hundred times what he had sown,t because the Lord blessed him.t13 The man became wealthy.t His influence continued to growt until he became very prominent.14 He hadt so many sheept and cattlet and such a great household of servants that the Philistines became jealoust of him.

15 So the Philistines took dirt and filled upt all the wells that his father’s servants had dug back in the days of his father Abraham.
16 Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Leave us and go elsewhere,t for you have become much more powerfuls than we are.”17 So Isaac left there and settled in the Gerar Valley.ts

18 Isaac reopenedt the wells that had been dugt back in the days of his father Abraham, for the Philistines had stopped them upt after Abraham died. Isaact gave these wellst the same names his father had given them.t
19 When Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and discovered a well with fresh flowingt water there,20 the herdsmen of Gerar quarreledt with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water belongs to us!” So Isaact named the wellt Eseks because they argued with him about it.t21 His servantst dug another well, but they quarreled over it too, so Isaac named itt Sitnah.s

22 Then he moved away from there and dug another well. They did not quarrel over it, so Isaact named itt Rehoboth,s saying, “For now the Lord has made room for us, and we will prosper in the land.”
23 From there Isaact went up to Beer Sheba.24 The Lord appeared to him that night 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.”

25 Then Isaac built an altar there and worshipedt the Lord. He pitched his tent there, and his servants dug a well.t
26 Now Abimelech had comet to him from Gerar along witht Ahuzzah his friendt and Phicol the commander of his army.27 Isaac asked them, “Why have you come to me? You hate met and sent me away from you.”28 They replied, “We could plainly seet that the Lord is with you. So we decided there should bet a pact between ust – between ust and you. Allow us to maket a treaty with you

29 so thatt you will not do us any harm, just as we have not harmedt you, but have always treated you wellt before sending you awayt in peace. Now you are blessed by the Lord.”t
30 So Isaact held a feast for them and they celebrated.t

31 Early in the morning the men made a treaty with each other.t Isaac sent them off; they separated on good terms.t
32 That day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well they had dug. “We’ve found water,” they reported.t

33 So he named it Shibah;s that is why the name of the city has been Beer Shebas to this day.
34 Whent Esau was forty years old,t he marriedt Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, as well as Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite.

35 They caused Isaac and Rebekah great anxiety.t