Hagar and Ishmael

16 Now Sarai,(A) Abram’s wife, had borne him no children.(B) But she had an Egyptian slave(C) named Hagar;(D) so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children.(E) Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.”(F)

Abram agreed to what Sarai said. So after Abram had been living in Canaan(G) ten years,(H) Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. He slept with Hagar,(I) and she conceived.

When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress.(J) Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge between you and me.”(K)

“Your slave is in your hands,(L)” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think best.” Then Sarai mistreated(M) Hagar; so she fled from her.

The angel of the Lord(N) found Hagar near a spring(O) in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur.(P) And he said, “Hagar,(Q) slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?”(R)

“I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered.

Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” 10 The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.”(S)

11 The angel of the Lord(T) also said to her:

“You are now pregnant
    and you will give birth to a son.(U)
You shall name him(V) Ishmael,[a](W)
    for the Lord has heard of your misery.(X)
12 He will be a wild donkey(Y) of a man;
    his hand will be against everyone
    and everyone’s hand against him,
and he will live in hostility
    toward[b] all his brothers.(Z)

13 She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,(AA)” for she said, “I have now seen[c] the One who sees me.”(AB) 14 That is why the well(AC) was called Beer Lahai Roi[d];(AD) it is still there, between Kadesh(AE) and Bered.

15 So Hagar(AF) bore Abram a son,(AG) and Abram gave the name Ishmael(AH) to the son she had borne. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old(AI) when Hagar bore him Ishmael.

The Covenant of Circumcision

17 When Abram was ninety-nine years old,(AJ) the Lord appeared to him(AK) and said, “I am God Almighty[e];(AL) walk before me faithfully and be blameless.(AM) Then I will make my covenant between me and you(AN) and will greatly increase your numbers.”(AO)

Abram fell facedown,(AP) and God said to him, “As for me, this is my covenant with you:(AQ) You will be the father of many nations.(AR) No longer will you be called Abram[f]; your name will be Abraham,[g](AS) for I have made you a father of many nations.(AT) I will make you very fruitful;(AU) I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.(AV) I will establish my covenant(AW) as an everlasting covenant(AX) between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God(AY) and the God of your descendants after you.(AZ) The whole land of Canaan,(BA) where you now reside as a foreigner,(BB) I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you;(BC) and I will be their God.(BD)

Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant,(BE) you and your descendants after you for the generations to come.(BF) 10 This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised.(BG) 11 You are to undergo circumcision,(BH) and it will be the sign of the covenant(BI) between me and you. 12 For the generations to come(BJ) every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised,(BK) including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring. 13 Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised.(BL) My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant.(BM) 14 Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised(BN) in the flesh, will be cut off from his people;(BO) he has broken my covenant.(BP)

15 God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai(BQ) your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah.(BR) 16 I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her.(BS) I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations;(BT) kings of peoples will come from her.”

17 Abraham fell facedown;(BU) he laughed(BV) and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old?(BW) Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?”(BX) 18 And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael(BY) might live under your blessing!”(BZ)

19 Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son,(CA) and you will call him Isaac.[h](CB) I will establish my covenant with him(CC) as an everlasting covenant(CD) for his descendants after him. 20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers.(CE) He will be the father of twelve rulers,(CF) and I will make him into a great nation.(CG) 21 But my covenant(CH) I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you(CI) by this time next year.”(CJ) 22 When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him.(CK)

23 On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and all those born in his household(CL) or bought with his money, every male in his household, and circumcised them, as God told him.(CM) 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old(CN) when he was circumcised,(CO) 25 and his son Ishmael(CP) was thirteen; 26 Abraham and his son Ishmael were both circumcised on that very day. 27 And every male in Abraham’s household(CQ), including those born in his household or bought from a foreigner, was circumcised with him.

The Three Visitors

18 The Lord appeared to Abraham(CR) near the great trees of Mamre(CS) while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent(CT) in the heat of the day. Abraham looked up(CU) and saw three men(CV) standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.(CW)

He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes,(CX) my lord,[i] do not pass your servant(CY) by. Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet(CZ) and rest under this tree. Let me get you something to eat,(DA) so you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come to your servant.”

“Very well,” they answered, “do as you say.”

So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. “Quick,” he said, “get three seahs[j] of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread.”(DB)

Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf(DC) and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. He then brought some curds(DD) and milk(DE) and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them.(DF) While they ate, he stood near them under a tree.

“Where is your wife Sarah?”(DG) they asked him.

“There, in the tent,(DH)” he said.

10 Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year,(DI) and Sarah your wife will have a son.”(DJ)

Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. 11 Abraham and Sarah were already very old,(DK) and Sarah was past the age of childbearing.(DL) 12 So Sarah laughed(DM) to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord(DN) is old, will I now have this pleasure?”

13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’(DO) 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord?(DP) I will return to you at the appointed time next year,(DQ) and Sarah will have a son.”(DR)

15 Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.”

But he said, “Yes, you did laugh.”

Abraham Pleads for Sodom

16 When the men(DS) got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. 17 Then the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham(DT) what I am about to do?(DU) 18 Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation,(DV) and all nations on earth will be blessed through him.[k] 19 For I have chosen him(DW), so that he will direct his children(DX) and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord(DY) by doing what is right and just,(DZ) so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.”(EA)

20 Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom(EB) and Gomorrah is so great(EC) and their sin so grievous(ED) 21 that I will go down(EE) and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.”

22 The men(EF) turned away and went toward Sodom,(EG) but Abraham remained standing before the Lord.[l](EH) 23 Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?(EI) 24 What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare[m] the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it?(EJ) 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing(EK)—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous(EL) and the wicked alike.(EM) Far be it from you! Will not the Judge(EN) of all the earth do right?”(EO)

26 The Lord said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.(EP)

27 Then Abraham spoke up again: “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes,(EQ) 28 what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five people?”

“If I find forty-five there,” he said, “I will not destroy it.”

29 Once again he spoke to him, “What if only forty are found there?”

He said, “For the sake of forty, I will not do it.”

30 Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry,(ER) but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?”

He answered, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”

31 Abraham said, “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?”

He said, “For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it.”

32 Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more.(ES) What if only ten can be found there?”

He answered, “For the sake of ten,(ET) I will not destroy it.”

33 When the Lord had finished speaking(EU) with Abraham, he left,(EV) and Abraham returned home.(EW)

Sodom and Gomorrah Destroyed

19 The two angels(EX) arrived at Sodom(EY) in the evening, and Lot(EZ) was sitting in the gateway of the city.(FA) When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground.(FB) “My lords,” he said, “please turn aside to your servant’s house. You can wash your feet(FC) and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning.”

“No,” they answered, “we will spend the night in the square.”(FD)

But he insisted(FE) so strongly that they did go with him and entered his house.(FF) He prepared a meal for them, baking bread without yeast,(FG) and they ate.(FH) Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom(FI)—both young and old—surrounded the house. They called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.”(FJ)

Lot went outside to meet them(FK) and shut the door behind him and said, “No, my friends. Don’t do this wicked thing. Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof.”(FL)

“Get out of our way,” they replied. “This fellow came here as a foreigner,(FM) and now he wants to play the judge!(FN) We’ll treat you worse than them.” They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door.

10 But the men(FO) inside reached out and pulled Lot back into the house and shut the door. 11 Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, young and old, with blindness(FP) so that they could not find the door.

12 The two men said to Lot, “Do you have anyone else here—sons-in-law, sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you?(FQ) Get them out of here, 13 because we(FR) are going to destroy this place. The outcry to the Lord against its people is so great(FS) that he has sent us to destroy it.”(FT)

14 So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry[n] his daughters. He said, “Hurry and get out of this place, because the Lord is about to destroy the city!(FU)” But his sons-in-law thought he was joking.(FV)

15 With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away(FW) when the city is punished.(FX)

16 When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters(FY) and led them safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to them.(FZ) 17 As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives!(GA) Don’t look back,(GB) and don’t stop anywhere in the plain!(GC) Flee to the mountains(GD) or you will be swept away!”

18 But Lot said to them, “No, my lords,[o] please! 19 Your[p] servant has found favor in your[q] eyes,(GE) and you[r] have shown great kindness(GF) to me in sparing my life. But I can’t flee to the mountains;(GG) this disaster will overtake me, and I’ll die. 20 Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it—it is very small, isn’t it? Then my life will be spared.”

21 He said to him, “Very well, I will grant this request(GH) too; I will not overthrow the town you speak of. 22 But flee there quickly, because I cannot do anything until you reach it.” (That is why the town was called Zoar.[s](GI))

23 By the time Lot reached Zoar,(GJ) the sun had risen over the land. 24 Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur(GK) on Sodom and Gomorrah(GL)—from the Lord out of the heavens.(GM) 25 Thus he overthrew those cities(GN) and the entire plain,(GO) destroying all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land.(GP) 26 But Lot’s wife looked back,(GQ) and she became a pillar of salt.(GR)

27 Early the next morning Abraham got up and returned to the place where he had stood before the Lord.(GS) 28 He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, toward all the land of the plain, and he saw dense smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace.(GT)

29 So when God destroyed the cities of the plain,(GU) he remembered(GV) Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe(GW) that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived.(GX)

Lot and His Daughters

30 Lot and his two daughters left Zoar(GY) and settled in the mountains,(GZ) for he was afraid to stay in Zoar. He and his two daughters lived in a cave. 31 One day the older daughter said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man around here to give us children—as is the custom all over the earth. 32 Let’s get our father to drink wine and then sleep with him and preserve our family line(HA) through our father.”(HB)

33 That night they got their father to drink wine, and the older daughter went in and slept with him. He was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up.(HC)

34 The next day the older daughter said to the younger, “Last night I slept with my father. Let’s get him to drink wine again tonight, and you go in and sleep with him so we can preserve our family line through our father.”(HD) 35 So they got their father to drink wine(HE) that night also, and the younger daughter went in and slept with him. Again he was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up.(HF)

36 So both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their father.(HG) 37 The older daughter had a son, and she named him Moab[t];(HH) he is the father of the Moabites(HI) of today. 38 The younger daughter also had a son, and she named him Ben-Ammi[u]; he is the father of the Ammonites[v](HJ) of today.

Abraham and Abimelek(HK)

20 Now Abraham moved on from there(HL) into the region of the Negev(HM) and lived between Kadesh(HN) and Shur.(HO) For a while(HP) he stayed in Gerar,(HQ) and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.(HR)” Then Abimelek(HS) king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her.(HT)

But God came to Abimelek(HU) in a dream(HV) one night and said to him, “You are as good as dead(HW) because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman.”(HX)

Now Abimelek had not gone near her, so he said, “Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation?(HY) Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister,(HZ)’ and didn’t she also say, ‘He is my brother’? I have done this with a clear conscience(IA) and clean hands.(IB)

Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept(IC) you from sinning against me.(ID) That is why I did not let you touch her. Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet,(IE) and he will pray for you(IF) and you will live. But if you do not return her, you may be sure that you and all who belong to you will die.”(IG)

Early the next morning Abimelek summoned all his officials, and when he told them all that had happened, they were very much afraid. Then Abimelek called Abraham in and said, “What have you done to us? How have I wronged you that you have brought such great guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should never be done.(IH) 10 And Abimelek asked Abraham, “What was your reason for doing this?”

11 Abraham replied, “I said to myself, ‘There is surely no fear of God(II) in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’(IJ) 12 Besides, she really is my sister,(IK) the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became my wife. 13 And when God had me wander(IL) from my father’s household,(IM) I said to her, ‘This is how you can show your love to me: Everywhere we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”’”

14 Then Abimelek(IN) brought sheep and cattle and male and female slaves and gave them to Abraham,(IO) and he returned Sarah his wife to him. 15 And Abimelek said, “My land is before you; live wherever you like.”(IP)

16 To Sarah he said, “I am giving your brother a thousand shekels[w] of silver. This is to cover the offense against you before all who are with you; you are completely vindicated.”

17 Then Abraham prayed to God,(IQ) and God healed Abimelek, his wife and his female slaves so they could have children again, 18 for the Lord had kept all the women in Abimelek’s household from conceiving because of Abraham’s wife Sarah.(IR)

The Birth of Isaac

21 Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah(IS) as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised.(IT) Sarah became pregnant and bore a son(IU) to Abraham in his old age,(IV) at the very time God had promised him.(IW) Abraham gave the name Isaac[x](IX) to the son Sarah bore him. When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him,(IY) as God commanded him. Abraham was a hundred years old(IZ) when his son Isaac was born to him.

Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter,(JA) and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” And she added, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”(JB)

Hagar and Ishmael Sent Away

The child grew and was weaned,(JC) and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast. But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham(JD) was mocking,(JE) 10 and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman(JF) and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.”(JG)

11 The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son.(JH) 12 But God said to him, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your slave woman. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring[y] will be reckoned.(JI) 13 I will make the son of the slave into a nation(JJ) also, because he is your offspring.”

14 Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar.(JK) He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the Desert of Beersheba.(JL)

15 When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went off and sat down about a bowshot away, for she thought, “I cannot watch the boy die.” And as she sat there, she[z] began to sob.(JM)

17 God heard the boy crying,(JN) and the angel of God(JO) called to Hagar from heaven(JP) and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid;(JQ) God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. 18 Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.(JR)

19 Then God opened her eyes(JS) and she saw a well of water.(JT) So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.

20 God was with the boy(JU) as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer. 21 While he was living in the Desert of Paran,(JV) his mother got a wife for him(JW) from Egypt.

The Treaty at Beersheba

22 At that time Abimelek(JX) and Phicol the commander of his forces(JY) said to Abraham, “God is with you in everything you do.(JZ) 23 Now swear(KA) to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants.(KB) Show to me and the country where you now reside as a foreigner the same kindness I have shown to you.”(KC)

24 Abraham said, “I swear it.”

25 Then Abraham complained to Abimelek about a well of water that Abimelek’s servants had seized.(KD) 26 But Abimelek said, “I don’t know who has done this. You did not tell me, and I heard about it only today.”

27 So Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelek, and the two men made a treaty.(KE) 28 Abraham set apart seven ewe lambs from the flock, 29 and Abimelek asked Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs you have set apart by themselves?”

30 He replied, “Accept these seven lambs from my hand as a witness(KF) that I dug this well.(KG)

31 So that place was called Beersheba,[aa](KH) because the two men swore an oath(KI) there.

32 After the treaty(KJ) had been made at Beersheba,(KK) Abimelek and Phicol the commander of his forces(KL) returned to the land of the Philistines.(KM) 33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree(KN) in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord,(KO) the Eternal God.(KP) 34 And Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines(KQ) for a long time.

Abraham Tested

22 Some time later God tested(KR) Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am,”(KS) he replied.

Then God said, “Take your son(KT), your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah.(KU) Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering(KV) on a mountain I will show you.(KW)

Early the next morning(KX) Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.(KY)

Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac,(KZ) and he himself carried the fire and the knife.(LA) As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb(LB) for the burnt offering?”

Abraham answered, “God himself will provide(LC) the lamb(LD) for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.

When they reached the place God had told him about,(LE) Abraham built an altar(LF) there and arranged the wood(LG) on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar,(LH) on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife(LI) to slay his son.(LJ) 11 But the angel of the Lord(LK) called out to him from heaven,(LL) “Abraham! Abraham!”(LM)

“Here I am,”(LN) he replied.

12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God,(LO) because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.(LP)

13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram[ab] caught by its horns.(LQ) He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son.(LR) 14 So Abraham called(LS) that place The Lord(LT) Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.(LU)

15 The angel of the Lord(LV) called to Abraham from heaven(LW) a second time 16 and said, “I swear by myself,(LX) declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son,(LY) 17 I will surely bless you(LZ) and make your descendants(MA) as numerous as the stars in the sky(MB) and as the sand on the seashore.(MC) Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies,(MD) 18 and through your offspring[ac] all nations on earth will be blessed,[ad](ME) because you have obeyed me.”(MF)

19 Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba.(MG) And Abraham stayed in Beersheba.

Nahor’s Sons

20 Some time later Abraham was told, “Milkah is also a mother; she has borne sons to your brother Nahor:(MH) 21 Uz(MI) the firstborn, Buz(MJ) his brother, Kemuel (the father of Aram), 22 Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph and Bethuel.(MK) 23 Bethuel became the father of Rebekah.(ML) Milkah bore these eight sons to Abraham’s brother Nahor.(MM) 24 His concubine,(MN) whose name was Reumah, also had sons: Tebah, Gaham, Tahash and Maakah.

The Death of Sarah

23 Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old. She died at Kiriath Arba(MO) (that is, Hebron)(MP) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her.(MQ)

Then Abraham rose from beside his dead wife and spoke to the Hittites.[ae](MR) He said, “I am a foreigner and stranger(MS) among you. Sell me some property for a burial site here so I can bury my dead.(MT)

The Hittites replied to Abraham, “Sir, listen to us. You are a mighty prince(MU) among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb for burying your dead.”

Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites. He said to them, “If you are willing to let me bury my dead, then listen to me and intercede with Ephron son of Zohar(MV) on my behalf so he will sell me the cave of Machpelah,(MW) which belongs to him and is at the end of his field. Ask him to sell it to me for the full price as a burial site among you.”

10 Ephron the Hittite was sitting among his people and he replied to Abraham in the hearing of all the Hittites(MX) who had come to the gate(MY) of his city. 11 “No, my lord,” he said. “Listen to me; I give[af](MZ) you the field, and I give[ag] you the cave that is in it. I give[ah] it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead.”

12 Again Abraham bowed down before the people of the land 13 and he said to Ephron in their hearing, “Listen to me, if you will. I will pay the price of the field. Accept it from me so I can bury my dead there.”

14 Ephron answered Abraham, 15 “Listen to me, my lord; the land is worth four hundred shekels[ai] of silver,(NA) but what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.”

16 Abraham agreed to Ephron’s terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver,(NB) according to the weight current among the merchants.(NC)

17 So Ephron’s field in Machpelah(ND) near Mamre(NE)—both the field and the cave in it, and all the trees within the borders of the field—was deeded 18 to Abraham as his property(NF) in the presence of all the Hittites(NG) who had come to the gate(NH) of the city. 19 Afterward Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah(NI) near Mamre (which is at Hebron(NJ)) in the land of Canaan.(NK) 20 So the field and the cave in it were deeded(NL) to Abraham by the Hittites as a burial site.(NM)

Isaac and Rebekah

24 Abraham was now very old,(NN) and the Lord had blessed(NO) him in every way.(NP) He said to the senior servant(NQ) in his household, the one in charge of all that he had,(NR) “Put your hand under my thigh.(NS) I want you to swear(NT) by the Lord, the God of heaven(NU) and the God of earth,(NV) that you will not get a wife for my son(NW) from the daughters of the Canaanites,(NX) among whom I am living,(NY) but will go to my country and my own relatives(NZ) and get a wife for my son Isaac.(OA)

The servant asked him, “What if the woman is unwilling to come back with me to this land?(OB) Shall I then take your son back to the country you came from?(OC)

“Make sure that you do not take my son back there,”(OD) Abraham said. “The Lord, the God of heaven,(OE) who brought me out of my father’s household and my native land(OF) and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, ‘To your offspring[aj](OG) I will give this land’(OH)—he will send his angel before you(OI) so that you can get a wife for my son from there. If the woman is unwilling to come back with you, then you will be released from this oath(OJ) of mine. Only do not take my son back there.”(OK) So the servant put his hand under the thigh(OL) of his master(OM) Abraham and swore an oath to him concerning this matter.

10 Then the servant left, taking with him ten of his master’s camels(ON) loaded with all kinds of good things(OO) from his master. He set out for Aram Naharaim[ak](OP) and made his way to the town of Nahor.(OQ) 11 He had the camels kneel down near the well(OR) outside the town; it was toward evening, the time the women go out to draw water.(OS)

12 Then he prayed, “Lord, God of my master Abraham,(OT) make me successful(OU) today, and show kindness(OV) to my master Abraham. 13 See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water.(OW) 14 May it be that when I say to a young woman, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink,(OX) and I’ll water your camels too’(OY)—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac.(OZ) By this I will know(PA) that you have shown kindness to my master.”

15 Before he had finished praying,(PB) Rebekah(PC) came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel(PD) son of Milkah,(PE) who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor.(PF) 16 The woman was very beautiful,(PG) a virgin;(PH) no man had ever slept with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up again.

17 The servant hurried to meet her and said, “Please give me a little water from your jar.”(PI)

18 “Drink,(PJ) my lord,” she said, and quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink.

19 After she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels(PK) too,(PL) until they have had enough to drink.” 20 So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, ran back to the well to draw more water, and drew enough for all his camels.(PM) 21 Without saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn whether or not the Lord had made his journey successful.(PN)

22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring(PO) weighing a beka[al] and two gold bracelets(PP) weighing ten shekels.[am] 23 Then he asked, “Whose daughter are you?(PQ) Please tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?(PR)

24 She answered him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son that Milkah bore to Nahor.(PS) 25 And she added, “We have plenty of straw and fodder,(PT) as well as room for you to spend the night.”

26 Then the man bowed down and worshiped the Lord,(PU) 27 saying, “Praise be to the Lord,(PV) the God of my master Abraham,(PW) who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness(PX) to my master. As for me, the Lord has led me on the journey(PY) to the house of my master’s relatives.”(PZ)

28 The young woman ran and told her mother’s household about these things.(QA) 29 Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban,(QB) and he hurried out to the man at the spring. 30 As soon as he had seen the nose ring, and the bracelets on his sister’s arms,(QC) and had heard Rebekah tell what the man said to her, he went out to the man and found him standing by the camels near the spring. 31 “Come, you who are blessed by the Lord,”(QD) he said. “Why are you standing out here? I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.”

32 So the man went to the house, and the camels were unloaded. Straw and fodder(QE) were brought for the camels, and water for him and his men to wash their feet.(QF) 33 Then food was set before him, but he said, “I will not eat until I have told you what I have to say.”

“Then tell us,” Laban said.

34 So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant.(QG) 35 The Lord has blessed(QH) my master abundantly,(QI) and he has become wealthy.(QJ) He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys.(QK) 36 My master’s wife Sarah has borne him a son in her old age,(QL) and he has given him everything he owns.(QM) 37 And my master made me swear an oath,(QN) and said, ‘You must not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live,(QO) 38 but go to my father’s family and to my own clan, and get a wife for my son.’(QP)

39 “Then I asked my master, ‘What if the woman will not come back with me?’(QQ)

40 “He replied, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked faithfully,(QR) will send his angel with you(QS) and make your journey a success,(QT) so that you can get a wife for my son from my own clan and from my father’s family.(QU)

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 16:11 Ishmael means God hears.
  2. Genesis 16:12 Or live to the east / of
  3. Genesis 16:13 Or seen the back of
  4. Genesis 16:14 Beer Lahai Roi means well of the Living One who sees me.
  5. Genesis 17:1 Hebrew El-Shaddai
  6. Genesis 17:5 Abram means exalted father.
  7. Genesis 17:5 Abraham probably means father of many.
  8. Genesis 17:19 Isaac means he laughs.
  9. Genesis 18:3 Or eyes, Lord
  10. Genesis 18:6 That is, probably about 36 pounds or about 16 kilograms
  11. Genesis 18:18 Or will use his name in blessings (see 48:20)
  12. Genesis 18:22 Masoretic Text; an ancient Hebrew scribal tradition but the Lord remained standing before Abraham
  13. Genesis 18:24 Or forgive; also in verse 26
  14. Genesis 19:14 Or were married to
  15. Genesis 19:18 Or No, Lord; or No, my lord
  16. Genesis 19:19 The Hebrew is singular.
  17. Genesis 19:19 The Hebrew is singular.
  18. Genesis 19:19 The Hebrew is singular.
  19. Genesis 19:22 Zoar means small.
  20. Genesis 19:37 Moab sounds like the Hebrew for from father.
  21. Genesis 19:38 Ben-Ammi means son of my father’s people.
  22. Genesis 19:38 Hebrew Bene-Ammon
  23. Genesis 20:16 That is, about 25 pounds or about 12 kilograms
  24. Genesis 21:3 Isaac means he laughs.
  25. Genesis 21:12 Or seed
  26. Genesis 21:16 Hebrew; Septuagint the child
  27. Genesis 21:31 Beersheba can mean well of seven and well of the oath.
  28. Genesis 22:13 Many manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint and Syriac; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text a ram behind him
  29. Genesis 22:18 Or seed
  30. Genesis 22:18 Or and all nations on earth will use the name of your offspring in blessings (see 48:20)
  31. Genesis 23:3 Or the descendants of Heth; also in verses 5, 7, 10, 16, 18 and 20
  32. Genesis 23:11 Or sell
  33. Genesis 23:11 Or sell
  34. Genesis 23:11 Or sell
  35. Genesis 23:15 That is, about 10 pounds or about 4.6 kilograms
  36. Genesis 24:7 Or seed
  37. Genesis 24:10 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
  38. Genesis 24:22 That is, about 1/5 ounce or about 5.7 grams
  39. Genesis 24:22 That is, about 4 ounces or about 115 grams

16 Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.

And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.

And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.

And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.

And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the Lord judge between me and thee.

But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thine hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.

And the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.

And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.

And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.

10 And the angel of the Lord said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.

11 And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Behold, thou art with child and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the Lord hath heard thy affliction.

12 And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.

13 And she called the name of the Lord that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?

14 Wherefore the well was called Beerlahairoi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

15 And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son's name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael.

16 And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.

17 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.

And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,

As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.

Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.

And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.

10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.

11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.

12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.

13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

14 And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

15 And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.

16 And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.

17 Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?

18 And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!

19 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.

21 But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.

22 And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.

23 And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him.

24 And Abraham was ninety years old and nine, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

26 In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son.

27 And all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him.

18 And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;

And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,

And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:

Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:

And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.

And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.

And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.

And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.

And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.

10 And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.

11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.

12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?

13 And the Lord said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?

14 Is any thing too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

15 Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.

16 And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.

17 And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;

18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

20 And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;

21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.

22 And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the Lord.

23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?

25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

26 And the Lord said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.

27 And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes:

28 Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it.

29 And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake.

30 And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.

31 And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake.

32 And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake.

33 And the Lord went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.

19 And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;

And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.

And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.

But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter:

And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.

And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him,

And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.

Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof.

And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door.

10 But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door.

11 And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.

12 And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place:

13 For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the Lord; and the Lord hath sent us to destroy it.

14 And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.

15 And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.

16 And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the Lord being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.

17 And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.

18 And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord:

19 Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die:

20 Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.

21 And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken.

22 Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do anything till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

23 The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar.

24 Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven;

25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.

26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

27 And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the Lord:

28 And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.

29 And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt.

30 And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters.

31 And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth:

32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.

33 And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.

34 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.

35 And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.

36 Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father.

37 And the first born bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day.

38 And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.

20 And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.

And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.

But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife.

But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?

Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.

And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.

Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.

Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid.

Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.

10 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?

11 And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake.

12 And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.

13 And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.

14 And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.

15 And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.

16 And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved.

17 So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.

18 For the Lord had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham's wife.

21 And the Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as he had spoken.

For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.

And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.

And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him.

And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.

And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.

And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.

And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.

And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.

10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.

11 And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son.

12 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

13 And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.

14 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.

15 And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.

16 And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bow shot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.

17 And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.

18 Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.

19 And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.

20 And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.

21 And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.

22 And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest:

23 Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son: but according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned.

24 And Abraham said, I will swear.

25 And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away.

26 And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath done this thing; neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to day.

27 And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant.

28 And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.

29 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves?

30 And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well.

31 Wherefore he called that place Beersheba; because there they sware both of them.

32 Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.

33 And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God.

34 And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines' land many days.

22 And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.

And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.

Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.

And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.

And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.

And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?

And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.

10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

11 And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.

12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.

14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.

15 And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,

16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:

17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;

18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

19 So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.

20 And it came to pass after these things, that it was told Abraham, saying, Behold, Milcah, she hath also born children unto thy brother Nahor;

21 Huz his firstborn, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram,

22 And Chesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and Bethuel.

23 And Bethuel begat Rebekah: these eight Milcah did bear to Nahor, Abraham's brother.

24 And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, she bare also Tebah, and Gaham, and Thahash, and Maachah.

23 And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah.

And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.

And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying,

I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.

And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him,

Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead.

And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth.

And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and intreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,

That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his field; for as much money as it is worth he shall give it me for a possession of a buryingplace amongst you.

10 And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth: and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth, even of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying,

11 Nay, my lord, hear me: the field give I thee, and the cave that is therein, I give it thee; in the presence of the sons of my people give I it thee: bury thy dead.

12 And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land.

13 And he spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, But if thou wilt give it, I pray thee, hear me: I will give thee money for the field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there.

14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him,

15 My lord, hearken unto me: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead.

16 And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant.

17 And the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure

18 Unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city.

19 And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan.

20 And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a buryingplace by the sons of Heth.

24 And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.

And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh:

And I will make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:

But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.

And the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest?

And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again.

The Lord God of heaven, which took me from my father's house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence.

And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son thither again.

And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that matter.

10 And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor.

11 And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water.

12 And he said O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham.

13 Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water:

14 And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master.

15 And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder.

16 And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up.

17 And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher.

18 And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.

19 And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.

20 And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.

21 And the man wondering at her held his peace, to wit whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not.

22 And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold;

23 And said, Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee: is there room in thy father's house for us to lodge in?

24 And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor.

25 She said moreover unto him, We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in.

26 And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the Lord.

27 And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master's brethren.

28 And the damsel ran, and told them of her mother's house these things.

29 And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban: and Laban ran out unto the man, unto the well.

30 And it came to pass, when he saw the earring and bracelets upon his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, Thus spake the man unto me; that he came unto the man; and, behold, he stood by the camels at the well.

31 And he said, Come in, thou blessed of the Lord; wherefore standest thou without? for I have prepared the house, and room for the camels.

32 And the man came into the house: and he ungirded his camels, and gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet, and the men's feet that were with him.

33 And there was set meat before him to eat: but he said, I will not eat, until I have told mine errand. And he said, Speak on.

34 And he said, I am Abraham's servant.

35 And the Lord hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses.

36 And Sarah my master's wife bare a son to my master when she was old: and unto him hath he given all that he hath.

37 And my master made me swear, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife to my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell:

38 But thou shalt go unto my father's house, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son.

39 And I said unto my master, Peradventure the woman will not follow me.

40 And he said unto me, The Lord, before whom I walk, will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father's house:

41 Then shalt thou be clear from this my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they give not thee one, thou shalt be clear from my oath.

42 And I came this day unto the well, and said, O Lord God of my master Abraham, if now thou do prosper my way which I go:

43 Behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass, that when the virgin cometh forth to draw water, and I say to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink;

44 And she say to me, Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels: let the same be the woman whom the Lord hath appointed out for my master's son.

45 And before I had done speaking in mine heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the well, and drew water: and I said unto her, Let me drink, I pray thee.

46 And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: so I drank, and she made the camels drink also.

47 And I asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? And she said, the daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bare unto him: and I put the earring upon her face, and the bracelets upon her hands.

48 And I bowed down my head, and worshipped the Lord, and blessed the Lord God of my master Abraham, which had led me in the right way to take my master's brother's daughter unto his son.

49 And now if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me: and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left.

50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing proceedeth from the Lord: we cannot speak unto thee bad or good.

51 Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go, and let her be thy master's son's wife, as the Lord hath spoken.

52 And it came to pass, that, when Abraham's servant heard their words, he worshipped the Lord, bowing himself to the earth.

53 And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah: he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things.

54 And they did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him, and tarried all night; and they rose up in the morning, and he said, Send me away unto my master.

55 And her brother and her mother said, Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go.

56 And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the Lord hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master.

57 And they said, We will call the damsel, and enquire at her mouth.

58 And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go.

59 And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant, and his men.

60 And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them.

61 And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man: and the servant took Rebekah, and went his way.

62 And Isaac came from the way of the well Lahairoi; for he dwelt in the south country.

63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming.

64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel.

65 For she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a vail, and covered herself.

66 And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done.

67 And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.

25 Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah.

And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah.

And Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim.

And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abidah, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.

And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac.

But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country.

And these are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years.

Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people.

And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre;

10 The field which Abraham purchased of the sons of Heth: there was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife.

11 And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac dwelt by the well Lahairoi.

12 Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid, bare unto Abraham:

13 And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam,

14 And Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa,

15 Hadar, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah:

16 These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their towns, and by their castles; twelve princes according to their nations.

17 And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, an hundred and thirty and seven years: and he gave up the ghost and died; and was gathered unto his people.

18 And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur, that is before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria: and he died in the presence of all his brethren.

19 And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham begat Isaac:

20 And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.

21 And Isaac intreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren: and the Lord was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.

22 And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the Lord.

23 And the Lord said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.

24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.

25 And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.

26 And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.

27 And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents.

28 And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob.

29 And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint:

30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.

31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.

32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?

33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.

34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.

Hagar and Ishmael

16 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, (A)had borne him no children. And she had (B)an Egyptian maidservant whose name was (C)Hagar. (D)So Sarai said to Abram, “See now, the Lord (E)has restrained me from bearing children. Please, (F)go in to my maid; perhaps I shall [a]obtain children by her.” And Abram (G)heeded the voice of Sarai. Then Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife, after Abram (H)had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan. So he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress became (I)despised in her [b]eyes.

Then Sarai said to Abram, [c]“My wrong be upon you! I gave my maid into your embrace; and when she saw that she had conceived, I became despised in her eyes. (J)The Lord judge between you and me.”

(K)So Abram said to Sarai, “Indeed your maid is in your hand; do to her as you please.” And when Sarai dealt harshly with her, (L)she fled from her presence.

Now the (M)Angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, (N)by the spring on the way to (O)Shur. And He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where have you come from, and where are you going?”

She said, “I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai.”

The Angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress, and (P)submit yourself under her hand.” 10 Then the Angel of the Lord said to her, (Q)“I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude.” 11 And the Angel of the Lord said to her:

“Behold, you are with child,
(R)And you shall bear a son.
You shall call his name [d]Ishmael,
Because the Lord has heard your affliction.
12 (S)He shall be a wild man;
His hand shall be against every man,
And every man’s hand against him.
(T)And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.”

13 Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are-[e]the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, “Have I also here [f]seen Him (U)who sees me?” 14 Therefore the well was called (V)Beer Lahai Roi;[g] observe, it is (W)between Kadesh and Bered.

15 So (X)Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram named his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

The Sign of the Covenant(Y)

17 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord (Z)appeared to Abram and said to him, (AA)“I am [h]Almighty God; (AB)walk before Me and be (AC)blameless. And I will make My (AD)covenant between Me and you, and (AE)will multiply you exceedingly.” Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be (AF)a father of [i]many nations. No longer shall (AG)your name be called [j]Abram, but your name shall be [k]Abraham; (AH)for I have made you a father of [l]many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make (AI)nations of you, and (AJ)kings shall come from you. And I will (AK)establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, (AL)to be God to you and (AM)your descendants after you. Also (AN)I give to you and your descendants after you the land (AO)in[m] which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and (AP)I will be their God.”

And God said to Abraham: “As for you, (AQ)you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. 10 This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: (AR)Every male child among you shall be circumcised; 11 and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be (AS)a sign of the covenant between Me and you. 12 He who is eight days old among you (AT)shall be circumcised, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant. 13 He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 14 And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person (AU)shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.”

15 Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but [n]Sarah shall be her name. 16 And I will bless her (AV)and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother (AW)of nations; (AX)kings of peoples shall be from her.”

17 Then Abraham fell on his face (AY)and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child? 18 And Abraham (AZ)said to God, “Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!”

19 Then God said: “No, (BA)Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My (BB)covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him. 20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and (BC)will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget (BD)twelve princes, (BE)and I will make him a great nation. 21 But My (BF)covenant I will establish with Isaac, (BG)whom Sarah shall bear to you at this (BH)set time next year.” 22 Then He finished talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.

23 So Abraham took Ishmael his son, all who were born in his house and all who were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very same day, as God had said to him. 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 26 That very same day Abraham was circumcised, and his son Ishmael; 27 and (BI)all the men of his house, born in the house or bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.

The Son of Promise(BJ)

18 Then the Lord appeared to him by [o]the (BK)terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day. (BL)So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; (BM)and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground, and said, “My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant. Please let (BN)a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. And (BO)I will bring a morsel of bread, that (BP)you may refresh your hearts. After that you may pass by, (BQ)inasmuch as you have come to your servant.”

They said, “Do as you have said.”

So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal; knead it and make cakes.” And Abraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf, gave it to a young man, and he hastened to prepare it. So (BR)he took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree as they ate.

Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?”

So he said, “Here, (BS)in the tent.”

10 And He said, “I will certainly return to you (BT)according to the time of life, and behold, (BU)Sarah your wife shall have a son.”

(Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.) 11 Now (BV)Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and [p]Sarah (BW)had passed the age of childbearing. 12 Therefore Sarah (BX)laughed within herself, saying, (BY)“After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my (BZ)lord being old also?”

13 And the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’ 14 (CA)Is anything too hard for the Lord? (CB)At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.”

15 But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid.

And He said, “No, but you did laugh!”

Abraham Intercedes for Sodom

16 Then the men rose from there and looked toward Sodom, and Abraham went with them (CC)to send them on the way. 17 And the Lord said, (CD)“Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, 18 since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be (CE)blessed in him? 19 For I have known him, in order (CF)that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.” 20 And the Lord said, “Because (CG)the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their (CH)sin is very grave, 21 (CI)I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, (CJ)I will know.”

22 Then the men turned away from there (CK)and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. 23 And Abraham (CL)came near and said, (CM)“Would You also (CN)destroy the (CO)righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it? 25 Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so (CP)that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! (CQ)Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”

26 So the Lord said, (CR)“If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.”

27 Then Abraham answered and said, “Indeed now, I who am (CS)but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: 28 Suppose there were five less than the fifty righteous; would You destroy all of the city for lack of five?”

So He said, “If I find there forty-five, I will not destroy it.

29 And he spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose there should be forty found there?”

So He said, “I will not do it for the sake of forty.”

30 Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Suppose thirty should be found there?”

So He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”

31 And he said, “Indeed now, I have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: Suppose twenty should be found there?”

So He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty.”

32 Then he said, (CT)“Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but once more: Suppose ten should be found there?”

(CU)And He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.” 33 So the Lord went His way as soon as He had finished speaking with Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.

Sodom’s Depravity

19 Now (CV)the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and (CW)Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground. And he said, “Here now, my lords, please (CX)turn in to your servant’s house and spend the night, and (CY)wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.”

And they said, (CZ)“No, but we will spend the night in the open square.”

But he insisted strongly; so they turned in to him and entered his house. (DA)Then he made them a feast, and baked (DB)unleavened bread, and they ate.

Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. (DC)And they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? (DD)Bring them out to us that we (DE)may know them carnally.

So (DF)Lot went out to them through the doorway, shut the door behind him, and said, “Please, my brethren, do not do so wickedly! (DG)See now, I have two daughters who have not known a man; please, let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you wish; only do nothing to these men, (DH)since this is the reason they have come under the shadow of my roof.”

And they said, “Stand back!” Then they said, “This one (DI)came in to [q]stay here, (DJ)and he keeps acting as a judge; now we will deal worse with you than with them.” So they pressed hard against the man Lot, and came near to break down the door. 10 But the men reached out their hands and pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. 11 And they (DK)struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they became weary trying to find the door.

Sodom and Gomorrah Destroyed(DL)

12 Then the men said to Lot, “Have you anyone else here? Son-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in the city—(DM)take them out of this place! 13 For we will destroy this place, because the (DN)outcry against them has grown great before the face of the Lord, and (DO)the Lord has sent us to destroy it.”

14 So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, (DP)who had married his daughters, and said, (DQ)“Get up, get out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city!” (DR)But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking.

15 When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, (DS)“Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.” 16 And while he lingered, the men (DT)took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the (DU)Lord being merciful to him, (DV)and they brought him out and set him outside the city. 17 So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that [r]he said, (DW)“Escape for your life! (DX)Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape (DY)to the mountains, lest you be [s]destroyed.”

18 Then Lot said to them, “Please, (DZ)no, my lords! 19 Indeed now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have increased your mercy which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, lest some evil overtake me and I die. 20 See now, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one; please let me escape there (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.”

21 And he said to him, “See, (EA)I have favored you concerning this thing also, in that I will not overthrow this city for which you have spoken. 22 Hurry, escape there. For (EB)I cannot do anything until you arrive there.”

Therefore (EC)the name of the city was called [t]Zoar.

23 The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar. 24 Then the Lord rained (ED)brimstone and (EE)fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens. 25 So He [u]overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and (EF)what grew on the ground.

26 But his wife looked back behind him, and she became (EG)a pillar of salt.

27 And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where (EH)he had stood before the Lord. 28 Then he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain; and he saw, and behold, (EI)the smoke of the land which went up like the smoke of a furnace. 29 And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God (EJ)remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot had dwelt.

The Descendants of Lot

30 Then Lot went up out of Zoar and (EK)dwelt in the mountains, and his two daughters were with him; for he was afraid to dwell in Zoar. And he and his two daughters dwelt in a cave. 31 Now the firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man on the earth (EL)to come in to us as is the custom of all the earth. 32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we (EM)may preserve the [v]lineage of our father.” 33 So they made their father drink wine that night. And the firstborn went in and lay with her father, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose.

34 It happened on the next day that the firstborn said to the younger, “Indeed I lay with my father last night; let us make him drink wine tonight also, and you go in and lie with him, that we may preserve the [w]lineage of our father.” 35 Then they made their father drink wine that night also. And the younger arose and lay with him, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose.

36 Thus both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father. 37 The firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab; (EN)he is the father of the Moabites to this day. 38 And the younger, she also bore a son and called his name Ben-Ammi; (EO)he is the father of the people of Ammon to this day.

Abraham and Abimelech

20 And Abraham journeyed from (EP)there to the South, and dwelt between (EQ)Kadesh and Shur, and (ER)stayed in Gerar. Now Abraham said of Sarah his wife, (ES)“She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and (ET)took Sarah.

But (EU)God came to Abimelech (EV)in a dream by night, and said to him, (EW)“Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is [x]a man’s wife.”

But Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, (EX)will You slay a righteous nation also? Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she, even she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ (EY)In the [y]integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this.”

And God said to him in a dream, “Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart. For (EZ)I also withheld you from sinning (FA)against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her. Now therefore, restore the man’s wife; (FB)for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you shall live. But if you do not restore her, (FC)know that you shall surely die, you (FD)and all who are yours.”

So Abimelech rose early in the morning, called all his servants, and told all these things in their hearing; and the men were very much afraid. And Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? How have I [z]offended you, (FE)that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done deeds to me (FF)that ought not to be done.” 10 Then Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you have in view, that you have done this thing?”

11 And Abraham said, “Because I thought, surely (FG)the fear of God is not in this place; and (FH)they will kill me on account of my wife. 12 But indeed (FI)she is truly my sister. She is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife. 13 And it came to pass, when (FJ)God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said to her, ‘This is your kindness that you should do for me: in every place, wherever we go, (FK)say of me, “He is my brother.” ’ ”

14 Then Abimelech (FL)took sheep, oxen, and male and female servants, and gave them to Abraham; and he restored Sarah his wife to him. 15 And Abimelech said, “See, (FM)my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you.” 16 Then to Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver; (FN)indeed this [aa]vindicates you (FO)before all who are with you and before everybody.” Thus she was [ab]rebuked.

17 So Abraham (FP)prayed to God; and God (FQ)healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female servants. Then they bore children; 18 for the Lord (FR)had closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.

Isaac Is Born(FS)

21 And the Lord (FT)visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah (FU)as He had spoken. For Sarah (FV)conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, (FW)at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him—whom Sarah bore to him—(FX)Isaac.[ac] Then Abraham (FY)circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, (FZ)as God had commanded him. Now (GA)Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. And Sarah said, (GB)“God has [ad]made me laugh, and all who hear (GC)will laugh with me.” She also said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? (GD)For I have borne him a son in his old age.”

Hagar and Ishmael Depart(GE)

So the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the same day that Isaac was weaned.

And Sarah saw the son of Hagar (GF)the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, (GG)scoffing.[ae] 10 Therefore she said to Abraham, (GH)“Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, namely with Isaac.” 11 And the matter was very [af]displeasing in Abraham’s sight (GI)because of his son.

12 But God said to Abraham, “Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for (GJ)in Isaac your seed shall be called. 13 Yet I will also make (GK)a nation of the son of the bondwoman, because he is your [ag]seed.”

14 So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and [ah]a skin of water; and putting it on her shoulder, he gave it and the boy to Hagar, and (GL)sent her away. Then she departed and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba. 15 And the water in the skin was used up, and she placed the boy under one of the shrubs. 16 Then she went and sat down across from him at a distance of about a bowshot; for she said to herself, “Let me not see the death of the boy.” So she sat opposite him, and lifted her voice and wept.

17 And (GM)God heard the voice of the lad. Then the (GN)angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, “What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. 18 Arise, lift up the lad and hold him with your hand, for (GO)I will make him a great nation.”

19 Then (GP)God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water, and gave the lad a drink. 20 So God (GQ)was with the lad; and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness, (GR)and became an archer. 21 He dwelt in the Wilderness of Paran; and his mother (GS)took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

A Covenant with Abimelech

22 And it came to pass at that time that (GT)Abimelech and Phichol, the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham, saying, (GU)“God is with you in all that you do. 23 Now therefore, (GV)swear[ai] to me by God that you will not deal falsely with me, with my offspring, or with my posterity; but that according to the kindness that I have done to you, you will do to me and to the land in which you have dwelt.”

24 And Abraham said, “I will swear.”

25 Then Abraham rebuked Abimelech because of a well of water which Abimelech’s servants (GW)had seized. 26 And Abimelech said, “I do not know who has done this thing; you did not tell me, nor had I heard of it until today.” 27 So Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them (GX)made a [aj]covenant. 28 And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.

29 Then Abimelech asked Abraham, (GY)“What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs which you have set by themselves?”

30 And he said, “You will take these seven ewe lambs from my hand, that (GZ)they may be my witness that I have dug this well.” 31 Therefore he (HA)called that place [ak]Beersheba, because the two of them swore an oath there.

32 Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba. So Abimelech rose with Phichol, the commander of his army, and they returned to the land of the Philistines. 33 Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and (HB)there called on the name of the Lord, (HC)the Everlasting God. 34 And Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines many days.

Abraham’s Faith Confirmed(HD)

22 Now it came to pass after these things that (HE)God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!”

And he said, “Here I am.”

Then He said, “Take now your son, (HF)your only son Isaac, whom you (HG)love, and go (HH)to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a (HI)burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”

So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the [al]lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will (HJ)come back to you.”

So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and (HK)laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!”

And he said, “Here I am, my son.”

Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the [am]lamb for a burnt offering?”

And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the (HL)lamb for a (HM)burnt offering.” So the two of them went together.

Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and (HN)laid him on the altar, upon the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.

11 But the (HO)Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!”

So he said, “Here I am.”

12 And He said, (HP)“Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for (HQ)now I know that you fear God, since you have not (HR)withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”

13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of the place, [an]The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

15 Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, 16 and said: (HS)“By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son 17 blessing I will (HT)bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants (HU)as the stars of the heaven (HV)and as the sand which is on the seashore; and (HW)your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. 18 (HX)In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, (HY)because you have obeyed My voice.” 19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose and went together to (HZ)Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.

The Family of Nahor

20 Now it came to pass after these things that it was told Abraham, saying, “Indeed (IA)Milcah also has borne children to your brother Nahor: 21 (IB)Huz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father (IC)of Aram, 22 Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” 23 And (ID)Bethuel begot [ao]Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham’s brother. 24 His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah, Gaham, Thahash, and Maachah.

Sarah’s Death and Burial

23 Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. So Sarah died in (IE)Kirjath Arba (that is, (IF)Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.

Then Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of (IG)Heth, saying, (IH)“I am a foreigner and a visitor among you. (II)Give me property for a burial place among you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”

And the sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, “Hear us, my lord: You are (IJ)a [ap]mighty prince among us; bury your dead in the choicest of our burial places. None of us will withhold from you his burial place, that you may bury your dead.”

Then Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the people of the land, the sons of Heth. And he spoke with them, saying, “If it is your wish that I bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and [aq]meet with Ephron the son of Zohar for me, that he may give me the cave of (IK)Machpelah which he has, which is at the end of his field. Let him give it to me at the full price, as property for a burial place among you.”

10 Now Ephron dwelt among the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the presence of the sons of Heth, all who (IL)entered at the gate of his city, saying, 11 (IM)“No, my lord, hear me: I give you the field and the cave that is in it; I give it to you in the presence of the sons of my people. I give it to you. Bury your dead!”

12 Then Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land; 13 and he spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, “If you will give it, please hear me. I will give you money for the field; take it from me and I will bury my dead there.”

14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, 15 “My lord, listen to me; the land is worth four hundred (IN)shekels of silver. What is that between you and me? So bury your dead.” 16 And Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham (IO)weighed out the silver for Ephron which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, currency of the merchants.

17 So (IP)the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field and the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, which were within all the surrounding borders, were deeded 18 to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city.

19 And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 20 So the field and the cave that is in it (IQ)were deeded to Abraham by the sons of Heth as property for a burial place.

A Bride for Isaac

24 Now Abraham (IR)was old, well advanced in age; and the Lord (IS)had blessed Abraham in all things. So Abraham said (IT)to the oldest servant of his house, who (IU)ruled over all that he had, “Please, (IV)put your hand under my thigh, and I will make you (IW)swear[ar] by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that (IX)you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell; (IY)but you shall go (IZ)to my country and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac.”

And the servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I take your son back to the land from which you came?”

But Abraham said to him, “Beware that you do not take my son back there. The Lord God of heaven, who (JA)took me from my father’s house and from the land of my family, and who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, (JB)‘To your [as]descendants I give this land,’ (JC)He will send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. And if the woman is not willing to follow you, then (JD)you will be released from this oath; only do not take my son back there.” So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.

10 Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed, (JE)for all his master’s goods were in his hand. And he arose and went to Mesopotamia, to (JF)the city of Nahor. 11 And he made his camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water at evening time, the time (JG)when women go out to draw water. 12 Then he (JH)said, “O Lord God of my master Abraham, please (JI)give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham. 13 Behold, here (JJ)I stand by the well of water, and (JK)the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 14 Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please let down your pitcher that I may drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink’—let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And (JL)by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.”

15 And it happened, (JM)before he had finished speaking, that behold, (JN)Rebekah,[at] who was born to Bethuel, son of (JO)Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, came out with her pitcher on her shoulder. 16 Now the young woman (JP)was very beautiful to behold, a virgin; no man had known her. And she went down to the well, filled her pitcher, and came up. 17 And the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please let me drink a little water from your pitcher.”

18 (JQ)So she said, “Drink, my lord.” Then she quickly let her pitcher down to her hand, and gave him a drink. 19 And when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking.” 20 Then she quickly emptied her pitcher into the trough, ran back to the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels. 21 And the man, wondering at her, remained silent so as to know whether (JR)the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not.

22 So it was, when the camels had finished drinking, that the man took a golden (JS)nose ring weighing half a shekel, and two bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekels of gold, 23 and said, “Whose daughter are you? Tell me, please, is there room in your father’s house for us [au]to lodge?”

24 So she said to him, (JT)“I am the daughter of Bethuel, Milcah’s son, whom she bore to Nahor.” 25 Moreover she said to him, “We have both straw and feed enough, and room to lodge.”

26 Then the man (JU)bowed down his head and worshiped the Lord. 27 And he said, (JV)“Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken (JW)His mercy and His truth toward my master. As for me, being on the way, the Lord (JX)led me to the house of my master’s brethren.” 28 So the young woman ran and told her mother’s household these things.

29 Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was (JY)Laban, and Laban ran out to the man by the well. 30 So it came to pass, when he saw the nose ring, and the bracelets on his sister’s wrists, and when he heard the words of his sister Rebekah, saying, “Thus the man spoke to me,” that he went to the man. And there he stood by the camels at the well. 31 And he said, “Come in, (JZ)O blessed of the Lord! Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels.”

32 Then the man came to the house. And he unloaded the camels, and (KA)provided straw and feed for the camels, and water to (KB)wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 33 Food was set before him to eat, but he said, (KC)“I will not eat until I have told about my errand.”

And he said, “Speak on.”

34 So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. 35 The Lord (KD)has blessed my master greatly, and he has become great; and He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. 36 And Sarah my master’s wife (KE)bore a son to my master when she was old; and (KF)to him he has given all that he has. 37 Now my master (KG)made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell; 38 (KH)but you shall go to my father’s house and to my family, and take a wife for my son.’ 39 (KI)And I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’ 40 (KJ)But he said to me, ‘The Lord, (KK)before whom I walk, will send His angel with you and [av]prosper your way; and you shall take a wife for my son from my family and from my father’s house. 41 (KL)You will be clear from this oath when you arrive among my family; for if they will not give her to you, then you will be released from my oath.’

42 “And this day I came to the well and said, (KM)‘O Lord God of my master Abraham, if You will now prosper the way in which I go, 43 (KN)behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass that when the virgin comes out to draw water, and I say to her, “Please give me a little water from your pitcher to drink,” 44 and she says to me, “Drink, and I will draw for your camels also,”—let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master’s son.’

45 (KO)“But before I had finished (KP)speaking in my heart, there was Rebekah, coming out with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down to the well and drew water. And I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’ 46 And she made haste and let her pitcher down from her shoulder, and said, ‘Drink, and I will give your camels a drink also.’ So I drank, and she gave the camels a drink also. 47 Then I asked her, and said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ And she said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him.’ So I put the nose ring on her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. 48 (KQ)And I bowed my head and worshiped the Lord, and blessed the Lord God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the way of truth to (KR)take the daughter of my master’s brother for his son. 49 Now if you will (KS)deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me. And if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.”

50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, (KT)“The thing comes from the Lord; we cannot (KU)speak to you either bad or good. 51 (KV)Here is Rebekah before you; take her and go, and let her be your master’s son’s wife, as the Lord has spoken.”

52 And it came to pass, when Abraham’s servant heard their words, that (KW)he worshiped the Lord, bowing himself to the earth. 53 Then the servant brought out (KX)jewelry of silver, jewelry of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave (KY)precious things to her brother and to her mother.

54 And he and the men who were with him ate and drank and stayed all night. Then they arose in the morning, and he said, (KZ)“Send me away to my master.”

55 But her brother and her mother said, “Let the young woman stay with us a few days, at least ten; after that she may go.”

56 And he said to them, “Do not [aw]hinder me, since the Lord has prospered my way; send me away so that I may go to my master.”

57 So they said, “We will call the young woman and ask her personally.” 58 Then they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?”

And she said, “I will go.”

59 So they sent away Rebekah their sister (LA)and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant and his men. 60 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her:

“Our sister, may you become
(LB)The mother of thousands of ten thousands;
(LC)And may your descendants possess
The gates of those who hate them.”

61 Then Rebekah and her maids arose, and they rode on the camels and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and departed.

62 Now Isaac came from the way of (LD)Beer Lahai Roi, for he dwelt in the South. 63 And Isaac went out (LE)to meditate in the field in the evening; and he lifted his eyes and looked, and there, the camels were coming. 64 Then Rebekah lifted her eyes, and when she saw Isaac (LF)she dismounted from her camel; 65 for she had said to the servant, “Who is this man walking in the field to meet us?”

The servant said, “It is my master.” So she took a veil and covered herself.

66 And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. 67 Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent; and he (LG)took Rebekah and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac (LH)was comforted after his mother’s death.

Abraham and Keturah(LI)

25 Abraham again took a wife, and her name was (LJ)Keturah. And (LK)she bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. Jokshan begot Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. And the sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abidah, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.

And (LL)Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac. But Abraham gave gifts to the sons of the concubines which Abraham had; and while he was still living he (LM)sent them eastward, away from Isaac his son, to (LN)the country of the east.

Abraham’s Death and Burial

This is the sum of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived: one hundred and seventy-five years. Then Abraham breathed his last and (LO)died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and (LP)was gathered to his people. And (LQ)his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of (LR)Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, 10 (LS)the field which Abraham purchased from the sons of Heth. (LT)There Abraham was buried, and Sarah his wife. 11 And it came to pass, after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac. And Isaac dwelt at (LU)Beer Lahai Roi.

The Families of Ishmael and Isaac(LV)

12 Now this is the (LW)genealogy of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maidservant, bore to Abraham. 13 And (LX)these were the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: The firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 [ax]Hadar, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16 These were the sons of Ishmael and these were their names, by their towns and their [ay]settlements, (LY)twelve princes according to their nations. 17 These were the years of the life of Ishmael: one hundred and thirty-seven years; and (LZ)he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people. 18 (MA)(They dwelt from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt as you go toward Assyria.) He [az]died (MB)in the presence of all his brethren.

19 This is the (MC)genealogy of Isaac, Abraham’s son. (MD)Abraham begot Isaac. 20 Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah as wife, (ME)the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan Aram, (MF)the sister of Laban the Syrian. 21 Now Isaac pleaded with the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; (MG)and the Lord granted his plea, (MH)and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If all is well, why am I like this?” (MI)So she went to inquire of the Lord.

23 And the Lord said to her:

(MJ)“Two nations are in your womb,
Two peoples shall be separated from your body;
One people shall be stronger than (MK)the other,
(ML)And the older shall serve the younger.”

24 So when her days were fulfilled for her to give birth, indeed there were twins in her womb. 25 And the first came out red. He was (MM)like a hairy garment all over; so they called his name [ba]Esau. 26 Afterward his brother came out, and (MN)his hand took hold of Esau’s heel; so (MO)his name was called [bb]Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

27 So the boys grew. And Esau was (MP)a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was (MQ)a [bc]mild man, (MR)dwelling in tents. 28 And Isaac loved Esau because he (MS)ate of his game, (MT)but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Esau Sells His Birthright(MU)

29 Now Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field, and he was weary. 30 And Esau said to Jacob, “Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary.” Therefore his name was called [bd]Edom.

31 But Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright as of this day.”

32 And Esau said, “Look, I am about to die; so (MV)what is this birthright to me?”

33 Then Jacob said, [be]“Swear to me as of this day.”

So he swore to him, and (MW)sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then (MX)he ate and drank, arose, and went his way. Thus Esau (MY)despised his birthright.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 16:2 Lit. be built up from
  2. Genesis 16:4 sight
  3. Genesis 16:5 The wrong done to me be
  4. Genesis 16:11 Lit. God Hears
  5. Genesis 16:13 Heb. El Roi
  6. Genesis 16:13 Seen the back of
  7. Genesis 16:14 Lit. Well of the One Who Lives and Sees Me
  8. Genesis 17:1 Heb. El Shaddai
  9. Genesis 17:4 Lit. a multitude of nations
  10. Genesis 17:5 Lit. Exalted Father
  11. Genesis 17:5 Lit. Father of a Multitude
  12. Genesis 17:5 a multitude of
  13. Genesis 17:8 Lit. of your sojournings
  14. Genesis 17:15 Lit. Princess
  15. Genesis 18:1 Heb. Alon Mamre
  16. Genesis 18:11 Lit. the manner of women had ceased to be with Sarah
  17. Genesis 19:9 As a resident alien
  18. Genesis 19:17 LXX, Syr., Vg. they
  19. Genesis 19:17 Lit. swept away
  20. Genesis 19:22 Lit. Little or Insignificant
  21. Genesis 19:25 devastated
  22. Genesis 19:32 Lit. seed
  23. Genesis 19:34 Lit. seed
  24. Genesis 20:3 Lit. married to a husband
  25. Genesis 20:5 innocence
  26. Genesis 20:9 sinned against
  27. Genesis 20:16 Lit. is a covering of the eyes for you to all
  28. Genesis 20:16 Or justified
  29. Genesis 21:3 Lit. Laughter
  30. Genesis 21:6 Lit. made laughter for me
  31. Genesis 21:9 Lit. laughing
  32. Genesis 21:11 distressing
  33. Genesis 21:13 descendant
  34. Genesis 21:14 A water bottle made of skins
  35. Genesis 21:23 take an oath
  36. Genesis 21:27 treaty
  37. Genesis 21:31 Lit. Well of the Oath or Well of the Seven
  38. Genesis 22:5 Or young man
  39. Genesis 22:7 Or goat
  40. Genesis 22:14 Heb. YHWH Yireh
  41. Genesis 22:23 Rebecca, Rom. 9:10
  42. Genesis 23:6 Lit. prince of God
  43. Genesis 23:8 entreat
  44. Genesis 24:3 take an oath
  45. Genesis 24:7 Lit. seed
  46. Genesis 24:15 Rebecca, Rom. 9:10
  47. Genesis 24:23 to spend the night
  48. Genesis 24:40 make your way successful
  49. Genesis 24:56 delay
  50. Genesis 25:15 MT Hadad
  51. Genesis 25:16 camps
  52. Genesis 25:18 fell
  53. Genesis 25:25 Lit. Hairy
  54. Genesis 25:26 Supplanter or Deceitful, lit. One Who Takes the Heel
  55. Genesis 25:27 Lit. complete
  56. Genesis 25:30 Lit. Red
  57. Genesis 25:33 Take an oath