benwisdom

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

that you will do us no harm, as we have not touched you, and as we have done to you nothing but good, and have sent you away in peace.’ You are now the blessed of Yahweh.”

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

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

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

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

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

He went up from there to Beersheba.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us!”

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

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

The men of the place asked him about his wife. He said, “She is my sister,” for he was afraid to say, “My wife,” lest, he thought, “the men of the place might kill me for Rebekah, because she is beautiful to look at.”

Isaac lived in Gerar.

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

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

Live in this land, and I will be with you, and will bless you. For to you, and to your seed, I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to Abraham your father.

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

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

Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils. He ate and drank, rose up, and went his way. So Esau despised his birthright.

Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” He swore to him. He sold his birthright to Jacob.

Esau said, “Behold, I am about to die. What good is the birthright to me?”

Jacob said, “First, sell me your birthright.”

Esau said to Jacob, “Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am famished.” Therefore his name was called Edom.

Jacob boiled stew. Esau came in from the field, and he was famished.

Now Isaac loved Esau, because he ate his venison. Rebekah loved Jacob.

The boys grew. Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field. Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents.

After that, his brother came out, and his hand had hold on Esau’s heel. He was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

The first came out red all over, like a hairy garment. They named him Esau.

When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.

Yahweh said to her, “Two nations are in your womb. Two peoples will be separated from your body. The one people will be stronger than the other people. The elder will serve the younger.”

The children struggled together within her. She said, “If it be so, why do I live?” She went to inquire of Yahweh.

Isaac entreated Yahweh for his wife, because she was barren. Yahweh was entreated by him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.

Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Paddan Aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian, to be his wife.

This is the history of the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son. Abraham became the father of Isaac.

They lived from Havilah to Shur that is before Egypt, as you go toward Assyria. He lived opposite all his relatives.

These are the years of the life of Ishmael: one hundred thirty-seven years. He gave up the spirit and died, and was gathered to his people.

These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their villages, and by their encampments: twelve princes, according to their nations.

Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.

Mishma, Dumah, Massa,

These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to the order of their birth: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,

Now this is the history of the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s handmaid, bore to Abraham.

It happened after the death of Abraham that God blessed Isaac, his son. Isaac lived by Beer Lahai Roi.

the field which Abraham purchased of the children of Heth. Abraham was buried there with Sarah, his wife.

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

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

These are the days of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived: one hundred seventy-five years.

but to the sons of Abraham’s concubines, Abraham gave gifts. He sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, to the east country.

Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac,

The sons of Midian: Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.

Jokshan became the father of Sheba, and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim.

She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.

Abraham took another wife, and her name was Keturah.

Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife. He loved her. Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

The servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.

She said to the servant, “Who is the man who is walking in the field to meet us?” The servant said, “It is my master.” She took her veil, and covered herself.

Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel.

Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the evening. He lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, there were camels coming.

Isaac came from the way of Beer Lahai Roi, for he lived in the land of the South.

Rebekah arose with her ladies. They rode on the camels, and followed the man. The servant took Rebekah, and went his way.

They blessed Rebekah, and said to her, “Our sister, may you be the mother of thousands of ten thousands, and let your seed possess the gate of those who hate them.”

They sent away Rebekah, their sister, with her nurse, Abraham’s servant, and his men.

They called Rebekah, and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” She said, “I will go.”

They said, “We will call the young lady, and ask her.”

He said to them, “Don’t hinder me, since Yahweh has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master.”

Her brother and her mother said, “Let the young lady stay with us a few days, at least ten. After that she will go.”

They ate and drank, he and the men who were with him, and stayed all night. They rose up in the morning, and he said, “Send me away to my master.”

The servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave precious things to her brother and her mother.

It happened that when Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed himself down to the earth to Yahweh.

Behold, Rebekah is before you. Take her, and go, and let her be your master’s son’s wife, as Yahweh has spoken.”

Then Laban and Bethuel answered, “The thing proceeds from Yahweh. We can’t speak to you bad or good.

Now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me. If not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left.”

I bowed my head, and worshiped Yahweh, and blessed Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the right way to take my master’s brother’s daughter for his son.

I asked her, and said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him.’ I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her hands.

She hurried and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink.’ So I drank, and she also gave the camels a drink.

Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder. She went down to the spring, and drew. I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’

and she will tell me, “Drink, and I will also draw for your camels,”–let her be the woman whom Yahweh has appointed for my master’s son.’

behold, I am standing by this spring of water. Let it happen, that the maiden who comes forth to draw, to whom I will say, “Please give me a little water from your pitcher to drink,”

I came this day to the spring, and said, ‘Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, if now you do prosper my way which I go–

Then will you be clear from my oath, when you come to my relatives. If they don’t give her to you, you shall be clear from my oath.’

He said to me, ‘Yahweh, before whom I walk, will send his angel with you, and prosper your way. You shall take a wife for my son of my relatives, and of my father’s house.

I asked my master, ‘What if the woman will not follow me?’

but you shall go to my father’s house, and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son.’

My master made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live,

Sarah, my master’s wife, bore a son to my master when she was old. He has given all that he has to him.

Yahweh has blessed my master greatly. He has become great. He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male servants and female servants, and camels and donkeys.

He said, “I am Abraham’s servant.

Food was set before him to eat, but he said, “I will not eat until I have told my message.” He said, “Speak on.”

The man came into the house, and he unloaded the camels. He gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.