26A severe famine now struck the land, as had happened before in Abraham's time. So Isaac moved to Gerar, where Abimelech, king of the Philistines, lived.H7458H776H905H7223H7458H3117H85H3327H3212H40H4428H6430H1642 2The LORD appeared to Isaac and said, "Do not go down to Egypt, but do as I tell you.H3068H7200H559H3381H4714H7931H776H559 3Live here as a foreigner in this land, and I will be with you and bless you. I hereby confirm that I will give all these lands to you and your descendants, just as I solemnly promised Abraham, your father.H1481H776H1288H2233H5414H411H776H6965H7621H7650H85H1 4I will cause your descendants to become as numerous as the stars of the sky, and I will give them all these lands. And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed.H7235H2233H7235H3556H8064H5414H2233H411H776H2233H1471H776H1288 5I will do this because Abraham listened to me and obeyed all my requirements, commands, decrees, and instructions."H6118H85H8085H6963H8104H4931H4687H2708H8451 6So Isaac stayed in Gerar.H3327H3427H1642 7When the men who lived there asked Isaac about his wife, Rebekah, he said, "She is my sister." He was afraid to say, "She is my wife." He thought, "They will kill me to get her, because she is so beautiful."H582H4725H7592H802H559H269H3372H559H802H582H4725H2026H7259H2896H4758 8But some time later, Abimelech, king of the Philistines, looked out his window and saw Isaac caressing Rebekah.H748H3117H40H4428H6430H8259H1157H2474H7200H3327H6711H7259H802 9Immediately, Abimelech called for Isaac and exclaimed, "She is obviously your wife! Why did you say, 'She is my sister'?" "Because I was afraid someone would kill me to get her from me," Isaac replied.H40H7121H3327H559H389H802H559H269H3327H559H559H4191 10"How could you do this to us?" Abimelech exclaimed. "One of my people might easily have taken your wife and slept with her, and you would have made us guilty of great sin."H40H559H6213H259H5971H4592H7901H802H935H817 11Then Abimelech issued a public proclamation: "Anyone who touches this man or his wife will be put to death!"H40H6680H5971H559H5060H376H802H4191H4191 12When Isaac planted his crops that year, he harvested a hundred times more grain than he planted, for the LORD blessed him.H3327H2232H776H4672H8141H3967H8180H3068H1288 13He became a very rich man, and his wealth continued to grow.H376H1431H3212H1980H1432H1431H3966H1431 14He acquired so many flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and servants that the Philistines became jealous of him.H4735H6629H4735H1241H7227H5657H6430H7065 15So the Philistines filled up all of Isaac's wells with dirt. These were the wells that had been dug by the servants of his father, Abraham.H875H1H5650H2658H3117H85H1H6430H5640H4390H6083 16Finally, Abimelech ordered Isaac to leave the country. "Go somewhere else," he said, "for you have become too powerful for us."H40H559H3327H3212H3966H6105 17So Isaac moved away to the Gerar Valley, where he set up their tents and settled down.H3327H3212H2583H5158H1642H3427H8033 18He reopened the wells his father had dug, which the Philistines had filled in after Abraham's death. Isaac also restored the names Abraham had given them.H3327H2658H7725H875H4325H2658H3117H85H1H6430H5640H310H4194H85H7121H8034H8034H834H1H7121 19Isaac's servants also dug in the Gerar Valley and discovered a well of fresh water.H3327H5650H2658H5158H4672H875H2416H4325 20But then the shepherds from Gerar came and claimed the spring. "This is our water," they said, and they argued over it with Isaac's herdsmen. So Isaac named the well Esek (which means "argument").H7462H1642H7378H3327H7462H559H4325H7121H8034H875H6230H6229 21Isaac's men then dug another well, but again there was a dispute over it. So Isaac named it Sitnah (which means "hostility").H2658H312H875H7378H7121H8034H7856 22Abandoning that one, Isaac moved on and dug another well. This time there was no dispute over it, so Isaac named the place Rehoboth (which means "open space"), for he said, "At last the LORD has created enough space for us to prosper in this land."H6275H2658H312H875H7378H7121H8034H7344H559H6258H3068H7337H6509H776 23From there Isaac moved to Beersheba,H5927H884 24where the LORD appeared to him on the night of his arrival. "I am the God of your father, Abraham," he said. "Do not be afraid, for I am with you and will bless you. I will multiply your descendants, and they will become a great nation. I will do this because of my promise to Abraham, my servant."H3068H7200H3915H559H430H85H1H3372H854H1288H7235H2233H5650H85 25Then Isaac built an altar there and worshiped the LORD. He set up his camp at that place, and his servants dug another well.H1129H4196H7121H8034H3068H5186H168H3327H5650H3738H875 26One day King Abimelech came from Gerar with his adviser, Ahuzzath, and also Phicol, his army commander.H40H1980H1642H276H4828H6369H8269H6635 27"Why have you come here?" Isaac asked. "You obviously hate me, since you kicked me off your land."H3327H559H4069H935H8130H7971 28They replied, "We can plainly see that the LORD is with you. So we want to enter into a sworn treaty with you. Let's make a covenant.H559H7200H7200H3068H559H423H996H996H3772H1285 29Swear that you will not harm us, just as we have never troubled you. We have always treated you well, and we sent you away from us in peace. And now look how the LORD has blessed you!"H6213H7451H5060H6213H7535H2896H7971H7965H6258H1288H3068 30So Isaac prepared a covenant feast to celebrate the treaty, and they ate and drank together.H6213H4960H398H8354 31Early the next morning, they each took a solemn oath not to interfere with each other. Then Isaac sent them home again, and they left him in peace.H7925H1242H7650H376H251H3327H7971H3212H7965 32That very day Isaac's servants came and told him about a new well they had dug. "We've found water!" they exclaimed.H3117H3327H5650H935H5046H182H875H2658H559H4672H4325 33So Isaac named the well Shibah (which means "oath"). And to this day the town that grew up there is called Beersheba (which means "well of the oath").H7121H7656H8034H5892H884H3117 34At the age of forty, Esau married two Hittite wives: Judith, the daughter of Beeri, and Basemath, the daughter of Elon.H6215H705H8141H1121H3947H802H3067H1323H882H2850H1315H1323H356H2850 35But Esau's wives made life miserable for Isaac and Rebekah.H4786H7307H3327H7259
27One day when Isaac was old and turning blind, he called for Esau, his older son, and said, "My son." "Yes, Father?" Esau replied.H1961H3327H2204H5869H3543H7200H7121H6215H1419H1121H559H1121H559 2"I am an old man now," Isaac said, "and I don't know when I may die.H559H2204H3045H3117H4194 3Take your bow and a quiver full of arrows, and go out into the open country to hunt some wild game for me.H5375H3627H8522H7198H3318H7704H6679H6718H6720 4Prepare my favorite dish, and bring it here for me to eat. Then I will pronounce the blessing that belongs to you, my firstborn son, before I die."H6213H4303H834H157H935H398H5315H1288H2962H4191 5But Rebekah overheard what Isaac had said to his son Esau. So when Esau left to hunt for the wild game,H7259H8085H3327H1696H6215H1121H6215H3212H7704H6679H6718H935 6she said to her son Jacob, "Listen. I overheard your father say to Esau,H7259H559H3290H1121H559H8085H1H1696H6215H251H559 7'Bring me some wild game and prepare me a delicious meal. Then I will bless you in the LORD's presence before I die.'H935H6718H6213H4303H398H1288H6440H3068H6440H4194 8Now, my son, listen to me. Do exactly as I tell you.H1121H8085H6963H834H6680 9Go out to the flocks, and bring me two fine young goats. I'll use them to prepare your father's favorite dish.H3212H6629H3947H8147H2896H1423H5795H6213H4303H1H157 10Then take the food to your father so he can eat it and bless you before he dies."H935H1H398H834H1288H6440H4194 11"But look," Jacob replied to Rebekah, "my brother, Esau, is a hairy man, and my skin is smooth.H3290H559H7259H517H6215H251H8163H376H2509H376 12What if my father touches me? He'll see that I'm trying to trick him, and then he'll curse me instead of blessing me."H1H4959H5869H8591H935H7045H1293 13But his mother replied, "Then let the curse fall on me, my son! Just do what I tell you. Go out and get the goats for me!"H517H559H7045H1121H8085H6963H3212H3947 14So Jacob went out and got the young goats for his mother. Rebekah took them and prepared a delicious meal, just the way Isaac liked it.H3212H3947H935H517H517H6213H4303H1H157 15Then she took Esau's favorite clothes, which were there in the house, and gave them to her younger son, Jacob.H7259H3947H2532H899H1419H1121H6215H1004H3847H3290H6996H1121 16She covered his arms and the smooth part of his neck with the skin of the young goats.H3847H5785H1423H5795H3027H2513H6677 17Then she gave Jacob the delicious meal, including freshly baked bread.H5414H4303H3899H6213H3027H1121H3290 18So Jacob took the food to his father. "My father?" he said. "Yes, my son," Isaac answered. "Who are you—Esau or Jacob?"H935H1H559H1H559H1121 19Jacob replied, "It's Esau, your firstborn son. I've done as you told me. Here is the wild game. Now sit up and eat it so you can give me your blessing."H3290H559H1H6215H1060H6213H1696H6965H3427H398H6718H5315H1288 20Isaac asked, "How did you find it so quickly, my son?" "The LORD your God put it in my path!" Jacob replied.H3327H559H1121H4672H4116H1121H559H3068H430H7136H6440 21Then Isaac said to Jacob, "Come closer so I can touch you and make sure that you really are Esau."H3327H559H3290H5066H4184H1121H2088H1121H6215 22So Jacob went closer to his father, and Isaac touched him. "The voice is Jacob's, but the hands are Esau's," Isaac said.H3290H5066H3327H1H4959H559H6963H3290H6963H3027H3027H6215 23But he did not recognize Jacob, because Jacob's hands felt hairy just like Esau's. So Isaac prepared to bless Jacob.H5234H3027H8163H251H6215H3027H1288 24"But are you really my son Esau?" he asked. "Yes, I am," Jacob replied.H559H1121H6215H559 25Then Isaac said, "Now, my son, bring me the wild game. Let me eat it, and then I will give you my blessing." So Jacob took the food to his father, and Isaac ate it. He also drank the wine that Jacob served him.H559H5066H398H1121H6718H5315H1288H5066H398H935H3196H8354 26Then Isaac said to Jacob, "Please come a little closer and kiss me, my son."H1H3327H559H5066H5401H1121 27So Jacob went over and kissed him. And when Isaac caught the smell of his clothes, he was finally convinced, and he blessed his son. He said, "Ah! The smell of my son is like the smell of the outdoors, which the LORD has blessed!H5066H5401H7306H7381H899H1288H559H7200H7381H1121H7381H7704H3068H1288 28"From the dew of heaven and the richness of the earth, may God always give you abundant harvests of grain and bountiful new wine.H430H5414H2919H8064H4924H776H7230H1715H8492 29May many nations become your servants, and may they bow down to you. May you be the master over your brothers, and may your mother's sons bow down to you. All who curse you will be cursed, and all who bless you will be blessed."H5971H5647H3816H7812H1933H1376H251H517H1121H7812H779H779H1288H1288 30As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and almost before Jacob had left his father, Esau returned from his hunt.H3327H3615H1288H3290H3290H389H3318H3318H6440H3327H1H6215H251H935H6718 31Esau prepared a delicious meal and brought it to his father. Then he said, "Sit up, my father, and eat my wild game so you can give me your blessing."H6213H4303H935H1H559H1H1H6965H398H1121H6718H5315H1288 32But Isaac asked him, "Who are you?" Esau replied, "It's your son, your firstborn son, Esau."H3327H1H559H559H1121H1060H6215 33Isaac began to tremble uncontrollably and said, "Then who just served me wild game? I have already eaten it, and I blessed him just before you came. And yes, that blessing must stand!"H3327H2729H1419H3966H2731H559H645H6679H6718H935H398H935H1288H1288 34When Esau heard his father's words, he let out a loud and bitter cry. "Oh my father, what about me? Bless me, too!" he begged.H6215H8085H1697H1H6817H1419H3966H4751H6818H559H1H1288H1 35But Isaac said, "Your brother was here, and he tricked me. He has taken away your blessing."H559H251H935H4820H3947H1293 36Esau exclaimed, "No wonder his name is Jacob, for now he has cheated me twice. First he took my rights as the firstborn, and now he has stolen my blessing. Oh, haven't you saved even one blessing for me?"H559H3588H7121H8034H3290H6117H2088H6471H3947H1062H3947H1293H559H680H1293 37Isaac said to Esau, "I have made Jacob your master and have declared that all his brothers will be his servants. I have guaranteed him an abundance of grain and wine—what is left for me to give you, my son?"H3327H6030H559H6215H7760H1376H251H5414H5650H1715H8492H5564H6213H645H1121 38Esau pleaded, "But do you have only one blessing? Oh my father, bless me, too!" Then Esau broke down and wept.H6215H559H1H259H1293H1H1288H1H6215H5375H6963H1058 39Finally, his father, Isaac, said to him, "You will live away from the richness of the earth, and away from the dew of the heaven above.H3327H1H6030H559H4186H4924H776H2919H8064H5920 40You will live by your sword, and you will serve your brother. But when you decide to break free, you will shake his yoke from your neck."H2719H2421H5647H251H7300H6561H5923H6677 41From that time on, Esau hated Jacob because their father had given Jacob the blessing. And Esau began to scheme: "I will soon be mourning my father's death. Then I will kill my brother, Jacob."H6215H7852H3290H5921H1293H834H1H1288H6215H559H3820H3117H60H1H7126H2026H251H3290 42But Rebekah heard about Esau's plans. So she sent for Jacob and told him, "Listen, Esau is consoling himself by plotting to kill you.H1697H6215H1419H1121H5046H7259H7971H7121H3290H6996H1121H559H251H6215H5162H2026 43So listen carefully, my son. Get ready and flee to my brother, Laban, in Haran.H1121H8085H6963H6965H1272H3837H251H2771 44Stay there with him until your brother cools off.H3427H259H3117H834H251H2534H7725 45When he calms down and forgets what you have done to him, I will send for you to come back. Why should I lose both of you in one day?"H251H639H7725H7911H6213H7971H3947H4100H7921H8147H259H3117 46Then Rebekah said to Isaac, "I'm sick and tired of these local Hittite women! I would rather die than see Jacob marry one of them."H7259H559H3327H6973H2416H6440H1323H2845H3290H3947H802H1323H2845H1323H776H4100H2416
28So Isaac called for Jacob, blessed him, and said, "You must not marry any of these Canaanite women.H3327H7121H3290H1288H6680H559H3947H802H1323H3667 2Instead, go at once to Paddan-aram, to the house of your grandfather Bethuel, and marry one of your uncle Laban's daughters.H6965H3212H6307H1004H1328H517H1H3947H802H1323H3837H517H251 3May God Almighty bless you and give you many children. And may your descendants multiply and become many nations!H410H7706H1288H6509H7235H6951H5971 4May God pass on to you and your descendants the blessings he promised to Abraham. May you own this land where you are now living as a foreigner, for God gave this land to Abraham."H5414H1293H85H2233H3423H776H4033H430H5414H85 5So Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Paddan-aram to stay with his uncle Laban, his mother's brother, the son of Bethuel the Aramean.H3327H7971H3290H3212H6307H3837H1121H1328H761H251H7259H3290H6215H517 6Esau knew that his father, Isaac, had blessed Jacob and sent him to Paddan-aram to find a wife, and that he had warned Jacob, "You must not marry a Canaanite woman."H6215H7200H3327H1288H3290H7971H6307H3947H802H1288H6680H559H3947H802H1323H3667 7He also knew that Jacob had obeyed his parents and gone to Paddan-aram.H3290H8085H1H517H3212H6307 8It was now very clear to Esau that his father did not like the local Canaanite women.H6215H7200H1323H3667H5869H7451H3327H1 9So Esau visited his uncle Ishmael's family and married one of Ishmael's daughters, in addition to the wives he already had. His new wife's name was Mahalath. She was the sister of Nebaioth and the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son.H3212H6215H3458H3947H802H4258H1323H3458H85H1121H269H5032H802 10Meanwhile, Jacob left Beersheba and traveled toward Haran.H3290H3318H884H3212H2771 11At sundown he arrived at a good place to set up camp and stopped there for the night. Jacob found a stone to rest his head against and lay down to sleep.H6293H4725H3885H8121H935H3947H68H4725H7760H4763H7901H4725H7901 12As he slept, he dreamed of a stairway that reached from the earth up to heaven. And he saw the angels of God going up and down the stairway.H2492H5551H5324H776H7218H5060H8064H4397H430H5927H3381 13At the top of the stairway stood the LORD, and he said, "I am the LORD, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you and your descendants.H3068H5324H559H3068H430H85H1H430H3327H776H7901H5414H2233 14Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth! They will spread out in all directions—to the west and the east, to the north and the south. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants.H2233H6083H776H6555H3220H6924H6828H5045H2233H4940H127H1288 15What's more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you."H8104H834H3212H7725H127H5800H834H6213H1696 16Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I wasn't even aware of it!"H3290H3364H8142H559H403H3068H3426H4725H3045 17But he was also afraid and said, "What an awesome place this is! It is none other than the house of God, the very gateway to heaven!"H3372H559H3372H4725H1004H430H8179H8064 18The next morning Jacob got up very early. He took the stone he had rested his head against, and he set it upright as a memorial pillar. Then he poured olive oil over it.H3290H7925H1242H3947H68H7760H4763H7760H4676H3332H8081H7218 19He named that place Bethel (which means "house of God"), although it was previously called Luz.H7121H8034H4725H1008H199H8034H5892H3870H7223 20Then Jacob made this vow: "If God will indeed be with me and protect me on this journey, and if he will provide me with food and clothing,H3290H5087H5088H559H430H8104H1870H1980H5414H3899H398H899H3847 21and if I return safely to my father's home, then the LORD will certainly be my God.H7725H1H1004H7965H3068H430 22And this memorial pillar I have set up will become a place for worshiping God, and I will present to God a tenth of everything he gives me."H68H7760H4676H430H1004H5414H6237H6237
Dublin, OH
, just as I solemnly promised Abraham, your father.H1481
