New King James Version

English Standard Version

Isaac and Abimelech

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

1

God’s Promise to Isaac

Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerar to Abimelech king of the Philistines.

2

Then the Lord appeared to him and said: “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you.

2

And the Lord appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you.

3

Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father.

3

Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father.

4

And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed;

4

I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed,

5

because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.”

5

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

6

So Isaac dwelt in Gerar.

6

Isaac and Abimelech

So Isaac settled in Gerar.

7

And the men of the place asked about his wife. And he said, “She is my sister”; for he was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” because he thought, “lest the men of the place kill me for Rebekah, because she is beautiful to behold.”

7

When the men of the place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” for he feared to say, “My wife,” thinking, “lest the men of the place should kill me because of Rebekah,” because she was attractive in appearance.

8

Now it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked through a window, and saw, and there was Isaac, [a]showing endearment to Rebekah his wife.

8

When he had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out of a window and saw Isaac laughing witha Rebekah his wife.

9

Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Quite obviously she is your wife; so how could you say, ‘She is my sister’?”
Isaac said to him, “Because I said, ‘Lest I die on account of her.’ ”

9

So Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Behold, she is your wife. How then could you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac said to him, “Because I thought, ‘Lest I die because of her.’”

10

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

10

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 upon us.”

11

So Abimelech charged all his people, saying, “He who touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”

11

So Abimelech warned all the people, saying, “Whoever touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”

12

Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him.

12

And Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. The Lord blessed him,

13

The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous;

13

and the man became rich, and gained more and more until he became very wealthy.

14

for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him.

14

He had possessions of flocks and herds and many servants, so that the Philistines envied him.

15

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

15

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

16

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

16

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

17

Then Isaac departed from there and [b]pitched his tent in the Valley of Gerar, and dwelt there.

17

So Isaac departed from there and encamped in the Valley of Gerar and settled there.

18

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

18

And Isaac dug again the wells of water that had been dug in the days of Abraham his father, which the Philistines had stopped after the death of Abraham. And he gave them the names that his father had given them.

19

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

19

But when Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found there a well of spring water,

20

But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours.” So he called the name of the well [c]Esek, because they quarreled with him.

20

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

21

Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that one also. So he called its name [d]Sitnah.

21

Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that also, so he called its name Sitnah.c

22

And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name [e]Rehoboth, because he said, “For now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.”

22

And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name Rehoboth,d saying, “For now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.”

23

Then he went up from there to Beersheba.

23

From there he went up to Beersheba.

24

And the Lord appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for My servant Abraham’s sake.”

24

And the Lord appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham’s sake.”

25

So he built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord, and he pitched his tent there; and there Isaac’s servants dug a well.

25

So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the Lord and pitched his tent there. And there Isaac’s servants dug a well.

26

Then Abimelech came to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath, one of his friends, and Phichol the commander of his army.

26

When Abimelech went to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath his adviser and Phicol the commander of his army,

27

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

27

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

28

But they said, “We have certainly seen that the Lord is with you. So we said, ‘Let there now be an oath between us, between you and us; and let us make a [f]covenant with you,

28

They said, “We see plainly that the Lord has been with you. So we said, let there be a sworn pact between us, between you and us, and let us make a covenant with you,

29

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

29

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

30

So he made them a feast, and they ate and drank.

30

So he made them a feast, and they ate and drank.

31

Then they arose early in the morning and swore an oath with one another; and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.

31

In the morning they rose early and exchanged oaths. And Isaac sent them on their way, and they departed from him in peace.

32

It came to pass the same day that Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well which they had dug, and said to him, “We have found water.”

32

That same day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well that they had dug and said to him, “We have found water.”

33

So he called it [g]Shebah. Therefore the name of the city is [h]Beersheba to this day.

33

He called it Shibah;e therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day.

34

When Esau was forty years old, he took as wives Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite.

34

When Esau was forty years old, he took Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite to be his wife, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite,

35

And they were a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebekah.

35

and they made life bitterf for Isaac and Rebekah.

Parallel

New King James Version

English Standard Version

Genesis 26

Genesis 26