New King James Version

English Standard Version

1There 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.

1Now 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.

2Then the LORD appeared to him and said: “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you.

2And the LORD appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you.

3Dwell 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.

3Sojourn 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.

4And 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;

4I 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,

5because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.”

5because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.”

6So Isaac dwelt in Gerar.

6So Isaac settled in Gerar.

7And 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.”

7When 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.

8Now 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, showing endearment to Rebekah his wife.

8When he had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out of a window and saw Isaac laughing with Rebekah his wife.

9Then 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.’ ”

9So 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.’”

10And 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.”

10Abimelech 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.”

11So Abimelech charged all his people, saying, “He who touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”

11So Abimelech warned all the people, saying, “Whoever touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”

12Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the LORD blessed him.

12And Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. The LORD blessed him,

13The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous;

13and the man became rich, and gained more and more until he became very wealthy.

14for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him.

14He had possessions of flocks and herds and many servants, so that the Philistines envied him.

15Now 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.)

16And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.”

16And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.”

17Then Isaac departed from there and pitched his tent in the Valley of Gerar, and dwelt there.

17So Isaac departed from there and encamped in the Valley of Gerar and settled there.

18And 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.

18And 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.

19Also Isaac’s servants dug in the valley, and found a well of running water there.

19But when Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found there a well of spring water,

20But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours.” So he called the name of the well Esek, because they quarreled with him.

20the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours.” So he called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him.

21Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that one also. So he called its name Sitnah.

21Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that also, so he called its name Sitnah.

22And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name Rehoboth, because he said, “For now the LORD has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.”

22And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name Rehoboth, saying, “For now the LORD has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.”

23Then he went up from there to Beersheba.

23From there he went up to Beersheba.

24And 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.”

24And 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.”

25So 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.

25So 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.

26Then Abimelech came to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath, one of his friends, and Phichol the commander of his army.

26When Abimelech went to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath his adviser and Phicol the commander of his army,

27And Isaac said to them, “Why have you come to me, since you hate me and have sent me away from you?”

27Isaac said to them, “Why have you come to me, seeing that you hate me and have sent me away from you?”

28But 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 covenant with you,

28They 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,

29that 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.’ ”

29that 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.”

30So he made them a feast, and they ate and drank.

30So he made them a feast, and they ate and drank.

31Then 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.

31In the morning they rose early and exchanged oaths. And Isaac sent them on their way, and they departed from him in peace.

32It 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.”

32That same day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well that they had dug and said to him, “We have found water.”

33So he called it Shebah. Therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day.

33He called it Shibah; therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day.

34When Esau was forty years old, he took as wives Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite.

34When 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,

35And they were a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebekah.

35and they made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah.

The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.