God’s Promise to Isaac

1And there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine, which was in the time of Abraam; and Isaac went to Abimelech the king of the Phylistines to Gerara. 2And the Lord appeared to him and said, Go not down to Egypt, but dwell in the land, which I shall tell thee of. 3And sojourn in this land; and I will be with thee, and bless thee, for I will give to thee and to thy seed all this land; and I will establish my oath which I swore to thy father Abraam. 4And I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven; and I will give to thy seed all this land, and all the nations of the earth shall be blest in thy seed. 5Because Abraam thy father hearkened to my voice, and kept my injunctions, and my commandments, and my ordinances, and my statutes.

Isaac Deceives Abimelech

6And Isaac dwelt in Gerara. 7And the men of the place questioned him concerning Rebecca his wife, and he said, She is my sister, for he feared to say, She is my wife, lest at any time the men of the place should slay him because of Rebecca, because she was fair. 8And he remained there a long time, and Abimelech the king of Gerara leaned to look through the window, and saw Isaac sporting with Rebecca his wife. 9And Abimelech called Isaac, and said to him, Is she then thy wife? why hast thou said, She is my sister? And Isaac said to him, I did so, for I said, Lest at any time I die on her account. 10And Abimelech said to him, Why hast thou done this to us? one of my kindred within a little had lain with thy wife, and thou wouldest have brought a sin of ignorance upon us. 11And Abimelech charged all his people, saying Every man that touches this man and his wife shall be liable to death.

Isaac’s Prosperity

12And Isaac sowed in that land, and he found in that year barley and hundred-fold, and the Lord blessed him. 13And the man was exalted, and advancing he increased, till he became very great. 14And he had cattle of sheep, and cattle of oxen, and many tilled lands, and the Phylistines envied him. 15And all the wells which the servants of his father had dug in the time of his father, the Phylistines stopped them, and filled them with earth. 16And Abimelech said to Isaac, Depart from us, for thou art become much mightier than we. 17And Isaac departed thence, and rested in the valley of Gerara, and dwelt there.

18And Isaac dug again the wells of water, which the servants of his father Abraam had dug, and the Phylistines had stopped them, after the death of his father Abraam; and he gave them names, according to the names by which his father named them. 19And the servants of Isaac dug in the valley of Gerara, and they found there a well of living water. 20And the shepherds of Gerara strove with the shepherds of Isaac, saying that the water was theirs; and they called the name of the well, Injury, for they injured him. 21And having departed thence he dug another well, and they strove also for that; and he named the name of it, Enmity. 22And he departed thence and dug another well; and they did not strive about that; and he named the name of it, Room, saying, Because now the Lord has made room for us, and has increased us upon the earth.

23And he went up thence to the well of the oath.

24And the Lord appeared to him in that night, and said, I am the God of Abraam thy father; fear not, for I am with thee, and I will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for the sake of Abraam thy father.

25And he built there an altar, and called on the name of the Lord, and there he pitched his tent, and there the servants of Isaac dug a well in the valley of Gerara.

Isaac’s Covenant with Abimelech

26And Abimelech came to him from Gerara, and so did Ochozath his friend, and Phichol the commander-in-chief of his army. 27And Isaac said to them, Wherefore have ye come to me? whereas ye hated me, and sent me away from you. 28And they said, We have surely seen that the Lord was with thee, and we said, Let there be an oath between us and thee, and we will make a covenant with thee, 29that thou shalt do no wrong by us, as we have not abhorred thee, and according as we have treated thee well, and have sent thee forth peaceably; and now thou art blessed of the Lord. 30And he made a feast for them, and they ate and drank. 31And they arose in the morning, and swore each to his neighbour; and Isaac sent them forth, and they departed from him in safety. 32And it came to pass in that day, that the servants of Isaac came and told him of the well which they had dug; and they said, We have not found water. 33And he called it, Oath: therefore he called the name of that city, the Well of Oath, until this day.

Esau’s Wives

34And Esau was forty years old; and he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beoch the Chettite, and Basemath, daughter of Helon the Chettite. 35And they were provoking to Isaac and Rebecca.