God Calls Abram

12 The Lord said to Abram, “Leave your country, your relatives, and your father’s ·family [^Lhouse], and go to the land I will show you [^CCanaan, the Promised Land].

⁴ So Abram left Haran [11:31] as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. At this time Abram was 75 years old. ⁵ He took his wife Sarai, ·his nephew [^Lthe son of his brother] Lot, and everything they owned, as well as all the ·servants [^Lpeople] they had gotten in Haran. They set out from Haran, planning to go to the land of Canaan, and in time they arrived there.

⁶ Abram ·traveled [passed] through that land as far as the great oak [or terebinth] tree of Moreh at Shechem [^Ca town in northern Palestine]. The Canaanites were living in the land at that time. ⁷ The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your ·descendants [^Lseed].” So Abram built an altar [^Ca place to offer sacrifices] there to the Lord, who had appeared to him. ⁸ Then he traveled from Shechem to the mountain east of Bethel [^Ca town in the central hill country south of Shechem] and set up his tent there. Bethel was to the west, and Ai [^Ca town near Bethel] was to the east. There Abram built another altar to the Lord and ·worshiped him [^Lcalled on the name of the Lord]. ⁹ After this, he traveled on toward ·southern Canaan [^Lthe Negev; 13:1].

Abram Goes to Egypt

¹⁰ At this time there was ·not much food [^La famine] in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt to ·live [^Lsojourn] because ·there was so little food [^Lthe famine was severe]. ¹¹ Just before they arrived in Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know you are a very beautiful woman. ¹² When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This woman is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but let you live. ¹³ Tell them you are my sister so that things will go well with me and I may be allowed to live because of you [20:1–18; 26; ^CAbram did not trust God to protect him].”

¹⁴ When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that Sarai was very beautiful. ¹⁵ The Egyptian officers saw her and ·told the king of Egypt how beautiful she was [^Lthey praised her]. They took her to the king’s palace, and ¹⁶ the king was kind to Abram ·because he thought Abram was her brother [^Lon account of her]. He gave Abram sheep, cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.

¹⁷ But the Lord sent terrible ·diseases [plagues] on the king and all the people in his house because of Abram’s wife Sarai. ¹⁸ So the king sent for Abram and said, “What have you done to me? Why didn’t you tell me Sarai was your wife? ¹⁹ Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’ so that I made her my wife? Now, here is your wife. Take ·her [^Lyour wife] and ·leave [go]!” ²⁰ Then the king commanded his men to make Abram leave Egypt; so Abram and his wife left with everything they owned.

Abram and Lot Separate

13 So Abram, his wife, and Lot ·left [^Lcame up from] Egypt, taking everything they owned, and traveled ·to southern Canaan [^Linto the Negev; ^Ca somewhat desolate area]. ² Abram was very rich in cattle, silver, and gold.

³ He ·left [^Lwent by stages from] ·southern Canaan [^Lthe Negev] and went back to Bethel where ·he had camped before [^Lhis tent had been], between Bethel and Ai [12:8], ⁴ and where he had built an altar [^Lat first]. So he ·worshiped [^Lcalled on the name of] the Lord there.

⁵ During this time Lot was traveling with Abram, and Lot also had flocks, herds, and tents. ⁶ Abram and Lot had so many ·animals [^Lpossessions] that the land could not support both of them together, ⁷ so Abram’s herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen began to argue. The Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land at this time.

⁸ Abram said to Lot, “There should be no arguing between you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine, because we are ·brothers [relatives]. ⁹ We should separate. ·The whole land is [^LIs not the whole land…?] there in front of you. If you go to the left, I will go to the right. If you go to the right, I will go to the left.”

¹⁰ Lot looked all around and saw the whole Jordan ·Valley [or plain; region] and that there was much water there. It was like the Lord’s garden [^Cthe garden of Eden], like the land of Egypt in the direction of Zoar [^Cname meaning “small,” in the vicinity of Sodom and Gomorrah; 14:2, 17; 19:23–24]. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah [19:1–29].) ¹¹ So Lot chose to move east and live in the Jordan Valley [13:10]. In this way Abram and Lot separated. ¹² Abram lived in the land of Canaan, but Lot lived among the cities in the Jordan Valley [13:10], ·very near to [^Lhe moved his tent near] Sodom. ¹³ Now the people of Sodom were very evil and were always sinning against the Lord.

¹⁴ After Lot ·left [^Lhad separated from him], the Lord said to Abram, “Look all around you—to the north and south and east and west. ¹⁵ All this land that you see I will give to you and your ·descendants [^Lseed] forever. ¹⁶ I will make your ·descendants [^Lseed] as many as the dust of the earth. If anyone could count the dust on the earth, he could count your ·people [^Lseed]. ¹⁷ Get up! Walk through ·all [^Lthe length and width of] this land because I am now giving it to you.”

¹⁸ So Abram moved his tents and went to live near the great ·trees [^Loaks; or terebinths] of Mamre [^Can area near Hebron, named after an Amorite leader; 14:13, 24] at the city of Hebron [^Cnineteen miles south of Jerusalem]. There he built an altar to the Lord.

Lot Is Captured

14 Now Amraphel was king of ·Babylonia [^LShinar], Arioch was king of Ellasar [^Cpossibly in Mesopotamia], Kedorlaomer was king of Elam [^Clocated on the Iranian plateau], and Tidal was king of Goiim [^Cpossibly a people otherwise known as the Umman-manda]. ² All these kings went to war against several other kings: Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela. (Bela is also called Zoar.) [^CSodom and Gomorrah were located in the vicinity of the Dead Sea, and the other named cities are thought to have been nearby.]

³ These kings who were attacked united their armies in the Valley of Siddim (·now [^Lthat is] the ·Dead [^LSalt] Sea). ⁴ They had served Kedorlaomer for twelve years, but in the thirteenth year, they all ·turned [rebelled] against him. ⁵ Then in the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings with him came and ·defeated [subdued] the ·Rephaites [or Rephaim; ^Can especially warlike tribe in Canaan] in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, and the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim [^Cthe Zuzites and Emites were likely related to the Rephaites; Deut. 2:10–11]. ⁶ They also defeated the Horites in the mountains of ·Edom [^LSeir; ^Ca region outside of Palestine on the southeastern coast of the Dead Sea] to El Paran (near the ·desert [wilderness]). ⁷ Then they turned back and went to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh). They ·defeated [subdued] all the Amalekites [^Ca fearsome tribe in pre-Israelite Canaan], as well as the Amorites who lived in Hazazon Tamar.

⁸ At that time the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela went out to fight in the Valley of Siddim. (Bela is called Zoar.) ⁹ They fought against Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of ·Babylonia [^LShinar], and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings fighting against five. ¹⁰ There were many ·tar [bitumen] pits in the Valley of Siddim. When the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah and their armies ·ran away [fled], some of the soldiers fell into the tar pits, but the others ·ran away [fled] to the mountains.

¹¹ Now Kedorlaomer and his armies took everything the people of Sodom and Gomorrah owned, including their food, and left. ¹² They took Lot, Abram’s ·nephew [^Lson of his brother] who was living in Sodom, and ·everything he owned [^Lhis possessions/goods]. Then they left. ¹³ One of the men who was not captured went to Abram, the Hebrew, and told him what had happened. At that time Abram was camped near the ·great trees [^Loaks; or terebinths] of Mamre the Amorite. Mamre was a brother of Eshcol and Aner, and they had all made an ·agreement to help [covenant/treaty with] Abram.

Abram Rescues Lot

¹⁴ When Abram learned that ·Lot [^Lhis relative/brother] had been captured, he called out his 318 trained men who had been born in his camp. He led the men and ·chased the enemy [went in pursuit] all the way to the town of Dan [^Cin the far north of Palestine]. ¹⁵ That night he divided his men into groups, and ·they made a surprise attack against the enemy [^Lhe subdued/defeated/struck them]. They chased them all the way to Hobah, north of Damascus [^Ca major city in Syria]. ¹⁶ Then Abram brought back ·everything the enemy had stolen [^Lall their possessions/goods], the women and the other people, and Lot, and ·everything Lot owned [^Lhis goods/possessions].

¹⁷ After defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, Abram ·went home [^Lreturned]. As he was returning, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (now called King’s Valley [^Csomewhere in the vicinity of Jerusalem]).

¹⁸ Melchizedek king of ·Salem [^Cprobably an old name of Jerusalem] brought out bread and wine. He was a priest for God Most High [Ps. 110; Heb. 5:6–10; 6:20—7:28] ¹⁹ and blessed Abram, saying,

Then Abram gave Melchizedek a ·tenth [tithe] of everything he had brought back from the battle.

²¹ The king of Sodom said to Abram, “You may keep ·all these things [the goods/possessions] for yourself. Just give me my people who were captured.”

²² But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I ·make a promise [^Llifted my hand; ^Ca gesture of swearing] to the Lord, the God Most High, who made heaven and earth. ²³ I promise that I will not keep anything that is yours. I will not keep even a thread or a sandal strap [^Cthat is, not the smallest thing] so that you cannot say, ‘I made Abram rich.’ ²⁴ I will keep nothing but the food my young men have eaten. But give Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre their share of what we won, because they went with me into battle.”

God’s Covenant with Abram

15 After these things happened, the Lord spoke his word to Abram in a vision: “Abram, don’t be afraid. I will ·defend [^Lbe a shield to] you, and ·I will give you a great reward [^Lyour reward will be great].”

² But Abram said, “Lord God [^CHebrew Adonai Yahweh; combination of covenant name YHWH (2:4) with common Hebrew word for “sir,” “lord,” or “master”], what can you give me? I ·have no son [am childless], so my ·slave [servant] Eliezer from Damascus [^Ca major city in Syria] will ·get everything I own after I die [be my heir; ^Ca household servant would take care of a childless couple in their old age and in turn inherit their possessions].” ³ Abram said, “Look, you have given me no son, so a slave born in my house will ·inherit everything I have [be my heir].”

⁴ Then the Lord spoke his word to Abram: “He will not be the one to inherit what you have. You will have a son of your own who will inherit what you have.”

⁵ Then God led Abram outside and said, “Look at the ·sky [heavens]. There are so many stars you cannot count them. Your ·descendants [^Lseed] also will be too many to count.”

⁶ Abram ·believed [put his trust/faith in] the Lord. And the Lord ·accepted Abram’s faith, and that faith made him right with God [^Tcounted/credited it as righteousness; Rom. 4:3, 9, 22; Gal. 3:6; James 2:23].

⁷ God said to Abram, “I am the Lord who led you out of Ur of ·Babylonia [^Lthe Chaldeans] so that I could give you this land ·to own [^Las a possession; 12:1–3].”

⁸ But Abram said, “Lord God, how can I ·be sure [^Lknow] that I will ·own this land [possess/inherit it]?”

⁹ ·The Lord [^LHe] said to Abram, “Bring me a three-year-old cow, a three-year-old goat, a three-year-old ·male sheep [ram], a ·dove [turtledove], and a young pigeon.”

¹⁰ Abram brought them all to God. Then Abram ·killed the animals and cut each of them into two pieces [^Lsplit them down the middle], laying each half opposite the other half. But he did not cut the birds in half. ¹¹ Later, ·large birds [or birds of prey] flew down to eat the ·animals [^Lcarcasses], but Abram chased them away [^Cperhaps representing later enemies of Israel].

¹² As the sun was ·going down [setting], Abram fell into a deep sleep. While he was asleep, a very ·terrible [or frightening] darkness came. ¹³ Then the Lord said to Abram, “You can be sure that your ·descendants [^Lseed] will be ·strangers [sojourners; wanderers; resident aliens] in a land they don’t own. The people there will make them slaves and ·be cruel to [oppress] them for four hundred years. ¹⁴ But I will ·punish [judge] the nation ·where they are slaves [^Lwhich they serve]. Then your ·descendants [^Lseed] will leave that land, taking great ·wealth [possessions] with them. ¹⁵ And you, Abram, will ·die [^Lgo to your fathers/ancestors] in peace and will be buried at an old age. ¹⁶ ·After your great-great-grandchildren are born [^LAfter the fourth generation], ·your people [^Lthey] will come ·to this land [^Lhere] again. It will take that long, because ·I am not yet going to punish the Amorites for their evil behavior [^Tthe iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete; ^CAmorites is one name for the pre-Israelite inhabitants of Canaan].”

¹⁷ After the sun went down, it was very dark. Suddenly a smoking firepot and a blazing torch [^Cfire and smoke often represent God] passed between the ·halves of the dead animals [^Lpieces; ^Ca self-curse ritual; by passing between the pieces of the sacrifice, one vowed to keep an agreement or suffer the same fate as the animals]. ¹⁸ So on that day the Lord ·made an agreement [^Lcut a covenant/treaty; 6:18] with Abram and said, “I will give to your ·descendants [^Lseed] the land between the river of Egypt and the great river Euphrates. ¹⁹ This is the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, ²⁰ Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, ²¹ Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites [^Cthe name of peoples who lived in pre-Israelite Canaan].”

Ishmael Is Born

16 Sarai, Abram’s wife, had no children, but she had a slave girl from Egypt named Hagar. ² Sarai said to Abram, “Look, the Lord has ·not allowed me to have [^Lprevented/restrained me from having] children, so ·have sexual relations with [^Lgo to] my slave girl. If she has a child, maybe I can ·have my own family [reproduce; have a child; ^Lbuild] through her [^Ctaking a second wife or concubine was common for a childless couple at the time].”

Abram did what Sarai said. ³ It was after he had lived ten years in Canaan that Sarai gave Hagar to her husband Abram as a ·wife [or concubine]. (Hagar was her slave girl from Egypt.)

⁴ Abram ·had sexual relations with [^Lwent in to] Hagar, and she ·became pregnant [conceived]. When Hagar learned she ·was pregnant [conceived], she began to ·treat [look on] her mistress Sarai ·badly [with contempt]. ⁵ Then Sarai said to Abram, “·This is your fault [^LMay the wrong/violence done to me be on you]. I gave my slave girl ·to you [into your embrace; ^Linto your lap], and when she ·became pregnant [^Lconceived], she began to ·treat [look on] me ·badly [with contempt]. Let the Lord ·decide who is right—[judge between] you or me.”

⁶ But Abram said to Sarai, “·You are Hagar’s mistress [^LYour slave girl is in your hand/power]. Do ·anything you want [^Lwhat is good in your eyes] to her.” Then Sarai ·was hard on [afflicted; abused] Hagar, and Hagar ·ran away [^Lfled from her presence].

⁷ The ·angel [messenger] of the Lord [^Cthe angel of the Lord was either a representative of the Lord or the Lord himself; v. 13; Judg. 6:11, 14] found Hagar beside a spring of water in the ·desert [wilderness], by the road to Shur [^Clikely a location in southern Canaan; 20:1; 25:18; Ex. 15:22; 1 Sam. 15:7]. ⁸ ·The angel [^LHe] said, “Hagar, Sarai’s slave girl, where have you come from? Where are you going?”

Hagar answered, “I am ·running away [fleeing] from my mistress Sarai.”

⁹ The ·angel [messenger] of the Lord [16:7] said to her, “Go home to your mistress and ·obey [submit to] her.” ¹⁰ The angel of the Lord also said, “I will ·give you so many descendants [^Lgreatly multiply your seed so that] they cannot be counted.”

¹¹ The ·angel [messenger] added,

¹³ The slave girl gave a name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are ‘·God who sees me [or God of seeing; Hebrew El-Roi]’ ” because she said to herself, “Have I really seen God who sees me?” ¹⁴ So the well there, between Kadesh [^Calso known as Kadesh Barnea in northeast Sinai] and Bered [^Clocation unknown], was called Beer Lahai Roi [^Cthe well of the Living One who sees me].

¹⁵ Hagar gave birth to a son for Abram, and Abram named ·him [^Lhis son which Hagar bore him] Ishmael. ¹⁶ Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael.

Proof of the Covenant

17 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am ·God Almighty [^LEl Shaddai]. ·Obey [^LWalk before] me and ·do what is right [^Lbe innocent/blameless; Job 1:1]. ² I will make an ·agreement [covenant; treaty; 6:18] between ·us [^Lme and you], and I will make you ·the ancestor of many people [^Lexceedingly numerous].”

³ Then Abram ·bowed facedown on the ground [^Lfell on his face]. God said to him, ⁴ “I am making my ·agreement [covenant; treaty; 6:18] with you: I will make you the father of ·many [^La host/multitude of] nations. ⁵ I am changing your name from Abram [^Cmeaning “exalted father”] to Abraham [^Csounds like “father of a multitude” in Hebrew] because I am making you a father of ·many [^La host/multitude of] nations. ⁶ I will ·give you many descendants [^Lcause you to be exceedingly fruitful; 1:22]. ·New nations will be born from you [^LI will make nations of you], and kings will come from you. ⁷ And I will make an ·agreement [covenant; treaty; 6:18] between me and you and all your ·descendants [^Lseed] ·from now on [or forever]: I will be your God and the God of all your descendants. ⁸ You live in the land of Canaan now as a ·stranger [sojourner; wanderer; resident alien], but I will give you and your ·descendants [^Lseed] all this land ·forever [^Las a permanent possesssion]. And I will be the God of your ·descendants [^Lseed].”

⁹ Then God said to Abraham, “You and your ·descendants [seed] must ·keep [obey; guard] this ·agreement [covenant; treaty; 6:18] ·from now on [^Lthroughout their generations]. ¹⁰ This is my ·agreement [covenant; treaty; 6:18] with you and all your ·descendants [^Lseed], which you must ·obey [keep; guard]: Every male among you must be circumcised [^Cthe ritual of membership in the covenant/treaty]. ¹¹ ·Cut away [Circumcise] [^Lthe flesh of] your foreskin ·to show that you are prepared to follow the agreement [^Las a sign of the covenant/treaty] between me and you. ¹² ·From now on [^LThroughout your generations] when a baby boy is eight days old, you will circumcise him. This includes any ·boy born among your people [^Lhouse-born slave] or any who is ·your slave [^Lbought with money from a foreigner], who is not one of your ·descendants [^Lseed]. ¹³ Circumcise every baby boy whether he is born in your ·family [^Lhouse] or bought ·as a slave [^Lwith money from a foreigner]. ·Your bodies will be marked to show that you are part of my agreement [^L…so that my covenant/treaty might be in your flesh as a covenant/treaty] that lasts forever. ¹⁴ Any [^Luncircumcised] male ·who [^Lwhose foreskin] is not circumcised will be cut off from his people, because he has broken my ·agreement [covenant; treaty; 6:18].”

Isaac—the Promised Son

¹⁵ God said to Abraham, “I will change the name of Sarai [^Cmeaning “princess” in her native dialect; 11:29], your wife, to Sarah [^Calso meaning “princess,” but in a dialect of Canaan, signifying her transition to the Promised Land]. ¹⁶ I will bless her and give ·her a son, and you will be the father [^Lfrom her to you a son]. She will ·be the mother of [give rise to] many nations. Kings of nations will come from her.”

¹⁷ Abraham ·bowed facedown on the ground [^Lfell on his face] and laughed. He ·said to himself [thought; ^Lsaid in his heart], “Can a man have a child when he is a hundred years old? Can Sarah give birth to a child when she is ninety?” ¹⁸ Then Abraham said to God, “Please let Ishmael ·be the son you promised [^Llive before you].”

¹⁹ God said, “·No, [or Yes, but] Sarah your wife will have a son, and you will name him Isaac [^Crelated to the verb meaning “to laugh”]. I will make my ·agreement [covenant; treaty; 6:18] with him to be an ·agreement that continues forever [eternal covenant/treaty] with all his ·descendants [^Lseed].

²⁰ “As for Ishmael, I have heard you. I will bless him and ·give him many descendants [^Lmake him fruitful]. And I will cause their numbers to grow greatly. He will be the father of twelve great ·leaders [princes; chiefs; 25:16], and I will make him into a great nation. ²¹ But I will make my ·agreement [covenant; treaty; 6:18] with Isaac, the son whom Sarah will have at this same time next year.” ²² After ·God [^Lhe] finished talking with Abraham, God ·rose and left him [^Lwent up from Abraham].

²³ Then Abraham ·gathered [^Ltook] Ishmael, all the males ·born in his camp [^Lof his house], and ·the slaves he had bought [^Lthose bought with money]. So that day Abraham circumcised [^Lthe flesh of his foreskin of] every man and boy in his camp as God had told him to do. ²⁴ Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he ·was circumcised [^Lcircumcised the flesh of his foreskin]. ²⁵ And Ishmael, his son, was thirteen years old when he was circumcised [^Lin the flesh of his foreskin]. ²⁶ Abraham and his son were circumcised on the same day. ²⁷ Also on that day all the men in Abraham’s camp were circumcised, including all those born in his ·camp [^Lhouse] and all ·the slaves he had bought from other nations [^Lall those bought of a stranger].

The Three Visitors

18 Later, the Lord again appeared to Abraham near the ·great trees [^Loaks; or terebinths] of Mamre [^Can area near Hebron, named after Amorite leader; 14:13, 24]. Abraham was sitting at the entrance of his tent ·during the hottest part [^Lin the heat] of the day. ² He ·looked up [^Lraised his eyes] and saw three men standing near him. When Abraham saw them, he ran from [^Lthe entrance of] his tent to meet them. He bowed facedown on the ground before them ³ and said, “·Sir [My lord], if ·you think well of me [^LI have found grace in your eyes], please ·stay awhile with me, [^Ldo not pass by] your servant. ⁴ I will bring some water so all of you can wash your feet. You may rest under the tree, ⁵ and I will get some bread for you so you can regain your strength. Then you may ·continue your journey [^Lpass by].”

The three men said, “That is fine. Do as you said.” [^CIn the ancient Near East, hospitality towards strangers was a very imporant value.]

⁶ Abraham hurried to the tent where Sarah was and said to her, “Hurry, ·prepare [^Ltake and knead] ·twenty quarts [^Lthree seahs] of fine flour, and make ·it into loaves of bread [^Lcakes].” ⁷ Then Abraham ran to his herd and took one of his ·best [^Ltender and good/choice] calves. He gave it to a servant, who hurried ·to kill it and to prepare it for food [^Lto prepare it]. ⁸ Abraham gave the three men the calf that had been ·cooked [^Lprepared] and milk curds and milk. While they ate, he stood under the tree near them.

⁹ The men asked Abraham, “Where is your wife Sarah?”

“There, in the tent,” said Abraham.

¹⁰ Then ·the Lord [^Lhe] said, “I will certainly return to you ·about this time a year from now [or in due time; ^Labout the living time]. At that time your wife Sarah will have a son.”

Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent which was behind him. ¹¹ Abraham and Sarah were very old. Since ·Sarah was past the age when women normally have children [^Lit had stopped being with Sarah after the manner of women; ^Cshe had reached menopause], ¹² she laughed ·to herself [inwardly], “·My husband and I are too old [^LI am worn out and my husband is too old] to have ·a baby [^Lpleasure].”

¹³ Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘I am too old to have a baby’? ¹⁴ Is anything too hard for the Lord? No! I will return to you ·at the right time a year from now [or in due time; ^Labout the living time], and Sarah will have a son.”

¹⁵ Sarah was afraid, so she ·lied [denied it] and said, “I didn’t laugh.”

But the Lord said, “No. You did laugh.”

¹⁶ Then the men got up to leave and ·started out [^Llooked] toward Sodom. Abraham walked along with them a short time to send them on their way.

Abraham’s Bargain with God

¹⁷ The Lord said, “Should I ·tell [^Lhide from] Abraham what I am going to do now? ¹⁸ ·Abraham’s children [^LAbraham] will certainly become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him [12:1–3]. ¹⁹ I have ·chosen [^Lknown] him so he would command his children and his ·descendants [^Lhousehold] to ·live [^Lkeep] the way the Lord wants them to, ·to live right and be fair [^L…by doing righteousness and justice]. Then I, the Lord, will give Abraham what I promised him.”

²⁰ Then the Lord said, “·I have heard many complaints [^LThe outcry is great] against the people of Sodom and Gomorrah [14:2]. ·They are very evil [^LTheir sin is very great/heavy]. ²¹ I will go down and see if they ·are as bad as I have heard [^Lhave done according to the outcry which has come to me]. If not, I will know.”

²² So the men turned and went toward Sodom, but Abraham stood there before the Lord. ²³ Then Abraham approached him and asked, “Do you plan to ·destroy [sweep away] the ·good people [righteous] along with the ·evil ones [wicked]? ²⁴ What if there are fifty ·good people [righteous] in that city? Will you still ·destroy it [sweep it away]? Surely you will ·save [spare] the ·city [^Lplace] for the fifty ·good people [righteous] living there. ²⁵ ·Surely [^LIt would be a desecration for you!] you will not ·destroy [^Lkill; slay] the ·good people [righteous] along with the ·evil ones [wicked]; then they would be treated the same. You are the judge of all the earth. Won’t you do what is ·right [just]?”

²⁶ The Lord said, “If I find fifty ·good people [righteous] in the city of Sodom, I will ·save [spare] the whole ·city [^Lplace] because of them.”

²⁷ Then Abraham [^Lanswered and] said, “Though I am only dust and ashes, I have been brave to speak to the Lord. ²⁸ What if ·there are only forty-five good people [^Lfive of the fifty righteous are lacking] in the city? Will you destroy the whole city for the lack of five ·good people [righteous]?”

The Lord said, “If I find forty-five there, I will not destroy the city.”

²⁹ Again Abraham said to him, “If you find only forty ·good people [righteous] there, will you destroy the city?”

The Lord said, “If I find forty, I will not destroy it.”

³⁰ Then Abraham said, “Lord, please don’t be angry with me, but let me ask you this. If you find only thirty ·good people [righteous] in the city, will you destroy it?”

He said, “If I find thirty ·good people [righteous] there, I will not destroy the city.”

³¹ Then Abraham said, “I have been brave to speak to the Lord. But what if there are twenty ·good people [righteous] in the city?”

He answered, “If I find twenty there, I will not destroy the city.”

³² Then Abraham said, “Lord, please don’t be angry with me, but let me bother you this one last time. What if you find ten there?”

He said, “If I find ten there, I will not destroy it.”

³³ When the Lord finished speaking to Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned ·home [^Lto his place].

Lot Leaves Sodom

19 The two ·angels [messengers] came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting near the ·city gate [^Lgate of Sodom; ^Cthe administrative center of a city]. When he saw them, he got up ·and went to [to meet] them and bowed facedown on the ground. ² Lot said, “·Sirs [My lords], please come to ·my [^Lyour servant’s] house and spend the night. There you can wash your feet, and then ·tomorrow you may [^Lyou can get up early and] continue your journey.”

The ·angels [messengers] answered, “No, we will spend the night in the city’s public square.”

³ But Lot ·begged them [entreated/urged them strongly] to come, so they ·agreed [^Lturned aside to him] and went to his house. Then Lot prepared a ·meal [feast; banquet] for them. He baked ·bread without yeast [unleavened bread], and they ate it.

⁴ Before ·bedtime [^Lthey lay down], men both young and old and from every part of Sodom surrounded Lot’s house. ⁵ They called to Lot, “Where are the two men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so we can ·have sexual relations with [^Lknow] them.”

⁶ Lot went ·outside [^Lout the door] to them, closing the door behind him. ⁷ He said, “No, my brothers! Do not do this evil thing. ⁸ Look! I have two daughters who have never ·slept with [had sexual relations with; ^Lknown] a man. I will give them to you, and you may do anything you want with them. But please don’t do anything to these men. They have come ·to my house, and I must protect them [^Lunder the shelter/shade of my roof].”

⁹ The men around the house answered, “·Move out of the way [Stand back]!” Then they said to each other, “This ·man Lot [fellow; ^Lone] came to our city as a ·stranger [sojourner; wanderer; resident alien], and now he wants to ·tell us what to do [^Ljudge us]!” They said to Lot, “We will do worse things to you than to them.” They started pushing him back and were ready to break down the door.

¹⁰ But ·the two men staying with Lot [^Lthe men] ·opened the door, [^Lreached out their hands and] pulled him back inside the house, and then closed the door. ¹¹ They struck those outside the door with ·blindness [a blinding flash], so the men, both ·young and old [^Lsmall and great], could not find the door.

¹² The two men said to Lot, “Do you have ·any other relatives in this city [^Lanyone else here]? Do you have any sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or any other relatives? If you do, ·tell them to leave now [get them out of this place], ¹³ because we are about to destroy this ·city [^Lplace]. ·The Lord has heard of all the evil that is here [^LGreat is the outcry against them before the Lord], so he has sent us to destroy it.”

¹⁴ So Lot went out and said to his future sons-in-law who were pledged to marry his daughters, “·Hurry and leave this city [^LGet up and get out of this place]! The Lord is about to destroy it!” But ·they [^Lhis sons-in-law] thought Lot was joking.

¹⁵ ·At dawn the next morning [^LAs morning dawned], the ·angels [messengers] ·begged [urged] Lot to hurry. They said, “Go! Take your wife and your two daughters with you so you will not be ·destroyed [swept away] when the city is punished.”

¹⁶ But Lot ·delayed [lingered; dawdled]. So the two men ·took [grabbed; seized] the hands of Lot, his wife, and his two daughters and led them safely out of the city. So the Lord was merciful to Lot and his family. ¹⁷ After they brought them out of the city, one of the men said, “·Run [Flee] for your lives! Don’t look back or stop anywhere in the ·valley [or plain]. Run to the mountains, or you will be ·destroyed [swept away].”

¹⁸ But Lot said to one of them, “·Sir, please don’t force me to go so far [^LOh no, my lord]! ¹⁹ ·You have been merciful [^LYour servant has found grace in your eyes] and ·kind to me [^Lyou have shown great kindness to me] and have saved my life. But I can’t ·run [flee] to the mountains. The disaster will catch me, and I will die. ²⁰ Look, that little town over there is ·not too far away [^Lnear enough to flee to]. Let me run there. It’s really just a little town, and ·I’ll be safe there [^Lmy life will be saved/spared].”

²¹ The angel said to Lot, “Very well, I will ·allow you to do this also [show you this favor; ^Llift up your face]. I will not ·destroy that town [^Loverthrow the town of which you speak]. ²² But run there fast, because I cannot ·destroy Sodom [^Ldo anything] until you are safely in that town.” (That town is named Zoar, because it is little [^CZoar sounds like the Hebrew word for “little”].)

Sodom and Gomorrah Are Destroyed

²³ The sun had already ·come up [^Lrisen over the earth] when Lot entered Zoar. ²⁴ The Lord sent a rain of ·burning sulfur [sulfur and fire] down from ·the sky [heaven] on Sodom and Gomorrah ²⁵ and ·destroyed [overturned] those cities. He also ·destroyed [overturned] the whole ·Jordan Valley [valley; or plain], everyone living in the cities, and even all the plants.

²⁶ At that point Lot’s wife looked back. When she did, she became a pillar of salt.

²⁷ Early the next morning, Abraham got up and went to the place where he had stood before the Lord. ²⁸ He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and all the ·Jordan Valley [^Lvalley; or plain] and saw smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace.

²⁹ God destroyed the cities in the ·valley [or plain], but he remembered what Abraham had asked. So ·God saved Lot’s life, but he [^Lhe sent Lot out of the overthrow/upheaval when he] ·destroyed [overturned] the city where Lot had lived [Deut. 29:23; Is. 1:9; 13:19; Jer. 50:40; Amos 4:11; Matt. 10:15; 11:23–24; Jude 1:7; Rev. 11:8].

Lot and His Daughters

³⁰ Lot was afraid to continue living in Zoar, so he and his two daughters went to live in the mountains in a cave. ³¹ One day the ·older daughter [^Lfirstborn] said to the younger, “Our father is old. ·Everywhere on the earth women and men marry, but there are no men around here for us to marry [^LThere is no man on earth to come into us according to the way of all the earth]. ³² Let’s get our father ·drunk [^Lto drink wine] and ·have sexual relations [^Lwe will lie] with him. ·We can use him to have children and continue our family [^L…so we may preserve offspring/seed through our father].”

³³ That night the two girls ·got their father drunk [^Lmade their father drink wine], and the ·older daughter [^Lfirstborn] went and ·had sexual relations [^Llay] with him. But Lot did not know when she lay down or when she got up.

³⁴ The next day the ·older daughter [^Lfirstborn] said to the younger, “Last night I ·had sexual relations [lay] with my father. Let’s get him ·drunk [^Lto drink wine] again tonight so you can go and ·have sexual relations [^Llay] with him, too. In this way we can ·use our father to have children to continue our family [preserve offspring/seed through our father].” ³⁵ So that night they got their father ·drunk [^Lto drink wine] again, and the younger daughter went and ·had sexual relations [^Llay] with him. Again, Lot did not know when she lay down or when she got up.

³⁶ So both of Lot’s daughters ·became pregnant [conceived] by their father. ³⁷ The older daughter gave birth to a son and named him Moab. He is the ancestor of all the Moabite people who are still living today [^Clocated to the east of the Dead Sea in what is today Jordan; the name sounds like “from the father” in Hebrew]. ³⁸ The younger daughter also gave birth to a son and named him Ben-Ammi [^Csounds like “son of my relative” in Hebrew]. He is the father of all the Ammonite people [^Clocated just north of Moab; Moab and Ammon were enemies of Israel] who are still living today [^Cat the time this was written].

Abraham Tricks Abimelech

20 Abraham left Hebron [13:18] and traveled to ·southern Canaan [^Lthe Negev; 13:1] where he stayed awhile between Kadesh [16:14] and Shur [16:7]. When he ·moved to [sojourned/lived as an alien in] Gerar [^Cnorth of Kadesh and Shur; present-day Tell Abu Hureirah], ² he said to people about Sarah his wife, “She is my sister” [12:10–20; 26:1–11]. Abimelech king of Gerar heard this, so he sent some servants to take her. ³ But one night God spoke to Abimelech in a dream and said, “You will die. The woman you took is married.”

⁴ But Abimelech had not gone near Sarah, so he said, “Lord, would you ·destroy [^Lkill; slay] an innocent nation? ⁵ ·Abraham himself told [^LDid he not tell…?] me, ‘This woman is my sister,’ and ·she also said [^Ldid she not also say…?], ‘He is my brother.’ I ·am innocent and did not know I was doing anything wrong [^Ldid this with a pure conscience/blameless heart and innocent hands].”

⁶ Then God said to Abimelech in the dream, “Yes, I know you did ·not realize what you were doing [this with a pure conscience/^Lblameless heart]. So I ·did not allow you to sin [restrained you from sinning] against me and touch her. ⁷ Give ·Abraham [^Lthe man] his wife back. He is a prophet [^Cone who interceded for others]. He will pray for you, and you will not die. But if you do not give Sarah back, you and all ·your family [^Lwho belong to you] will surely die.”

⁸ So early the next morning, Abimelech called all his ·officers [^Lservants] and told them everything that had happened in the dream. They were very afraid. ⁹ Then Abimelech called Abraham to him and said, “What have you done to us? What ·wrong [offense; sin] did I do against you? Why did you bring this ·trouble [great offense/guilt; ^Lgreat sin] to my kingdom? You should not have done these things to me. ¹⁰ What ·were you thinking [possessed you] that caused you to do this?”

¹¹ Then Abraham answered, “I thought no one in this place ·respected [feared] God and that someone would kill me to get ·Sarah [^Lmy wife]. ¹² And it is true that she is my sister. She is the daughter of my father, but she is not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. ¹³ When God ·told me to leave my father’s house and wander in many different places [^Lcaused me to wander from my father’s home; 12:1], I told Sarah, ‘You must ·do a special favor for [or show loyalty to] me. Everywhere we go tell people, “He is my brother.”’”

¹⁴ Then Abimelech gave Abraham some sheep, cattle, and male and female slaves. He also gave Sarah, Abraham’s wife, back to him ¹⁵ and said, “·Look around you at my land [^LMy land is before you]. You may live anywhere you want.”

¹⁶ Abimelech said to Sarah, “I gave your brother Abraham ·twenty-five pounds [^Lone thousand pieces] of silver ·to make up for any wrong that people may think about you [^L—a covering of the eyes to all who are with you; ^Can indication that nothing improper happened]. I want everyone to know that you are innocent.”

¹⁷ Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his servant girls so they could have children. ¹⁸ The Lord had ·kept all the women in Abimelech’s house from having children [^Lclosed up every womb of the house of Abimelech] ·as a punishment on Abimelech for taking [^Lon account of] Abraham’s wife Sarah.

A Baby for Sarah

21 The Lord ·cared for [visited] Sarah as he had said and did for her what he had promised. ² Sarah ·became pregnant [conceived] and gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. Everything happened at the time God had said it would. ³ Abraham named his son Isaac, the son Sarah gave birth to. ⁴ He circumcised [17:10] Isaac when he was eight days old as God had commanded.

⁵ Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born. ⁶ And Sarah said, “God has made me laugh [^Cthe name Isaac is related to a Hebrew word meaning “laugh”]. Everyone who hears about this will laugh ·with [or at] me. ⁷ No one thought that I would ·be able to have Abraham’s child [^Lsuckle/nurse children], but even though Abraham is old I have given him a son.”

Hagar and Ishmael Leave

⁸ Isaac grew, and when he ·became old enough to eat food [was weaned], Abraham gave a great feast [^Lon the day of his weaning]. ⁹ But Sarah saw ·Ishmael [^Lthe son of Hagar the Egyptian] ·making fun of Isaac [laughing; or playing]. ¹⁰ So Sarah said to Abraham, “·Throw [Drive] out this slave woman and her son. Her son should not inherit anything; my son Isaac should receive it all [Gal. 4:21—5:1].”

¹¹ This ·troubled [distressed; upset] Abraham very much because Ishmael was also his son. ¹² But God said to Abraham, “Don’t be ·troubled [distressed; upset] about the boy and the slave woman. Do ·whatever [all] Sarah tells you. ·The descendants I promised you will be from [^LThe seed will be named for you through] Isaac. ¹³ I will also make the ·descendants of Ishmael [^Lthe son of your slave woman] into a great nation because he is your ·son [^Lseed], too.”

¹⁴ Early the next morning Abraham [^Lgot up and] took some food and a ·leather bag full [skin] of water. He gave them to Hagar and sent her away. Carrying these things and her son [^Lon her shoulder], Hagar went and wandered [^Cthe verb may imply moving aimlessly and without hope] in the ·desert [wilderness] of Beersheba [^Can area in the northern part of the Negev, southern Canaan].

¹⁵ Later, when all the water was ·gone [finished] from the ·bag [skin], Hagar put her son under a bush. ¹⁶ Then she went a good way off, the distance of a bowshot, and sat down across from him. She thought, “My son will die, and I cannot watch this happen.” She sat there across from him and began to cry.

¹⁷ God heard the ·boy crying [^Lsound/voice of the boy], and God’s ·angel [messenger; 16:7] called to Hagar from heaven. He said, “What is wrong, Hagar? Don’t be afraid! God has heard the ·boy crying [^Lthe sound/voice of the boy] there. ¹⁸ ·Help [Get up and lift] him up and take him by the hand. I will make ·his descendants [^Lhim] into a great nation.” [^CIshmael is considered the ancestor of the Arab people.]

¹⁹ Then God [^Lopened her eyes and] showed Hagar a well of water. So she went to the well and filled her ·bag [skin] with water and gave the boy a drink.

²⁰ God was with the boy as he grew up. Ishmael lived in the ·desert [wilderness] and became an archer. ²¹ He lived in the Desert of Paran [^Ca region in the eastern Sinai peninsula], and his mother found a wife for him in Egypt [^CHagar’s original homeland].

Abraham’s Bargain with Abimelech

²² ·Then [At that time] Abimelech came with Phicol, the commander of his army, and said to Abraham, “God is with you in everything you do. ²³ So ·make a promise to me here before [swear to me by] God that you will ·be fair [^Lnot deal falsely] with me and my children and my descendants. Be ·kind [loyal] to me and to this land where you have lived as a ·stranger [sojourner; wanderer; resident alien]—as ·kind [loyal] as I have been to you.”

²⁴ And Abraham said, “I ·promise [swear].” ²⁵ Then Abraham ·complained to [reproved; reproached] Abimelech about Abimelech’s servants who had seized a well of water.

²⁶ But Abimelech said, “I don’t know who did this. You never told me [^Land I have not heard] about this before today.”

²⁷ Then Abraham gave Abimelech some sheep and cattle, and they made an ·agreement [covenant; treaty]. ²⁸ Abraham also put seven female lambs ·in front of Abimelech [^Lapart by themselves].

²⁹ Abimelech asked Abraham, “Why did you put these seven female lambs by themselves?”

³⁰ Abraham answered, “Accept these lambs from ·me [^Lmy hand] to ·prove that you believe [verify/witness that] I dug this well.”

³¹ So that place was called Beersheba [21:14; ^Cmeaning either “well of seven” or “well of promise”] because they ·made a promise to each other [swore an oath] there.

³² After Abraham and Abimelech ·made the agreement [^Lcut a covenant/treaty] at Beersheba, Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, went back to the land of the Philistines [^Ca region on the southern Mediterranean coast of Canaan].

³³ Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba and prayed to the Lord, the ·God who lives forever [eternal God]. ³⁴ And Abraham lived as a ·stranger [wanderer; sojourner; resident alien] in the land of the Philistines for ·a long time [^Lmany days].

God Tests Abraham

22 After these things God tested ·Abraham’s faith [^LAbraham]. God said to him, “Abraham!”

And he answered, “Here I am.”

² Then God said, “Take your ·only [or precious] son, Isaac, the son you love, and go to the land of Moriah [2 Chr. 3:1; ^Cthe temple would later be built here]. Offer him as a whole burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”

³ Abraham got up early in the morning and saddled his donkey. He took Isaac and two ·servants [or young men] with him. After he cut the wood for the sacrifice, they went to the place God had told them to go. ⁴ On the third day Abraham ·looked up [^Llifted his eyes] and saw the place in the distance. ⁵ He said to his ·servants [or young men], “Stay here with the donkey. My son and I will go over there and worship, and then we will come back to you.”

⁶ Abraham took the wood for the ·sacrifice [^Lwhole burnt offering] and ·gave it to his son to carry [^Lplaced it on his son], but he himself took the knife and the ·fire [or tinder]. So he and his son went on together.

⁷ Isaac said to his father Abraham, “Father!”

Abraham answered, “Yes, my son.”

Isaac said, “We have the ·fire [or tinder] and the wood, but where is the ·lamb [sheep] ·we will burn as a sacrifice [^Lfor the whole burnt offering]?”

⁸ Abraham answered, “God will ·give us [provide; ^Lsee for] the ·lamb [sheep] for the ·sacrifice [whole burnt offering], my son.”

So Abraham and his son went on together ⁹ and came to the place God had told him about. Abraham built an altar there. He ·laid [arranged] the wood on it and then ·tied up [bound] his son Isaac and laid him on the wood on the altar. ¹⁰ Then Abraham [^Lsent his hand and] took his knife and was about to ·kill [slaughter] his son.

¹¹ But the ·angel [messenger] of the Lord [16:7] called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham! Abraham!”

Abraham answered, “Yes.”

¹² The angel said, “Don’t ·kill [^Lsend out your hand against] your son or ·hurt [^Ldo anything to] him in any way. Now I can see that you ·trust [^Lfear] God and that you have not ·kept [withheld] your son, your ·only [or precious] son, from me [Heb. 11:17–19; James 2:21–23].”

¹³ Then Abraham ·looked up [^Llifted his eyes] and saw ·a [or another] ·male sheep [ram] caught in a ·bush [thicket] by its horns. So Abraham went and took the sheep offering it as a whole burnt offering to God, ·and his son was saved [^L … in the place of his son]. ¹⁴ So Abraham named that place The Lord ·Provides [or Sees; ^CHebrew: Yahweh Yireh]. Even today people say, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be ·provided [or seen].”

¹⁵ The ·angel [messenger] of the Lord [16:7] called to Abraham from heaven a second time ¹⁶ and said, “The Lord says, ‘Because you did not ·keep back [withhold] your son, your ·only [precious] son, from me, I ·make you this promise by my own name [^Lswear by myself]: ¹⁷ I will surely bless you and ·give you many descendants [^Lmultiply your seed]. They will be as many as the stars in the ·sky [heavens] and the sand on the seashore, and they will ·capture [^Lpossess] the ·cities [^Lgates] of their enemies. ¹⁸ Through your ·descendants [^Lseed] all the nations on the earth will be blessed, because you ·obeyed [listened to] me [12:1–3].’ ”

¹⁹ Then Abraham returned to his ·servants [young men]. They all traveled back to Beersheba, and Abraham ·stayed there [^Lresided in Beersheba; 21:14].

²⁰ After these things happened, someone told Abraham: “·Your brother Nahor and his wife Milcah have children now [^LMilcah has born sons to Nahor your brother; 11:29]. ²¹ The ·first son [firstborn] is Uz, and ·the second [^Lhis brother] is Buz. ·The third son is […and] Kemuel (the father of Aram). ²² Then there are Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” ²³ Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. Milcah was the mother of these eight sons, and Nahor, Abraham’s brother, was the father. ²⁴ Also Nahor had four other sons by his ·slave woman [concubine; ^Ca secondary wife] Reumah. Their names were Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah [^CNahor’s offspring may have been the ancestors of the Aramaean tribes in Syria].

Sarah Dies

23 Sarah lived to be one hundred twenty-seven years old [^Lsuch were the years of Sarah’s life]. ² She died in Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron [^Ccity nineteen miles south of Jerusalem]) in the land of Canaan. Abraham ·was very sad [mourned] and cried because of her. ³ After a while he got up from the side of his ·wife’s body [^Ldead] and went to talk to the Hittites [^Cone of the many groups that made up the population of Canaan at the time, notable in that they were not Semitic as the others were]. He said, ⁴ “I am only a ·stranger [sojourner; wanderer; resident alien] and a ·foreigner [settler; ^Cthe combination of terms indicates a resident alien] here. Sell me some ·of your land [property for a burial place] so that I can bury my ·dead wife [^Ldead].”

⁵ The Hittites answered Abraham, ⁶ “·Sir [My lord], you are a ·great leader [mighty prince; or prince of God; ^Ca man of wealth and power even though he owned no land] among us. You may have the ·best [choicest] place we have to bury your dead. You may have any of our burying places that you want, and none of us will stop you from burying your ·dead wife [^Ldead].”

⁷ Abraham rose and bowed to the people of the land, the Hittites. ⁸ He said to them, “If you truly ·want to help me [are willing for me to] bury my ·dead wife [^Ldead] here, ·speak to [entreat] Ephron, the son of Zohar for me. ⁹ Ask him to sell me the cave of Machpelah at the edge of his field. I will pay him the full price. You can be the witnesses that I am buying it as a burial place.”

¹⁰ Ephron was sitting among the Hittites at the city gate [^Cplace where commercial transactions took place]. He answered Abraham [^Lin the hearing of the Hittites], ¹¹ “No, ·sir [my Lord]. [^LHear me,] I will give you the ·land [field] and the cave that is in it, with these people as witnesses. Bury your ·dead wife [^Ldead].”

¹² Then Abraham bowed down before the ·Hittites [^Lpeople of the land]. ¹³ He said to Ephron ·before [^Lin the hearing of] all the people, “·Please let me [^LListen to me. I will] pay you the full price for the field. Accept my money, and I will bury my dead there.”

¹⁴ Ephron answered Abraham, ¹⁵ “·Sir [My Lord], [^LListen to me,] the land is worth ·ten pounds [^L400 shekels] of silver, ·but I won’t argue with you over the price [^Lwhat is that between you and me?]. Take the land, and bury your ·dead wife [^Ldead].”

¹⁶ Abraham ·agreed [listened] and paid Ephron in front of the Hittite witnesses. He weighed out the full price, ·ten pounds [^L400 shekels] of silver, and they counted the weight as the traders normally did.

So Ephron’s field in Machpelah, east of Mamre, was sold. Abraham became the owner of the field, the cave in it, and all the trees that were in the field. The sale was made at the city gate, with the Hittites as witnesses [^Cthe first land actually owned by Abraham]. ¹⁹ After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre. (Mamre was later called Hebron in the land of Canaan.) ²⁰ So Abraham bought the field and the cave in it from the Hittites to use as a burying place.

A Wife for Isaac

24 Abraham was now very old, ·along in years [^Lgoing in days], and the Lord had blessed him in every way. ² Abraham said to his oldest servant [^Lin his house], who was in charge of everything he owned, “Put your hand under my ·leg [^Lthigh; ^Ca euphemism for male genitalia, expressing commitment to keep a promise]. ³ ·Make a promise to me before [Swear to me by] the Lord, the God of heaven and [^Lthe God of] earth. Don’t get a wife for my son from the ·Canaanite girls [^Ldaughters of the Canaanites] who live around here. ⁴ Instead, go back to my country, to the land of my relatives, and get a wife for my son Isaac.”

⁵ The servant said to him, “·What if [Perhaps] this woman does not want to return with me to this land? Then, should I take your son with me back to your homeland?”

⁶ Abraham said to him, “No! ·Don’t take [^LBe careful not to take] my son back there. ⁷ The Lord, the God of heaven, brought me from the home of my father and the land of my relatives. And he ·promised [swore to] me, ‘I will give this land to your ·descendants [^Lseed].’ The Lord will send his ·angel [messenger] before you to help you get a wife for my son there. ⁸ If the ·girl [woman] won’t come back with you, you will be ·free [declared innocent] from this promise. But you must not take my son back there.” ⁹ So the servant put his hand under his master’s ·leg [^Lthigh; 24:2] and ·made a promise [swore] to Abraham about this.

¹⁰ The servant took ten of Abraham’s camels and left, carrying with him many ·different kinds of beautiful gifts [^Lgoods of his master]. He went to ·northwestern Mesopotamia [^LAram-Naharaim; ^Ca region near the Habor and Euphrates rivers, about a month’s journey away] to ·Nahor’s city [or the city of Nahor]. ¹¹ In the evening, when the women come out to get water [^Cmost ancient towns had a single source of water for the community], he made the camels kneel down at the well outside the city.

¹² The servant said, “Lord, God of my master Abraham, ·allow me to find a wife for his son [^Lgrant me good fortune] today. Please show this ·kindness [loyalty] to my master Abraham. ¹³ Here I am, standing by the spring, and the ·girls [^Ldaughters of the men] from the city are coming out to get water. ¹⁴ ·I will say to one of them [^LLet the girl to whom I will say…], ‘Please put your jar down so I can drink.’ Then let her say, ‘Drink, and I will also give water to your camels.’ If that happens, I will know she is the ·right one [the one appointed/selected] for your servant Isaac and that you have shown ·kindness [loyalty] to my master.”

¹⁵ Before the servant had finished ·praying [^Lspeaking], Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel, came out of the city. (Bethuel was the son of Milcah and Nahor, Abraham’s brother [11:27–30].) Rebekah was carrying her water jar on her shoulder. ¹⁶ She was ·very pretty [extremely beautiful], a virgin; she had never ·had sexual relations with [^Lknown] a man. She went down to the spring and filled her jar, then came back up. ¹⁷ The servant ran to her and said, “Please give me a little ·water [sip] from your jar.”

¹⁸ Rebekah said, “Drink, ·sir [my master].” She quickly lowered the jar ·from her shoulder [^Lon her hand] and gave him a drink. ¹⁹ After ·he finished drinking [^Lshe let him drink all he wanted], Rebekah said, “I will also pour some water for your camels [^Luntil they have finished drinking].” ²⁰ So she quickly ·poured [emptied] all the water from her jar into the drinking trough for the camels. Then she kept running to the well until she had given all the camels enough to drink.

²¹ The ·servant [^Lman] quietly ·watched [stared at] her. He wanted to ·be sure [^Llearn whether or not] the Lord had made his trip successful. ²² After the camels had finished drinking, he gave Rebekah a gold ·ring [^Lnose-ring; or earring] weighing ·one-fifth of an ounce [^Lone half shekel] and two gold arm bracelets weighing about ·four ounces [^Lten shekels] each. ²³ He asked, “·Who is your father [^LTell me whose daughter you are]? Is there a place in his house for me and my men to spend the night?”

²⁴ Rebekah answered, “·My father is [^LThe daughter of] Bethuel, the son of Milcah and Nahor.” ²⁵ Then she said, “And, yes, we have ·straw for your camels [^Lplenty of straw and feed] and a place for you to spend the night.”

²⁶ The servant bowed and worshiped the Lord ²⁷ and said, “Blessed is the Lord, the God of my master Abraham. The Lord ·has been kind and truthful to him [^Lhas not abandoned his kindness/loyalty and truthfulness/faithfulness to my master] and has led me to my master’s relatives.”

²⁸ Then Rebekah ran and told her mother’s family about all these things. ²⁹ She had a brother named Laban, who ran out to Abraham’s servant, who was still at the spring. ³⁰ Laban had heard what she had said and had seen the ·ring [^Lnose-ring; or earring] and the bracelets on his sister’s arms. So he ran out to the well, and there was the man standing by the camels at the spring. ³¹ Laban said, “·Sir [^LO blessed one], ·you are welcome to come in [^Lcome]; ·you don’t have to stand [^Lwhy are standing…?] outside. I have ·prepared [^Lcleared out] the house for you and also a place for your camels.”

³² So Abraham’s servant went into the house. After Laban unloaded the camels and gave them straw and ·food [fodder], he gave water to Abraham’s servant so he and the men with him could wash their feet. ³³ Then ·Laban gave the servant food [^Lthe food was set before him], but the servant said, “I will not eat until I have told you why I came.”

So Laban said, “Then tell us.”

³⁴ He said, “I am Abraham’s servant. ³⁵ The Lord has greatly blessed my master in everything [12:3], and he has become a rich man. The Lord has given him many flocks of sheep, herds of cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, camels, and horses. ³⁶ Sarah, my master’s wife, gave birth to a son when she was old [21:1–7], and my master has given everything he owns to that son. ³⁷ My master had me ·make a promise to him [swear] and said, ‘Don’t get a wife for my son from the Canaanite ·girls [^Ldaughters] ·who live around here [^Lin whose land I live]. ³⁸ Instead, you must go to my father’s ·people [house] and to my family. There you must ·get [take] a wife for my son.’ ³⁹ I said to my master, ‘What if the woman will not come back with me?’ ⁴⁰ But he said, ‘I ·serve [^Lwalk before] the Lord, who will send his ·angel [or messenger] with you and will ·help you [^Lmake your way successful]. You will ·get [take] a wife for my son from my family and my father’s ·people [^Lhouse]. ⁴¹ Then you will be ·free [innocent] from ·the promise [^Lmy oath]. But if they will not give you a wife for my son, you will be ·free [innocent] from ·this promise [^Lmy oath].’

⁴² “Today I came to this spring. I said, ‘Lord, God of my master Abraham, please make my ·trip [way] successful. ⁴³ I am standing by this spring. I will wait for a young woman to come out to ·get [draw] water, and I will say, “Please give me water from your jar to drink.” ⁴⁴ Then let her say, “Drink this water, and I will also draw water for your camels.” By this I will know the Lord has chosen her for my master’s son.’

⁴⁵ “Before I finished ·my silent prayer [^Lspeaking in my heart/mind], Rebekah came out of the city with her water jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water. I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’ ⁴⁶ She quickly lowered the jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink this. I will also water your camels.’ So I drank, and she watered my camels too. ⁴⁷ When I asked her, ‘·Who is your father [^LWhose daughter are you]?’ she answered, ‘·My father is [^LThe daughter of] Bethuel son of Milcah and Nahor.’ Then I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her arms, ⁴⁸ and I bowed my head and ·thanked [worshipped] the Lord. I ·praised [blessed] the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, because he ·led [guided] me on the right road to get the granddaughter of my master’s brother for his son. ⁴⁹ Now, tell me, will you be ·kind [loyal] and ·truthful [faithful] to my master? And if not, tell me so. Then I will ·know what I should do [^Lturn to the right hand or to the left].”

⁵⁰ Laban and Bethuel answered, “This ·is clearly [^Lhas come out] from the Lord, and we cannot ·change what must happen [^Lspeak to you good or evil]. ⁵¹ Rebekah is ·yours [^Lbefore you]. Take her and go. Let her marry your master’s son as the Lord has ·commanded [spoken].”

⁵² When Abraham’s servant heard these words, he bowed facedown on the ground before the Lord. ⁵³ Then he gave Rebekah gold and silver jewelry and clothes. He also gave expensive gifts to her brother and mother. ⁵⁴ The servant and the men with him ate and drank and spent the night there. When they got up the next morning, the servant said, “·Now let me go [^LSend me] back to my master.”

⁵⁵ Rebekah’s mother and her brother said, “Let ·Rebekah [^Lthe girl] stay with us at least ten days. After that she may go.”

⁵⁶ But the servant said to them, “Do not ·make me wait [delay/hinder], because the Lord has made my ·trip [way] successful. Now ·let me go [^Lsend me] back to my master.”

⁵⁷ Rebekah’s brother and mother said, “We will call Rebekah and ask her ·what she wants to do [^Lat her mouth].” ⁵⁸ They called her and asked her, “Do you want to go with this man now?”

She said, “·Yes, I do [^LI will go].”

⁵⁹ So they ·allowed Rebekah and her nurse to go [^Lsent Rebekah their sister and her nurse] with Abraham’s servant and his men. ⁶⁰ They blessed Rebekah and said,

⁶¹ Then Rebekah and her servant girls ·got on [^Lrose up and mounted] the camels and followed the servant and his men. So the servant took Rebekah and left.

⁶² At this time Isaac had left Beer Lahai Roi [16:14] and was living in ·southern Canaan [^LNegev]. ⁶³ One evening when he went out to the field to ·think [meditate; reflect; or walk], he ·looked up [^Lraised his eyes] and saw camels coming. ⁶⁴ Rebekah also ·looked [^Lraised her eyes] and saw Isaac. Then she ·jumped down [^Lfell] from the camel ⁶⁵ and asked the servant, “Who is that man walking in the field to meet us?”

The servant answered, “That is my master.” So Rebekah covered her face with her veil.

⁶⁶ The servant told Isaac everything that had happened. ⁶⁷ Then Isaac brought Rebekah into the tent of Sarah, his mother, and she became his wife. Isaac loved her very much, and so he was comforted after his mother’s death.

Abraham’s Family

25 Abraham married again, and his new wife was Keturah [1 Chr. 1:32]. ² She gave birth to Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian [^Cancestor of the Midianites, the tribe into which Moses married; Ex. 3:1], Ishbak, and Shuah [^Cancestor of the tribe of Job’s friend Bildad; Job 2:11]. ³ Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan [Is. 21:13; Jer. 49:8; Ezek. 27:20]. Dedan’s descendants were the people of Assyria, Letush, and Leum. ⁴ The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah. ⁵ Abraham ·left [gave] everything he owned to Isaac. ⁶ But ·before Abraham died [^Lwhile he was still alive], he did give gifts to the sons of his ·other wives [concubines], then sent them to the East to be away from Isaac [^Cto prevent rivalry over Abraham’s inheritance].

⁷ ·Abraham lived to be [^LThese are the days of the years of the life of Abraham] one hundred seventy-five years old. ⁸ He ·breathed his last breath [expired] and died at an old age, ·after a long and satisfying life [^Lan old man and full of years; he was gathered to his people/relatives; ^Cburied in the family plot, though may imply joining his ancestors in the afterlife]. ⁹ His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah in the field of Ephron east of Mamre. (Ephron was the son of Zohar the Hittite.) ¹⁰ So Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah in the same field that he had bought from the Hittites [23:1–20]. ¹¹ After Abraham died, God blessed his son Isaac. Isaac was now living at Beer Lahai Roi [16:14].

¹² ·This is the family history [^LThese are the generations; 2:4] of Ishmael, Abraham’s son. (Hagar, Sarah’s Egyptian servant, ·was Ishmael’s mother [^Lbore him to Abraham].) ¹³ These are the names of Ishmael’s sons in the order they were born: Nebaioth, the ·first son [firstborn], then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, ¹⁴ Mishma, Dumah, Massa, ¹⁵ Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. ¹⁶ These were Ishmael’s sons, and these are the names of the ·tribal leaders [^Ltwelve princes/chieftains according to their tribes; 17:20] listed according to their ·settlements [villages] and camps. ¹⁷ ·Ishmael lived [^LThese are the years of the life of Ishmael] one hundred thirty-seven years and then ·breathed his last breath [expired] and died [^Land was gathered to his people/relatives; 25:8]. ¹⁸ His descendants lived from Havilah to Shur, which is east of Egypt stretching toward Assyria [^Cthe area from the northern Sinai to the border of western Mesopotamia, the area of Arab tribes]. They often ·attacked [or settled among; ^Lfell on] the descendants of his brothers.

Isaac’s Family

¹⁹ ·This is the family history [^LThese are the generations; 2:4] of Isaac. Abraham ·had a son named [or was the father of] Isaac. ²⁰ When Isaac was forty years old, he ·married [^Ltook as a wife] Rebekah [ch. 24], ·who came from northwestern Mesopotamia [^Lthe Aramean from Paddan-aram]. She was Bethuel’s daughter and the sister of Laban the Aramean. ²¹ Isaac’s wife ·could not have children [was barren], so Isaac ·prayed to [entreated; interceded with] the Lord for her. The Lord heard Isaac’s prayer, and Rebekah ·became pregnant [conceived].

²² While she was pregnant, the ·babies [^Lchildren] struggled inside her. She asked, “·Why is this happening to me [^LIf thus, why this, I—; ^Cthe Hebrew is uncertain]?” Then she went to ·get an answer from [^Lseek; inquire of] the Lord.

²³ The Lord said to her,

²⁴ When the time came, ·Rebekah gave birth to twins [^Lthere were twins in her womb]. ²⁵ The first baby ·was born [^Lcame out] red. Since his skin was like a hairy robe, he was named Esau [^Csounds like “hairy” in Hebrew]. ²⁶ When ·the second baby [^Lhis brother] ·was born [^Lcame out], ·he [^Lhis hand] was ·holding on to [gripping; grabbing] Esau’s heel, so that baby was named Jacob [^Csounds like Hebrew for “heel”; grabbing a heel is a Hebrew idiom for tricking someone]. Isaac was sixty years old when they were born.

²⁷ When the boys grew up, Esau became a ·skilled [experienced] hunter. He ·loved to be out in the fields [^Lwas a man of the fields]. But Jacob was a ·quiet [or mild; or blameless] man ·and stayed among the [^Lliving in] tents. ²⁸ Isaac loved Esau because ·he hunted the wild animals that Isaac enjoyed eating [^Lgame was in his (Isaac’s) mouth]. But Rebekah loved Jacob.

²⁹ One day Jacob was ·boiling a pot of vegetable soup [or preparing stew]. Esau came in from hunting in the fields, ·weak from hunger [famished; starving]. ³⁰ So Esau said to Jacob, “Let me ·eat [gulp down] some of that red ·soup [or stuff], because I am ·weak with hunger [famished; starving].” (That is why people call him Edom [^Csounds like Hebrew for “red”].)

³¹ But Jacob said, “·First [^LAs the day; ^Can idiom meaning, “First of all…”] ·sell [or exchange with] me your ·rights as the firstborn son [birthright; ^Cthe firstborn had special inheritance rights and became the head of the family in the next generation].”

³² Esau said, “I am ·almost dead from hunger [^Lgoing to die]. ·If I die, all of my father’s wealth will not help me [^LWhat will my birthright be to me?].”

³³ But Jacob said, “First [v. 31], ·promise [swear to] me that you will give it to me.” So Esau ·made a promise to Jacob [^Lswore to him] and ·sold [exchanged] his ·part of their father’s wealth [^Lbirthright] to Jacob. ³⁴ Then Jacob gave Esau bread and ·vegetable soup [stew], and he ate and drank, and then left. So Esau ·showed how little he cared about his rights as the firstborn son [^Ldespised/showed contempt toward his birthright; Heb. 12:16–17].

Isaac Lies to Abimelech

26 Now there was a ·time of hunger [^Lfamine] in the land, besides the ·time of hunger [^Lformer famine] that happened during Abraham’s life. So Isaac went to the town of Gerar [20:1] to see Abimelech king of the Philistines. ² The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Don’t go down to Egypt, but ·live [settle; dwell] in the land where I tell you to live. ³ ·Stay [Sojourn; Live as an alien] in this land, and I will be with you and bless you [12:3]. I will give you and your ·descendants [^Lseed] all these lands, and I will ·keep [fulfill] the oath I made to Abraham your father. ⁴ I will ·give you many descendants [^Lmultiply your seed], as hard to count as the stars in the sky, and I will give them all these lands. Through your ·descendants [^Lseed] all the nations on the earth will be blessed [12:1–3]. ⁵ I will do this because your father Abraham ·obeyed me [^Llistened to my voice]. He did what I said and obeyed my ·instructions [charge], my commands, my teachings, and my ·rules [instructions; laws].”

⁶ So Isaac ·stayed [resided; settled] in Gerar [20:1]. ⁷ His wife Rebekah was very beautiful, and the men of that place asked Isaac about her. Isaac said, “She is my sister,” because he was afraid to tell them she was his wife. He thought they might kill him so they could have her [12:10–20; 20:1–18].

⁸ Isaac lived there a long time. One day as Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out his window, he saw Isaac ·holding [fondling; playing with; ^Ca word related to the name Isaac] his wife Rebekah tenderly. ⁹ Abimelech called for Isaac and said, “This woman is your wife. Why did you say she was your sister?”

Isaac said to him, “I ·was afraid you would kill me so you could have [^Lthought I might die because of] her.”

¹⁰ Abimelech said, “What have you done to us? One of our ·men [^Lpeople] might have ·had sexual relations [lain] with your wife. Then ·we would have been guilty of a great sin [^Lyou would have brought guilt/punishment on us].”

¹¹ So Abimelech ·warned [commanded] ·everyone [all the people], “Anyone who touches this man or his wife will be put to death.”

Isaac Becomes Rich

¹² Isaac planted seed in that land, and that year he gathered ·a great harvest [^La hundredfold]. The Lord blessed him very much, ¹³ and ·he [^Lthe man] became rich. He ·gathered more wealth [grew richer and richer] until he became a very rich man. ¹⁴ He had so many slaves and flocks and herds that the Philistines envied him. ¹⁵ So they stopped up all the wells the servants of Isaac’s father Abraham had dug. (They had dug them ·when Abraham was alive [^Lin the days of Abraham his father].) The Philistines filled those wells with ·dirt [dust]. ¹⁶ And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Leave ·our country [^Lmy people] because you have become much more powerful than we are.”

¹⁷ So Isaac ·left that place [^Lwent from there] and camped in the ·Valley [Wadi] of Gerar and ·lived [resided; settled] there. ¹⁸ ·Long before this time Abraham [^LIn the days of Abraham his father they] had dug many wells, but after he died, the Philistines filled them with ·dirt [dust]. So Isaac dug those wells again and gave them the same names his father had given them. ¹⁹ Isaac’s servants dug a well in the ·valley [wadi], ·from which a spring of water flowed [^Land discovered springing/living water]. ²⁰ But the ·herdsmen [shepherds] of Gerar ·argued [contended] with ·them [^Lthe shepherds of Isaac] and said, “This water is ours.” So Isaac named that well ·Argue [Contention; ^CHebrew: Esek] because they ·argued [contended] with him. ²¹ Then ·his servants [^Lthey] dug another well. When the people also ·argued about it [contended], Isaac named that well ·Fight [Hebrew: Sitnah]. ²² He moved from there and dug another well. No one ·argued about [contended] this one, so he named it Room Enough [^CHebrew: Rehoboth]. Isaac said, “Now the Lord has made room for us, and we will be ·successful [fruitful; 1:22] in this land.”

²³ From there Isaac went [^Lup] to Beersheba [21:14]. ²⁴ The Lord appeared to him that night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Don’t be afraid, because I am with you [^Cindicating that the covenant with Abraham would be continued with Isaac]. I will bless you and ·give you many descendants [multiply your seed] because of my servant Abraham.” ²⁵ So Isaac built an altar [^Ca place of sacrifice] and ·worshiped [^Lcalled on the name of] the Lord there. He also ·made a camp [^Lpitched his tent] there, and his servants dug a well.

²⁶ Abimelech came from Gerar to see Isaac. He brought with him Ahuzzath, ·who advised him [his advisor/friend], and Phicol, the commander of his army. ²⁷ Isaac asked them, “Why have you come to see me? You ·were my enemy [hate me] and ·forced me to leave your country [^Lsent me away from you].”

²⁸ They answered, “Now we ·know [^Lclearly see] that the Lord is with you. Let us swear an oath to each other. Let us ·make [^Lcut] an ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with you ²⁹ that since we did not ·hurt [^Ltouch] you, you will not ·hurt [harm] us. We were good to you and sent you away in peace. Now the Lord has blessed you.”

³⁰ So Isaac ·prepared food [made a banquet/feast] for them, and they all ate and drank [^Ccustomary to celebrate the signing of the treaty]. ³¹ Early the next morning the men swore an oath to each other. Then Isaac sent them away, and they left in peace.

³² That day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well they had dug, saying, “We found water in that well.” ³³ So Isaac named it Shibah [^Csounds like Hebrew for “seven” or “promise”] and that city is called Beersheba [21:14] even now.

³⁴ When Esau was forty years old, he married two Hittite women—Judith daughter of Beeri and Basemath daughter of Elon. ³⁵ These women brought much ·sorrow [bitterness] to Isaac and Rebekah [^Cbecause Esau had married outside the people of God].

Jacob Tricks Isaac

27 When Isaac was old, his ·eyesight was poor [^Leyes were dim], so he could not see clearly. One day he called his older son Esau to him and said, “[^LMy] Son.”

Esau answered, “Here I am.”

² Isaac said, “I am old and don’t know ·when I might die [^Lthe day of my death]. ³ So take your weapons, your ·bow and arrows [^Lquiver and your bow], and go hunting in the field for ·an animal for me to eat [^Lgame for me]. ⁴ When you prepare the tasty food that I love, bring it to me, and I will eat. Then I will bless you before I die.” ⁵ So Esau went out in the field to hunt [^Lfor game to bring it].

Rebekah was listening as Isaac said this to his son Esau. ⁶ She said to her son Jacob, “Listen, I heard your father saying to your brother Esau, ⁷ ‘·Kill an animal [^LBring me game] and prepare some tasty food for me to eat. Then I will bless you in the presence of the Lord before I die.’ ⁸ So ·obey [listen to] me, my son, and do what I ·tell [command] you. ⁹ Go out to our ·goats [^Lflock] and bring me two ·of the best young ones [choice goats]. I will prepare them just the way your father ·likes [loves] them. ¹⁰ Then you will ·take the food [^Lbring them] to your father, and he will bless you before he dies.”

¹¹ But Jacob said to his mother Rebekah, “My brother Esau is a hairy man, and I am smooth! ¹² If my father ·touches me, he will know I am not Esau [^Lfeels me…]. Then he will not bless me but will place a curse on me because ·I tried to trick him [^Lhe will think I am mocking him].”

¹³ So ·Rebekah [^Lhis mother] said to him, “·If your father puts a curse on you, I will accept the blame [^LLet your curse be on me]. Just do what I said. Go get the goats for me.”

¹⁴ So Jacob went out and got ·two goats [^Lthem] and brought them to his mother, and ·she cooked them in the special way [^Lhis mother prepared a tasty meal just as] ·Isaac [^Lhis father] ·enjoyed [loved]. ¹⁵ She took the best clothes of her older son Esau that were in the house and put them on the younger son Jacob. ¹⁶ She also took the skins of the goats and put them on Jacob’s hands and [^Lthe smoothness of his] neck. ¹⁷ Then she gave Jacob the tasty food and the bread she had made.

¹⁸ Jacob went in to his father and said, “[^LMy] Father.”

And his father said, “Yes, my son. Who are you?”

¹⁹ Jacob said to him, “I am Esau, your ·first son [firstborn]. I have done what you told me. Now ·sit up [^Lget up and sit down] and eat some ·meat of the animal [game] I hunted for you. Then bless me.”

²⁰ But Isaac asked his son, “How did you find ·and kill the animal [^Lit] so quickly?”

Jacob answered, “Because the Lord your God ·helped me to find it [^Lwent before me].”

²¹ Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come near so I can ·touch [feel] you, my son. Then I will know if you are really my son Esau [^Lor not].”

²² So Jacob came near to Isaac his father. Isaac ·touched [felt] him and said, “Your voice ·sounds like [^Lis] Jacob’s voice, but your hands ·are hairy like [^Lare] the hands of Esau.” ²³ Isaac did not ·know it was [recognize] Jacob, because his hands were hairy like Esau’s hands, so Isaac blessed him. ²⁴ Isaac asked, “Are you really my son Esau?”

Jacob answered, “Yes, I am.”

²⁵ Then Isaac said, “Bring ·me the food [^Lit to me], and I will eat ·it [^Lmy son’s game] and bless you.” So Jacob gave him the food, and he ate. Jacob gave him wine, and he drank. ²⁶ Then Isaac [^Lhis father] said to him, “My son, come near and kiss me.” ²⁷ So Jacob went to his father and kissed him. When Isaac smelled Esau’s clothes, he blessed him and said,

³⁰ Isaac [^Lhad just] finished blessing Jacob. Then, just as Jacob left his father Isaac, Esau came in from hunting. ³¹ He also prepared some tasty food and brought it to his father. He said [^Lto his father], “Father, rise and eat ·the food that your son killed for you [^Lyour son’s game] and then bless me.”

³² Isaac his father asked him, “Who are you?”

He answered, “I am your son—your firstborn son—Esau.”

³³ Then Isaac trembled ·greatly [violently] and said, “Then who was it that hunted ·the animals [game] and brought me food before you came? I ate it, and I blessed him, and ·it is too late now to take back my blessing [^Lhe will indeed be blessed].”

³⁴ When Esau heard the words of his father, he let out a loud and bitter cry. He said to his father, “Bless me—me, too, my father [Heb. 12:17]!”

³⁵ But Isaac said, “Your brother came and ·tricked [deceived; defrauded] me. He has taken your blessing.”

³⁶ Esau said, “Jacob [^Csounds like Hebrew for “heel” or “deceive”; 25:26] is the right name for him. He has ·tricked me [deceived me; ^Lbeen at my heel] these two times. He took away my ·share of everything you own [birthright], and now he has taken away my blessing.” Then Esau asked, “Haven’t you ·saved [reserved] a blessing for me?”

³⁷ Isaac answered [^Land said to Esau], “I gave Jacob the power to be master over you, and all his brothers will be his servants. And I kept ·him strong [sustained him] with grain and new wine. ·There is nothing left to give you [^LWhat can I do for you…?], my son.”

³⁸ But Esau ·continued [^Lsaid to his father], “Do you have only one blessing, Father? Bless me, too, Father!” Then Esau ·began to cry out loud [^Llifted his voice and wept; Heb. 12:17].

³⁹ Isaac his father said to him,

⁴¹ After that Esau ·hated [held a grudge against] Jacob because of the blessing ·from Isaac [^Lwith which his father blessed him]. He thought ·to himself [^Lin his heart], “·My father will soon die, and I will be sad for him [^LThe days of mourning for my father are near]. Then I will kill Jacob [^Lmy brother].”

⁴² Rebekah ·heard about Esau’s plan to kill Jacob [^Lwas told the words of Esau her oldest son]. So she sent for Jacob [^Lher younger son] and ·said to [informed] him, “Listen, your brother Esau is ·comforting himself [consoling himself; or wants to execute his anger against you] by planning to kill you. ⁴³ So, my son, ·do what I say [^Llisten to my voice]. My brother Laban is living in Haran. ·Go to him at once [^LGet up and flee to him]! ⁴⁴ ·Stay [Live; Reside] with him for a while, until your brother ·is not so angry [calms down]. ⁴⁵ In time, your brother will not be angry, and he will forget what you did to him. Then I will send a servant to bring you back. I don’t want to lose both of my sons on the same day.”

⁴⁶ Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am ·tired of [weary of my life due to] ·Hittite women [^Lthe daughters of the Hittites]. If Jacob marries one of ·these Hittite women [^Lthe daughters of the Hittites] here in this land, ·I want to die [why would I want to live?].”

Jacob Searches for a Wife

28 Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and commanded him [^Land said to him], “You must not marry a ·Canaanite woman [^Ldaughter of Canaan]. ² ·Go [^LGet up and go] to the house of Bethuel, your mother’s father, in ·northwestern Mesopotamia [^LPaddan-aram; 25:20]. Laban, your mother’s brother, lives there. Marry one of his daughters. ³ May God Almighty bless you and ·give you many children [^Lmake you fruitful and multiply you; 1:22], and may you become a ·group [assembly; congregation; company] of many peoples. ⁴ May he give you and your ·descendants [^Lseed] the blessing of Abraham so that you may ·own [possess] the land ·where you are now living as a stranger [^Lof your wandering/sojourn/alien status], the land God gave to Abraham.” ⁵ So Isaac sent Jacob to ·northwestern Mesopotamia [^LPaddan-aram], to Laban the brother of Rebekah. Bethuel the Aramean was the father of Laban and Rebekah, and Rebekah was the mother of Jacob and Esau.

⁶ Esau ·learned [^Lsaw] that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him to ·northwestern Mesopotamia [^LPaddan-aram] to find a wife there. He also ·learned [^Lsaw] that Isaac had commanded Jacob not to marry a ·Canaanite woman [^Ldaughter of Canaan] ⁷ and that Jacob had ·obeyed [listened to] his father and mother and had gone to ·northwestern Mesopotamia [^LPaddan-aram]. ⁸ So Esau saw that ·his father Isaac did not want his sons to marry Canaanite women [^Cthe daughters of Canaan were bad/evil in the eyes of his father Isaac]. ⁹ Now Esau already had wives, but he went to Ishmael son of Abraham, and he married Mahalath, Ishmael’s daughter. Mahalath was the sister of Nebaioth.

Jacob’s Dream at Bethel

¹⁰ Jacob left Beersheba [21:14] and set out for Haran [11:31]. ¹¹ When he came to a place, he spent the night there because the sun had set. He found a stone and laid his head on it ·to go to sleep [^Land lay down in that place]. ¹² Jacob dreamed that there was a ·ladder [or stairway; or ramp] resting on the earth and reaching up into heaven, and he saw ·angels [messengers] of God ·going up and coming down [ascending and descending on] ·the ladder [^Lit; John 1:51]. ¹³ Then Jacob saw the Lord standing above the ladder [28:12], and he said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your grandfather, and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your ·descendants [^Lseed] the ·land [ground] on which you are now ·sleeping [lying; 12:1–3]. ¹⁴ Your ·descendants [^Lseed] will be as many as the dust of the earth [13:16]. They will spread west and east, north and south, and all the ·families [clans] of the earth will ·be blessed [or bless themselves] through you and your ·descendants [seed]. ¹⁵ I am with you and will ·protect [guard] you everywhere you go and will bring you back to this land. I will not ·leave [abandon; forsake] you until I have done what I have promised you.”

¹⁶ Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, but I did not know it.” ¹⁷ He was afraid and said, “This place frightens me! It is surely the house of God and the gate of heaven.”

¹⁸ Jacob rose early in the morning and took the stone ·he had slept on [^Lwhich was under his head] and set it up ·on its end [^Las a pillar; 31:13, 45; 35:14, 20; Ex. 24:4; ^Ca practice later prohibited because similar to Canaanite religion (Ex. 23:24; 34:13; Deut. 12:3)]. Then he poured olive oil on the top of it. ¹⁹ ·At first [Formerly], the name of that city was Luz, but Jacob named it Bethel [^C“house of God”].

²⁰ Then Jacob ·made a promise [^Lvowed a vow]. He said, “I want God to be with me and to ·protect [guard] me on this journey. I want him to give me food to eat and clothes to wear ²¹ so I will be able to return ·in peace [or safely] to my father’s house. If the Lord does these things, he will be my God. ²² This stone which I have set up ·on its end [^Las a pillar] will be the house of God. And I will give God ·one-tenth [a tithe] of all he gives me.”

Jacob Arrives in Northwestern Mesopotamia

29 Then Jacob ·continued his journey [^Llifted his feet] and came to the land of the people of the East [^Cthe area of the Arameans on the northern Euphrates]. ² He looked and saw a well in the field and three flocks of sheep lying nearby, because they drank water from this well. A large stone covered the mouth of the well. ³ When all the flocks would gather there, ·the shepherds [^Lthey] would roll the stone away from the well and water the sheep. Then they would put the stone back in its place.

⁴ Jacob said to the shepherds there, “My brothers, where are you from?”

They answered, “We are from Haran [11:31].”