Bible in 90 Days

The Covenant of Circumcision

17 When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him. He said, “I am the Mighty God. Walk faithfully with me. Live in a way that pleases me. ² I will now act on my covenant between me and you. I will greatly increase the number of your children after you.”

³ Abram fell with his face to the ground. God said to him, ⁴ “This is my covenant with you. You will be the father of many nations. ⁵ You will not be called Abram anymore. Your name will be Abraham, because I have made you a father of many nations. ⁶ I will greatly increase the number of your children after you. Nations and kings will come from you. ⁷ I will make my covenant with you last forever. It will be between me and you and your family after you for all time to come. I will be your God. And I will be the God of all your family after you. ⁸ You are now living in Canaan as an outsider. But I will give you the whole land of Canaan. You will own it forever and so will all your family after you. And I will be their God.”

⁹ Then God said to Abraham, “You must keep my covenant. You and your family after you must keep it for all time to come. ¹⁰ Here is my covenant that you and your family after you must keep. You and every male among you must be circumcised. ¹¹ That will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. ¹² It must be done for all time to come. Every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised. That includes those who are born into your own family or outside it. It also includes those bought with money from a stranger. ¹³ So any male born into your family or bought with your money must be circumcised. My covenant will last forever. Your body will have the mark of my covenant on it. ¹⁴ Any male who has not been circumcised will be separated from his people. He has broken my covenant.”

¹⁵ God also said to Abraham, “Do not continue to call your wife by the name Sarai. Her name will be Sarah. ¹⁶ I will give her my blessing. You can be sure that I will give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations. Kings of nations will come from her.”

¹⁷ Abraham fell with his face to the ground. He laughed and said to himself, “Can a 100-year-old man have a son? Can Sarah have a child at the age of 90?” ¹⁸ Abraham said to God, “I really wish Ishmael could receive your blessing!”

¹⁹ Then God said, “Yes, I will bless Ishmael. But your wife Sarah will have a son by you. And you will name him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him. That covenant will last forever. It will be for Isaac and his family after him. ²⁰ I have heard what you said about Ishmael. I will surely bless him. I will make his family very large. He will be the father of 12 rulers. And I will make him into a great nation. ²¹ But I will establish my covenant with Isaac. By this time next year, Sarah will have a son by you.” ²² When God had finished speaking with Abraham, God left him.

²³ On that same day Abraham circumcised his son Ishmael. He also circumcised every male who was born into his family or bought with his money. He did exactly as God had told him. ²⁴ Abraham was 99 years old when he was circumcised. ²⁵ His son Ishmael was 13. ²⁶ Abraham and his son Ishmael were both circumcised on that same day. ²⁷ And every male in Abraham’s household was circumcised along with him. That included those born into his family or bought from a stranger.

Three Men Visit Abraham

18 The Lord appeared to Abraham near the large trees of Mamre. Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent. It was the hottest time of the day. ² Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. So he quickly left the entrance to his tent to greet them. He bowed low to the ground.

³ He said, “My lord, if you are pleased with me, don’t pass me by. ⁴ Let me get you some water. Then all of you can wash your feet and rest under this tree. ⁵ Let me get you something to eat to give you strength. Then you can go on your way. I want to do this for you now that you have come to me.”

“All right,” they answered. “Do as you say.”

⁶ So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. “Quick!” he said. “Get about 36 pounds of the finest flour. Prepare it and bake some bread.”

⁷ Then he ran over to the herd. He picked out a choice, tender calf. He gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. ⁸ Then he brought some butter and milk and the calf that had been prepared. He served them to the three men. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree.

⁹ “Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him.

“Over there in the tent,” he said.

¹⁰ Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year. Your wife Sarah will have a son.”

Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. ¹¹ Abraham and Sarah were already very old. Sarah was too old to have a baby. ¹² So she laughed to herself. She thought, “I’m worn out, and my husband is old. Can I really know the joy of having a baby?”

¹³ Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Will I really have a baby, now that I am old?’ ¹⁴ Is anything too hard for me? I will return to you at the appointed time next year. Sarah will have a son.”

¹⁵ Sarah was afraid. So she lied and said, “I didn’t laugh.”

But the Lord said, “Yes, you laughed.”

Abraham Pleads for Sodom

¹⁶ The men got up to leave. They looked down toward Sodom. Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. ¹⁷ Then the Lord said, “Should I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? ¹⁸ He will certainly become a great and powerful nation. All nations on earth will be blessed because of him. ¹⁹ I have chosen him. He must direct his children to live in the way that pleases me. And he must direct the members of his family after him to do the same. So he must guide all of them in doing what is right and fair. Then I, the Lord, will do for Abraham what I have promised him.”

²⁰ The Lord also said, “The cries against Sodom and Gomorrah are very great. Their sin is so bad ²¹ that I will go down and see for myself. I want to see if what they have done is as bad as the cries that have reached me. If it is not, then I will know.”

²² The men turned away and went toward Sodom. But Abraham remained standing in front of the Lord. ²³ Then Abraham came up to him. He said, “Will you sweep away godly people along with those who are evil? ²⁴ What if there are 50 godly people in the city? Will you really sweep it away? Won’t you spare the place because of the 50 godly people in it? ²⁵ You would never kill godly people along with those who are evil, would you? Would you treat them all alike? You would never do anything like that! Won’t the Judge of the whole earth do what is right?”

²⁶ The Lord said, “If I find 50 godly people in the city of Sodom, I will spare it. I will spare the whole place because of them.”

²⁷ Then Abraham spoke up again. He said, “I have been very bold to speak to the Lord. After all, I’m only dust and ashes. ²⁸ What if the number of godly people is five fewer than 50? Will you destroy the whole city because there are five fewer people?”

“If I find 45 there,” he said, “I will not destroy it.”

²⁹ Once again Abraham spoke to him. He asked, “What if only 40 are found there?”

He said, “If there are 40, I will not do it.”

³⁰ Then Abraham said, “Lord, please don’t be angry with me. Let me speak. What if only 30 can be found there?”

He answered, “If I find 30, I will not do it.”

³¹ Abraham said, “I have been very bold to speak to the Lord. What if only 20 can be found there?”

He said, “If I find 20, I will not destroy it.”

³² Then he said, “Lord, please don’t be angry with me. Let me speak just one more time. What if only ten can be found there?”

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

³³ When the Lord had finished speaking with Abraham, he left. And Abraham returned home.

The Lord Destroys Sodom and Gomorrah

19 The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening. Lot was sitting near the gate of the city. When Lot saw the angels, he got up to greet them. He bowed down with his face to the ground. ² “My lords,” he said, “please come to my house. You can wash your feet and spend the night there. Then you can go on your way early in the morning.”

“No,” they answered. “We’ll spend the night in the town square.”

³ But Lot wouldn’t give up. So they went with him and entered his house. He prepared a meal for them. He baked bread without using yeast. And they ate. ⁴ Before Lot and his guests had gone to bed, all the men came from every part of the city of Sodom. Young and old men alike surrounded the house. ⁵ They called out to Lot. They said, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us. We want to have sex with them.”

⁶ Lot went outside to meet them. He shut the door behind him. ⁷ He said, “No, my friends. Don’t do such an evil thing. ⁸ Look, I have two daughters that no man has ever slept with. I’ll bring them out to you now. Then do to them what you want to. But don’t do anything to these men. I’ve brought them inside so they can be safe.”

⁹ “Get out of our way!” the men of Sodom replied to Lot. “You came here as an outsider. Now you want to act like a judge! We’ll treat you worse than them.” They kept trying to force Lot to open the door. Then they moved forward to break it down.

¹⁰ But the angels inside reached out and pulled Lot back into the house and shut the door. ¹¹ Then they made the men who were at the door of the house blind. They blinded both young and old men so that they couldn’t find the door.

¹² The two angels said to Lot, “Do you have any other family members here? Do you have sons-in-law, sons, daughters or any other relatives in the city? Get them out of here! ¹³ We are going to destroy this place. Many have cried out to the Lord against the people of this city. So he has sent us to destroy it.”

¹⁴ Then Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law. They had promised to marry his daughters. He said, “Hurry up! Get out of this place! The Lord is about to destroy the city!” But his sons-in-law thought he was joking.

¹⁵ The sun was coming up. So the angels tried to get Lot to leave. They said, “Hurry up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here. Get out! If you don’t, you will be swept away when the city is destroyed.”

¹⁶ Lot didn’t move right away. So the men grabbed him by the hand. They also took hold of the hands of his wife and two daughters. They led all of them safely out of the city. The Lord had mercy on them. ¹⁷ As soon as the angels had brought them out, one of them spoke. He said, “Run for your lives! Don’t look back! Don’t stop anywhere in the valley! Run to the mountains! If you don’t, you will be swept away!”

¹⁸ But Lot said to them, “No, my lords! Please! ¹⁹ You have done me a big favor. You have been very kind to me by sparing my life. But I can’t run to the mountains. I won’t be able to escape this horrible thing that’s going to happen. And then I’ll die. ²⁰ Look, here’s a town near enough to run to. It’s small. Let me run to it. It’s very small, isn’t it? Then my life will be spared.”

²¹ The Lord said to Lot, “All right. I will also give you what you are asking for. I will not destroy the town you are talking about. ²² But run there quickly. I can’t do anything until you reach it.” The town was named Zoar. Zoar means Small.

²³ By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land. ²⁴ Then the Lord sent down burning sulfur. It came down like rain on Sodom and Gomorrah. It came from the Lord. It came out of the sky. ²⁵ The Lord destroyed these cities and the whole valley. All the people who were living in the cities were wiped out. So were the plants in the land. ²⁶ But Lot’s wife looked back. When she did, she became a pillar made out of salt.

²⁷ Early the next morning Abraham got up. He returned to the place where he had stood in front of the Lord. ²⁸ He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and the whole valley. He saw thick smoke rising from the land. It looked like smoke from a furnace.

²⁹ So when God destroyed the cities of the valley, he showed concern for Abraham. He brought Lot out safely when he destroyed the cities where Lot had lived.

Lot and His Daughters

³⁰ Lot and his two daughters left Zoar. They went to live in the mountains because Lot was afraid to stay in Zoar. So he and his daughters lived in a cave. ³¹ One day the older daughter spoke to the younger one. She said, “Our father is old. People all over the earth have men to marry and have children with. We do not. ³² So let’s get our father to drink wine. Then we can sleep with him. We can use our father to continue our family line.”

³³ That night they got their father to drink wine. Then the older daughter went in and slept with him. He wasn’t aware when she lay down or when she got up.

³⁴ The next day the older daughter spoke to the younger one again. She said, “Last night I slept with my father. Let’s get him to drink wine again tonight. Then you go in and sleep with him. We can use our father to continue our family line.” ³⁵ So they got their father to drink wine that night also. Then the younger daughter slept with him. Again he wasn’t aware when she lay down or when she got up.

³⁶ So both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their father. ³⁷ The older daughter had a son. She named him Moab. He’s the father of the Moabites of today. ³⁸ The younger daughter also had a son. She named him Ben-Ammi. He’s the father of the Ammonites of today.

Abraham and Abimelek

20 Abraham moved south into the Negev Desert. He lived between Kadesh and Shur. For a while he stayed in Gerar. ² There Abraham said about his wife Sarah, “She’s my sister.” Then Abimelek, the king of Gerar, sent for Sarah and took her.

³ So God appeared to Abimelek in a dream one night. He said to him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken. She is already married.”

⁴ But Abimelek hadn’t gone near her. So he said, “Lord, will you destroy a nation that hasn’t done anything wrong? ⁵ Didn’t Abraham say to me, ‘She’s my sister’? And didn’t she also say, ‘He’s my brother’? I had no idea I was doing anything wrong.”

⁶ Then God spoke to him in the dream. He said, “Yes, I know you had no idea you were doing anything wrong. So I have kept you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her. ⁷ Now return the man’s wife to him. He is a prophet. So he will pray for you, and you will live. But what if you do not return her? Then you can be sure that you and all your people will die.”

⁸ Early the next morning Abimelek sent for all his officials. When he told them everything that had happened, they were really afraid. ⁹ Then Abimelek called Abraham in. Abimelek said, “What have you done to us? Have I done something wrong to you? Why have you brought so much guilt on me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should never be done.” ¹⁰ Abimelek also asked Abraham, “Why did you do this?”

¹¹ Abraham replied, “I thought, ‘There is no respect for God in this place. They will kill me because of my wife.’ ¹² Besides, she really is my sister. She’s the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother. And she became my wife. ¹³ God had me wander away from my father’s house. So I said to her, ‘Here is how you can show your love to me. Everywhere we go, say about me, “He’s my brother.” ’ ”

¹⁴ Then Abimelek gave Abraham sheep and cattle and male and female slaves. He also returned his wife Sarah to him. ¹⁵ Abimelek said, “Here is my land. Live anywhere you want to.”

¹⁶ He said to Sarah, “I’m giving your brother 25 pounds of silver. This will show everyone with you that I am sorry for what I did to you. You haven’t done anything wrong.”

¹⁷ Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelek. He also healed his wife and his female slaves so they could have children again. ¹⁸ The Lord had kept all the women in Abimelek’s house from having children. He had done it because of Abraham’s wife Sarah.

Isaac Is Born

21 The Lord was gracious to Sarah, just as he had said he would be. The Lord did for Sarah what he had promised to do. ² Sarah became pregnant. She had a son by Abraham when he was old. The child was born at the exact time God had promised. ³ Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah had by him. ⁴ When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him. He did it exactly as God had commanded him. ⁵ Abraham was 100 years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

⁶ Sarah said, “God has given laughter to me. Everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” ⁷ She also said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would breast-feed children? But I’ve had a son by him when he is old.”

Abraham Sends Hagar and Ishmael Away

⁸ Isaac grew. The time came for his mother to stop breast-feeding him. On that day Abraham prepared a big celebration. ⁹ But Sarah saw Ishmael making fun of Isaac. Ishmael was the son Hagar had by Abraham. Hagar was Sarah’s Egyptian slave. ¹⁰ Sarah said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman! Get rid of her son! That woman’s son will never have a share of the family’s property. All of it belongs to my son Isaac.”

¹¹ What Sarah said upset Abraham very much. After all, Ishmael was his son. ¹² But God said to Abraham, “Do not be so upset about the boy and your slave Hagar. Listen to what Sarah tells you, because your family line will continue through Isaac. ¹³ I will also make the son of your slave into a nation. I will do it because he is your child.”

¹⁴ Early the next morning Abraham got some food and a bottle of water. The bottle was made out of animal skin. He gave the food and water to Hagar, placing them on her shoulders. Then he sent her away with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the Desert of Beersheba.

¹⁵ When the water in the bottle was gone, she put the boy under a bush. ¹⁶ Then she sat down about as far away as a person can shoot an arrow. She thought, “I can’t stand to watch the boy die.” As she sat there, she began to sob.

¹⁷ God heard the boy crying. Then the angel of God called out to Hagar from heaven. He said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid. God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. ¹⁸ Lift up the boy and take him by the hand. I will make him into a great nation.”

¹⁹ Then God opened Hagar’s eyes, and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the bottle with water and gave the boy a drink.

²⁰ God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and learned to shoot a bow and arrow. ²¹ While he was living in the Desert of Paran, his mother got a wife for him from Egypt.

The Agreement at Beersheba

²² At that time Abimelek and his army commander, Phicol, spoke to Abraham. They said to Abraham, “God is with you in everything you do. ²³ Now make a promise to me here while God is watching. Give me your word that you will treat me fairly. Promise that you will treat my children and their children the same way. I’ve been kind to you. Now you be kind to me and the country where you are living as an outsider.”

²⁴ Abraham said, “I give you my word that I’ll do it.”

²⁵ Then Abraham complained to Abimelek that his servants had taken over a well of water. ²⁶ But Abimelek said, “I don’t know who has done this. You didn’t tell me. And today is the first time I heard about it.”

²⁷ So Abraham gave Abimelek sheep and cattle. The two men came to an agreement. ²⁸ Then Abraham picked out seven female lambs from his flock. ²⁹ Abimelek asked Abraham, “What’s the meaning of these seven female lambs? Why have you picked them out and set them apart?”

³⁰ Abraham replied, “Accept the seven lambs from me. They will be a witness that I dug this well.”

³¹ So that place was named Beersheba. That’s because there the two men came to an agreement.

³² After the agreement had been made at Beersheba, Abimelek went back to the land of the Philistines. His army commander, Phicol, went with him. ³³ Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba. There he called on the name of the Lord, the God who lives forever. ³⁴ Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for a long time.

God Tests Abraham

22 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am,” Abraham replied.

² Then God said, “Take your son, your only son. He is the one you love. Take Isaac. Go to the place called Moriah. Give your son to me there as a burnt offering. Sacrifice him on the mountain I will show you.”

³ Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took two of his servants and his son Isaac with him. He cut enough wood for the burnt offering. Then he started out for the place God had shown him. ⁴ On the third day Abraham saw the place a long way off. ⁵ He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey. I and the boy will go over there and worship. Then we’ll come back to you.”

⁶ Abraham had his son Isaac carry the wood for the burnt offering. He himself carried the fire and the knife. And the two of them walked on together. ⁷ Then Isaac said to his father Abraham, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said. “But where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

⁸ Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them walked on together.

⁹ They reached the place God had shown Abraham. There Abraham built an altar. He arranged the wood on it. He tied up his son Isaac. Abraham placed him on the altar, on top of the wood. ¹⁰ Then he reached out his hand. He picked up the knife to kill his son. ¹¹ But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven. He said, “Abraham! Abraham!”

“Here I am,” Abraham replied.

¹² “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not harm him. Now I know that you would do anything for God. You have not held back from me your son, your only son.”

¹³ Abraham looked around. There in a bush he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram. He sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. ¹⁴ So Abraham named that place The Lord Will Provide. To this day people say, “It will be provided on the mountain of the Lord.”

¹⁵ The angel of the Lord called out to Abraham from heaven a second time. ¹⁶ He said, “I am giving you my word that I will bless you. I will bless you because of what you have done,” announces the Lord. “You have not held back your son, your only son. ¹⁷ So I will certainly bless you. I will make the children born into your family as many as the stars in the sky. I will make them as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. They will take over the cities of their enemies. ¹⁸ All nations on earth will be blessed because of your children. All these things will happen because you have obeyed me.”

¹⁹ Then Abraham returned to his servants. They started out together for Beersheba. And Abraham stayed in Beersheba.

Nahor’s Sons

Milkah had the eight sons by Abraham’s brother Nahor.

Sarah Dies

23 Sarah lived to be 127 years old. ² She died at Kiriath Arba. Kiriath Arba is also called Hebron. It’s in the land of Canaan. Sarah’s death made Abraham very sad. He went to the place where her body was lying. There he wept over her.

³ Then Abraham got up from beside his wife’s body. He said to the Hittites, ⁴ “I’m an outsider. I’m a stranger among you. Sell me some property where I can bury those in my family who die. Then I can bury my wife.”

⁵ The Hittites replied to Abraham, ⁶ “Sir, listen to us. You are a mighty prince among us. Bury your wife in the best place we have to bury our dead. None of us will refuse to sell you a place to bury her.”

⁷ Then Abraham bowed down in front of the Hittites, the people of the land. ⁸ He said to them, “If you are willing to let me bury my wife, then listen to me. Speak to Zohar’s son Ephron for me. ⁹ Ask him to sell me the cave of Machpelah. It belongs to him and is at the end of his field. Ask him to sell it to me for the full price. I want it as a place to bury my dead wife among you.”

¹⁰ Ephron the Hittite was sitting there among his people. He replied to Abraham. All of the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city heard him. ¹¹ “No, sir,” Ephron said. “Listen to me. I will give you the field. I’ll also give you the cave that’s in the field. I will give it to you in front of my people. Bury your wife.”

¹² Again Abraham bowed down in front of the people of the land. ¹³ He spoke to Ephron so they could hear him. He said, “Please listen to me. I’ll pay the price of the field. Accept it from me. Then I can bury my wife there.”

¹⁴ Ephron answered Abraham, ¹⁵ “Sir, listen to me. The land is worth ten pounds of silver. But what’s that between the two of us? Bury your wife.”

¹⁶ Abraham agreed to Ephron’s offer. He weighed out for Ephron the price he had named. The Hittites there had heard the amount. The price was ten pounds of silver. Abraham measured it by the weights that were used by merchants.

¹⁷ So Ephron sold his field to Abraham. The field was in Machpelah near Mamre. Abraham bought the field and the cave that was in it. He also bought all the trees that were inside the borders of the field. Everything was sold ¹⁸ to Abraham as his property. He bought it in front of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of the city. ¹⁹ Then Abraham buried his wife Sarah. He buried her in the cave in the field of Machpelah near Mamre in the land of Canaan. Mamre is at Hebron. ²⁰ So the field and the cave that was in it were sold to Abraham by the Hittites. The property became a place to bury those who died in his family.

Abraham’s Servant Finds a Wife for Isaac

24 By that time Abraham was very old. The Lord had blessed Abraham in every way. ² The best servant in his house was in charge of everything Abraham had. Abraham said to him, “Put your hand under my thigh. ³ The Lord is the God of heaven and the God of earth. I want you to make a promise to me in his name. I’m living among the people of Canaan. But I want you to promise me that you won’t get a wife for my son from their daughters. ⁴ Instead, promise me that you will go to my country and to my own relatives. Get a wife for my son Isaac from there.”

⁵ The servant asked Abraham, “What if the woman doesn’t want to come back with me to this land? Then should I take your son back to the country you came from?”

⁶ “Make sure you don’t take my son back there,” Abraham said. ⁷ “The Lord, the God of heaven, took me away from my father’s family. He brought me out of my own land. He made me a promise. He said, ‘I will give this land to your family after you.’ The Lord will send his angel ahead of you. So you will be able to get a wife for my son from there. ⁸ The woman may not want to come back with you. If she doesn’t, you will be free from your promise. But don’t take my son back there.” ⁹ So the servant put his hand under Abraham’s thigh. He promised to do what his master wanted.

¹⁰ The servant chose ten of his master’s camels and left. He loaded the camels with all kinds of good things from his master. He started out for Aram Naharaim and made his way to the town of Nahor. ¹¹ He stopped near the well outside the town. There he made the camels get down on their knees. It was almost evening, the time when women go out to get water.

¹² Then he prayed, “Lord, you are the God of my master Abraham. Make me successful today. Be kind to my master Abraham. ¹³ I’m standing beside this spring. The daughters of the people who live in the town are coming out here to get water. ¹⁴ I will speak to a young woman. I’ll say to her, ‘Please lower your jar so I can have a drink.’ Suppose she says, ‘Have a drink of water, and I’ll get some for your camels too.’ Then let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. That’s how I’ll know you have been kind to my master.”

¹⁵ Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out. She was carrying a jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Milkah’s son Bethuel. Milkah was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor. ¹⁶ The young woman was very beautiful. No man had ever slept with her. She went down to the spring. She filled her jar and came up again.

¹⁷ The servant hurried to meet her. He said, “Please give me a little water from your jar.”

¹⁸ “Have a drink, sir,” she said. She quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink.

¹⁹ After she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll get water for your camels too. I’ll keep doing it until they have had enough to drink.” ²⁰ So she quickly emptied her jar into the stone tub. Then she ran back to the well to get more water. She got enough for all his camels. ²¹ The man didn’t say a word. He watched her closely. He wanted to learn whether the Lord had given him success on the journey he had made.

²² The camels finished drinking. Then the man took out a gold nose ring. It weighed about a fifth of an ounce. He also took out two gold bracelets. They weighed about four ounces. ²³ Then he asked, “Whose daughter are you? And please tell me something else. Is there room in your father’s house for us? Can we spend the night there?”

²⁴ She answered, “I’m the daughter of Bethuel. He’s the son Milkah had by Nahor.” ²⁵ She continued, “We have plenty of straw and feed for your camels. We also have room for you to spend the night.”

²⁶ Then the man bowed down and worshiped the Lord. ²⁷ He said, “I praise the Lord, the God of my master Abraham. The Lord hasn’t stopped being kind and faithful to my master. The Lord has led me on this journey. He has brought me to the house of my master’s relatives.”

²⁸ The young woman ran home. She told her mother’s family what had happened. ²⁹ Rebekah had a brother named Laban. He hurried out to the spring to meet the man. ³⁰ Laban had seen the nose ring. He had seen the bracelets on his sister’s arms. And he had heard Rebekah tell what the man had said to her. So Laban went out to the man. He found him standing by the camels near the spring. ³¹ “The Lord has given you his blessing,” he said. “So come with me. Why are you standing out here? I’ve prepared my house for you. I also have a place for the camels.”

³² So the man went to the house. The camels were unloaded. Straw and feed were brought for the camels. And water was brought for him and his men to wash their feet. ³³ Then food was placed in front of him. But he said, “I won’t eat until I’ve told you what I have to say.”

“Then tell us,” Laban said.

³⁴ So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. ³⁵ The Lord has blessed my master greatly, and he has become rich. The Lord has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold. He has also given him male and female servants, camels and donkeys. ³⁶ My master’s wife Sarah had a son by him when she was old. He has given that son everything he owns. ³⁷ My master made me promise him. He said, ‘I’m living in the land of the people of Canaan. But promise me that you won’t get a wife for my son from their daughters. ³⁸ Instead, go to my father’s family and to my own relatives. Get a wife for my son there.’

³⁹ “Then I asked my master, ‘What if the woman won’t come back with me?’

⁴⁰ “He replied, ‘I have walked faithfully with the Lord. He will send his angel with you. He will give you success on your journey. So you will be able to get a wife for my son. She will be from my own relatives and from my father’s family. ⁴¹ When you go to my relatives, suppose they refuse to give her to you. Then you will be free from the promise you made to me.’

⁴² “Today I came to the spring. I said, ‘Lord, you are the God of my master Abraham. Please make me successful on this journey I’ve made. ⁴³ I’m standing beside this spring. A young woman will come out to get water. I’ll say to her, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar.” ⁴⁴ Suppose she says, “Have a drink of water, and I’ll get some for your camels too.” Then let her be the one the Lord has chosen for my master’s son.’

⁴⁵ “Before I finished praying in my heart, Rebekah came out. She was carrying a jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and got water. I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’

⁴⁶ “She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder. She said, ‘Have a drink, and I’ll get water for your camels too.’ So I drank. She also got water for the camels.

⁴⁷ “I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’

“She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel. He’s the son Milkah had by Nahor.’

“Then I put the ring in her nose. I put the bracelets on her arms. ⁴⁸ And I bowed down and worshiped the Lord. I praised the Lord, the God of my master Abraham. He had led me on the right road. He had led me to get for my master’s son the granddaughter of my master’s brother. ⁴⁹ Now will you be kind and faithful to my master? If you will, tell me. And if you won’t, tell me. Then I’ll know which way to turn.”

⁵⁰ Laban and Bethuel answered, “The Lord has done all of this. We can’t say anything to you one way or the other. ⁵¹ Here is Rebekah. Take her and go. Let her become the wife of your master’s son, just as the Lord has said.”

⁵² Abraham’s servant heard what they said. So he bowed down to the Lord with his face to the ground. ⁵³ He brought out gold and silver jewelry and articles of clothing. He gave all of them to Rebekah. He also gave expensive gifts to her brother and her mother. ⁵⁴ Then Abraham’s servant and the men who were with him ate and drank. They spent the night there.

When they got up the next morning, Abraham’s servant said, “Send me back to my master.”

⁵⁵ But her brother and her mother replied, “Let the young woman stay with us ten days or so. Then you can go.”

⁵⁶ But he said to them, “Don’t make me wait. The Lord has given me success on my journey. Send me on my way so I can go to my master.”

⁵⁷ Then they said, “Let’s get Rebekah and ask her about it.” ⁵⁸ So they sent for her and asked, “Will you go with this man?”

“Yes, I’ll go,” she said.

⁵⁹ So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way with Abraham’s servant and his men. They also sent Rebekah’s servant with her. ⁶⁰ And they gave Rebekah their blessing. They said to her,

⁶¹ Then Rebekah and her female servants got ready. They got on their camels to go back with the man. So Abraham’s servant took Rebekah and left.

⁶² By that time Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi. He was living in the Negev Desert. ⁶³ One evening he went out to the field. He wanted to spend some time thinking. When he looked up, he saw camels approaching. ⁶⁴ Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel. ⁶⁵ She asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?”

“He’s my master,” the servant answered. So she covered her face with her veil.

⁶⁶ Then the servant told Isaac everything he had done. ⁶⁷ Isaac brought Rebekah into the tent that had belonged to his mother Sarah. And he married Rebekah. She became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother died.

Abraham Dies

25 Abraham had married another woman. Her name was Keturah. ² She had Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah by Abraham. ³ Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. The children of Dedan were the Ashurites, the Letushites and the Leummites. ⁴ The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanok, Abida and Eldaah. All of them were members of Keturah’s family line.

⁵ Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac. ⁶ But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines. Then he sent them away from his son Isaac. He sent them to the land of the east.

⁷ Abraham lived a total of 175 years. ⁸ He took his last breath and died when he was very old. He had lived a very long time. Then he joined the members of his family who had already died. ⁹ Abraham’s sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him. They put his body in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre. It was in the field of Ephron, the son of Zohar the Hittite. ¹⁰ Abraham had bought the field from the Hittites. He was buried there with his wife Sarah. ¹¹ After Abraham died, God blessed his son Isaac. At that time Isaac was living near Beer Lahai Roi.

The Sons of Ishmael

¹² Here is the story of the family line of Abraham’s son Ishmael. Hagar gave birth to Ishmael by Abraham. Hagar was Sarah’s slave from Egypt.

¹³ Here are the names of the sons of Ishmael. They are listed in the order they were born.

¹⁶ All of them were Ishmael’s sons. They were rulers of 12 tribes. They all lived in their own settlements and camps.

¹⁷ Ishmael lived a total of 137 years. Then he took his last breath and died. He joined the members of his family who had already died. ¹⁸ His children settled in the area between Havilah and Shur. It was near the eastern border of Egypt, as you go toward Ashur. Ishmael’s children weren’t friendly toward any of the tribes related to them.

Jacob and Esau

¹⁹ Here is the story of the family line of Abraham’s son Isaac.

Abraham was the father of Isaac. ²⁰ Isaac was 40 years old when he married Rebekah. She was the daughter of Bethuel, the Aramean from Paddan Aram. She was also the sister of Laban, the Aramean.

²¹ Rebekah couldn’t have children. So Isaac prayed to the Lord for her. And the Lord answered his prayer. His wife Rebekah became pregnant. ²² The babies struggled with each other inside her. She said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to ask the Lord what she should do.

²³ The Lord said to her,

²⁴ The time came for Rebekah to have her babies. There were twin boys in her body. ²⁵ The first one to come out was red. His whole body was covered with hair. So they named him Esau. ²⁶ Then his brother came out. His hand was holding onto Esau’s heel. So he was named Jacob. Isaac was 60 years old when Rebekah had them.

²⁷ The boys grew up. Esau became a skillful hunter. He liked the open country. But Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents. ²⁸ Isaac liked the meat of wild animals. So Esau was his favorite son. But Rebekah’s favorite was Jacob.

²⁹ One day Jacob was cooking some stew. Esau came in from the open country. He was very hungry. ³⁰ He said to Jacob, “Quick! I’m very hungry! Let me have some of that red stew!” That’s why he was also named Edom.

³¹ Jacob replied, “First sell me the rights that belong to you as the oldest son in the family.”

³² “Look, I’m dying of hunger,” Esau said. “What good are those rights to me?”

³³ But Jacob said, “First promise to sell me your rights.” So Esau promised to do it. He sold Jacob all the rights that belonged to him as the oldest son.

³⁴ Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. Esau ate and drank. Then he got up and left.

So Esau didn’t value the rights that belonged to him as the oldest son.

Isaac and Abimelek

26 There was very little food in the land. The same thing had been true earlier, in Abraham’s time. Isaac went to Abimelek in Gerar. Abimelek was the king of the Philistines. ² The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt. Live in the land where I tell you to live. ³ Stay there for a while. I will be with you and give you my blessing. I will give all these lands to you and your children after you. And I will keep my word that I gave to your father Abraham. ⁴ I will make your children after you as many as the stars in the sky. And I will give them all these lands. All nations on earth will be blessed because of your children. ⁵ I will do all these things because Abraham obeyed me. He did everything I required. He kept my commands, my rules and my instructions.” ⁶ So Isaac stayed in Gerar.

⁷ The men of that place asked him about his wife. He said, “She’s my sister.” He was afraid to say, “She’s my wife.” He thought, “The men of this place might kill me because of Rebekah. She’s a beautiful woman.”

⁸ Isaac had been there a long time. One day Abimelek, the king of the Philistines, looked down from a window. He saw Isaac hugging and kissing his wife Rebekah. ⁹ So Abimelek sent for Isaac. He said, “She’s really your wife, isn’t she? Why did you say she was your sister?”

Isaac answered him, “I thought I might lose my life because of her.”

¹⁰ Then Abimelek said, “What have you done to us? What if one of the men slept with your wife? Then you would have made us guilty.”

¹¹ So Abimelek gave orders to all the people. He said, “Anyone who harms this man or his wife will surely be put to death.”

¹² Isaac planted crops in that land. That same year he gathered 100 times more than he planted. That was because the Lord blessed him. ¹³ Isaac became rich. His wealth continued to grow until he became very rich. ¹⁴ He had many flocks and herds and servants. Isaac had so much that the Philistines became jealous of him. ¹⁵ So they stopped up all the wells the servants of his father Abraham had dug. They filled them with dirt.

¹⁶ Then Abimelek said to Isaac, “Move away from us. You have become too powerful for us.”

¹⁷ So Isaac moved away from there. He camped in the Valley of Gerar, where he made his home. ¹⁸ Isaac opened up the wells again. They had been dug in the time of his father Abraham. The Philistines had stopped them up after Abraham died. Isaac gave the wells the same names his father had given them.

¹⁹ Isaac’s servants dug wells in the valley. There they discovered fresh water. ²⁰ But the people of Gerar who took care of their own herds argued with the people who took care of Isaac’s herds. “The water is ours!” the people of Gerar said. So Isaac named the well Esek. That’s because they argued with him. ²¹ Then Isaac’s servants dug another well. They argued about that one too. So he named it Sitnah. ²² Isaac moved on from there and dug another well. But no one argued about that one. So he named it Rehoboth. He said, “Now the Lord has given us room. Now we will be successful in the land.”

²³ From there Isaac went up to Beersheba. ²⁴ That night the Lord appeared to him. He said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid. I am with you. I will bless you. I will increase the number of your children because of my servant Abraham.”

²⁵ Isaac built an altar there and worshiped the Lord. There he set up his tent. And there his servants dug a well.

²⁶ During that time, Abimelek had come to him from Gerar. His personal adviser, Ahuzzath, had come with him. So had his army commander, Phicol. ²⁷ Isaac asked them, “Why have you come to me? You were angry with me and sent me away.”

²⁸ They answered, “We saw clearly that the Lord was with you. So we said, ‘There should be an agreement between us and you.’ We want to make a peace treaty with you. ²⁹ Give us your word that you won’t harm us. We didn’t harm you. We always treated you well. We sent you away peacefully. And now the Lord has blessed you.”

³⁰ Then Isaac had a feast prepared for them. They ate and drank. ³¹ Early the next morning the men made a treaty with each other. Then Isaac sent the men of Gerar on their way. And they left peacefully.

³² That day Isaac’s servants came to him. They told him about the well they had dug. They said, “We’ve found water!” ³³ So he named it Shibah. To this day the name of the town has been Beersheba.

Jacob Takes Esau’s Blessing

³⁴ When Esau was 40 years old, he got married to Judith. She was the daughter of Beeri the Hittite. Esau also married Basemath. She was the daughter of Elon the Hittite. ³⁵ Isaac and Rebekah became very upset because Esau had married Hittite women.

27 Isaac had become old. His eyes were so weak he couldn’t see anymore. One day he called for his older son Esau. He said to him, “My son.”

“Here I am,” he answered.

² Isaac said, “I’m an old man now. And I don’t know when I’ll die. ³ Now then, get your weapons. Get your bow and arrows. Go out to the open country. Hunt some wild animals for me. ⁴ Prepare for me the kind of tasty food I like. Bring it to me to eat. Then I’ll give you my blessing before I die.”

⁵ Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to his son Esau. Esau left for the open country. He went to hunt for a wild animal and bring it back. ⁶ Then Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Look, I heard your father speaking to your brother Esau. ⁷ He said, ‘Bring me a wild animal. Prepare some tasty food for me to eat. Then I’ll give you my blessing before I die. The Lord will be my witness.’ ” ⁸ Rebekah continued, “My son, listen carefully. Do what I tell you. ⁹ Go out to the flock. Bring me two of the finest young goats. I will prepare tasty food for your father. I’ll make it just the way he likes it. ¹⁰ I want you to take it to your father to eat. Then he’ll give you his blessing before he dies.”

¹¹ Jacob said to his mother Rebekah, “My brother Esau’s body is covered with hair. But my skin is smooth. ¹² What if my father touches me? He would know I was trying to trick him. He would curse me instead of giving me a blessing.”

¹³ His mother said to him, “My son, let the curse be on me. Just do what I say. Go and get the goats for me.”

¹⁴ So he went and got the goats. He brought them to his mother. And she prepared some tasty food. She made it just the way his father liked it. ¹⁵ The clothes of her older son Esau were in her house. She took Esau’s best clothes and put them on her younger son Jacob. ¹⁶ She covered his hands with the skins of the goats. She also covered the smooth part of his neck with them. ¹⁷ Then she handed to her son Jacob the tasty food and the bread she had made.

¹⁸ He went to his father and said, “My father.”

“Yes, my son,” Isaac answered. “Who is it?”

¹⁹ Jacob said to his father, “I’m your oldest son Esau. I’ve done as you told me. Please sit up. Eat some of my wild meat. Then give me your blessing.”

²⁰ Isaac asked his son, “How did you find it so quickly, my son?”

“The Lord your God gave me success,” he replied.

²¹ Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come near so I can touch you, my son. I want to know whether you really are my son Esau.”

²² Jacob went close to his father. Isaac touched him and said, “The voice is the voice of Jacob. But the hands are the hands of Esau.” ²³ Isaac didn’t recognize Jacob. Jacob’s hands were covered with hair like those of his brother Esau. So Isaac blessed him. ²⁴ “Are you really my son Esau?” he asked.

“I am,” Jacob replied.

²⁵ Isaac said, “My son, bring me some of your wild meat to eat. Then I’ll give you my blessing.”

Jacob brought it to him. So Isaac ate. Jacob also brought some wine. And Isaac drank. ²⁶ Then Jacob’s father Isaac said to him, “Come here, my son. Kiss me.”

²⁷ So Jacob went to him and kissed him. When Isaac smelled the clothes, he gave Jacob his blessing. He said,

³⁰ When Isaac finished blessing him, Jacob left his father. Just then his brother Esau came in from hunting. ³¹ He too prepared some tasty food. He brought it to his father. Then Esau said to him, “My father, please sit up. Eat some of my wild meat. Then give me your blessing.”

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

“I’m your son,” he answered. “I’m Esau, your oldest son.”

³³ Isaac began to shake all over. He said, “Then who hunted a wild animal and brought it to me? I ate it just before you came. I gave him my blessing. And he will certainly be blessed!”

³⁴ Esau heard his father’s words. Then he yelled loudly and bitterly. He said to his father, “Bless me! Bless me too, my father!”

³⁵ But Isaac said, “Your brother came and tricked me. He took your blessing.”

³⁶ Esau said, “Isn’t Jacob just the right name for him? This is the second time he has taken advantage of me. First, he took my rights as the oldest son. And now he’s taken my blessing!” Then Esau asked, “Haven’t you saved any blessing for me?”

³⁷ Isaac answered Esau, “I’ve made him ruler over you. I’ve made all his relatives serve him. And I’ve provided him with grain and fresh wine. So what can I possibly do for you, my son?”

³⁸ Esau said to his father, “Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me too, my father!” Then Esau wept loudly.

³⁹ His father Isaac answered him,

⁴¹ Esau was angry with Jacob. He was angry because of the blessing his father had given to Jacob. He said to himself, “The days of sorrow over my father’s death are near. Then I’ll kill my brother Jacob.”

⁴² Rebekah was told what her older son Esau had said. So she sent for her younger son Jacob. She said to him, “Your brother Esau is planning to get back at you by killing you. ⁴³ Now then, my son, do what I say. Run away at once to my brother Laban in Harran. ⁴⁴ Stay with him until your brother’s anger calms down. ⁴⁵ When he forgets what you did to him, I’ll let you know. Then you can come back from there. Why should I lose both of you in one day?”

⁴⁶ Then Rebekah spoke to Isaac. She said, “I’m sick of living because of Esau’s Hittite wives. Suppose Jacob also marries a Hittite woman. If he does, my life won’t be worth living.”

28 So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. Then he commanded him, “Don’t get married to a Canaanite woman. ² Go at once to Paddan Aram. Go to the house of your mother’s father Bethuel. Find a wife for yourself there. Take her from among the daughters of your mother’s brother Laban. ³ May the Mighty God bless you. May he give you children. May he make your family larger until you become a community of nations. ⁴ May he give you and your children after you the blessing he gave to Abraham. Then you can take over the land where you now live as an outsider. It’s the land God gave to Abraham.” ⁵ Isaac sent Jacob on his way. Jacob went to Paddan Aram. He went to Laban, the son of Bethuel the Aramean. Laban was Rebekah’s brother. And Rebekah was the mother of Jacob and Esau.

⁶ Esau found out that Isaac had blessed Jacob and had sent him to Paddan Aram. Isaac wanted him to get a wife from there. Esau heard that when Isaac blessed Jacob, he commanded him, “Don’t get married to a woman from Canaan.” ⁷ Esau also learned that Jacob had obeyed his father and mother and had gone to Paddan Aram. ⁸ Then Esau realized how much his father Isaac disliked Canaanite women. ⁹ So he went to Ishmael and married Mahalath. She was the sister of Nebaioth and the daughter of Abraham’s son Ishmael. Esau added her to the wives he already had.

Jacob Has a Dream at Bethel

¹⁰ Jacob left Beersheba and started out for Harran. ¹¹ He reached a certain place and stopped for the night. The sun had already set. He took one of the stones there and placed it under his head. Then he lay down to sleep. ¹² In a dream he saw a stairway standing on the earth. Its top reached to heaven. The angels of God were going up and coming down on it. ¹³ The Lord stood beside the stairway. He said, “I am the Lord. I am the God of your grandfather Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your children after you the land you are lying on. ¹⁴ They will be like the dust of the earth that can’t be counted. They will spread out to the west and to the east. They will spread out to the north and to the south. All nations on earth will be blessed because of you and your children after you. ¹⁵ I am with you. I will watch over you everywhere you go. And I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

¹⁶ Jacob woke up from his sleep. Then he thought, “The Lord is surely in this place. And I didn’t even know it.” ¹⁷ Jacob was afraid. He said, “How holy this place is! This must be the house of God. This is the gate of heaven.”

¹⁸ Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head. He set it up as a sacred stone. And he poured olive oil on top of it. ¹⁹ He named that place Bethel. But the city used to be called Luz.