The Daily Audio Bible

¹⁷ And he went away, that he should come to the strand of Gerar, and dwelled there. (And so he went away from that place, and came to the Gerar Valley, and lived there.)

¹⁸ And he digged again other wells, which the servants of Abraham his father had digged, and which the Philistines had stopped sometime, when Abraham was dead (and which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham died); and he called those wells by the same names, by which his father had called (them) before.

¹⁹ They digged in the strand (And they dug in the valley), and they found quick, or welling up, water.

²⁰ But also strife of [the] shepherds of Gerar was there against the shepherds of Isaac, and they said, The water is ours; wherefore of that strife that befelled, Isaac called the name of that well False Challenge. (But the shepherds of Gerar also quarreled with Isaac’s shepherds, and they said, This water is ours; and so for the strife that befell, Isaac called the name of that well Esek, or Quarrel.)

²¹ And they digged another (well), and they strived also for that, and Isaac called that well Enmities. (And they dug another well, and they also quarreled over that one, and Isaac called that well Sitnah, or Enmity.)

²² And he went forth from thence, and digged another well, for which they strived not, [and] therefore he called the name of that well Breadth, either Largeness; and said, Now God hath alarged us, and hath made us to increase on [the] earth. (And he went forth from there, and dug another well, which they did not quarrel over, and so he called the name of that well Rehoboth, or Broad Places; and he said, Now God hath enlarged us, and we shall be fruitful in this land.)

²³ Isaac forsooth went up from that place into Beersheba, (And Isaac went up from that place to Beersheba,)

²⁴ where the Lord appeared to him in that night; and said, I am [the] God of Abraham, thy father; do not thou dread (do not thou fear), for I am with thee, and I shall bless thee, and I shall multiply thy seed for (the sake of) my servant Abraham.

²⁵ And so Isaac builded there an altar to the Lord; and when the name of the Lord was inwardly called, he stretched forth a tabernacle; and he commanded his servants that they should dig wells. (And so Isaac built an altar there to the Lord; and after he had inwardly called on the Lord’s name, he pitched his tent there; and then he commanded his servants to dig a well.)

²⁶ And when Abimelech, and Ahuzzath, (one of) his friends, and Phicol, [the] duke of knights (the leader of his soldiers), had come from Gerar to that place,

²⁷ Isaac spake to them, (and said,) What came ye to me, a man whom ye have hated, and putted away from you? (Isaac said to them, Why have ye come to me, a man whom ye hate, and whom ye sent away from you?)

²⁸ Which answered, We saw that God is with thee, and therefore we said now, An oath be betwixt us, and make we a covenant of peace, (And they answered, We saw that God was with thee, and so we said, Now let there be an oath between us, and make we a covenant of peace,)

²⁹ (so) that thou do not any[thing of] evil to us, as we (have) touched nothing of thine, neither did that that hurted thee, but with peace we let go thee (but we let thee go away in peace), (and now thou art) increased by the blessing(s) of the Lord.

³⁰ Therefore Isaac made them a feast; and after meat and drink, (And so Isaac made a feast for them; and after food and drink,)

³¹ they rose early, and swore each to (the) other; and Isaac let go them peaceably into their place. (they rose up early, and swore an oath to each other; and then Isaac let them go away in peace.)

³² Lo! forsooth in that day the servants of Isaac came, telling to him of the well which they had digged, and said, We have found water.

³³ Wherefore Isaac called that well Abundance; and the name of the city was set Beersheba till into this present day. (And so Isaac called that well Shebah; and the city there is called Beersheba unto this present day.)

³⁴ Esau forsooth forty years eld wedded two wives (And when Esau was forty years old he wedded two wives), Judith^[a], the daughter of Beeri (the) Hittite, and Bashemath^[b], the daughter of Elon, of the same place;

³⁵ which both offended the soul of Isaac and of Rebecca. (and because both women were heathen, that offended, or greatly distressed, Isaac and Rebecca.)

27 Forsooth Isaac waxed eld, and his eyes dimmed, and he might not see. And he called Esau, his more son, and said to him, My son! Which answered, I am present. (And Isaac grew old, and his eyes dimmed, and he could not see. And he called his elder son Esau, and said to him, My son! And he answered, I am here.)

² To whom the father said, Thou seest that I have waxed eld, and I know not the day of my death^[c].

³ Take thine arms (Take thy weapons), (an) arrow case, and a bow, and go out; and when thou hast taken anything by hunting,

⁴ make me a stew thereof, as thou knowest that I will, and bring it to me that I eat, (so) that (afterward) my soul (can) bless thee before that I die. (make for me a stew out of it, as thou knowest that I like, and bring it to me so that I can eat it, and then I shall bless thee before that I die.)

⁵ And when Rebecca had heard this thing, and he had gone forth into the field that he fulfill the behest of his father,

⁶ she said to her son Jacob, I heard thy father speaking with Esau, thy brother, and saying to him,

⁷ Bring thou to me of thine hunting, and make thou meats, that I eat, and that I bless thee before the Lord before that I die. (Bring thou to me some of thy hunting, and make thou for me some stew, so that I can eat it, and then I shall bless thee before the Lord, before that I die.)

⁸ Now therefore, my son, assent to my counsels,

⁹ and go to the flock, and bring to me twain (of) the best kids, that I make meats of those to thy father, which he shall eat gladly; (and go to the flock, and bring me two of the best goat kids, so that I can make thy father’s favourite meal out of them, which I know that he shall gladly eat;)

¹⁰ and (so) that when thou hast brought in those meats, and he hath eaten, he (shall) bless thee before that he die.

¹¹ To whom Jacob answered, Thou knowest that Esau my brother is an hairy man, and I am smooth;

¹² (so) if my father shall touch (me), or draw me to him, and feel me, I dread lest he guess that I would scorn him, and he bring in cursing on me for blessing (and I bring in a curse upon myself, and not a blessing).

¹³ To whom his mother said, My son, this cursing be in me (My son, any curse shall be upon me); only hear thou my voice, and go, and bring that that I said.

¹⁴ (And so) He went, and brought it, and gave it to his mother. She made ready meats, as she knew that his father would have (And she prepared the meat, in the way that she knew that his father would like it),

¹⁵ and she clothed Jacob in [the] full good clothes of Esau, which she had at home with herself (which she had there at home with her).

¹⁶ And she wrapped his hands about with little skins of (goat) kids, and covered the nakedness of his neck;

¹⁷ and she gave to him the stew (and then she gave him the stew), and betook (to) him [the] loaves, which she had baked.

¹⁸ And when these were brought in, he said, My father! And he answered, I (am) here; (but) who art thou, my son?

¹⁹ And Jacob said, I am Esau, thy first begotten son. I have done to thee as thou commandedest to me; rise thou up, and sit, and eat of my venison, that thy soul bless me. (And Jacob said, I am Esau, thy first-born son. I have done for thee as thou commandedest me; rise thou up, and sit, and eat my venison, and then afterward thou can bless me.)

²⁰ Again Isaac said to his son, My son, how mightest thou find (this) venison so soon? Which answered, It was God’s will, that this thing that I would, should come soon to me. (And Isaac said to his son, My son, how mightest thou find this venison so soon? And Jacob answered, It was God’s will, that what I desired, should come so soon to me.)

²¹ And Isaac said, My son, come thou hither, (so) that I (can) touch thee, and that I prove whether thou be my son Esau, or nay.

²² (And) Jacob nighed to his father; and when Isaac had feeled him, he said, Soothly the voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands be the hands of Esau.

²³ And Isaac knew not Jacob, for the hairy hands showed the likeness of the elder son. Therefore Isaac blessed Jacob (And so that is why Isaac would soon bless Jacob),

²⁴ and (so he) said (again), Art thou my son Esau? (And) Jacob answered, I am.

²⁵ And Isaac said, My son, bring thou to me meats of thine hunting, that my soul bless thee. And when Isaac had eaten these meats brought (to him), Jacob brought also wine to Isaac, and when this was drunken, (And Isaac said, My son, bring thou to me the meats of thy hunting, and then afterward I shall bless thee. And when Isaac had eaten the meat brought to him, Jacob also brought him some wine, and when he had drunk it,)

²⁶ Isaac said to him, My son, come thou hither, and give to me a kiss.

²⁷ Jacob nighed, and kissed him; and anon as Isaac feeled the odour of his clothes, he blessed him, and said, Lo! the odour of my son as the odour of a plenteous field which the Lord hath blessed. (And Jacob came over, and kissed him; and when Isaac smelled the aroma of his clothes, at once he blessed him, saying, Lo! the aroma of my son is like the aroma of a plentiful field which the Lord hath blessed.)

²⁸ God give to thee of the dew of heaven, and of the fatness of [the] earth, (and of the) abundance of wheat, and of wine, and of oil; (May God give thee the dew from heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and an abundance of corn, or of grain, and wine, and oil;)

²⁹ and (may) peoples serve thee, and lineages worship thee; be thou lord of thy brethren, and the sons of thy mother be bowed (low) before thee; be he cursed that curseth thee, and he that blesseth thee, be he [full-]filled with blessings (be they cursed who curse thee, but let those who bless thee, be filled full with blessings).

³⁰ Scarcely Isaac had filled the word, and when Jacob was gone out, Esau came, (Scarcely had Isaac finished speaking, and Jacob had gone out, then Esau came in from his hunting,)

³¹ and brought in meats sodden of the hunting to the father, and said, My father, rise thou, and eat of the hunting of thy son, that thy soul bless me. (and he brought in boiled meats for his father, and said, My father, rise thou up, and eat of thy son’s hunting, and then afterward thou can bless me.)

³² And Isaac said, Who art thou? Which answered, I am Esau, thy first begotten son. (And Isaac said, Who art thou? And Esau answered, I am Esau, thy first-born son.)

³³ Isaac dreaded with a great astonishing; and he wondered more than it may be believed, and said, Who therefore is he which a while ago brought to me venison taken, and I ate of all things before that thou camest; and I blessed him? and he shall be blessed. (And Isaac dreaded with great astonishment; and he wondered more than it can be imagined, and he said, Then who was it, who just a short while ago, brought me the newly caught venison, and I ate all of it before that thou camest in; and I blessed him? and yea, he shall be blessed.)

³⁴ When the words of the father were heard, Esau roared with a great cry, and was astonished, and said, My father, bless thou also me. (And when he heard his father’s words, Esau roared with a great cry, and was astonished, and said, My father, thou must also bless me!)

³⁵ Which said (And Jacob said), Thy brother came prudently [Thy brother came (be)guilingly], and took (away) thy blessing.

³⁶ And Esau added, Justly his name is called Jacob, for lo! he [hath] supplanted me (yet) another time; before he took away my first begotten things, and now the second time, he [hath] ravished privily my blessing. And again he said to the father, Whether thou hast not reserved a blessing also to me? (And Esau added, His name is rightly called Jacob, that is, the Heel, or the Supplanter, for lo! now he hath supplanted me the second time; first he took away my birthright as the first-born son, and now he hath cheated me out of my blessing. And again he said to his father, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?)

³⁷ Isaac answered, I have made him thy lord, and I have made subject all his brethren to his servage; I have stablished him in wheat, and wine, and oil; and (so), my son, what shall I do to thee after these things? (Isaac answered, I have made him thy lord, and I have made all of his brothers to be in servitude to him, that is, to be his slaves; I have established him with corn, or with grain, and wine, and oil; and so now, my son, after all these things, what is left that I can do for thee?)

³⁸ To whom Esau said, Father, whether thou hast only one blessing? I beseech thee, that also thou bless me. And when Esau wept with great yelling, (To whom Esau said, Father, hast thou only one blessing? I beseech thee, that thou also bless me. And when Esau wept with great yelling,)

³⁹ Isaac was stirred, and said to him, Thy blessing shall be (not) in the fatness of [the] earth, and in the dew of heaven from above; (Isaac was stirred, and said to him, Thy dwelling shall be far from the fatness of the earth, and far from the dew of heaven above;)

⁴⁰ thou shalt live by (the) sword, and thou shalt serve thy brother, and (then the) time shall come when thou shalt shake away, and unbind his yoke from [off] thy nolls.

⁴¹ Therefore Esau hated evermore Jacob for the blessing by which the father had blessed him; and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning of my father shall come, and (then) I shall slay Jacob, my brother. (And so Esau hated Jacob even more for the blessing with which his father had blessed him; and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father shall come, and then I shall kill my brother Jacob.)

⁴² These things were told to Rebecca, and she sent, and called (for) her son Jacob, and said to him, Lo! Esau, thy brother, menaceth to slay thee (Lo! Esau, thy brother, hath threatened to kill thee);

⁴³ now therefore, my son, hear thou my voice, and rise thou up, and flee to Laban, my brother, into Haran (and flee to my brother Laban, in Haran);

⁴⁴ and thou shalt dwell with him (for) a few days, till the strong vengeance of thy brother rest, and his indignation cease,

⁴⁵ and till he forget those things which thou hast done against him. Afterward I shall send, and I shall bring thee from thence hither. Why shall I be made sonless of ever either son in one day? (and until he forget those things which thou hast done against him. And then afterward I shall send for thee, and I shall bring thee back here. For why should I be deprived of both sons in one day?)

⁴⁶ And Rebecca said to Isaac, It annoyeth me of my life for the daughters of Heth (I am weary to death of the daughters of the Hittites); if Jacob take a wife of the kindred of this land, I will not live.

9 And Jesus went up into a boat, and passed over the water, and came into his city.

² And lo! they brought to him a man sick in palsy, lying in a bed. And Jesus saw the faith of them, and said to the man sick in palsy, Son, have thou trust; thy sins be forgiven to thee [Forsooth Jesus, seeing the faith of them, said to the man sick in palsy, Son, have trust; thy sins be forgiven to thee].

³ And lo! some of the scribes said within themselves, This blasphemeth.

⁴ And when Jesus had seen their thoughts, he said, Whereto think ye evil things in your hearts?

⁵ What is lighter to say, Thy sins be forgiven to thee, either to say [or to say], Rise thou, and walk?

⁶ But that ye know that man's Son hath power to forgive sins in earth, then he said to the sick man in palsy [then he said to the man sick in palsy], Rise up; take thy bed, and go into thine house.

⁷ And he rose, and went into his house.

⁸ And the people seeing dreaded [Soothly the companies seeing dreaded], and glorified God, that gave such power to men.

⁹ And when Jesus passed from thence, he saw a man, Matthew by name, sitting in a tollbooth. And he said to him, Follow thou me. And he rose, and followed him.

¹⁰ And it was done, while he sat at the meat in the house, lo! many publicans and sinful men came, and sat at the meat with Jesus and his disciples. [And it was done, him sitting at the meat in the house, lo! many publicans and sinful men coming sat at the meat with Jesus and his disciples.]

¹¹ And the Pharisees saw, and said to his disciples, Why eateth your master with publicans and sinful men?

¹² And Jesus heard, and said, A physician is not needful to men that fare well, but to men that be evil-at-ease. [And Jesus hearing said, A leech is not needful to men that fare well, but to men having evil.]

¹³ But go ye, and learn what it is, I will mercy, and not sacrifice; for I came, not to call rightful men [forsooth I came, not to call rightwise men], but sinful men to penance.

¹⁴ Then the disciples of John came to him, and said [Then the disciples of John came nigh to him, saying], Why we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?

¹⁵ And Jesus said to them, Whether the sons of the spouse be able to mourn [Whether the sons of the spouse, or husband, may wail, or mourn], as long as the spouse is with them? But days shall come, when the spouse shall be taken away from them, and then they shall fast.

¹⁶ And no man putteth a patch of rough cloth [of rude, or new, cloth] into an old clothing [into an old cloth]; for it doeth away the fullness of the cloak [soothly it taketh away the plenty of it from the cloth], and a worse breaking is made.

¹⁷ Neither men put new wine into old bottles, else the bottles be broken, and destroyed, and the wine shed out. But men put new wine into new bottles, and both be kept.^[a]

¹⁶ The Lord shall reign [into] without end, and into the world of world; folks, ye shall perish from the land of him. (The Lord shall reign forever and ever; and all the nations have vanished from his land/and all the peoples shall vanish from his land.)

¹⁷ The Lord hath heard the desire of poor men; thine ear hath heard the making ready of their heart. (The Lord hath heard the desire of the poor; yea, thy ears have heard the desires of their hearts.)

¹⁸ To deem for the motherless and meek; that a man presume no more to make himself great on earth. (And thou shalt judge in favour of the motherless, and the fatherless, and the humble; so that no longer shall anyone presume to make themselves great upon the earth.)

⁹ Honour thou the Lord of thy chattel, and of the best of all thy fruits give thou to poor men; (Honour thou the Lord with thy possessions, and with the best of all thy fruits, or of all thy earnings;)

¹⁰ and (then) thy barns shall be filled with abundance, and thy pressers shall flow with wine (and thy winepresses shall flow with wine).