| Berean Study Bible | New International Version |
| 1Now there was another famine in the land, subsequent to the one that had occurred in Abraham’s time. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines at Gerar. | 1Now there was a famine in the land--besides the previous famine in Abraham's time--and Isaac went to Abimelek king of the Philistines in Gerar. |
| 2The LORD appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt. Settle in the land where I tell you. | 2The LORD appeared to Isaac and said, "Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live. |
| 3Stay in this land as a foreigner, and I will be with you and bless you. For I will give all these lands to you and your offspring, and I will confirm the oath that I swore to your father Abraham. | 3Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham. |
| 4I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed, | 4I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, |
| 5because Abraham listened to My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.” | 5because Abraham obeyed me and did everything I required of him, keeping my commands, my decrees and my instructions." |
| 6So Isaac settled in Gerar. | 6So Isaac stayed in Gerar. |
| 7But when the men of that place asked about his wife, he said, “She is my sister.” For he was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” since he thought to himself, “The men of this place will kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is so beautiful.” | 7When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he said, "She is my sister," because he was afraid to say, "She is my wife." He thought, "The men of this place might kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is beautiful." |
| 8When Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked down from the window and was surprised to see Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah. | 8When Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelek king of the Philistines looked down from a window and saw Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah. |
| 9Abimelech sent for Isaac and said, “So she is really your wife! How could you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac replied, “Because I thought I might die on account of her.” | 9So Abimelek summoned Isaac and said, "She is really your wife! Why did you say, 'She is my sister'?" Isaac answered him, "Because I thought I might lose my life on account of her." |
| 10“What is this you have done to us?” asked Abimelech. “One of the people could easily have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.” | 10Then Abimelek said, "What is this you have done to us? One of the men might well have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us." |
| 11So Abimelech warned all the people, saying, “Whoever harms this man or his wife will surely be put to death.” | 11So Abimelek gave orders to all the people: "Anyone who harms this man or his wife shall surely be put to death." |
| 12Now Isaac sowed seed in the land, and that very year he reaped a hundredfold. And the LORD blessed him, | 12Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the LORD blessed him. |
| 13and he became richer and richer, until he was exceedingly wealthy. | 13The man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy. |
| 14He owned so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him. | 14He had so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him. |
| 15So the Philistines took dirt and stopped up all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the days of his father Abraham. | 15So all the wells that his father's servants had dug in the time of his father Abraham, the Philistines stopped up, filling them with earth. |
| 16Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Depart from us, for you are much too powerful for us.” | 16Then Abimelek said to Isaac, "Move away from us; you have become too powerful for us." |
| 17So Isaac left that place and encamped in the Valley of Gerar and settled there. | 17So Isaac moved away from there and encamped in the Valley of Gerar, where he settled. |
| 18Isaac reopened the wells that had been dug in the days of his father Abraham, which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham died. And he gave these wells the same names his father had given them. | 18Isaac reopened the wells that had been dug in the time of his father Abraham, which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham died, and he gave them the same names his father had given them. |
| 19Then Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found a well of fresh water there. | 19Isaac's servants dug in the valley and discovered a well of fresh water there. |
| 20But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen and said, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek, because they contended with him. | 20But the herders of Gerar quarreled with those of Isaac and said, "The water is ours!" So he named the well Esek, because they disputed with him. |
| 21Then they dug another well and quarreled over that one also; so he named it Sitnah. | 21Then they dug another well, but they quarreled over that one also; so he named it Sitnah. |
| 22He moved on from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. He named it Rehoboth and said, “At last the LORD has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land.” | 22He moved on from there and dug another well, and no one quarreled over it. He named it Rehoboth, saying, "Now the LORD has given us room and we will flourish in the land." |
| 23From there Isaac went up to Beersheba, | 23From there he went up to Beersheba. |
| 24and that night the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for the sake of My servant Abraham.” | 24That night the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham." |
| 25So Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the LORD, and he pitched his tent there. His servants also dug a well there. | 25Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the LORD. There he pitched his tent, and there his servants dug a well. |
| 26Later, Abimelech came to Isaac from Gerar, with Ahuzzath his adviser and Phicol the commander of his army. | 26Meanwhile, Abimelek had come to him from Gerar, with Ahuzzath his personal adviser and Phicol the commander of his forces. |
| 27“Why have you come to me?” Isaac asked them. “You hated me and sent me away.” | 27Isaac asked them, "Why have you come to me, since you were hostile to me and sent me away?" |
| 28“We can plainly see that the LORD has been with you,” they replied. “We recommend that there should now be an oath between us and you. Let us make a covenant with you | 28They answered, "We saw clearly that the LORD was with you; so we said, 'There ought to be a sworn agreement between us'--between us and you. Let us make a treaty with you |
| 29that you will not harm us, just as we have not harmed you but have done only good to you, sending you on your way in peace. And now you are blessed by the LORD.” | 29that you will do us no harm, just as we did not harm you but always treated you well and sent you away peacefully. And now you are blessed by the LORD." |
| 30So Isaac prepared a feast for them, and they ate and drank. | 30Isaac then made a feast for them, and they ate and drank. |
| 31And they got up early the next morning and swore an oath to each other. Then Isaac sent them on their way, and they left him in peace. | 31Early the next morning the men swore an oath to each other. Then Isaac sent them on their way, and they went away peacefully. |
| 32On that same day, Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well they had dug. “We have found water!” they told him. | 32That day Isaac's servants came and told him about the well they had dug. They said, "We've found water!" |
| 33So he called it Shibah, and to this day the name of the city is Beersheba. | 33He called it Shibah, and to this day the name of the town has been Beersheba. |
| 34When Esau was forty years old, he took as his wives Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite and Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite. | 34When Esau was forty years old, he married Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and also Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite. |
| 35And they brought grief to Isaac and Rebekah. | 35They were a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah. |
|
