God's Promise to Isaac

(Genesis 12:1-9)

1And when a famine came in the land, after that barrenness which had happened in the days of Abraham, Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Palestines to Gerara. 2And the Lord appeared to him and said: Go not down into Egypt, but stay in the land that I shall tell thee. 3And sojourn in it, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee: for to thee and to thy seed I will give all these countries, to fulfill the oath which I swore to Abraham thy father. 4And I will multiply thy seed like the stars of heaven: and I will give to thy posterity all these countries: and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. 5Because Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my precepts and commandments, and observed my ceremonies and laws.

Isaac Deceives Abimelech

6So Isaac abode in Gerara. 7And when he was asked by the men of that place, concerning his wife, he answered: She is my sister; for he was afraid to confess that she was his wife, thinking lest perhaps they would like him because of her beauty. 8And when very many days were passed, and he abode there, Abimelech king of the Palestines looking out through a window, saw him playing with Rebecca his wife. 9And calling for him, he said: It is evident she is thy wife: why didst thou feign her to be thy sister? He answered: I feared lest I should die for her sake. 10And Abimelech said: Why hadst thou deceived us? Some man of the people might have lain with thy wife, and thou hadst brought upon us a great sin. And he commanded all the people, saying: 11He that shall touch this man's wife, shall surely be put to death.

Isaac's Prosperity

12And Isaac sowed in that land, and he found that same year a hundredfold: and the Lord blessed him. 13And the man was enriched, and he went on prospering and increasing, till he became exceeding great: 14And he had possessions of sheep and of herds, and a very great family. Wherefore the Palestines envying him, 15Stopped up at that time all the wells, that the servants of his father Abraham had digged, filling them up with earth: 16Insomuch that Abimelech himself said to Isaac: Depart from us, for thou art become much mightier than we. 17So he departed and came to the torrent of Gerara, to dwell there:

18And he digged again other wells, which the servants of his father Abraham had digged, and which, after his death, the Palestines had of old stopped up: and he called them by the same names by which his father before had called them. 19And they digged in the torrent, and found living water. 20But there also the herdsmen of Gerara strove against the herdsmen of Isaac, saying: It is our water. Wherefore he called the name of the well, on occasion of that which had happened, Calumny. 21And they digged also another; and for that they quarreled likewise, and he called the name of it, Enmity. 22Going forward from thence, he digged another well, for which they contended not: therefore he called the name thereof, Latitude, saying: Now hath the Lord given us room, and made us to increase upon the earth.

23And he went up from that place to Bersabee,

24Where the Lord appeared to him that same might, saying: I am the God of Abraham thy father; do not fear, for I am with thee: I will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham's sake.

25And he built there an altar: and called upon the name of the Lord, and pitched his tent: and commanded his servants to dig a well.

Isaac's Covenant with Abimelech

26To which place when Abimelech, and Ochozath his friend, and Phicol chief captain of his soldiers came from Gerara, 27Isaac said to them: Why are ye come to me, a man whom you hate, and have thrust out from you? 28And they answered: We saw that the Lord is with thee, and therefore we said: Let there be an oath between us, and let us make a covenant, 29That thou do us no harm, as we on our part have touched nothing of thine, nor have done any thing to hurt thee: but with peace have sent thee away increased with the blessing of the Lord. 30And he made them a feast, and after they had eaten and drunk: 31Arising in the morning, they swore one to another: and Isaac sent them away peaceably to their own home. 32And behold the same day the servants of Isaac came, telling him of a well which they had digged, and saying: We have found water. 33Whereupon he called it Abundance: and the name of the city was called Bersabee, even to this day.

Esau's Wives

34And Esau being forty years old, married wives, Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hethite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon of the same place. 35And they both offended the mind of Isaac and Rebecca.