Genesis 26

1There was a famine in the land. It was not the 1st famine, which came in Abraham's time. So Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines in Gerar.

2The LORD appeared to Isaac and said: Do not go down to Egypt. Live in the land I tell you about.

3Stay in this land for a while. I will be with you and bless you. I will give all these lands to you and your descendants. I will keep the oath I swore to your father Abraham.

4I will give you as many descendants as the stars in the sky. I will give them all these lands. All the nations of the earth will be blessed through your descendants.

5I will do this because Abraham obeyed Me. Abraham kept My orders, My commands, My laws and My teachings.

6So Isaac stayed in Gerar.

7The men of that place asked Isaac about his wife. Isaac said: She is my sister. Isaac was afraid to say: She is my wife. Isaac thought: The men here might kill me to get Rebekah. She is beautiful.

8Isaac had been there a long time. One day Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out a window. He saw Isaac showing love to his wife Rebekah.

9Abimelech called for Isaac and said: She is really your wife. Why did you say: She is my sister? Isaac answered: I thought I might die because of her.

10Abimelech said: What have you done to us? One of my people could easily have slept with your wife. Then you would have brought guilt on us.

11So Abimelech gave an order to all his people: Anyone who touches this man or his wife will be put to death.

12Isaac planted crops in that land. That same year Isaac harvested 100 times what he planted, because the LORD blessed him.

13Isaac became rich. His wealth kept growing until he was very wealthy.

14He owned many sheep, farm animals and servants. The Philistines became jealous of him.

15So the Philistines filled all the wells with dirt. Abraham's servants had dug those wells when Abraham was alive.

16Abimelech said to Isaac: Go away from us. You have become much too powerful for us.

17So Isaac left. He camped in the Valley of Gerar and lived there.

18Isaac dug again the wells his father Abraham had dug. The Philistines had filled them with dirt after Abraham died. Isaac gave the wells the same names his father had given them.

19Isaac's servants dug in the valley and found a well of fresh water.

20The herders of Gerar argued with Isaac's herders. They said: The water is ours. So Isaac named that well Esek, which means Argument, because they argued with him.

21Isaac's servants dug another well, and the herders argued about that well too. So Isaac named it Sitnah, which means Hatred.

22Isaac moved on and dug another well. No one argued about it. He named it Rehoboth, which means Room. Isaac said: Now the LORD has made room for us. We will do well in the land.

23From there Isaac went up to Beersheba.

24That night the LORD appeared to Isaac. He said: I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, because I am with you. I will bless you and give you many descendants. I do this for the sake of My servant Abraham.

25Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the LORD. He set up his tent there, and his servants dug a well.

26Abimelech came to Isaac from Gerar. He brought Ahuzzath, his adviser, and Phicol, the commander of his army.

27Isaac asked them: Why have you come to me? You hated me and sent me away.

28They answered: We saw clearly that the LORD is with you. So we want an oath between us. Let us make an agreement with you.

29Promise that you will not harm us, just as we did not harm you. We only did good to you. We sent you away in peace. Now the LORD has blessed you.

30Isaac prepared a feast for them, and they ate and drank.

31Early the next morning the men swore an oath to each other. Then Isaac sent them on their way, and they left in peace.

32That same day Isaac's servants came and told him about the well they had dug. They said: We found water.

33Isaac named that well Shibah, which means Oath. That is why the town is called Beersheba to this day.

34When Esau was 40 years old, he married Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite. Esau also married Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite.

35These 2 wives made life very bitter for Isaac and Rebekah.