God’s Promise to Isaac (Genesis 12:1–9)
1 ULT Then there was a famine in the land, besides the earlier famine that was in the days of Abraham. So Isaac went to Abimelech, the king of the Philistines, to Gerar. BSB BSB: Now 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.
2 ULT Then Yahweh appeared to him and said,“Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land that I tell you. BSB BSB: The LORD appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt. Settle in the land where I tell you.
3 ULT Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and bless you. For to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will confirm the oath that I swore to Abraham your father. BSB BSB: Stay 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.
4 ULT And I will multiply your offspring as the stars of the heavens, and I will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth will be blessed, BSB BSB: I 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,
5 ULT because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my requirements, my commands, my decrees, and my laws.” BSB BSB: because Abraham listened to My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.”
Isaac Deceives Abimelech 6 ULT So Isaac stayed in Gerar. BSB BSB: So Isaac settled in Gerar.
7 ULT Then the men of the place asked about his wife, and he said,“She{ is} my sister,” because he was afraid to say,“{ She is} my wife.”{ He thought,}“Lest the men of the place kill me on account of Rebekah, because she{ is} beautiful of appearance.” BSB BSB: But 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.”
8 ULT Then it happened, when the days had been long for him there, then Abimelech the king of the Philistines looked down from a window and saw that, behold, Isaac was laughing with Rebekah his wife. BSB BSB: When 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.
9 ULT So Abimelech called for Isaac and said,“Behold, she{ is} really your wife! So how could you say,‘She{ is} my sister’?” And Isaac said to him,“Because I said,‘I might die because of her.’” BSB BSB: Abimelech 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.”
10 ULT Then Abimelech said,“What{ is} this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us!” BSB BSB: “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.”
11 ULT Then Abimelech ordered all the people by saying,“Whoever touches this man or his wife will surely be killed!” BSB BSB: So Abimelech warned all the people, saying, “Whoever harms this man or his wife will surely be put to death.”
Isaac’s Prosperity 12 ULT Then Isaac sowed seeds in that land, and in that year he obtained a hundredfold, and Yahweh blessed him. BSB BSB: Now Isaac sowed seed in the land, and that very year he reaped a hundredfold. And the LORD blessed him,
13 ULT And the man became great, and he continued to become even greater until he was exceedingly great. BSB BSB: and he became richer and richer, until he was exceedingly wealthy.
14 ULT And he had possession of flocks and possession of herds and many servants. So the Philistines envied him, BSB BSB: He owned so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him.
15 ULT and the Philistines stopped up all the wells that the servants of his father had dug in the days of Abraham his father and filled them with dirt. BSB BSB: So the Philistines took dirt and stopped up all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the days of his father Abraham.
16 ULT Then Abimelech said to Isaac,“Go away from us, because you are more powerful than we{ are}.” BSB BSB: Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Depart from us, for you are much too powerful for us.”
17 ULT So Isaac went from there and camped in the Valley of Gerar and settled there. BSB BSB: So Isaac left that place and encamped in the Valley of Gerar and settled there.
18 ULT Then Isaac returned and dug out the water wells that they had dug in the days of Abraham his father and{ that} the Philistines had stopped up after the death of Abraham, and he called them names like the names that his father had called them. BSB BSB: Isaac 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.
19 ULT Then the servants of Isaac dug in the valley and found a well of living water there. BSB BSB: Then Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found a well of fresh water there.
20 ULT But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with the herdsmen of Isaac, saying,“The water{ belongs} to us!” So he called the name of the well Esek, because they disputed with him. BSB BSB: But 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.
21 ULT Then they dug another well, but they quarreled over it too, so he called its name Sitnah. BSB BSB: Then they dug another well and quarreled over that one also; so he named it Sitnah.
22 ULT Then he moved from there and he dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it, so he called its name Rehoboth, and he said,“Because now Yahweh has made space for us, and we will be fruitful in the land.” BSB BSB: He 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.”
23 ULT Then from there he went up to Beersheba. BSB BSB: From there Isaac went up to Beersheba,
24 ULT And Yahweh appeared to him during that night and said,“I{ am} the God of Abraham your father. Do not be afraid, because I{ am} with you. And I will bless you and multiply your offspring for the sake of Abraham my servant.” BSB BSB: and 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.”
25 ULT Then he built an altar there and called on the name of Yahweh. And he pitched his tents there, and the servants of Isaac dug a well there. BSB BSB: So 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.
Isaac’s Covenant with Abimelech 26 ULT Then Abimelech came to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath his friend, and Phicol the commander of his army. BSB BSB: Later, Abimelech came to Isaac from Gerar, with Ahuzzath his adviser and Phicol the commander of his army.
27 ULT And Isaac said to them,“Why have you come to me, since you hate me, and you sent me away from you?” BSB BSB: “Why have you come to me?” Isaac asked them. “You hated me and sent me away.”
28 ULT And they said,“We have clearly seen that Yahweh has been with you, so we said,‘There should be an oath between us’— between us and you. So let us cut a covenant with you, BSB BSB: “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
29 ULT that you will not do evil against us, just as we did not touch you, and just as we did only good to you and sent you away in peace. Now you are blessed by Yahweh.” BSB BSB: that 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.”
30 ULT Then he made a feast for them, and they ate and drank. BSB BSB: So Isaac prepared a feast for them, and they ate and drank.
31 ULT Then they got up early in the morning and swore to each other. Then Isaac sent them on their way, and they left from him in peace. BSB BSB: And 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.
32 ULT Then it happened on that day, the servants of Isaac came and told him about the matter of the well that they had dug and said to him,“We have found water!” BSB BSB: On that same day, Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well they had dug. “We have found water!” they told him.
33 ULT So he called it Shibah. For that{ reason} the name of the city{ is} Beersheba to this day. BSB BSB: So he called it Shibah, and to this day the name of the city is Beersheba.
Esau’s Wives 34 ULT And Esau was a son of forty years, and he took{ as} a wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. BSB BSB: When Esau was forty years old, he took as his wives Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite and Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite.
35 ULT And they were a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebekah. BSB BSB: And they brought grief to Isaac and Rebekah.