Genesis 26

1 Later on, a famine swept through the land. This famine was different from the previous famine that had occurred earlier, during Abraham’s lifetime. So Isaac went to Abimelech, king of the Philistines, at Gerar.ISV — Genesis 26:1

2 That’s when the LORD appeared to Isaac. ^{a26:2 Lit. him} “You are not to go down to Egypt,” he said. “Instead, you are to settle down in an area within this land where I’ll tell you.ISV — Genesis 26:2

3 Remain in this land, and I’ll be with and bless you by giving all these lands to you and to your descendants in fulfillment of my solemn promise that I made to your father Abraham.ISV — Genesis 26:3

4 I’ll cause you to have as many descendants as the stars of the heavens, and I’ll certainly give all these lands to your descendants. Later on, through your descendants all the nations of the earth will bless one another.ISV — Genesis 26:4

5 I’m going to do this because Abraham did what I told him to do. He kept my instructions, commands, statutes, and laws.”ISV — Genesis 26:5

6 So Isaac lived in Gerar.ISV — Genesis 26:6

7 Later on, the men of that place asked about his wife, so he replied, “She’s my sister,” because he was afraid to call her “my wife.” He kept thinking, “…otherwise, the men around here will kill me on account of Rebekah, since she’s very beautiful.”ISV — Genesis 26:7

8 After he had been there awhile, Abimelech, king of the Philistines, looked out through a window and saw Isaac caressing ^{b26:8 Or fondling; the Heb. verb is a word play on the name Isaac and sounds like it.} his wife Rebekah.ISV — Genesis 26:8

9 So Abimelech called Isaac and confronted him. “She is definitely your wife!” he accused him, “So why did you claim, ‘She’s my sister?’” Isaac responded, “Because I had thought ‘…otherwise, I’ll die on account of her.’”ISV — Genesis 26:9

10 “What have you done to us?” Abimelech asked. “Any minute now, one of the people could have had sex with your wife and you would have caused all of us to be guilty.”ISV — Genesis 26:10

11 So he issued this order to everyone: “Whoever touches this man or his wife is to be executed.”ISV — Genesis 26:11

12 Isaac received a 100-fold return on what he planted that year in the land he received, ^{c26:12 Lit. found} because the LORD blessed him.ISV — Genesis 26:12

13 He ^{d26:13 Lit. The man} became very wealthy and lived a life of wealth, ^{e26:13 Lit. and walked} becoming more and more wealthy.ISV — Genesis 26:13

14 He owned so many sheep, cattle, and servants that the Philistines eventually became envious of him.ISV — Genesis 26:14

15 They ^{f26:15 Lit. The Philistines.} filled in with sand all of the wells that Isaac’s ^{g26:15 Lit. his} father Abraham’s servants had dug during his lifetime.ISV — Genesis 26:15

16 Then Abimelech ordered Isaac, “Move away from us! You’ve become more powerful than we are.”ISV — Genesis 26:16

17 So Isaac moved from there and encamped in the Gerar Valley, where he settled.ISV — Genesis 26:17

18 Isaac re-excavated some wells that his father had first dug during his lifetime, because the Philistines had filled them with sand ^{h26:18 The Heb. lacks with sand} after Abraham’s death. Isaac ^{i26:18 Lit. He} renamed those wells with the same names that his father had called them.ISV — Genesis 26:18

19 While Isaac’s servants were digging in the valley, they discovered a well with flowing water.ISV — Genesis 26:19

20 But the herdsmen who lived in Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen. “The water is ours,” they said. As a result, Isaac named the well Esek, ^{j26:20 The Heb. name Esek means disputed} for they had fiercely disputed with him about it.ISV — Genesis 26:20

21 When his workers started digging another well, those herdsmen ^{k26:21 Lit. well, they} quarreled about that one, too, so Isaac ^{l26:21 Lit. he} named it Sitnah. ^{m26:21 The Heb. name Sitnah means strife}ISV — Genesis 26:21

22 Then he left that area and dug still another well. Because they did not quarrel over that one, Isaac ^{n26:22 Lit. he} named it Rehoboth, ^{o26:22 The Heb. name Rehoboth means wide places} because he used to say, “The LORD has enlarged the territory ^{p26:22 The Heb. lacks the territory} for us. We will prosper in the land.”ISV — Genesis 26:22

23 Later on, he left there and went to Beer-sheba,ISV — Genesis 26:23

24 where one night the LORD appeared to him. “I am the God of your father Abraham,” he told him. “Don’t be afraid, because I’m with you. I’m going to bless you and multiply your descendants on account of my servant Abraham.”ISV — Genesis 26:24

25 In response, Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the LORD. He also pitched his tents there and his servants dug a well.ISV — Genesis 26:25

26 Later, Abimelech traveled from Gerar to visit Isaac ^{q26:26 Lit. him} . He arrived with Ahuzzath, his staff advisor, and Phicol, the commanding officer of his army.ISV — Genesis 26:26

27 “Why have you come to see me,” Isaac asked them, “since you hate me so much that you sent me away from you?”ISV — Genesis 26:27

28 “We’ve seen that the LORD is with you,” they responded, “so we’re proposing an agreement ^{r26:28 Lit. oath} between us—between us and you. Allow us to make a treaty with youISV — Genesis 26:28

29 by which you’ll agree not to do us any harm, just as we haven’t harmed ^{s26:29 Lit. touched} you, since we’ve done nothing but good for you after we sent you away in peace. As a result, you’ve been tremendously blessed by the LORD.”ISV — Genesis 26:29

30 So Isaac ^{t26:30 Lit. he} held a festival for them, and they ate and drank.ISV — Genesis 26:30

31 They woke up early the next morning and made the treaty. ^{u26:31 Lit. and swore an oath one to another.} After this, Isaac sent them off and they left on peaceful terms.ISV — Genesis 26:31

32 That very same day, Isaac’s servants arrived and reported to him about a well that they had just completed digging. “We’ve found water!” they said.ISV — Genesis 26:32

33 So Isaac ^{v26:33 Lit. he} named the well Shebah, ^{w26:33 The Heb. name Shebah means oath} which is why the city is named Beer-sheba ^{x26:33 The Heb. name Beer-sheba means Well of the Oath} to this day.ISV — Genesis 26:33

34 When Esau was 40 years old, he married ^{y26:34 Lit. he took as a wife} Judith, the daughter of Beeri the Hittite and Basemath, the daughter of Elon the Hittite.ISV — Genesis 26:34

35 This brought extreme grief to Isaac and Rebekah.ISV — Genesis 26:35