26Genesis 26

Isaac and Abimelech

1Once during Abraham's lifetime, the fields had not produced enough grain, and now the same thing happened. So Isaac went to King Abimelech of the Philistines in the land of Gerar,Select Genesis 26:1

2because the Lord had appeared to Isaac and said: Isaac, stay away from Egypt! I will show you where I want you to go.Select Genesis 26:2

3You will live there as a foreigner, but I will be with you and bless you. I will keep my promise to your father Abraham by giving this land to you and your descendants.Select Genesis 26:3

4I will give you as many descendants as there are stars in the sky, and I will give your descendants all of this land. They will be a blessing to every nation on earth,Select Genesis 26:4

5because Abraham did everything I told him to do.Select Genesis 26:5

6Isaac moved to GerarSelect Genesis 26:6

7with his beautiful wife Rebekah. He was afraid that someone might kill him to get her, and so he told everyone that Rebekah was his sister.Select Genesis 26:7

8After Isaac had been there a long time, King Abimelech looked out a window and saw Isaac hugging and kissing Rebekah.Select Genesis 26:8

9Abimelech called him in and said, “Rebekah must be your wife! Why did you say she is your sister?” “Because I thought someone would kill me,” Isaac answered.Select Genesis 26:9

10“Don't you know what you've done?” Abimelech exclaimed. “If someone had slept with her, you would have made our whole nation guilty!”Select Genesis 26:10

11Then Abimelech warned his people that anyone who even touched Isaac or Rebekah would be put to death.Select Genesis 26:11

12Isaac planted grain and had a good harvest that same year. The Lord blessed him,Select Genesis 26:12

13and Isaac was so successful that he became very rich.Select Genesis 26:13

14In fact, the Philistines were jealous of the large number of sheep, goats, and slaves that Isaac owned,Select Genesis 26:14

15and they stopped up the wells that Abraham's servants had dug before his death.Select Genesis 26:15

16Finally, Abimelech said, “Isaac, I want you to leave our country. You have become too powerful to stay here.”Select Genesis 26:16

17Isaac left and settled in Gerar Valley,Select Genesis 26:17

18where he cleaned out those wells that the Philistines had stopped up. Isaac also gave each of the wells the same name that Abraham had given to them.Select Genesis 26:18

19While his servants were digging in the valley, they found a spring-fed well.Select Genesis 26:19

20But the shepherds of Gerar Valley quarreled with Isaac's shepherds and claimed the water belonged to them. So this well was named “Quarrel,” because they had quarreled with Isaac.Select Genesis 26:20

21Isaac's servants dug another well, and the shepherds also quarreled about it. So that well was named “Jealous.”Select Genesis 26:21

22Finally, they dug one more well. There was no quarreling this time, and the well was named “Lots of Room,” because the Lord had given them room and would make them very successful.Select Genesis 26:22

23Isaac went on to Beersheba,Select Genesis 26:23

24where the Lord appeared to him that night and told him, “Don't be afraid! I am the God who was worshiped by your father Abraham, my servant. I will be with you and bless you, and because of Abraham I will give you many descendants.”Select Genesis 26:24

25Isaac built an altar there and worshiped the Lord. Then he set up camp, and his servants started digging a well.Select Genesis 26:25

26Meanwhile, Abimelech had left Gerar and was taking his advisor Ahuzzath and his army commander Phicol to see Isaac.Select Genesis 26:26

27When they arrived, Isaac asked, “Why are you here? Didn't you send me away because you hated me?”Select Genesis 26:27

28They answered, “We now know for certain that the Lord is with you, and we have decided there needs to be a peace treaty between you and us. So let's make a solemn agreementSelect Genesis 26:28

29not to harm each other. Remember, we have never hurt you, and when we sent you away, we let you go in peace. The Lord has truly blessed you.”Select Genesis 26:29

30Isaac gave a big feast for them, and everyone ate and drank.Select Genesis 26:30

31Early the next morning Isaac and the others made a solemn agreement, then he let them go in peace.Select Genesis 26:31

32Later that same day Isaac's servants came and said, “We've struck water!”Select Genesis 26:32

33So Isaac named the well Shibah, and the town is still called Beersheba.Select Genesis 26:33

Esau's Foreign Wives

34When Esau was 40 years old, he married Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite.Select Genesis 26:34

35But these two women brought a lot of grief to Esau's parents Isaac and Rebekah.Select Genesis 26:35