Genesis 22:20 After these things, Abraham was told, “Behold,
Milcah, she also has borne children to your brother Nahor: 21 Uz his firstborn,
Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram, 22 Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph,
and Bethuel.” 23 Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore
to Nahor, Abraham’s brother.
Genesis 24: 24 Abraham was old, and well advanced in age.
Yahweh had blessed Abraham in all things. 2 Abraham said to his servant, the
elder of his house, who ruled over all that he had, “Please put your hand under
my thigh. 3 I will make you swear by Yahweh, the God of heaven and the God of
the earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the
Canaanites, among whom I live. 4 But you shall go to my country, and to my
relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac.”
5 The servant said to him, “What if the woman isn’t willing
to follow me to this land? Must I bring your son again to the land you came
from?”
6 Abraham said to him, “Beware that you don’t bring my son
there again. 7 Yahweh, the God of heaven—who took me from my father’s house,
and from the land of my birth, who spoke to me, and who swore to me, saying, ‘I
will give this land to your offspring—he will send his angel before you, and
you shall take a wife for my son from there. 8 If the woman isn’t willing to
follow you, then you shall be clear from this oath to me. Only you shall not
bring my son there again.”
9 The servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his
master, and swore to him concerning this matter. 10 The servant took ten of his
master’s camels, and departed, having a variety of good things of his master’s
with him. He arose, and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. 11 He made
the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time of
evening, the time that women go out to draw water. 12 He said, “Yahweh, the God
of my master Abraham, please give me success today, and show kindness to my
master Abraham. 13 Behold, I am standing by the spring of water. The daughters
of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 14 Let it happen, that the
young lady to whom I will say, ‘Please let down your pitcher, that I may
drink,’ then she says, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink,’—let
her be the one you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I will know
that you have shown kindness to my master.”
15 Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah came
out, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s
brother, with her pitcher on her shoulder. 16 The young lady was very beautiful
to look at, a virgin. No man had known her. She went down to the spring, filled
her pitcher, and came up. 17 The servant ran to meet her, and said, “Please
give me a drink, a little water from your pitcher.”
18 She said, “Drink, my lord.” She hurried, and let down her
pitcher on her hand, and gave him a drink. 19 When she had finished giving him
a drink, she said, “I will also draw for your camels, until they have finished
drinking.” 20 She hurried, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran
again to the well to draw, and drew for all his camels.
21 The man looked steadfastly at her, remaining silent, to
know whether Yahweh had made his journey prosperous or not. 22 As the camels
had done drinking, the man took a golden ring of half a shekel[a] weight, and
two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold, 23 and said, “Whose
daughter are you? Please tell me. Is there room in your father’s house for us
to stay?”
24 She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of
Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.” 25 She said moreover to him, “We have both
straw and feed enough, and room to lodge in.”
26 The man bowed his head, and worshiped Yahweh. 27 He said,
“Blessed be Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his
loving kindness and his truth toward my master. As for me, Yahweh has led me on
the way to the house of my master’s relatives.”
28 The young lady ran, and told her mother’s house about
these words. 29 Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban. Laban ran out to
the man, to the spring. 30 When he saw the ring, and the bracelets on his
sister’s hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying,
“This is what the man said to me,” he came to the man. Behold, he was standing
by the camels at the spring. 31 He said, “Come in, you blessed of Yahweh. Why
do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house, and room for the camels.”
32 The man came into the house, and he unloaded the camels.
He gave straw and feed for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet
of the men who were with him. 33 Food was set before him to eat, but he said,
“I will not eat until I have told my message.”
Laban said, “Speak on.”
34 He said, “I am Abraham’s servant. 35 Yahweh has blessed
my master greatly. He has become great. Yahweh has given him flocks and herds,
silver and gold, male servants and female servants, and camels and donkeys. 36
Sarah, my master’s wife, bore a son to my master when she was old. He has given
all that he has to him. 37 My master made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take
a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live,
38 but you shall go to my father’s house, and to my relatives, and take a wife
for my son.’ 39 I asked my master, ‘What if the woman will not follow me?’ 40
He said to me, ‘Yahweh, before whom I walk, will send his angel with you, and
prosper your way. You shall take a wife for my son from my relatives, and of my
father’s house. 41 Then you will be clear from my oath, when you come to my
relatives. If they don’t give her to you, you shall be clear from my oath.’ 42
I came today to the spring, and said, ‘Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, if
now you do prosper my way which I go— 43 behold, I am standing by this spring
of water. Let it happen, that the maiden who comes out to draw, to whom I will
say, “Please give me a little water from your pitcher to drink,” 44 then she
tells me, “Drink, and I will also draw for your camels,”—let her be the woman whom
Yahweh has appointed for my master’s son.’ 45 Before I had finished speaking in
my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her pitcher on her shoulder. She went
down to the spring, and drew. I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’ 46 She
hurried and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, ‘Drink, and I
will also give your camels a drink.’ So I drank, and she also gave the camels a
drink. 47 I asked her, and said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She said, ‘The
daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him.’ I put the ring on
her nose, and the bracelets on her hands. 48 I bowed my head, and worshiped
Yahweh, and blessed Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the
right way to take my master’s brother’s daughter for his son. 49 Now if you
will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me. If not, tell me, that I may
turn to the right hand, or to the left.”
50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered, “The thing proceeds from
Yahweh. We can’t speak to you bad or good. 51 Behold, Rebekah is before you.
Take her, and go, and let her be your master’s son’s wife, as Yahweh has
spoken.”
52 When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed
himself down to the earth to Yahweh. 53 The servant brought out jewels of
silver, and jewels of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He also
gave precious things to her brother and her mother. 54 They ate and drank, he
and the men who were with him, and stayed all night. They rose up in the
morning, and he said, “Send me away to my master.”
55 Her brother and her mother said, “Let the young lady stay
with us a few days, at least ten. After that she will go.”
56 He said to them, “Don’t hinder me, since Yahweh has
prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master.”
57 They said, “We will call the young lady, and ask her.” 58
They called Rebekah, and said to her, “Will you go with this man?”
She said, “I will go.”
59 They sent away Rebekah, their sister, with her nurse,
Abraham’s servant, and his men. 60 They blessed Rebekah, and said to her, “Our
sister, may you be the mother of thousands of ten thousands, and let your
offspring possess the gate of those who hate them.”
61 Rebekah arose with her ladies. They rode on the camels,
and followed the man. The servant took Rebekah, and went his way. 62 Isaac came
from the way of Beer Lahai Roi, for he lived in the land of the South. 63 Isaac
went out to meditate in the field at the evening. He lifted up his eyes and
looked. Behold, there were camels coming. 64 Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and
when she saw Isaac, she got off the camel. 65 She said to the servant, “Who is
the man who is walking in the field to meet us?”
The servant said, “It is my master.”
She took her veil, and covered herself. 66 The servant told
Isaac all the things that he had done. 67 Isaac brought her into his mother
Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife. He loved her. So Isaac
was comforted after his mother’s death.
Genesis 25: 19 This is the history of the generations of
Isaac, Abraham’s son. Abraham became the father of Isaac. 20 Isaac was forty
years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Paddan
Aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian, to be his wife. 21 Isaac entreated Yahweh
for his wife, because she was barren. Yahweh was entreated by him, and Rebekah
his wife conceived. 22 The children struggled together within her. She said,
“If it is like this, why do I live?” She went to inquire of Yahweh. 23 Yahweh
said to her,
“Two nations are in your womb.
Two peoples will be separated from your body.
The one people will be stronger than the other people.
The elder will serve the younger.”
24 When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold,
there were twins in her womb. 25 The first came out red all over, like a hairy
garment. They named him Esau. 26 After that, his brother came out, and his hand
had hold on Esau’s heel. He was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she
bore them.
27 The boys grew. Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the
field. Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents. 28 Now Isaac loved Esau, because
he ate his venison. Rebekah loved Jacob. 29 Jacob boiled stew. Esau came in
from the field, and he was famished. 30 Esau said to Jacob, “Please feed me
with some of that red stew, for I am famished.” Therefore his name was called
Edom.[a]
31 Jacob said, “First, sell me your birthright.”
32 Esau said, “Behold, I am about to die. What good is the
birthright to me?”
33 Jacob said, “Swear to me first.”
He swore to him. He sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Jacob
gave Esau bread and lentil stew. He ate and drank, rose up, and went his way.
So Esau despised his birthright.
Genesis 26:1 There was a famine in the land, in addition to
the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. Isaac went to Abimelech king
of the Philistines, to Gerar. 2 Yahweh appeared to him, and said, “Don’t go
down into Egypt. Live in the land I will tell you about. 3 Live in this land,
and I will be with you, and will bless you. For I will give to you, and to your
offspring, all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to
Abraham your father. 4 I will multiply your offspring as the stars of the sky,
and will give all these lands to your offspring. In your offspring all the
nations of the earth will be blessed, 5 because Abraham obeyed my voice, and
kept my requirements, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.”
6 Isaac lived in Gerar. 7 The men of the place asked him
about his wife. He said, “She is my sister,” for he was afraid to say, “My
wife”, lest, he thought, “the men of the place might kill me for Rebekah,
because she is beautiful to look at.” 8 When he had been there a long time,
Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold,
Isaac was caressing Rebekah, his wife. 9 Abimelech called Isaac, and said,
“Behold, surely she is your wife. Why did you say, ‘She is my sister?’”
Isaac said to him, “Because I said, ‘Lest I die because of
her.’”
10 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!”
11 Abimelech commanded all the people, saying, “He who
touches this man or his wife will surely be put to death.”
12 Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year one
hundred times what he planted. Yahweh blessed him. 13 The man grew great, and
grew more and more until he became very great. 14 He had possessions of flocks,
possessions of herds, and a great household. The Philistines envied him. 15 Now
all the wells which his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his
father, the Philistines had stopped, and filled with earth. 16 Abimelech said
to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.”
Genesis 26:34 When Esau was forty years old, he took as wife
Judith, the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath, the daughter of Elon
the Hittite. 26:35 They grieved Isaac’s and Rebekah’s spirits.
Genesis 27:1 When Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so
that he could not see, he called Esau his elder son, and said to him, “My son?”
He said to him, “Here I am.”
2 He said, “See now, I am old. I don’t know the day of my
death. 3 Now therefore, please take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and
go out to the field, and get me venison. 4 Make me savory food, such as I love,
and bring it to me, that I may eat, and that my soul may bless you before I
die.”
5 Rebekah heard when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. Esau went
to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it. 6 Rebekah spoke to Jacob her
son, saying, “Behold, I heard your father speak to Esau your brother, saying, 7
‘Bring me venison, and make me savory food, that I may eat, and bless you
before Yahweh before my death.’ 8 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice
according to that which I command you. 9 Go now to the flock and get me two
good young goats from there. I will make them savory food for your father, such
as he loves. 10 You shall bring it to your father, that he may eat, so that he
may bless you before his death.”
11 Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Behold, Esau my
brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. 12 What if my father touches me?
I will seem to him as a deceiver, and I would bring a curse on myself, and not
a blessing.”
13 His mother said to him, “Let your curse be on me, my son.
Only obey my voice, and go get them for me.”
14 He went, and got them, and brought them to his mother.
His mother made savory food, such as his father loved. 15 Rebekah took the good
clothes of Esau, her elder son, which were with her in the house, and put them
on Jacob, her younger son. 16 She put the skins of the young goats on his
hands, and on the smooth of his neck. 17 She gave the savory food and the
bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.
18 He came to his father, and said, “My father?”
He said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?”
19 Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn. I
have done what you asked me to do. Please arise, sit and eat of my venison,
that your soul may bless me.”
20 Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it
so quickly, my son?”
He said, “Because Yahweh your God gave me success.”
21 Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come near, that I may feel
you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not.”
22 Jacob went near to Isaac his father. He felt him, and
said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” 23 He
didn’t recognize him, because his hands were hairy, like his brother Esau’s
hands. So he blessed him. 24 He said, “Are you really my son Esau?”
He said, “I am.”
25 He said, “Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s
venison, that my soul may bless you.”
He brought it near to him, and he ate. He brought him wine,
and he drank. 26 His father Isaac said to him, “Come near now, and kiss me, my
son.” 27 He came near, and kissed him. He smelled the smell of his clothing, and
blessed him, and said,
“Behold, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field
which Yahweh has blessed. 28 God give you of the dew of the sky, of the fatness
of the earth, and plenty of grain and new wine.
29 Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be
lord over your brothers. Let your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be
everyone who curses you. Blessed be everyone who blesses you.”
30 As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob
had just gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, Esau his brother came
in from his hunting. 31 He also made savory food, and brought it to his father.
He said to his father, “Let my father arise, and eat of his son’s venison, that
your soul may bless me.”
32 Isaac his father said to him, “Who are you?”
He said, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.”
33 Isaac trembled violently, and said, “Who, then, is he who
has taken venison, and brought it to me, and I have eaten of all before you
came, and have blessed him? Yes, he will be blessed.”
34 When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with an
exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to his father, “Bless me, even me
also, my father.”
35 He said, “Your brother came with deceit, and has taken
away your blessing.”
36 He said, “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob? For he has
supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright. See, now he has
taken away my blessing.” He said, “Haven’t you reserved a blessing for me?”
37 Isaac answered Esau, “Behold, I have made him your lord,
and all his brothers I have given to him for servants. I have sustained him
with grain and new wine. What then will I do for you, my son?”
38 Esau said to his father, “Do you have just one blessing,
my father? Bless me, even me also, my father.” Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.
39 Isaac his father answered him, “Behold, your dwelling
will be of the fatness of the earth, and
of the dew of the sky from above.
40 You will live by your sword, and you will serve your
brother. It will happen, when you will break loose, that you will shake his
yoke from off your neck.”
41 Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his
father blessed him. Esau said in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father
are at hand. Then I will kill my brother Jacob.”
42 The words of Esau, her elder son, were told to Rebekah.
She sent and called Jacob, her younger son, and said to him, “Behold, your
brother Esau comforts himself about you by planning to kill you. 43 Now
therefore, my son, obey my voice. Arise, flee to Laban, my brother, in Haran. 44
Stay with him a few days, until your brother’s fury turns away— 45 until your
brother’s anger turns away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him.
Then I will send, and get you from there. Why should I be bereaved of you both
in one day?”
46 Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am weary of my life because of
the daughters of Heth. If Jacob takes a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as
these, of the daughters of the land, what good will my life do me?”
