Day 17 of 365

¹Sarah lived one hundred twenty-seven years. This was the length of Sarah's life.

²Sarah died in Kiriath Arba (the same is Hebron), in the land of Canaan. Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.

³Abraham rose up from before his dead, and spoke to the children of Heth, saying,

⁴"I am a stranger and a foreigner living with you. Give me a possession of a burying-place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight."

⁵The children of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him,

⁶"Hear us, my lord. You are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the best of our tombs. None of us will withhold from you his tomb. Bury your dead."

⁷Abraham rose up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth.

⁸He talked with them, saying, "If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,

⁹that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he has, which is in the end of his field. For the full price let him give it to me among you for a possession of a burying-place."

¹⁰Now Ephron was sitting in the middle of the children of Heth. Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the children of Heth, even of all who went in at the gate of his city, saying,

¹¹"No, my lord, hear me. I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the presence of the children of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead."

¹²Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land.

¹³He spoke to Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, "But if you will, please hear me. I will give the price of the field. Take it from me, and I will bury my dead there."

¹⁴Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him,

¹⁵"My lord, listen to me. What is a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver between me and you? Therefore bury your dead."

¹⁶Abraham listened to Ephron. Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver which he had named in the audience of the children of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the current merchants' standard.

¹⁷So the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all of its borders, were deeded

¹⁸to Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city.

¹⁹After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre (that is, Hebron), in the land of Canaan.

²⁰The field, and the cave that is in it, were deeded to Abraham for a possession of a burying place by the children of Heth.

¹Abraham was old, and well stricken in age. The Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.

²Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his house, who ruled over all that he had, "Please put your hand under my thigh.

³I will make you swear by the Lord, 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.

⁴But you shall go to my country, and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac."

⁵The 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?"

⁶Abraham said to him, "Beware that you do not bring my son there again.

⁷The Lord, 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 seed.' He will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.

⁸If the woman isn't willing to follow you, then you shall be clear from this my oath. Only you shall not bring my son there again."

⁹The servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.

¹⁰The servant took ten camels, 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.

¹¹He 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.

¹²He said, "O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham.

¹³Behold, I am standing by the spring of water. The daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water.

¹⁴Let it happen, that the young lady to whom I will say, 'Please let down your pitcher, that I may drink,' and she will say, '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."

¹⁵It happened, before he had finished speaking, that 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.

¹⁶The young lady was very beautiful to look at, a virgin, neither had any man known her. She went down to the spring, filled her pitcher, and came up.

¹⁷The servant ran to meet her, and said, "Please give me a drink, a little water from your pitcher."

¹⁸She said, "Drink, my lord." She hurried, and let down her pitcher on her hand, and gave him drink.

¹⁹When she had done giving him drink, she said, "I will also draw for your camels, until they have done drinking."

²⁰She hurried, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again to the well to draw, and drew for all his camels.

²¹The man looked steadfastly at her, remaining silent, to know whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not.

²²It happened, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden ring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold,

²³and said, "Whose daughter are you? Please tell me. Is there room in your father's house for us to lodge in?"

²⁴She said to him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor."

²⁵She said moreover to him, "We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in."

²⁶The man bowed his head, and worshiped the Lord.

²⁷He said, "Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his loving kindness and his truth toward my master. As for me, the Lord has led me in the way to the house of my master's relatives."

²⁸The young lady ran, and told her mother's house about these words.

²⁹Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban. Laban ran out to the man, to the spring.

³⁰It happened, 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," that he came to the man. Behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring.

³¹He said, "Come in, you blessed of the Lord. Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house, and room for the camels."

³²The man came into the house, and he unloaded the camels. He gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.

³³Food was set before him to eat, but he said, "I will not eat until I have told my message." He said, "Speak on."

³⁴He said, "I am Abraham's servant.

³⁵The Lord has blessed my master greatly. He has become great. He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male servants and female servants, and camels and donkeys.

³⁶Sarah, my master's wife, bore a son to my master when she was old. He has given all that he has to him.

³⁷My master made me swear, saying, 'You shall not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live,

³⁸but you shall go to my father's house, and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son.'

³⁹I said to my master, 'What if the woman will not follow me?'

⁴⁰He said to me, 'The Lord, before whom I walk, will send his angel with you, and prosper your way. You shall take a wife for my son of my relatives, and of my father's house.

⁴¹Then will you be clear from my oath, when you come to my relatives. If they do not give her to you, you shall be clear from my oath.'

⁴²I came this day to the spring, and said, 'The Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if now you do prosper my way which I go-

⁴³behold, I am standing by this spring of water. Let it happen, that the maiden who comes forth to draw, to whom I will say, "Give me, I pray you, a little water from your pitcher to drink,"

⁴⁴and she will tell me, "Drink, and I will also draw for your camels,"-let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master's son.'

⁴⁵Before I had done speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder. She went down to the spring, and drew. I said to her, 'Please let me drink.'

⁴⁶She 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 made the camels drink also.

⁴⁷I 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.

⁴⁸I bowed my head, and worshiped the Lord, and blessed the Lord, 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.

⁴⁹Now 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."

⁵⁰Then Laban and Bethuel answered, "The thing proceeds from the Lord. We can't speak to you bad or good.

⁵¹Behold, Rebekah is before you. Take her, and go, and let her be your master's son's wife, as the Lord has spoken."

⁵²It happened that when Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed himself down to the earth to the Lord.

⁵³The servant brought forth 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.

⁵⁴They 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."

⁵⁵Her brother and her mother said, "Let the young lady stay with us a few days, at least ten. After that she will go."

⁵⁶He said to them, "Do not hinder me, seeing the Lord has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master."

⁵⁷They said, "We will call the young lady, and ask her."

⁵⁸They called Rebekah, and said to her, "Will you go with this man?" She said, "I will go."

⁵⁹They sent away Rebekah, their sister, with her nurse, Abraham's servant, and his men.

⁶⁰They blessed Rebekah, and said to her, "Our sister, may you be the mother of thousands of ten thousands, and let your seed possess the gate of those who hate them."

⁶¹Rebekah arose with her ladies. They rode on the camels, and followed the man. The servant took Rebekah, and went his way.

⁶²Isaac came from the way of Beer Lahai Roi, for he lived in the land of the Negev.

⁶³Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the evening. He lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, there were camels coming.

⁶⁴Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel.

⁶⁵She 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.

⁶⁶The servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.

⁶⁷Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife. He loved her. Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.

¹Abraham took another wife, and her name was Keturah.

²She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.

³Jokshan became the father of Sheba, and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim.

⁴The sons of Midian: Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.

⁵Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac,

⁶but to the sons of Abraham's concubines, Abraham gave gifts. He sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, to the east country.

⁷These are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived: one hundred seventy-five years.

⁸Abraham gave up the spirit, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years, and was gathered to his people.

⁹Isaac and Ishmael, his sons, buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron, the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre,

¹⁰the field which Abraham purchased of the children of Heth. Abraham was buried there with Sarah, his wife.

¹¹It happened after the death of Abraham that God blessed Isaac, his son. Isaac lived by Beer Lahai Roi.

¹²Now this is the history of the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid, bore to Abraham.

¹³These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to the order of their birth: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,

¹⁴Mishma, Dumah, Massa,

¹⁵Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.

¹⁶These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their villages, and by their encampments: twelve princes, according to their nations.

¹⁷These are the years of the life of Ishmael: one hundred thirty-seven years. He gave up the spirit and died, and was gathered to his people.

¹⁸They lived from Havilah to Shur that is before Egypt, as you go toward Assyria. He lived opposite all his relatives.

¹⁹This is the history of the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son. Abraham became the father of Isaac.

²⁰Isaac 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.

²¹Isaac entreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. The Lord was entreated by him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.

²²The children struggled together within her. She said, "If it be so, why do I live?" She went to inquire of the Lord.

²³The Lord 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.

²⁴When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.

²⁵The first came out red all over, like a hairy garment. They named him Esau.

²⁶After 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.

²⁷The boys grew. Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field. Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents.

²⁸Now Isaac loved Esau, because he ate his venison. Rebekah loved Jacob.

²⁹Jacob boiled stew. Esau came in from the field, and he was famished.

³⁰Esau said to Jacob, "Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am famished." Therefore his name was called Edom.

³¹Jacob said, "First, sell me your birthright."

³²Esau said, "Behold, I am about to die. What good is the birthright to me?"

³³Jacob said, "Swear to me first." He swore to him. He sold his birthright to Jacob.

³⁴Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils. He ate and drank, rose up, and went his way. So Esau despised his birthright.

¹There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, to Gerar.

²The Lord appeared to him, and said, "Do not go down into Egypt. Live in the land I will tell you about.

³Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you, and will bless you. For to you, and to your seed, I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to Abraham your father.

⁴I will multiply your seed as the stars of the sky, and will give to your seed all these lands. In your seed will all the nations of the earth be blessed,

⁵because Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my requirements, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws."

⁶Isaac lived in Gerar.

⁷The 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."

⁸It happened, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was caressing Rebekah, his wife.

⁹Abimelech 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.'"

¹⁰Abimelech 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!"

¹¹Abimelech commanded all the people, saying, "He who touches this man or his wife will surely be put to death."

¹²Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year one hundred times what he planted. The Lord blessed him.

¹³The man grew great, and grew more and more until he became very great.

¹⁴He had possessions of flocks, possessions of herds, and a great household. The Philistines envied him.

¹⁵Now 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.

¹⁶Abimelech said to Isaac, "Go from us, for you are much mightier than we."

¹⁷Isaac departed from there, encamped in the valley of Gerar, and lived there.

¹⁸Isaac dug again the wells of water, which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father. For the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham. He called their names after the names by which his father had called them.

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

²⁰The herdsmen of Gerar argued with Isaac's herdsmen, saying, "The water is ours." He called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him.

²¹They dug another well, and they argued over that, also. He called its name Sitnah.

²²He left that place, and dug another well. They did not argue over that one. He called it Rehoboth. He said, "For now the Lord has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land."

²³He went up from there to Beersheba.

²⁴The Lord appeared to him the same night, and said, "I am the God of Abraham your father. Do not be afraid, for I am with you, and will bless you, and multiply your seed for my servant Abraham's sake."

²⁵He built an altar there, and called on the name of the Lord, and pitched his tent there. There Isaac's servants dug a well.

²⁶Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath his friend, and Phicol the captain of his army.

²⁷Isaac said to them, "Why have you come to me, since you hate me, and have sent me away from you?"

²⁸They said, "We saw plainly that the Lord was with you. We said, 'Let there now be an oath between us, even between us and you, and let us make a covenant with you,

²⁹that you will do us no harm, as we have not touched you, and as we have done to you nothing but good, and have sent you away in peace.' You are now the blessed of the Lord."

³⁰He made them a feast, and they ate and drank.

³¹They rose up some time in the morning, and swore one to another. Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.

³²It happened the same day, that Isaac's servants came, and told him concerning the well which they had dug, and said to him, "We have found water."

³³He called it Shibah. Therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day.

³⁴When Esau was forty years old, he took as wife Judith, the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath, the daughter of Elon the Hittite.

³⁵They grieved Isaac's and Rebekah's spirits.