Day 96 of 365

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.

¹It happened, that 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."

²He said, "See now, I am old. I do not know the day of my death.

³Now therefore, please take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field, and take me venison.

⁴Make 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."

⁵Rebekah heard when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it.

⁶Rebekah 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 the Lord before my death.'

⁸Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command you.

⁹Go now to the flock, and get me from there two good kids of the goats. I will make them savory food for your father, such as he loves.

¹⁰You shall bring it to your father, that he may eat, so that he may bless you before his death."

¹¹Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, "Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man.

¹²What 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."

¹³His mother said to him, "Let your curse be on me, my son. Only obey my voice, and go get them for me."

¹⁴He went, and got them, and brought them to his mother. His mother made savory food, such as his father loved.

¹⁵Rebekah took the good clothes of Esau, her elder son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob, her younger son.

¹⁶She put the skins of the kids of the goats on his hands, and on the smooth of his neck.

¹⁷She gave the savory food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.

¹⁸He came to his father, and said, "My father?" He said, "Here I am. Who are you, my son?"

¹⁹Jacob 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."

²⁰Isaac said to his son, "How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?" He said, "Because the Lord your God gave me success."

²¹Isaac said to Jacob, "Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not."

²²Jacob 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."

²³He did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy, like his brother, Esau's hands. So he blessed him.

²⁴He said, "Are you really my son Esau?" He said, "I am."

²⁵He 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.

²⁶His father Isaac said to him, "Come near now, and kiss me, my son."

²⁷He 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 the Lord has blessed.

²⁸God give you of the dew of the sky, of the fatness of the earth, and plenty of grain and new wine.

²⁹Let 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."

³⁰It happened, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob had just gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting.

³¹He 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."

³²Isaac his father said to him, "Who are you?" He said, "I am your son, your firstborn, Esau."

³³Isaac trembled violently, and said, "Who, then, is he who has taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before you came, and have blessed him? Yes, he will be blessed."

³⁴When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with an exceeding great and bitter cry, and said to his father, "Bless me, even me also, my father."

³⁵He said, "Your brother came with deceit, and has taken away your blessing."

³⁶He 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?"

³⁷Isaac answered Esau, "Behold, I have made him your lord, and all his brothers have I given to him for servants. With grain and new wine have I sustained him. What then will I do for you, my son?"

³⁸Esau said to his father, "Have you but one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, my father." Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.

³⁹Isaac his father answered him, "Behold, of the fatness of the earth will be your dwelling, and of the dew of the sky from above.

⁴⁰By your sword will you live, and you will serve your brother. It will happen, when you will break loose, that you shall shake his yoke from off your neck."

⁴¹Esau 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."

⁴²The 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.

⁴³Now therefore, my son, obey my voice. Arise, flee to Laban, my brother, in Haran.

⁴⁴Stay with him a few days, until your brother's fury turns away;

⁴⁵until your brother's anger turn 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?"

⁴⁶Rebekah 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?"

¹Isaac called Jacob, blessed him, and commanded him, "You shall not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.

²Arise, go to Paddan Aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother's father. Take a wife from there from the daughters of Laban, your mother's brother.

³May God Almighty bless you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, that you may be a company of peoples,

⁴and give you the blessing of Abraham, to you, and to your seed with you, that you may inherit the land where you travel, which God gave to Abraham."

⁵Isaac sent Jacob away. He went to Paddan Aram to Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, Rebekah's brother, Jacob's and Esau's mother.

⁶Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan Aram, to take him a wife from there, and that as he blessed him he gave him a command, saying, "You shall not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan,"

⁷and that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to Paddan Aram.

⁸Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan did not please Isaac, his father.

⁹Esau went to Ishmael, and took, besides the wives that he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son, the sister of Nebaioth, to be his wife.

¹⁰Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.

¹¹He came to a certain place, and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. He took one of the stones of the place, and put it under his head, and lay down in that place to sleep.

¹²He dreamed. Behold, a stairway set upon the earth, and its top reached to heaven. Behold, the angels of God ascending and descending on it.

¹³Behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, "I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. The land whereon you lie, to you will I give it, and to your seed.

¹⁴Your seed will be as the dust of the earth, and you will spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south. In you and in your seed will all the families of the earth be blessed.

¹⁵Behold, I am with you, and will keep you, wherever you go, and will bring you again into this land. For I will not leave you, until I have done that which I have spoken of to you."

¹⁶Jacob awakened out of his sleep, and he said, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it."

¹⁷He was afraid, and said, "How dreadful is this place! This is none other than God's house, and this is the gate of heaven."

¹⁸Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put under his head, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil on its top.

¹⁹He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first.

²⁰Jacob vowed a vow, saying, "If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and clothing to put on,

²¹so that I come again to my father's house in peace, and the Lord will be my God,

²²then this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, will be God's house. Of all that you will give me I will surely give the tenth to you."

¹Sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to the Lord, all the earth.

²Sing to the Lord! Bless his name! Proclaim his salvation from day to day!

³Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples.

⁴For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised! He is to be feared above all gods.

⁵For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.

⁶Honor and majesty are before him. Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

⁷Ascribe to the Lord, you families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

⁸Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to his name. Bring an offering, and come into his courts.

⁹Worship the Lord in holy array. Tremble before him, all the earth.

¹⁰Say among the nations, "The Lord reigns." The world is also established. It can't be moved. He will judge the peoples with equity.

¹¹Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice. Let the sea roar, and its fullness!

¹²Let the field and all that is in it exult! Then all the trees of the woods shall sing for joy

¹³before the Lord; for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, the peoples with his truth.

¹My son, do not forget my teaching; but let your heart keep my commandments:

²for length of days, and years of life, and peace, will they add to you.

³Do not let kindness and truth forsake you. Bind them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart.

⁴So you will find favor, and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

⁵Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

⁶In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

⁷Do not be wise in your own eyes. Fear the Lord, and depart from evil.

⁸It will be health to your body, and nourishment to your bones.

⁹Honor the Lord with your substance, with the first fruits of all your increase:

¹⁰so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.

¹¹My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline, neither be weary of his reproof:

¹²for whom the Lord loves, he reproves; even as a father reproves the son in whom he delights.

¹³Happy is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gets understanding.

¹⁴For her good profit is better than getting silver, and her return is better than fine gold.

¹⁵She is more precious than rubies. None of the things you can desire are to be compared to her.

¹⁶Length of days is in her right hand. In her left hand are riches and honor.

¹⁷Her ways are ways of pleasantness. All her paths are peace.

¹⁸She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her. Happy is everyone who retains her.

¹⁹By wisdom the Lord founded the earth. By understanding, he established the heavens.

²⁰By his knowledge, the depths were broken up, and the skies drop down the dew.

²¹My son, let them not depart from your eyes. Keep sound wisdom and discretion:

²²so they will be life to your soul, and grace for your neck.

²³Then you shall walk in your way securely. Your foot won't stumble.

²⁴When you lie down, you will not be afraid. Yes, you will lie down, and your sleep will be sweet.

²⁵Do not be afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it comes:

²⁶for the Lord will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being taken.

²⁷Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do it.

²⁸Do not say to your neighbor, "Go, and come again; tomorrow I will give it to you," when you have it by you.

²⁹Do not devise evil against your neighbor, seeing he dwells securely by you.

³⁰Do not strive with a man without cause, if he has done you no harm.

³¹Do not envy the man of violence. Choose none of his ways.

³²For the perverse is an abomination to the Lord, but his friendship is with the upright.

³³The Lord's curse is in the house of the wicked, but he blesses the habitation of the righteous.

³⁴Surely he is scornful to scoffers, but he gives grace to the humble.

³⁵The wise will inherit glory, but shame will be the promotion of fools.