20:1 Abraham journeyed from there to the Negev 1 region and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he lived as a temporary resident 2 in Gerar, 20:2 Abraham said about his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent for Sarah and took her.
20:3 But God appeared 3 to Abimelech in a dream at night and said to him, “You are as good as dead 4 because of the woman you have taken, for she is someone else’s wife.” 5
20:4 Now Abimelech had not gone near her. He said, “Lord, 6 would you really slaughter an innocent nation? 7 20:5 Did Abraham 8 not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, 9 ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this with a clear conscience 10 and with innocent hands!”
20:6 Then in the dream God replied to him, “Yes, I know that you have done this with a clear conscience. 11 That is why I have kept you 12 from sinning against me and why 13 I did not allow you to touch her. 20:7 But now give back the man’s wife. Indeed 14 he is a prophet 15 and he will pray for you; thus you will live. 16 But if you don’t give her back, 17 know that you will surely die 18 along with all who belong to you.”
20:8 Early in the morning 19 Abimelech summoned 20 all his servants. When he told them about all these things, 21 they 22 were terrified. 20:9 Abimelech summoned Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? What sin did I commit against you that would cause you to bring such great guilt on me and my kingdom? 23 You have done things to me that should not be done!” 24 20:10 Then Abimelech asked 25 Abraham, “What prompted you to do this thing?” 26
20:11 Abraham replied, “Because I thought, 27 ‘Surely no one fears God in this place. They will kill me because of 28 my wife.’ 20:12 What’s more, 29 she is indeed my sister, my father’s daughter, but not my mother’s daughter. She became my wife. 20:13 When God made me wander 30 from my father’s house, I told her, ‘This is what you can do to show your loyalty to me: 31 Every place we go, say about me, “He is my brother.”’”
20:14 So Abimelech gave 32 sheep, cattle, and male and female servants to Abraham. He also gave his wife Sarah back to him. 20:15 Then Abimelech said, “Look, my land is before you; live wherever you please.” 33
20:16 To Sarah he said, “Look, I have given a thousand pieces of silver 34 to your ‘brother.’ 35 This is compensation for you so that you will stand vindicated before all who are with you.” 36
20:17 Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, as well as his wife and female slaves so that they were able to have children. 20:18 For the Lord 37 had caused infertility to strike every woman 38 in the household of Abimelech because he took 39 Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
21:1 The Lord visited 40 Sarah just as he had said he would and did 41 for Sarah what he had promised. 42 21:2 So Sarah became pregnant 43 and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the appointed time that God had told him. 21:3 Abraham named his son – whom Sarah bore to him – Isaac. 44 21:4 When his son Isaac was eight days old, 45 Abraham circumcised him just as God had commanded him to do. 46 21:5 (Now Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.) 47
21:6 Sarah said, “God has made me laugh. 48 Everyone who hears about this 49 will laugh 50 with me.” 21:7 She went on to say, 51 “Who would 52 have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have given birth to a son for him in his old age!”
21:8 The child grew and was weaned. Abraham prepared 53 a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. 54 21:9 But Sarah noticed 55 the son of Hagar the Egyptian – the son whom Hagar had borne to Abraham – mocking. 56 21:10 So she said to Abraham, “Banish 57 that slave woman and her son, for the son of that slave woman will not be an heir along with my son Isaac!”
21:11 Sarah’s demand displeased Abraham greatly because Ishmael was his son. 58 21:12 But God said to Abraham, “Do not be upset 59 about the boy or your slave wife. Do 60 all that Sarah is telling 61 you because through Isaac your descendants will be counted. 62 21:13 But I will also make the son of the slave wife into a great nation, for he is your descendant too.”
21:14 Early in the morning Abraham took 63 some food 64 and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He put them on her shoulders, gave her the child, 65 and sent her away. So she went wandering 66 aimlessly through the wilderness 67 of Beer Sheba. 21:15 When the water in the skin was gone, she shoved 68 the child under one of the shrubs. 21:16 Then she went and sat down by herself across from him at quite a distance, about a bowshot 69 away; for she thought, 70 “I refuse to watch the child die.” 71 So she sat across from him and wept uncontrollably. 72
21:17 But God heard the boy’s voice. 73 The angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and asked her, “What is the matter, 74 Hagar? Don’t be afraid, for God has heard 75 the boy’s voice right where he is crying. 21:18 Get up! Help the boy up and hold him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” 21:19 Then God enabled Hagar to see a well of water. 76 She went over and filled the skin with water, and then gave the boy a drink.
21:20 God was with the boy as he grew. He lived in the wilderness and became an archer. 21:21 He lived in the wilderness of Paran. 77 His mother found a wife for him from the land of Egypt. 78
21:22 At that time Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, said to Abraham, “God is with you 79 in all that you do. 21:23 Now swear to me right here in God’s name 80 that you will not deceive me, my children, or my descendants. 81 Show me, and the land 82 where you are staying, 83 the same loyalty 84 that I have shown you.” 85
21:24 Abraham said, “I swear to do this.” 86 21:25 But Abraham lodged a complaint 87 against Abimelech concerning a well 88 that Abimelech’s servants had seized. 89 21:26 “I do not know who has done this thing,” Abimelech replied. “Moreover, 90 you did not tell me. I did not hear about it until today.”
21:27 Abraham took some sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech. The two of them made a treaty. 91 21:28 Then Abraham set seven ewe lambs apart from the flock by themselves. 21:29 Abimelech asked Abraham, “What is the meaning of these 92 seven ewe lambs that you have set apart?” 21:30 He replied, “You must take these seven ewe lambs from my hand as legal proof 93 that I dug this well.” 94 21:31 That is why he named that place 95 Beer Sheba, 96 because the two of them swore 97 an oath there.
21:32 So they made a treaty 98 at Beer Sheba. Then Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, returned 99 to the land of the Philistines. 100 21:33 Abraham 101 planted a tamarisk tree 102 in Beer Sheba. There he worshiped the Lord, 103 the eternal God. 21:34 So Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for quite some time. 104
22:1 Some time after these things God tested 105 Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am!” Abraham 106 replied. 22:2 God 107 said, “Take your son – your only son, whom you love, Isaac 108 – and go to the land of Moriah! 109 Offer him up there as a burnt offering 110 on one of the mountains which I will indicate to 111 you.”
22:3 Early in the morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. 112 He took two of his young servants with him, along with his son Isaac. When he had cut the wood for the burnt offering, he started out 113 for the place God had spoken to him about.
22:4 On the third day Abraham caught sight of 114 the place in the distance. 22:5 So he 115 said to his servants, “You two stay 116 here with the donkey while 117 the boy and I go up there. We will worship 118 and then return to you.” 119
22:6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and put it on his son Isaac. Then he took the fire and the knife in his hand, 120 and the two of them walked on together. 22:7 Isaac said to his father Abraham, 121 “My father?” “What is it, 122 my son?” he replied. “Here is the fire and the wood,” Isaac said, 123 “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 22:8 “God will provide 124 for himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son,” Abraham replied. The two of them continued on together.
22:9 When they came to the place God had told him about, Abraham built the altar there 125 and arranged the wood on it. Next he tied up 126 his son Isaac and placed him on the altar on top of the wood. 22:10 Then Abraham reached out his hand, took the knife, and prepared to slaughter 127 his son. 22:11 But the Lord’s angel 128 called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am!” he answered. 22:12 “Do not harm the boy!” 129 the angel said. 130 “Do not do anything to him, for now I know 131 that you fear 132 God because you did not withhold your son, your only son, from me.”
22:13 Abraham looked up 133 and saw 134 behind him 135 a ram caught in the bushes by its horns. So he 136 went over and got the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 22:14 And Abraham called the name of that place “The Lord provides.” 137 It is said to this day, 138 “In the mountain of the Lord provision will be made.” 139
22:15 The Lord’s angel called to Abraham a second time from heaven 22:16 and said, “‘I solemnly swear by my own name,’ 140 decrees the Lord, 141 ‘that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 22:17 I will indeed bless you, 142 and I will greatly multiply 143 your descendants 144 so that they will be as countless as the stars in the sky or the grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession 145 of the strongholds 146 of their enemies. 22:18 Because you have obeyed me, 147 all the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another 148 using the name of your descendants.’”
22:19 Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set out together 149 for Beer Sheba where Abraham stayed. 150
22:20 After these things Abraham was told, “Milcah 151 also has borne children to your brother Nahor – 22:21 Uz the firstborn, his brother Buz, Kemuel (the father of Aram), 152 22:22 Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” 22:23 (Now 153 Bethuel became the father of Rebekah.) These were the eight sons Milcah bore to Abraham’s brother Nahor. 22:24 His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore him children – Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.
23:1 Sarah lived 127 years. 154 23:2 Then she 155 died in Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. 156
23:3 Then Abraham got up from mourning his dead wife 157 and said to the sons of Heth, 158 23:4 “I am a temporary settler 159 among you. Grant 160 me ownership 161 of a burial site among you so that I may 162 bury my dead.” 163
23:5 The sons of Heth answered Abraham, 164 23:6 “Listen, sir, 165 you are a mighty prince 166 among us! You may bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb to prevent you 167 from burying your dead.”
23:7 Abraham got up and bowed down to the local people, 168 the sons of Heth. 23:8 Then he said to them, “If you agree 169 that I may bury my dead, 170 then hear me out. 171 Ask 172 Ephron the son of Zohar 23:9 if he will sell 173 me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him; it is at the end of his field. Let him sell it to me publicly 174 for the full price, 175 so that I may own it as a burial site.”
23:10 (Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth.) Ephron the Hethite 176 replied to Abraham in the hearing 177 of the sons of Heth – before all who entered the gate 178 of his city – 23:11 “No, my lord! Hear me out. I sell 179 you both the field and the cave that is in it. 180 In the presence of my people 181 I sell it to you. Bury your dead.”
23:12 Abraham bowed before the local people 23:13 and said to Ephron in their hearing, “Hear me, if you will. I pay 182 to you the price 183 of the field. Take it from me so that I may 184 bury my dead there.”
23:14 Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, 23:15 “Hear me, my lord. The land is worth 185 400 pieces of silver, 186 but what is that between me and you? So bury your dead.”
23:16 So Abraham agreed to Ephron’s price 187 and weighed 188 out for him 189 the price 190 that Ephron had quoted 191 in the hearing of the sons of Heth – 400 pieces of silver, according to the standard measurement at the time. 192
23:17 So Abraham secured 193 Ephron’s field in Machpelah, next to Mamre, including the field, the cave that was in it, and all the trees that were in the field and all around its border, 23:18 as his property in the presence of the sons of Heth before all who entered the gate of Ephron’s city. 194
23:19 After this Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah next to Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 23:20 So Abraham secured the field and the cave that was in it as a burial site 195 from the sons of Heth.
24:1 Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years, 196 and the Lord had blessed him 197 in everything. 24:2 Abraham said to his servant, the senior one 198 in his household who was in charge of everything he had, “Put your hand under my thigh 199 24:3 so that I may make you solemnly promise 200 by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth: You must not acquire 201 a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living. 24:4 You must go instead to my country and to my relatives 202 to find 203 a wife for my son Isaac.”
24:5 The servant asked him, “What if the woman is not willing to come back with me 204 to this land? Must I then 205 take your son back to the land from which you came?”
24:6 “Be careful 206 never to take my son back there!” Abraham told him. 207 24:7 “The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and the land of my relatives, 208 promised me with a solemn oath, 209 ‘To your descendants I will give this land.’ He will send his angel 210 before you so that you may find 211 a wife for my son from there. 24:8 But if the woman is not willing to come back with you, 212 you will be free 213 from this oath of mine. But you must not take my son back there!” 24:9 So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and gave his solemn promise he would carry out his wishes. 214
24:10 Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed with all kinds of gifts from his master at his disposal. 215 He journeyed 216 to the region of Aram Naharaim 217 and the city of Nahor. 24:11 He made the camels kneel down by the well 218 outside the city. It was evening, 219 the time when the women would go out to draw water. 24:12 He prayed, “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, guide me today. 220 Be faithful 221 to my master Abraham. 24:13 Here I am, standing by the spring, 222 and the daughters of the people 223 who live in the town are coming out to draw water. 24:14 I will say to a young woman, ‘Please lower your jar so I may drink.’ May the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac reply, ‘Drink, and I’ll give your camels water too.’ 224 In this way I will know that you have been faithful to my master.” 225
24:15 Before he had finished praying, there came Rebekah 226 with her water jug on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah (Milcah was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor). 227 24:16 Now the young woman was very beautiful. She was a virgin; no man had ever had sexual relations with her. 228 She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came back up. 24:17 Abraham’s servant 229 ran to meet her and said, “Please give me a sip of water from your jug.” 24:18 “Drink, my lord,” she replied, and quickly lowering 230 her jug to her hands, she gave him a drink. 24:19 When she had done so, 231 she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have drunk as much as they want.” 24:20 She quickly emptied 232 her jug into the watering trough and ran back to the well to draw more water until she had drawn enough for all his camels. 24:21 Silently the man watched her with interest to determine 233 if the Lord had made his journey successful 234 or not.
24:22 After the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka 235 and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels 236 and gave them to her. 237 24:23 “Whose daughter are you?” he asked. 238 “Tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?”
24:24 She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom Milcah bore to Nahor. 239 24:25 We have plenty of straw and feed,” she added, 240 “and room for you 241 to spend the night.”
24:26 The man bowed his head and worshiped the Lord, 24:27 saying “Praised be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his faithful love 242 for my master! The Lord has led me 243 to the house 244 of my master’s relatives!” 245
24:28 The young woman ran and told her mother’s household all about 246 these things. 24:29 (Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban.) 247 Laban rushed out to meet the man at the spring. 24:30 When he saw the bracelets on his sister’s wrists and the nose ring 248 and heard his sister Rebekah say, 249 “This is what the man said to me,” he went out to meet the man. There he was, standing 250 by the camels near the spring. 24:31 Laban said to him, 251 “Come, you who are blessed by the Lord! 252 Why are you standing out here when I have prepared 253 the house and a place for the camels?”
24:32 So Abraham’s servant 254 went to the house and unloaded 255 the camels. Straw and feed were given 256 to the camels, and water was provided so that he and the men who were with him could wash their feet. 257 24:33 When food was served, 258 he said, “I will not eat until I have said what I want to say.” 259 “Tell us,” Laban said. 260
24:34 “I am the servant of Abraham,” he began. 24:35 “The Lord has richly blessed my master and he has become very wealthy. 261 The Lord 262 has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. 24:36 My master’s wife Sarah bore a son to him 263 when she was old, 264 and my master 265 has given him everything he owns. 24:37 My master made me swear an oath. He said, ‘You must not acquire a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, 24:38 but you must go to the family of my father and to my relatives to find 266 a wife for my son.’ 24:39 But I said to my master, ‘What if the woman does not want to go 267 with me?’ 268 24:40 He answered, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked, 269 will send his angel with you. He will make your journey a success and you will find a wife for my son from among my relatives, from my father’s family. 24:41 You will be free from your oath 270 if you go to my relatives and they will not give her to you. Then you will be free from your oath.’ 24:42 When I came to the spring today, I prayed, ‘O Lord, God of my master Abraham, if you have decided to make my journey successful, 271 may events unfold as follows: 272 24:43 Here I am, standing by the spring. 273 When 274 the young woman goes out to draw water, I’ll say, “Give me a little water to drink from your jug.” 24:44 Then she will reply to me, “Drink, and I’ll draw water for your camels too.” May that woman be the one whom the Lord has chosen for my master’s son.’
24:45 “Before I finished praying in my heart, 275 along came Rebekah 276 with her water jug on her shoulder! She went down to the spring and drew water. So I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’ 24:46 She quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I’ll give your camels water too.’ So I drank, and she also gave the camels water. 24:47 Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She replied, ‘The daughter of Bethuel the son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to Nahor.’ 277 I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. 24:48 Then I bowed down and worshiped the Lord. I praised the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me on the right path to find the granddaughter 278 of my master’s brother for his son. 24:49 Now, if you will show faithful love to my master, tell me. But if not, tell me as well, so that I may go on my way.” 279
24:50 Then Laban and Bethuel replied, “This is the Lord’s doing. 280 Our wishes are of no concern. 281 24:51 Rebekah stands here before you. Take her and go so that she may become 282 the wife of your master’s son, just as the Lord has decided.” 283
24:52 When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord. 24:53 Then he 284 brought out gold, silver jewelry, and clothing and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave valuable gifts to her brother and to her mother. 24:54 After this, he and the men who were with him ate a meal and stayed there overnight. 285
When they got up in the morning, he said, “Let me leave now so I can return to my master.” 286 24:55 But Rebekah’s 287 brother and her mother replied, “Let the girl stay with us a few more days, perhaps ten. Then she can go.” 24:56 But he said to them, “Don’t detain me – the Lord 288 has granted me success on my journey. Let me leave now so I may return 289 to my master.” 24:57 Then they said, “We’ll call the girl and find out what she wants to do.” 290 24:58 So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Do you want 291 to go with this man?” She replied, “I want to go.”
24:59 So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, accompanied by her female attendant, with Abraham’s servant and his men. 24:60 They blessed Rebekah with these words: 292
“Our sister, may you become the mother 293 of thousands of ten thousands!
May your descendants possess the strongholds 294 of their enemies.”
24:61 Then Rebekah and her female servants mounted the camels and rode away with 295 the man. So Abraham’s servant 296 took Rebekah and left.
24:62 Now 297 Isaac came from 298 Beer Lahai Roi, 299 for 300 he was living in the Negev. 301 24:63 He 302 went out to relax 303 in the field in the early evening. 304 Then he looked up 305 and saw that 306 there were camels approaching. 24:64 Rebekah looked up 307 and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel 24:65 and asked 308 Abraham’s servant, 309 “Who is that man walking in the field toward us?” “That is my master,” the servant replied. 310 So she took her veil and covered herself.
24:66 The servant told Isaac everything that had happened. 24:67 Then Isaac brought Rebekah 311 into his mother Sarah’s tent. He took her 312 as his wife and loved her. 313 So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death. 314
22:1 Some time after these things God tested 315 Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am!” Abraham 316 replied.
For the music director; according to the al-tashcheth style; 318 a prayer 319 of David.
58:1 Do you rulers really pronounce just decisions? 320
Do you judge people 321 fairly?
58:2 No! 322 You plan how to do what is unjust; 323
you deal out violence in the earth. 324
A psalm of Asaph.
82:1 God stands in 326 the assembly of El; 327
in the midst of the gods 328 he renders judgment. 329
82:2 He says, 330 “How long will you make unjust legal decisions
and show favoritism to the wicked? 331 (Selah)
94:20 Cruel rulers 332 are not your allies,
those who make oppressive laws. 333
28:1 The wicked person flees when there is no one pursuing, 334
but the righteous person is as confident 335 as a lion.