Genesis 26 - Expanded Bible (EXB)

Isaac Lies to Abimelech

26 Now there was a ·time of hunger [L famine] in the land, besides the ·time of hunger [L former famine] that happened during Abraham’s life. So Isaac went to the town of Gerar [20:1] to see Abimelech king of the Philistines. 2 The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Don’t go down to Egypt, but ·live [settle; dwell] in the land where I tell you to live. 3 ·Stay [Sojourn; Live as an alien] in this land, and I will be with you and bless you [12:3]. I will give you and your ·descendants [L seed] all these lands, and I will ·keep [fulfill] the oath I made to Abraham your father. 4 I will ·give you many descendants [L multiply your seed], as hard to count as the stars in the sky, and I will give them all these lands. Through your ·descendants [L seed] all the nations on the earth will be blessed [12:1–3]. 5 I will do this because your father Abraham ·obeyed me [L listened to my voice]. He did what I said and obeyed my ·instructions [charge], my commands, my teachings, and my ·rules [instructions; laws].”

6 So Isaac ·stayed [resided; settled] in Gerar [20:1]. 7 His wife Rebekah was very beautiful, and the men of that place asked Isaac about her. Isaac said, “She is my sister,” because he was afraid to tell them she was his wife. He thought they might kill him so they could have her [12:10–20; 20:1–18].

8 Isaac lived there a long time. One day as Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out his window, he saw Isaac ·holding [fondling; playing with; C a word related to the name Isaac] his wife Rebekah tenderly. 9 Abimelech called for Isaac and said, “This woman is your wife. Why did you say she was your sister?”

Isaac said to him, “I ·was afraid you would kill me so you could have [L thought I might die because of] her.”

10 Abimelech said, “What have you done to us? One of our ·men [L people] might have ·had sexual relations [lain] with your wife. Then ·we would have been guilty of a great sin [L you would have brought guilt/punishment on us].”

11 So Abimelech ·warned [commanded] ·everyone [all the people], “Anyone who touches this man or his wife will be put to death.”

Isaac Becomes Rich

12 Isaac planted seed in that land, and that year he gathered ·a great harvest [L a hundredfold]. The Lord blessed him very much, 13 and ·he [L the man] became rich. He ·gathered more wealth [grew richer and richer] until he became a very rich man. 14 He had so many slaves and flocks and herds that the Philistines envied him. 15 So they stopped up all the wells the servants of Isaac’s father Abraham had dug. (They had dug them ·when Abraham was alive [L in the days of Abraham his father].) The Philistines filled those wells with ·dirt [dust]. 16 And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Leave ·our country [L my people] because you have become much more powerful than we are.”

17 So Isaac ·left that place [L went from there] and camped in the ·Valley [Wadi] of Gerar and ·lived [resided; settled] there. 18 ·Long before this time Abraham [L In the days of Abraham his father they] had dug many wells, but after he died, the Philistines filled them with ·dirt [dust]. So Isaac dug those wells again and gave them the same names his father had given them. 19 Isaac’s servants dug a well in the ·valley [wadi], ·from which a spring of water flowed [L and discovered springing/living water]. 20 But the ·herdsmen [shepherds] of Gerar ·argued [contended] with ·them [L the shepherds of Isaac] and said, “This water is ours.” So Isaac named that well ·Argue [Contention; C Hebrew: Esek] because they ·argued [contended] with him. 21 Then ·his servants [L they] dug another well. When the people also ·argued about it [contended], Isaac named that well ·Fight [Hebrew: Sitnah]. 22 He moved from there and dug another well. No one ·argued about [contended] this one, so he named it Room Enough [C Hebrew: Rehoboth]. Isaac said, “Now the Lord has made room for us, and we will be ·successful [fruitful; 1:22] in this land.”

23 From there Isaac went [L up] to Beersheba [21:14]. 24 The Lord appeared to him that night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Don’t be afraid, because I am with you [C indicating that the covenant with Abraham would be continued with Isaac]. I will bless you and ·give you many descendants [multiply your seed] because of my servant Abraham.” 25 So Isaac built an altar [C a place of sacrifice] and ·worshiped [L called on the name of] the Lord there. He also ·made a camp [L pitched his tent] there, and his servants dug a well.

26 Abimelech came from Gerar to see Isaac. He brought with him Ahuzzath, ·who advised him [his advisor/friend], and Phicol, the commander of his army. 27 Isaac asked them, “Why have you come to see me? You ·were my enemy [hate me] and ·forced me to leave your country [L sent me away from you].”

28 They answered, “Now we ·know [L clearly see] that the Lord is with you. Let us swear an oath to each other. Let us ·make [L cut] an ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with you 29 that since we did not ·hurt [L touch] you, you will not ·hurt [harm] us. We were good to you and sent you away in peace. Now the Lord has blessed you.”

30 So Isaac ·prepared food [made a banquet/feast] for them, and they all ate and drank [C customary to celebrate the signing of the treaty]. 31 Early the next morning the men swore an oath to each other. Then Isaac sent them away, and they left in peace.

32 That day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well they had dug, saying, “We found water in that well.” 33 So Isaac named it Shibah [C sounds like Hebrew for “seven” or “promise”] and that city is called Beersheba [21:14] even now.

34 When Esau was forty years old, he married two Hittite women—Judith daughter of Beeri and Basemath daughter of Elon. 35 These women brought much ·sorrow [bitterness] to Isaac and Rebekah [C because Esau had married outside the people of God].

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Genesis 26 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

26 And there is a famine in the land, besides the first famine which was in the days of Abraham, and Isaac goeth unto Abimelech king of the Philistines, to Gerar. 2 And Jehovah appeareth unto him, and saith, `Go not down towards Egypt, tabernacle in the land concerning which I speak unto thee, 3 soj...
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Genesis 26 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

26 Forsooth for hunger rose on the land, after that barrenness that befelled in the days of Abraham, Isaac went forth to Abimelech, king of Palestines, in Gerar. (And another famine arose in the land, like the one which had come in Abraham’s days, and Isaac went to Abimelech, the king of the Philist...
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Genesis 26 - World English Bible (WEB)

26 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 w...
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Genesis 26 - The Voice (VOICE)

26 Once again, a famine spread through the land, similar to the one that occurred in Abraham’s time. Isaac went to the land of Gerar to appeal to King Abimelech of the Philistines. 2 The Eternal appeared in a vision to Isaac.Eternal One: Don’t go down to Egypt, Isaac. Instead settle in the land I w...
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Genesis 26 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Confirming the Covenant with Isaac26 Now there was a famine in the land—aside from the previous famine that happened in Abraham’s days. So Isaac went to King Abimelech of the Philistines, to Gerar. 2 Then Adonai appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt. Dwell in the land about which I tel...
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Genesis 26 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Isaac and Abimelech26 Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerar, to Abim′elech king of the Philistines. 2 And the Lord appeared to him, and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you. 3 So...
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Genesis 26 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Isaac and Abimelech26 Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerar, to Abim′elech king of the Philistines. 2 And the Lord appeared to him, and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you. 3 So...
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Genesis 26 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Isaac and Abimelech26 Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that had occurred in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerar, to King Abimelech of the Philistines. 2 The Lord appeared to Isaac[a] and said, ‘Do not go down to Egypt; settle in the land that I shall show you. ...
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Genesis 26 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Isaac and Abimelech26 Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that had occurred in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerar, to King Abimelech of the Philistines.(A)2 The Lord appeared to Isaac[a] and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; settle in the land that I shall show you....
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Genesis 26 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Isaac Deceives Abimelech26 A severe famine now struck the land, as had happened before in Abraham’s time. So Isaac moved to Gerar, where Abimelech, king of the Philistines, lived. 2 The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt, but do as I tell you. 3 Live here as a foreigner in thi...
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Genesis 26 - New Life Version (NLV)

Isaac and Abimelech26 Now there was another time when there was no food in the land, after the time of no food in the days of Abraham. So Isaac went to Gerar, to Abimelech king of the Philistines. 2 The Lord showed Himself to Isaac, and said, “Do not go to Egypt. Stay in the land I will tell you ab...
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Genesis 26 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Isaac and Abimelech26 There was a famine in the land, besides (A)the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to (B)Abimelech king of the Philistines, in Gerar. 2 Then the Lord appeared to him and said: (C)“Do not go down to Egypt; live in (D)the land of which I shall tell you. ...
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Genesis 26 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Isaac and Abimelek26 Now there was a famine in the land – besides the previous famine in Abraham’s time – and Isaac went to Abimelek king of the Philistines in Gerar. 2 The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, ‘Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live. 3 Stay in this land for...
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Genesis 26 - New International Version (NIV)

Isaac and Abimelek(A)26 Now there was a famine in the land(B)—besides the previous famine in Abraham’s time—and Isaac went to Abimelek king of the Philistines(C) in Gerar.(D) 2 The Lord appeared(E) to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt;(F) live in the land where I tell you to live.(G) 3 Stay i...
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Genesis 26 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Isaac and Abimelek26 There was very little food in the land. The same thing had been true earlier, in Abraham’s time. Isaac went to Abimelek in Gerar. Abimelek was the king of the Philistines. 2 The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt. Live in the land where I tell you to live...
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Genesis 26 - New English Translation (NET)

Isaac and Abimelech26 There was a famine in the land, subsequent to the earlier famine that occurred[a] in the days of Abraham.[b] Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines at Gerar. 2 The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt;[c] settle down in the land that I will point ...
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