Gema369 KJV Bible: Genesis 26

1 And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar.

*There was a food shortage in the land, which happened again like during Abraham's time. So, Isaac visited King Abimelech of the Philistines in a place called Gerar.

2 And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of:

*And God appeared to him and said, Don't go to Egypt; stay in the land I will tell you about.

3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;

*Stay in this land, and I will be by your side, blessing you. All these lands belong to you and your children, just as I promised your father, Abraham. I will keep my promise.

4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;

*I will increase your descendants like the stars in the sky, and give their land all these areas. Through your descendants, all the world's people will be blessed.

5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.

*Because Abraham listened to me and followed my rules, commands, and instructions.

6 And Isaac dwelt in Gerar:

*Isaac lived in Gerar.

7 And the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said, She is my sister: for he feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah; because she was fair to look upon.

*The people at that place asked him about his wife. He replied that she was his sister, because he was afraid to say she was his wife. He worried that if they knew the truth – that she was beautiful – they might kill him to take Rebekah.

8 And it came to pass, 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 sporting with Rebekah his wife.

*After staying for a long time, King Abimelech of the Philistines looked out the window and saw Isaac playing with Rebekah, his wife.

9 And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety she is thy wife: and how saidst thou, She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for her.

*Abimelech asked Isaac why he called his wife his sister. Isaac explained that he said it to protect her, so they wouldn't kill him because of her.

10 And Abimelech said, What is this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife, and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us.

*Abimelech asked, "What did you do? Someone from the town could have slept with your wife, and we would be guilty."

11 And Abimelech charged all his people, saying, He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.

*Abimelech told everyone, "If anyone touches this man or his wife, they will be killed for sure."

12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him.

*Then Isaac planted seeds in that land and got back 100 times more crops in the same year; God also blessed him.

13 And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great:

*The man got bigger and stronger, and continued to grow until he became very important.

14 For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him.

*He owned many sheep and cattle, plus lots of workers. The Philistines were jealous of him.

15 For all the wells which his father’s servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth.

*All the wells that Abraham's father's helpers dug in his time got blocked by the Philistines and filled with dirt.

16 And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we.

*And Abimelech told Isaac, "Leave us, because you are stronger than all of us."

17 And Isaac departed thence, and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there.

*Isaac left that place, set up his tent in Gerar's valley, and lived there.

18 And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them.

*Isaac re-dug the water wells that his father, Abraham, had made. The Philistines had blocked them after Abraham died. Isaac kept the same names that Abraham had given them.

19 And Isaac’s servants digged in the valley, and found there a well of springing water.

*Isaac's workers dug in the valley and discovered a well filled with flowing water.

20 And the herdmen of Gerar did strive with Isaac’s herdmen, saying, The water is ours: and he called the name of the well Esek; because they strove with him.

*The shepherds of Gerar argued with Isaac's shepherds over the water, saying it belonged to them. So, Isaac named the well "Esek" because they fought with him.

21 And they digged another well, and strove for that also: and he called the name of it Sitnah.

*They dug another well and fought over it too. He named it Sitnah.

22 And he removed from thence, and digged another well; and for that they strove not: and he called the name of it Rehoboth; and he said, For now the LORD hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.

*He left that place and dug a different well. They didn't fight over it. He named it Rehoboth, meaning God has provided space for us to grow and thrive in the land.

23 And he went up from thence to Beersheba.

*He traveled from there to the place called Beersheba.

24 And the LORD appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham’s sake.

*And God appeared to him that very night, saying, "I am the God of your father Abraham. Don't be afraid, because I am here with you. I will bless you and multiply your children for the sake of my servant Abraham."

25 And he builded an altar there, and called upon the name of the LORD, and pitched his tent there: and there Isaac’s servants digged a well.

*He made an altar at that place, prayed to God, and set up his tent there. Also, Isaac's workers dug a well at this location.

26 Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath one of his friends, and Phichol the chief captain of his army.

*Then Abimelech, along with his friend Ahuzzath and his military leader Phichol, came to him from Gerar.

27 And Isaac said unto them, Wherefore come ye to me, seeing ye hate me, and have sent me away from you?

*Isaac asked them, "Why are you here, since you don't like me and sent me away?"

28 And they said, We saw certainly that the LORD was with thee: and we said, Let there be now an oath betwixt us, even betwixt us and thee, and let us make a covenant with thee;

*They said, "We know the Lord is with you. So, let's make a promise together - between us and you - and create a covenant."

29 That thou wilt do us no hurt, as we have not touched thee, and as we have done unto thee nothing but good, and have sent thee away in peace: thou art now the blessed of the LORD.

*So that you won't harm us, since we didn't bother you and only did nice things for you, sending you off peacefully. You are now chosen by God.

30 And he made them a feast, and they did eat and drink.

*He hosted a banquet, and they ate and drank.

31 And they rose up betimes in the morning, and sware one to another: and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.

*They woke up early in the morning and made a promise to each other. Then Isaac sent them away, and they left him in peace.

32 And it came to pass the same day, that Isaac’s servants came, and told him concerning the well which they had digged, and said unto him, We have found water.

*On the very same day, Isaac's workers returned, telling him about the well they dug. They said, "We found water!"

33 And he called it Shebah: therefore the name of the city is Beersheba unto this day.

*He named it Shebah, so the city's name is Beersheba today.

34 And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite:

*At age 40, Esau married Judith, daughter of Beeri, and Bashemath, daughter of Elon—both Hittites.

35 Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah.

*These caused sadness in Isaac and Rebekah's minds.

Genesis

Chapter 26