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me to rejoice; and also all that know me will rejoice with me.

6 And she said unto Abraham, Who would have said that Sarah should have given children suck? For I was barren, but the Lord promised, and I have borne unto Abraham a son in his old age.

7 And the child grew, and was weaned. And the day that Isaac was weaned, Abraham made a great feast, and Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which Hagar had borne unto Abraham, mocking; and she was troubled.

8 Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bond-woman and her son for the son of this bond-woman shall not be heir with my son, Isaac. 9 And this thing was very grievous unto Abraham because of his son. 10 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight, because of the lad, and because of thy bond-woman; in all that Sarah has said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

11 And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.

12 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave unto Hagar, and she took the child, and he sent her away; and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.

13 And it came to pass that the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs, and she went and sat her down over against the child, a good way off, as it were a bowshot; for she said, Let me not see the death of the child.

14 And she sat over against the child, and lifted up her voice and wept.

15 And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of the Lord called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her:

16 What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not, for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he lieth: arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand, for I will make of him a great nation.

17 And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she

went and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.

18 And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer; and he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran, he and his mother.

19 And he took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.

20 And it came to pass at the time, that Abimelech and Phicol the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest.

21 Now therefore, sware unto me here, that, by the help of God thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son; but, that according to the kindness that I have shown unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned.

22 And Abraham said, I will swear. 23 And Abraham reproved Abimelech, because of a well of water which Abimelech's servants had recently taken away.

24 And Abimelech said, Thou didst not tell me; and I know not who hath done this thing; neither yet have I heard that it was done until this day.

25 And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant. 26 And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.

27 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What wilt thou do with these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves?

28 And he said, Seven ewe lambs shalt thou take at my hand, that they may be a witness unto me that I have digged this well.

29 And because they sware, both of them, wherefore he called that place Beer-sheba;

30 And thus they made a covenant there at Beer-sheba.

31 Then Abimelech, and Phicol, the chief captain of his hosts, rose up, and they planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the Lord; and they returned unto the land of the Philistines.

32 And Abraham worshipped the everlasting God, and sojourned in the land of the Philistines many days.

CHAPTER XXII.

Abraham commanded to offer Isaac-His will ingness accepted--Relieved by divine interposition-Names of Nahor's children.

ND it came to pass after these

A things, that God did try bene

ham and said unto him, Abraham; and Abraham said, Behold, here am I.

2 And the Lord said, Take now thy son, thine only Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah: and offer him there for a burnt offering, upon one of the mountains of which I will tell thee.

3 And Abraham rose up early in the morning and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son,

4 And clave the wood for the burnt offering: and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.

5 Then on the third day, Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place afar off.

6 And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide you here with the ass, and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come to you again.

7 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon his back; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and Isaac his son; and they went both of them together. 8 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father! And he said, Here am I, my son.

9 And he said, Behold the fire and the wood; but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?

10 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering. So they went both of them together: and they came to the place of which God had told

him.

11 And Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, upon the wood.

12 And Abraham stretched forth his hand and took the knife to slay his son.

13 And the angel of the Lord called

hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him;

15 For now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not with held thy son, thine only Isaac from me 16 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind a thicket, there was a ram caught in it by his horns.

17 And Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering, in the stead of his

son.

18 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh; as it is said unto this day, In the mountain of the Lord it shall be seen.

19 And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, and said,

20 Thus saith the Lord, I have sworn by myself, because that thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only Isaac from me;

21 That in blessing I will bless thee; and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand upon the sea-shore.

22 And thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

23 So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went to Beer-sheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beer-sheba.

24 And it came to pass after these things, that it was told Abraham saying,

25 Behold, Milcah, she hath also borne children unto thy brother Nahor; Huz is his first-born, and Buz is his brother,

26 And Kemuel is the father of Aram, and Chesed, and Haza, and Bildash, and Jidlaph, and Bethuel; 27 And Bethuel begat Rebekah.

28 These eight Milcah did bear to Nahor, Abraham's brother; and his concubine, whose name was Reumah, she bare also Tebah, and Gaham Thahash, and Maachah.

CHAPTER XXIII.

unto him out of heaven, and said, Sarah's death and burial-Purchase of the Abraham! Abraham! And Abraham

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field of Ephron.

ND Sarah was an hundred and twenty-seven years old, and she

died; and thus ended the years of the life of Sarah.

2 And Sarah died in Kirjath-arba; the same is now called Hebron, in the land of Canaan.

3 And Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her, his wife which was dead.

4 And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying, I am a stranger and a sojourner with you; give me a possession of a burying-place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.

5 And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him, Hear us, my lord; thou art a mighty prince among us: in the choicest of our sepulchres bury thou thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead.

6 And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, and to the children of Heth; and he communed with them, saying. 7 If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and entreat Ephron the son of Zohar for me, that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath in the end of his field;

8 For, as much money as it is worth he shall have, if he will give it me for a possession of a burying-place among you.

9 And Ephron dwelt among the

children of Heth.

10 And Ephron, the Hittite, answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth, among all of them that went in at the gates of the city, saying,

11 Hearken, my lord, and hear me; the field I give thee, and the eave that is therein; I give it thee in the presence of the sons of my people; and I give it thee; therefore, bury thy dead.

12 And Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land, and he spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, I pray thee, hear me;

13 If thou wilt take it of me, I will give thee money for the field, and I will bury my dead there, but I will give thee money for it.

14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him, My lord, hearken unto me; the land thou shalt have for four hundred shekels of silver; what shall that be betwixt me and thee? Bury therefore thy dead. 15 And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed unto Ephron the silver which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, which was current with the merchant.

16 And the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre; the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, and that were in all the borders round about, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession, in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of the city.

17 And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre; the same is called Hebron, in the land of Canaan.

18 And the field and the cave that was therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a burying-place by the sons of Heth.

CHAPTER XXIV. Oath of Abraham's servant-History of the betrothal and marriage of Isaac and Rebekah.

ND now Abraham was old, being well striken in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.

2 And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had; Put forth I pray thee thy hand under my hand, and I will make thee swear before the Lord, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son, of the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I dwell; but thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred and take a wife unto my son Isaac.

3 And the servant said unto him, Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land, then I must needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest.

4 And Abraham said unto him, Be

ware thou that thou bring not my son thither again.

5 The Lord God of heaven which took me from my father's house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that swear unto me, saying, Unto thee will I give this land;

6 He shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence.

7 And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this thine oath, only bring not my son thither again. 8 And the servant put his hand under the hand of Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that

matter.

9 And the servant took ten camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand.

10 And be arose and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor.

11 And be made his camels to kneel down without the city, by a well of water, at evening, the time that women go out to draw water.

12 And he said, O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee this day, that thou wouldst show kindness unto my master Abraham, and send me good speed.

13 Behold, I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water;

14 And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher I pray thee, that I may drink and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also; let her be the one whom thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast showed kindness unto my master.

15 And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her piteher upon her shoulder.

16 And the damsel being a virgin, very fair to look upon, such as the servant of Abraham had not seen, neither had any man known the like unto her; and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up.

17 And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher.

18 And she said, Drink, my lord; and she hasted and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.

19 And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.

20 And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw, and drew for all his camels.

21 And the man, wondering at her, held his peace, pondering in his heart whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not.

22 And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the inan took a gold ear-ring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold, and said, Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee; and is there room in thy father's house for us to lodge in?

23 And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor.

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

25 And the man bowed down his head and worshipped the Lord.

26 And he said, Blessed is the Lord God of my master Abraham, who hath not left my master destitute of his mercy and his truth; and when I was in the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master's brethren. 27 And the damsel ran to the house, and told her mother these things. 28 And Rebekah had a brother, whose name was Laban; and Laban ran out to the man, unto the well.

29 And it came to pass when he saw the ear-rings, and bracelets upon his sister's hands, and when he heard the word of Rebekah his sister, saying. Thus spake the man unto me, and I came unto the man, and behold, he stood by the camels at the well.

30 And he said, Come in, thou blessed of the Lord; wherefore standest thou without? for I have prepared the house, and room for the camels.

31 And the man came into the house.

32 And he unburdened his camels, and gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet, and the men's feet that came with him.

33 And there was set before him food to eat; but he said, I will not eat until I have told mine errand. 34 And Laban said, Speak on. And he said, I am Abraham's servant;

35 And the Lord hath blessed my master greatly, and he is become great, and he hath given him flocks. and herds, and silver, and gold; and men servants, and maid servants, and camels, and asses.

36 And Sarah, my master's wife, bare a son to my master when she was old; and unto him hath he given all that he hath.

37 And my master made me swear, saying. Thou shalt not take a wife to my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell;

38 But thou shalt go unto my father's house, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son.

39 And I said unto my master, Perhaps the woman will not follow

me.

40 And he said unto me. The Lord, before whom I walk, will send his angel with thee, and he will prosper thy way:

41 And thou shalt take a wife for my son, of my kindred, and of my father's house: then shalt thou be clear of my oath.

42 When thou comest to my kindred, and if they give thee not a wife for my son, thou shalt be clear from my oath.

43 And I came this day unto the well, and said, O Lord God of my master Abraham, if now thou wilt prosper my way which I go;

44 Behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass, that when the virgin cometh forth to draw water, and I say to her, Give me I pray thee a little water of thy pitcher to drink;

45 And if she say to me, Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels: the same is the woman whom the Lord hath appointed out for my master's son.

46 And before I had done speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder, and she went down unto the well and drew water.

47 And I said unto her, Let me drink I pray thee;

48 And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also; so I drank, and she made the camels drink also. 49 And I asked her and said, Whose daughter art thou?

50 And she said, The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bare unto him.

51 And I gave the ear-rings unto her, to put into her ears, and the bracelets upon her hands.

52 And I bowed down my head, and worshipped the Lord, and blessed the Lord God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the right way to take my master's brother's daughter unto his son.

53 And now, if thou wilt deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right band or to the left.

54 Then Laban and Bethuel answered. and said, The thing proceedeth from the Lord; we cannot speak unto thee bad or good.

55 Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her and go, and let her be thy master's son's wife, as the Lord hath spoken.

56 And it came to pass, that, when Abraham's servant heard these words, he worshipped the Lord, bowing himself to the earth.

57 And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave to Rebekah. He gave also to her brother, and to her mother, precious things.

58 And they did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him, and tarried all night.

59 And they arose up in the morning, and he said, Send me away unto my master.

60 And her brother, and her mother, said, Let the damsel abide with us at the least ten days; after that she shall go.

61 And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the Lord hath pros

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