Abraham

1And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;

The LORD came to Abraham near the big trees of Mamre. Abraham was sitting in his tent door in the hot part of the day.

2And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,

He looked up and saw three men standing nearby. He ran from the tent door to meet them. He bowed down low, with his face toward the ground.

3And said, My LORD, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:

He said, "My lord, if you are pleased with me, please stay. Do not pass by your servant."

4Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:

"Let someone bring a little water. Wash your feet and rest under the tree."

5And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.

"I will bring you some bread to make you feel strong again. After that you can go on your way. That is why you came by my home." They said, "Yes. Do what you said."

6And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.

Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. He said, "Quick! Take three big scoops of our best flour. Mix it and bake bread."

7And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.

Abraham ran out to his cows. He picked a young calf that was soft and good. He gave it to a servant, who hurried to cook it.

8And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.

Then he brought thick milk, fresh milk, and the cooked meat. He set the food in front of the men. He stood near them under the tree while they ate.

9And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.

They asked him, "Where is your wife Sarah?" He said, "She is in the tent."

10And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.

One of them said, "I will come back about this time next year. Then your wife Sarah will have a son." Sarah was behind him, listening at the tent door.

11Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.

Abraham and Sarah were both very old. Sarah was past the age when women have babies.

12Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?

So Sarah laughed quietly inside herself. She thought, "I am worn out, and my husband is old too. Could I really have such a happy thing now?"

13And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?

The LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh? She said, 'Can I really have a baby when I am so old?'"

14Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

"Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will come back at the right time, about a year from now. And Sarah will have a son."

15Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.

Sarah was scared, so she said, "I did not laugh." He said, "No. You did laugh."

16And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.

The men got up to leave and looked out toward the city of Sodom. Abraham walked along with them to send them off.

17And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;

The LORD said, "Should I keep my plan a secret from Abraham?"

18Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

"Abraham will become a great and strong nation. Every nation on earth will be blessed through him."

19For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

"I have chosen him. He will teach his children and everyone in his house. They will follow the LORD's way and do what is right and fair. Then the LORD will give Abraham what he promised him."

20And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;

Then the LORD said, "People are crying out about Sodom and Gomorrah. The wrong things those cities do are very bad."

21I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.

"I will go down and look. I want to see if they are as bad as the crying says. If they are not, I will know that too."

22And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.

The men turned and walked on toward Sodom. But Abraham stayed standing in front of the LORD.

23And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

Abraham came closer and said, "Will you destroy good people along with bad people?"

24Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?

"What if there are fifty good people in the city? Will you still wipe it out? Would you not save the place for those fifty?"

25That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

"You would never do such a thing. You would not kill good people along with bad people. That would treat the good and the bad the same way. You would never do that. The Judge of the whole earth will do what is right, won't he?"

26And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.

The LORD said, "If I find fifty good people in Sodom, I will spare the whole city because of them."

27And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the LORD, which am but dust and ashes:

Abraham said, "I have dared to speak to the Lord, and I am only dust and ashes. Still, let me ask again."

28Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it.

"What if the fifty good people are five short? Will you destroy the whole city because five are missing?" He said, "If I find forty-five there, I will not destroy it."

29And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty’s sake.

Abraham spoke to him again. "What if only forty are found there?" He said, "For the sake of the forty, I will not do it."

30And he said unto him, Oh let not the LORD be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.

Abraham said, "Please do not be angry, Lord. Let me speak again. What if only thirty are found there?" He said, "If I find thirty, I will not do it."

31And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the LORD: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty’s sake.

Abraham said, "I have dared to speak to the Lord again. What if only twenty are found there?" He said, "For the sake of the twenty, I will not destroy it."

32And he said, Oh let not the LORD be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake.

Abraham said, "Please do not be angry, Lord. Let me speak just one more time. What if only ten are found there?" He said, "For the sake of the ten, I will not destroy it."

33And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.

When the LORD finished talking with Abraham, he went on his way. And Abraham went back home.

27And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD:

Early the next morning Abraham got up. He went back to the place where he had stood before the LORD.

28And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.

He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and all the flat land. He saw smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a hot oven.

29And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt.

When God destroyed the cities on the plain, He remembered Abraham. So He brought Lot out safely before the cities where Lot lived were destroyed.

1And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.

Abraham moved south. He lived between two places called Kadesh and Shur. Then he stayed for a while in a town called Gerar.

2And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.

Abraham said about his wife Sarah, "She is my sister." So Abimelech, the king of Gerar, sent men to bring Sarah to him.

3But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife.

But that night God came to Abimelech in a dream. God said, "You are as good as dead. The woman you took is another man's wife."

4But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, LORD, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?

Abimelech had not gone near her yet. He said, "Lord, will you kill a whole nation that did nothing wrong?"

5Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.

"Didn't Abraham tell me she was his sister? She said he was her brother. My heart was honest. My hands did nothing wrong."

6And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.

God said in the dream, "Yes, I know your heart was honest. That is why I kept you from sinning against me. I did not let you touch her."

7Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.

"Now give the man his wife back. He is a prophet, someone who speaks for God. He will pray for you, and you will live. If you do not give her back, you and all your people will surely die."

8Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid.

Early the next morning Abimelech called all his servants. He told them everything that had happened. The men were very afraid.

9Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.

Then Abimelech called Abraham in. He said, "What have you done to us? What wrong did I do to you? You brought a terrible sin on me and my kingdom. You did something to me that should never be done."

10And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?

Abimelech also asked Abraham, "What were you thinking when you did this?"

11And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife’s sake.

Abraham said, "I thought nobody in this place respects God. I thought they would kill me so they could take my wife."

12And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.

"Besides, she really is my sister. We have the same father, but not the same mother. And she became my wife."

13And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.

"God sent me away from my father's house to wander. I asked Sarah to be kind to me. I said, 'Everywhere we go, tell people I am your brother.'"

14And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.

So Abimelech brought sheep and cattle, and servants, both men and women. He gave them to Abraham. He also gave Sarah back to him.

15And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.

Abimelech said, "Look, this is my land. Live anywhere you like."

16And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved.

To Sarah he said, "I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. This shows everyone that you did nothing wrong. No one can blame you now."

17So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.

Then Abraham prayed to God. God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his women servants. They could have babies again.

18For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham’s wife.

The LORD had stopped every woman in Abimelech's house from having babies. He did this because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.

1And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken.

The LORD did for Sarah just what he had promised. He kept his word.

2For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.

Sarah became pregnant. She had a baby boy for Abraham when he was old. It happened at the very time God had said.

3And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.

Abraham named the baby boy Isaac.

4And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him.

When Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him. This was a small cut on the body that God told Abraham's family to make.

5And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.

Abraham was one hundred years old when Isaac was born.

6And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.

Sarah said, "God has made me laugh. Everyone who hears about this will laugh with me."

7And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.

She said, "Nobody would have told Abraham that Sarah would feed a baby. But I gave him a son when he was old."

8And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.

The boy grew. One day he stopped drinking his mother's milk. That same day Abraham made a big feast.

9And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.

Hagar came from Egypt. She had a son with Abraham too. Sarah saw that boy making fun of Isaac.

10Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.

So Sarah said to Abraham, "Send that servant woman and her son away. Her son will not share what belongs to my son Isaac."

11And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight because of his son.

This made Abraham very sad, because Ishmael was his son too.

12And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

God said to Abraham, "Do not be sad about the boy or about your servant. Do what Sarah tells you. Your family line will be counted through Isaac."

13And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.

"I will also make the servant woman's son into a big nation, because he is your son too."

14And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.

Early in the morning Abraham got up. He took bread and a bag of water. He put them on Hagar's shoulders. He sent her away with the boy. She left and wandered in the dry, empty land near Beersheba.

15And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.

The water in the bag ran out. Hagar laid the boy down under a bush.

16And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bow shot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.

She walked away and sat down, about as far as an arrow flies. She said, "I cannot watch my boy die." She sat there and cried out loud.

17And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.

God heard the boy crying. God's angel, a messenger from God, called to Hagar from heaven. He said, "What is wrong, Hagar? Do not be afraid. God has heard the boy right where he is."

18Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.

"Get up. Lift the boy up. Hold him by the hand. I will make him into a big nation."

19And 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.

Then God helped her see a well of water. She went and filled the bag and gave the boy a drink.

20And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.

God was with the boy. He grew up and lived in the dry, empty land. He learned to shoot a bow.

21And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.

He lived in the wild land called Paran. His mother found him a wife from Egypt.

22And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest:

About that time King Abimelech came to Abraham. Phichol, the leader of his soldiers, came too. They said, "God helps you in everything you do."

23Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son’s son: but according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned.

"So promise me here, before God, that you will never trick me. Do not trick my children or my grandchildren either. I have been kind to you. Be kind to me and to this land where you are living."

24And Abraham said, I will swear.

Abraham said, "I promise."

25And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech’s servants had violently taken away.

But Abraham told Abimelech that something was wrong. Abimelech's servants had grabbed a water well that Abraham had dug.

26And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath done this thing: neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to day.

Abimelech said, "I do not know who did this. You never told me. I only heard about it today."

27And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant.

Abraham gave Abimelech sheep and cows. The two men made an agreement with each other.

28And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.

Abraham set seven girl lambs apart from the rest of the flock.

29And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves?

Abimelech asked him, "Why have you set these seven lambs apart?"

30And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well.

Abraham said, "Take these seven lambs from me. They will show everyone that I dug this well."

31Wherefore he called that place Beersheba; because there they sware both of them.

So he called that place Beersheba, because the two men made their promise there.

32Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.

They made their agreement at Beersheba. Then Abimelech and Phichol went back to the land of the Philistines.

33And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God.

Abraham planted a tree at Beersheba. There he prayed to the LORD, the God who lives forever.

34And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines’ land many days.

Abraham lived in the Philistines' land for a long time.

1And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.

Some time later, God tested Abraham. God called him, "Abraham!" Abraham said, "I am here."

2And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son 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 which I will tell thee of.

God said, "Take your son Isaac. He is your only son, and you love him. Go to the land called Moriah. There give him to me as a burnt offering, a gift burned on a stone table. I will show you which mountain."

3And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.

Abraham got up early the next morning. He put a saddle on his donkey. He took two of his workers and his son Isaac. He chopped wood for the offering. Then he set out for the place God had named.

4Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.

On the third day, Abraham looked up. He saw the place far away.

5And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.

Abraham told his workers, "Wait here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there to worship. Then we will come back to you."

6And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.

Abraham put the wood on his son Isaac to carry. He himself carried the fire and the knife. The two of them walked on together.

7And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?

Isaac said, "Father." Abraham said, "I am here, my son." Isaac said, "We have the fire and the wood. But where is the lamb for the offering?"

8And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

Abraham said, "My son, God will give us the lamb himself." And the two of them walked on together.

9And they came to the place which God had told him of; 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.

They came to the place God had named. Abraham built an altar there, a stone table for offerings. He laid the wood on it. Then he tied up his son Isaac and laid him on the wood.

10And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

Abraham reached out his hand. He picked up the knife to kill his son.

11And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.

Then the LORD's angel, his messenger, called from heaven. "Abraham! Abraham!" Abraham said, "I am here."

12And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

The angel said, "Do not touch the boy. Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you honor God. You did not hold back your son, your only son, from me."

13And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.

Abraham looked up and saw a ram behind him. Its horns were stuck in a bush. Abraham went and took the ram. He offered it as a burnt offering instead of his son.

14And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.

Abraham named that place "The LORD Will Give What Is Needed." People still say today, "On the LORD's mountain it will be given."

15And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,

The LORD's angel called to Abraham from heaven a second time.

16And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:

The angel said, "This is what the LORD says. I make this promise on my own name. You did this, and you did not hold back your only son.

17That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;

So I will surely bless you. I will give you so many children and grandchildren. They will be like the stars in the sky. They will be like the sand on the shore. Your family will take the city gates of their enemies.

18And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

Through your family, every nation on earth will be blessed. This is because you obeyed my voice."

19So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.

Abraham went back to his workers. Together they set out for Beersheba. Abraham made his home in Beersheba.