Abraham

1Sarah lived to be 127 years old. That was the whole length of her life.

And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah.

NotePeople in these very old stories often lived much longer than people do now.

2Sarah died in Kirjatharba. That town is also called Hebron, in the land of Canaan. Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to cry for her.

And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.

NoteTo mourn means to show how sad you are when someone has died. The town had two names, Kirjatharba and Hebron. Canaan was the land where Abraham lived as a visitor.

3Then Abraham stood up from beside her body. He spoke to the sons of Heth, the people of that land. He said,

And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying,

NoteThe sons of Heth were a people called Hittites. This land belonged to them, not to Abraham.

4"I am a stranger here. I only live among you for a time. Please give me a piece of ground for a grave. Then I can bury my dead wife out of my sight."

I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.

NoteAbraham owned no land here at all. He lived in tents and moved from place to place. So he had to ask the owners before he could bury Sarah.

5The sons of Heth answered Abraham. They said to him,

And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him,

6"Listen to us, sir. You are a mighty prince among us. Bury your dead in the best of our graves. Not one of us will keep his grave from you. You may bury your dead."

Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead.

NoteCalling someone "my lord" was a polite way to speak, like saying sir. A prince here means a great and honored leader. Their graves were caves cut into rock. One family would use the same cave for many years.

7Then Abraham stood up and bowed low to the people of that land, the sons of Heth.

And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth.

NoteBowing low meant bending down toward the ground. It was a polite way to show respect.

8He talked with them and said, "If you are willing for me to bury my dead out of my sight, then listen to me. Please ask Ephron son of Zohar for me."

And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and intreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,

9"Ask him to give me the cave of Machpelah. It belongs to him. It is at the end of his field. Let him give it to me for all it is worth. Then it will be my own burial place among you."

That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his field; for as much money as it is worth he shall give it me for a possession of a buryingplace amongst you.

NoteAbraham wanted to pay the full price for the cave. He did not want it as a gift. Then no one could ever say the land was not really his.

10Ephron was sitting there among the sons of Heth. So Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham where they all could hear. Every man who came in at the city gate heard him. He said,

And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth: and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth, even of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying,

NoteThe city gate was where people met to do business. A deal made there had many people watching, so everyone knew it was real.

11"No, my lord. Listen to me. I give you the field. I give you the cave that is in it too. I give it to you in front of my people. Go and bury your dead."

Nay, my lord, hear me: the field give I thee, and the cave that is therein, I give it thee; in the presence of the sons of my people give I it thee: bury thy dead.

NoteIn that time people often offered a thing as a gift first. Both men knew a price would still be paid in the end.

12Then Abraham bowed low again before the people of that land.

And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land.

13He spoke to Ephron where all the people could hear. He said, "If only you would listen to me. I will give you money for the field. Take it from me. Then I will bury my dead there."

And he spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, But if thou wilt give it, I pray thee, hear me: I will give thee money for the field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there.

NoteThere were no coins yet. People paid with pieces of silver.

14Ephron answered Abraham. He said to him,

And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him,

15"Listen to me, my lord. The land is worth four hundred shekels of silver. What is that between you and me? Go and bury your dead."

My lord, hearken unto me: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead.

NoteA shekel was a small weight of silver, about eleven grams. Four hundred shekels was a lot of money for one field.

16Abraham listened to Ephron. He weighed out the silver Ephron had named. The sons of Heth heard him name it. It was four hundred shekels of silver, the weight that traders used.

And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant.

NoteSilver was weighed on a scale to see how much it was worth. Traders everywhere used the same weights, so no one got cheated.

17So Ephron's field at Machpelah, near Mamre, now truly belonged to Abraham. That meant the field, the cave in it, and all the trees inside its borders.

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, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure

NoteEven the trees were named out loud. A sale listed everything on the land, so no one could argue about it later.

18It became Abraham's own, in front of the sons of Heth. All the men who came in at the city gate saw it.

Unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city.

19After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah. He laid her in the cave of the field of Machpelah, near Mamre. That place is Hebron, in the land of Canaan.

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

20So the field and the cave in it truly belonged to Abraham. The sons of Heth made it his own burial place.

And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a buryingplace by the sons of Heth.

NoteThis little field was the only land Abraham ever owned in Canaan.

1Abraham was now very old. The LORD had blessed Abraham in everything.

And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things.

NoteThe LORD in big letters stands for God's own special name. To be blessed means God gave him good things.

2Abraham had an oldest servant who took care of all he owned. Abraham said to him, "Please put your hand under my thigh."

And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh:

NotePutting your hand under someone's thigh was an old way of promising. It showed the promise was very serious.

3"Swear to me by the LORD, the God of the heavens and the God of the earth. Promise you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites. I live among those people."

And I will make thee swear by 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:

NoteTo swear means to make a promise with God listening. The Canaanites were the people already living in that land.

4"Instead, go to my own country and to my own family. Get a wife there for my son Isaac."

But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.

NoteAbraham had moved far away from the place he was born. His own family still lived back in that old country.

5The servant said, "Maybe the woman will not want to come back with me to this land. Should I then take your son back to the land you came from?"

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

6Abraham said to him, "Be careful. Do not take my son back there."

And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again.

7"The LORD, the God of the heavens, took me from my father's house. He took me from the land of my family. He spoke to me and made a promise to me. He said, 'I will give this land to your children and their children.' He will send his angel ahead of you. You will get a wife for my son from there."

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 sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence.

NoteAn angel is a messenger God sends to help people.

8"If the woman will not come with you, then you are free from this promise. Only do not take my son back there."

And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son thither again.

9So the servant put his hand under Abraham's thigh. He swore to his master about this matter.

And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that matter.

NoteHe swore, which means he made a very serious promise.

1Then Abraham married again. His new wife was named Keturah.

Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah.

NoteAbraham's first wife, Sarah, had died before this. That is why he married again.

2She had these sons with him: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.

And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah.

NoteEach of these sons became the start of a whole family group. Later those groups of people were named after them.

3Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were the Asshurim, the Letushim, and the Leummim.

And Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim.

4The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abidah, and Eldaah. All of these came from Keturah's family.

And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abidah, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.

NoteMidian's family grew into a people called the Midianites. They show up again later in the Bible.

5Abraham gave everything he owned to Isaac.

And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac.

NoteIn those days a father left his land and animals to one main son. Abraham chose Isaac.

6Abraham also had women who were like wives but had a lower place. He gave their sons gifts. While he was still alive, he sent those sons away from his son Isaac. They went east, to the land in the east.

But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country.

NoteOne of these women was a servant who lived with Abraham like a wife. She did not have the same place as a full wife. Her sons did not get the family land.

7Abraham lived for 175 years.

And these are the days of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years.

NoteThe people in these very old family stories are said to live much longer than people live now.

8Then Abraham took his last breath and died. He was very old, and he had lived a full life. He was gathered to his people.

Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people.

Note"Gathered to his people" is a gentle way of saying he died. It also means his body was laid where his family was buried.

9His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him. They laid him in the cave of Machpelah, near Mamre. The cave was in the field of Ephron, the son of Zohar the Hittite.

And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre;

NoteA cave could be used like a grave. A whole family was often buried together in one cave. The Hittites were a group of people who lived in that land.

10Abraham had bought that field from the Hittites. Abraham was buried there, and so was his wife Sarah.

The field which Abraham purchased of the sons of Heth: there was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife.

NoteAbraham had bought this field long before, when Sarah died. It was the only piece of land he ever owned.

11After Abraham died, God blessed his son Isaac. Isaac lived near the well called Lahairoi.

And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac dwelt by the well Lahairoi.

NoteA well is a deep hole dug down to water. The name of this well means "the Living One sees me."

2Joshua said to everyone, "Here is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says. Long ago your family lived on the far side of the big river. Terah lived there. He was the father of Abraham and Nahor. They all worshiped other gods.

And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods.

NoteThe big river is the Euphrates, far away to the east. To worship a god means to pray to it and obey it. Long ago most families kept little statues of gods in their homes.

3"But I took your father Abraham from that land far away. I led him all through the land of Canaan. I gave him many children and grandchildren. I gave him his son Isaac.

And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac.

NoteCanaan is the land God promised to give Abraham's family. It is the land Israel lives in now in this story.

4"To Isaac I gave two sons, Jacob and Esau. I gave Esau the hill country called Seir to live in. But Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt.

And I gave unto Isaac Jacob and Esau: and I gave unto Esau mount Seir, to possess it; but Jacob and his children went down into Egypt.

NoteSeir is a hilly land south of Canaan. Esau's family lived there for a long time after him.

7"You are the LORD God. You chose Abram. You brought him out of Ur, a city of the Chaldeans. You gave him a new name, Abraham."

Thou art the LORD the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham;

NoteUr was a big, busy city very far away. The Chaldeans were the people who lived in that part of the world. God gave Abram the new name Abraham, which means father of many people.

8"You saw that his heart was true to you. You made a promise with him. You would give him the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites, and Girgashites lived. You would give it to his family after him. You did what you said, because you always do right."

And foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites, and the Girgashites, to give it, I say, to his seed, and hast performed thy words; for thou art righteous:

NoteThe King James calls this a "covenant." A covenant is a strong promise between two sides that both agree to keep. The Canaanites, Hittites, and the rest were groups of people already living in that land.

8He never forgets his covenant, his solemn promise. He gave his word for a thousand generations.

He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.

NoteA covenant is a strong promise between two sides. Both sides agree to keep it. A generation is parents, then their children, then their children. A thousand generations means a very, very long time.

9This is the promise he made with Abraham. He swore the same promise to Isaac.

Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac;

NoteTo swear a promise means to say it in the most serious way you can.

10He said it again to Jacob as a rule. He gave it to Israel as a promise that lasts forever.

And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant:

NoteGod gave Jacob a second name, Israel. His whole family came to be called Israel too.

11He said, "I will give you the land of Canaan. It will be your very own land."

Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance:

NoteCanaan was the land God promised to give them. It is where they later lived.

12At that time there were only a few of them. They were strangers living in that land.

When they were but a few men in number; yea, very few, and strangers in it.

NoteStrangers were people staying in a land that was not their own. They owned no fields there.

13They moved from one nation to another. They went from one kingdom to another people.

When they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people;

14He did not let anyone hurt them. He even told kings off to keep them safe.

He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes;

15He said, "Do not touch the people I have chosen. Do not hurt my prophets, who speak my words."

Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.

Note"Anointed" means oil was poured on someone's head. It showed God had picked that person for a special job.

1Listen to me, you who try hard to do what is right. Listen, you who look for the LORD. Look at the rock you were cut from. Look at the pit you were dug out of.

Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.

NoteLORD in capital letters is God's own special name. Long ago workers cut big blocks of stone out of rocky ground. Being cut from a rock is a picture of where you came from. God is telling the people to remember their family long ago.

2Look at Abraham, the father of your family long ago. Look at Sarah, who gave birth to your family. When I called Abraham, he was only one man. Then I blessed him and gave him many children.

Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.

NoteAbraham and Sarah lived a very long time before this. They were the first grandparents of this whole family of people. God promised Abraham a huge family, and he kept his promise.

3The LORD will comfort Zion, his city. He will care about all her broken, empty places. He will make her dry land like Eden, the LORD's own garden. People there will be glad. They will sing thank-you songs.

For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.

NoteZion is another name for the city of Jerusalem. Eden was the very first garden, full of trees and good food. God says the empty land will be lovely like that again.

2Stephen said, "Brothers and fathers, please listen. God, full of shining glory, showed himself to our father Abraham. That was in Mesopotamia, before Abraham lived in Haran."

And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran,

NoteAbraham lived thousands of years before Stephen. Jewish people called him father because their families all came from him. Mesopotamia was a land far to the east, between two big rivers. Haran was a city where Abraham stopped and stayed for a while.

3God told him, "Leave your country and your family. Go to the land I will show you."

And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee.

4So Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. After his father died, God moved him to this land. It is the land where you live now.

Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell.

NoteThe Chaldeans were the people who lived in the land where Abraham grew up. It was very far from the land God showed him.

5God did not give him any land here. He did not even give him one foot of ground. But God promised to give the land to him and his children later. Abraham had no child yet.

And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.

NoteA promise like this one was passed down from parent to child. God was telling Abraham that his family would live there someday.

6God told him that his family would live in a land not their own. They would be made slaves. People would treat them badly for four hundred years.

And God spake on this wise, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil four hundred years.

NoteA slave is a person who is owned by someone else. Slaves had to work hard, and they were never paid.

7God said, "But I will punish the nation that makes them slaves. After that they will come out. They will worship me in this place."

And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place.

8Then God made an agreement with Abraham about circumcision, a small cutting mark on baby boys. Abraham became the father of Isaac. He circumcised Isaac when the baby was eight days old. Isaac became the father of Jacob. Jacob became the father of the twelve men whose families became Israel.

And he gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so Abraham begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs.

NoteAn agreement like this is called a covenant. It is a strong promise between God and people. Circumcision was a small cut made on baby boys. It was a sign that the boy belonged to God's family. Jacob's twelve sons each started a big family. Those twelve families together were called Israel. It showed that they belonged to God.