Abraham

1And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah.

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

2And 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.

She died in Kirjatharba, which is also called Hebron, in the land of Canaan. Abraham came to be sad and to cry for her.

3And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying,

Then Abraham stood up from beside his wife's body. He went to speak to the Hittites, the people who lived in that land.

4I 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.

He said, "I am a stranger living among you. Please let me buy a piece of land here. I need a place to bury my wife."

5And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him,

The Hittites answered Abraham. They said to him:

6Hear 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.

"Listen to us, sir. You are a great and important leader among us. Bury your wife in the best of our graves. Not one of us will keep his grave from you."

7And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth.

Then Abraham stood up and bowed low to the people of that land, the Hittites.

8And 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,

He said, "If you are willing to let me bury my wife, then please listen. Ask Ephron, the son of Zohar, for me."

9That 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.

"Ask him to let me have the cave of Machpelah, which belongs to him. It sits at the far end of his field. I will pay him whatever it is worth. Then it will be my own burying place among you."

10And 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,

Ephron the Hittite was sitting there with his own people. He answered Abraham out loud, at the city gate, so everyone there could hear.

11Nay, 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.

"No, sir. 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 own people. Go and bury your wife."

12And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land.

Again Abraham bowed low before the people of that land.

13And 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.

He spoke to Ephron so everyone could hear. "Please listen to me. I will pay you money for the field. Take it from me. Then I will bury my wife there."

14And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him,

Ephron answered Abraham. He said to him:

15My lord, hearken unto me: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead.

"Listen to me, sir. The land is worth 400 pieces of silver. But that is a small thing between you and me. Go and bury your wife."

16And 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.

Abraham agreed to what Ephron said. In front of the Hittites, he weighed out the silver Ephron had named. It was 400 shekels of silver, weighed the way traders did it.

17And 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

So Ephron's field at Machpelah, near Mamre, now belonged to Abraham. That meant the field, the cave inside it, and every tree growing inside its edges.

18Unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city.

It became Abraham's very own property. All the Hittites at the city gate watched it happen.

19And 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.

After that, Abraham buried his wife Sarah. He laid her in the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre, which is Hebron in the land of Canaan.

20And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a buryingplace by the sons of Heth.

So the field and its cave truly belonged to Abraham. The Hittites agreed that it was his own place for burying.

1And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things.

Abraham was very old now. The LORD had blessed him with good things in every way.

2And 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:

Abraham had a chief servant who took care of everything he owned. Abraham said, "Put your hand under my thigh."

3And 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:

"Promise before the LORD, the God of heaven and earth. Do not pick a wife for my son from the Canaanite women here."

4But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.

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

5And 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?

The servant asked, "What if the woman will not come back with me? Should I take your son to the land you came from?"

6And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again.

Abraham said, "No. Be very careful. Do not take my son back there."

7The 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.

"The LORD, the God of heaven, took me from my father's house and my homeland. He spoke to me and promised, 'I will give this land to your family after you.' He will send his angel ahead of you. So you will find a wife for my son there."

8And 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.

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

9And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that matter.

So the servant put his hand under Abraham's thigh. He promised to do what Abraham asked.

1Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah.

Abraham got married again. His new wife was named Keturah.

2And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah.

She gave birth to six sons for Abraham. They were Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.

3And Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim.

Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. Dedan's sons began the Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim families.

4And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abidah, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.

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

5And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac.

Abraham left everything he owned to his son Isaac.

6But 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.

Abraham also had sons by his other wives, who held a lower place in the family. While he was still alive, he gave those sons gifts. Then he sent them east, away from his son Isaac.

7And these are the days of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years.

Abraham lived 175 years in all.

8Then 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.

Then Abraham died. He was very old and had lived a long, full life. He was buried with his family who had died before him.

9And 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;

His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave called Machpelah. It was in the field of Ephron, son of Zohar the Hittite, near Mamre.

10The field which Abraham purchased of the sons of Heth: there was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife.

Abraham had bought that field from the Hittite people. He was buried there, next to his wife Sarah.

11And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac dwelt by the well Lahairoi.

After Abraham died, God blessed his son Isaac. Isaac lived near a well called Beer-lahai-roi.

2And 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.

Joshua 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.

3And 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.

"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.

4And 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.

"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.

7Thou 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;

"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."

8And 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:

"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."

8He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.

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

9Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac;

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

10And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant:

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

11Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance:

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

12When they were but a few men in number; yea, very few, and strangers in it.

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

13When they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people;

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

14He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes;

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

15Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.

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

1Hearken 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.

Listen 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.

2Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.

Look 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.

3For 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.

The 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.

2And 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,

Stephen 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."

3And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee.

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

4Then 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.

So 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.

5And 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.

God 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.

6And 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.

God 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.

7And 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.

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

8And 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.

Then God made an agreement with Abraham about circumcision, a small cutting mark on baby boys. It showed that they belonged to God. 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.