the eventide: and he lifted up his behold, there were camels coming.

eyes, and saw, and

64 And Ribqâh lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Yiçe'hâq, she lighted off the camel.

65 And she said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant said, It is my master: and she took her veil, and covered herself.

66 And the servant told Yiçe'hâq all the things that he had done.

67 And Yiçe'hâq brought her into his mother Sârâh's tent, and took Ribqâh, and she became his wife; and he loved her and Yiçe'hâq was comforted after his mother's death. 1

XXIV.

YA'AQOB AND 'ÊSÂV.

XXV. 21 And Yiçe'hâq intreated Yahveh for his wife, because she was barren: and Yahveh was intreated of him, and Ribqâh his wife conceived.

22 And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, wherefore do I live? And she went to inquire of Yahveh.

23 And Yahveh said unto her,

Two nations are in thy womb,

1 The Jehovist ought to have mentioned the death of Abrâhâm here, but no doubt he did so very briefly, for the latest editor has omitted his narrative and inserted that of the Elohist, which is more exact and more detailed.

And two peoples shall be separated even from

thy bowels;

And the one people shall be stronger than the other people;

And the elder shall serve the younger.

24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.

25 And the first came forth ruddy, all over like an hairy garment, and they called his name 'Êsâv (hairy).

26 And after that came forth his brother, and his hand had hold on 'Êsâv's heel ('âqeb); and his name was called Ya'aqôb: and Yiçe'hâq was threescore years old when she bare them.

27 And the boys grew: and 'Êsâv was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Ya'aqôb was a peaceable man, dwelling in tents.

28 Now Yiçe'hâq loved 'Êsâv, because he did eat of his venison; and Ribqâh loved Ya'aqôb.

29 And Ya'aqôb sod pottage: and 'Êsâv came in from the field, and he was faint.

30 And 'Êsâv said to Ya'aqôb, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red, with this red (adôm) pottage; for I am faint therefore was his name called Edôm.

31 And Ya'aqôb said, Sell me this day thy birthright. 32 And 'Êsâv said, Behold, I am at the point to die, and what profit shall the birthright do to me?

33 And Ya'aqôb said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him and he sold his birthright unto Ya'aqôb.

34 And Ya'aqôb gave 'Êsâv bread and pottage of lentils; and he did eat, and drink, and rose up, and went his way so 'Êsâv despised his birthright.

XXV.

YIÇE'HAQ AND ABÎMELECH AT GERAR.

XXVI. 1 And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abrâhâm. And Yiçe'hâq went unto Abimelech king of the Pelishtîm unto Gerår.

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

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 lands, and I will establish the oath which I sware unto Abrâhâm thy father;

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

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

6 And Yiçe'hâq dwelt in Gerâr:

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

8 And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abîmelech king of the Pelishtîm looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Yiçe'hâq was sporting with Ribqâh his wife.

9 And Abimelech called Yiçe'hâq, and said, Behold,

of a surety she is thy wife and how saidst thou, She is my sister? And Yiçe'hâq said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for 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.

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

12 And Yiçe'hâq sowed in that land, and found in the same year an hundredfold, and Yahveh blessed him.

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

14 And he had possessions of flocks, and possessions of herds, and a great household: and the Pelishtîm envied him.

15 Now all the wells which his father's servants had digged in the days of Abrâhâm his father, the Pelishtîm had stopped them, and filled them with earth.

16 And Abimelech said unto Yiçe'hâq, Go from us, for thou art much mightier than we.

17 And Yiçe'hâq departed thence, and encamped in the valley of Gerâr, and dwelt there.

19 And Yiçe'hâq's slaves digged in the valley, and found there a well of springing water.

20 And the herdmen of Gerâr strove with Yiçe'hâq's herdmen, saying, The water is ours: and he called the name of the well 'Eseq (Contention); because they contended with him.

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

(Enmity).

22 And he removed from thence, and digged another well; and for that they strove not: and he called the name of it Re❜hobôth (Broad places); and he said, For now Yahveh hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.

23 And he went up thence to Beêr-Shab'a.

25 And he builded an altar there, and called upon the name of Yahveh, and pitched his tent there, and there Yiçe'hâq's servants digged a well.

26 Then Abîmelech went to him from Gerâr, and A'huzzath his friend, and Phichôl the captain of his host.

27 And Yiçe'hâq said unto them, Wherefore are ye come unto me, seeing ye hate me, and have sent me away from you?

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

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 Yahveh.

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

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

32 And it came to pass the same day, that Yiçe'hâq's