There was a famine in the land, aside from the first famine that was in the days of Avraham. Yitzchok went to Avimelech, king of the Philistines, in Gerar.

Adonoy appeared [became revealed] to him and said, Do not go down to Egypt. Settle in the land that I will make known to you.

Stay temporarily in this land and I will be with you and bless you [My Word will be your support and I will bless you], for to you and your descendants I will give all these lands. I will [thus] keep the oath that I swore to Avraham, your father.

I will make your descendants [as numerous] as the stars of the heavens, and I will give your descendants all these lands. Through [Because of] your descendants shall be blessed all the nations of the world.

[All this is] because Avraham listened to [accepted] My voice [Word], and minded My mandate [the mandate of My Word], My commandments, My decrees and My teachings.

Yitzchok [thus] settled in Gerar.

The local men asked about his wife, and he said, She is my sister. He was afraid to say, [she is] my wife, lest the local men kill me for Rivkah, for she is so good looking.

Once, after [Yitzchok] had been there a long while, Avimelech, king of the Philistines, looked at the window, and he saw, and behold, Yitzchok was amusing himself with Rivkah, his wife.

Avimelech called Yitzchok and he said, But she is your wife. How could you have said, She is my sister? Yitzchok said to him, Because I said, I might die because of her.

Avimelech said, What have you done to us? One of the people [The unique one among the people] could have easily slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.

Avimelech [then] commanded all his people, saying, Whoever touches [injures] this man or his wife, shall die.

Yitzchok planted in that land, and in that year he reaped a hundred fold [more than that which they estimated], for Adonoy had blessed him.

The man prospered. He continued to prosper [and increase] until he became very great.

He owned flocks of sheep, herds of cattle, and many slaves, and the Philistines were jealous of him.

All the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the days of his father, Avraham—the Philistines plugged them, and filled them with earth.

Avimelech said to Yitzchok, Go away from us. You have become much more powerful than us.

Yitzchok went away from there. He camped in the valley of Gerar and settled there.

Yitzchok returned and excavated the wells of water which were dug in the days of his father, Avraham, and were plugged by the Philistines after Avraham’s death. He gave them the same names that his father had given them.

Yitzchok’s servants dug in the valley and found there a well of spring [flowing] water.

The shepherds of Gerar argued with the shepherds of Yitzchok, saying, the water is ours. He named the well Eisek [Quarrel], because they had quarreled with him.

They dug another well and they also argued about it. He named the well Sitnah [Obstruction].

He moved away from there and he dug another well, and there was no argument over it. He named it Rechovos [Wide Spaces], and said, For now Adonoy has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.

From there he went to Beer Sheva.

Adonoy appeared [became revealed] to him that night and said, I am the God of your father, Avraham. Do not fear for I am with you [My Word is your support]. I will bless you and make your descendants numerous, because of My servant, Avraham.

He [Yitzchok] built an altar there, and proclaimed [prayed in] the Name of Adonoy. He set up his tent there, and Yitzchok’s servants dug a well there.

Avimelech came to Yitzchok from Gerar along with a group of friends and Pichol, his general.

Yitzchok said to them, Why have you come to me? You hate me and drove me away from you.

They said, We have indeed seen that Adonoy is with you [the Word of Adonoy is your support], and we said, Let there now be an oath between us, [Let the oath that was between our fathers now be established] between ourselves and you, and let us make a covenant with you;

that you will do us no harm, just as we did not touch [injure] you. We did nothing but good to you, and sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed one of Adonoy.

He [Yitzchok] made a feast for them, and they ate and drank.

They got up early in the morning, and they each swore to the other. Yitzchok sent them away and they left in peace.

On that day Yitzchok’s servants came and told him about the well they had dug; and they said to him, We have found water.

He named it Shiva. Therefore the city is called Beer Sheva until this very day.

Eisov was forty years old and he married Yehudis, the daughter of Be’eri, the Chittite and Bosmas, the daughter of Eylon the Chittite.

They were rebellious of spirit to [They were rebels and aggravators against the words of] Yitzchok and Rivkah.