Liber Genesis, 26

1. Orta autem fame super terram post eam sterilitatem, quae acciderat in diebus Abraham, abiit Isaac ad Abimelech regem Philisthim in Gerara.

1. Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerar, to Abim'elech king of the Philistines.

2. Apparuitque ei Dominus et ait: “Ne descendas in Aegyptum, sed habita in terra, quam dixero tibi,

2. And the LORD appeared to him, and said, "Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you.

3. et peregrinare in ea; eroque tecum et benedicam tibi. Tibi enim et semini tuo dabo universas regiones has complens iuramentum, quod spopondi Abraham patri tuo,

3. Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you, and will bless you; for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will fulfil the oath which I swore to Abraham your father.

4. et multiplicabo semen tuum sicut stellas caeli daboque posteris tuis universas regiones has; et benedicentur in semine tuo omnes gentes terrae,

4. I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and will give to your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall bless themselves:

5. eo quod oboedierit Abraham voci meae et custodierit praecepta et mandata mea et iustificationes legesque servaverit”.

5. because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws."

6. Mansit itaque Isaac in Geraris.

6. So Isaac dwelt in Gerar.

7. Qui, cum interrogaretur a viris loci illius super uxore sua, respondit: “Soror mea est”. Timuerat enim confiteri quod sibi esset sociata coniugio, reputans ne forte interficerent eum propter illius pulchritudinem.

7. When the men of the place asked him about his wife, he said, "She is my sister"; for he feared to say, "My wife," thinking, "lest the men of the place should kill me for the sake of Rebekah"; because she was fair to look upon.

8. Cumque pertransissent dies plurimi et ibidem moraretur, prospiciens Abimelech rex Philisthim per fenestram vidit eum iocantem cum Rebecca uxore sua.

8. When he had been there a long time, Abim'elech king of the Philistines looked out of a window and saw Isaac fondling Rebekah his wife.

9. Et, accersito eo, ait: “Perspicuum est quod uxor tua sit; cur mentitus es eam sororem tuam esse?”. Respondit: “Timui, ne morerer propter eam”.

9. So Abim'elech called Isaac, and said, "Behold, she is your wife; how then could you say, `She is my sister'?" Isaac said to him, "Because I thought, `Lest I die because of her.'"

10. Dixitque Abimelech: “Quare hoc fecisti nobis? Potuit coire quispiam de populo cum uxore tua, et induxeras super nos grande peccatum”. Praecepitque omni populo dicens:

10. Abim'elech said, "What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us."

11. “Qui tetigerit hominem hunc et uxorem eius, morte morietur”.

11. So Abim'elech warned all the people, saying, "Whoever touches this man or his wife shall be put to death."

12. Sevit autem Isaac in terra illa et invenit in ipso anno centuplum; benedixitque ei Dominus.

12. And Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. The LORD blessed him,

13. Et locupletatus est homo et ibat proficiens atque succrescens, donec magnus vehementer effectus est;

13. and the man became rich, and gained more and more until he became very wealthy.

14. habuitque possessionem ovium et armentorum et familiae plurimum. Ob haec invidentes ei Philisthim

14. He had possessions of flocks and herds, and a great household, so that the Philistines envied him.

15. omnes puteos, quos foderant servi patris illius in diebus Abraham, obstruxerunt implentes humo,

15. (Now the Philistines had stopped and filled with earth all the wells which his father's servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father.)

16. in tantum ut ipse Abimelech diceret ad Isaac: “Recede a nobis, quoniam potentior nostri factus es valde”.

16. And Abim'elech said to Isaac, "Go away from us; for you are much mightier than we."

17. Et ille discedens tentoria fixit ad torrentem Gerarae habitavitque ibi.

17. So Isaac departed from there, and encamped in the valley of Gerar and dwelt there.

18. Rursum fodit puteos, quos foderant in diebus patris sui Abraham et quos, illo mortuo, obstruxerant Philisthim. Appellavitque eos eisdem nominibus, quibus ante pater vocaverat.

18. And Isaac dug again the wells of water which had been dug in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham; and he gave them the names which his father had given them.

19. Foderunt servi Isaac in torrente et reppererunt ibi puteum aquae vivae.

19. But when Isaac's servants dug in the valley and found there a well of springing water,

20. Sed et ibi iurgium fuit pastorum Gerarae adversus pastores Isaac dicentium: “Nostra est aqua!”. Quam ob rem nomen putei vocavit Esec (id est Iurgium), quia iurgati sunt cum eo.

20. the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac's herdsmen, saying, "The water is ours." So he called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him.

21. Foderunt autem et alium puteum, et pro illo quoque rixati sunt; appellavitque eum Sitna (id est Inimicitias).

21. Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that also; so he called its name Sitnah.

22. Profectus inde fodit alium puteum, pro quo non contenderunt; itaque vocavit nomen eius Rehoboth (id est Latitudinem) dicens: “Nunc dilatavit nos Dominus, et crescemus in terra”.

22. And he moved from there and dug another well, and over that they did not quarrel; so he called its name Reho'both, saying, "For now the LORD has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land."

23. Ascendit autem ex illo loco in Bersabee,

23. From there he went up to Beer-sheba.

24. ubi apparuit ei Dominus in ipsa nocte dicens: “Ego sum Deus Abraham patris tui. Noli timere, quia tecum sum; benedicam tibi et multiplicabo semen tuum propter servum meum Abraham”.

24. And the LORD appeared to him the same night and said, "I am the God of Abraham your father; fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your descendants for my servant Abraham's sake."

25. Itaque aedificavit ibi altare et, invocato nomine Domini, extendit tabernaculum, et servi Isaac foderunt ibi puteum.

25. So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the LORD, and pitched his tent there. And there Isaac's servants dug a well.

26. Abimelech autem venit ad eum de Geraris et Ochozath amicus illius et Phicol dux militum,

26. Then Abim'elech went to him from Gerar with Ahuz'zath his adviser and Phicol the commander of his army.

27. et locutus est eis Isaac: “Quid venistis ad me hominem, quem odistis et expulistis a vobis?”.

27. Isaac said to them, "Why have you come to me, seeing that you hate me and have sent me away from you?"

28. Qui responderunt: “Vidimus tecum esse Dominum et idcirco diximus: Sit iuramentum inter nos et te, et ineamus tecum foedus,

28. They said, "We see plainly that the LORD is with you; so we say, let there be an oath between you and us, and let us make a covenant with you,

29. ut non facias nobis quidquam mali, sicut et nos non attigimus te et nihil fecimus tibi nisi bonum et cum pace dimisimus te. Tu es enim benedictus Domini”.

29. that you will do us no harm, just as we have not touched you and have done to you nothing but good and have sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed of the LORD."

30. Fecit ergo eis convivium, et comederunt et biberunt.

30. So he made them a feast, and they ate and drank.

31. Surgentesque mane iuraverunt sibi mutuo. Dimisitque eos Isaac, et profecti sunt ab eo cum pace.

31. In the morning they rose early and took oath with one another; and Isaac set them on their way, and they departed from him in peace.

32. Ecce autem venerunt in ipso die servi Isaac annuntiantes ei de puteo, quem foderant, atque dicentes: “Invenimus aquam”.

32. That same day Isaac's servants came and told him about the well which they had dug, and said to him, "We have found water."

33. Unde appellavit eum Sabee (quod significat Abundantiam); et nomen urbi impositum est Bersabee usque in praesentem diem.

33. He called it Shibah; therefore the name of the city is Beer-sheba to this day.

34. Esau vero quadragenarius duxit uxores Iudith filiam Beeri Hetthaei et Basemath filiam Elon Hetthaei.

34. When Esau was forty years old, he took to wife Judith the daughter of Be-e'ri the Hittite, and Bas'emath the daughter of Elon the Hittite;

35. Quae ambae offenderant animum Isaac et Rebeccae.

35. and they made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah.