The One Year Bible TLB (11 page)
Read The One Year Bible TLB Online
Authors: Tyndale
January 12So Isaac moved to Gerar Valley and lived there instead.
18
And Isaac redug the wells of his father Abraham, the ones the Philistines had filled after his father’s death, and gave them the same names they had had before, when his father had named them.
19
His shepherds also dug a new well in Gerar Valley, and found a gushing underground spring.
20
Then the local shepherds came and claimed it. “This is our land and our well,” they said, and argued over it with Isaac’s herdsmen. So he named the well, “The Well of Argument!”
*
21
Isaac’s men then dug another well, but again there was a fight over it. So he called it, “The Well of Anger.”
*
22
Abandoning that one, he dug again, and the local residents finally left him alone. So he called it, “The Well of Room Enough for Us at Last!”
*
“For now at last,” he said, “the Lord has made room for us and we shall thrive.”
23
When he went to Beer-sheba,
24
Jehovah appeared to him on the night of his arrival. “I am the God of Abraham your father,” he said. “Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you, and will give you so many descendants that they will become a great nation—because of my promise to Abraham, who obeyed me.”
25
Then Isaac built an altar and worshiped Jehovah; and he settled there, and his servants dug a well.
26
One day Isaac had visitors from Gerar. King Abimelech arrived with his advisor, Ahuzzath, and also Phicol, his army commander.
27
“Why have you come?” Isaac asked them. “This is obviously no friendly visit, since you kicked me out in a most uncivil way.”
28
“Well,” they said, “we can plainly see that Jehovah is blessing you. We’ve decided to ask for a treaty between us.
29
Promise that you will not harm us, just as we have not harmed you, and in fact, have done only good to you and have sent you away in peace; we bless you in the name of the Lord.”
30
So Isaac prepared a great feast for them, and they ate and drank in preparation for the treaty ceremonies.
31
In the morning, as soon as they were up, they each took solemn oaths to seal a nonaggression pact. Then Isaac sent them happily home again.
32
That very same day Isaac’s servants came to tell him, “We have found water”—in the well they had been digging.
33
So he named the well, “The Well of the Oath,”
*
and the city that grew up there was named “Oath,” and is called that to this day.
34
Esau, at the age of forty, married a girl named Judith, daughter of Be-eri the Hethite; and he also married Basemath, daughter of Elon the Hethite.
35
But Isaac and Rebekah were bitter about his marrying them.
27:
1
One day, in Isaac’s old age when he was almost blind, he called for Esau his oldest son.
Isaac:
“My son?”
Esau:
“Yes, Father?”
2-4
Isaac:
“I am an old man now, and expect every day to be my last. Take your bow and arrows out into the fields and get me some venison, and prepare it just the way I like it—savory and good—and bring it here for me to eat, and I will give you the blessings that belong to you, my firstborn son,
*
before I die.”
5
But Rebekah overheard the conversation. So when Esau left for the field to hunt for the venison,
6-7
she called her son Jacob and told him what his father had said to his brother.
8-10
Rebekah:
“Now do exactly as I tell you. Go out to the flocks and bring me two young goats, and I’ll prepare your father’s favorite dish from them. Then take it to your father, and after he has enjoyed it he will bless
you
before his death, instead of Esau!”
*
11-12
Jacob:
“But Mother! He won’t be fooled that easily.
*
Think how hairy Esau is, and how smooth my skin is! What if my father feels me? He’ll think I’m making a fool of him and curse me instead of blessing me!”
13
Rebekah:
“Let his curses be on me, dear son. Just do what I tell you. Go out and get the goats.”
14
So Jacob followed his mother’s instructions, bringing the dressed kids, which she prepared in his father’s favorite way.
15
Then she took Esau’s best clothes—they were there in the house—and instructed Jacob to put them on.
16
And she made him a pair of gloves from the hairy skin of the young goats, and fastened a strip of the hide around his neck;
17
then she gave him the meat, with its rich aroma, and some fresh-baked bread.
18
Jacob carried the platter of food into the room where his father was lying.
Jacob:
“Father?”
Isaac:
“Yes? Who is it, my son—Esau or Jacob?”
19
Jacob:
“It’s Esau, your oldest son. I’ve done as you told me to. Here is the delicious venison you wanted. Sit up and eat it, so that you will bless me with all your heart!”
20
Isaac:
“How were you able to find it so quickly, my son?”
Jacob:
“Because Jehovah your God put it in my path!”
21
Isaac:
“Come over here. I want to feel you and be sure it really is Esau!”
22
(Jacob goes over to his father. He feels him!)
Isaac:
(to himself) “The voice is Jacob’s, but the hands are Esau’s!”
23
(The ruse convinces Isaac and he gives Jacob his blessings):
24
Isaac:
“Are you really Esau?”
Jacob:
“Yes, of course.”
25
Isaac:
“Then bring me the venison, and I will eat it and bless you with all my heart.”
(Jacob takes it over to him and Isaac eats; he also drinks the wine Jacob brings him.)
26
Isaac:
“Come here and kiss me, my son!”
(Jacob goes over and kisses him on the cheek. Isaac sniffs his clothes, and finally seems convinced.)
27-29
Isaac:
“The smell of my son is the good smell of the earth and fields that Jehovah has blessed. May God always give you plenty of rain for your crops, and good harvests and grapes. May many nations be your slaves. Be the master of your brothers. May all your relatives bow low before you. Cursed are all who curse you, and blessed are all who bless you.”
30
(As soon as Isaac has blessed Jacob, and almost before Jacob leaves the room, Esau arrives, coming in from his hunting.
31
He also has prepared his father’s favorite dish and brings it to him.)
Esau:
“Here I am, Father, with the venison. Sit up and eat it so that you can give me your finest blessings!”
32
Isaac:
“Who is it?”
Esau:
“Why, it’s me, of course! Esau, your oldest son!”
33
(Isaac begins to tremble noticeably.)
Isaac:
“Then who is it who was just here with venison, and I have already eaten it and blessed him with irrevocable blessing?”
34
(Esau begins to sob with deep and bitter sobs.)
Esau:
“O my Father, bless me, bless me too!”
35
Isaac:
“Your brother was here and tricked me and has carried away your blessing.”
36
Esau:
(bitterly) “No wonder they call him ‘The Cheater.’
*
For he took my birthright, and now he has stolen my blessing. Oh, haven’t you saved even one blessing for me?”
37
Isaac:
“I have made him your master, and have given him yourself and all of his relatives as his servants. I have guaranteed him abundance of grain and wine—what is there left to give?”
38
Esau:
“Not one blessing left for me? O my Father, bless me too.”
(Isaac says nothing
*
as Esau weeps.)
39-40
Isaac:
“Yours will be no life of ease and luxury, but you shall hew your way with your sword. For a time you will serve your brother, but you will finally shake loose from him and be free.”
41
So Esau hated Jacob because of what he had done to him. He said to himself, “My father will soon be gone, and then I will kill Jacob.”
42
But someone got wind of what he was planning and reported it to Rebekah. She sent for Jacob and told him that his life was being threatened by Esau.
43
“This is what to do,” she said. “Flee to your Uncle Laban in Haran.
44
Stay there with him awhile until your brother’s fury is spent,
45
and he forgets what you have done. Then I will send for you. For why should I be bereaved of both of you in one day?”
46
Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I’m sick and tired of these local girls. I’d rather die than see Jacob marry one of them.”
So Jesus climbed into a boat and went across the lake to Capernaum, his hometown.
*
2
Soon some men brought him a paralyzed man on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the sick man,
“Cheer up, son! For I have forgiven your sins!”
3
“Blasphemy! This man is saying he is God!” exclaimed some of the religious leaders to themselves.
4
Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked them,
“Why are you thinking such evil thoughts?
5-6
I, the Messiah,
*
have the authority on earth to forgive sins. But talk is cheap—anybody could say that. So I’ll prove it to you by healing this man.”
Then, turning to the paralyzed man, he commanded,
“Pick up your stretcher and go on home, for you are healed.”
7
And the man jumped up and left!
8
A chill of fear swept through the crowd as they saw this happen right before their eyes. How they praised God for giving such authority to a man!
9
As Jesus was going on down the road, he saw a tax collector, Matthew,
*
sitting at a tax collection booth.
“Come and be my disciple,”
Jesus said to him, and Matthew jumped up and went along with him.
10
Later, as Jesus and his disciples were eating dinner at Matthew’s house,
*
there were many notorious swindlers there as guests!
11
The Pharisees were indignant. “Why does your teacher associate with men like that?”
12
“Because people who are well don’t need a doctor! It’s the sick people who do!”
was Jesus’ reply.
13
Then he added,
“Now go away and learn the meaning of this verse of Scripture,
‘It isn’t your sacrifices and your gifts I want—I want you to be merciful.’
*
For I have come to urge sinners, not the self-righteous, back to God.”
14
One day the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus and asked him, “Why don’t your disciples fast as we do and as the Pharisees do?”
15
“Should the bridegroom’s friends mourn and go without food while he is with them?”
Jesus asked.
“But the time is coming when I
*
will be taken from them. Time enough then for them to refuse to eat.
16
“And who would patch an old garment with unshrunk cloth? For the patch would tear away and make the hole worse.
17
And who would use old wineskins
*
to store new wine? For the old skins would burst with the pressure, and the wine would be spilled and skins ruined. Only new wineskins are used to store new wine. That way both are preserved.”
The Lord is King forever and forever. Those who follow other gods shall be swept from his land.
17
Lord, you know the hopes of humble people. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort their hearts by helping them.
18
You will be with the orphans and all who are oppressed, so that mere earthly man will terrify them no longer.