"I make this covenant with you: I promise that you will be the ancestor of many nations.

Your name will no longer be Abram, but Abraham, because I am making you the ancestor of many nations.

I will bless her, and I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she will become the mother of nations, and there will be kings among her descendants."

I have heard your request about Ishmael, so I will bless him and give him many children and many descendants. He will be the father of twelve princes, and I will make a great nation of his descendants.

Abraham married another woman, whose name was Keturah.

Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan, and the descendants of Dedan were the Asshurim, the Letushim, and the Leummim.

Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac;

Abraham died at the ripe old age of 175.

His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in Machpelah Cave, in the field east of Mamre that had belonged to Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite.

After the death of Abraham, God blessed his son Isaac, who lived near "The Well of the Living One Who Sees Me."

had the following sons, listed in the order of their birth: Nebaioth, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,

Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.

Ishmael was 137 years old when he died.

This is the story of Abraham's son Isaac.

Because Rebecca had no children, Isaac prayed to the LORD for her. The LORD answered his prayer, and Rebecca became pregnant.

The LORD said to her, "Two nations are within you; You will give birth to two rival peoples. One will be stronger than the other; The older will serve the younger."

The first one was reddish, and his skin was like a hairy robe, so he was named Esau.

The boys grew up, and Esau became a skilled hunter, a man who loved the outdoors, but Jacob was a quiet man who stayed at home.

One day while Jacob was cooking some bean soup, Esau came in from hunting. He was hungry

Jacob answered, "I will give it to you if you give me your rights as the first-born son."

Jacob answered, "First make a vow that you will give me your rights." Esau made the vow and gave his rights to Jacob.

May Almighty God bless your marriage and give you many children, so that you will become the father of many nations!

Though Abraham was practically dead, from this one man came as many descendants as there are stars in the sky, as many as the numberless grains of sand on the seashore.

Or is God the God of the Jews only? Is he not the God of the Gentiles also? Of course he is.

If he was put right with God by the things he did, he would have something to boast about---but not in God's sight.

If the Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from death, lives in you, then he who raised Christ from death will also give life to your mortal bodies by the presence of his Spirit in you.

And don't think you can escape punishment by saying that Abraham is your ancestor. I tell you that God can take these rocks and make descendants for Abraham!

Just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, in the same way the Son gives life to those he wants to.

I am telling you the truth: the time is coming---the time has already come---when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear it will come to life.

What gives life is God's Spirit; human power is of no use at all. The words I have spoken to you bring God's life-giving Spirit.

For the scripture says, "The first man, Adam, was created a living being"; but the last Adam is the life-giving Spirit.

In the past you were spiritually dead because of your disobedience and sins.

Actually all of us were like them and lived according to our natural desires, doing whatever suited the wishes of our own bodies and minds. In our natural condition we, like everyone else, were destined to suffer God's anger.

that while we were spiritually dead in our disobedience he brought us to life with Christ. It is by God's grace that you have been saved.

Before God, who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus, who firmly professed his faith before Pontius Pilate, I command you

Those whom God had already chosen he also set apart to become like his Son, so that the Son would be the first among many believers.

And so those whom God set apart, he called; and those he called, he put right with himself, and he shared his glory with them.

And in the very place where they were told, 'You are not my people,' there they will be called the children of the living God."

I will tell the north to let them go and the south not to hold them back. Let my people return from distant lands, from every part of the world.

Could anyone else have done what I did? Who could have predicted all that would happen from the very beginning to the end of time?

My people will come from far away, from the north and the west, and from Aswan in the south."

"You will leave Babylon with joy; you will be led out of the city in peace. The mountains and hills will burst into singing, and the trees will shout for joy.

So says the Lord, who made this known long ago.'

He chose what the world looks down on and despises and thinks is nothing, in order to destroy what the world thinks is important.

It was faith that made Noah hear God's warnings about things in the future that he could not see. He obeyed God and built a boat in which he and his family were saved. As a result, the world was condemned, and Noah received from God the righteousness that comes by faith.

At one time you were not God's people, but now you are his people; at one time you did not know God's mercy, but now you have received his mercy.

But do not forget one thing, my dear friends! There is no difference in the Lord's sight between one day and a thousand years; to him the two are the same.