At that time Abimelech, accompanied by Phicol, the commander of his army, said to Abraham: “God is with you in everything you do.

So now, swear to me by God at this place that you will not deal falsely with me or with my progeny and posterity, but will act as loyally toward me and the land in which you reside as I have acted toward you.”

Abraham replied, “I so swear.” Abraham, however, reproached Abimelech about a well that Abimelech’s servants had seized by force.

“I have no idea who did that,” Abimelech replied. “In fact, you never told me about it, nor did I ever hear of it until now.”

Then Abraham took sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech and the two made a covenant.

Abraham also set apart seven ewe lambs of the flock, and Abimelech asked him, “What is the purpose of these seven ewe lambs that you have set apart?”

Abraham answered, “The seven ewe lambs you shall accept from me that you may be my witness that I dug this well.”

This is why the place is called Beer-sheba; the two of them took an oath there.

When they had thus made the covenant in Beer-sheba, Abimelech, along with Phicol, the commander of his army, left to return to the land of the Philistines.

Abraham planted a tamarisk at Beer-sheba, and there he invoked by name the Lord, God the Eternal.

Abraham resided in the land of the Philistines for a long time.