But the land could not support them living together, because they had so many livestock that they could not stay together.

However, I will judge the nation that they serve, and later they will leave there with many possessions.

The angel of the LORD also told her, "I will greatly multiply your offspring, who will be too many to count.

"Look, I've made a covenant with you. You will be the father of many nations.

Your name is no longer to be Abram. Instead your name will be Abraham, since I'll make you the father of many nations.

I'm going to cause you to have many descendants, and I'll bring nations from you. Kings will come from you.

And as for Ishmael, I've heard you. I'll bless him, and he'll have many descendants. I will multiply him greatly, he'll father twelve tribal leaders, and I'll cause his descendants to become a great nation.

I'll cause you to have as many descendants as the stars of the heavens, and I'll certainly give all these lands to your descendants. Later on, through your descendants all the nations of the earth will bless one another.

He owned so many sheep, cattle, and servants that the Philistines eventually became envious of him.

So Jacob tore his clothes, dressed himself in sackcloth, and then mourned many days for his son.

As far as you're concerned, you were planning evil against me, but God intended it for good, planning to bring about the present result so that many people would be preserved alive.