Genesis 21
21
1The Lord came to help Sarah as he'd said he would. The Lord did for Sarah what he'd promised. 2She became pregnant and had a son for Abraham when he was old, at the exact time God said she would. 3Abraham named their son Isaac. 4Abraham circumcised him when Isaac was eight days old, following God's command. 5Abraham was 100 when Isaac was born.
6Sarah declared, “God has made me laugh,#21:6. Isaac means “he laughs.” and all those who hear about this will laugh with me.” 7She also said, “Would anyone have announced to Abraham that Sarah was going to have children to nurse? But now I have had a son for Abraham even when he was old!”
8The baby grew up, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a large feast. 9But Sarah noticed that Ishmael, Hagar the Egyptian's son she'd had for Abraham, was making fun of Isaac. 10So she went to Abraham and told him, “You have to get rid of this slave woman and this son of hers! A slave woman's son is not going to be one of your heirs and inherit together with my son Isaac!”
11Abraham felt very bad about it because Ishmael was his son. 12But God told Abraham, “Don't feel bad about the boy and the slave woman. Do whatever Sarah tells you, because it's through Isaac that your descendants will be counted. 13Don't worry—I will also make the son of the slave woman into a nation because he's your son.”
14Abraham got up early the next morning. He packed up some food and a skin of water which he gave to Hagar, putting them on her shoulder. Then he sent her and the boy away. She left and wandered through the Desert of Beersheba.
15When the water ran out, she left the boy under one of the bushes. 16She went and sat down some way off, a few hundred yards away,#21:16. “A few hundred yards away”: literally, “a bowshot.” saying, “I can't bear to watch my son die!” As she sat down she burst into tears.
17God heard the boy's cries, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and asked her, “What's the matter, Hagar? Don't be afraid! God has heard the boy crying from where he is. 18Get up, go over and help the boy up, and encourage him, for I will make him into a great nation.”
19God opened her eyes and she saw a well nearby. She went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.
20God blessed Ishmael and he grew up, living in the desert. He became a skilled archer. 21He lived in the Desert of Paran. His mother chose a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
22Around this time Abimelech came with Phicol, the commander of his army, to see Abraham. “God blesses you in everything you do,” Abimelech said. 23“So swear to me right here and now that you won't betray me, my children, or my descendants. In the same way I've proved I'm trustworthy to you, do the same to me and my country where you're currently living.”
24“I so swear,” Abraham replied. 25Then Abraham raised an issue with Abimelech of a well that Abimelech's servants had taken by force.
26“I don't know who did this, and you didn't mention it before. I haven't heard anything about it until today,” Abimelech responded.
27Then Abraham gave Abimelech some of his sheep and cattle, and the two of them made an agreement. 28Abraham also separated out seven female lambs from the flock.
29“What are these seven female lambs for that you've separated from the flock?” Abimelech asked.
30“I'm giving you these seven female lambs in return for your admission that I dug this well,” Abraham replied. 31That's why he called the place Beersheba,#21:31. Beersheba means both “well of swearing” and “well of seven.” because the two of them swore an oath to each other.
32After making the agreement at Beersheba, Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army left and went home to the country of the Philistines. 33Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and there he worshiped the Lord, the Eternal God. 34Abraham lived in the country of the Philistines for a long time.
Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
Genesis 21
21
Genesis 21
1¶ And the Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did with Sarah as he had spoken.
2For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the set time of which God had spoken to him.
3And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac.
4And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old as God had commanded him.
5And Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born unto him.
6Then Sarah said, God has made me to laugh so that all that hear will laugh with me.
7And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? For I have born him a son in his old age.
8And the child grew and was weaned, and Abraham made a great banquet the day that Isaac was weaned.
9¶ And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had born unto Abraham, mocking.
10Therefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.
11And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight because of his son.
12Then God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah has said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.
13And also of the son of the bondwoman I will make a nation because he is thy seed.
14¶ So Abraham rose up early in the morning and took bread and a bottle of water and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child and sent her away; and she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.
15And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under a tree.
16And she went and sat her down over against him a good way off as it were a bowshot; for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him and lifted up her voice and wept.
17And God heard the voice of the lad, and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven and said unto her, What ails thee, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is.
18Arise, lift up the lad and hold him in thy hand, for I will make him a great nation.
19And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went and filled the bottle with water and gave the lad drink.
20And God was with the lad, and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness and became an archer.
21And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him out of the land of Egypt.
22¶ And it came to pass at that time that Abimelech and Phichol, the prince of his host, spoke unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest.
23Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son’s son; but according to the mercy that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me and to the land in which thou hast sojourned.
24And Abraham said, I will swear.
25And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water which Abimelech’s slaves had violently taken away.
26And Abimelech said, I know not who has done this thing; neither didst thou tell me, neither have I heard of it, but today.
27And Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant.
28And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.
29And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves?
30And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand that they may be a witness unto me that I have dug this well.
31Therefore he called that place Beersheba; because there they swore, both of them.
32Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba; then Abimelech rose up and Phichol, the prince of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.
33¶ And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba and called there on the name of the Lord, the eternal God.
34And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines’ land many days.
The Jubilee Bible 2000 (JUB) by Ransom Press International