Genesis 21
21
1Nowe the Lord visited Sarah, as he had saide, and did vnto her according as he had promised. 2For Sarah conceiued, and bare Abraham a sonne in his olde age, at the same season that God tolde him. 3And Abraham called his sonnes name that was borne vnto him, which Sarah bare him, Izhak. 4Then Abraham circumcised Izhak his sonne, when he was eight dayes olde, as God had commanded him. 5So Abraham was an hundreth yeere olde, when his sonne Izhak was borne vnto him. 6Then Sarah said, God hath made me to reioyce: all that heare will reioyce with me. 7Againe she said, Who would haue saide to Abraham, that Sarah shoulde haue giuen children sucke? for I haue borne him a sonne in his olde age. 8Then the childe grewe and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Izhak was weaned. 9And Sarah sawe the sonne of Hagar the Egyptian (which she had borne vnto Abraham) mocking. 10Wherefore she saide vnto Abraham, Cast out this bond woman and her sonne: for ye sonne of this bonde woman shall not be heire with my sonne Izhak. 11And this thing was very grieuous in Abrahams sight, because of his sonne. 12But God said vnto Abraham, Let it not be grieuous in thy sight for the childe, and for thy bonde woman: in all that Sarah shall say vnto thee, heare her voyce: for in Izhak shall thy seede be called. 13As for the sonne of the bond woman, I will make him a nation also, because he is thy seede. 14So Abraham arose vp early in ye morning, and tooke bread, and a bottell of water, and gaue it vnto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the childe also, and sent her away: who departing wandred in the wildernesse of Beer-sheba. 15And when the water of the bottell was spent, she cast the childe vnder a certaine tree. 16Then she went and sate her ouer against him a farre off about a bowe shoote: for she said, I will not see the death of the child. and she sate downe ouer against him, and lift vp her voyce and wept. 17Then God heard the voyce of ye childe, and the Angel of God called to Hagar from heauen, and said vnto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? feare not, for God hath heard the voyce of the childe where he is. 18Arise, take vp the childe, and holde him in thine hand: for I will make of him a great people. 19And God opened her eyes, and she sawe a well of water. so she went and filled the bottell with water, and gaue the boy drinke. 20So God was with the childe, and he grewe and dwelt in the wildernesse, and was an archer. 21And he dwelt in the wildernesse of Paran, and his mother tooke him a wife out of the land of Egypt. 22And at that same time Abimelech and Phichol his chief captaine spake vnto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest. 23Nowe therefore sweare vnto me here by God, that thou wilt not hurt me, nor my children, nor my childrens children: thou shalt deale with me, and with the countrey, where thou hast bene a stranger, according vnto the kindnesse that I haue shewed thee. 24Then Abraham said, I will sweare. 25And Abraham rebuked Abimelech for a well of water, which Abimelechs seruants had violently taken away. 26And Abimelech saide, I knowe not who hath done this thing: also thou toldest me not, neither heard I of it but this day. 27Then Abraham tooke sheepe and beeues, and gaue them vnto Abimelech: and they two made a couenant. 28And Abraham set seuen lambes of the flocke by themselues. 29Then Abimelech said vnto Abraham, What meane these seuen lambes, which thou hast set by themselues? 30And he answered, Because thou shalt receiue of mine hand these seuen lambes, that it may be a witnes vnto me, that I haue digged this well. 31Wherefore the place is called Beer-sheba, because there they both sware. 32Thus made they a couenant at Beer-sheba: afterward Abimelech and Phichol his chiefe captaine rose vp, and turned againe vnto the land of the Philistims. 33And Abraham planted a groue in Beer-sheba, and called there on the Name of ye Lord, the euerlasting God. 34And Abraham was a stranger in the Philistims land a long season.
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Genesis 21
21
The Birth of Isaac
1The Lord kept his word and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised. 2She became pregnant, and she gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. This happened at just the time God had said it would. 3And Abraham named their son Isaac. 4Eight days after Isaac was born, Abraham circumcised him as God had commanded. 5Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born.
6And Sarah declared, “God has brought me laughter.#21:6 The name Isaac means “he laughs.” All who hear about this will laugh with me. 7Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse a baby? Yet I have given Abraham a son in his old age!”
Hagar and Ishmael Are Sent Away
8When Isaac grew up and was about to be weaned, Abraham prepared a huge feast to celebrate the occasion. 9But Sarah saw Ishmael—the son of Abraham and her Egyptian servant Hagar—making fun of her son, Isaac.#21:9 As in Greek version and Latin Vulgate; Hebrew lacks of her son, Isaac. 10So she turned to Abraham and demanded, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son. He is not going to share the inheritance with my son, Isaac. I won’t have it!”
11This upset Abraham very much because Ishmael was his son. 12But God told Abraham, “Do not be upset over the boy and your servant. Do whatever Sarah tells you, for Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted. 13But I will also make a nation of the descendants of Hagar’s son because he is your son, too.”
14So Abraham got up early the next morning, prepared food and a container of water, and strapped them on Hagar’s shoulders. Then he sent her away with their son, and she wandered aimlessly in the wilderness of Beersheba.
15When the water was gone, she put the boy in the shade of a bush. 16Then she went and sat down by herself about a hundred yards#21:16 Hebrew a bowshot. away. “I don’t want to watch the boy die,” she said, as she burst into tears.
17But God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, “Hagar, what’s wrong? Do not be afraid! God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. 18Go to him and comfort him, for I will make a great nation from his descendants.”
19Then God opened Hagar’s eyes, and she saw a well full of water. She quickly filled her water container and gave the boy a drink.
20And God was with the boy as he grew up in the wilderness. He became a skillful archer, 21and he settled in the wilderness of Paran. His mother arranged for him to marry a woman from the land of Egypt.
Abraham’s Covenant with Abimelech
22About this time, Abimelech came with Phicol, his army commander, to visit Abraham. “God is obviously with you, helping you in everything you do,” Abimelech said. 23“Swear to me in God’s name that you will never deceive me, my children, or any of my descendants. I have been loyal to you, so now swear that you will be loyal to me and to this country where you are living as a foreigner.”
24Abraham replied, “Yes, I swear to it!” 25Then Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well that Abimelech’s servants had taken by force from Abraham’s servants.
26“This is the first I’ve heard of it,” Abimelech answered. “I have no idea who is responsible. You have never complained about this before.”
27Abraham then gave some of his sheep, goats, and cattle to Abimelech, and they made a treaty. 28But Abraham also took seven additional female lambs and set them off by themselves. 29Abimelech asked, “Why have you set these seven apart from the others?”
30Abraham replied, “Please accept these seven lambs to show your agreement that I dug this well.” 31Then he named the place Beersheba (which means “well of the oath”), because that was where they had sworn the oath.
32After making their covenant at Beersheba, Abimelech left with Phicol, the commander of his army, and they returned home to the land of the Philistines. 33Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and there he worshiped the Lord, the Eternal God.#21:33 Hebrew El-Olam. 34And Abraham lived as a foreigner in Philistine country for a long time.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.
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