Genesis 21

Birth of Isaac

1Then Adonai visited Sarah just as He had said, and Adonai did for Sarah just as He had spoken.

2So Sarah became pregnant and gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time that God had told him.

3Abraham named his son who was born to him—whom Sarah bore for him—Isaac.

4Then Abraham circumcised Isaac, his eight-day-old son, just as God had commanded him.

5Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac his son was born to him.

6So Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me! Everyone who hears will laugh with me.”

7She also said, “Who would have said to Abraham, ‘Sarah has nursed children’? For I have given birth to a son in his old age!”

Ishmael Banished, Yet Delivered

8The child grew and was weaned—Abraham made a big feast on the day Isaac was weaned.

9But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian whom she had born to Abraham—making fun.

10So she said to Abraham, “Drive out this female slave and her son, for the son of this female slave will not be an heir with my son—with Isaac.”

11Now the matter was very displeasing in Abraham’s eyes on account of his son.

12But God said to Abraham, “Do not be displeased about the boy and your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, listen to her voice. For through Isaac shall your seed be called.

13Yet I will also make the son of the slave woman into a nation, because he is your seed.”

14So Abraham got up early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar, putting them on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away. She went and wandered about in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.

15When the water from the skin was finished, she abandoned the child under one of the bushes.

16Then she went and sat herself down opposite, about a bowshot away, for she had said, “I can’t bear to see the child dying!” So she sat down opposite and lifted up her voice and wept.

17Then God heard the boy’s voice and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and He said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Do not be afraid, because God has heard the boy’s voice where he is.

18Get up! Lift the boy up, and hold on to him with your hand, for I will make him a great nation.”

19Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water, and she went and filled the water skin, and gave the boy a drink.

20God was with the boy and he grew. He dwelled in the wilderness and became an archer.

21He dwelled in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

Covenant of Abimelech and Abraham

22Now it came about at that same time that Abimelech—with Phicol the commander of his army---said to Abraham, “God is with you in all that you do.

23So now, make a pledge to me here, by God, that you will not violate your word with me or with my descendants or with my offspring. As I have shown loyalty to you, show the same to me, and to the land in which you have lived as an outsider.”

24Abraham said, “I make a pledge.”

25Now Abraham had rebuked Abimelech because of the well of water that Abimelech’s servants had seized.

26So Abimelech said, “I don’t know who did this thing. Nor did you tell me, nor did I hear about it until today.”

27Then Abraham took a flock of sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant.

28Abraham set seven young ewe-lambs apart from the flock of sheep by themselves.

29Abimelech said to Abraham, “What do these seven ewe-lambs that you’ve set by themselves mean?”

30He said, “You are to accept the seven ewe-lambs from my hand, so that they may be a witness for me that I dug this well.”

31That is why that place is named Beer-sheba, because there both of them made a pledge,

32and they made a covenant in Beer-sheba. Then Abimelech got up, with Phicol the commander of his army, and they returned to the land of the Philistines.

33Then he planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba and called there on the Name of Adonai, the Everlasting God.

34He lived as an outsider in the land of the Philistines for many days.

Learn More About Tree of Life Version

Genesis 21

Isaac’s birth

1The LORD was attentive to Sarah just as he had said, and the LORD carried out just what he had promised her. 2She became pregnant and gave birth to a son for Abraham when he was old, at the very time God had told him. 3Abraham named his son—the one Sarah bore him—Isaac.#21.3 Or he laughs 4Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old just as God had commanded him. 5Abraham was 100 years old when his son Isaac was born. 6Sarah said, “God has given me laughter. Everyone who hears about it will laugh with me.”#21.6 Or God has made a joke of me. Everyone who hears about it will laugh at me. 7She said, “Who could have told Abraham that Sarah would nurse sons? But now I’ve given birth to a son when he was old!”

Hagar and Ishmael evicted

8The boy grew and stopped nursing. On the day he stopped nursing, Abraham prepared a huge banquet. 9Sarah saw Hagar’s son laughing, the one Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham. 10So she said to Abraham, “Send this servant away with her son! This servant’s son won’t share the inheritance with my son Isaac.”

11This upset Abraham terribly because the boy was his son. 12God said to Abraham, “Don’t be upset about the boy and your servant. Do everything Sarah tells you to do because your descendants will be traced through Isaac. 13But I will make of your servant’s son a great nation too, because he is also your descendant.” 14Abraham got up early in the morning, took some bread and a flask of water, and gave it to Hagar. He put the boy in her shoulder sling and sent her away.

She left and wandered through the desert near Beer-sheba. 15Finally the water in the flask ran out, and she put the boy down under one of the desert shrubs. 16She walked away from him about as far as a bow shot and sat down, telling herself, I can’t bear to see the boy die. She sat at a distance, cried out in grief, and wept.

17God heard the boy’s cries, and God’s messenger called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “Hagar! What’s wrong? Don’t be afraid. God has heard the boy’s cries over there. 18Get up, pick up the boy, and take him by the hand because I will make of him a great nation.” 19Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well. She went over, filled the water flask, and gave the boy a drink. 20God remained with the boy; he grew up, lived in the desert, and became an expert archer. 21He lived in the Paran desert, and his mother found him an Egyptian wife.

Abraham’s treaty with the Philistines

22At that time Abimelech, and Phicol commander of his forces, said to Abraham, “God is with you in everything that you do. 23So give me your word under God that you won’t cheat me, my children, or my descendants. Just as I have treated you fairly, so you must treat me and the land in which you are an immigrant.”

24Abraham said, “I give you my word.” 25Then Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well that Abimelech’s servants had seized.

26Abimelech said, “I don’t know who has done this, and you didn’t tell me. I didn’t even hear about it until today.” 27Abraham took flocks and cattle, gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them drew up a treaty.#21.27 Or covenant 28Abraham set aside, by themselves, seven female lambs from the flock. 29So Abimelech said to Abraham, “What are these seven lambs you’ve set apart?”

30Abraham said, “These seven lambs that you take from me will attest that I dug this well.” 31Therefore, the name of that place is Beer-sheba#21.31 Or Well of seven; or Well of giving one’s word because there they gave each other their word. 32After they drew up a treaty#21.32 Or covenant at Beer-sheba, Abimelech, and Phicol commander of his forces, returned to the land of the Philistines. 33Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba, and he worshipped there in the name of the LORD, El Olam.#21.33 Or the eternal God 34Abraham lived as an immigrant in the Philistines’ land for a long time.

Learn More About Common English Bible