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

CHAPTER 21

1Forsooth God visited Sarah, as he promised, and [ful] filled those things, that he spake.

2And she conceived, and childed a son in her eld age, in the time wherein God before-said to her.

3And Abraham called the name of his son, whom Sarah childed to him, Isaac.

4And Abraham circumcised him in the eighth day, as God commanded to him,

5when he was of an hundred years; for Isaac was born in this age of the father.

6And Sarah said, The Lord hath made laughing to me, and whoever shall hear shall laugh with me.

7And again she said, Who should hear, and believe to Abraham, that Sarah should give sucking to a son, whom she childed to him, when he is now an eld [or old] man?

8Therefore the child increased, and was weaned; and Abraham made a great feast in the day of his weaning.

9And when Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, playing, or doing idolatry, with Isaac her son,

10she said to Abraham, Cast out this handmaid and her son; for the son of the handmaid shall not be heir with my son Isaac.

11Abraham took this heavily for his son;

12and God said to him, Be it not seen sharp to thee on the child, and on thine handmaid; all things which Sarah saith to thee, hear thou her voice, for in Isaac seed shall be called to thee;

13but also I shall make the son of the handmaid into a great folk, for he is thy seed.

14And so Abraham rose early, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and put it on Hagar’s shoulder, and he betook to her the child#21:14 Ishmael would be about 15 years old at this time., and let go her; and when she had gone, she went out of the way in the wilderness of Beersheba.

15And when the water in the bottle was ended, she cast away the child under a tree that was there;

16and she went away, and she sat even against, as far as a bow may cast; for she said, I shall not see the child dying; and she sat against, and raised [up] her voice, and wept.

17Forsooth the Lord heard the voice of the child, and the angel of the Lord called Hagar from heaven, and said, What doest thou, Hagar? do not thou dread, for God hath heard the voice of the child, from the place wherein he is.

18Rise thou, and take the child, and hold his hand; for I shall make him into a great folk.

19And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water, and she went, and filled the bottle, and she gave drink to the child;

20and God was with him, and he increased, and dwelled in wilderness, and he was made a young man an archer,

21and dwelled in the desert of Paran; and his mother took to him a wife of the land of Egypt.

22In the same time, Abimelech, and Phicol, prince of his host, said to Abraham, God is with thee in all things that thou doest;

23therefore swear thou by God that thou harm not me, and mine heirs, and my kindred; but by the mercy which I did to thee, do thou to me, and to the land in which thou livedest as a comeling.

24And Abraham said, I shall swear.

25And he blamed Abimelech for the well of water, which his servants took away by violence.

26And Abimelech answered, I wist not who did this thing, but also thou showedest not to me, and I heard not except today.

27And so Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave to Abimelech, and both smote together a bond of peace.

28And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock asides half.

29And Abimelech said to him, What will these seven ewe lambs mean to themselves, which thou madest stand asides half?

30And he said, Thou shalt take of mine hand seven ewe lambs, that those [or they] be into witnessing to me, for I digged this well.

31Therefore that place was called Beersheba, that is, The Well of the Oath#21:31 Beersheba also means ‘the Well of the Seven’., for ever either swore there;

32and they made bond of peace for the well of an oath. Forsooth Abimelech rose, and Phicol, the prince of his chivalry, and they turned again into the land of Palestines.

33Soothly Abraham planted a wood in Beersheba, and inwardly called there the name of [the] everlasting God;

34and he was an earth-tiller, or a comeling, of the land of Palestines in many days.

Learn More About Wycliffe's Bible with Modern Spelling