Genesis 21

The Birth of Isaac

1And Yahweh visited Sarah as he had said. And Yahweh did to Sarah as he had promised. 2And she conceived, and Sarah bore to Abraham a son in his old age at the appointed time that God had told him. 3And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac. 4And Abraham circumcised Isaac his son when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. 5And Abraham was one hundred years old when Isaac his son was born to him. 6And Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; all who hear will laugh for me.” 7And she said, “Who would announce to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne a son to Abraham in his old age.”

Hagar and Ishmael

8And the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned. 9And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne Abraham, mocking. 10Then she said to Abraham, “Drive out this slave woman and her son, for the son of this slave woman will not be heir with my son, with Isaac.” 11And the matter displeased Abraham very much#Literally “was very bad in the eyes of Abraham” on account of his son. 12Then God said to Abraham, “Do not be displeased#Literally “Do not let it be bad” on account of the boy and on account of the slave woman. Listen to everything that Sarah said to you,#Literally “Everything Sarah said to you, listen with respect to her voice” for through Isaac your offspring will be named. 13And I will also make the son of the slave woman into a nation, for he is your offspring.” 14Then Abraham rose up early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder. And he sent her away with the child, and she went, wandering about in the wilderness, in Beersheba. 15And when the water was finished from the skin, she put the child under one of the bushes. 16And she went and she sat a good distance away,#Literally “she sat with respect to her, opposite, far away, as the shooting of a bow” for she said, “Let me not see the child’s death.” So she sat away from him and lifted up her voice and wept. 17And God heard the cry#Or “voice” of the boy and the angel of God called to Hagar from the heavens and said to her, “What is the matter#Literally “What to you” Hagar? Do not be afraid, for God has heard the cry#Or “voice” of the boy from where he is.#Literally “in which he is there” 18Get up, take up the boy and take him with your 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 skin with water and gave a drink to the boy. 20And God was with the boy, and he grew and lived in the wilderness. And he became an expert with a bow.#Literally “an archer with the bow” 21And he lived in the wilderness of Paran. And his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

The Covenant Between Abraham and Abimelech

22And it happened that at that time, Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, said to Abraham, “God is with you, in all that you do. 23So now, swear to me here by God that you will not deal with me falsely, or with my descendants, or my posterity. According to the kindness that I have done to you, you shall pledge to do with me and with the land where you have dwelled as an alien.” 24And Abraham said, “I swear.” 25Then Abraham complained to Abimelech on account of the well of water that servants of Abimelech had seized. 26And Abimelech said, “I do not know who did this thing, neither did you tell me, nor have I heard of it except for today.” 27And Abraham took sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech. And the two of them made#Literally “cut” a covenant. 28Then Abraham set off seven ewe-lambs of the flock by themselves. 29And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe-lambs that you have set off by themselves?” 30And he said, “You shall take the seven ewe-lambs from my hand as proof on my behalf#Literally “for the sake that it shall be a witness for me” that I dug this well.” 31Therefore that place is called Beersheba, because there the two of them swore an oath. 32And they made#Literally “cut” a covenant at Beersheba. And Abimelech, and Phicol his army commander stood and returned to the land of the Philistines. 33And he#That is, Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of Yahweh, the everlasting God.#Literally “El-Olam” 34And Abraham dwelled as an alien in the land of the Philistines many days.

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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.

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