Genesis 21
21
Isaac Is Born
1The Lord was gracious to Sarah, just as he had said he would be. The Lord did for Sarah what he had promised to do. 2Sarah became pregnant. She had a son by Abraham when he was old. The child was born at the exact time God had promised. 3Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah had by him. 4When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him. He did it exactly as God had commanded him. 5Abraham was 100 years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
6Sarah said, “God has given laughter to me. Everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” 7She also said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would breast-feed children? But I’ve had a son by him when he is old.”
Abraham Sends Hagar and Ishmael Away
8Isaac grew. The time came for his mother to stop breast-feeding him. On that day Abraham prepared a big celebration. 9But Sarah saw Ishmael making fun of Isaac. Ishmael was the son Hagar had by Abraham. Hagar was Sarah’s Egyptian slave. 10Sarah said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman! Get rid of her son! That woman’s son will never have a share of the family’s property. All of it belongs to my son Isaac.”
11What Sarah said upset Abraham very much. After all, Ishmael was his son. 12But God said to Abraham, “Do not be so upset about the boy and your slave Hagar. Listen to what Sarah tells you, because your family line will continue through Isaac. 13I will also make the son of your slave into a nation. I will do it because he is your child.”
14Early the next morning Abraham got some food and a bottle of water. The bottle was made out of animal skin. He gave the food and water to Hagar, placing them on her shoulders. Then he sent her away with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the Desert of Beersheba.
15When the water in the bottle was gone, she put the boy under a bush. 16Then she sat down about as far away as a person can shoot an arrow. She thought, “I can’t stand to watch the boy die.” As she sat there, she began to sob.
17God heard the boy crying. Then the angel of God called out to Hagar from heaven. He said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid. God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. 18Lift up the boy and take him by the hand. I will make him into a great nation.”
19Then God opened Hagar’s eyes, and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the bottle with water and gave the boy a drink.
20God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and learned to shoot a bow and arrow. 21While he was living in the Desert of Paran, his mother got a wife for him from Egypt.
The Agreement at Beersheba
22At that time Abimelek and his army commander, Phicol, spoke to Abraham. They said to Abraham, “God is with you in everything you do. 23Now make a promise to me here while God is watching. Give me your word that you will treat me fairly. Promise that you will treat my children and their children the same way. I’ve been kind to you. Now you be kind to me and the country where you are living as an outsider.”
24Abraham said, “I give you my word that I’ll do it.”
25Then Abraham complained to Abimelek that his servants had taken over a well of water. 26But Abimelek said, “I don’t know who has done this. You didn’t tell me. And today is the first time I heard about it.”
27So Abraham gave Abimelek sheep and cattle. The two men came to an agreement. 28Then Abraham picked out seven female lambs from his flock. 29Abimelek asked Abraham, “What’s the meaning of these seven female lambs? Why have you picked them out and set them apart?”
30Abraham replied, “Accept the seven lambs from me. They will be a witness that I dug this well.”
31So that place was named Beersheba. That’s because there the two men came to an agreement.
32After the agreement had been made at Beersheba, Abimelek went back to the land of the Philistines. His army commander, Phicol, went with him. 33Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba. There he called on the name of the Lord, the God who lives forever. 34Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for a long time.
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Genesis 21: NIrV
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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.
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