Genesis 21
21
The Birth of Isaac
1Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. 2Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. 3Abraham gave the name Isaac#21:3 Isaac means he laughs. to the son Sarah bore him. 4When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him. 5Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
6Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” 7And she added, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”
Hagar and Ishmael Sent Away
8The child grew and was weaned, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast. 9But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking, 10and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.”
11The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son. 12But God said to him, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your slave woman. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring#21:12 Or seed will be reckoned. 13I will make the son of the slave into a nation also, because he is your offspring.”
14Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the Desert of Beersheba.
15When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. 16Then she went off and sat down about a bowshot away, for she thought, “I cannot watch the boy die.” And as she sat there, she#21:16 Hebrew; Septuagint the child began to sob.
17God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. 18Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.”
19Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.
20God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer. 21While he was living in the Desert of Paran, his mother got a wife for him from Egypt.
The Treaty at Beersheba
22At that time Abimelek and Phicol the commander of his forces said to Abraham, “God is with you in everything you do. 23Now swear to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants. Show to me and the country where you now reside as a foreigner the same kindness I have shown to you.”
24Abraham said, “I swear it.”
25Then Abraham complained to Abimelek about a well of water that Abimelek’s servants had seized. 26But Abimelek said, “I don’t know who has done this. You did not tell me, and I heard about it only today.”
27So Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelek, and the two men made a treaty. 28Abraham set apart seven ewe lambs from the flock, 29and Abimelek asked Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs you have set apart by themselves?”
30He replied, “Accept these seven lambs from my hand as a witness that I dug this well.”
31So that place was called Beersheba,#21:31 Beersheba can mean well of seven and well of the oath. because the two men swore an oath there.
32After the treaty had been made at Beersheba, Abimelek and Phicol the commander of his forces returned to the land of the Philistines. 33Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord, the Eternal God. 34And Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for a long time.
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Genesis 21: NIV
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The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®
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Berĕshith (Genesis) 21
21
1And יהוה visited Sarah as He had said, and יהוה did for Sarah as He had spoken.
2So Sarah conceived and bore Aḇraham a son in his old age, at the appointed time of which Elohim had spoken to him.
3And Aḇraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Yitsḥaq.
4And Aḇraham circumcised his son Yitsḥaq when he was eight days old, as Elohim had commanded him.
5And Aḇraham was one hundred years old when his son Yitsḥaq was born to him.
6And Sarah said, “Elohim has made me laugh, and everyone who hears of it laughs with me.”
7And she said, “Who would have said to Aḇraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age.”
8And the child grew and was weaned, and Aḇraham made a great feast on the day that Yitsḥaq was weaned.
9And Sarah saw the son of Haḡar the Mitsrian, whom she had borne to Aḇraham, mocking.
10So she said to Aḇraham, “Drive out this female servant and her son, for the son of this female servant shall not inherit with my son, with Yitsḥaq.”
11And the matter was very evil in the eyes of Aḇraham because of his son.
12But Elohim said to Aḇraham, “Let it not be evil in your eyes because of the boy and because of your female servant. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice, for in Yitsḥaq your seed is called.
13And of the son of the female servant I also make a nation, because he is your seed.
14And Aḇraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water, which he gave to Haḡar, putting it on her shoulder, also the boy, and sent her away. And she left and wandered in the Wilderness of Be’ĕrsheḇa.
15And the water in the skin was used up, and she placed the boy under one of the shrubs.
16And she went and sat down about a bowshot away, for she said, “Let me not see the death of the boy.” And she sat opposite him, and lifted her voice and wept.
17And Elohim heard the voice of the boy, and the messenger of Elohim called to Haḡar from the heavens, and said to her, “What is the matter with you, Haḡar? Do not fear, for Elohim has heard the voice of the boy where he is.
18Arise, lift up the boy and hold him with your hand, for I make a great nation of him.
19And Elohim opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water, and gave the boy a drink.
20And Elohim was with the boy, and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.
21And he dwelt in the Wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Mitsrayim.
22And it came to be at that time that Aḇimeleḵ and Piḵol, the commander of his army, spoke to Aḇraham, saying, “Elohim is with you in all that you do.
23And now, swear to me by Elohim, not to be untrue to me, to my offspring, or to my descendants. Do to me according to the loving-commitment that I have done to you and to the land in which you have dwelt.
24And Aḇraham said, “I swear.”
25And Aḇraham reproved Aḇimeleḵ because of a well of water which Aḇimeleḵ’s servants had seized.
26And Aḇimeleḵ said, “I do not know who has done this deed. Neither did you inform me, nor did I hear until today.”
27So Aḇraham took sheep and cattle and gave them to Aḇimeleḵ, and the two of them made a covenant.
28And Aḇraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.
29And Aḇimeleḵ asked Aḇraham, “What are these seven ewe lambs which you have set by themselves?”
30And he said, “Take these seven ewe lambs from my hand, to be my witness that I have dug this well.”
31So he called that place Be’ĕrsheḇa, because the two of them swore an oath there.
32Thus they made a covenant at Be’ĕrsheḇa. And Aḇimeleḵ rose with Piḵol, the commander of his army, and they returned to the land of the Philistines.
33And he planted a tamarisk tree in Be’ĕrsheḇa, and there called on the Name of יהוה, the Everlasting Ěl.
34And Aḇraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines many days.
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