Genesis 21
21
The Birth of Isaac
1The Lord kept his word and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised. 2She became pregnant, and she gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. This happened at just the time God had said it would. 3And Abraham named their son Isaac. 4Eight days after Isaac was born, Abraham circumcised him as God had commanded. 5Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born.
6And Sarah declared, “God has brought me laughter.#21:6 The name Isaac means “he laughs.” All who hear about this will laugh with me. 7Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse a baby? Yet I have given Abraham a son in his old age!”
Hagar and Ishmael Are Sent Away
8When Isaac grew up and was about to be weaned, Abraham prepared a huge feast to celebrate the occasion. 9But Sarah saw Ishmael—the son of Abraham and her Egyptian servant Hagar—making fun of her son, Isaac.#21:9 As in Greek version and Latin Vulgate; Hebrew lacks of her son, Isaac. 10So she turned to Abraham and demanded, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son. He is not going to share the inheritance with my son, Isaac. I won’t have it!”
11This upset Abraham very much because Ishmael was his son. 12But God told Abraham, “Do not be upset over the boy and your servant. Do whatever Sarah tells you, for Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted. 13But I will also make a nation of the descendants of Hagar’s son because he is your son, too.”
14So Abraham got up early the next morning, prepared food and a container of water, and strapped them on Hagar’s shoulders. Then he sent her away with their son, and she wandered aimlessly in the wilderness of Beersheba.
15When the water was gone, she put the boy in the shade of a bush. 16Then she went and sat down by herself about a hundred yards#21:16 Hebrew a bowshot. away. “I don’t want to watch the boy die,” she said, as she burst into tears.
17But God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, “Hagar, what’s wrong? Do not be afraid! God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. 18Go to him and comfort him, for I will make a great nation from his descendants.”
19Then God opened Hagar’s eyes, and she saw a well full of water. She quickly filled her water container and gave the boy a drink.
20And God was with the boy as he grew up in the wilderness. He became a skillful archer, 21and he settled in the wilderness of Paran. His mother arranged for him to marry a woman from the land of Egypt.
Abraham’s Covenant with Abimelech
22About this time, Abimelech came with Phicol, his army commander, to visit Abraham. “God is obviously with you, helping you in everything you do,” Abimelech said. 23“Swear to me in God’s name that you will never deceive me, my children, or any of my descendants. I have been loyal to you, so now swear that you will be loyal to me and to this country where you are living as a foreigner.”
24Abraham replied, “Yes, I swear to it!” 25Then Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well that Abimelech’s servants had taken by force from Abraham’s servants.
26“This is the first I’ve heard of it,” Abimelech answered. “I have no idea who is responsible. You have never complained about this before.”
27Abraham then gave some of his sheep, goats, and cattle to Abimelech, and they made a treaty. 28But Abraham also took seven additional female lambs and set them off by themselves. 29Abimelech asked, “Why have you set these seven apart from the others?”
30Abraham replied, “Please accept these seven lambs to show your agreement that I dug this well.” 31Then he named the place Beersheba (which means “well of the oath”), because that was where they had sworn the oath.
32After making their covenant at Beersheba, Abimelech left with Phicol, the commander of his army, and they returned home to the land of the Philistines. 33Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and there he worshiped the Lord, the Eternal God.#21:33 Hebrew El-Olam. 34And Abraham lived as a foreigner in Philistine country for a long time.
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Genesis 21: NLT
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Genesis 21
21
The Birth of Isaac
1#Ge 18:10; 18:14The Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken. 2#Gal 4:22; Heb 11:11For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time that God had spoken to him. 3#Ge 17:19Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac. 4#Ac 7:8Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. 5#Ge 17:17; 17:1Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
6#Isa 54:1; Ge 17:17And Sarah said, “God has made me laugh. All who hear will laugh with me.” 7#Ge 18:11–12Also she said, “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 Depart
8So the child grew and was weaned. Then Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned. 9#Ge 16:15; Gal 4:29; Ge 16:1Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking. 10#Jn 8:35; 1Jn 2:19Therefore she said to Abraham, “Throw out this slave woman and her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son, Isaac.”
11#Ge 17:18; Heb 12:11This matter was very displeasing in Abraham’s sight because of his son. 12#Heb 11:18; Ge 17:19But God said to Abraham, “Do not be upset concerning the boy and your slave wife. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to what she says, for in Isaac your descendants will be called. 13#Ge 21:18; 16:10; 17:20Yet I will also make a nation of the son of the slave woman, because he is your offspring.”
14So 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 sent her away with the child. So she departed and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba.
15When the water in the skin was gone, she placed the child under one of the shrubs. 16Then she went and sat down across from him at a distance of about a bowshot, for she said to herself, “Let me not see the death of the child.” She sat across from him, and lifted up her voice and wept.
17#Ge 16:11; Ex 3:7And God heard the boy’s voice. Then the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven and said to her, “What is the matter with you, Hagar? Do not be afraid, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. 18#Ge 21:13; 16:10Arise, pick up the boy and hold him in your hands, for I will make him a great nation.”
19#Nu 22:31Then God 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.
20#Ge 28:15; 39:21God was with the boy; and he grew and lived in the wilderness and became an archer. 21He lived in the Wilderness of Paran, and his mother found a wife for him out of the land of Egypt.
The Treaty With Abimelek
22#Ge 20:2; 26:26Now it came to pass at that time that Abimelek and Phicol, the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham, saying, “God is with you in all that you do. 23#Jos 2:12; Ge 20:14Now therefore, swear to me by God that you will not deal deceitfully with me, or with my children, or with my descendants. Instead, according to the kindness that I have shown to you, you will show to me and to the land where you have lived.”
24Abraham said, “I will swear.”
25#Ge 26:15–22Then Abraham complained to Abimelek about a well of water that Abimelek’s servants had violently seized. 26And Abimelek said, “I do not know who has done this. You did not tell me, and I have not heard of it until today.”
27So Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelek, and the two of them made a covenant. 28Then Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. 29And Abimelek said to Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs that you have set by themselves?”
30#Ge 31:52And he said, “You shall take these seven ewe lambs from my hand so that they may be a witness that I have dug this well.”
31#Ge 26:33; 21:14Therefore he called that place Beersheba, because the two of them swore an oath there.
32Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba. Then Abimelek rose with Phicol, the commander of his army, and they returned to the land of the Philistines. 33#Ge 4:26; 12:8Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God. 34Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines many days.
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