1Adonai remembered Sarah as he had said, and Adonai did for Sarah what he had promised. 2Sarah conceived and bore Avraham a son in his old age, at the very time God had said to him. 3Avraham called his son, born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Yitz’chak. 4Avraham circumcised his son Yitz’chak when he was eight days old, as God had ordered him to do.

(v) 5Avraham was one hundred years old when his son Yitz’chak [laughter] was born to him. 6Sarah said, “God has given me good reason to laugh; now everyone who hears about it will laugh with me.” 7And she said, “Who would have said to Avraham that Sarah would nurse children? Nevertheless, I have borne him a son in his old age!”

8The child grew and was weaned, and Avraham gave a great banquet on the day that Yitz’chak was weaned. 9But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom Hagar had borne to Avraham, making fun of Yitz’chak; 10so Sarah said to Avraham, “Throw this slave-girl out! And her son! I will not have this slave-girl’s son as your heir along with my son Yitz’chak!”

11Avraham became very distressed over this matter of his son. 12But God said to Avraham, “Don’t be distressed because of the boy and your slave-girl. Listen to everything Sarah says to you, because it is your descendants through Yitz’chak who will be counted. 13But I will also make a nation from the son of the slave-girl, since he is descended from you.”

14Avraham got up early in the morning, took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child; then he sent her away. After leaving, she wandered in the desert around Be’er-Sheva. 15When the water in the skin was gone, she left the child under a bush, 16and went and sat down, looking the other way, about a bow-shot’s distance from him; because she said, “I can’t bear to watch my child die.” So she sat there, looking the other way, crying out and weeping. 17God heard the boy’s voice, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What’s wrong with you, Hagar? Don’t be afraid, because God has heard the voice of the boy in his present situation. 18Get up, lift the boy up, and hold him tightly in your hand, because I am going to make him a great nation.” 19Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. So she went, filled the skin with water and gave the boy water to drink.

20God was with the boy, and he grew. He lived in the desert and became an archer. 21He lived in the Pa’ran Desert, and his mother chose a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

(vi) 22At that time Avimelekh and Pikhol the commander of his army spoke to Avraham. They said, “God is with you in everything you do. 23Therefore, swear to me here by God that you will never deal falsely with me or with my son or grandson; but according to the kindness with which I have treated you, you will treat me and the land in which you have lived as a foreigner. 24Avraham said, “I swear it.”

25Now Avraham had complained to Avimelekh about a well which Avimelekh’s servants had seized. 26Avimelekh answered, “I don’t know who has done this. You didn’t tell me, and I heard about it only today.” 27Avraham took sheep and cattle and gave them to Avimelekh, and the two of them made a covenant. 28Avraham put seven female lambs from the flock by themselves. 29Avimelekh asked Avraham, “What is the meaning of these seven female lambs you have put by themselves?” 30He answered, “You are to accept these seven female lambs from me as witness that I dug this well.” 31This is why that place was called Be’er-Sheva [well of seven, well of an oath] — because they both swore an oath there. 32When they made the covenant at Be’er-Sheva, Avimelekh departed with Pikhol the commander of his army and returned to the land of the P’lishtim. 33Avraham planted a tamarisk tree in Be’er-Sheva, and there he called on the name of Adonai, the everlasting God. 34Avraham lived for a long time as a foreigner in the land of the P’lishtim.

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Genesis 21

The Birth of Isaac

1Now the Lord attended to Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what He had promised. 2So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised.

3And Abraham gave the name Isaac #21:3 Isaac means he laughs. to the son Sarah bore to him. 4When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God had commanded him. 5Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

6Then Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and everyone who hears of this will laugh with me.” 7She added, “Who would have told Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”

8So the child grew and was weaned, and Abraham held a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned.

Sarah Turns against Hagar

(Galatians 4:21–30)

9But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking her son,#21:9 LXX and Vulgate; Hebrew lacks her son 10and she said to Abraham, “Expel the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac!”#21:10 Cited in Galatians 4:30

11Now this matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son Ishmael. 12But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to everything that Sarah tells you, for through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.#21:12 Cited in Romans 9:7 and Hebrews 11:18 13But I will also make a nation of the slave woman’s son, because he is your offspring.”

14Early in the morning, Abraham got up, took bread and a skin of water, put them on Hagar’s shoulders, and sent her away with the boy. She left and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba. 15When the water in the skin was gone, she left the boy under one of the bushes. 16Then she went off and sat down nearby, about a bowshot away, for she said, “I cannot bear to watch the boy die!” And as she sat nearby, she lifted up her voice and wept.#21:16 Hebrew; LXX the child lifted up his voice and wept

17Then God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, “What is wrong, Hagar? Do not be afraid, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he lies. 18Get up, lift up the boy, 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.

20And God was with the boy, and he grew up and settled in the wilderness and became a great archer. 21And while he was dwelling in the Wilderness of Paran, his mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

The Covenant at Beersheba

22At that time Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army said to Abraham, “God is with you in all that you do. 23Now, therefore, swear to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or descendants. Show to me and to the country in which you reside the same kindness that I have shown to you.”

24And Abraham replied, “I swear it.”

25But when Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well that Abimelech’s servants had seized, 26Abimelech replied, “I do not know who has done this. You did not tell me, so I have not heard about it until today.”

27So Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech, and the two men made a covenant. 28Abraham separated seven ewe lambs from the flock, 29and Abimelech asked him, “Why have you set apart these seven ewe lambs?”

30He replied, “You are to accept the seven ewe lambs from my hand as my witness that I dug this well.” 31So that place was called Beersheba,#21:31 Beersheba means well of seven or well of the oath. because it was there that the two of them swore an oath. 32After they had made the covenant at Beersheba, Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army got up and returned to the land of the Philistines.

33And Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called upon the name of the Lord, the Eternal God.#21:33 Hebrew El-Olam 34And Abraham resided in the land of the Philistines for a long time.

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B'resheet (Gen) 21

Genesis 21