Genesis 21
21
1The Lord came to help Sarah as he'd said he would. The Lord did for Sarah what he'd promised. 2She became pregnant and had a son for Abraham when he was old, at the exact time God said she would. 3Abraham named their son Isaac. 4Abraham circumcised him when Isaac was eight days old, following God's command. 5Abraham was 100 when Isaac was born.
6Sarah declared, “God has made me laugh,#21:6. Isaac means “he laughs.” and all those who hear about this will laugh with me.” 7She also said, “Would anyone have announced to Abraham that Sarah was going to have children to nurse? But now I have had a son for Abraham even when he was old!”
8The baby grew up, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a large feast. 9But Sarah noticed that Ishmael, Hagar the Egyptian's son she'd had for Abraham, was making fun of Isaac. 10So she went to Abraham and told him, “You have to get rid of this slave woman and this son of hers! A slave woman's son is not going to be one of your heirs and inherit together with my son Isaac!”
11Abraham felt very bad about it because Ishmael was his son. 12But God told Abraham, “Don't feel bad about the boy and the slave woman. Do whatever Sarah tells you, because it's through Isaac that your descendants will be counted. 13Don't worry—I will also make the son of the slave woman into a nation because he's your son.”
14Abraham got up early the next morning. He packed up some food and a skin of water which he gave to Hagar, putting them on her shoulder. Then he sent her and the boy away. She left and wandered through the Desert of Beersheba.
15When the water ran out, she left the boy under one of the bushes. 16She went and sat down some way off, a few hundred yards away,#21:16. “A few hundred yards away”: literally, “a bowshot.” saying, “I can't bear to watch my son die!” As she sat down she burst into tears.
17God heard the boy's cries, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and asked her, “What's the matter, Hagar? Don't be afraid! God has heard the boy crying from where he is. 18Get up, go over and help the boy up, and encourage him, for I will make him into a great nation.”
19God opened her eyes and she saw a well nearby. She went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.
20God blessed Ishmael and he grew up, living in the desert. He became a skilled archer. 21He lived in the Desert of Paran. His mother chose a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
22Around this time Abimelech came with Phicol, the commander of his army, to see Abraham. “God blesses you in everything you do,” Abimelech said. 23“So swear to me right here and now that you won't betray me, my children, or my descendants. In the same way I've proved I'm trustworthy to you, do the same to me and my country where you're currently living.”
24“I so swear,” Abraham replied. 25Then Abraham raised an issue with Abimelech of a well that Abimelech's servants had taken by force.
26“I don't know who did this, and you didn't mention it before. I haven't heard anything about it until today,” Abimelech responded.
27Then Abraham gave Abimelech some of his sheep and cattle, and the two of them made an agreement. 28Abraham also separated out seven female lambs from the flock.
29“What are these seven female lambs for that you've separated from the flock?” Abimelech asked.
30“I'm giving you these seven female lambs in return for your admission that I dug this well,” Abraham replied. 31That's why he called the place Beersheba,#21:31. Beersheba means both “well of swearing” and “well of seven.” because the two of them swore an oath to each other.
32After making the agreement at Beersheba, Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army left and went home to the country of the Philistines. 33Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and there he worshiped the Lord, the Eternal God. 34Abraham lived in the country of the Philistines for a long time.
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Genesis 21: FBV
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
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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