Genesis 21
21
Isaac’s birth
1The LORD was attentive to Sarah just as he had said, and the LORD carried out just what he had promised her. 2She became pregnant and gave birth to a son for Abraham when he was old, at the very time God had told him. 3Abraham named his son—the one Sarah bore him—Isaac.#21.3 Or he laughs 4Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old just as God had commanded him. 5Abraham was 100 years old when his son Isaac was born. 6Sarah said, “God has given me laughter. Everyone who hears about it will laugh with me.”#21.6 Or God has made a joke of me. Everyone who hears about it will laugh at me. 7She said, “Who could have told Abraham that Sarah would nurse sons? But now I’ve given birth to a son when he was old!”
Hagar and Ishmael evicted
8The boy grew and stopped nursing. On the day he stopped nursing, Abraham prepared a huge banquet. 9Sarah saw Hagar’s son laughing, the one Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham. 10So she said to Abraham, “Send this servant away with her son! This servant’s son won’t share the inheritance with my son Isaac.”
11This upset Abraham terribly because the boy was his son. 12God said to Abraham, “Don’t be upset about the boy and your servant. Do everything Sarah tells you to do because your descendants will be traced through Isaac. 13But I will make of your servant’s son a great nation too, because he is also your descendant.” 14Abraham got up early in the morning, took some bread and a flask of water, and gave it to Hagar. He put the boy in her shoulder sling and sent her away.
She left and wandered through the desert near Beer-sheba. 15Finally the water in the flask ran out, and she put the boy down under one of the desert shrubs. 16She walked away from him about as far as a bow shot and sat down, telling herself, I can’t bear to see the boy die. She sat at a distance, cried out in grief, and wept.
17God heard the boy’s cries, and God’s messenger called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “Hagar! What’s wrong? Don’t be afraid. God has heard the boy’s cries over there. 18Get up, pick up the boy, and take him by the hand because I will make of him a great nation.” 19Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well. She went over, filled the water flask, and gave the boy a drink. 20God remained with the boy; he grew up, lived in the desert, and became an expert archer. 21He lived in the Paran desert, and his mother found him an Egyptian wife.
Abraham’s treaty with the Philistines
22At that time Abimelech, and Phicol commander of his forces, said to Abraham, “God is with you in everything that you do. 23So give me your word under God that you won’t cheat me, my children, or my descendants. Just as I have treated you fairly, so you must treat me and the land in which you are an immigrant.”
24Abraham said, “I give you my word.” 25Then Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well that Abimelech’s servants had seized.
26Abimelech said, “I don’t know who has done this, and you didn’t tell me. I didn’t even hear about it until today.” 27Abraham took flocks and cattle, gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them drew up a treaty.#21.27 Or covenant 28Abraham set aside, by themselves, seven female lambs from the flock. 29So Abimelech said to Abraham, “What are these seven lambs you’ve set apart?”
30Abraham said, “These seven lambs that you take from me will attest that I dug this well.” 31Therefore, the name of that place is Beer-sheba#21.31 Or Well of seven; or Well of giving one’s word because there they gave each other their word. 32After they drew up a treaty#21.32 Or covenant at Beer-sheba, Abimelech, and Phicol commander of his forces, returned to the land of the Philistines. 33Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba, and he worshipped there in the name of the LORD, El Olam.#21.33 Or the eternal God 34Abraham lived as an immigrant in the Philistines’ land for a long time.
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Genesis 21: CEB
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2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
Bereshis 21
21
1And Hashem visited Sarah as He had said, and Hashem did unto Sarah just as He had spoken.
2For Sarah conceived, and bore Avraham ben in his old age, at the mo'ed (set time) of which Elohim had given promise unto him.
3And Avraham called the shem of bno that was born unto him, whom Sarah bore to him, Yitzchak.
4And Avraham circumcised bno Yitzchak at age shemonat yamim, as Elohim had commanded him.
5And Avraham was a hundred years old, when bno Yitzchak was born unto him.
6And she said, Elohim hath brought me tzechok (laughter), so that all that hear yitzchak (will laugh) with me.
7And she said, Who would have said unto Avraham, that Sarah should nurse banim? for I have borne him ben in his old age.
8And the yeled grew, and was weaned; and Avraham made a mishteh gadol the same day that Yitzchak was weaned.
9And Sarah saw the ben of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had borne unto Avraham, metzachek (mocking, scoffing).
10Therefore she said unto Avraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her ben: for the ben of this bondwoman shall not be heir with beni (my son), even with Yitzchak.
11And the thing was very grievous in the eyes of Avraham because of bno.
12And Elohim said unto Avraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the na'ar, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, shema (pay heed) unto her voice; for in Yitzchak shall thy zera be called.
13And also of the ben haamah will I make a nation, because he is thy zera.
14And Avraham rose up early in the boker, and took lechem, and a skin of mayim, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the yeled, and sent her away; and she departed, and wandered in the midbar of Be'er-Sheva.
15And the mayim in the skin was done, and she cast the yeled under one of the bushes.
16And she went off, and sat down about a bowshot away: for she thought, Let me not see the mot hayeled. And she sat there nearby, and lifted up her voice, and wept.
17And Elohim heard the voice of the na'ar; and the Malach Elohim called to Hagar out of Shomayim, and said unto her, Mah lach, Hagar? fear not; for Elohim hath heard the voice of the na'ar where he is.
18Arise, lift up the na'ar, and hold him in thine yad; for I will make him a goy gadol.
19And Elohim opened her eyes, and she saw a be'er of mayim; and she went, and filled the skin with mayim, and gave the na'ar drink.
20And Elohim was with the na'ar; and he grew, and dwelt in the midbar, and became a roveh keshet (an archer).
21And he dwelt in the midbar of Paran: and his em got him an isha out of Eretz Mitzrayim.
22And it came to pass at that time, that Avimelech and Phichol the sar tz'va of his spoke unto Avraham, saying, Elohim is with thee in all that thou doest:
23Now therefore swear unto me here before Elohim that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my child, nor with my descendant: but according to the chesed that I have showed thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the eretz wherein thou hast sojourned.
24And Avraham said, I will swear.
25And Avraham reproved Avimelech because of a be'er hamayim, which Avimelechʼs avadim had violently seized.
26And Avimelech said, I know not who hath done this thing; neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but today.
27And Avraham took tzon and oxen, and gave them unto Avimelech; and both of them made a brit.
28And Avraham set apart seven ewe lambs of the tzon by themselves.
29And Avimelech said unto Avraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set apart by themselves?
30And he said, For these sheva ewe lambs shalt thou accept of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have dug this well.
31Therefore he called that place Be'er-Sheva; because there they swore an oath both of them.
32Thus they made a brit at Be'er-Sheva: then Avimelech rose up, and Phichol the sar tzeva of his, and they returned into eretz Pelishtim.
33And Avraham planted an eshel (tamarisk tree) in Be'er-Sheva, and called there on the Shem of Hashem El Olam.
34And Avraham sojourned in eretz Pelishtim yamim rabbim.
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