Genesis 21
21
Sarah Has a Son
1The Lord was good to Sarah and kept his promise. 2#He 11.11. Although Abraham was very old, Sarah had a son exactly at the time God had said. 3Abraham named his son Isaac, 4#Gn 17.12; Ac 7.8. and when the boy was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, just as God had commanded.
5Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born, 6and Sarah said, “God has made me laugh.#21.6 God has made me laugh: In Hebrew “Isaac” sounds like “laugh.” And now everyone will laugh with me. 7Who would have dared to tell Abraham that someday I would have a child? But in his old age, I have given him a son.”
8The time came when Sarah no longer had to nurse Isaac,#21.8 no longer had to nurse Isaac: In ancient Israel mothers nursed their children until they were about three years old. Then there was a family celebration. and on that day Abraham gave a big feast.
Hagar and Ishmael Are Sent Away
9-10 #
Ga 4.29,30. One day, Sarah noticed Hagar's son Ishmael#21.9,10 Ishmael: The son of Abraham and Hagar, who was Sarah's slave woman (see 16.1-16). playing,#21.9,10 playing: Hebrew; one ancient translation “playing with her son Isaac.” and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that Egyptian slave woman and her son! I don't want him to inherit anything. It should all go to my son.”#21.9,10 Get rid … son: When Abraham accepted Ishmael as his son, it gave Ishmael the right to inherit part of what Abraham owned. But slaves who were given their freedom lost the right to inherit such property.
11Abraham was worried about Ishmael. 12#Ro 9.7,8; He 11.17,18. But God said, “Abraham, don't worry about your slave woman and the boy. Just do what Sarah tells you. Isaac will inherit your family name, 13but the son of the slave woman is also your son, and I will make his descendants into a great nation.”
14Early the next morning Abraham gave Hagar an animal skin full of water and some bread. Then he put the boy on her shoulder and sent them away.
They wandered around in the desert near Beersheba, 15and after they had run out of water, Hagar put her son under a bush. 16Then she sat down a long way off, because she could not bear to watch him die. And she cried bitterly.
17When God heard the boy crying, the angel of God called out to Hagar from heaven and said, “Hagar, why are you worried? Don't be afraid. I have heard your son crying. 18Help him up and hold his hand, because I will make him the father of a great nation.” 19Then God let her see a well. So she went to the well and filled the skin with water, then gave some to her son.
20-21God blessed Ishmael, and as the boy grew older, he became an expert at hunting with his bow and arrows. He lived in the Paran Desert, and his mother chose an Egyptian woman for him to marry.
A Peace Treaty
22 #
Gn 26.26. About this time Abimelech and his army commander Phicol said to Abraham, “God blesses everything you do! 23Now I want you to promise in the name of God that you will always be loyal to me and my descendants, just as I have always been loyal to you in this land where you have lived as a foreigner.” 24And so, Abraham promised he would.
25One day, Abraham told Abimelech, “Some of your servants have taken over one of my wells.”
26“This is the first I've heard about it,” Abimelech replied. “Why haven't you said something before? I don't have any idea who did it.” 27Abraham gave Abimelech some sheep and cattle, then the two men made a peace treaty.
28Abraham separated seven female lambs from his flock of sheep, 29and Abimelech asked, “Why have you done this?”
30Abraham replied, “I want you to accept these seven lambs as proof that I dug this well.” 31So they called the place Beersheba,#21.31 Beersheba: Meaning “Well of Good Fortune” or “Peace Treaty Well.” because they made a treaty there.
32When the treaty was completed, Abimelech and his army commander Phicol went back to the land of the Philistines. 33Abraham planted a tamarisk tree#21.33 tamarisk tree: A tall shade tree that has deep roots and needs little water. in Beersheba and worshiped the eternal Lord God. 34Then Abraham lived a long time as a foreigner in the land of the Philistines.
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Genesis 21: CEV
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Genesis 21
21
1And Jehovah visited Sarah as he had said, and Jehovah did to Sarah as he had spoken. 2And Sarah conceived, and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the appointed time of which God#GodHebrew: Elohim had spoken to him. 3And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac. 4And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac, being eight days old, as God#GodHebrew: Elohim had commanded him. 5And Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. 6And Sarah said, God#GodHebrew: Elohim has made me laugh: all that hear will laugh with me. 7And she said, Who would have said to Abraham, Sarah will suckle children? For I have borne him a son in his old age. 8And the child grew, and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.
9And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking. 10And she said to Abraham, Cast out this handmaid and her son; for the son of this handmaid shall not inherit with my son — with Isaac. 11And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son. 12And God#GodHebrew: Elohim said to Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad and because of thy handmaid: in all that Sarah hath said to thee hearken to her voice, for in Isaac shall a seed be called to thee. 13But also the son of the handmaid will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.
14And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a flask of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder — and the child, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered about in the wilderness of Beer-sheba. 15And the water was exhausted from the flask; and she cast the child under one of the shrubs, 16and she went and sat down over against him, a bow-shot off; for she said, Let me not behold the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lifted up her voice and wept. 17And God#GodHebrew: Elohim heard the voice of the lad. And the Angel of God#GodHebrew: Elohim called to Hagar from the heavens, and said to her, What aileth thee, Hagar? Fear not; for God#GodHebrew: Elohim hath heard the voice of the lad there, where he is. 18Arise, take the lad, and hold him in thy hand; for I will make of him a great nation. 19And God#GodHebrew: Elohim opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went and filled the flask with water, and gave the lad drink. 20And God#GodHebrew: Elohim was with the lad, and he grew; and he dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer. 21And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran. And his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.
22And it came to pass at that time that Abimelech, and Phichol the captain of his host, spoke to Abraham, saying, God#GodHebrew: Elohim is with thee in all that thou doest. 23And now swear to me here by God#GodHebrew: Elohim that thou wilt not deal deceitfully with me, nor with my son, nor with my grandson. According to the kindness that I have done to thee, thou shalt do to me, and to the land in which thou sojournest. 24And Abraham said, I will swear. 25And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water that Abimelech's servants had violently taken away. 26And Abimelech said, I do not know who has done this, neither hast thou told me of it, neither have I heard of it but to-day. 27And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them to Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant. 28And Abraham set seven ewe-lambs of the flock by themselves. 29And Abimelech said to Abraham, What mean these seven ewe-lambs, these which thou hast set by themselves? 30And he said, That thou take the seven ewe-lambs of my hand, that they may be a witness to me that I have dug this well. 31Therefore he called that place Beer-sheba, because there they had sworn, both of them. 32And they made a covenant at Beer-sheba. And Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the captain of his host, and returned into the land of the Philistines.
33And Abraham planted a tamarisk in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of Jehovah, the Eternal ·God#GodHebrew: El 34And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines' land many days.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.