Genesis 21
21
1And the Lord visited Sara, as he had promised: and fulfilled what he had spoken.
2And she conceived and bore a son in her old age, at the time that God had foretold her.
3And Abraham called the name of his son, whom Sara bore him, Isaac.
4And he circumcised him the eighth day, as God had commanded him.
5When he was a hundred years old: for at this age of his father was Isaac born.
6And Sara said: God hath made a laughter for me. Whosoever shall hear of it will laugh with me.
7And again she said: Who would believe that Abraham should hear that Sara gave suck to a son, whom she bore to him in his old age?
8And the child grew and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast on the day of his weaning.
9And when Sara had seen the son of Agar the Egyptian playing with Isaac her son, she said to Abraham:
10Cast out this bondwoman, and her son; for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with my son Isaac.
11Abraham took this grievously for his son.
12And God said to him: Let it not seem grievous to thee for the boy, and for thy bondwoman. In all that Sara hath said to thee, hearken to her voice: for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.
13But I will make the son also of the bondwoman a great nation: because he is thy seed.
14So Abraham rose up in the morning, and taking bread and a bottle of water, put it upon her shoulder, and delivered the boy, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Bersabee.
15And when the water in the bottle was spent, she cast the boy under one of the trees that were there.
16And she went her way, and sat over against him a great way off as far as a bow can carry. For she said: I will not see the boy die. And sitting over against, she lifted up her voice and wept.
17And God heard the voice of the boy. And an angel of God called to Agar from heaven, saying: What art thou doing, Agar? Fear not: for God hath heard the voice of the boy, from the place wherein he is.
18Arise, take up the boy, and hold him by the hand: for I will make him a great nation.
19And God opened her eyes: and she saw a well of water, and went and filled the bottle, and gave the boy to drink.
20And GOD was with him: and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became a young man, an archer.
21And he dwelt in the wilderness of Pharan: and his mother took a wife for him out of the land of Egypt.
22At the same time Abimelech, and Phicol, the general of his army, said to Abraham: God is with thee in all that thou dost.
23Swear therefore by God, that thou wilt not hurt me, nor my posterity, nor my stock: but according to the kindness that I have done to thee, thou shalt do to me, and to the land wherein thou hast lived a stranger.
24And Abraham said: I will swear.
25And he reproved Abimelech for a well of water, which his servants had taken away by force.
26And Abimelech answered: I knew not who did this thing; and thou didst not tell me, and I heard not of it till to-day.
27And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them to Abimelech: and both of them made a league.
28And Abraham set apart seven ewe lambs of the flock.
29And Abimelech said to him: What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set apart?
30But he said: Thou shalt take seven ewe lambs at my hand: that they may be a testimony for me, that I dug this well.
31Therefore that place was called Bersabee: because there both of them did swear.
32And they made a league for the well of oath.
33And Abimelech, and Phicol, the general of his army, arose and returned to the land of the Palestines. But Abraham planted a grove in Bersabee, and there called upon the name of the Lord God eternal.
34And he was a sojourner in the land of the Palestines many days.
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Genesis 21: DRC1752
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.
Genesis 21
21
God Provides for Hagar and Ishmael
1The Lord came to help Sarah and did for her what he had promised. 2So she became pregnant, and at the exact time God had promised, she gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. 3Abraham named his newborn son Isaac. 4When Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him as God had commanded. 5Abraham was 100 years old when his son Isaac was born.
6Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me. 7Who would have predicted to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet, I have given him a son in his old age.”
8The child grew and was weaned. On the day Isaac was weaned, Abraham held a big feast. 9Sarah saw that Abraham’s son by Hagar the Egyptian was laughing at Isaac. 10She said to Abraham, “Get rid of this slave and her son, because this slave’s son must never share the inheritance with my son Isaac.” 11Abraham was upset by this because of his son Ishmael. 12But God said to Abraham, “Don’t be upset about the boy and your slave. Listen to what Sarah says because through Isaac your descendants will carry on your name. 13Besides, I will make the slave’s son into a nation also, because he is your child.”
14Early the next morning Abraham took bread and a container of water and gave them to Hagar, putting them on her shoulder. He also gave her the boy and sent her on her way. So she left and wandered around in the desert near Beersheba. 15When the water in the container was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. 16Then she went about as far away as an arrow can be shot and sat down. She said to herself, “I don’t want to watch the boy die.” So she sat down and sobbed loudly.
17God heard the boy crying, and the Messenger of God called to Hagar from heaven. “What’s the matter, Hagar?” he asked her. “Don’t be afraid! God has heard the boy crying from the bushes. 18Come on, help the boy up! Take him by the hand, because I’m going to make him into a great nation.”
19God opened her eyes. Then she saw a well. She filled the container with water and gave the boy a drink.
20God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became a skilled archer. 21He lived in the desert of Paran, and his mother got him a wife from Egypt.
Abraham’s Agreement with Abimelech
22At that time Abimelech, accompanied by Phicol, the commander of his army, said to Abraham, “God is with you in everything you do. 23Now, swear an oath to me here in front of God that you will never cheat me, my children, or my descendants. Show me and the land where you’ve been living the same kindness that I have shown you.”
24Abraham said, “I so swear.”
25Then Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well which Abimelech’s servants had seized. 26Abimelech replied, “I don’t know who did this. You didn’t tell me, and I didn’t hear about it until today.”
27Abraham took some sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made an agreement. 28Then Abraham set apart seven female lambs from the flock. 29Abimelech asked him, “What is the meaning of these seven female lambs you have set apart?”
30Abraham answered, “Accept these lambs from me so that they may be proof #21:30 Or “a witness.” that I dug this well.” 31This is why that place is called Beersheba,#21:31 Beersheba can mean either “Well of the Seven” or “Well of the Oath.” because both of them swore an oath there.
32After they made the treaty at Beersheba, Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, left and went back to the land of the Philistines. 33Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba and worshiped the Lord, the Everlasting God, there. 34Abraham lived a long time in the land of the Philistines.
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