Genesis 21
1 Now the LORD attended to Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what He had promised.
The Lord came to help Sarah as he'd said he would. The Lord did for Sarah what he'd promised.
2 So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised.
She became pregnant and had a son for Abraham when he was old, at the exact time God said she would.
3 And Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore to him.
Abraham named their son Isaac.
4 When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God had commanded him.
Abraham circumcised him when Isaac was eight days old, following God's command.
5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
Abraham was 100 when Isaac was born.
6 Then Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and everyone who hears of this will laugh with me.”
Sarah declared, “God has made me laugh, and all those who hear about this will laugh with me.”
7 She added, “Who would have told Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”
She 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!”
8 So the child grew and was weaned, and Abraham held a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned.
The baby grew up, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a large feast.
9 But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking her son,
But Sarah noticed that Ishmael, Hagar the Egyptian's son she'd had for Abraham, was making fun of Isaac.
10 and 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!”
So 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!”
11 Now this matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son Ishmael.
Abraham felt very bad about it because Ishmael was his son.
12 But 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.
But 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.
13 But I will also make a nation of the slave woman’s son, because he is your offspring.”
Don't worry—I will also make the son of the slave woman into a nation because he's your son.”
14 Early 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.
Abraham 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.
15 When the water in the skin was gone, she left the boy under one of the bushes.
When the water ran out, she left the boy under one of the bushes.
16 Then 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.
She went and sat down some way off, a few hundred yards away, saying, “I can't bear to watch my son die!” As she sat down she burst into tears.
17 Then 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.
God 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.
18 Get up, lift up the boy, and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.”
Get up, go over and help the boy up, and encourage him, for I will make him into a great nation.”
19 Then 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.
God opened her eyes and she saw a well nearby. She went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.
20 And God was with the boy, and he grew up and settled in the wilderness and became a great archer.
God blessed Ishmael and he grew up, living in the desert. He became a skilled archer.
21 And while he was dwelling in the Wilderness of Paran, his mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
He lived in the Desert of Paran. His mother chose a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
22 At that time Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army said to Abraham, “God is with you in all that you do.
Around this time Abimelech came with Phicol, the commander of his army, to see Abraham. “God blesses you in everything you do,” Abimelech said.
23 Now, 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.”
“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 And Abraham replied, “I swear it.”
“I so swear,” Abraham replied.
25 But when Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well that Abimelech’s servants had seized,
Then Abraham raised an issue with Abimelech of a well that Abimelech's servants had taken by force.
26 Abimelech replied, “I do not know who has done this. You did not tell me, so I have not heard about it until today.”
“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.
27 So Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech, and the two men made a covenant.
Then Abraham gave Abimelech some of his sheep and cattle, and the two of them made an agreement.
28 Abraham separated seven ewe lambs from the flock,
Abraham also separated out seven female lambs from the flock.
29 and Abimelech asked him, “Why have you set apart these seven ewe lambs?”
“What are these seven female lambs for that you've separated from the flock?” Abimelech asked.
30 He replied, “You are to accept the seven ewe lambs from my hand as my witness that I dug this well.”
“I'm giving you these seven female lambs in return for your admission that I dug this well,” Abraham replied.
31 So that place was called Beersheba, because it was there that the two of them swore an oath.
That's why he called the place Beersheba, because the two of them swore and oath to each other.
32 After 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.
After making the agreement at Beersheba, Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army left and went home to the country of the Philistines.
33 And Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called upon the name of the LORD, the Eternal God.
Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and there he worshiped the Lord, the Eternal God.
34 And Abraham resided in the land of the Philistines for a long time.
Abraham lived in the country of the Philistines for a long time.
