Genesis 21
1 And the Lord visited Sara, as he had promised: and fulfilled what he had spoken.
The Lord came to help Sarah as he'd said he would. The Lord did for Sarah what he'd promised.
2 And she conceived and bore a son in her old age, at the time that God had foretold her.
She became pregnant and had a son for Abraham when he was old, at the exact time God said she would.
3 And Abraham called the name of his son, whom Sara bore him, Isaac.
Abraham named their son Isaac.
4 And he circumcised him the eighth day, as God had commanded him,
Abraham circumcised him when Isaac was eight days old, following God's command.
5 When he was a hundred years old: for at this age of his father was Isaac born.
Abraham was 100 when Isaac was born.
6 And Sara said: God hath made a laughter for me: whosoever shall hear of it will laugh with me.
Sarah declared, “God has made me laugh, and all those who hear about this will laugh with me.”
7 And 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.
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 And the child grew and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast on the day of his weaning.
The baby grew up, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a large feast.
9 And when Sara had seen the son of Agar the Egyptian playing with Isaac her son, she said to Abraham:
But Sarah noticed that Ishmael, Hagar the Egyptian's son she'd had for Abraham, was making fun of Isaac.
10 Cast out this bondwoman, and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir 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 Abraham took this grievously for his son.
Abraham felt very bad about it because Ishmael was his son.
12 And 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.
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 make the son also of the bondwoman a great nation, because he is thy seed.
Don't worry—I will also make the son of the slave woman into a nation because he's your son.”
14 So 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.
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 And when the water in the bottle was spent, she cast the boy under one of the trees that were there.
When the water ran out, she left the boy under one of the bushes.
16 And 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.
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 And 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.
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 Arise, take up the boy, and hold him by the hand: for I will make him 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 And God opened her eyes: and she saw a well of water, and went and filled the bottle, and gave the boy to 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 him: and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became a young man, an archer.
God blessed Ishmael and he grew up, living in the desert. He became a skilled archer.
21 And he dwelt in the wilderness of Pharan, and his mother took a wife for him out of 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 the same time Abimelech, and Phicol the general of his army said to Abraham: God is with thee in all that thou dost.
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 Swear 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.
“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 said: I will swear.
“I so swear,” Abraham replied.
25 And he reproved Abimelech for a well of water, which his servants had taken away by force.
Then Abraham raised an issue with Abimelech of a well that Abimelech's servants had taken by force.
26 And Abimelech answered: I knew not who did this thing: and thou didst not tell me, and I heard not of it till 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 And Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech: and both of them made a league.
Then Abraham gave Abimelech some of his sheep and cattle, and the two of them made an agreement.
28 And Abraham set apart seven ewe lambs of the flock.
Abraham also separated out seven female lambs from the flock.
29 And Abimelech said to him: What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set apart?
“What are these seven female lambs for that you've separated from the flock?” Abimelech asked.
30 But he said: Thou shalt take seven ewe lambs at my hand: that they may be a testimony for me, 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 Therefore that place was called Bersabee: because there both of them did swear.
That's why he called the place Beersheba, because the two of them swore and oath to each other.
32 And they made a league for the well of oath.
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 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.
Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and there he worshiped the Lord, the Eternal God.
34 And he was a sojourner in the land of the Palestines many days.
Abraham lived in the country of the Philistines for a long time.
