Genesis 21
1 The Lord came to help Sarah as he'd said he would. The Lord did for Sarah what he'd promised.
And the Lord came to Sarah as he had said and did to her as he had undertaken.
2 She became pregnant and had a son for Abraham when he was old, at the exact time God said she would.
And Sarah became with child, and gave Abraham a son when he was old, at the time named by God.
3 Abraham named their son Isaac.
And Abraham gave to his son, to whom Sarah had given birth, the name Isaac.
4 Abraham circumcised him when Isaac was eight days old, following God's command.
And when his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham made him undergo circumcision, as God had said to him.
5 Abraham was 100 when Isaac was born.
Now Abraham was a hundred years old when the birth of Isaac took place.
6 Sarah declared, “God has made me laugh, and all those who hear about this will laugh with me.”
And Sarah said, God has given me cause for laughing, and everyone who has news of it will be laughing with me.
7 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!”
And she said, Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would have a child at her breast? for see, I have given him a son now when he is old.
8 The baby grew up, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a large feast.
And when the child was old enough to be taken from the breast, Abraham made a great feast.
9 But Sarah noticed that Ishmael, Hagar the Egyptian's son she'd had for Abraham, was making fun of Isaac.
And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian playing with Isaac.
10 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!”
So she said to Abraham, Send away that woman and her son: for the son of that woman is not to have a part in the heritage with my son Isaac.
11 Abraham felt very bad about it because Ishmael was his son.
And this was a great grief to Abraham because of his son.
12 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.
But God said, Let it not be a grief to you because of the boy and Hagar his mother; give ear to whatever Sarah says to you, because it is from Isaac that your seed will take its name.
13 Don't worry—I will also make the son of the slave woman into a nation because he's your son.”
And I will make a nation of the son of your servant-woman, because he is your seed.
14 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.
And early in the morning Abraham got up, and gave Hagar some bread and a water-skin, and put the boy on her back, and sent her away: and she went, wandering in the waste land of Beer-sheba.
15 When the water ran out, she left the boy under one of the bushes.
And when all the water in the skin was used up, she put the child down under a tree.
16 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.
And she went some distance away, about an arrow flight, and seating herself on the earth, she gave way to bitter weeping, saying, Let me not see the death of my child.
17 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.
And the boy's cry came to the ears of God; and the angel of God said to Hagar from heaven, Hagar, why are you weeping? have no fear, for the child's cry has come to the ears of God.
18 Get up, go over and help the boy up, and encourage him, for I will make him into a great nation.”
Come, take your child in your arms, for I will make of him a great nation.
19 God opened her eyes and she saw a well nearby. She went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.
Then God made her eyes open, and she saw a water-spring, and she got water in the skin and gave the boy a drink.
20 God blessed Ishmael and he grew up, living in the desert. He became a skilled archer.
And God was with the boy, and he became tall and strong, and he became a bowman, living in the waste land.
21 He lived in the Desert of Paran. His mother chose a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
And while he was in the waste land of Paran, his mother got him a wife from the land of Egypt.
22 Around this time Abimelech came with Phicol, the commander of his army, to see Abraham. “God blesses you in everything you do,” Abimelech said.
Now at that time, Abimelech and Phicol, the captain of his army, said to Abraham, I see that God is with you in all you do.
23 “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.”
Now, then, give me your oath, in the name of God, that you will not be false to me or to my sons after me, but that as I have been good to you, so you will be to me and to this land where you have been living.
24 “I so swear,” Abraham replied.
And Abraham said, I will give you my oath.
25 Then Abraham raised an issue with Abimelech of a well that Abimelech's servants had taken by force.
But Abraham made a protest to Abimelech because of a water-hole which Abimelech's servants had taken by force.
26 “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.
But Abimelech said, I have no idea who has done this thing; you never gave me word of it, and I had no knowledge of it till this day.
27 Then Abraham gave Abimelech some of his sheep and cattle, and the two of them made an agreement.
And Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made an agreement together.
28 Abraham also separated out seven female lambs from the flock.
And Abraham put seven young lambs of the flock on one side by themselves.
29 “What are these seven female lambs for that you've separated from the flock?” Abimelech asked.
Then Abimelech said, What are these seven lambs which you have put on one side?
30 “I'm giving you these seven female lambs in return for your admission that I dug this well,” Abraham replied.
And he said, Take these seven lambs from me as a witness that I have made this water-hole.
31 That's why he called the place Beersheba, because the two of them swore and oath to each other.
So he gave that place the name Beer-sheba, because there the two of them had given their oaths.
32 After making the agreement at Beersheba, Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army left and went home to the country of the Philistines.
So they made an agreement at Beer-sheba, and Abimelech and Phicol, the captain of his army, went back to the land of the Philistines.
33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and there he worshiped the Lord, the Eternal God.
And Abraham, after planting a holy tree in Beer-sheba, gave worship to the name of the Lord, the Eternal God.
34 Abraham lived in the country of the Philistines for a long time.
And Abraham went on living in the land of the Philistines as in a strange country.
