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 Jehovah visited Sarah as he had said, and Jehovah did to Sarah as he had spoken.
2 She became pregnant and had a son for Abraham when he was old, at the exact time God said she would.
And Sarah conceived, and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him.
3 Abraham named their son Isaac.
And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac.
4 Abraham circumcised him when Isaac was eight days old, following God's command.
And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac, being eight days old, as God had commanded him.
5 Abraham was 100 when Isaac was born.
And Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
6 Sarah declared, “God has made me laugh, and all those who hear about this will laugh with me.”
And Sarah said, God has made me laugh: all that hear will laugh 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, Sarah will suckle children? For I have borne [him] a son in his old age.
8 The baby grew up, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a large feast.
And the child grew, and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.
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, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking.
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!”
And 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.
11 Abraham felt very bad about it because Ishmael was his son.
And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight 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.
And God 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.
13 Don't worry—I will also make the son of the slave woman into a nation because he's your son.”
But also the son of the handmaid will I make a nation, because he is thy 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 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.
15 When the water ran out, she left the boy under one of the bushes.
And the water was exhausted from the flask; and she cast the child under one of the shrubs,
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 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.
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 God heard the voice of the lad. And the Angel of God called to Hagar from the heavens, and said to her, What [aileth] thee, Hagar? Fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad there, where he is.
18 Get up, go over and help the boy up, and encourage him, for I will make him into a great nation.”
Arise, take the lad, and hold him in thy hand; 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.
And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went and filled the flask with water, and gave the lad drink.
20 God blessed Ishmael and he grew up, living in the desert. He became a skilled archer.
And God was with the lad, and he grew; and he dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.
21 He lived in the Desert of Paran. His mother chose a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran. And his mother took him a wife out of 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.
And it came to pass at that time that Abimelech, and Phichol the captain of his host, spoke to Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest.
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.”
And now swear to me here by God 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.
24 “I so swear,” Abraham replied.
And Abraham said, I will swear.
25 Then Abraham raised an issue with Abimelech of a well that Abimelech's servants had taken by force.
And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water that Abimelech's servants had violently taken away.
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.
And 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.
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 both of them made a covenant.
28 Abraham also separated out seven female lambs from the flock.
And Abraham set seven ewe-lambs of the flock by themselves.
29 “What are these seven female lambs for that you've separated from the flock?” Abimelech asked.
And Abimelech said to Abraham, What [mean] these seven ewe-lambs, these which thou hast set by themselves?
30 “I'm giving you these seven female lambs in return for your admission that I dug this well,” Abraham replied.
And 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.
31 That's why he called the place Beersheba, because the two of them swore and oath to each other.
Therefore he called that place Beer-sheba, because there they had sworn, both of them.
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.
And 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.
33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and there he worshiped the Lord, the Eternal God.
And [Abraham] planted a tamarisk in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of Jehovah, the Eternal God.
34 Abraham lived in the country of the Philistines for a long time.
And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines' land many days.
