< Genesis 21 >
1 And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken.
Yahweh was very kind to Sarah, just as he said he would be. He did for Sarah exactly what he promised to do.
2 For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.
She became pregnant and gave birth to a son for Abraham when he was very old, at the time God promised it would happen.
3 And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.
Abraham gave the name ‘Isaac’ (which means ‘he laughs’) to the son Sarah gave birth to.
4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him.
Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when his son was eight days old, just as God commanded him to do.
5 And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.
Abraham was 100 years old when his son Isaac was born.
6 And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, [so that] all that hear will laugh with me.
And Sarah said, “[Although I was sad before because I did not have any children], God has now enabled me to laugh, and everyone who hears about what God has done for me will laugh with me.”
7 And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born [him] a son in his old age.
Then she also said, “No one would have said to Abraham that some day Sarah would nurse a child, but I have given birth to a son when Abraham is very old.”
8 And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the [same] day that Isaac was weaned.
The baby grew and was weaned [when he was about three years old]. On that day, Abraham prepared a large feast to celebrate.
9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.
([One day/During the feast)] Sarah noticed that Hagar’s son Ishmael was (making fun of/playing with) Isaac.
10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, [even] with Isaac.
So she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman from Egypt and her son! I do not want the son of that slave woman to be alone (OR, to be an heir along with) my son, Isaac!”
11 And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight because of his son.
Abraham was very distressed about the matter, because he was concerned about his son [Ishmael].
12 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.
But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed about your son, Ishmael, and about your maidservant, Hagar. Do everything that Sarah tells you to do. Listen to her, because Isaac is the one who will be considered the ancestor of the descendants I promised to give you.
13 And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he [is] thy seed.
But I will also cause the son of your maidservant to be the ancestor of the people of a great nation [MTY], because he is also your son.”
14 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave [it] unto Hagar, putting [it] on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.
So Abraham got up early the next morning. He got some food ready, put water in a container, and gave them to Hagar. He put them [in a bag] on her shoulder and sent them away. They wandered in the desert near Beersheba [town].
15 And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.
After they had drunk all the water in the container, she put her son under one of the bushes there.
16 And she went, and sat her down over against [him] a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against [him], and lift up her voice, and wept.
Then she went and sat nearby, about (as far as someone can shoot an arrow/100 meters away), because she thought, “I cannot endure seeing my son die!” As she sat there, she began to cry [loudly] [MTY].
17 And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he [is].
[The boy was crying too.] And God heard the boy crying. So he caused one of his angels to call out from heaven to Hagar, saying, “Hagar, are you worried about something? Do not be afraid, because God has heard the boy crying there.
18 Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.
Help your son up, and hold his hand as you leave, because I will cause his descendants to become a great nation.”
19 And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.
Then God showed her a well of water. So she went to the well and filled the container with water, and gave the boy a drink.
20 And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.
God helped the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became a good (archer/man who hunts with bow and arrows).
21 And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.
He lived in Paran Desert. While e was there, Hagar got a wife for him from Egypt.
22 And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God [is] with thee in all that thou doest:
At that time, [King] Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, said to Abraham, “It is clear that God helps you with everything that you do.
23 Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son’s son: [but] according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned.
So now (solemnly promise/swear) to me here, as God is listening, that you will (not deceive/act fairly to) me and my children and my descendants, in return for my being kind to you. Be kind to me and to all the people here in the country where you are now living.”
24 And Abraham said, I will swear.
So Abraham promised to do that.
25 And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech’s servants had violently taken away.
[Then] Abraham complained to Abimelech about one of Abraham’s wells that Abimelech’s servants had seized.
26 And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath done this thing: neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I [of it], but to day.
But Abimelech said, “I do not know who has done that. You did not tell me previously, and I did not hear about it until today.”
27 And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant.
So Abraham brought some sheep and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a (treaty/peace agreement).
28 And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.
Abraham separated seven female lambs from his flock.
29 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What [mean] these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves?
Abimelech asked Abraham, “What are these seven female lambs that you have separated from the rest of your flock?”
30 And he said, For [these] seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well.
Abraham replied, “I want you truly to accept these female lambs from me [SYN], so that it may be a (public witness/proof) that this well belongs to me because I dug it.”
31 Wherefore he called that place Beer-sheba; because there they sware both of them.
So Abimelech accepted the animals, and as a result they called that place Beersheba, [which means ‘Friendship Agreement Well’, ] because there the two of them made that agreement.
32 Thus they made a covenant at Beer-sheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.
After they made the agreement at Beersheba, Abimelech and his army commander, Phicol, left, and returned to the land of the Philistine people-group.
33 And [Abraham] planted a grove in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God.
Abraham planted a (tamarisk tree/kind of tree called esel) there, and he worshiped the eternal God there.
34 And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines’ land many days.
Abraham lived in the land of the Philistine people-group for a long time.