Genesis 21
1 Now God visited Sarah as he had said, and did to Sarah as 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 Sarah conceived, and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.
She became pregnant and had a son for Abraham when he was old, at the exact time God said she would.
3 Abraham called his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac.
Abraham named their son Isaac.
4 Abraham circumcised his son, Isaac, when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.
Abraham circumcised him when Isaac was eight days old, following God's command.
5 Abraham was one hundred years old when his son, Isaac, was born to him.
Abraham was 100 when Isaac was born.
6 Sarah said, "God has made me laugh. Everyone who hears will laugh with me."
Sarah declared, “God has made me laugh, and all those who hear about this will laugh with me.”
7 She said, "Who would have said to Abraham, that Sarah would nurse children? For 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 The child grew, and was weaned. Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.
The baby grew up, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a large feast.
9 Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking.
But Sarah noticed that Ishmael, Hagar the Egyptian's son she'd had for Abraham, was making fun of Isaac.
10 Therefore she said to Abraham, "Cast out this slave woman and her son. For the son of this slave woman will 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 The thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight on account of his son.
Abraham felt very bad about it because Ishmael was his son.
12 God said to Abraham, "Do not let it be grievous in your sight because of the boy, and because of your slave woman. In all that Sarah says to you, listen to her voice. For from Isaac will your descendants 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 And I will also make a great nation of the son of the slave woman, 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 Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took food and a skin of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder; and gave her the child, and sent her away. She departed, 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 The water in the skin was gone, and she shoved the boy under one of the shrubs.
When the water ran out, she left the boy under one of the bushes.
16 She went and sat down opposite him, a good way off, about a bow shot away. For she said, "Do not let me see the death of the boy." So she sat across from him, and he wept loudly.
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 the angel of God called to Hagar from the sky and said to her, "What troubles you, Hagar? Do not be afraid. For God has heard the voice of the boy where 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 Get up, lift up the boy, and hold him by your 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 God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. 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 God was with the boy, and he grew. He lived in the wilderness, and became, as he grew up, an archer.
God blessed Ishmael and he grew up, living in the desert. He became a skilled archer.
21 He lived 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 It happened at that time, that Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army spoke to Abraham, saying, "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 by God that you will not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son. But according to the kindness that I have done to you, you shall do to me, and to the land in which you have lived as a foreigner."
“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 swear."
“I so swear,” Abraham replied.
25 Abraham complained to Abimelech because of a water well, which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away.
Then Abraham raised an issue with Abimelech of a well that Abimelech's servants had taken by force.
26 Abimelech said, "I do not know who has done this thing. Neither did you tell me, neither did I hear of 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 Abraham took sheep and cattle, and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant.
Then Abraham gave Abimelech some of his sheep and cattle, and the two of them made an agreement.
28 Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.
Abraham also separated out seven female lambs from the flock.
29 Abimelech said to Abraham, "What do these seven ewe lambs which you have set by themselves mean?"
“What are these seven female lambs for that you've separated from the flock?” Abimelech asked.
30 He said, "You shall take these seven ewe lambs from my hand, that it may be a witness to me, that I have 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 he called that place Beersheba, because they both swore there.
That's why he called the place Beersheba, because the two of them swore and oath to each other.
32 So they made a covenant at Beersheba. Abimelech rose up with Phicol, the commander of his army, and they returned into 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 called there on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God.
Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and there he worshiped the Lord, the Eternal God.
34 Abraham lived as a foreigner in the land of the Philistines many days.
Abraham lived in the country of the Philistines for a long time.
