Genesis 21
1 Now, Yahweh, visited Sarah, as he had said, —And Yahweh did for 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 So, Sarah, conceived and bare, to Abraham, a son, for his old age, at the set time, of which God had spoken with 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 to 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 Isaac his son, when eight days old, —as God commanded him.
Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when his son was eight days old, just as God commanded him to do.
5 Now Abraham was a hundred years old, —when Isaac his son was born to him.
Abraham was 100 years old when his son Isaac was born.
6 And Sarah said, A laughing, hath God made for me, —Everyone that heareth 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 announced to Abraham, Sarah hath suckled children? yet have I borne a son, for 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 banquet, on the day of the weaning of Isaac.
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 woman whom she had borne to Abraham laughing!
([One day/During the feast)] Sarah noticed that Hagar’s son Ishmael was (making fun of/playing with) Isaac.
10 So she said to Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son, —for the son of this bondwoman must not inherit with my son 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 word was very grievous in the eyes of Abraham, —on account 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 thine eyes concerning the boy and concerning thy bondwoman, In all that Sarah may say unto thee, hearken to her voice, —For in Isaac, shall there be called to thee—a seed.
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 Yet even the son of the bondwoman, will I appoint to become, a nation, because thy seed, he is.
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 So Abraham rose up early in the morning—and took bread and a skin of water and gave unto hagar, —putting them on her shoulder and the child, and sent her forth, —so she went her way and wandered, in the desert 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 out of the skin was spent, —so 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 went and sat her down over against him at a distance like as of such as draw the bow, for she said Let me not look upon the death of the child, —So she sat down over against him, and the boy lifted up his 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 boy, and a messenger of God called unto Hagar out of the heavens; and said to her, What aileth thee, Hagar? Do not fear, for God hath hearkened unto the voice of the boy 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 boy, and hold him up with thy hand, —for, a great nation, will I make him.
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 went and filled the skin with water, and gave drink unto the boy
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 it came to pass that God was with the boy, and he grew, —and dwelt in the desert, and he became as he grew up, 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 desert 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, with Phicol chieftain of his host, spake unto Abraham, saying, —God, is with thee in all that, thou art doing.
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 to me by God, here, that thou wilt not deal falsely by me, nor by mine offspring, nor by my descendants, —according to the lovingkindness wherewith I have dealt with thee, shalt thou deal with me, and with 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 But Abraham reproved Abimelech, —on account of the well of water, which the servants of Abimelech had seized.
[Then] Abraham complained to Abimelech about one of Abraham’s wells that Abimelech’s servants had seized.
26 And Abimelech said, I know not, who hath done this thing, —nor hast even thou, ever told me, nor have even I, ever heard, save 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 to Abimelech, —and they two solemnised a covenant
So Abraham brought some sheep and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a (treaty/peace agreement).
28 So then Abraham set seven young sheep of the flock by them-selves,
Abraham separated seven female lambs from his flock.
29 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What, then mean these seven young sheep here, 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, The seven young sheep, shalt thou take at my hand, —that they may serve as my witness, that I 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 On this account, was the name of that place called Beer-sheba ["oath well"], —because there, had they two sworn.
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 And when they had solemnised a covenant in Beer-sheba, —then arose Abimelech, with Phicol chief of his host, and returned unto 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 Then planted he a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba, —and called there on the name of Yahweh the age-abiding GOD.
Abraham planted a (tamarisk tree/kind of tree called esel) there, and he worshiped the eternal God there.
34 So Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines many days.
Abraham lived in the land of the Philistine people-group for a long time.
