Genesis 21
1 Yahweh was very kind to Sarah, just as he said he would be. He did for Sarah exactly what he promised to do.
Now the LORD attended to Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what He had promised.
2 She became pregnant and gave birth to a son for Abraham when he was very old, at the time God promised it would happen.
So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised.
3 Abraham gave the name ‘Isaac’ (which means ‘he laughs’) to the son Sarah gave birth to.
And Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore to him.
4 Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when his son was eight days old, just as God commanded him to do.
When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God had commanded him.
5 Abraham was 100 years old when his son Isaac was born.
Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
6 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.”
Then Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and everyone who hears of this will laugh with me.”
7 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.”
She added, “Who would have told Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”
8 The baby grew and was weaned [when he was about three years old]. On that day, Abraham prepared a large feast to celebrate.
So the child grew and was weaned, and Abraham held a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned.
9 ([One day/During the feast)] Sarah noticed that Hagar’s son Ishmael was (making fun of/playing with) Isaac.
But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking her son,
10 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!”
and she said to Abraham, “Expel the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac!”
11 Abraham was very distressed about the matter, because he was concerned about his son [Ishmael].
Now this matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son Ishmael.
12 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.
But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to everything that Sarah tells you, for through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.
13 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.”
But I will also make a nation of the slave woman’s son, because he is your offspring.”
14 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].
Early in the morning, Abraham got up, took bread and a skin of water, put them on Hagar’s shoulders, and sent her away with the boy. She left and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba.
15 After they had drunk all the water in the container, she put her son under one of the bushes there.
When the water in the skin was gone, she left the boy under one of the bushes.
16 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].
Then she went off and sat down nearby, about a bowshot away, for she said, “I cannot bear to watch the boy die!” And as she sat nearby, she lifted up her voice and wept.
17 [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.
Then God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, “What is wrong, Hagar? Do not be afraid, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he lies.
18 Help your son up, and hold his hand as you leave, because I will cause his descendants to become a great nation.”
Get up, lift up the boy, and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.”
19 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.
Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.
20 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).
And God was with the boy, and he grew up and settled in the wilderness and became a great archer.
21 He lived in Paran Desert. While e was there, Hagar got a wife for him from Egypt.
And while he was dwelling in the Wilderness of Paran, his mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
22 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.
At that time Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army said to Abraham, “God is with you in all that you do.
23 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.”
Now, therefore, swear to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or descendants. Show to me and to the country in which you reside the same kindness that I have shown to you.”
24 So Abraham promised to do that.
And Abraham replied, “I swear it.”
25 [Then] Abraham complained to Abimelech about one of Abraham’s wells that Abimelech’s servants had seized.
But when Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well that Abimelech’s servants had seized,
26 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.”
Abimelech replied, “I do not know who has done this. You did not tell me, so I have not heard about it until today.”
27 So Abraham brought some sheep and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a (treaty/peace agreement).
So Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech, and the two men made a covenant.
28 Abraham separated seven female lambs from his flock.
Abraham separated seven ewe lambs from the flock,
29 Abimelech asked Abraham, “What are these seven female lambs that you have separated from the rest of your flock?”
and Abimelech asked him, “Why have you set apart these seven ewe lambs?”
30 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.”
He replied, “You are to accept the seven ewe lambs from my hand as my witness that I dug this well.”
31 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.
So that place was called Beersheba, because it was there that the two of them swore an oath.
32 After they made the agreement at Beersheba, Abimelech and his army commander, Phicol, left, and returned to the land of the Philistine people-group.
After they had made the covenant at Beersheba, Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army got up and returned to the land of the Philistines.
33 Abraham planted a (tamarisk tree/kind of tree called esel) there, and he worshiped the eternal God there.
And Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called upon the name of the LORD, the Eternal God.
34 Abraham lived in the land of the Philistine people-group for a long time.
And Abraham resided in the land of the Philistines for a long time.
