Genesis 21

1 And Jehovah visited Sarah as he had said, and Jehovah did unto Sarah as he had spoken.2 And Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.3 And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.5 And Abraham was a hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.6 And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh. Every one that heareth will laugh with me.7 And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should give children suck? For I have borne him a son in his old age.

8 And the child grew, and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne unto Abraham, mocking.10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this handmaid and her son. For the son of this handmaid shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.11 And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight on account of his son.12 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy handmaid. In all that Sarah saith unto thee, hearken unto her voice. For in Isaac shall thy seed be called.13 And also of the son of the handmaid will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.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 gave her the child, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.15 And the water in the bottle was spent, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.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 look upon the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lifted up her voice, and wept.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.18 Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thy hand. For I will make him 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.20 And God was with the lad, and he grew. And he dwelt in the wilderness, and became, as he grew up, an archer.21 And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran. And his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.

22 And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phicol the captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest.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.24 And Abraham said, I will swear.25 And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of the well of water, which Abimelech’s servants had violently taken away.26 And Abimelech said, I know not who hath done this thing. Neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to-day.27 And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech. And they two made a covenant.28 And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.29 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves?30 And he said, These seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that it may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well.31 Wherefore he called that place Beer-sheba. Because there they sware both of them.32 So they made a covenant at Beer-sheba. And Abimelech rose up, and Phicol the captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.33 And Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of Jehovah, the Everlasting God.34 And Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines many days.

Genesis 21

Chapter 21

The Birth of Isaac

1 The LORD kept his word and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised.2 She became pregnant, and she gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. This happened at just the time God had said it would.3 And Abraham named their son Isaac.4 Eight days after Isaac was born, Abraham circumcised him as God had commanded.

5 Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born.
6 And Sarah declared, “God has brought me laughter.t All who hear about this will laugh with me.

7 Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse a baby? Yet I have given Abraham a son in his old age!”

Hagar and Ishmael Are Sent Away

8 When Isaac grew up and was about to be weaned, Abraham prepared a huge feast to celebrate the occasion.9 But Sarah saw Ishmael—the son of Abraham and her Egyptian servant Hagar—making fun of her son, Isaac.t

10 So she turned to Abraham and demanded, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son. He is not going to share the inheritance with my son, Isaac. I won’t have it!”
11 This upset Abraham very much because Ishmael was his son.12 But God told Abraham, “Do not be upset over the boy and your servant. Do whatever Sarah tells you, for Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.

13 But I will also make a nation of the descendants of Hagar’s son because he is your son, too.”

14 So Abraham got up early the next morning, prepared food and a container of water, and strapped them on Hagar’s shoulders. Then he sent her away with their son, and she wandered aimlessly in the wilderness of Beersheba.
15 When the water was gone, she put the boy in the shade of a bush.

16 Then she went and sat down by herself about a hundred yardst away. “I don’t want to watch the boy die,” she said, as she burst into tears.
17 But God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, “Hagar, what’s wrong? Do not be afraid! God has heard the boy crying as he lies there.

18 Go to him and comfort him, for I will make a great nation from his descendants.”

19 Then God opened Hagar’s eyes, and she saw a well full of water. She quickly filled her water container and gave the boy a drink.
20 And God was with the boy as he grew up in the wilderness. He became a skillful archer,

21 and he settled in the wilderness of Paran. His mother arranged for him to marry a woman from the land of Egypt.

Abraham’s Covenant with Abimelech

22 About this time, Abimelech came with Phicol, his army commander, to visit Abraham. “God is obviously with you, helping you in everything you do,” Abimelech said.

23 “Swear to me in God’s name that you will never deceive me, my children, or any of my descendants. I have been loyal to you, so now swear that you will be loyal to me and to this country where you are living as a foreigner.”
24 Abraham replied, “Yes, I swear to it!”

25 Then Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well that Abimelech’s servants had taken by force from Abraham’s servants.

26 “This is the first I’ve heard of it,” Abimelech answered. “I have no idea who is responsible. You have never complained about this before.”
27 Abraham then gave some of his sheep, goats, and cattle to Abimelech, and they made a treaty.28 But Abraham also took seven additional female lambs and set them off by themselves.

29 Abimelech asked, “Why have you set these seven apart from the others?”
30 Abraham replied, “Please accept these seven lambs to show your agreement that I dug this well.”

31 Then he named the place Beersheba (which means “well of the oath”), because that was where they had sworn the oath.
32 After making their covenant at Beersheba, Abimelech left with Phicol, the commander of his army, and they returned home to the land of the Philistines.33 Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and there he worshiped the LORD, the Eternal God.t

34 And Abraham lived as a foreigner in Philistine country for a long time.