Genesis 16

Abram and Hagar

1 Sarai, Abram’s wife, was not able to have children. She owned an Egyptian slave named Hagar.

2 So Sarai said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Why don’t you sleep with my slave? Maybe I can build a family through her.” Abram agreed with Sarai.
3 After Abram had lived in Canaan for ten years, Abram’s wife Sarai took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.

4 He slept with Hagar, and she became pregnant. When Hagar realized that she was pregnant, she began to be disrespectful to Sarai, her owner.
5 So Sarai complained to Abram, “I’m being treated unfairly! And it’s your fault! I know that I gave my slave to you, but now that she’s pregnant, she’s being disrespectful to me. May the Lord decide who is right—you or me.”6 Abram answered Sarai, “Here, she’s your slave. Do what you like with her.” Then Sarai mistreated Hagar so much that she ran away.7 The Messenger of the Lord found her by a spring in the desert, the spring on the way to Shur.

8 He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s slave, where have you come from, and where are you going?”
She answered, “I’m running away from my owner Sarai.”9 The Messenger of the Lord said to her, “Go back to your owner, and place yourself under her authority.”10 The Messenger of the Lord also said to her, “I will give you many descendants. No one will be able to count them because there will be so many.”

11 Then the Messenger of the Lord said to her,
“You are pregnant,and you will give birth to a son.You will name him Ishmael [God Hears],because the Lord has heard your cry of distress.12 He will be as free and wild as an untamed donkey.He will fight with everyone, and everyone will fight with him.He will have conflicts with all his relatives.”t13 Hagar named the Lord, who had been speaking to her, “You Are the God Who Watches Over Me.” She said, “This is the place where I watched the one who watches over me.”

14 This is why the well is named Beer Lahai Roi [Well of the Living One Who Watches Over Me]. It is still there between Kadesh and Bered.
15 Hagar gave birth to Abram’s son. Abram named him Ishmael.

16 Abram was 86 years old when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael.

Genesis 17

The Lord’s Fifth Promise to Abraham

1 When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him. He said to Abram, “I am God Almighty. Live in my presence with integrity.2 I will give you my promise,t and I will give you very many descendants.”3 Immediately, Abram bowed with his face touching the ground, and again God spoke to him,4 “My promise is still with you. You will become the father of many nations.5 So your name will no longer be Abram [Exalted Father], but Abraham [Father of Many] because I have made you a father of many nations.6 I will give you many descendants. Many nations and kings will come from you.7 I will make my promise to you and your descendants for generations to come as an everlasting promise. I will be your God and the God of your descendants.

8 I am also giving this land where you are living—all of Canaan—to you and your descendants as your permanent possession. And I will be your God.”
9 God also said to Abraham, “You and your descendants in generations to come are to be faithful to my promise.10 This is how you are to be faithful to my promise: Every male among you is to be circumcised.11 All of you must be circumcised. That will be the sign of the promise from me to you.12 For generations to come every male child who is eight days old must be circumcised, whether he is born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner who’s not related to you.13 Every male born in your household or bought with your money is to be circumcised without exception. So my promise will be a sign on your flesh, an everlasting promise.

14 Any uncircumcised male must be excluded from his people because he has rejected my promise.”
15 God said to Abraham, “Don’t call your wife by the name Sarai anymore. Instead, her name is Sarah [Princess].16 I will bless her, and I will also give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she will become a mother of nations, and kings will come from her.”17 Immediately, Abraham bowed with his face touching the ground. He laughed as he thought to himself, “Can a son be born to a hundred-year-old man? Can Sarah, a ninety-year-old woman, have a child?”

18 Then Abraham said to God, “Why not let Ishmael be my heir?”
19 God replied, “No! Your wife Sarah will give you a son, and you will name him Isaac [He Laughs]. I will make an everlasting promise to him and his descendants.20 I have heard your request about Ishmael. Yes, I will bless him, make him fertile, and increase the number of his descendants. He will be the father of 12 princes, and I will make him a great nation.21 But I will make my promise to Isaac. Sarah will give birth to him at this time next year.”

22 When God finished speaking with Abraham, he left him.

Abraham’s Household Circumcised

23 So Abraham took his son Ishmael, everyone born in his household, and everyone bought with money—every male in his household—and circumcised them that day, as God had told him.24 Abraham was 99 years old when he was circumcised.25 His son Ishmael was 13 years old when he was circumcised.26 That same day Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised.

27 All the men of his household, whether born in the household or bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.

Genesis 18

The Lord’s Sixth Promise to Abraham

1 The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oak trees belonging to Mamre as he was sitting at the entrance of his tent during the hottest part of the day.

2 Abraham looked up, and suddenly he saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them, and he bowed with his face touching the ground.
3 “Please, sir,” Abraham said, “stop by to visit me for a while.4 Why don’t we let someone bring a little water? After you wash your feet, you can stretch out and rest under the tree.

5 Let me bring some bread so that you can regain your strength. After that you can leave, since this is why you stopped by to visit me.”
They answered, “That’s fine. Do as you say.”6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to find Sarah. “Quick,” he said, “get three measures of flour, knead it, and make bread.”7 Then Abraham ran to the herd and took one of his best calves. He gave it to his servant, who prepared it quickly.

8 Abraham took cheese and milk, as well as the meat, and set these in front of them. Then he stood by them under the tree as they ate.
9 They asked him, “Where is your wife Sarah?”He answered, “Over there, in the tent.”10 The Lord said, “I promise I’ll come back to you next year at this time, and your wife Sarah will have a son.”Sarah happened to be listening at the entrance of the tent, which was behind him.11 Abraham and Sarah were old. Sarah was past the age of childbearing.

12 And so Sarah laughed to herself, thinking, “Now that I’ve become old, will I enjoy myself again? What’s more, my husband is old!”
13 The Lord asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Can I really have a child now that I’m old?’

14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will come back to you next year at this time, and Sarah will have a son.”
15 Because she was afraid, Sarah denied that she had laughed.But the Lord said, “Yes, you did laugh.”

The Lord Tells Abraham About His Plan

16 Then the men got up to leave. As Abraham was walking with them to see them off, they looked toward Sodom.17 The Lord said, “I shouldn’t hide what I am going to do from Abraham.18 After all, Abraham is going to become a great and mighty nation and through him all the nations of the earth will be blessed.

19 I have chosen him so that he will direct his children and his family after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just. In this way I, the Lord, will do what I have promised Abraham.”
20 The Lord also said, “Sodom and Gomorrah have many complaints against them, and their sin is very serious.

21 I must go down and see whether these complaints are true. If not, I will know it.”
22 From there the men turned and went on toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing in front of the Lord.23 Abraham came closer and asked, “Are you really going to sweep away the innocent with the guilty?24 What if there are 50 innocent people in the city? Are you really going to sweep them away? Won’t you spare that place for the sake of the 50 innocent people who are in it?

25 It would be unthinkable for you to do such a thing, to treat the innocent and the guilty alike and to kill the innocent with the guilty. That would be unthinkable! Won’t the judge of the whole earth do what is fair?”
26 The Lord said, “If I find 50 innocent people inside the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”27 Abraham asked, “Consider now, if I may be so bold as to ask you, although I’m only dust and ashes,

28 what if there are 45 innocent people? Will you destroy the whole city because of 5 fewer people?”
The Lord answered, “I will not destroy it if I find 45 there.”29 Abraham asked him again, “What if 40 are found there?”He answered, “For the sake of the 40 I will not do it.”30 “Please don’t be angry if I speak again,” Abraham said. “What if 30 are found there?”He answered, “If I find 30 there, I will not do it.”31 “Look now, if I may be so bold as to ask you,” Abraham said. “What if 20 are found there?”He answered, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the 20.”32 “Please don’t be angry if I speak only one more time,” Abraham said. “What if 10 are found there?”He answered, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the 10.”

33 When the Lord finished speaking to Abraham, he left. Abraham returned home.