Genesis 20

Abraham and Abimelech

1 Abraham journeyed from there to the Negevts region and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he lived as a temporary residentt in Gerar,

2 Abraham said about his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent for Sarah and took her.

3 But God appearedt to Abimelech in a dream at night and said to him, “You are as good as deadt because of the woman you have taken, for she is someone else’s wife.”t
4 Now Abimelech had not gone near her. He said, “Lord,t would you really slaughter an innocent nation?t

5 Did Abrahamt not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said,t ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this with a clear consciencet and with innocent hands!”
6 Then in the dream God replied to him, “Yes, I know that you have done this with a clear conscience.t That is why I have kept yout from sinning against me and whyt I did not allow you to touch her.

7 But now give back the man’s wife. Indeedt he is a prophets and he will pray for you; thus you will live.ts But if you don’t give her back,t know that you will surely diet along with all who belong to you.”
8 Early in the morningt Abimelech summonedt all his servants. When he told them about all these things,t theyt were terrified.9 Abimelech summoned Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? What sin did I commit against you that would cause you to bring such great guilt on me and my kingdom?t You have done things to me that should not be done!”t

10 Then Abimelech askedt Abraham, “What prompted you to do this thing?”t
11 Abraham replied, “Because I thought,t ‘Surely no one fears God in this place. They will kill me because oft my wife.’12 What’s more,t she is indeed my sister, my father’s daughter, but not my mother’s daughter. She became my wife.

13 When God made me wandert from my father’s house, I told her, ‘This is what you can do to show your loyalty to me:t Every place we go, say about me, “He is my brother.”’”
14 So Abimelech gavet sheep, cattle, and male and female servants to Abraham. He also gave his wife Sarah back to him.

15 Then Abimelech said, “Look, my land is before you; live wherever you please.”t

16 To Sarah he said, “Look, I have given a thousand pieces of silvers to your ‘brother.’s This is compensation for you so that you will stand vindicated before all who are with you.”t
17 Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, as well as his wife and female slaves so that they were able to have children.

18 For the Lordt had caused infertility to strike every womants in the household of Abimelech because he tookt Sarah, Abraham’s wife.

Genesis 21

The Birth of Isaac

1 The Lord visiteds Sarah just as he had said he would and didt for Sarah what he had promised.t2 So Sarah became pregnantt and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the appointed time that God had told him.3 Abraham named his son – whom Sarah bore to him – Isaac.t4 When his son Isaac was eight days old,t Abraham circumcised him just as God had commanded him to do.s

5 (Now Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.)t
6 Sarah said, “God has made me laugh.t Everyone who hears about thist will laughs with me.”

7 She went on to say,t “Who wouldt have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have given birth to a son for him in his old age!”
8 The child grew and was weaned. Abraham preparedt a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.s9 But Sarah noticedt the son of Hagar the Egyptian – the son whom Hagar had borne to Abraham – mocking.ts

10 So she said to Abraham, “Banisht that slave woman and her son, for the son of that slave woman will not be an heir along with my son Isaac!”
11 Sarah’s demand displeased Abraham greatly because Ishmael was his son.t12 But God said to Abraham, “Do not be upsett about the boy or your slave wife. Dot all that Sarah is tellingt you because through Isaac your descendants will be counted.t

13 But I will also make the son of the slave wife into a great nation, for he is your descendant too.”
14 Early in the morning Abraham tookt some foodt and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He put them on her shoulders, gave her the child,t and sent her away. So she went wanderingt aimlessly through the wildernesst of Beer Sheba.15 When the water in the skin was gone, she shovedt the child under one of the shrubs.

16 Then she went and sat down by herself across from him at quite a distance, about a bowshots away; for she thought,t “I refuse to watch the child die.”t So she sat across from him and wept uncontrollably.t
17 But God heard the boy’s voice.s The angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and asked her, “What is the matter,t Hagar? Don’t be afraid, for God has heards the boy’s voice right where he is crying.18 Get up! Help the boy up and hold him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.”

19 Then God enabled Hagar to see a well of water.t She went over and filled the skin with water, and then gave the boy a drink.
20 God was with the boy as he grew. He lived in the wilderness and became an archer.

21 He lived in the wilderness of Paran.s His mother found a wife for him from the land of Egypt.t
22 At that time Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, said to Abraham, “God is with yous in all that you do.

23 Now swear to me right here in God’s namet that you will not deceive me, my children, or my descendants.t Show me, and the landt where you are staying,t the same loyaltyt that I have shown you.”t
24 Abraham said, “I swear to do this.”t25 But Abraham lodged a complaintt against Abimelech concerning a wellt that Abimelech’s servants had seized.t

26 “I do not know who has done this thing,” Abimelech replied. “Moreover,t you did not tell me. I did not hear about it until today.”
27 Abraham took some sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech. The two of them made a treaty.t28 Then Abraham set seven ewe lambs apart from the flock by themselves.29 Abimelech asked Abraham, “What is the meaning of theset seven ewe lambs that you have set apart?”30 He replied, “You must take these seven ewe lambs from my hand as legal prooft that I dug this well.”s

31 That is why he named that placet Beer Sheba,s because the two of them swores an oath there.
32 So they made a treatyt at Beer Sheba. Then Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, returnedt to the land of the Philistines.s33 Abrahamt planted a tamarisk trees in Beer Sheba. There he worshiped the Lord,t the eternal God.

34 So Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for quite some time.t

Genesis 22

The Sacrifice of Isaac

1 Some time after these things God testeds Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am!” Abrahamt replied.

2 Godt said, “Take your son – your only son, whom you love, Isaacs – and go to the land of Moriah!s Offer him up there as a burnt offerings on one of the mountains which I will indicate tot you.”

3 Early in the morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey.t He took two of his young servants with him, along with his son Isaac. When he had cut the wood for the burnt offering, he started outt for the place God had spoken to him about.
4 On the third day Abraham caught sight oft the place in the distance.

5 So het said to his servants, “You two stayt here with the donkey whilet the boy and I go up there. We will worshipt and then return to you.”s
6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and put it on his son Isaac. Then he took the fire and the knife in his hand,s and the two of them walked on together.7 Isaac said to his father Abraham,t “My father?” “What is it,t my son?” he replied. “Here is the fire and the wood,” Isaac said,t “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

8 “God will providets for himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son,” Abraham replied. The two of them continued on together.
9 When they came to the place God had told him about, Abraham built the altar theres and arranged the wood on it. Next he tied ups his son Isaac and placed him on the altar on top of the wood.10 Then Abraham reached out his hand, took the knife, and prepared to slaughtert his son.11 But the Lord's angels called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am!” he answered.

12 “Do not harm the boy!”t the angel said.t “Do not do anything to him, for now I knows that you fears God because you did not withhold your son, your only son, from me.”
13 Abraham looked upt and sawt behind hims a ram caught in the bushes by its horns. So het went over and got the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.

14 And Abraham called the name of that place “The Lord provides.”t It is said to this day,s “In the mountain of the Lord provision will be made.”s
15 The Lord’s angel called to Abraham a second time from heaven16 and said, “‘I solemnly swear by my own name,’t decrees the Lord,t ‘that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son,17 I will indeed bless you,t and I will greatly multiplyts your descendantst so that they will be as countless as the stars in the sky or the grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possessiont of the strongholdst of their enemies.

18 Because you have obeyed me,ts all the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings on one anothert using the name of your descendants.’”

19 Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set out togethert for Beer Sheba where Abraham stayed.t
20 After these things Abraham was told, “Milcaht also has borne children to your brother Nahor –21 Uz the firstborn, his brother Buz, Kemuel (the father of Aram),s22 Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.”23 (Nowt Bethuel became the father of Rebekah.) These were the eight sons Milcah bore to Abraham’s brother Nahor.

24 His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore him children – Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.