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.

Genesis 23

The Death of Sarah

1 Sarah lived 127 years.t

2 Then shet died in Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.s
3 Then Abraham got up from mourning his dead wifet and said to the sons of Heth,t

4 “I am a temporary settlert among you. Grantt me ownershipt of a burial site among you so that I mayt bury my dead.”t
5 The sons of Heth answered Abraham,t

6 “Listen, sir,t you are a mighty princet among us! You may bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb to prevent yout from burying your dead.”
7 Abraham got up and bowed down to the local people,t the sons of Heth.8 Then he said to them, “If you agreet that I may bury my dead,t then hear me out.t Askt Ephron the son of Zohar

9 if he will sellt me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him; it is at the end of his field. Let him sell it to me publiclyt for the full price,t so that I may own it as a burial site.”
10 (Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth.) Ephron the Hethitet replied to Abraham in the hearingt of the sons of Heth – before all who entered the gates of his city –

11 “No, my lord! Hear me out. I sellt you both the field and the cave that is in it.t In the presence of my peoplet I sell it to you. Bury your dead.”
12 Abraham bowed before the local people

13 and said to Ephron in their hearing, “Hear me, if you will. I payt to you the pricet of the field. Take it from me so that I mayt bury my dead there.”
14 Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him,

15 “Hear me, my lord. The land is wortht 400 pieces of silver,s but what is that between me and you? So bury your dead.”

16 So Abraham agreed to Ephron’s pricet and weighedt out for himt the pricet that Ephron had quotedt in the hearing of the sons of Heth – 400 pieces of silver, according to the standard measurement at the time.t
17 So Abraham securedt Ephron’s field in Machpelah, next to Mamre, including the field, the cave that was in it, and all the trees that were in the field and all around its border,

18 as his property in the presence of the sons of Heth before all who entered the gate of Ephron’s city.ts
19 After this Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah next to Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan.

20 So Abraham secured the field and the cave that was in it as a burial sitet from the sons of Heth.