Genesis 21

¹Then the Lord visited Sarah, just as he had promised; and he fulfilled what he had spoken.

²And she conceived and gave birth to a son in her old age, at the time that God had foretold to her.

³And Abraham called the name of his son, whom Sarah bore for him, Isaac.

⁴And he circumcised him on the eighth day, just as God had instructed him,

⁵when he was one hundred years old. Indeed, at this stage of his father’s life, Isaac was born.

⁶And Sarah said: “God has brought laughter to me. Whoever will hear of it will laugh with me.”

⁷And again, she said: “Hearing this, who would believe Abraham, that Sarah breast-fed a son, to whom she gave birth, despite being elderly?”

⁸And the boy grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day of his weaning.

⁹And when Sarah had seen the son of Hagar the Egyptian playing with her son Isaac, she said to Abraham:

¹⁰“Cast out this woman servant and her son. For the son of a woman servant will not be heir with my son Isaac.”

¹¹Abraham took this grievously, for the sake of his son.

¹²And God said to him: “Let it not seem harsh to you concerning the boy and your woman servant. In all that Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice. For your offspring will be invoked in Isaac.

¹³Yet I will also make the son of the woman servant into a great nation, for he is your offspring.”

¹⁴And so Abraham arose in the morning, and taking bread and a skin of water, he placed it upon her shoulder, and he handed over the boy, and he released her. And when she had departed, she wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.

¹⁵And when the water in the skin had been consumed, she set aside the boy, under one of the trees that were there.

¹⁶And she moved away and sat in a distant area, as far as a bow can reach. For she said, “I shall not see the boy die.” And so, sitting opposite her, he lifted up his voice and wept.

¹⁷But God heard the voice of the boy. And an Angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, saying: “What are you doing, Hagar? Do not be afraid. For God has heeded the voice of the boy, from the place where he is.

¹⁸Rise up. Take the boy and hold him by the hand. For I will make of him a great nation.”

¹⁹And God opened her eyes. And seeing a well of water, she went and filled the skin, and she gave the boy to drink.

²⁰And God was with him. And he grew, and he stayed in the wilderness, and he became a young man, an archer.

²¹And he lived in the desert of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

²²At the same time, Abimelech and Phicol, the leader of his army, said to Abraham: “God is with you in everything that you do.

²³Therefore, swear by God that you will do no harm to me, and to my posterity, and to my stock. But according to the mercy that I have done to you, you will do to me and to the land, to which you have turned as a newcomer.”

²⁴And Abraham said, “I will swear.”

²⁵And he reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which his servants had taken away by force.

²⁶And Abimelech responded, “I do not know who did this thing, but you also did not reveal it to me, nor have I heard of it, before today.”

²⁷And so Abraham took sheep and oxen, and he gave them to Abimelech. And both of them struck a pact.

²⁸And Abraham set aside seven female lambs from the flock.

²⁹Abimelech said to him, “What purpose have these seven female lambs, which you have caused to stand separately?”

³⁰But he said, “You will receive seven female lambs from my hand, so that they may be a testimony for me, that I dug this well.”

³¹For this reason, that place was called Beersheba, because there both of them did swear.

³²And they initiated a pact on behalf of the well of oath.

³³Then Abimelech and Phicol, the leader of his army, rose up, and they returned to the land of the Palestinians. In truth, Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and there he called upon the name of the Lord God Eternal.

³⁴And he was a settler in the land of the Palestinians for many days.

Genesis 21

¹And the Lord visited Sara, as he had promised: and fulfilled what he had spoken.

²And she conceived and bore a son in her old age, at the time that God had foretold her.

³And Abraham called the name of his son, whom Sara bore him, Isaac.

⁴And he circumcised him the eighth day, as God had commanded him,

⁵When he was a hundred years old: for at this age of his father, was Isaac born.

⁶And Sara said: God hath made a laughter for me: whosoever shall hear of it will laugh with me.

⁷And again she said: Who would believe that Abraham should hear that Sara gave suck to a son, whom she bore to him in his old age?

⁸And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast on the day of his weaning.

⁹And when Sara had seen the son of Agar, the Egyptian, playing with Isaac, her son, she said to Abraham:

¹⁰Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with my son Isaac.

¹¹Abraham took this grievously for his son.

¹²And God said to him: Let it not seem grievous to thee for the boy, and for thy bondwoman: in all that Sara hath said to thee, hearken to her voice: for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

¹³But I will make the son also of the bondwoman a great nation, because he is thy seed.

¹⁴So Abraham rose up in the morning, and taking bread and a bottle of water, put it upon her shoulder, and delivered the boy, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Bersabee.

¹⁵And when the water in the bottle was spent, she cast the boy under one of the trees that were there.

¹⁶And she went her way, and sat over against him a great way off, as far as a bow can carry, for she said: I will not see the boy die: and sitting over against, she lifted up her voice and wept.

¹⁷And God heard the voice of the boy: and an angel of God called to Agar from heaven, saying: What art thou doing, Agar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the boy, from the place wherein he is.

¹⁸Arise, take up the boy, and hold him by the hand, for I will make him a great nation.

¹⁹And God opened her eyes: and she saw a well of water, and went and filled the bottle, and gave the boy to drink.

²⁰And God was with him: and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became a young man, an archer.

²¹And he dwelt in the wilderness of Pharan, and his mother took a wife for him out of the land of Egypt.

²²At the same time Abimelech, and Phicol the general of his army, said to Abraham: God is with thee in all that thou dost.

²³Swear therefore by God, that thou wilt not hurt me, nor my posterity, nor my stock: but according to the kindness that I have done to thee, thou shalt do to me, and to the land wherein thou hast lived a stranger.

²⁴And Abraham said: I will swear.

²⁵And he reproved Abimelech for a well of water, which his servants had taken away by force.

²⁶And Abimelech answered: I knew not who did this thing: and thou didst not tell me, and I heard not of it till today.

²⁷Then Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them to Abimelech: and both of them made a league.

²⁸And Abraham set apart seven ewelambs of the flock.

²⁹And Abimelech said to him: What mean these seven ewelambs which thou hast set apart?

³⁰But he said: Thou shalt take seven ewelambs at my hand: that they may be a testimony for me, that I dug this well.

³¹Therefore that place was called Bersabee; because there both of them did swear.

³²And they made a league for the well of oath.

³³And Abimelech and Phicol, the general of his army, arose and returned to the land of the Palestines. But Abraham planted a grove in Bersabee, and there called upon the name of the Lord God eternal.

³⁴And he was a sojourner in the land of the Palestines many days.