Genesis 21

The Lord was gracious to Sarah, just as he had said he would be. The Lord did for Sarah what he had promised to do.

And the Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as he had spoken.

Sarah became pregnant. She had a son by Abraham when he was old. The child was born at the exact time God had promised.

For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.

Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah had by him.

And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.

When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him. He did it exactly as God had commanded him.

And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him.

Abraham was 100 years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.

Sarah said, “God has given laughter to me. Everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.”

And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.

She also said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would breast-feed children? But I’ve had a son by him when he is old.”

Abraham Sends Hagar and Ishmael Away

And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.

Isaac grew. The time came for his mother to stop breast-feeding him. On that day Abraham prepared a big celebration.

And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.

But Sarah saw Ishmael making fun of Isaac. Ishmael was the son Hagar had by Abraham. Hagar was Sarah’s Egyptian slave.

And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.

Sarah said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman! Get rid of her son! That woman’s son will never have a share of the family’s property. All of it belongs to my son Isaac.”

Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.

What Sarah said upset Abraham very much. After all, Ishmael was his son.

And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son.

But God said to Abraham, “Do not be so upset about the boy and your slave Hagar. Listen to what Sarah tells you, because your family line will continue through Isaac.

And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

I will also make the son of your slave into a nation. I will do it because he is your child.”

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

Early the next morning Abraham got some food and a bottle of water. The bottle was made out of animal skin. He gave the food and water to Hagar, placing them on her shoulders. Then he sent her away with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the Desert of Beersheba.

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 the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.

When the water in the bottle was gone, she put the boy under a bush.

And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.

Then she sat down about as far away as a person can shoot an arrow. She thought, “I can’t stand to watch the boy die.” As she sat there, she began to sob.

And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bow shot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.

God heard the boy crying. Then the angel of God called out to Hagar from heaven. He said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid. God has heard the boy crying as he lies there.

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.

Lift up the boy and take him by the hand. I will make him into a great nation.”

Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.

Then God opened Hagar’s eyes, and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the bottle with water and gave the boy a drink.

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.

God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and learned to shoot a bow and arrow.

And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.

While he was living in the Desert of Paran, his mother got a wife for him from Egypt.

The Agreement at Beersheba

And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.

At that time Abimelek and his army commander, Phicol, spoke to Abraham. They said to Abraham, “God is with you in everything you do.

And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest:

Now make a promise to me here while God is watching. Give me your word that you will treat me fairly. Promise that you will treat my children and their children the same way. I’ve been kind to you. Now you be kind to me and the country where you are living as an outsider.”

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.

Abraham said, “I give you my word that I’ll do it.”

And Abraham said, I will swear.

Then Abraham complained to Abimelek that his servants had taken over a well of water.

And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away.

But Abimelek said, “I don’t know who has done this. You didn’t tell me. And today is the first time I heard about it.”

And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath done this thing; neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to day.

So Abraham gave Abimelek sheep and cattle. The two men came to an agreement.

And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant.

Then Abraham picked out seven female lambs from his flock.

And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.

Abimelek asked Abraham, “What’s the meaning of these seven female lambs? Why have you picked them out and set them apart?”

And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves?

Abraham replied, “Accept the seven lambs from me. They will be a witness that I dug this well.”

And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well.

So that place was named Beersheba. That’s because there the two men came to an agreement.

Wherefore he called that place Beersheba; because there they sware both of them.

After the agreement had been made at Beersheba, Abimelek went back to the land of the Philistines. His army commander, Phicol, went with him.

Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.

Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba. There he called on the name of the Lord, the God who lives forever.

And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God.

Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for a long time.

And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines' land many days.