< Genesis 21 >

1 And Jehovah visited Sarah as he had said, and Jehovah did unto Sarah as he had spoken.
The Lord came to help Sarah as he'd said he would. The Lord did for Sarah what he'd promised.
2 And Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.
She became pregnant and had a son for Abraham when he was old, at the exact time God said she would.
3 And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.
Abraham named their son Isaac.
4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.
Abraham circumcised him when Isaac was eight days old, following God's command.
5 And Abraham was a hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.
Abraham was 100 when Isaac was born.
6 And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh; every one that heareth will laugh with me.
Sarah declared, “God has made me laugh, and all those who hear about this will laugh with me.”
7 And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should give children suck? for I have borne him a son in his old age.
She also said, “Would anyone have announced to Abraham that Sarah was going to have children to nurse? But now I have had a son for Abraham even when he was old!”
8 And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.
The baby grew up, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a large feast.
9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne unto Abraham, mocking.
But Sarah noticed that Ishmael, Hagar the Egyptian's son she'd had for Abraham, was making fun of Isaac.
10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this handmaid and her son: for the son of this handmaid shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.
So she went to Abraham and told him, “You have to get rid of this slave woman and this son of hers! A slave woman's son is not going to be one of your heirs and inherit together with my son Isaac!”
11 And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight on account of his son.
Abraham felt very bad about it because Ishmael was his son.
12 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy handmaid; in all that Sarah saith unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.
But God told Abraham, “Don't feel bad about the boy and the slave woman. Do whatever Sarah tells you, because it's through Isaac that your descendants will be counted.
13 And also of the son of the handmaid will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.
Don't worry—I will also make the son of the slave woman into a nation because he's your son.”
14 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 [gave her] the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.
Abraham got up early the next morning. He packed up some food and a skin of water which he gave to Hagar, putting them on her shoulder. Then he sent her and the boy away. She left and wandered through the Desert of Beersheba.
15 And the water in the bottle was spent, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.
When the water ran out, she left the boy under one of the bushes.
16 And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not look upon the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lifted up her voice, and wept.
She went and sat down some way off, a few hundred yards away, saying, “I can't bear to watch my son die!” As she sat down she burst into tears.
17 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.
God heard the boy's cries, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and asked her, “What's the matter, Hagar? Don't be afraid! God has heard the boy crying from where he is.
18 Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thy hand; for I will make him a great nation.
Get up, go over and help the boy up, and encourage him, for I will make him into a great nation.”
19 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 opened her eyes and she saw a well nearby. She went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.
20 And God was with the lad, and he grew; and he dwelt in the wilderness, and became, as he grew up, an archer.
God blessed Ishmael and he grew up, living in the desert. He became a skilled archer.
21 And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.
He lived in the Desert of Paran. His mother chose a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
22 And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phicol the captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest:
Around this time Abimelech came with Phicol, the commander of his army, to see Abraham. “God blesses you in everything you do,” Abimelech said.
23 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.
“So swear to me right here and now that you won't betray me, my children, or my descendants. In the same way I've proved I'm trustworthy to you, do the same to me and my country where you're currently living.”
24 And Abraham said, I will swear.
“I so swear,” Abraham replied.
25 And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of the well of water, which Abimelech’s servants had violently taken away.
Then Abraham raised an issue with Abimelech of a well that Abimelech's servants had taken by force.
26 And Abimelech said, I know not who hath done this thing: neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to-day.
“I don't know who did this, and you didn't mention it before. I haven't heard anything about it until today,” Abimelech responded.
27 And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and they two made a covenant.
Then Abraham gave Abimelech some of his sheep and cattle, and the two of them made an agreement.
28 And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.
Abraham also separated out seven female lambs from the flock.
29 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves?
“What are these seven female lambs for that you've separated from the flock?” Abimelech asked.
30 And he said, These seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that it may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well.
“I'm giving you these seven female lambs in return for your admission that I dug this well,” Abraham replied.
31 Wherefore he called that place Beer-sheba; because there they sware both of them.
That's why he called the place Beersheba, because the two of them swore and oath to each other.
32 So they made a covenant at Beer-sheba: and Abimelech rose up, and Phicol the captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.
After making the agreement at Beersheba, Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army left and went home to the country of the Philistines.
33 And [Abraham] planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of Jehovah, the Everlasting God.
Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and there he worshiped the Lord, the Eternal God.
34 And Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines many days.
Abraham lived in the country of the Philistines for a long time.

< Genesis 21 >