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21 And Hashem visited Sarah as He had said, and Hashem did unto Sarah just as He had spoken.

For Sarah conceived, and bore Avraham ben in his old age, at the mo’ed (set time) of which Elohim had given promise unto him.

And Avraham called the shem of bno that was born unto him, whom Sarah bore to him, Yitzchak.

And Avraham circumcised bno Yitzchak at age shemonat yamim, as Elohim had commanded him.

And Avraham was a hundred years old, when bno Yitzchak was born unto him.

And she said, Elohim hath brought me tzechok (laughter), so that all that hear yitzchak (will laugh) with me.

And she said, Who would have said unto Avraham, that Sarah should nurse banim? for I have borne him ben in his old age.

And the yeled grew, and was weaned; and Avraham made a mishteh gadol the same day that Yitzchak was weaned.

And Sarah saw the ben of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had borne unto Avraham, metzachek (mocking, scoffing).

10 Therefore she said unto Avraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her ben: for the ben of this bondwoman shall not be heir with beni (my son), even with Yitzchak.

11 And the thing was very grievous in the eyes of Avraham because of bno.

12 And Elohim said unto Avraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the na’ar, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, shema (pay heed) unto her voice; for in Yitzchak shall thy zera be called.

13 And also of the ben haamah will I make a nation, because he is thy zera.

14 And Avraham rose up early in the boker, and took lechem, and a skin of mayim, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the yeled, and sent her away; and she departed, and wandered in the midbar of Beer-Sheva.

15 And the mayim in the skin was done, and she cast the yeled under one of the bushes.

16 And she went off, and sat down about a bowshot away: for she thought, Let me not see the mot hayeled. And she sat there nearby, and lifted up her voice, and wept.

17 And Elohim heard the voice of the na’ar; and the Malach Elohim called to Hagar out of Shomayim, and said unto her, Mah lach, Hagar? fear not; for Elohim hath heard the voice of the na’ar where he is.

18 Arise, lift up the na’ar, and hold him in thine yad; for I will make him a goy gadol.

19 And Elohim opened her eyes, and she saw a be’er of mayim; and she went, and filled the skin with mayim, and gave the na’ar drink.

20 And Elohim was with the na’ar; and he grew, and dwelt in the midbar, and became a roveh keshet (an archer).

21 And he dwelt in the midbar of Paran: and his em got him an isha out of Eretz Mitzrayim.

22 And it came to pass at that time, that Avimelech and Phichol the sar tz’va of his spoke unto Avraham, saying, Elohim is with thee in all that thou doest:

23 Now therefore swear unto me here before Elohim that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my child, nor with my descendant: but according to the chesed that I have showed thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the eretz wherein thou hast sojourned.

24 And Avraham said, I will swear.

25 And Avraham reproved Avimelech because of a be’er hamayim, which Avimelech’s avadim had violently seized.

26 And Avimelech said, I know not who hath done this thing; neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but today.

27 And Avraham took tzon and oxen, and gave them unto Avimelech; and both of them made a brit.

28 And Avraham set apart seven ewe lambs of the tzon by themselves.

29 And Avimelech said unto Avraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set apart by themselves?

30 And he said, For these sheva ewe lambs shalt thou accept of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have dug this well.

31 Therefore he called that place Beer-Sheva; because there they swore an oath both of them.

32 Thus they made a brit at Beer-Sheva: then Avimelech rose up, and Phichol the sar tzeva of his, and they returned into eretz Pelishtim.

33 And Avraham planted an eshel (tamarisk tree) in Beer-Sheva, and called there on the Shem of Hashem El Olam.

34 And Avraham sojourned in eretz Pelishtim yamim rabbim.

The Birth of Isaac

21 Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah(A) as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised.(B) Sarah became pregnant and bore a son(C) to Abraham in his old age,(D) at the very time God had promised him.(E) Abraham gave the name Isaac[a](F) to the son Sarah bore him. When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him,(G) as God commanded him. Abraham was a hundred years old(H) when his son Isaac was born to him.

Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter,(I) and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” And she added, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”(J)

Hagar and Ishmael Sent Away

The child grew and was weaned,(K) and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast. But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham(L) was mocking,(M) 10 and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman(N) and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.”(O)

11 The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son.(P) 12 But God said to him, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your slave woman. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring[b] will be reckoned.(Q) 13 I will make the son of the slave into a nation(R) also, because he is your offspring.”

14 Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar.(S) He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the Desert of Beersheba.(T)

15 When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went off and sat down about a bowshot away, for she thought, “I cannot watch the boy die.” And as she sat there, she[c] began to sob.(U)

17 God heard the boy crying,(V) and the angel of God(W) called to Hagar from heaven(X) and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid;(Y) God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. 18 Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.(Z)

19 Then God opened her eyes(AA) and she saw a well of water.(AB) So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.

20 God was with the boy(AC) as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer. 21 While he was living in the Desert of Paran,(AD) his mother got a wife for him(AE) from Egypt.

The Treaty at Beersheba

22 At that time Abimelek(AF) and Phicol the commander of his forces(AG) said to Abraham, “God is with you in everything you do.(AH) 23 Now swear(AI) to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants.(AJ) Show to me and the country where you now reside as a foreigner the same kindness I have shown to you.”(AK)

24 Abraham said, “I swear it.”

25 Then Abraham complained to Abimelek about a well of water that Abimelek’s servants had seized.(AL) 26 But Abimelek said, “I don’t know who has done this. You did not tell me, and I heard about it only today.”

27 So Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelek, and the two men made a treaty.(AM) 28 Abraham set apart seven ewe lambs from the flock, 29 and Abimelek asked Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs you have set apart by themselves?”

30 He replied, “Accept these seven lambs from my hand as a witness(AN) that I dug this well.(AO)

31 So that place was called Beersheba,[d](AP) because the two men swore an oath(AQ) there.

32 After the treaty(AR) had been made at Beersheba,(AS) Abimelek and Phicol the commander of his forces(AT) returned to the land of the Philistines.(AU) 33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree(AV) in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord,(AW) the Eternal God.(AX) 34 And Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines(AY) for a long time.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 21:3 Isaac means he laughs.
  2. Genesis 21:12 Or seed
  3. Genesis 21:16 Hebrew; Septuagint the child
  4. Genesis 21:31 Beersheba can mean well of seven and well of the oath.