Isaac's Birth Promised

15 And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah[a] shall be her name. 16 I will bless her, and moreover, I will (A)give[b] you a son by her. I will bless her, and (B)she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” 17 Then Abraham (C)fell on his face (D)and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” 18 And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!” 19 God said, “No, but (E)Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name (F)Isaac.[c] I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. 20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and (G)multiply him greatly. He (H)shall father twelve princes, and (I)I will make him into a great nation. 21 But (J)I will establish my covenant with Isaac, (K)whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year.”

22 When he had finished talking with him, (L)God went up from Abraham. 23 Then Abraham took Ishmael his son and all those born in his house or bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very day, as God had said to him. 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 26 That very day Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised. 27 And all the men of his house, those born in the house and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.

18 And the Lord appeared to him by the (M)oaks[d] of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. (N)When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth and said, “O Lord,[e] if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. Let a (O)little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, while I bring a morsel of bread, that (P)you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—(Q)since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.” And Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quick! Three seahs[f] of fine flour! Knead it, and make cakes.” And Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to a young man, who prepared it quickly. Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them. And he stood by them under the tree while they ate.

They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She is (R)in the tent.” 10 The Lord said, “I will surely return to you (S)about this time next year, and (T)Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. 11 Now (U)Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. 12 (V)So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, (W)“After I am worn out, and (X)my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?” 13 The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ 14 (Y)Is anything too hard[g] for the Lord? (Z)At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” 15 But Sarah denied it,[h] saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.”

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 17:15 Sarai and Sarah mean princess
  2. Genesis 17:16 Hebrew have given
  3. Genesis 17:19 Isaac means he laughs
  4. Genesis 18:1 Or terebinths
  5. Genesis 18:3 Or My lord
  6. Genesis 18:6 A seah was about 7 quarts or 7.3 liters
  7. Genesis 18:14 Or wonderful
  8. Genesis 18:15 Or acted falsely

15 God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai(A) your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah.(B) 16 I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her.(C) I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations;(D) kings of peoples will come from her.”

17 Abraham fell facedown;(E) he laughed(F) and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old?(G) Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?”(H) 18 And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael(I) might live under your blessing!”(J)

19 Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son,(K) and you will call him Isaac.[a](L) I will establish my covenant with him(M) as an everlasting covenant(N) for his descendants after him. 20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers.(O) He will be the father of twelve rulers,(P) and I will make him into a great nation.(Q) 21 But my covenant(R) I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you(S) by this time next year.”(T) 22 When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him.(U)

23 On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and all those born in his household(V) or bought with his money, every male in his household, and circumcised them, as God told him.(W) 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old(X) when he was circumcised,(Y) 25 and his son Ishmael(Z) was thirteen; 26 Abraham and his son Ishmael were both circumcised on that very day. 27 And every male in Abraham’s household(AA), including those born in his household or bought from a foreigner, was circumcised with him.

The Three Visitors

18 The Lord appeared to Abraham(AB) near the great trees of Mamre(AC) while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent(AD) in the heat of the day. Abraham looked up(AE) and saw three men(AF) standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.(AG)

He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes,(AH) my lord,[b] do not pass your servant(AI) by. Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet(AJ) and rest under this tree. Let me get you something to eat,(AK) so you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come to your servant.”

“Very well,” they answered, “do as you say.”

So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. “Quick,” he said, “get three seahs[c] of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread.”(AL)

Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf(AM) and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. He then brought some curds(AN) and milk(AO) and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them.(AP) While they ate, he stood near them under a tree.

“Where is your wife Sarah?”(AQ) they asked him.

“There, in the tent,(AR)” he said.

10 Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year,(AS) and Sarah your wife will have a son.”(AT)

Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. 11 Abraham and Sarah were already very old,(AU) and Sarah was past the age of childbearing.(AV) 12 So Sarah laughed(AW) to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord(AX) is old, will I now have this pleasure?”

13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’(AY) 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord?(AZ) I will return to you at the appointed time next year,(BA) and Sarah will have a son.”(BB)

15 Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.”

But he said, “Yes, you did laugh.”

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 17:19 Isaac means he laughs.
  2. Genesis 18:3 Or eyes, Lord
  3. Genesis 18:6 That is, probably about 36 pounds or about 16 kilograms

15 And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.

16 And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.

17 Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?

18 And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!

19 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.

21 But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.

22 And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.

23 And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him.

24 And Abraham was ninety years old and nine, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

26 In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son.

27 And all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him.

18 And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;

And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,

And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:

Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:

And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.

And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.

And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.

And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.

And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.

10 And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.

11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.

12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?

13 And the Lord said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?

14 Is any thing too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

15 Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.