Genesis 21:18 T 21
will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, you may be
sure that you and all who belong to you will die.”
8 Early the next morning Abimelek summoned all his officials, and when he
told them all that had happened, they were very much afraid. 9 Then Abimelek
called Abraham in and said, “What have you done to us? How have I wronged
you that you have brought such great guilt upon me and my kingdom? You
have done t hings to me that should never be done.” 10 And Abimelek asked
Abraham, “What was your reason for doing this?”
11 Abraham replied, “I said to myself, ‘There is surely no fear of God in this
place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’ 12 Besides, she really is my
sister, the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became
my wife. 13 And when God had me wander from my father’s household, I said
to her, ‘This is how you can show your love to me: Everywhere we go, say of
me, “He is my brother.” ’ ”
14 Then Abimelek b
rought s heep and cattle and male and female s laves and
gave them to Abraham, and he returned Sarah his wife to him. 15 And Abime
lek said, “My land is before you; live wherever you like.”
16 To Sarah he said, “I am giving your brother a thousand shekels a of silver.
This is to cover the offense against you before all who are with you; you are
completely vindicated.”
17 Then Abraham prayed to God, and God h
ealed Abime l ek, his wife and his
female slaves so they could have children again, 18 for the Lord had kept all
the women in Abimelek’s household from conceiving because of Abraham’s
wife Sarah.
The Birth of Isaac
21
Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for
Sarah what he had promised. 2 Sarah became pregnant and bore a son
to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. 3 Abraham
gave the name Isaac b to the son Sarah bore him. 4 When his son Isaac was eight
days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him. 5 Abraham was
a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
6 Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about
this will laugh with me.” 7 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.”
Hagar and Ishmael Sent Away
8 The child grew and was weaned, and on the day I saac was weaned Abra
ham held a g
reat feast. 9 But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian
had borne to Abraham was mocking, 10 and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of
that slave woman and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the
inheritance with my son Isaac.”
11 The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son.
12 But God said to him, “Do not be so distressed a
bout the boy and your slave
woman. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that
your offspring c will be reckoned. 13 I will make the son of the slave into a na
tion 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. 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.
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 a
bout a bowshot away, for she
thought, “I cannot watch the boy die.” And as she sat t here, she d began to sob.
17 God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heav
en and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard
the boy crying as he lies t here. 18 Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for
I will make him into a great nation.”
a 16
That is, about 25 pounds or about 12 kilograms b 3 Isaac means he laughs.
seed d 16 Hebrew; Septuagint the child
c 12 Or