²³ But he who was of the bondwoman ^(A)was born according to the flesh, ^(B)and he of the freewoman through promise,

¹¹ By faith ^(A)Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and ^(B)she^[a] bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him ^(C)faithful who had promised.

^7 (A)nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, ^(B)“In Isaac your seed shall be called.” ⁸ That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but ^(C)the children of the promise are counted as the seed.

²⁸ Now ^(A)we, brethren, as Isaac was, are ^(B)children of promise. ²⁹ But, as ^(C)he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, ^(D)even so it is now.

Isaac Is Born^(A)

21 And the Lord ^(B)visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah ^(C)as He had spoken. ² For Sarah ^(D)conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, ^(E)at the set time of which God had spoken to him.

¹⁰ And He said, “I will certainly return to you ^(A)according to the time of life, and behold, ^(B)Sarah your wife shall have a son.”

(Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.) ¹¹ Now ^(C)Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and ^[a]Sarah ^(D)had passed the age of childbearing. ¹² Therefore Sarah ^(E)laughed within herself, saying, ^(F)“After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my ^(G)lord being old also?”

¹³ And the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’ ^14 (H)Is anything too hard for the Lord? ^(I)At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.”

⁸ But what does it say? ^(A)“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach):

¹⁸ who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, ^(A)“So shall your descendants be.” ¹⁹ And not being weak in faith, ^(B)he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), ^(C)and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. ²⁰ He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, ²¹ and being fully convinced that what He had promised ^(D)He was also able to perform.

¹⁵ Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but ^[a]Sarah shall be her name. ¹⁶ And I will bless her ^(A)and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother ^(B)of nations; ^(C)kings of peoples shall be from her.”

¹⁷ Then Abraham fell on his face ^(D)and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” ¹⁸ And Abraham ^(E)said to God, “Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!”

¹⁹ Then God said: “No, ^(F)Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My ^(G)covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.