¹⁰ Then one of them said, “I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!”

Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent.

² She became pregnant, and she gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. This happened at just the time God had said it would.

²¹ But my covenant will be confirmed with Isaac, who will be born to you and Sarah about this time next year.”

⁸ This means that Abraham’s physical descendants are not necessarily children of God. Only the children of the promise are considered to be Abraham’s children. ⁹ For God had promised, “I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”^[a]

¹⁹ But God replied, “No—Sarah, your wife, will give birth to a son for you. You will name him Isaac,^[a] and I will confirm my covenant with him and his descendants as an everlasting covenant.

¹⁶ And I will bless her and give you a son from her! Yes, I will bless her richly, and she will become the mother of many nations. Kings of nations will be among her descendants.”

²⁸ And you, dear brothers and sisters, are children of the promise, just like Isaac.

²³ The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God’s own fulfillment of his promise.

¹³ But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John.

¹⁶ “Next year at this time you will be holding a son in your arms!”

“No, my lord!” she cried. “O man of God, don’t deceive me and get my hopes up like that.”

¹⁷ But sure enough, the woman soon became pregnant. And at that time the following year she had a son, just as Elisha had said.