Genesis 21:1-14

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

The Birth of Isaac

21 The Lord dealt with Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as he had promised.^{(A) 2} Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the time of which God had spoken to him.^{(B) 3} Abraham gave the name Isaac to his son whom Sarah bore him.^{(C) 4} And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.^{(D) 5} Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.^{(E) 6} Now Sarah said, “God has brought laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me.”^{(F) 7} And she said, “Who would ever 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 Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. ⁹ But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, playing with her son Isaac.^{[a](G) 10} So she said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not inherit along with my son Isaac.”^{(H) 11} The matter was very distressing to Abraham on account of his son.^{(I) 12} But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed because of the boy and because of your slave woman; whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for it is through Isaac that offspring shall be named for you.^{(J) 13} As for the son of the slave woman, I will make a nation of him also, because he is your offspring.”^{(K) 14} So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered about in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.