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Genesis 21
Common English Bible
Genesis 21
Common English Bible
Isaac’s birth
21 The Lord was attentive to Sarah just as he had said, and the Lord carried out just what he had promised her. 2 She became pregnant and gave birth to a son for Abraham when he was old, at the very time God had told him. 3 Abraham named his son—the one Sarah bore him—Isaac.[a] 4 Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old just as God had commanded him. 5 Abraham was 100 years old when his son Isaac was born. 6 Sarah said, “God has given me laughter. Everyone who hears about it will laugh with me.”[b] 7 She said, “Who could have told Abraham that Sarah would nurse sons? But now I’ve given birth to a son when he was old!”
Hagar and Ishmael evicted
8 The boy grew and stopped nursing. On the day he stopped nursing, Abraham prepared a huge banquet. 9 Sarah saw Hagar’s son laughing, the one Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham. 10 So she said to Abraham, “Send this servant away with her son! This servant’s son won’t share the inheritance with my son Isaac.”
11 This upset Abraham terribly because the boy was his son. 12 God said to Abraham, “Don’t be upset about the boy and your servant. Do everything Sarah tells you to do because your descendants will be traced through Isaac. 13 But I will make of your servant’s son a great nation too, because he is also your descendant.” 14 Abraham got up early in the morning, took some bread and a flask of water, and gave it to Hagar. He put the boy in her shoulder sling and sent her away.
She left and wandered through the desert near Beer-sheba. 15 Finally the water in the flask ran out, and she put the boy down under one of the desert shrubs. 16 She walked away from him about as far as a bow shot and sat down, telling herself, I can’t bear to see the boy die. She sat at a distance, cried out in grief, and wept.
17 God heard the boy’s cries, and God’s messenger called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “Hagar! What’s wrong? Don’t be afraid. God has heard the boy’s cries over there. 18 Get up, pick up the boy, and take him by the hand because I will make of him a great nation.” 19 Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well. She went over, filled the water flask, and gave the boy a drink. 20 God remained with the boy; he grew up, lived in the desert, and became an expert archer. 21 He lived in the Paran desert, and his mother found him an Egyptian wife.
Abraham’s treaty with the Philistines
22 At that time Abimelech, and Phicol commander of his forces, said to Abraham, “God is with you in everything that you do. 23 So give me your word under God that you won’t cheat me, my children, or my descendants. Just as I have treated you fairly, so you must treat me and the land in which you are an immigrant.”
24 Abraham said, “I give you my word.” 25 Then Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well that Abimelech’s servants had seized.
26 Abimelech said, “I don’t know who has done this, and you didn’t tell me. I didn’t even hear about it until today.” 27 Abraham took flocks and cattle, gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them drew up a treaty.[c] 28 Abraham set aside, by themselves, seven female lambs from the flock. 29 So Abimelech said to Abraham, “What are these seven lambs you’ve set apart?”
30 Abraham said, “These seven lambs that you take from me will attest that I dug this well.” 31 Therefore, the name of that place is Beer-sheba[d] because there they gave each other their word. 32 After they drew up a treaty[e] at Beer-sheba, Abimelech, and Phicol commander of his forces, returned to the land of the Philistines. 33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba, and he worshipped there in the name of the Lord, El Olam.[f] 34 Abraham lived as an immigrant in the Philistines’ land for a long time.
Footnotes
- Genesis 21:3 Or he laughs
- Genesis 21:6 Or God has made a joke of me. Everyone who hears about it will laugh at me.
- Genesis 21:27 Or covenant
- Genesis 21:31 Or Well of seven; or Well of giving one’s word
- Genesis 21:32 Or covenant
- Genesis 21:33 Or the eternal God
Genesis 21
New International Version
Genesis 21
New International Version
The Birth of Isaac
21 Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah(A) as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised.(B) 2 Sarah became pregnant and bore a son(C) to Abraham in his old age,(D) at the very time God had promised him.(E) 3 Abraham gave the name Isaac[a](F) to the son Sarah bore him. 4 When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him,(G) as God commanded him. 5 Abraham was a hundred years old(H) when his son Isaac was born to him.
6 Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter,(I) 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.”(J)
Hagar and Ishmael Sent Away
8 The child grew and was weaned,(K) and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast. 9 But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham(L) was mocking,(M) 10 and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman(N) and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.”(O)
11 The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son.(P) 12 But God said to him, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your slave woman. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring[b] will be reckoned.(Q) 13 I will make the son of the slave into a nation(R) 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.(S) 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.(T)
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 about a bowshot away, for she thought, “I cannot watch the boy die.” And as she sat there, she[c] began to sob.(U)
17 God heard the boy crying,(V) and the angel of God(W) called to Hagar from heaven(X) and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid;(Y) God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. 18 Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.(Z)”
19 Then God opened her eyes(AA) and she saw a well of water.(AB) So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.
20 God was with the boy(AC) as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer. 21 While he was living in the Desert of Paran,(AD) his mother got a wife for him(AE) from Egypt.
The Treaty at Beersheba
22 At that time Abimelek(AF) and Phicol the commander of his forces(AG) said to Abraham, “God is with you in everything you do.(AH) 23 Now swear(AI) to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants.(AJ) Show to me and the country where you now reside as a foreigner the same kindness I have shown to you.”(AK)
24 Abraham said, “I swear it.”
25 Then Abraham complained to Abimelek about a well of water that Abimelek’s servants had seized.(AL) 26 But Abimelek said, “I don’t know who has done this. You did not tell me, and I heard about it only today.”
27 So Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelek, and the two men made a treaty.(AM) 28 Abraham set apart seven ewe lambs from the flock, 29 and Abimelek asked Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs you have set apart by themselves?”
30 He replied, “Accept these seven lambs from my hand as a witness(AN) that I dug this well.(AO)”
31 So that place was called Beersheba,[d](AP) because the two men swore an oath(AQ) there.
32 After the treaty(AR) had been made at Beersheba,(AS) Abimelek and Phicol the commander of his forces(AT) returned to the land of the Philistines.(AU) 33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree(AV) in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord,(AW) the Eternal God.(AX) 34 And Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines(AY) for a long time.
Footnotes
- Genesis 21:3 Isaac means he laughs.
- Genesis 21:12 Or seed
- Genesis 21:16 Hebrew; Septuagint the child
- Genesis 21:31 Beersheba can mean well of seven and well of the oath.
Common English Bible (CEB)
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
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