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Hagar and Ishmael Are Sent Away

When Isaac grew up and was about to be weaned, Abraham prepared a huge feast to celebrate the occasion. But Sarah saw Ishmael—the son of Abraham and her Egyptian servant Hagar—making fun of her son, Isaac.[a] 10 So she turned to Abraham and demanded, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son. He is not going to share the inheritance with my son, Isaac. I won’t have it!”

11 This upset Abraham very much because Ishmael was his son. 12 But God told Abraham, “Do not be upset over the boy and your servant. Do whatever Sarah tells you, for Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted. 13 But I will also make a nation of the descendants of Hagar’s son because he is your son, too.”

14 So Abraham got up early the next morning, prepared food and a container of water, and strapped them on Hagar’s shoulders. Then he sent her away with their son, and she wandered aimlessly in the wilderness of Beersheba.

15 When the water was gone, she put the boy in the shade of a bush. 16 Then she went and sat down by herself about a hundred yards[b] away. “I don’t want to watch the boy die,” she said, as she burst into tears.

17 But God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, “Hagar, what’s wrong? Do not be afraid! God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. 18 Go to him and comfort him, for I will make a great nation from his descendants.”

19 Then God opened Hagar’s eyes, and she saw a well full of water. She quickly filled her water container and gave the boy a drink.

20 And God was with the boy as he grew up in the wilderness. He became a skillful archer, 21 and he settled in the wilderness of Paran. His mother arranged for him to marry a woman from the land of Egypt.

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Footnotes

  1. 21:9 As in Greek version and Latin Vulgate; Hebrew lacks of her son, Isaac.
  2. 21:16 Hebrew a bowshot.

Hagar and Ishmael

And the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned. And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne Abraham, mocking. 10 Then she said to Abraham, “Drive out this slave woman and her son, for the son of this slave woman will not be heir with my son, with Isaac.” 11 And the matter displeased Abraham very much[a] on account of his son. 12 Then God said to Abraham, “Do not be displeased[b] on account of the boy and on account of the slave woman. Listen to everything that Sarah said to you,[c] for through Isaac your offspring will be named. 13 And I will also make the son of the slave woman into a nation, for he is your offspring.” 14 Then Abraham rose up early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder. And he sent her away with the child, and she went, wandering about in the wilderness, in Beersheba. 15 And when the water was finished from the skin, she put the child under one of the bushes. 16 And she went and she sat a good distance away,[d] for she said, “Let me not see the child’s death.” So she sat away from him and lifted up her voice and wept. 17 And God heard the cry[e] of the boy and the angel of God called to Hagar from the heavens and said to her, “What is the matter[f] Hagar? Do not be afraid, for God has heard the cry[g] of the boy from where he is.[h] 18 Get up, take up the boy and take him with your hand, for I will make him a great nation.” 19 And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave a drink to the boy. 20 And God was with the boy, and he grew and lived in the wilderness. And he became an expert with a bow.[i] 21 And he lived in the wilderness of Paran. And his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 21:11 Literally “was very bad in the eyes of Abraham”
  2. Genesis 21:12 Literally “Do not let it be bad”
  3. Genesis 21:12 Literally “Everything Sarah said to you, listen with respect to her voice”
  4. Genesis 21:16 Literally “she sat with respect to her, opposite, far away, as the shooting of a bow”
  5. Genesis 21:17 Or “voice”
  6. Genesis 21:17 Literally “What to you”
  7. Genesis 21:17 Or “voice”
  8. Genesis 21:17 Literally “in which he is there”
  9. Genesis 21:20 Literally “an archer with the bow”