The First Book of Moses: Genesis

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- Chapter 21 -

Nowe the Lord visited Sarah, as he had saide, and did vnto her according as he had promised.

For Sarah conceiued, and bare Abraham a sonne in his olde age, at the same season that God tolde him.

And Abraham called his sonnes name that was borne vnto him, which Sarah bare him, Izhak.

Then Abraham circumcised Izhak his sonne, when he was eight dayes olde, as God had commanded him.

So Abraham was an hundreth yeere olde, when his sonne Izhak was borne vnto him.

Then Sarah said, God hath made me to reioyce: all that heare will reioyce with me.

Againe she said, Who would haue saide to Abraham, that Sarah shoulde haue giuen children sucke? for I haue borne him a sonne in his olde age.

Then the childe grewe and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Izhak was weaned.

Sarah Turns against Hagar

(Galatians 4:21–30)

And Sarah sawe the sonne of Hagar the Egyptian (which she had borne vnto Abraham) mocking.

Wherefore she saide vnto Abraham, Cast out this bond woman and her sonne: for ye sonne of this bonde woman shall not be heire with my sonne Izhak.

And this thing was very grieuous in Abrahams sight, because of his sonne.

But God said vnto Abraham, Let it not be grieuous in thy sight for the childe, and for thy bonde woman: in all that Sarah shall say vnto thee, heare her voyce: for in Izhak shall thy seede be called.

As for the sonne of the bond woman, I will make him a nation also, because he is thy seede.

So Abraham arose vp early in ye morning, and tooke bread, and a bottell of water, and gaue it vnto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the childe also, and sent her away: who departing wandred in the wildernesse of Beer-sheba.

And when the water of the bottell was spent, she cast the childe vnder a certaine tree.

Then she went and sate her ouer against him a farre off about a bowe shoote: for she said, I will not see the death of the child. and she sate downe ouer against him, and lift vp her voyce and wept.

Then God heard the voyce of ye childe, and the Angel of God called to Hagar from heauen, and said vnto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? feare not, for God hath heard the voyce of the childe where he is.

Arise, take vp the childe, and holde him in thine hand: for I will make of him a great people.

And God opened her eyes, and she sawe a well of water. so she went and filled the bottell with water, and gaue the boy drinke.

So God was with the childe, and he grewe and dwelt in the wildernesse, and was an archer.

And he dwelt in the wildernesse of Paran, and his mother tooke him a wife out of the land of Egypt.

The Covenant at Beersheba

And at that same time Abimelech and Phichol his chief captaine spake vnto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest.

Nowe therefore sweare vnto me here by God, that thou wilt not hurt me, nor my children, nor my childrens children: thou shalt deale with me, and with the countrey, where thou hast bene a stranger, according vnto the kindnesse that I haue shewed thee.

Then Abraham said, I will sweare.

And Abraham rebuked Abimelech for a well of water, which Abimelechs seruants had violently taken away.

And Abimelech saide, I knowe not who hath done this thing: also thou toldest me not, neither heard I of it but this day.

Then Abraham tooke sheepe and beeues, and gaue them vnto Abimelech: and they two made a couenant.

And Abraham set seuen lambes of the flocke by themselues.

Then Abimelech said vnto Abraham, What meane these seuen lambes, which thou hast set by themselues?

And he answered, Because thou shalt receiue of mine hand these seuen lambes, that it may be a witnes vnto me, that I haue digged this well.

Wherefore the place is called Beer-sheba, because there they both sware.

Thus made they a couenant at Beer-sheba: afterward Abimelech and Phichol his chiefe captaine rose vp, and turned againe vnto the land of the Philistims.

And Abraham planted a groue in Beer-sheba, and called there on the Name of ye Lord, the euerlasting God.

And Abraham was a stranger in the Philistims land a long season.

The LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did to Sarah as he had spoken.

Sarah conceived, and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.

Abraham called his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac.(a)

Abraham circumcised his son, Isaac, when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.

Abraham was one hundred years old when his son, Isaac, was born to him.

Sarah said, “God has made me laugh. Everyone who hears will laugh with me.”

She said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age.”

The child grew and was weaned. Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.

Sarah Turns against Hagar

(Galatians 4:21–30)

Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking.

Therefore she said to Abraham, “Cast out this servant and her son! For the son of this servant will not be heir with my son, Isaac.”

The thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight on account of his son.

God said to Abraham, “Don’t let it be grievous in your sight because of the boy, and because of your servant. In all that Sarah says to you, listen to her voice. For your offspring will be named through Isaac.

I will also make a nation of the son of the servant, because he is your child.”

Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread and a container of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder; and gave her the child, and sent her away. She departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.

The water in the container was spent, and she put the child under one of the shrubs.

She went and sat down opposite him, a good way off, about a bow shot away. For she said, “Don’t let me see the death of the child.” She sat opposite him, and lifted up her voice, and wept.

God heard the voice of the boy. The angel of God called to Hagar out of the sky, and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Don’t be afraid. For God has heard the voice of the boy where he is.

Get up, lift up the boy, and hold him with your hand. For I will make him a great nation.”

God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. She went, filled the container with water, and gave the boy a drink.

God was with the boy, and he grew. He lived in the wilderness, and as he grew up, he became an archer.

He lived in the wilderness of Paran. His mother got a wife for him out of the land of Egypt.

The Covenant at Beersheba

At that time, Abimelech and Phicol the captain of his army spoke to Abraham, saying, “God is with you in all that you do.

Now, therefore, swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son’s son. But according to the kindness that I have done to you, you shall do to me, and to the land in which you have lived as a foreigner.”

Abraham said, “I will swear.”

Abraham complained to Abimelech because of a water well, which Abimelech’s servants had violently taken away.

Abimelech said, “I don’t know who has done this thing. You didn’t tell me, and I didn’t hear of it until today.”

Abraham took sheep and cattle, and gave them to Abimelech. Those two made a covenant.

Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.

Abimelech said to Abraham, “What do these seven ewe lambs, which you have set by themselves, mean?”

He said, “You shall take these seven ewe lambs from my hand, that it may be a witness to me, that I have dug this well.”

Therefore he called that place Beersheba,(b) because they both swore an oath there.

So they made a covenant at Beersheba. Abimelech rose up with Phicol, the captain of his army, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.

Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God.

Abraham lived as a foreigner in the land of the Philistines many days.

Footnotes

(a)21:3 Isaac means “He laughs”.

(b)21:31 Beersheba can mean “well of the oath” or “well of seven”.