The Holy Bible · Genesis

Genesis 21

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1The Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken.

2Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in old age, at the appointed time the Lord had spoken to him.

3Abraham named his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, Isaac.

4Abraham circumcised Isaac on the eighth day, as God had commanded him.

5Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

6Sarah said, “The Lord has made laughter for me; whoever hears will rejoice with me.”

7She said, “Who will announce to Abraham that Sarah nurses a child? For I have borne a son in my old age.”

8The child grew and was weaned. Abraham made a great feast on the day his son Isaac was weaned.

9Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, who was born to Abraham, playing with her son Isaac.

10She said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman and her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not inherit with my son Isaac.”

11The statement seemed very harsh to Abraham concerning his son.

12God said to Abraham, “Do not regard the statement as harsh concerning the child and the slave woman. Listen to Sarah's voice in everything she tells you, for through Isaac offspring shall be named for you.

13I will also make this slave woman's son a great nation, because he is your offspring.”

14Abraham rose in the morning, took loaves and a skin of water, and gave them to Hagar. He placed them on the shoulder, and the child also, and sent her away. She departed and wandered in the wilderness near the Well of the Oath.

15When the water in the skin failed, she cast the child beneath a fir tree.

16She went and sat opposite him at a distance, about a bowshot away, for she said, “I will not see my child's death.” She sat opposite him, and the child cried out and wept.

17God heard the child's voice from the place where he was, and an angel of God called to Hagar from heaven: “What is wrong, Hagar? Do not fear, for God has heard your child's voice from the place where he is.

18Get up, take the child, and hold him with your hand, for I will make him a great nation.”

19God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of living water. She went, filled the skin with water, and gave the child a drink.

20God was with the child, and he grew. He lived in the wilderness and became an archer.

21He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

22At that time Abimelech, Ahuzzath his groomsman, and Phicol, chief commander of his force, said to Abraham, “God is with you in everything you do.

23Now swear to me by God that you will not wrong me, my offspring, or my name. According to the righteousness I have shown you, act toward me and the land where you have sojourned.”

24Abraham said, “I will swear.”

25Abraham reproved Abimelech about the wells of water that Abimelech's servants had taken away.

26Abimelech said to him, “I do not know who did this. You did not tell me, and I heard nothing about it until today.”

27Abraham took sheep and calves and gave them to Abimelech, and the two made a covenant.

28Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock apart.

29Abimelech said to Abraham, “What are these seven ewe lambs you have set apart?”

30Abraham said, “You shall take these seven ewe lambs from me so that they may be a testimony for me that I dug this well.”

31Therefore he named that place Well of Swearing, because the two of them swore there.

32They made a covenant at the Well of the Oath. Abimelech, Ahuzzath his groomsman, and Phicol, chief commander of his force, rose and returned to the land of the Philistines.

33Abraham planted a field at the Well of the Oath and called there on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God.

34Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines many days.

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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · working draft awaiting specialist review.