Genesis 21 (BSB)

1Now the LORD attended to Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what He had promised.And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken.

2So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised.For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.

3And Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore to him.And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.

4When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God had commanded him.And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him.

5Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.

6Then Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and everyone who hears of this will laugh with me.”And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.

7She added, “Who would have told Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.

8So the child grew and was weaned, and Abraham held a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned.And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.

9But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking her son,And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.

10and she said to Abraham, “Expel the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac!”Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.

11Now this matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son Ishmael.And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight because of his son.

12But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to everything that Sarah tells you, for through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

13But I will also make a nation of the slave woman’s son, because he is your offspring.”And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.

14Early in the morning, Abraham got up, took bread and a skin of water, put them on Hagar’s shoulders, and sent her away with the boy. She left and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba.And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.

15When the water in the skin was gone, she left the boy under one of the bushes.And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.

16Then she went off and sat down nearby, about a bowshot away, for she said, “I cannot bear to watch the boy die!” And as she sat nearby, she lifted up her voice and wept.And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.

17Then God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, “What is wrong, Hagar? Do not be afraid, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he lies.And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.

18Get up, lift up the boy, and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.”Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.

19Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.

20And God was with the boy, and he grew up and settled in the wilderness and became a great archer.And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.

21And while he was dwelling in the Wilderness of Paran, his mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt.And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.

22At that time Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army said to Abraham, “God is with you in all that you do.And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest:

23Now, therefore, swear to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or descendants. Show to me and to the country in which you reside the same kindness that I have shown to you.”Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son’s son: but according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned.

24And Abraham replied, “I swear it.”And Abraham said, I will swear.

25But when Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well that Abimelech’s servants had seized,And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech’s servants had violently taken away.

26Abimelech replied, “I do not know who has done this. You did not tell me, so I have not heard about it until today.”And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath done this thing: neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to day.

27So Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech, and the two men made a covenant.And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant.

28Abraham separated seven ewe lambs from the flock,And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.

29and Abimelech asked him, “Why have you set apart these seven ewe lambs?”And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves?

30He replied, “You are to accept the seven ewe lambs from my hand as my witness that I dug this well.”And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well.

31So that place was called Beersheba, because it was there that the two of them swore an oath.Wherefore he called that place Beer-sheba; because there they sware both of them.

32After they had made the covenant at Beersheba, Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army got up and returned to the land of the Philistines.Thus they made a covenant at Beer-sheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.

33And Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called upon the name of the LORD, the Eternal God.And Abraham planted a grove in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God.

34And Abraham resided in the land of the Philistines for a long time.And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines’ land many days.

Genesis 21

The Birth of Isaac

Sarah Turns against Hagar

The Covenant at Beersheba

You’ve read Genesis 21

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Genesis 21

The Birth of Isaac

Sarah Turns against Hagar

The Covenant at Beersheba

You’ve read Genesis 21

Go deeper