Genesis Chapter 21

Isaac is born. Agar and Ismael are cast forth.

21:1. And the Lord visited Sara, as he had promised: and fulfilled what he had spoken.

21:2. And she conceived and bore a son in her old age, at the time that God had foretold her.

21:3. And Abraham called the name of his son, whom Sara bore him, Isaac.

Isaac. . .This word signifies laughter.

21:4. And he circumcised him the eighth day, as God had commanded him,

21:5. When he was a hundred years old: for at this age of his father, was Isaac born.

21:6. And Sara said: God hath made a laughter for me: whosoever shall hear of it will laugh with me.

21:7. And again she said: Who would believe that Abraham should hear that Sara gave suck to a son, whom she bore to him in his old age?

21:8. And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast on the day of his weaning.

21:9. And when Sara had seen the son of Agar, the Egyptian, playing with Isaac, her son, she said to Abraham:

21:10. Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with my son Isaac.

21:11. Abraham took this grievously for his son.

21:12. And God said to him: Let it not seem grievous to thee for the boy, and for thy bondwoman: in all that Sara hath said to thee, hearken to her voice: for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

21:13. But I will make the son also of the bondwoman a great nation, because he is thy seed.

21:14. So Abraham rose up in the morning, and taking bread and a bottle of water, put it upon her shoulder, and delivered the boy, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Bersabee.

21:15. And when the water in the bottle was spent, she cast the boy under one of the trees that were there.

21:16. And she went her way, and sat over against him a great way off, as far as a bow can carry, for she said: I will not see the boy die: and sitting over against, she lifted up her voice and wept.

21:17. And God heard the voice of the boy: and an angel of God called to Agar from heaven, saying: What art thou doing, Agar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the boy, from the place wherein he is.

21:18. Arise, take up the boy, and hold him by the hand, for I will make him a great nation.

21:19. And God opened her eyes: and she saw a well of water, and went and filled the bottle, and gave the boy to drink.

21:20. And God was with him: and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became a young man, an archer.

21:21. And he dwelt in the wilderness of Pharan, and his mother took a wife for him out of the land of Egypt.

21:22. At the same time Abimelech, and Phicol the general of his army, said to Abraham: God is with thee in all that thou dost.

21:23. Swear therefore by God, that thou wilt not hurt me, nor my posterity, nor my stock: but according to the kindness that I have done to thee, thou shalt do to me, and to the land wherein thou hast lived a stranger.

21:24. And Abraham said: I will swear.

21:25. And he reproved Abimelech for a well of water, which his servants had taken away by force.

21:26. And Abimelech answered: I knew not who did this thing: and thou didst not tell me, and I heard not of it till today.

21:27. Then Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them to Abimelech: and both of them made a league.

21:28. And Abraham set apart seven ewelambs of the flock.

21:29. And Abimelech said to him: What mean these seven ewelambs which thou hast set apart?

21:30. But he said: Thou shalt take seven ewelambs at my hand: that they may be a testimony for me, that I dug this well.

21:31. Therefore that place was called Bersabee; because there both of them did swear.

Bersabee. . .That is, the well of oath.

21:32. And they made a league for the well of oath.

21:33. And Abimelech and Phicol, the general of his army, arose and returned to the land of the Palestines. But Abraham planted a grove in Bersabee, and there called upon the name of the Lord God eternal.

21:34. And he was a sojourner in the land of the Palestines many days.