BOOK OF GENESIS
CHAPTER 21
Isaac is born.
Agar and Ismael are cast forth.
Agar and Ismael are cast forth.
[1] And the Lord visited Sara, as he had promised: and fulfilled what he had spoken.
[2] And she conceived and bore a son in her old age, at the time that God had foretold her.
[3] And Abraham called the name of his son, whom Sara bore him, Isaac.
[4] And he circumcised him the eighth day, as God had commanded him,
[5] When he was a hundred years old: for at this age of his father was Isaac born.
Isaac: This word signifies laughter.
[6] And Sara said: God hath made a laughter for me: whosoever shall hear of it will laugh with me.
[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.
[8] And the child grew and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast on the day of his weaning.
[9] And when Sara had seen the son of Agar the Egyptian playing with Isaac her son, she said to Abraham:
[10] Cast out this bondwoman, and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with my son Isaac.
[11] Abraham took this grievously for his son.
[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.
[13] But I will make the son also of the bondwoman a great nation, because he is thy seed.
[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.
[15] And when the water in the bottle was spent, she cast the boy under one of the trees that were there.
[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.
[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.
[18] Arise, take up the boy, and hold him by the hand: for I will make him a great nation.
[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.
[20] And God was with him: and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became a young man, an archer.
[21] And he dwelt in the wilderness of Pharan, and his mother took a wife for him out of the land of Egypt.
[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.
[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.
[24] And Abraham said: I will swear.
[25] And he reproved Abimelech for a well of water, which his servants had taken away by force.
[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.
[27] And Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech: and both of them made a league.
[28] And Abraham set apart seven ewe lambs of the flock.
[29] And Abimelech said to him: What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set apart?
[30] But he said: Thou shalt take seven ewe lambs at my hand: that they may be a testimony for me, that I dug this well.
[31] Therefore that place was called Bersabee: because there both of them did swear.
[32] And they made a league for the well of oath.
[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.
[34] And he was a sojourner in the land of the Palestines many days.
Bersabee: That is, the well of oath.