Genesis 21

1The LORD cared for Sarah as He had said. The LORD did for Sarah what He had promised.

2Sarah became pregnant and had a son for Abraham in his old age. It was at the exact time God had told him.

3Abraham named the son Sarah had for him Isaac.

4When Isaac was 8 days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God had commanded.

5Abraham was 100 years old when his son Isaac was born.

6Sarah said: God has made me laugh. Everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.

7Sarah also said: Who would have told Abraham that Sarah would nurse babies? But I have given him a son in his old age.

8The child grew and was weaned. On the day Isaac was weaned, Abraham gave a great feast.

9Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian making fun of Isaac. Hagar had borne this son to Abraham.

10Sarah said to Abraham: Send away this servant woman and her son. This servant's son will not inherit with my son Isaac.

11This made Abraham very upset because Ishmael was his son.

12But God said to Abraham: Do not be upset about the boy and your servant. Listen to everything Sarah tells you. Your descendants will come through Isaac.

13I will also make a nation from the son of the servant, because he is your son too.

14Early the next morning Abraham took bread and a leather bag of water. Abraham put them on Hagar's shoulder and sent her away with the boy. Hagar wandered in the desert of Beersheba.

15When the water in the bag was gone, Hagar put the boy under a bush.

16Hagar went and sat down about a bowshot away. She said: I cannot watch the boy die. She sat there and cried out loud.

17God heard the boy crying. The angel of God called to Hagar from heaven: What is wrong, Hagar? Do not be afraid. God has heard the boy crying where he lies.

18Get up. Lift the boy and hold him by the hand. I will make him a great nation.

19Then God opened Hagar's eyes, and she saw a well of water. She went and filled the bag with water and gave the boy a drink.

20God was with the boy as he grew up. Ishmael lived in the desert and became an archer.

21Ishmael lived in the desert of Paran. His mother found a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

22At that time Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, said to Abraham: God is with you in everything you do.

23Now swear to me here before God. Swear that you will not deal falsely with me, my children or my descendants. Show me and this land the same kindness I have shown you. You have lived here as a stranger.

24Abraham said: I swear.

25Then Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well of water. Abimelech's servants had taken it by force.

26Abimelech said: I do not know who did this. You did not tell me, and I did not hear about it until today.

27Abraham gave Abimelech sheep and oxen, and the 2 men made an agreement.

28Abraham set 7 young female lambs apart from the flock.

29Abimelech asked Abraham: Why have you set these 7 lambs apart?

30Abraham said: Please accept these 7 lambs from me. They will show that I dug this well.

31So that place was named Beersheba, which means Well of the Oath. The 2 men swore an oath there.

32They made an agreement at Beersheba. Then Abimelech and Phicol went back to the land of the Philistines. Phicol was the commander of Abimelech's army.

33Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba. There he called on the name of the LORD, the God who lives forever.

34Abraham lived in the land of the Philistines for a long time.