Genesis 21

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Yahweh treated Sarah as he had said, and did what he had promised her.	1 The LORD took note of Sarah as he had said he would; he did for her as he had promised.
2 Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the time God had promised.	2 Sarah became pregnant and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time that God had stated.
3 Abraham named the son born to him Isaac, the son to whom Sarah had given birth.	3 Abraham gave the name Isaac to this son of his whom Sarah bore him.
4 Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.	4 When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God had commanded.
5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.	5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
6 Sarah said: God has given me cause to laugh! Al who hear about this wil laugh with me!	6 Sarah then said, "God has given me cause to laugh, and all who hear of it will laugh with me.
7 She added: Whoever would have told Abraham that Sarah would nurse children! Yet I have borne ason in his old age.	7 Who would have told Abraham," she added, "that Sarah would nurse children! Yet I have borne him a son in his old age."
8 The child grew and was weaned, and Abraham gave a great banquet on the day Isaac was weaned.	8 Isaac grew, and on the day of the child's weaning, Abraham held a great feast.
9 Now Sarah watched the son that Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham, playing with her sonIsaac.	9 Sarah noticed the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham playing with her son Isaac;
10 'Drive away that slave-girl and her son,' she said to Abraham, 'this slave-girl's son is not to share theinheritance with my son Isaac.'	10 so she demanded of Abraham: "Drive out that slave and her son! No son of that slave is going to share the inheritance with my son Isaac!"
11 This greatly distressed Abraham, because the slave-girl's child too was his son,	11 Abraham was greatly distressed, especially on account of his son Ishmael.
12 but God said to him, 'Do not distress yourself on account of the boy and your slave-girl. Do whateverSarah says, for Isaac is the one through whom your name wil be carried on.	12 But God said to Abraham: "Do not be distressed about the boy or about your slave woman. Heed the demands of Sarah, no matter what she is asking of you; for it is through Isaac that descendants shall bear your name.
13 But the slave-girl's son I shal also make into a great nation, for he too is your child.'	13 As for the son of the slave woman, I will make a great nation of him also, since he too is your offspring."
14 Early next morning, Abraham took some bread and a skin of water and, giving them to Hagar, putthe child on her shoulder and sent her away. She wandered off into the desert of Beersheba.	14 Early the next morning Abraham got some bread and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. Then, placing the child on her back, he sent her away. As she roamed aimlessly in the wilderness of Beer-sheba,
15 When the skin of water was finished she abandoned the child under a bush.	15 the water in the skin was used up. So she put the child down under a shrub,
16 Then she went and sat down at a distance, about a bowshot away, thinking, 'I cannot bear to see thechild die.' Sitting at a distance, she began to sob.	16 and then went and sat down opposite him, about a bowshot away; for she said to herself, "Let me not watch to see the child die." As she sat opposite him, he began to cry.
17 God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven. 'What is wrong,Hagar?' he asked. 'Do not be afraid, for God has heard the boy's cry in his plight.	17 God heard the boy's cry, and God's messenger called to Hagar from heaven: "What is the matter, Hagar? Don't be afraid; God has heard the boy's cry in this plight of his.
18 Go and pick the boy up and hold him safe, for I shal make him into a great nation.'	18 Arise, lift up the boy and hold him by the hand; for I will make of him a great nation."
19 Then God opened Hagar's eyes and she saw a well, so she went and fil ed the skin with water andgave the boy a drink.	19 Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. She went and filled the skin with water, and then let the boy drink.
20 God was with the boy. He grew up and made his home in the desert, and he became an archer.	20 God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the wilderness and became an expert bowman,
21 He made his home in the desert of Paran, and his mother got him a wife from Egypt.	21 with his home in the wilderness of Paran. His mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
22 About then, Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, said to Abraham, 'Since God is withyou in everything you do,	22 About that time Abimelech, accompanied by Phicol, the commander of his army, said to Abraham: "God is with you in everything you do.
23 swear to me by God, here and now, that you wil not act treacherously towards me or my kith andkin, but behave with the same faithful love to me and the land of which you are a guest as I have behaved toyou.'	23 Therefore, swear to me by God at this place that you will not deal falsely with me or with my progeny and posterity, but will act as loyally toward me and the land in which you stay as I have acted toward you."
24 'Yes,' Abraham replied, 'I swear it.'	24 To this Abraham replied, "I so swear."
25 Abraham then reproached Abimelech about a well that Abimelech's servants had seized.	25 Abraham, however, reproached Abimelech about a well that Abimelech's men had seized by force.
26 'I do not know who has done this,' Abimelech said. 'You yourself have never mentioned it to me and,for myself, I heard nothing of it til today.'	26 "I have no idea who did that," Abimelech replied. "In fact, you never told me about it, nor did I ever hear of it until now."
27 Abraham then took sheep and cattle and presented them to Abimelech, and the two of them made acovenant.	27 Then Abraham took sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech and the two made a pact.
28 Abraham put seven lambs of the flock on one side.	28 Abraham also set apart seven ewe lambs of the flock,
29 'Why have you put these seven lambs on one side?' Abimelech asked Abraham.	29 and Abimelech asked him, "What is the purpose of these seven ewe lambs that you have set apart?"
30 He replied, 'You must accept these seven lambs from me as evidence that I have dug this wel .'	30 Abraham answered, "The seven ewe lambs you shall accept from me that thus I may have your acknowledgment that the well was dug by me."
31 This was why the place was cal ed Beersheba: because there the two of them swore an oath.	31 This is why the place is called Beer-sheba; the two took an oath there.
32 After they had made a covenant at Beersheba, Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army,left and went back to Philistine territory.	32 When they had thus made the pact in Beer-sheba, Abimelech, along with Phicol, the commander of his army, left and returned to the land of the Philistines.
33 And Abraham planted a tamarisk at Beersheba and there he invoked the name of Yahweh.	33 Abraham planted a tamarisk at Beer-sheba, and there he invoked by name the LORD, God the Eternal.
34 Abraham stayed for a long while in Philistine territory.	34 Abraham resided in the land of the Philistines for many years.