Genesis 21

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 The LORD took note of Sarah as he had said he would; he did for her as he had promised.	1 Then the Lord visited Sarah, just as he had promised; and he fulfilled what he had spoken.
2 Sarah became pregnant and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time that God had stated.	2 And she conceived and gave birth to a son in her old age, at the time that God had foretold to her.
3 Abraham gave the name Isaac to this son of his whom Sarah bore him.	3 And Abraham called the name of his son, whom Sarah bore for him, Isaac.
4 When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God had commanded.	4 And he circumcised him on the eighth day, just as God had instructed him,
5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.	5 when he was one hundred years old. Indeed, at this stage of his father’s life, Isaac was born.
6 Sarah then said, "God has given me cause to laugh, and all who hear of it will laugh with me.	6 And Sarah said: “God has brought laughter to me. Whoever will hear of it will laugh with me.”
7 Who would have told Abraham," she added, "that Sarah would nurse children! Yet I have borne him a son in his old age."	7 And again, she said: “Hearing this, who would believe Abraham, that Sarah breast-fed a son, to whom she gave birth, despite being elderly?”
8 Isaac grew, and on the day of the child's weaning, Abraham held a great feast.	8 And the boy grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day of his weaning.
9 Sarah noticed the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham playing with her son Isaac;	9 And when Sarah had seen the son of Hagar the Egyptian playing with her son Isaac, she said to Abraham:
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!"	10 “Cast out this woman servant and her son. For the son of a woman servant will not be heir with my son Isaac.”
11 Abraham was greatly distressed, especially on account of his son Ishmael.	11 Abraham took this grievously, for the sake of his son.
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.	12 And God said to him: “Let it not seem harsh to you concerning the boy and your woman servant. In all that Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice. For your offspring will be invoked in Isaac.
13 As for the son of the slave woman, I will make a great nation of him also, since he too is your offspring."	13 Yet I will also make the son of the woman servant into a great nation, for he is your offspring.”
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,	14 And so Abraham arose in the morning, and taking bread and a skin of water, he placed it upon her shoulder, and he handed over the boy, and he released her. And when she had departed, she wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.
15 the water in the skin was used up. So she put the child down under a shrub,	15 And when the water in the skin had been consumed, she set aside the boy, under one of the trees that were there.
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.	16 And she moved away and sat in a distant area, as far as a bow can reach. For she said, “I shall not see the boy die.” And so, sitting opposite her, he lifted up his voice and wept.
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.	17 But God heard the voice of the boy. And an Angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, saying: “What are you doing, Hagar? Do not be afraid. For God has heeded the voice of the boy, from the place where he is.
18 Arise, lift up the boy and hold him by the hand; for I will make of him a great nation."	18 Rise up. Take the boy and hold him by the hand. For I will make of him a great nation.”
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.	19 And God opened her eyes. And seeing a well of water, she went and filled the skin, and she gave the boy to drink.
20 God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the wilderness and became an expert bowman,	20 And God was with him. And he grew, and he stayed in the wilderness, and he became a young man, an archer.
21 with his home in the wilderness of Paran. His mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt.	21 And he lived in the desert of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
22 About that time Abimelech, accompanied by Phicol, the commander of his army, said to Abraham: "God is with you in everything you do.	22 At the same time, Abimelech and Phicol, the leader of his army, said to Abraham: “God is with you in everything that you do.
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."	23 Therefore, swear by God that you will do no harm to me, and to my posterity, and to my stock. But according to the mercy that I have done to you, you will do to me and to the land, to which you have turned as a newcomer.”
24 To this Abraham replied, "I so swear."	24 And Abraham said, “I will swear.”
25 Abraham, however, reproached Abimelech about a well that Abimelech's men had seized by force.	25 And he reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which his servants had taken away by force.
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."	26 And Abimelech responded, “I do not know who did this thing, but you also did not reveal it to me, nor have I heard of it, before today.”
27 Then Abraham took sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech and the two made a pact.	27 And so Abraham took sheep and oxen, and he gave them to Abimelech. And both of them struck a pact.
28 Abraham also set apart seven ewe lambs of the flock,	28 And Abraham set aside seven female lambs from the flock.
29 and Abimelech asked him, "What is the purpose of these seven ewe lambs that you have set apart?"	29 Abimelech said to him, “What purpose have these seven female lambs, which you have caused to stand separately?”
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."	30 But he said, “You will receive seven female lambs from my hand, so that they may be a testimony for me, that I dug this well.”
31 This is why the place is called Beer-sheba; the two took an oath there.	31 For this reason, that place was called Beersheba, because there both of them did swear.
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.	32 And they initiated a pact on behalf of the well of oath.
33 Abraham planted a tamarisk at Beer-sheba, and there he invoked by name the LORD, God the Eternal.	33 Then Abimelech and Phicol, the leader of his army, rose up, and they returned to the land of the Palestinians. In truth, Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and there he called upon the name of the Lord God Eternal.
34 Abraham resided in the land of the Philistines for many years.	34 And he was a settler in the land of the Palestinians for many days.