Genesis 21
The Lord took note of Sarah as He had said, and the Lord dealt with her as He had spoken.
Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, when life had awoken
In the season of which God had spoken to him, in the spring. Abraham named his son,
Whom Sarah had born to him, “Isaac” (which translates as “He laughs” in old Hebrew tongue).
And then Abraham circumcised Isaac his son at eight days, as the Lord had commanded.
Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born, and on the earth landed.
So then Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me, all who hear of it will laugh with me.”
And she added, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse sons? But indeed,
I have borne him a son in his old age.” The child then grew up and the child was soon weaned,
And so Abraham held a great feast on the day Isaac’s weaning had been seen and gleaned.
Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking.
She said to Abraham, “Cast this slave-woman out, along with her son. Send them both walking,
For the son of this slave shall not share in the inheritance with my own son, Isaac.”
This distressed Abraham since the matter dealt with his son, and looked not to be solved quick.
But God told Abraham, “Do not be distressed about the boy and the slave Sarah blames,
Heed all Sarah tells you, for through Isaac your line will be continued and bear your name.
And now as for the son of the slave-woman, I will also make a nation of him,
For he too is your seed.” Early next morning, Abraham took bread and a waterskin,
And gave them to Hagar, he put them on her shoulder, with the child and sent them away.
She went off and she wandered in the wilderness of Beersheva. Until on one day,
When the water was gone from the waterskin, she left the child beneath a bush nearby,
Then she went to sit, far as a bowshot away, thinking, “Let me not see the child die.”
So she sat far away, lifted her voice and wept. But God heard the boy’s voice from afar.
And God’s messenger called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What ails you, Hagar?
Do not be afraid, for the Lord has heard the voice of the boy at his present location.
Arise, lift the boy up, and hold him with your hand, for of him I will make a great nation.”
So God opened her eyes and Hagar saw before her a well of water, so she went,
Filled the skin up with water, and let the boy drink from it, hoping his thirst would relent.
God was with the boy as he grew up, he lived in the wilderness, became a bowman.
He lived in Paran’s wilderness, and his mother got a wife for him from Egypt’s land.
At about that time, Abimelech and Phicol, chief of his troops, said to Abraham,
“God is with you in all that you do. So now, swear to me by God, right here where I am,
That you will not deal falsely with me, with my progeny, or their progeny in turn,
But in good faith, as I’ve dealt with you, deal with me, and with the land in which you’ve sojourned.”
Abraham said, “I so swear.” But Abraham rebuked Abimelech where he did stand
All because of a well of water that Abimelech’s servants had seized beforehand.
Abimelech said, “I don’t know who did this thing, and until now you hadn’t told me,
I’ve heard nothing about it until today.” So Abraham took some oxen and sheep
And gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them then cut a covenant between them.
And then Abraham set seven ewes of his flock aside. When Abimelech had seen them,
He asked Abraham, “What do these seven ewes that you have set aside mean?” He replied,
“These are seven ewes you should accept from my hand, proof that I’ve dug this well we’ve espied.”
Therefore that place was known as Beersheva, (which means “Well of seven” or “Well of the oath”)
For the two of them swore at Beersheva, and there cut a covenant between them both.
Then Abimelech and Phicol, chief of his troops, arose and returned to the country
And the land of the Philistines. Meanwhile, Abraham planted a tamarisk tree
In Beersheva, and there he did call out the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God.
And so Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines for many days abroad.