Genesis 21 - English Standard Version Anglicised (ESVUK)

The Birth of Isaac

21 The Lord (A)visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did to Sarah (B)as he had promised. 2 And Sarah (C)conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age (D)at the time of which God had spoken to him. 3 Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, (E)Isaac.[a] 4 And Abraham (F)circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, (G)as God had commanded him. 5 (H)Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. 6 And Sarah said, (I)“God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me.” 7 And she said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? (J)Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”

God Protects Hagar and Ishmael

8 And the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. 9 But Sarah (K)saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, (L)laughing.[b] 10 So she said to Abraham, (M)“Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac.” 11 And the thing was very displeasing to Abraham on account of his son. 12 But God said to Abraham, “Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for (N)through Isaac shall your offspring be named. 13 And I will make (O)a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring.” 14 So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered in the wilderness of (P)Beersheba.

15 When the water in the skin was gone, she put the child under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot, for she said, “Let me not look on the death of the child.” And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. 17 And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. 18 Up! Lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” 19 Then (Q)God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. 20 And God was with the boy, and he grew up. He lived in the wilderness (R)and became an expert with the bow. 21 He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

A Treaty with Abimelech

22 At that time (S)Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army said to Abraham, (T)“God is with you in all that you do. 23 Now therefore swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me or with my descendants or with my posterity, but (U)as I have dealt kindly with you, so you will deal with me and with the land where you have sojourned.” 24 And Abraham said, “I will swear.”

25 When Abraham reproved Abimelech about a well of water that Abimelech's servants (V)had seized, 26 Abimelech said, “I do not know who has done this thing; you did not tell me, and I have not heard of it until today.” 27 So Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two men (W)made a covenant. 28 Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock apart. 29 And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs that you have set apart?” 30 He said, “These seven ewe lambs you will take from my hand, that this[c] may be a witness for me that I dug this well.” 31 Therefore (X)that place was called Beersheba,[d] because there both of them swore an oath. 32 So they made a covenant at Beersheba. Then Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army rose up and returned to the land of the Philistines. 33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and (Y)called there on the name of the Lord, (Z)the Everlasting God. 34 And Abraham sojourned many days in the land of the Philistines.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 21:3 Isaac means he laughs
  2. Genesis 21:9 Possibly laughing in mockery
  3. Genesis 21:30 Or you
  4. Genesis 21:31 Beersheba means well of seven or well of the oath

Cross references

  1. Genesis 21:1 : 1 Sam. 2:21
  2. Genesis 21:1 : ch. 17:19; 18:10, 14
  3. Genesis 21:2 : Heb. 11:11; [Gal. 4:22]
  4. Genesis 21:2 : ch. 17:21
  5. Genesis 21:3 : ch. 17:19
  6. Genesis 21:4 : Acts 7:8
  7. Genesis 21:4 : ch. 17:10, 12
  8. Genesis 21:5 : ch. 17:1, 17; Rom. 4:19
  9. Genesis 21:6 : [Isa. 54:1; Gal. 4:27]
  10. Genesis 21:7 : ch. 18:11, 12
  11. Genesis 21:9 : ch. 16:1, 15
  12. Genesis 21:9 : [Gal. 4:29]
  13. Genesis 21:10 : Cited Gal. 4:30
  14. Genesis 21:12 : Cited Rom. 9:7; Heb. 11:18
  15. Genesis 21:13 : ver. 18; ch. 16:10; 17:20
  16. Genesis 21:14 : ver. 31
  17. Genesis 21:19 : Num. 22:31; 2 Kgs. 6:17, 18, 20; [Luke 24:16, 31]
  18. Genesis 21:20 : ch. 16:12
  19. Genesis 21:22 : ch. 20:2; [ch. 26:1, 26]
  20. Genesis 21:22 : [ch. 26:28]
  21. Genesis 21:23 : ch. 20:14
  22. Genesis 21:25 : [ch. 26:15, 18, 20-22]
  23. Genesis 21:27 : ch. 26:31
  24. Genesis 21:31 : ch. 26:33
  25. Genesis 21:33 : ch. 4:26; 12:8
  26. Genesis 21:33 : Isa. 40:28; [Ps. 90:2]

You Might Also Like:

Genesis 21 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

21 And Jehovah hath looked after Sarah as He hath said, and Jehovah doth to Sarah as He hath spoken; 2 and Sarah conceiveth, and beareth a son to Abraham, to his old age, at the appointed time that God hath spoken of with him; 3 and Abraham calleth the name of his son who is born to him, whom Sarah ...
Read More

Genesis 21 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

21 Forsooth God visited Sarah, as he promised, and [ful]filled those things, that he spake. 2 And she conceived, and childed a son in her eld (age), in the time wherein God before-said to her. (And she conceived, and bare a son in her old age, at the time which God had spoken of before to her.) 3 An...
Read More

Genesis 21 - World English Bible (WEB)

21 Yahweh visited Sarah as he had said, and Yahweh did to Sarah as he had spoken. 2 Sarah conceived, and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. 3 Abraham called his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac.[a] 4 Abraham circumcised his son...
Read More

Genesis 21 - The Voice (VOICE)

Once again Abraham and Sarah take matters into their own hands. Although God has promised to protect and prosper them, they choose half-truths and deception in order to stay in Abimelech’s favor. The results could have been disastrous; but God’s intervention stops Abimelech from violating Sarah’s ma...
Read More

Genesis 21 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Birth of Isaac21 Then Adonai visited Sarah just as He had said, and Adonai did for Sarah just as He had spoken. 2 So Sarah became pregnant and gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time that God had told him. 3 Abraham named his son who was born to him—whom Sarah bore fo...
Read More

Genesis 21 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

The Birth of Isaac21 The Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did to Sarah as he had promised. 2 And Sarah conceived, and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him. 3 Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, Isaac. ...
Read More

Genesis 21 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

The Birth of Isaac21 The Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did to Sarah as he had promised. 2 And Sarah conceived, and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him. 3 Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, Isaac. ...
Read More

Genesis 21 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

The Birth of Isaac21 The Lord dealt with Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as he had promised. 2 Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the time of which God had spoken to him. 3 Abraham gave the name Isaac to his son whom Sarah bore him. 4 And Abraham circumcise...
Read More

Genesis 21 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Birth of Isaac21 The Lord dealt with Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as he had promised.(A)2 Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the time of which God had spoken to him.(B)3 Abraham gave the name Isaac to his son whom Sarah bore him.(C)4 And Abraham circumc...
Read More

Genesis 21 - New Living Translation (NLT)

The Birth of Isaac21 The Lord kept his word and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised. 2 She became pregnant, and she gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. This happened at just the time God had said it would. 3 And Abraham named their son Isaac. 4 Eight days after Isaac was born, Abr...
Read More

Genesis 21 - New Life Version (NLV)

The Birth of Isaac21 Then the Lord visited Sarah as He had said and did for her as He had promised. 2 Sarah was able to have a child and she gave birth to a son when Abraham was very old. He was born at the time the Lord said it would happen. 3 Abraham gave the name Isaac to his son who was born t...
Read More

Genesis 21 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Isaac Is Born(A)21 And the Lord (B)visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah (C)as He had spoken. 2 For Sarah (D)conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, (E)at the set time of which God had spoken to him. 3 And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him—whom Sara...
Read More

Genesis 21 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

The birth of Isaac21 Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. 2 Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. 3 Abraham gave the name Isaac[a] to the son Sarah bore him. 4 When his ...
Read More

Genesis 21 - New International Version (NIV)

The Birth of Isaac21 Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah(A) as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised.(B) 2 Sarah became pregnant and bore a son(C) to Abraham in his old age,(D) at the very time God had promised him.(E) 3 Abraham gave the name Isaac[a](F) to the son Sarah bore h...
Read More

Genesis 21 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Isaac Is Born21 The Lord was gracious to Sarah, just as he had said he would be. The Lord did for Sarah what he had promised to do. 2 Sarah became pregnant. She had a son by Abraham when he was old. The child was born at the exact time God had promised. 3 Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sar...
Read More

Genesis 21 - New English Translation (NET)

The Birth of Isaac21 The Lord visited[a] Sarah just as he had said he would and did[b] for Sarah what he had promised.[c] 2 So Sarah became pregnant[d] and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the appointed time that God had told him. 3 Abraham named his son—whom Sarah bore to him—Isaac.[e] 4 Whe...
Read More