Genesis 20:1–21:21

Abraham and Abimelech

20 And Abraham journeyed from athere to the South, and dwelt between bKadesh and Shur, and cstayed in Gerar. 2 Now Abraham said of Sarah his wife, d“She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and etook Sarah.

3 But fGod came to Abimelech gin a dream by night, and said to him, h“Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is 1a man’s wife.”

4 But Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, iwill You slay a righteous nation also? 5 Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she, even she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ jIn the 2integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this.”

6 And God said to him in a dream, “Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart. For kI also withheld you from sinning lagainst Me; therefore I did not let you touch her. 7 Now therefore, restore the man’s wife; mfor he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you shall live. But if you do not restore her, nknow that you shall surely die, you oand all who are yours.”

8 So Abimelech rose early in the morning, called all his servants, and told all these things in their hearing; and the men were very much afraid. 9 And Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? How have I 3offended you, pthat you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done deeds to me qthat ought not to be done.” 10 Then Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you have in view, that you have done this thing?”

11 And Abraham said, “Because I thought, surely rthe fear of God is not in this place; and sthey will kill me on account of my wife. 12 But indeed tshe is truly my sister. She is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife. 13 And it came to pass, when uGod caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said to her, ‘This is your kindness that you should do for me: in every place, wherever we go, vsay of me, “He is my brother.” ’ ”

14 Then Abimelech wtook sheep, oxen, and male and female servants, and gave them to Abraham; and he restored Sarah his wife to him. 15 And Abimelech said, “See, xmy land is before you; dwell where it pleases you.” 16 Then to Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver; yindeed this 4vindicates you zbefore all who are with you and before everybody.” Thus she was 5rebuked.

17 So Abraham aprayed to God; and God bhealed Abimelech, his wife, and his female servants. Then they bore children; 18 for the Lord chad closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.

Isaac is Born

21 And the Lord avisited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah bas He had spoken. 2 For Sarah cconceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, dat 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 Sarah bore to him—eIsaac. 1 4 Then Abraham fcircumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, gas God had commanded him. 5 Now hAbraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. 6 And Sarah said, i“God has 2made me laugh, and all who hear jwill laugh with me.” 7 She also said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? kFor I have borne him a son in his old age.”

Hagar and Ishmael Depart

8 So the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the same day that Isaac was weaned.

9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar lthe Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mscoffing. 310 Therefore she said to Abraham, n“Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, namely with Isaac.” 11 And the matter was very 4displeasing in Abraham’s sight obecause of his son.

12 But God said to Abraham, “Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for pin Isaac your seed shall be called. 13 Yet I will also make qa nation of the son of the bondwoman, because he is your 5seed.”

14 So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and 6a skin of water; and putting it on her shoulder, he gave it and the boy to Hagar, and rsent her away. Then she departed and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba. 15 And the water in the skin was used up, and she placed the boy under one of the shrubs. 16 Then she went and sat down across from him at a distance of about a bowshot; for she said to herself, “Let me not see the death of the boy.” So she sat opposite him, and lifted her voice and wept.

17 And sGod heard the voice of the lad. Then the tangel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, “What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. 18 Arise, lift up the lad and hold him with your hand, for uI will make him a great nation.”

19 Then vGod opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water, and gave the lad a drink. 20 So God wwas with the lad; and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness, xand became an archer. 21 He dwelt in the Wilderness of Paran; and his mother ytook a wife for him from the land of Egypt.