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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Genesis 21 NLT</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-LR4HSKRP2H"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-LR4HSKRP2H'); </script><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/genesis/21.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/genesis/21-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">NLT</a> > Genesis 21</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../genesis/20.htm" title="Genesis 20">◄</a> Genesis 21 <a href="../genesis/22.htm" title="Genesis 22">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">New Living Translation</td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/p/nlt/esv/genesis/21.shtml" style="color:#001320" title="Parallel Chapters"> Par ▾ </a></td></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><p class="hdg">The Birth of Isaac</p><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/21-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>The LORD kept his word and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/21-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>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. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/21-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>And Abraham named their son Isaac. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/21-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>Eight days after Isaac was born, Abraham circumcised him as God had commanded. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/21-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/21-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>And Sarah declared, “God has brought me laughter.<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">a</span></a> All who hear about this will laugh with me. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/21-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse a baby? Yet I have given Abraham a son in his old age!”</p><p class="hdg">Hagar and Ishmael Are Sent Away</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/21-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>When Isaac grew up and was about to be weaned, Abraham prepared a huge feast to celebrate the occasion. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/21-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>But Sarah saw Ishmael—the son of Abraham and her Egyptian servant Hagar—making fun of her son, Isaac.<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">b</span></a> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/21-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>So she turned to Abraham and demanded, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son. He is not going to share the inheritance with my son, Isaac. I won’t have it!”</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/21-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>This upset Abraham very much because Ishmael was his son. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/21-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>But God told Abraham, “Do not be upset over the boy and your servant. Do whatever Sarah tells you, for Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/21-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>But I will also make a nation of the descendants of Hagar’s son because he is your son, too.”</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/21-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>So Abraham got up early the next morning, prepared food and a container of water, and strapped them on Hagar’s shoulders. Then he sent her away with their son, and she wandered aimlessly in the wilderness of Beersheba.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/21-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>When the water was gone, she put the boy in the shade of a bush. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/21-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>Then she went and sat down by herself about a hundred yards<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">c</span></a> away. “I don’t want to watch the boy die,” she said, as she burst into tears.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/21-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>But God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, “Hagar, what’s wrong? Do not be afraid! God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/21-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>Go to him and comfort him, for I will make a great nation from his descendants.”</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/21-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>Then God opened Hagar’s eyes, and she saw a well full of water. She quickly filled her water container and gave the boy a drink.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/21-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>And God was with the boy as he grew up in the wilderness. He became a skillful archer, <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/21-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span>and he settled in the wilderness of Paran. His mother arranged for him to marry a woman from the land of Egypt.</p><p class="hdg">Abraham’s Covenant with Abimelech</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/21-22.htm"><b>22</b></a></span>About this time, Abimelech came with Phicol, his army commander, to visit Abraham. “God is obviously with you, helping you in everything you do,” Abimelech said. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/21-23.htm"><b>23</b></a></span>“Swear to me in God’s name that you will never deceive me, my children, or any of my descendants. I have been loyal to you, so now swear that you will be loyal to me and to this country where you are living as a foreigner.”</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/21-24.htm"><b>24</b></a></span>Abraham replied, “Yes, I swear to it!” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/21-25.htm"><b>25</b></a></span>Then Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well that Abimelech’s servants had taken by force from Abraham’s servants.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/21-26.htm"><b>26</b></a></span>“This is the first I’ve heard of it,” Abimelech answered. “I have no idea who is responsible. You have never complained about this before.”</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/21-27.htm"><b>27</b></a></span>Abraham then gave some of his sheep, goats, and cattle to Abimelech, and they made a treaty. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/21-28.htm"><b>28</b></a></span>But Abraham also took seven additional female lambs and set them off by themselves. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/21-29.htm"><b>29</b></a></span>Abimelech asked, “Why have you set these seven apart from the others?”</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/21-30.htm"><b>30</b></a></span>Abraham replied, “Please accept these seven lambs to show your agreement that I dug this well.” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/21-31.htm"><b>31</b></a></span>Then he named the place Beersheba (which means “well of the oath”), because that was where they had sworn the oath.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/21-32.htm"><b>32</b></a></span>After making their covenant at Beersheba, Abimelech left with Phicol, the commander of his army, and they returned home to the land of the Philistines. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/21-33.htm"><b>33</b></a></span>Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and there he worshiped the LORD, the Eternal God.<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">d</span></a> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/21-34.htm"><b>34</b></a></span>And Abraham lived as a foreigner in Philistine country for a long time.</p><A name="footnotes"></a><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"><span class="mainfootnotes"><span class="mainfootnoteshdg">Footnotes:</span><br><span class="fn">a</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">21:6 </span><span class="ft">The name </span><span class="it">Isaac</span><span class="ft"> means “he laughs.”</span><br><span class="fn">b</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">21:9 </span><span class="ft">As in Greek version and Latin Vulgate; Hebrew lacks </span><span class="it">of her son, Isaac.</span><br><span class="fn">c</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">21:16 </span><span class="ft">Hebrew </span><span class="it">a bowshot.</span><br><span class="fn">d</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">21:33 </span><span class="ft">Hebrew </span><span class="it">El-Olam.</span><br></span></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center"><em>Holy Bible</em>, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. 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