Genesis Chapter 21
Isaac is born. Agar and Ismael are cast forth.
21:1. And the Lord visited Sara, as he had promised: and fulfilled what he had spoken.
21:2. And she conceived and bore a son in her old age, at the time that G.o.d had foretold her.
21:3. And Abraham called the name of his son, whom Sara bore him, Isaac.
Isaac... This word signifies laughter.
21:4. And he circ.u.mcised him the eighth day, as G.o.d had commanded him,
21:5. When he was a hundred years old: for at this age of his father, was Isaac born.
21:6. And Sara said: G.o.d hath made a laughter for me: whosoever shall hear of it will laugh with me.
21:7. And again she said: Who would believe that Abraham should hear that Sara gave suck to a son, whom she bore to him in his old age?
21:8. And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast on the day of his weaning.
21:9. And when Sara had seen the son of Agar, the Egyptian, playing with Isaac, her son, she said to Abraham:
21:10. Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with my son Isaac.
21:11. Abraham took this grievously for his son.
21:12. And G.o.d said to him: Let it not seem grievous to thee for the boy, and for thy bondwoman: in all that Sara hath said to thee, hearken to her voice: for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.
21:13. But I will make the son also of the bondwoman a great nation, because he is thy seed.
21:14. So Abraham rose up in the morning, and taking bread and a bottle of water, put it upon her shoulder, and delivered the boy, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Bersabee.
21:15. And when the water in the bottle was spent, she cast the boy under one of the trees that were there.
21:16. And she went her way, and sat overagainst him a great way off, as far as a bow can carry, for she said: I will not see the boy die: and sitting overagainst, she lifted up her voice and wept.
21:17. And G.o.d heard the voice of the boy: and an angel of G.o.d called to Agar from heaven, saying: What art thou doing, Agar? fear not; for G.o.d hath heard the voice of the boy, from the place wherein he is.
21:18. Arise, take up the boy, and hold him by the hand, for I will make him a great nation.
21:19. And G.o.d opened her eyes: and she saw a well of water, and went and filled the bottle, and gave the boy to drink.
21:20. And G.o.d was with him: and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became a young man, an archer.
21:21. And he dwelt in the wilderness of Pharan, and his mother took a wife for him out of the land of Egypt.
21:22. At the same time Abimelech, and Phicol the general of his army, said to Abraham: G.o.d is with thee in all that thou dost.
21:23. Swear therefore by G.o.d, that thou wilt not hurt me, nor my posterity, nor my stock: but according to the kindness that I have done to thee, thou shalt do to me, and to the land wherein thou hast lived a stranger.
21:24. And Abraham said: I will swear.
21:25. And he reproved Abimelech for a well of water, which his servants had taken away by force.
21:26. And Abimelech answered: I knew not who did this thing: and thou didst not tell me, and I heard not of it till today.
21:27. Then Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them to Abimelech: and both of them made a league.
21:28. And Abraham set apart seven ewelambs of the flock.
21:29. And Abimelech said to him: What mean these seven ewelambs which thou hast set apart?
21:30. But he said: Thou shalt take seven ewelambs at my hand: that they may be a testimony for me, that I dug this well.
21:31. Therefore that place was called Bersabee; because there both of them did swear.
Bersabee... That is, the well of oath.
21:32. And they made a league for the well of oath.
21:33. And Abimelech and Phicol, the general of his army, arose and returned to the land of the Palestines. But Abraham planted a grove in Bersabee, and there called upon the name of the Lord G.o.d eternal.
21:34. And he was a sojourner in the land of the Palestines many days.
Genesis Chapter 22
The faith and obedience of Abraham is proved in his readiness to sacrifice his son Isaac. He is stayed from the act by an angel. Former promises are renewed to him. His brother Nachor"s issue.
22:1. After these things, G.o.d tempted Abraham, and said to him: Abraham, Abraham. And he answered: Here I am.
G.o.d tempted, etc... G.o.d tempteth no man to evil, James 1.13; but by trial and experiment maketh known to the world, and to ourselves, what we are, as here by this trial the singular faith and obedience of Abraham was made manifest.
22:2. He said to him: Take thy only begotten son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and go into the land of vision; and there thou shalt offer him for an holocaust upon one of the mountains which I will shew thee.
22:3. So Abraham rising up in the night, saddled his a.s.s, and took with him two young men, and Isaac his son: and when he had cut wood for the holocaust, he went his way to the place which G.o.d had commanded him.
22:4. And on the third day, lifting up his eyes, he saw the place afar off.
22:5. And he said to his young men: Stay you here with the a.s.s; I and the boy will go with speed as far as yonder, and after we have worshipped, will return to you.
22:6. And he took the wood for the holocaust, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he himself carried in his hands fire and a sword. And as they two went on together,
22:7. Isaac said to his father: My father. And he answered: What wilt thou, son? Behold, saith he, fire and wood: where is the victim for the holocaust?
22:8. And Abraham said: G.o.d will provide himself a victim for an holocaust, my son. So they went on together.
22:9. And they came to the place which G.o.d had shewn him, where he built an altar, and laid the wood in order upon it; and when he had bound Isaac his son, he laid him on the altar upon the pile of wood.