The Birth of Isaac

(Romans 8:12-17; Galatians 4:1-7)

1And Jehovah hath looked after Sarah as He hath said, and Jehovah doth to Sarah as He hath spoken; 2and Sarah conceiveth, and beareth a son to Abraham, to his old age, at the appointed time that God hath spoken of with him; 3and Abraham calleth the name of his son who is born to him, whom Sarah hath born to him -- Isaac; 4and Abraham circumciseth Isaac his son, being a son of eight days, as God hath commanded him. 5And Abraham is a son of a hundred years in Isaac his son being born to him, 6and Sarah saith, 'God hath made laughter for me; every one who is hearing laugheth for me.' 7She saith also, 'Who hath said to Abraham, Sarah hath suckled sons, that I have born a son for his old age?'

8And the lad groweth, and is weaned, and Abraham maketh a great banquet in the day of Isaac's being weaned;

Sarah Turns against Hagar

9and Sarah seeth the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she hath borne to Abraham, mocking, 10and she saith to Abraham, 'Cast out this handmaid and her son; for the son of this handmaid hath no possession with my son -- with Isaac.' 11And the thing is very wrong in the eyes of Abraham, for his son's sake; 12and God saith unto Abraham, 'Let it not be wrong in thine eyes because of the youth, and because of thy handmaid: all that Sarah saith unto thee -- hearken to her voice, for in Isaac is a seed called to thee. 13As to the son of the handmaid also, for a nation I set him, because he is thy seed.' 14And Abraham riseth early in the morning, and taketh bread, and a bottle of water, and giveth unto Hagar (placing it on her shoulder), also the lad, and sendeth her out; and she goeth on, and goeth astray in the wilderness of Beer-Sheba;

15and the water is consumed from the bottle, and she placeth the lad under one of the shrubs. 16And she goeth and sitteth by herself over-against, afar off, about a bow-shot, for she said, 'Let me not look on the death of the lad;' and she sitteth over-against, and lifteth up her voice, and weepeth. 17And God heareth the voice of the youth; and the messenger of God calleth unto Hagar from the heavens, and saith to her, 'What to thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath hearkened unto the voice of the youth where he is; 18rise, lift up the youth, and lay hold on him with thy hand, for for a great nation I set him.' 19And God openeth her eyes, and she seeth a well of water, and she goeth and filleth the bottle with water, and causeth the youth to drink;

20and God is with the youth, and he groweth, and dwelleth in the wilderness, and is an archer; 21and he dwelleth in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother taketh for him a wife from the land of Egypt.

The Covenant at Beersheba

22And it cometh to pass at that time that Abimelech speaketh -- Phichol also, head of his host -- unto Abraham, saying, 'God is with thee in all that thou art doing; 23and now, swear to me by God here: thou dost not lie to me, or to my continuator, or to my successor; according to the kindness which I have done with thee thou dost with me, and with the land in which thou hast sojourned.' 24And Abraham saith, 'I -- I do swear.' 25And Abraham reasoned with Abimelech concerning the matter of a well of water which Abimelech's servants have taken violently away, 26and Abimelech saith, 'I have not known who hath done this thing, and even thou didst not declare to me, and I also, I have not heard save to-day.'

27And Abraham taketh sheep and oxen, and giveth to Abimelech, and they make, both of them, a covenant; 28and Abraham setteth seven Lambs of the flock by themselves. 29And Abimelech saith unto Abraham, 'What are they -- these seven lambs which thou hast set by themselves?' 30And he saith, 'For -- the seven lambs thou dost accept from my hand, so that it becometh a witness for me that I have digged this well;' 31therefore hath he called that place 'Beer-Sheba,' for there have both of them sworn. 32And they make a covenant in Beer-Sheba, and Abimelech riseth -- Phichol also, head of his host -- and they turn back unto the land of the Philistines; 33and Abraham planteth a tamarisk in Beer-Sheba, and preacheth there in the name of Jehovah, God age-during; 34and Abraham sojourneth in the land of the Philistines many days.