Genesis 21 - Easy To Read Version

¹ The Lord kept the promise he had made to Sarah. The Lord did for Sarah what he had promised.

² Sarah became pregnant and gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. All these things happened exactly like God promised.

³ Sarah gave birth to a son, and Abraham named him Isaac. [113]

⁴ Abraham circumcised [114] Isaac when Isaac was eight days old like God had commanded.

⁵ Abraham was 100 years old when his son Isaac was born.

⁶ And Sarah said, “God has made me happy. Every person who hears about this will be happy with me.

⁷ No one thought that I, Sarah, would be able to have Abraham’s child. But I have given Abraham a son even though he is old.”

⁸ Isaac continued to grow. Soon he was old enough to begin eating solid food. So Abraham gave a big party.

⁹ Hagar was the Egyptian slave woman who had had Abraham’s first son. Sarah saw Hagar’s son playing. {Sarah became upset.}

¹⁰ Sarah said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son. Send them away! When we die, our son Isaac will get everything we have. I don’t want that slave woman’s son sharing those things with my son Isaac!”

¹¹ This upset Abraham very much. He was worried about his son {Ishmael}.

¹² But God said to Abraham, “Don’t worry about the boy and the slave woman. Do what Sarah wants. Isaac will be your only heir. [115]

¹³ But I will also bless the son of your slave woman. He is your son, so I will make a great nation from his family also.”

¹⁴ Early the next morning, Abraham got some food and some water. Abraham gave these things to Hagar. Hagar carried these things and left with her boy. Hagar left that place and wandered in the desert of Beersheba.

¹⁵ After some time, all the water was gone. There was none left to drink. So Hagar put her son under a bush.

¹⁶ Hagar walked a short distance away. Then she stopped and sat down. Hagar thought her son would die because there was no water. She did not want to watch him die. She sat there and began to cry.

¹⁷ God heard the boy crying. And God’s angel called to Hagar from heaven. He said, “What is wrong, Hagar? Don’t be afraid! The Lord has heard the boy crying there.

¹⁸ Go help the boy. Hold his hand and lead him. I will make him the father of many, many people.”

¹⁹ Then God allowed Hagar to see a well of water. So Hagar went to the well and filled her bag with water. Then she gave water to the boy to drink.

²⁰ God continued to be with the boy while he grew up. Ishmael lived in the desert and became a hunter. He learned to shoot a bow very well.

²¹ His mother found a wife for him in Egypt. They continued living in the Paran desert.

²² Then Abimelech and Phicol spoke with Abraham. Phicol was the commander of Abimelech’s army. They said to Abraham, “God is with you in everything you do.

²³ So make a promise to me here before God. Promise that you will be fair with me and with my children. Promise that you will be kind to me and the country here where you have lived. Promise you will be as kind to me as I have been to you.”

²⁴ And Abraham said, “I promise to treat you the same way you have treated me.”

²⁵ Then Abraham complained to Abimelech. Abraham complained because Abimelech’s servants had captured a well of water.

²⁶ But Abimelech said, “I don’t know who has done this thing. You never told me about this before today!”

²⁷ So Abraham and Abimelech made an agreement. Abraham gave Abimelech some sheep and cattle as proof of the agreement.

²⁸ Abraham also put seven [116] female lambs in front of Abimelech.

²⁹ Abimelech asked Abraham, “Why did you put these seven female lambs by themselves?”

³⁰ Abraham answered, “When you accept these lambs from me, it will be proof that I dug this well.”

³¹ So after that, the well was called Beersheba. [117] He gave the well this name because it was the place where they made a promise to each other.

³² So Abraham and Abimelech made an agreement at Beersheba. Then Abimelech and his military commander went back to the country of the Philistines.

³³ Abraham planted a special tree at Beersheba. At that place, Abraham prayed to the Lord, the God who lives forever.

³⁴ And Abraham stayed a long time in the country of the Philistines.