Hagar and Ishmael

161 And Sarai Abram's wife did not bear him [children]. And she had an Egyptian maidservant; and her name was Hagar. 2 And Sarai said to Abram, Behold now, Jehovah has shut me up, that I do not bear. Go in, I pray thee, to my maidservant: it may be that I shall be built up by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. 3 And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar, the Egyptian, her maidservant, at the end of ten years that Abram had dwelt in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram, as his wife.

4 And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was lightly esteemed in her eyes. 5 And Sarai said to Abram, My wrong be on thee! I have given my maidservant into thy bosom; and now she sees that she has conceived, I am lightly esteemed in her eyes. Jehovah judge between me and thee! 6 And Abram said to Sarai, Behold, thy maidservant is in thy hand: do to her what is good in thine eyes. And Sarai oppressed her; and she fled from her face.

7 And the Angel of Jehovah found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur. 8 And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maidservant, whence comest thou? and whither art thou going? And she said, I am fleeing from the face of my mistress Sarai. 9 And the Angel of Jehovah said to her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.

10 And the Angel of Jehovah said to her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. 11 And the Angel of Jehovah said to her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael, because Jehovah hath hearkened to thy affliction. 12 And he will be a wild-ass of a man, his hand against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell before the face of all his brethren. 13 And she called the name of Jehovah who spoke to her, Thou art the God who reveals himself, for she said, Also here have I seen after he has revealed himself. 14 Therefore the well was named Beer-lahai-roi: behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

15 And Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram called the name of his son whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. 16 And Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

Circumcision the Sign of the Covenant

171 And Abram was ninety-nine years old, when Jehovah appeared to Abram, and said to him, I [am] the Almighty God: walk before my face, and be perfect. 2 And I will set my covenant between me and thee, and will very greatly multiply thee. 3 And Abram fell on his face; and God talked with him, saying,

4 It is I: behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of a multitude of nations. 5 And thy name shall no more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of a multitude of nations have I made thee. 6 And I will make thee exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.

7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be a God to thee, and to thy seed after thee. 8 And I give to thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land of thy sojourning, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be a God to them. 9 And God said to Abraham, And [as for] thee, thou shalt keep my covenant, thou and thy seed after thee in their generations. 10 This is my covenant which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee—that every male among you be circumcised. 11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and [that] shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 And at eight days old shall every male in your generations be circumcised among you—he who is born in the house, and he who is bought with money, any stranger who is not of thy seed. 13 He who is born in thy house, and he who is bought with thy money, must be circumcised; and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 14 And the uncircumcised male who hath not been circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his peoples: he hath broken my covenant.

15 And God said to Abraham, [As to] Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16 And I will bless her, and I will give thee a son also of her; and I will bless her, and she shall become nations: kings of peoples shall be of her. 17 And Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall [a child] be born to him that is a hundred years old? and shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear? 18 And Abraham said to God, Oh that Ishmael might live before thee! 19 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall indeed bear thee a son; and thou shalt call his name Isaac; and I will establish my covenant with him, for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him. 20 And for Ishmael I have heard thee: behold, I will bless him, and will make him fruitful, and will very greatly multiply him; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. 21 But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to thee at this appointed time in the next year. 22 And he left off talking with him; and God went up from Abraham.

23 And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all who were born in his house, and all who were bought with his money—every male among the people of Abraham's house—and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin on that same day, as God had said to him. 24 And Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 26 In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son; 27 and all the men of his house, born in his house, or bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him.

The Birth of Isaac Promised

181 And Jehovah appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre. And he sat at the tent-door in the heat of the day. 2 And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, three men standing near him. And when he saw [them], he ran to meet them from the tent-door, and bowed himself to the earth, 3 and said, Lord, if now I have found favour in thine eyes, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant. 4 Let now a little water be fetched, that ye may wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 5 And I will fetch a morsel of bread; and refresh yourselves; after that ye shall pass on; for therefore have ye passed on towards your servant. And they said, So do as thou hast said. 6 And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, Knead quickly three seahs of wheaten flour, and make cakes. 7 And Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf tender and good, and gave [it] to the attendant; and he hasted to dress it. 8 And he took thick and sweet milk, and the calf that he had dressed, and set [it] before them; and he stood before them under the tree, and they ate.

9 And they said to him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent. 10 And he said, I will certainly return to thee at [this] time of the year, and behold, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah was listening at the tent-door, which was behind him. 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old [and] advanced in age: it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. 12 And Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am become old, shall I have pleasure, and my lord old? 13 And Jehovah said to Abraham, Why is this, that Sarah laughs, saying, Shall I indeed bear, when I am become old? 14 Is [any] matter too wonderful for Jehovah? At the time appointed I will return to thee, at [this] time of the year, and Sarah shall have a son. 15 And Sarah denied, saying, I did not laugh; for she was afraid. And he said, No; but thou didst laugh.

Abraham Intercedes for Sodom

16 And the men rose up thence, and looked toward Sodom; and Abraham went with them to conduct them. 17 And Jehovah said, Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing? 18 Since Abraham shall indeed become a great and mighty nation; and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him. 19 For I know him that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of Jehovah, to do righteousness and justice, in order that Jehovah may bring upon Abraham what he hath spoken of him. 20 And Jehovah said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grievous, 21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come to me; and if not, I will know [it]. 22 And the men turned thence, and went towards Sodom; and Abraham remained yet standing before Jehovah.

23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also cause the righteous to perish with the wicked? 24 There are perhaps fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not forgive the place for the sake of the fifty righteous that are therein? 25 Far be it from thee to do so, to slay the righteous with the wicked, that the righteous should be as the wicked—far be it from thee! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right? 26 And Jehovah said, If I find at Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will forgive all the place for their sakes. 27 And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have ventured to speak unto the Lord; I, who am dust and ashes. 28 Perhaps there may want five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city on account of the five? And he said, If I shall find forty-five there, I will not destroy [it]. 29 And he continued yet to speak with him, and said, Perhaps there may be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for the forty's sake. 30 And he said, Oh, let not the Lord be angry that I speak! Perhaps there may be thirty found there. And he said, I will not do it if I find thirty there. 31 And he said, Behold now, I have ventured to speak with the Lord. Perhaps there may be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy [it] for the twenty's sake. 32 And he said, Oh, let not the Lord be angry, that I speak yet but this time! Perhaps there may be ten found there. And he said, I will not destroy [it] for the ten's sake. 33 And Jehovah went away when he had ended speaking to Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.