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Hagar and Ishmael

16 Now Abram’s wife Sarai had not given birth to any children. She had a woman servant from Egypt whose name was Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, “Now see, the Lord has kept me from having children. Go in to the woman who serves me. It may be that I will get children through her.” Abram listened to what Sarai said. So Abram’s wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian, who served her, and gave her to her husband Abram as his wife. That was after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan. He went in to Hagar, and she was going to have a child. And when she saw that she was going to have a child, she began to hate Sarai. Then Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be upon you. I gave the woman who served me into your arms. But when she saw that she was going to have a child, she began to hate me. May the Lord judge who is guilty or not between you and me.” But Abram said to Sarai, “See, the woman who serves you is in your power. Do what you want with her.” So Sarai made it hard for Hagar. And Hagar ran away from her.

The angel of the Lord found Hagar by a well of water in the desert on the way to Shur. He said, “Hagar, you who serve Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” And she said, “I am running away from Sarai, the one I serve.” Then the angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your boss. Put yourself under her power.” 10 The angel of the Lord said to her, “I will give you so many people in your family through the years that they will be too many to number.” 11 The angel of the Lord also said to her, “See, you are going to have a child. And you will give birth to a son. You will give him the name Ishmael, because the Lord has heard how you have suffered. 12 He will be a wild donkey of a man. His hand will be against all people. And the hand of all people will be against him. He will live to the east of all his brothers.” 13 So Hagar gave this name to the Lord Who spoke to her, “You are a God Who sees.” For she said, “Have I even stayed alive here after seeing Him?” 14 So the well was called Beer-lahai-roi. It is between Kadesh and Bered.

15 Hagar gave birth to Abram’s son. And Abram gave his son who was born of Hagar the name Ishmael. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar gave birth to his son Ishmael.

The Special Act of the Agreement

17 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord came to him and said, “I am God All-powerful. Obey Me, and be without blame. And I will keep My agreement between Me and you. I will give you many children.” Then Abram fell on his face. God said to him, “See, My agreement is with you. You will be the father of many nations. No more will your name be Abram. But your name will be Abraham. For I will make you the father of many nations. Many will come from you. I will make nations of you. Kings will come from you. I will make My agreement between Me and you and your children after you through their whole lives for all time. I will be God to you and to your children’s children after you. I will give to you and your children after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan for yourselves forever. And I will be their God.”

Then God said to Abraham, “You must keep My agreement, you and your children after you for all time. 10 This is My agreement between Me and you and your children after you, which you must obey: Every man among you must have this religious act done. 11 In this religious act the skin is cut off from the end of your sex part. This will be the special act of the agreement between Me and you. 12 Every male child among you who is eight days old must have this religious act done, through all time. The same must be done to all the men born in your house or bought with your money from any stranger, who is not one of your family. 13 He that is born in your house and he that is bought with your money must have this religious act done. So will My agreement be marked in your flesh, an agreement that lasts forever. 14 But the man who has not had this religious act done, of cutting off his piece of skin, will be cut off from his people. He has broken My agreement.”

15 Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, do not call her name Sarai. But Sarah will be her name. 16 And I will bring good to her. I will give you a son by her. I will bring good to her. And she will be the mother of nations. Kings of many people will come from her.”

17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed. He said to himself, “Will a child be born to a man who is 100 years old? 18 Then Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live before You!” 19 But God said, “No, but your wife Sarah will give birth to your son. And you will give him the name Isaac. I will make My agreement with him and for his children after him, an agreement that will last forever. 20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you. I will bring good to him. I will make him grow in number. He will be the father of twelve rulers. I will make him a great nation. 21 But I will make My agreement with Isaac, who will be born to Sarah at this time next year.”

22 When He had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham. 23 Then Abraham took his son Ishmael, and all who were born in his house, and all who were bought with his money, and every man and boy who lived in his house. And he cut off their piece of skin that very day, as God had told him to do. 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he had the religious act done of cutting off his piece of skin. 25 His son Ishmael was thirteen years old when he had the religious act done of cutting off his piece of skin. 26 Abraham and his son Ishmael had this religious act done that very day. 27 And all the men of his house, who were born in the house or bought with money from a stranger, had this religious act done with him.

Abraham Is Promised a Son

18 The Lord showed Himself to Abraham by the oak trees of Mamre, as he sat at the tent door in the heat of the day. Abraham looked up and saw three men standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them. He put his face to the ground and said, “My lord, if I have found favor in your eyes, please do not pass by your servant. Let us have a little water brought to wash your feet. Rest yourselves under the tree. And I will get a piece of bread so you may eat and get strength. After that you may go on your way, since you have come to your servant.”

The men said, “Do as you have said.” So Abraham ran into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Hurry and get three pails of fine flour, mix it well, and make bread.” Then Abraham ran to the cattle and took out a young and good calf. He gave it to the servant to make it ready in a hurry. He took milk and cheese and the meat which he had made ready, and set it in front of them. He stood by them under the tree while they ate.

Then they said to him, “Where is your wife Sarah?” And he said, “There in the tent.” 10 The Lord said, “I will be sure to return to you at this time next year. And your wife Sarah will have a son.” Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old. They had lived many years. The way of women had stopped for Sarah. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “Will I have this joy after my husband and I have grown old?” 13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘How can I give birth to a child when I am so old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” 15 But Sarah said, “I did not laugh,” because she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh.”

Abraham Cries Out for Sodom

16 Then the men got up from there and looked down toward Sodom. Abraham went with them to send them on their way. 17 And the Lord said, “Should I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, 18 since Abraham will become a great and powerful nation, because good will come to all the nations of the earth through him? 19 For I have chosen him, so that he may teach his children and the sons of his house after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and fair. So the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has promised him.” 20 Then the Lord said, “The cry against Sodom and Gomorrah is loud. Their sin is very bad. 21 I will now go down and see if they have done as much wrong as the cry against them has told Me they have. And if not, I will know.”

22 Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom. But Abraham still stood before the Lord. 23 Abraham came near and said, “Will You destroy the good also, with the bad? 24 What if there are fifty good people within the city? Will You destroy the place and not save it because of the fifty good people in it? 25 May You never do such a thing as to destroy the good with the bad! May the good never be punished like the bad! You would never do such a thing! Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?” 26 So the Lord said, “If I find fifty good people in the city of Sodom, I will save the whole place because of them.” 27 Abraham said, “Now see, I have taken upon myself to speak to the Lord, I who am only dust and ashes. 28 What if five of the fifty good people are not so good. Will You destroy the whole city because of five?” The Lord said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five good people there.” 29 Abraham spoke to Him again and said, “What if only forty are found there?” The Lord said, “I will not destroy it if there are forty.” 30 Then Abraham said, “O may the Lord not be angry, and I will speak. What if only thirty are found there?” The Lord said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” 31 Abraham said, “Now see, I have taken upon myself to speak to the Lord. What if twenty are found there?” The Lord said, “I will not destroy it because of the twenty.” 32 Then Abraham said, “O may the Lord not be angry. And I may speak once more. What if ten are found there?” The Lord said, “I will not destroy it because of the ten.” 33 Then the Lord went on His way when He finished speaking with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.