Genesis 21 · Parashat Vayera

And the Lord visited Sara as He had said, and the Lord did to Sara as He had spoken.

For Sara conceived, and bore Avraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.

And Avraham called the name of his son that was born to him, whom Sara bore to him, Yiżĥaq.

And Avraham circumcised his son Yiżĥaq being eight days old, as God had commanded him.

And Avraham was a hundred years old, when his son Yiżĥaq was born to him.

And Sara said, God has made laughter for me, so that all that hear will laugh with me.

And she said, Who would have said to Avraham, that Sara should give children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.

And the child grew, and was weaned: and Avraham made a great feast on the same day that Yiżĥaq was weaned.

And Sara saw the son of Hagar the Miżrian, whom she had born to Avraham, mocking.

So she said to Avraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, with Yiżĥaq.

And the thing was very grievous in Avraham’s eyes because of his son.

And God said to Avraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sara has said to thee, hearken to her voice; for in Yiżĥaq shall thy seed be called.

And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.

And Avraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Be᾽er-sheva.

And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.

And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lifted up her voice, and wept.

And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, What ails thee, Hagar? fear not; for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is.

Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thy hand; for I will make him a great nation.

And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.

And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.

And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Miżrayim.

And it came to pass at that time, that Avimelekh and Pikhol captain of his host spoke to Avraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest:

now therefore swear to me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son’s son: but according to the kindness that I have done to thee, thou shalt do to me, and to the land in which thou hast sojourned.

And Avraham said, I will swear.

And Avraham reproved Avimelekh because of the well of water, which Avimelekh’s servants had violently taken away.

And Avimelekh said, I know not who has done this thing: neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but today.

And Avraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them to Avimelekh; and both of them made a covenant.

And Avraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.

And Avimelekh said to Avraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves?

And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness to me, that I have dug this well.

Therefore he called that place Be᾽er-sheva; because there they swore both of them.

Thus they made a covenant at Be᾽er-sheva; then Avimelekh rose up, and Pikhol the captain of his host, and they returned to the land of the Pelishtim.

And Avraham planted a tamarisk in Be᾽er-sheva, and called there on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God.

And Avraham sojourned in the land of the Pelishtim many days.