International Children’s Bible

Genesis 21:15-29 International Children’s Bible (ICB)

15. Later, all the water was gone from the bag. So Hagar put her son under a bush.

16. Then she went away a short distance and sat down. Hagar thought, “My son will die. I cannot watch this happen.” 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! God has heard the boy crying there.

18. Help the boy up. Take him by the hand. I will make his descendants into a great nation.”

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

20. God was with the boy as he grew up. Ishmael lived in the desert. He learned to shoot with a bow very well.

21. He lived in the Desert of Paran. His mother found a wife for him in Egypt.

22. Then Abimelech came with Phicol, 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 my children and my descendants. Be kind to me and to this land where you have lived as a stranger. Be as kind to me as I have been to you.”

24. And Abraham said, “I promise.”

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

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

27. Then Abraham gave Abimelech some sheep and cattle. And they made an agreement.

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

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