New American Bible, Revised Edition

Genesis 21:12-28 New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE)

12. But God said to Abraham: Do not be distressed about the boy or about your slave woman. Obey Sarah, no matter what she asks of you; for it is through Isaac that descendants will bear your name.

13. As for the son of the slave woman, I will make a nation of him also, since he too is your offspring.

14. Early the next morning Abraham got some bread and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. Then, placing the child on her back, he sent her away. As she roamed aimlessly in the wilderness of Beer-sheba,

15. the water in the skin was used up. So she put the child down under one of the bushes,

16. and then went and sat down opposite him, about a bowshot away; for she said to herself, “I cannot watch the child die.” As she sat opposite him, she wept aloud.

17. God heard the boy’s voice, and God’s angel called to Hagar from heaven: “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not fear; God has heard the boy’s voice in this plight of his.

18. Get up, lift up the boy and hold him by the hand; for I will make of him a great nation.”

19. Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. She went and filled the skin with water, and then let the boy drink.

20. God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the wilderness and became an expert bowman.

21. He lived in the wilderness of Paran. His mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

22. At that time Abimelech, accompanied by Phicol, the commander of his army, said to Abraham: “God is with you in everything you do.

23. So now, swear to me by God at this place that you will not deal falsely with me or with my progeny and posterity, but will act as loyally toward me and the land in which you reside as I have acted toward you.”

24. Abraham replied, “I so swear.”

25. Abraham, however, reproached Abimelech about a well that Abimelech’s servants had seized by force.

26. “I have no idea who did that,” Abimelech replied. “In fact, you never told me about it, nor did I ever hear of it until now.”

27. Then Abraham took sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech and the two made a covenant.

28. Abraham also set apart seven ewe lambs of the flock,