The Message

Genesis 21:1-4-11-13 The Message (MSG)

1-4. God visited Sarah exactly as he said he would; God did to Sarah what he promised: Sarah became pregnant and gave Abraham a son in his old age, and at the very time God had set. Abraham named him Isaac. When his son was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him just as God had commanded.

5-6. Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born.Sarah said,God has blessed me with laughterand all who get the news will laugh with me!

7. She also said,Whoever would have suggested to Abrahamthat Sarah would one day nurse a baby!Yet here I am! I’ve given the old man a son!

8. The baby grew and was weaned. Abraham threw a big party on the day Isaac was weaned.

9-10. One day Sarah saw the son that Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham, poking fun at her son Isaac. She told Abraham, “Get rid of this slave woman and her son. No child of this slave is going to share inheritance with my son Isaac!”

11-13. The matter gave great pain to Abraham—after all, Ishmael was his son. But God spoke to Abraham, “Don’t feel badly about the boy and your maid. Do whatever Sarah tells you. Your descendants will come through Isaac. Regarding your maid’s son, be assured that I’ll also develop a great nation from him—he’s your son, too.”