Hagar in the Wilderness. 

Genesis 21:1-21

Bible Stories

Genesis 21:1 Then the Lord visited Sarah, just as he had promised; and he fulfilled what he had spoken.

Genesis 21:2 And she conceived and gave birth to a son in her old age, at the time that God had foretold to her.

Genesis 21:3 And Abraham called the name of his son, whom Sarah bore for him, Isaac.

Genesis 21:4 And he circumcised him on the eighth day, just as God had instructed him,

Genesis 21:5 when he was one hundred years old. Indeed, at this stage of his father’s life, Isaac was born.

Genesis 21:6 And Sarah said: “God has brought laughter to me. Whoever will hear of it will laugh with me.”

Genesis 21:7 And again, she said: “Hearing this, who would believe Abraham, that Sarah breast-fed a son, to whom she gave birth, despite being elderly?”

Genesis 21:8 And the boy grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day of his weaning.

Genesis 21:9 And when Sarah had seen the son of Hagar the Egyptian playing with her son Isaac, she said to Abraham:

Genesis 21:10 “Cast out this woman servant and her son. For the son of a woman servant will not be heir with my son Isaac.”

Genesis 21:11 Abraham took this grievously, for the sake of his son.

Genesis 21:12 And God said to him: “Let it not seem harsh to you concerning the boy and your woman servant. In all that Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice. For your offspring will be invoked in Isaac.

Genesis 21:13 Yet I will also make the son of the woman servant into a great nation, for he is your offspring.”

Genesis 21:14 And so Abraham arose in the morning, and taking bread and a skin of water, he placed it upon her shoulder, and he handed over the boy, and he released her. And when she had departed, she wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.

Genesis 21:15 And when the water in the skin had been consumed, she set aside the boy, under one of the trees that were there.

Genesis 21:16 And she moved away and sat in a distant area, as far as a bow can reach. For she said, “I shall not see the boy die.” And so, sitting opposite her, he lifted up his voice and wept.

Genesis 21:17 But God heard the voice of the boy. And an Angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, saying: “What are you doing, Hagar? Do not be afraid. For God has heeded the voice of the boy, from the place where he is.

Genesis 21:18 Rise up. Take the boy and hold him by the hand. For I will make of him a great nation.”

Genesis 21:19 And God opened her eyes. And seeing a well of water, she went and filled the skin, and she gave the boy to drink.

Genesis 21:20 And God was with him. And he grew, and he stayed in the wilderness, and he became a young man, an archer.

Genesis 21:21 And he lived in the desert of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.